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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

Africa

Half-Finished Buildings A Symbol Of Forgotten Promise In Egypt

Marsa Alam is a region of more than 100 miles of beautiful coastlines, coral reefs and diving spots. But the city itself is a microcosm of neglect in Egypt since the revolution. It is a ghost town of unfinished construction and promised infrastructure that still doesn't exist. There is no power grid, no water so local hotels and resorts must provide their own generators and water source. And a diesel crisis has hit business hard. When there is no fuel, tour operators can't power their boats or generators and can't take advantage of the few tourists who visit the area.

Half-Finished Buildings A Symbol Of Forgotten Promise In Egypt

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Tuesday

Libyan Radio Station Promotes Democracy, One Rap At A Time

Libyan presenters work at the studio of Radio Zone in Tripoli, Libya, in 2012. The radio station's owners hope to teach a new generation about democracy. Mahmud Turkia/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Mahmud Turkia/AFP/Getty Images

Parallels

Libyan Radio Station Promotes Democracy, One Rap At A Time

The Arab Spring countries are still in the process of remaking themselves. Consider Libya, where militia fighters continue to roam the streets, yet a new private radio station does not hesitate to criticize the armed groups.

Libyan Radio Station Promotes Democracy, One Rap At A Time

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Monday

Africa

Muslim Brotherhood Struggles To Live Up To Campaign Promises

The streets of Cairo are relatively quiet now — protests have died out and a political impasse is settling in. The embattled Egyptian president is facing a groundswell of frustration as people ask about the promises of revolutionary reform and when will they see the change in their own lives. Summer power cuts are increasing, price hikes continue and a planned election for parliament still has no date. But people's frustration with President Mohammed Morsi doesn't mean they have faith in a divided and weak opposition.

Muslim Brotherhood Struggles To Live Up To Campaign Promises

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Tuesday

Africa

Court's Ruling Could Prove Difficult for U.S.-Egyptian Relations

An Egyptian court has convicted 43 foreigners (including Americans) and Egyptians of working illegally in the country. All were employed by NGOs. In Tuesday's court session, most were sentenced to prison time. The ruling could further strain Cairo's relations with the U.S. and other Western countries. A new law on NGOs is working its way through parliament despite sharp criticism from human rights groups. NPR's Leila Fadel reports.

Court's Ruling Could Prove Difficult for U.S.-Egyptian Relations

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Wednesday

After The War, A Bitter Feud Remains In Two Libyan Towns

A destroyed home in Tawargha, south of Misrata, on June 5, 2012. Residents have not returned home for fear of death. John W. Poole/NPR hide caption

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John W. Poole/NPR

Parallels

After The War, A Bitter Feud Remains In Two Libyan Towns

When a civil war ends, reconciliation is the next big challenge. In Libya, black residents in one town were accused of supporting former dictator Moammar Gadhafi and were chased from their homes. They say they will return next month, but residents of the neighboring city of Misrata say they won't allow that to happen.

After The War, A Bitter Feud Remains In Two Libyan Towns

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Friday

Africa

Elected Leadership Struggles To Rule In Libya

In Libya, guns are still everywhere and the elected leadership is struggling to rule as militias use guns and intimidation when they don't get their way. Most recently they surrounded two ministries and state television to force through a political isolation law that bars former members of Moammar Gaddafi's regime from government posts.

Elected Leadership Struggles To Rule In Libya

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Thursday

Egyptian folk singer Dina El Wedidi performs at Qasr El Nil Theater during the Downtown Cairo Arts Festival. Wedidi says efforts to revitalize venues like the Qasr El Nil are important because there aren't enough places for musicians of the post-revolution explosion to perform.

Egyptian folk singer Dina El Wedidi performs at Qasr El Nil Theater during the Downtown Cairo Arts Festival. Wedidi says efforts to revitalize venues like the Qasr El Nil are important because there aren't enough places for musicians of the post-revolution explosion to perform. Mostafa Abdel Aty/Courtesy of Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival hide caption

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Mostafa Abdel Aty/Courtesy of Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival

Parallels

From The Heart Of Egypt's Revolt, The Pulse Of Artistic Life

Egypt's capital has been associated with protest and political upheaval. But an arts festival attempts to clear away the dust and revitalize a once-glorious cultural hub.

