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Leila Fadel Leila Fadel is a host of Morning Edition, as well as NPR's morning news podcast Up First.
Leila Fadel, photographed for NPR, 2 May 2022, in Washington DC. Photo by Mike Morgan for NPR.
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Leila Fadel

Wednesday

Detention Of Al-Jazeera Journalists Strains Free Speech In Egypt

Mohammed Badr, a cameraman for Al-Jazeera, appears at a court in Cairo, on Dec. 4, 2013. He is among the journalists referred to the Egyptian criminal court Wednesday. Ahmed Omar/AP hide caption

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Ahmed Omar/AP

The Two-Way

Detention Of Al-Jazeera Journalists Strains Free Speech In Egypt

Canadian-Egyptian journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy has been accused of running a terrorist cell with the help of four foreigners; allegations the news agency calls "baseless and false." The case has shown just how far Egypt has backslid on the goals of an uprising that began three years ago this week.

Tuesday

Middle East

The Coup Goes To Court: Ousted Pres. Morsi On Trial In Cairo

Ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was in a Cairo courtroom on Tuesday, seen and heard for only the second time since he was thrust from office in a military coup last July. Morsi and other members of the Muslim Brotherhood are facing charges of collusion with Hamas and Hezbollah during the 2011 uprising against the Mubarak regime.

The Coup Goes To Court: Ousted Pres. Morsi On Trial In Cairo

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Monday

Mental Health

No Surprises: Egyptian Military Endorses Its Chief For President

Out of Cairo on Monday came new indications that Egypt's military chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, will run for president in an election expected within the next three months. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Egypt's highest military body, disseminated a message praising Sisi and endorsing him for a presidential bid.

No Surprises: Egyptian Military Endorses Its Chief For President

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Middle East

Deaths, Arrests Mark 3rd Anniversary Of Egypt's Uprising

The third anniversary of Egypt's revolution was marked with violent clashes across the country between pro and anti-government demonstrators. By Sunday morning at least 49 people had been killed and more than 1,000 arrested.

Deaths, Arrests Mark 3rd Anniversary Of Egypt's Uprising

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Saturday

Three Years Later, Tahrir Protesters Drained And Defeated

Egyptian security forces close Tahrir Square to disperse protesters in December. Ahmed Abd El Latif/AP hide caption

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Ahmed Abd El Latif/AP

Middle East

Three Years Later, Tahrir Protesters Drained And Defeated

On Jan. 25, 2011, millions of Egyptians took to the streets of Cairo to demand President Hosni Mubarak step down. Now those who led the revolution have all but disappeared, and iconic Tahrir Square is a bitter place for many — a reminder of a momentary high in a battle they say they have lost.

Three Years Later, Tahrir Protesters Drained And Defeated

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Friday

Middle East

Deadly Explosions Rattle Cairo

There have been three deadly explosions in Cairo on Friday. First, a car bomb targeted Egypt police headquarters in the heart of Cairo. The bombings come on the eve of the anniversary of the start of the 2011 uprising.

Deadly Explosions Rattle Cairo

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Tuesday

Middle East

Egyptian Military Clamps Down On Freedom Of Speech

Mohamed Fahmy is a producer with Al Jazeera English and his job has landed him in jail. His crime: speaking to Muslim Brotherhood members. Since the ouster of President Morsi, opposition channels have been shuttered, and according to the committee to protect journalists, security forces have been given free rein to target anyone viewed as sympathetic to the Brotherhood.

Egyptian Military Clamps Down On Freedom Of Speech

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Tuesday

Middle East

Doubt And Insecurity Loom As Egypt Goes To The Polls

Beginning Tuesday, Egyptians are going to the polls in a two-day referendum on a draft constitution. The Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups are boycotting the vote, and fears of violence have meant heavy security at polling centers.

Doubt And Insecurity Loom As Egypt Goes To The Polls

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Middle East

Egyptians Begin Voting On New Draft Charter

Egyptians go to the polls over the next two days to vote on a draft constitution. The military-backed government is pushing for a "yes" vote amid indications that military chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will soon announce his intention to run for the presidency.

Egyptians Begin Voting On New Draft Charter

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Monday

As Egypt Votes On New Constitution, Space For Dissent Closes

Egyptians walk under a billboard with Arabic that reads, "yes to the constitution, Egyptians love their country," in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Jan. 11. Many Egyptians say there is no real choice in the country's referendum on a new constitution. Amr Nabil/AP hide caption

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Amr Nabil/AP

Middle East

As Egypt Votes On New Constitution, Space For Dissent Closes

The government is cracking down on the Muslim Brotherhood and youth activists associated with the 2011 revolution in what many analysts say is a full-blown counterrevolution. Egypt's path to democracy is in doubt. Yet for many Egyptians, stability trumps democracy — at least for now.

As Egypt Votes On New Constitution, Space For Dissent Closes

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Wednesday

Middle East

Egypt's Coptic Christians Celebrate Christmas Amid Fear, Hope

Coptic Christians in Egypt celebrated their Christmas on Tuesday in an atmosphere of uncertainty. There were dozens of attacks on churches and Christian homes both during and after the tenure of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Coptic leaders publicly supported the military coup that ousted Morsi.

Egypt's Coptic Christians Celebrate Christmas Amid Fear, Hope

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Tuesday

Middle East

In Egypt, Protests Shift To University Campuses

Student activism is now at the heart of dissent against the state. But like Egypt itself, the movement is divided. Secular and Islamist protesters are closing down their campuses and demanding that the police be tried for their crimes.

In Egypt, Protests Shift To University Campuses

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Tuesday

The High Price Egyptians Pay For Opposing Their Rulers

Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood run from tear gas during clashes with riot police near Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya square on Nov. 22. AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Parallels

The High Price Egyptians Pay For Opposing Their Rulers

Prominent athletes, high school students and young girls have all been punished, and in some cases arrested, for expressing solidarity with protesters who were killed by Egypt's security forces.

The High Price Egyptians Pay For Opposing Their Rulers

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Friday

Middle East

Blogger Arrested For Inciting A Protest In Egypt

Security forces in Egypt have arrested a prominent political activist over inciting a demonstration. That's according to the blogger's family. The protest was in defiance of a new law that heavily restricts demonstrations in the country.

Blogger Arrested For Inciting A Protest In Egypt

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Wednesday

Middle East

Egyptians Hit Streets, Defying Protest Ban

Egyptian political activists are planning more protests in downtown Cairo Wednesday in defiance of a government ban. Tuesday, more than 20 people were detained, including about a dozen women who were later released on a desert highway outside the city.

Egyptians Hit Streets, Defying Protest Ban

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