World

Syria

EU boosts status of Syria's National Coalition

The EU’s foreign ministers will intensify cooperation with Syria’s new National Coalition. With Syrian president Assad losing ground at home, Western powers have to prepare for a post-Assad era, say security experts.

Egypt

Opposition calls for protests despite concessions

Faced with ongoing street protests, President Morsi has made some concessions. But the underlying conflict continues - and the opposition has called for more protests.

International Relations

Egypt reserved on Iran's courtship

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talks to Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi after his speech during the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran, August 30, 2012. REUTERS/Majid Asgaripour/Mehr News Agency

Egypt's president is under sharp criticism for his domestic policies. But his actions on the international stage have drawn praise. Iran is particularly pleased about warming relations - and has the most to gain.

Don’t pivot too quickly, Middle East tells US

NATO

German soldier on tower in Afghanistan Foto: Hannibal dpa +++(c) dpa - Bildfunk+++

Smooth development?

NATO combat troops will have left Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Key questions remain unresolved.

NATO foreign ministers agree to Patriot system

Defense

KOERBECKE, GERMANY - MAY 19, 1999: (FILE PHOTO) German soldiers tend to a Patriot anti-missle system May 19, 1999 in Koerbecke, Germany. The German military will loan two batteries of its Patriot systems to Israel, including 128 missiles, at the end of January 2003 to help Israel defend itself against possible Iraqi Scud missile attacks should a war against Iraq break out. (Photo by Deutsche Bundeswehr/Getty Images)

Post-Patriot

Questions remain on Germany's plans to send Patriot missiles and soldiers to Turkey.

German Patriot missiles ready to defend Turkey

European Union

EU less than peaceful amid Nobel ceremony

EU flag and pigeon (Photo: Francois Lenoir / Reuters)

The Nobel committee considers the European Union a big project for peace and understanding. Meanwhile, the EU is busy nit-picking and quibbling.

Is EU not a worthy Nobel Peace Prize winner?

EU gives Nobel Prize money to child war victims

Internet

The dinosaurs' last hurrah?

China and Russia are making their case for stronger state control over the Internet. The US and EU are right to oppose this, but must push to upgrade today’s system of Internet governance, says Thorsten Benner.

The ITU in Dubai

Back on the streets

The latest developments in Egypt give a young blogger reason to again join Tahrir Square protestors.

Human Rights

'West has vested interest in pushing for human rights'

man bowing head sen from above, with welts on his back
EPA/Cpl Neill A. Sevelius NOT

Germany's foreign policy is guided by human rights concerns. But in its international relations, the government often has to deal with countries that abuse their citizens' rights. How can Germany reconcile this?

Iran executes its citizens at a faster rate

A man climbs the scaffolding of a wooden gallows in Iran
(Photo: IRNA)

Human rights organizations are outraged by ever-increasing executions of dissidents, bloggers and activists in Iran. In the world's most execution-prone country, even misdemeanors draw the death penalty.

Protecting human rights in a globalized economy

Since June 2011, new United Nations guidelines have been in place to improve the protection of human rights in a globalized economy. But they are not always applied, critics say.

Africa

EU approves military training mission for Mali

Malian soldiers stand guard on April 3, 2012 at the Kati military camp near Bamako. Mali's under-fire junta called on April 3 a national meeting on the country's future as it seeks a way out of a growing crisis and threatened to prosecute ousted President Amadou Toumani Toure. AFP PHOTO / ISSOUF SANOGO (Photo credit should read ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP/Getty Images)

Incumbent wins Ghana's presidential election

Ghanaian leader John Mahama speaks to supporters during the presidential rally of the ruling National Democratic Congress (Photo: PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images)

Asia

Human rights in China - 'a downward spiral'

An activist wears a mask with Chinese writing reading Crime of overthrow the state during a protest outside the Chinese government's liaison office demanding the release of Liu Xiaobo, a dissident who has pushed for political reform, in Hong Kong Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

India ponders its beef with the cow smugglers

Cattle on a truck (Photo: Shaikh Azizur Rahman)

Qantara.de

DW's partner site Qantara.de offers a lively dialogue with the Islamic world.

Qantara.de

Daniel Davy (right) and Byron O’Connell in New York

Generation Change

Playing the piano and household chores make Daniel an everyday hero for an Alzheimer's patient.

Download the report

Energy

Israelis, Palestinians unite on energy project

The NGO Comet ME's new center is to serve as a permanent base of operations to provide clean energy to Palestinian communites who are off-grid in the West Bank. The project was partly funded by the German government.

EU's prosperity concept for Palestine falls short

West Bank village struggles against demolition

Middle East

Problems unresolved 25 years after intifada

Two Palestinian schoolgirls walk past a wall with Intifada grafitti in Gaza

The first intifada or uprising broke out in the Palestinian territories 25 years ago. Though the Palestinians have been able to achieve some political successes, the major problems remain unresolved till today.

