Leila Slimani on sex and ethics of women’s liberation in Morocco   By Leïla Slimani   When, in the summer of 2014, I published my first novel, Adèle, some French journalists expressed surprise that a Moroccan woman could write such a book. What they meant by that was an “unconstrained book,” a “sexy book,” a straight-talking, popular book, the story of a woman …

Covid-19 has exposed the myth of neoliberal free-market economic model Herald Report The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the world is at breaking point, and the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the free market and deep divisions in society, calling for a new global deal to combat climate change, forced migration, diseases, patriarchy and racism. Inequality, an issue …

Amid geopolitical concerns, a changing climate and the increasing intrusion of the modern world, young nomads are abandoning their traditional way of life, writes Tsering Ngodup Lama in The Kathmandu Post Dorje Rithen, 61, has lived his entire life as a nomad, and he fears that this lifestyle will end with him. Tsering Ngodup Lama/TKP Where Kunga Sangpo and Yangchen …

Hunza matters, of course, but those who live in poverty are not troublemakers and there is no technical or academic solution for that, writes Amir Hussain in his latest article. He attempts to provide a critical reflection of socio-economic and political transformation in the Hunza valley.  by Amir Hussain The article is by no means a review of ‘Hunza Matters’, …

We must look at the roots of capitalism, white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, and anti-Blackness to leave settler colonialism in the past.   by LEANNE BETASAMOSAKE SIMPSON I understand settler colonialism’s present structure as one that is formed and maintained by a series of processes for the purposes of dispossessing, that create scaffolding within which my relationship to the state is contained. I certainly do …

News Desk Dr Pema Gyamtsho has been elected new director-general of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). “He will succeed Dr David Molden at his retirement from his current position as director-general in which he served for nearly a decade with his depth and breadth of intelligence, wisdom, and gracious people-oriented leadership,” ICIMOD board of governors announced the …

Beware splashy corporate gestures when they leave existing power structures intact. by Helen Lewis Tumbrels are rattling through the streets of the internet. Over the past few years, online-led social movements have deposed gropers, exposed bullies—and, sometimes, ruined the lives of the innocent. Commentators warn of “mob justice,” while activists exult in their newfound power to change the world. Both groups …

A job scheme for women who may otherwise be shunned as outcasts is giving many the opportunity to rebuild their lives. Shah Meer Baloch Margaret Heera runs her fingers through her customer’s hair. “You must manage time for yourself and your skin,” she says, as she ties the hair into an elaborate knot. The beauty salon in Lahore is busy. …

https://rferl.org/b7e6d5f3-b05f-4931-b01d-68d882520393 ‘In Afghanistan’s Badakhshan Province, more children are working in the poppy fields and selling opium after schools were shut because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A 10-year-old boy toils here with his father. Schools have closed due to Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.

News Desk Shirin Nazirmadova, a doctor from southern Tajikistan, has been saving for years to afford the hajj pilgrimage that all able Muslims are required to make once in their lives. But like millions of others, Nazirmadova’s dream journey of a lifetime was shattered when Saudi Arabia decided last month to bar international visitors from making the pilgrimage this year …