North Africa

While Venezuela is bogged down with its internal political and economic crises and Washington hardens its stance against Cuba’s regime, Havana has essentially no choice but to seek new partners, prompting the island nation’s leadership to look to the Arab world.

Cairo’s historically antagonistic relationship with the African Union (AU) has not deterred Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi from embracing his new role as chairman of the pan-African organization for 2019. While the international community is still unsure of what al-Sisi hopes to achieve in his new position, his chairmanship of the AU is likely to be just as contentious as his leadership of Egypt.

The case of Amal Fathy, a civil rights activist sentenced to two years in prison for calling on the government to prevent the sexual harassment of women, epitomizes the attack on free expression across the Middle East.

Sufis shun materialism and use prayer, music, and occasionally dance in their quest to get closer to God. Despite their dedication to divine love and peace, Sufis have increasingly become targets of extremist Islamic movements who view their practices as being incompatible with “true Islam.”

At the turn of the century, UNESCO designated February 21 as International Mother Language Day. In addition to celebrating the incredible linguistic diversity in communities around the world communities, this day also reminds us of the need to preserve indigenous languages.

Eight years after Egypt’s Arab Spring ushered in a brief period of democratic governance, the ruling regime in Cairo will make 2019 a year in which the head of state and military will gain new powers, further undermining hope for Egypt experiencing any democratic progress in the foreseeable future.

Seeking Russian support and vowing to “terminate turmoil and division in Libya,” Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, plans to run in the presidential elections expected to be held in 2019. What does this say about the Libyan Revolution eight years after it resulted in the ousting of the elder Gaddafi and the popular yearning for freedom from dictatorship?

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is an annual celebration of female achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Although many issues of contest have plagued Egypt’s relationship with Sudan in recent years, Cairo is firmly standing by the Khartoum regime as anti-Bashir protests continue.

Mohamed al-Ghiety is the latest victim of Egypt’s sweeping, puritanical purge.