Baksheesh and social tipping points
Egypt's 'baksheesh' culture helps poor people get by and maintains relative social peace, but it encourages subservience.... Read more.
The curse of the Nile
Egypt is certainly the gift of the Nile, but the great river could become east Africa’s curse. What are the chances of a future ‘water war’?... Read more.
The Arab myth of Western women
Unflattering as some western stereotypes are of Arab men, Western women also get a bad press in conservative Arab circles.... Read more.
No place like a homeland
A return to an ancestral homeland is a dream that's long inspired diasporas – often with troubling results.... Read more.
Queer times in Belgian politics
The product of an odd political marriage between left wing Belgian unionists and radical Flemish nationalists could be the world’s first openly gay male premi... Read more.
The tunes of change reverberate through Egyptian music
For a new generation of young Egyptian artists, music is not just about love.... Read more.
Ambient intelligence or stupidity?
Is technology designed to monitor and report on our every move a sign of ambient intelligence or stupidity?... Read more.
Huff and puff brought the economic house down
How the Mr Bigs and their biglettes unwittingly brought down the world’s economies – and the hotly contested prize for ‘America’s worst investor’.... Read more.
The fast and the furious hijack Ramadan
Police in Egypt are using Ramadan to target secularists. The government must do more to protect individual liberty.... Read more.
Do no online haram
A new search engine claims to filter out 'haram' (sinful) content for the faithful. Should non-believers now demand their own version – let’s call it Godpil... Read more.