The coronavirus pandemic has not yet left the headlines, but it is no longer all doom and gloom. Infection numbers are falling, steadily in some countries, and restrictions on life and work have been reduced or lifted altogether in many parts of the world. The travel sector is gearing up for a busy season and holidaymakers have resurfaced across regional borders, for now on
According to UNESCO, the education of more than 1.5 billion students in 165 countries was interrupted as a result of university and school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The global figures and comparable statistics, where available, from the Arab world reveal a new and changing reality for education in the region. But the problem goes deeper than numbers.
Now living in London, an Afghan musician expresses his relief as he observes the ongoing welcome and the new processing protocols for Ukrainian refugees in the UK and elsewhere. As in many countries across Europe, refugees from bombarded areas of Ukraine are being offered safe housing, often in ordinary people’s homes, in British towns and cities. But the response, officially
To paraphrase a Palestinian friend’s Facebook status, which he posted in a stream of reactions to news from Ukraine about people fleeing their homes as the Russian military advanced: “They left in a rush with one suitcase, thinking it is only a matter of days before things calm down and they go home. Where have I heard that before?” The musician who now lives in the US would