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COVID-19 and the double mutationAt 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
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COVID-19 in the Middle EastArab countries face high coronavirus vaccine hesitancy
The rollout of coronavirus vaccines in the Middle East and North Africa is already taking place on a massive scale, with the United Arab Emirates leading the way. Nevertheless, many people are in no rush to get the COVID-19 jab. Cathrin Schaer poses the all-important question: why?
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The image of Muslim women“We refuse to be hijab-wearing princesses”
Among Muslims, the image of women as "cossetted hijab-wearing princesses" is frequently invoked. But Muslim women have long wanted to be more. In her essay, Karoline Roscher-Lagzouli explores how they can find a new approach to their Muslim femininity, beyond patriarchal ideals and the hackneyed Western debate on headscarves
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The fate of Europe's unwanted Afghans"Deportee Central" – a seedy hotel in downtown Kabul
Even in times of war and pandemic, refugees are still being deported to Afghanistan. Several deportation flights have taken place in recent weeks alone. Since those affected often have nothing to go back to, many of them end up in a seedy hotel in downtown Kabul. Emran Feroz reports from the Afghan capital
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Afghanistan and civil societyBan on Afghan girls singing dropped after activist outrage
Afghanistan's government distanced itself from a recent plan to ban girls from singing in public after women's rights activists slammed education officials for promoting a "Taliban-like" policy. By Nasim Saber
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Burka bans in EuropeWhy the burka is so important for right-wing populists
On 7 March, Switzerland became the latest European country to vote in favour of a so-called "burka" ban. It was yet another feather in the cap of the right-wing populist Swiss People's Party (SVP) on an issue that remains a perennial favourite with the Right across Europe. Essay by Daniel Bax
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COVID-19 rages onMuslims begin Ramadan 2021 under the shadow of coronavirus
Surging coronavirus cases in many parts of the world have overshadowed the start of this year's Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with festivities once again curtailed by contagion fears.
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Turkish graduates in EuropeTurkey's best and brightest flee in brain drain
As Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues his crackdown on dissent, increasing numbers of Turkish graduates and young professionals are seeking new lives and better prospects abroad. Germany is their No.1 destination. By Sinem Ozdemir and Daniel Derya Bellut
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Syrian conflictHow climate change paved the way to war in Syria
Researchers agree that climate change alone cannot be blamed for the outbreak of war in Syria in 2011. However, neither can it be ignored as a reason this once blossoming country has become parched and war-torn. By Jennifer Holleis
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Mass expropriation in SyriaHow Assad is preventing the return of refugees
The Syrian war has moved through many phases and included a number of changing actors. But one aspect has remained constant throughout: the Assad regime is using the conflict to rid the nation once and for all of what it considers to be undesirable demographic groups. By Stefan Buchen and Sulaiman Tadmory
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Religious minorities in IranBaha'is repressed and persecuted by the state
It's no secret that the Baha'i community in Iran is persecuted. Now, a document has come to light that appears to show the extent to which the repression is state-sponsored. By Matthias von Hein
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Germany's Faces of Democracy initiative"Role models with a migration background more important than quotas"
Lamia Messari-Becker, 48, is professor of construction technology and structural physics at the University of Siegen. Until June 2020, the native Moroccan was a member of the German government's Expert Council on the Environment. Messari-Becker is a member of the Club of Rome International, which campaigns for a sustainable future for humanity. She spoke to Sven Lilienstrom about democracy, climate protection and sustainability
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