Stories about Middle East & North Africa
Government-appointed rector removed from office in an overnight decree
After six months of protests, government-appointed rector Melih Bulu was removed from office in a late-night presidential decree that was announced in the official gazette.
Turkey's spectacular city statues — a thing of beauty or an architectural failure?
Across the country one may find statues of garlic, a rooster, meatballs, local desserts, walnuts, pottery, and much more, symbolizing whatever that province is famous for.
A decade after the first siege, Assad's regime besieges Daraa, the cradle of the Syrian Revolution
Calls for solidarity and global pressure to end the blockade have risen worldwide, amidst silence from key regional and international players.
Nizar Banat: the voice of truth assassinated by the Palestinian Authority
Nizar posted a video criticizing the expired vaccine deal that was near finalizing between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Days later, he was beaten to death by Palestinian security forces.
In Turkey, 13-year-old girl challenges stereotypes in athletics
A 13-year-old handball player from Turkey's southeastern province, Şanlıurfa, is breaking stereotypes while galvanizing support for girls' participation in sports both in her village and around the country.
In Turkey new cost saving measures are selective
President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a circular on June 30 instructing officials to reduce expenditures.
Women protest across the country as Turkey officially withdraws from the Istanbul Convention
Thousands of women marched across largest cities in Turkey on July 1, against Turkey's official withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention.
Founder of Egypt's Speak Up: ‘Sexual harassment is a daily fight, but change is happening’
Due to the pressure exerted by initiatives like Speak Up, the government has upped its measures to counter prevalent sexual harassment, passing laws that criminalize the act and support victims.
Istanbul: divided on two fronts
As Erdogan delivered a speech at the opening ceremony for the Canal Istanbul project, scores of Istanbul residents were inhaling tear gas and hit with rubber bullets while celebrating Pride.
Yemen stalemate deepening its long-ignored human rights crisis
All parties are hostile to human rights and “show no regard to international law or the lives, dignity and rights of the people of Yemen ... ”
In Turkey, Pride Picnic draws police violence
The Istanbul Pride Week Committee said one person was detained and several were battered during a violent police intervention.
Turkey: Pandemic restrictions out, new restrictions in
"Excuse me, but nobody has the right to disturb anyone at night," President Erdogan said recently about new restrictions concerning music, which drew immediate backlash.
Turkey moves to ban pro-Kurdish political party
The 843-page indictment was first filed by the chief prosecutor of Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals in March 2021, accusing the party of collaborating with the outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party militant...
An Emirati human rights defender's life has ended abruptly, but her legacy remains
Those who knew Alaa are saddened at the loss of a courageous human rights defender who addressed the injustices committed by the UAE against its law-abiding citizens and elsewhere.
Marmara Sea covered by “sea snot”, with possible dangers to environment
"Sea snot"—or "marine mucilage"—may cause biodiversity loss. It is triggered by global warming, waste pollution and rising water temperatures.
To save its economy, can Tunisia reform its oversized public sector?
“These past 10 post-revolution years, romanticised by the West, have solidified for us as more misery and living with the failing of state’s institutions."
Balloons, graffiti, sports and economic power are the latest tools of Palestinian resistance
These latest acts of resistance reflect the energy brought to the movement by young people seeking their right to self-determination and to claim the spaces in which they live.
Zagor: Legendary Italian comics series that captured Balkan hearts turns 60
"It's because of Zagor that I started reading comics and my life would be very different without him."
Yemeni artist Hakim Al-Akel: ‘War imposed itself, but art will remain’
Al-Akel's work, which has been exhibited in over 80 countries and sold at Sotheby's, depicts vibrant scenes of a Yemeni daily life that preceded the ongoing war.
Global Voices’ top stories on environmental destruction, as the planet just observed World Environment Day
Global Voices has covered environmental issues extensively, and one focus of our stories has been the way pollution, massive urbanization, development infrastructures, and human-caused accidents are destroying fragile ecosystems.
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