Poverty
All topics-
Taliban takeover
Afghanistan crisis looms as West cuts aid lifelines
The world must take action now to prevent a deep and lasting humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. But what, if anything, can be done? The one billion dollars pledged by international donors is merely a short term fix, argues Rashmee Roshan Lall
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Life in Lebanon: no electricity, no petrol
Lebanon is suffering from the worst economic crisis in its history, which has led to a dramatic shortage of supplies. Electricity and petrol are hard to come by. By Diana Hodali
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Pimping the parliamentary facade
Narendra Modi's Potemkin democracy
India's prime minister has an "edifice complex" that has given rise to grand new government buildings, including a planned new parliament. Sadly, the spirit of deliberation and debate that animated the old parliament building risks being left there. By Shashi Tharoor
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Pakistan, India, Bangladesh
The ordeal of "abandoned wives" left behind by UK families
Many marriages to British Asian men are accompanied by false promises of improved finances. Later when the men abandon their wives to return to the UK, some brides' families find themselves saddled with debt. By S. Khan
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Egypt's New Administrative Capital
The sinister side of Sisi's urban development
Years in the making, Sisi's elite New Administrative Capital will isolate most Egyptians from their centres of government in an effort to fortify the regime against any social pressures. By Maged Mandour
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COVID-19 and the ongoing impact
Coronavirus in the time of Delta
While Europe and North America experience something like a return to normality with relatively high vaccination provision and take-up rates, the rest of the world is struggling to contain the Delta variant. Qantara takes a look at how countries across the Islamic world are coping
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Elections in Iran
Khamenei shuts down opposition ahead of upcoming ballot
In the run up to Iran’s presidential election, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has sought to entrench his power. Alex Vatanka asks whether a sharp slump in voter turnout will reveal the extent of popular discontent
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Iran's 2021 presidential elections
Iran's elite politicians ignore the burning social issues
Despite promises to the contrary, the social and economic situation in Iran deteriorated under President Rouhani, prompting two nationwide revolts in recent years. Yet the social question continues to be neglected by all factions of the elite. Meanwhile the country urgently needs social reform. By Ali Fathollah-Nejad and Arash Sarkohi
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Climate change in Bangladesh
The end of the line for climate migrants in Dhaka
Global warming is driving domestic migration in Bangladesh, which sits just above sea level. With a population of 160 million, it is the most densely populated nation in the world. Former fisherman Jahangir Alam, now a rickshaw driver in Dhaka, is one of a huge number of people who are fighting for their very existence. By Dominik Muller
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Maghreb and the EU
Will medicinal cannabis become Morocco's no.1 export?
A law is currently being debated in Morocco that would legalise the cultivation and export of medicinal cannabis. For many small farmers, this would bring considerable advantages. But the bill is controversial. By Cathrin Schaer
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2022 FIFA World Cup and human rights
Pointing the finger at Qatar's rulers is not enough
As Qatar prepares to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the country has come under fire for its treatment of migrant workers, with some nations calling for a boycott of the contest. But this simply misreads the realities of the situation and the underlying problems associated with international migration. By Sebastian Sons
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COVID-19 and the double mutation
At the heart of India's coronavirus firestorm
India hits record numbers of COVID-19 infections worldwide for the sixth day running, as health systems buckle under the pressure, and shortages of medical oxygen and hospital beds lead to more deaths. In the worst-ever outbreak, the country has been logging over 300,000 cases since 22 April, surpassing the previous highest one-day spike of around 300,300 cases in the USA in January 2021