Egypt's cinema was prolific from the 1940s to the 1960s, a time when the stars of the silver screen captivated a generation of movie-goers. But the films' soundtracks were just as much a part of the appeal of these Arab cinema classics, and the man behind the vibrant rhythms of more than 350 movies was the legendary composer, Ali Ismael. It was through playing the saxophone in the nightclubs of downtown Cairo that Ismael found his niche, and where he met the Greek film composer, Andre...

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we live. Nearly every country in the world has been affected. There have already been millions of infections, and hundreds of thousands of deaths. And while scientists work on developing a vaccine, governments are focusing on reducing the number of infections through social distancing and other preventive measures. But these restrictions have brought with them countless financial losses across the globe. The coronavirus recession is considered...

Palestinian protest against Israeli occupation has taken many forms in the past seven decades - from all-out Arab-Israeli war, to the Intifadas and the Great March of Return. On a global level, Palestinian leaders continue to lobby for increased international recognition of the State of Palestine. Meanwhile, on a smaller scale, other forms of self-determination are emerging. In his own form of dissent, artist Khaled Jarrar designs postage and passport stamps for the State of Palestine,...

In September 2016, nearly two months before the then-presidential candidate Donald Trump's election, United States President Barack Obama spoke at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). "As I address this hall as president for the final time, let me recount the progress that we've made," he said, "A quarter-century after the end of the Cold War, the world is by many measures less violent and more prosperous than ever before …" But with millions displaced worldwide, unresolved conflicts...

It has been nearly two months since Qatar implemented a series of measures to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The government has since closed schools, issued stay-at-home orders and imposed travel bans on travellers from many countries. But while the number of deaths here remains low, infection rates continue to rise. On Talk to Al Jazeera, we speak to Qatar's minister of public health, Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari,...

When it comes to weddings, Somalia has many approaches. Some couples stick with tradition while others go for more modern marriage ceremonies. This film tells the story of two weddings, one in a small desert village and the other in a busy city, while highlighting everyday life in different parts of the country. It also contrasts traditional ways of life with modern ideas that come from younger Somalis and social media. In the remote rural village of Toon, herder Jamalli Muhammad Ahmed can...

The Arab Muslim world has a long tradition of songs and chants for the holy month of Ramadan. This film tells the fascinating behind-the-scenes stories of four popular pieces. The song Ramadan Gana, or Here Comes Ramadan, is often played on TV to coincide with the start of Ramadan. Its simplicity, familiar lyrics and the singer’s warm voice make it hugely popular in the Arab world. Wahawi Ya Wahawi, or Welcome Ramadan Moon, was first performed by an Egyptian singer in the 1930s and later...

As the second world war was ending in June 1945, representatives of 50 countries signed the United Nations Charter in San Francisco in the US state of California. The UN officially came into existence in October of the same year, when the Charter was ratified by China, France, the then-Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, and by a majority of other signatories. Almost 75 years later, the UN comprises 193 member states, all represented in one of its six main organs - the UN...

It has been over a month since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. More than 120,000 people have died, and a cumulative total of nearly 2 million have been infected worldwide. The health emergency has also affected diplomacy and the global economy. One of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic is Spain. It has had more than 18,000 deaths, despite a weeks-long government-imposed lockdown. Its already weak economy has declined further. And, despite concerns by the World Health Organization,...

Khalil al-Wazir, better known in the Arab world as Abu Jihad, was a key figure in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), helping found Fatah in the late 1950s. For years, he was the effective deputy to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. He was shot dead by Israeli agents in an audacious commando raid in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, in 1988. Israel denied responsibility for nearly 25 years until 2012, when an Israeli newspaper published an interview with Israeli soldier Nahum Lev, who killed...

The attack on October 17, 2019, shocked Mexico. The Sinaloa drug cartel - one of the country's largest and most powerful criminal organisations - took over the streets of the northern city of Culiacan with a devastating array of high powered weaponry. From machine guns to AK-47 assault rifles, the rival gangs were armed to the teeth, despite strict gun controls, the weapons smuggled across the border from the United States. About 70 percent of the guns seized in Mexico are traced back to...

These are the inspiring stories of four men - two refugees from Iran and Afghanistan, and two from Senegal - who have carved out careers for themselves at the sharp end of art, photography and human rights in their adopted European countries. Reza Deghati is an award-winning photographer whose work has been featured in many prestigious international publications, including Time and Newsweek. He made his journey as a refugee from post-revolutionary Iran to France nearly 40 years ago....

Coronavirus has upended lives and workplaces around the world, with more than a third of the globe under lockdown. At the United Nations headquarters in New York, where about 10,000 people usually work, a skeleton staff of a few hundred is on site, ensuring the world body's vital operations continue - such as peacekeeping and humanitarian operations. As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads fast, the UN is critically concerned about those most vulnerable - especially refugees and people trapped in...

