Egypt
The raid on independent Egyptian new outlet, Mada Masr, has drawn worldwide attention. One of the last critics of the Egyptian government may be unsilenced for now, but freedom of press in the country remains at an all-time low.
Viral videos reinvigorated resistance in Egypt. Still, social media platforms help to stymie criticism. How Twitter and Facebook cosy up to the Sisi regime and facilitate its latest crackdown.
While being defeated in Iraq and Syria, the so-called Islamic State still fights on in other regions. In the Sinai they appear to hold their ground – despite a brutal crackdown by the country's military.
Egyptian laborers have been facing kidnapping and murder just to be able to make a living in Libya. While some Egyptians decided to stay, others have returned to Egypt. And some have even returned home only to go back to Libya again.
Egyptian director Youssef Chahine challenged the status quo and shattered taboos. Today, filmmakers Marianne Khoury and Alia Ayman experience censorship on many different levels. But nevertheless, their vision of cinema is finding its own voice.
Camp David rewarded Egypt's army for peace but also paved the way for the repressive surveillance state. When the revolution hit the streets in 2011, it dawned on our author how pivotal 1979 proved to be in that context.
In 1978, Eljakim Rubinstein was a member of the Israeli delegation at Camp David when Sadat and Begin made peace. 40 years later, the former diplomat is still impressed by the willingness to compromise – and the last-minute efforts to save the deal.
A children’s game named after the president’s testicles is the latest outlet for popular dissent in Egypt.