Palestine dominates Israeli-German talks

Libya's rich legacy

Tree of life

Olive trees have been cultivated in North Africa for thousands of years. The oil produced from its pressed fruits is still the main ingredient for Libyan dishes. Traditionally, olive oil was also used for its healing and restorative properties and to keep oil lamps alight.
Libya's rich legacy

Colonial column

Between 1912 and 1913, Italy increased its control over Libya by defeating the crumbling Ottoman Empire and annexed the region. By 1914, Italy had completed the occupation and renamed the country Italian North Africa. There are still many remnants of Italian colonization throughout Tripolitania, Cyrenaica and Fezzan, the three regions of today's Libya.
Libya's rich legacy

Rise of a capital

In mid-November, Libya's first elected government was sworn in amid protests in Tripoli and ongoing instability around the country. But there are clear signs of growth and will to restore the economy a little over a year after the death of Moammar Gadhafi. Turkish and Italian companies have been among the first foreign investors to return to do business with the Libyans.
Libya's rich legacy

All at sea

Misrata is the third-largest city in Libya and the business hub of the country. The city lies east of Tripoli along the 2000 km-long coastline of Libya. But the sea, aside from Qasr Ahmed's main port activity, has hardly ever been the focus of interest for the Misratis. The long, sandy beaches are littered with abandoned tourist resort-type barracks and decaying boat yards.
Libya's rich legacy

Water of life

Libya still has several nomadic groups that have settled around the main oasis cities in the Fezzan region, like Ghat, Koufra and Ghadames. These are the few areas in the desert where agriculture can thrive. In Ghadames, the date palm plantations not only provide an annual crop of precious fruits, a staple ingredient in the Libyan diet, but also create the necessary shade for cultivating gardens.
Libya's rich legacy

Cultural loss

In 1986 the medina of Ghadames was added to UNESCO's list of world heritage sites. Referred to as the pearl of the desert, it used to host one of Libya's most multicultural festivals to celebrate the date harvest. Locals hope that tourists and the festival will return, but tensions have caused the Tuareg community to flee taking with them an integral part of what made Ghadames such a diverse city.
Libya's rich legacy

Between the desert and the deep blue sea

Libya represents the meeting point of the Mediterranean and Sahara. The 2000 km-long coastline offers splendidly preserved ancient cities and great potential for development, but roughly 90 percent of the inland regions is desert - a concern for authorities having to deal with desertification and scarce water supplies. To this day, the percentage of protected areas in Libya is extremely low.
Libya's rich legacy

Moving forward, but not forgetting

The traditional muslim festival of Eid al-Adha marked an important period of anniversaries for post-revolution Libya. On Oct. 21 the capture and death of former dictator Moammar Gadhafi was remembered in many parts of the country, followed two days later by the first celebration of Liberation day, along with February 17, the symbolic date representing the beginning of the uprising in 2011.
Libya's rich legacy

Sacrificial sheep

The annual livestock market selling sheep to sacrifice during Eid al-Adha is set up on the outskirts of the main towns and cities in Libya. Men tend the markets and buy the sheep to bring home before the opening day of celebration which will see the sacrifice and the butchering of the sheep. Families come together and participate in the rituals of preparing and sharing food.
Libya's rich legacy

Cultural connection

While Ghadames was unable to celebrate its date harvest festival for a second consecutive year, the city of Jadu in the Nafusa mountains decided to anticipate it's spring Amazigh Festival by a full season. The event brought together locals, indigenous berbers, the Amazigh, and thousands of people from around the country.
Libya's rich legacy

Window to the world

The program of Jadu's Amazigh Festival included a guided tour of ancient fortified villages for visitors from around Libya. For many it was the first time they were able to tour Termisa's archways and walls which appear suspended over the wide plain far below.
Libya's rich legacy

Color code

The festive crowd that attended Jadu's Amazigh festival included women and girls dressed in traditional costumes, as well as performers and artists from Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Jadu is considered Libya's capital of Tamazight, the language of the Amazigh, which many hope will become the county's second official language.
Libya's rich legacy

Back to the roots

Despite their deep roots to home, the inhabitants of the Jebel Nafusa have had to move to Tripoli for university level education and job opportunities. The Jadu Festival offered a chance to return home and celebrate the Amazigh culture. Under Gadhafi's authoritarian rule, Amazigh culture was not mentioned in school textbooks, Tamazight was not taught and children could not be given Amazigh names.
Libya's rich legacy

From sea to sand

Al-Jifara, Tripolitania's coastal plains, slope southward from the Mediterranean up to the Sahara. The plains are one of the most fertile and inhabited region of Libya. Agriculture and population decline as the plain reaches the Jebel Nafusa. Depite modest altitudes, the elevated edges of the plateau are referred to as mountains and dominate the costal plains around Tripoli.
Libya's rich legacy

Self-sufficiency

Before the discovery of oilfields in the 1950's, Libya was one of the poorest countries in the world. It's economy was traditionally based on husbandry, but the oil industry soon took over manpower and fundings which led to the abandonment of land and agriculture. In recent years, development plans have given agriculture and farming a boost.
Libya's rich legacy

World within

Libya is a vast but predominantly barren country. Through history, the most populated and vital areas have developed along the Mediterranean coast. In the 20th century oil production took on a predominant role. The 2011 revolution brought many of the country's idiosyncrasies to surface, but also opened windows on the potential of reviving tradition and rediscovering its other riches.

Author: Gaia Anderson, Libya | Editor : Rob Mudge