Lazhar Chraiti, a legendary figure in Tunisia's resistance to French colonial rule, was executed in 1963. More than 50 years later, Lazhar Chraiti's son goes back to Tunisia to find out more about how his father lived - and how he died. The story of Lazhar Chraiti is that of an unlikely hero. He had little education, was virtually illiterate, worked as a miner and was a trade union activist. Yet he had a vivid sense of the injustice in his country, particularly the economic and social divide...

COVID-19 has killed thousands and, as of March 25, 2020, has infected at least 400,000 people worldwide. And those figures are expected to grow in the coming months. It all started in December last year, when cases of an unusual pneumonia were reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Most of those affected by the unknown virus seemed to have something in common. They were working at the Huanan Seafood Market. As the Chinese health authorities were trying to identify the causes of the illness,...

ISIL made headlines around the world in 2014, when its fighters pushed out Iraqi soldiers and took control of cities like Mosul and Sinjar. And in what became known as the Sinjar massacre, thousands of Yazidi men, women and children were killed. In response to ISIL’s rapid territorial gains, the United States and its allies formed a coalition to fight the armed group. They launched air strikes on ISIL hideouts, its fighters and convoys. In October last year, a US military operation in...

A group of men embark together on a journey to recovery at a secluded rehabilitation centre in a desert oasis between the Egyptian capital of Cairo and its coastal city of Alexandria. In recovery, they reflect on the events that brought them there. They speak of deteriorating health, ruined relationships, stealing or losing money, life-threatening overdoses, stigma, suicide attempts, and other challenges. While substance abuse is not uncommon in the Middle East and North Africa, it is...

It has been more than a year since the former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan became Pakistan's prime minister. During his campaign, Khan promised to turn his county's economy around. But the fight to ease inflation has not been easy. The Pakistani rupee lost 35 percent of its value during Khan's first year in office. And despite some encouraging news from the International Monetary Fund, many are still struggling as a result of the country's weak economy. Pakistan's location brings...

After nearly two decades of the longest-running US war - the United States and Afghanistan's Taliban have signed an historic agreement. With the potential to end the war in Afghanistan, the long-awaited agreement includes: a timeline of 14 months for all US and NATO troops to withdraw a Taliban guarantee that Afghan soil will not be used to threaten US security and negotiations with the Afghan government by March 10; leading to a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire. Years of shuttle...

"Refugees are always connected. Once you become a refugee ... it's like the energy just pull you guys together." - Emmanuel Jal, musician Four people - refugees from Sudan, Iraq, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe - took very different, unpredictable paths away from conflict or political persecution in their home countries. But they all have something in common: they have since built successful careers in the arts and culture industry and are driven to express themselves by using their skills to help...

Palestine's PM: Trump's Middle East Plan 'insult' to Palestinians Mohammad Shtayyeh on the 'deal of the century' and why it 'erodes' possibility for peace between Palestine and Israel. 29 Feb 2020 09:53 GMT Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Palestine, Israel, Donald Trump, Middle East US President Donald Trump describes his Middle East peace plan as "the deal of the century". But Palestinians call it the "Swiss cheese" plan rather than a solution for a sovereign Palestinian state. So what...

Located a three-hour drive outside of Cairo is Fadel Island, an isolated community nestled in the fertile lands of Egypt's Nile Delta. Few of its roughly 5,000 residents would call the area their ancestral home as more than 70 years ago their parents and grandparents travelled hundreds of kilometres to build a new life there. Their story begins in 1948 in the Palestinian town of Beer Saba'a, today part of southern Israel. The Bedouins who lived there were forcibly displaced from their homes...

Located a three-hour drive outside of Cairo is Fadel Island, an isolated community nestled in the fertile lands of Egypt's Nile Delta. Few of its roughly 5,000 residents would call the area their ancestral home as more than 70 years ago their parents and grandparents travelled hundreds of kilometres to build a new life there. Their story begins in 1948 in the Palestinian town of Beer Saba'a, today part of southern Israel. The Bedouins who lived there were forcibly displaced from their homes...

In Munich, global security policymakers gathered at the 56th Security Conference. Among them, Josep Borrell, the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. Borrell faces challenges ranging from Brexit, US tariffs, the Iranian nuclear deal and managing relations with eastern giants like Russia and China to conflicts like those in Libya and Yemen. The list is long. Are the ties holding the EU member states together strong enough to withstand all this? Can...

Mohamed Fezzani, a motor mechanic from the northern coastal town of Surman, is just one of the Libyan drivers and motorsport fans who are gathering for a rally in the desert in a still bitterly divided country. For Fezzani and the hundreds of drivers and fans, this is not just an escape from the endless factional violence, it is an opportunity to share their favourite sport with kindred spirits from all over Libya. Before the revolution, the highlight of the sporting year for Libyans like...