From The Heart Of Egypt's Revolt, The Pulse Of Artistic Life

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Sunday

How Different Cultures Handle Personal Space

Egyptians wander through a popular market in Cairo. Amr Nabil/AP hide caption

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Amr Nabil/AP

Code Switch

How Different Cultures Handle Personal Space

How we navigate one another's space is an important and nuanced part of communicating. Two authors observe how this dynamic plays out in Cairo and Sao Paulo.

How Different Cultures Handle Personal Space

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Saturday

Egyptian Activists: Our Religion Is None Of Your Business

Egyptian Christians gather around four coffins during a funeral service at the Saint Mark Coptic cathedral in Cairo on April 7. Religious violence this month has killed three Muslims and at least six Christians. Amr Nabil/AP hide caption

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Amr Nabil/AP

Middle East

Egyptian Activists: Our Religion Is None Of Your Business

Violence between Muslims and Christians in Egypt, which has only increased since the revolution, is prompting public debate about religious identity. To try to ease tension and de-emphasize differences, one group of Egyptians wants to remove religious labels from national ID cards.

Egyptian Activists: Our Religion Is None Of Your Business

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Wednesday

Egypt's Jon Stewart Says He Won't Back Down Amid Charges

Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef waves to his supporters as he enters Egypt's state prosecutor general's office in Cairo on March 31 to face charges of allegedly insulting Islam and the country's leader. Amr Nabil/AP hide caption

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Amr Nabil/AP

World

Egypt's Jon Stewart Says He Won't Back Down Amid Charges

Bassem Youssef, the wildly popular host of an Egyptian political satire TV show, pokes fun at Egypt's president, Islamists and others. But he's now facing a slew of legal suits accusing him of everything from insulting the president to apostasy. His legal troubles are in many ways a test case for freedom of speech in the new Egypt.

Egypt's Jon Stewart Says He Won't Back Down Amid Charges

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Friday

Africa

Egyptian Government Accused Of Suppressing Abuse Report

Human Rights Watch is calling on Egypt's president to make public a report that documents police and military abuses against protesters from January 2011 to June 2012. Parts of the report have been leaked to a local newspaper Al Shorouk as well as the British publication The Guardian. In the leaked chapters there are descriptions of police violence and military torture of detainees. While a lot of this is already known about the police and military, the report was referred to the presidency in December and so far no action has been taken. The military this week defended itself, denying any wrongdoing and Egypt's president spoke in solidarity with them.

Egyptian Government Accused Of Suppressing Abuse Report

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Monday

Africa

Talk Of Civil War Amid Continuing Unrest In Egypt

With no end in sight to Egypt's festering political crisis, the nation seems more polarized then it's ever been. The ruling Muslim Brotherhood is accusing its opponents of resorting to violence in order to oust President Mohammed Morsi. The umbrella opposition group, the NSF, accuses the Brotherhood of pushing the country toward the brink of civil war. Khaled Dawoud, a spokesman for the opposition says he is scared that Egypt may not survive this.

Talk Of Civil War Amid Continuing Unrest In Egypt

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Middle East

Religious Tensions Escalate In Egypt Amid Violence

Egypt suffered the worst religious violence over the weekend that it has seen since President Morsi came to power last year. Egyptians are already struggling with an economic crisis and political instability. Now, religious tensions appear to be boiling over.

Religious Tensions Escalate In Egypt Amid Violence

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Thursday

As Egypt Negotiates IMF Loan, Food And Fuel Prices Soar

An Egyptian woman carries a cooking gas canister in Cairo on Tuesday. The government just raised the price of gas as part of an energy package needed to satisfy the conditions of a $4.8 billion IMF loan. Opponents say some of the conditions disproportionately hurt the poor. Khalil Hamra/AP hide caption

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Khalil Hamra/AP

Middle East

As Egypt Negotiates IMF Loan, Food And Fuel Prices Soar

Cairo is negotiating with the International Monetary Fund for a $4.8 billion loan to help pull Egypt out of its deep economic crisis. The government subsidizes wheat and fuel but is running out of money to purchase these crucial imports, and Egyptians are feeling the pinch.

As Egypt Negotiates IMF Loan, Food And Fuel Prices Soar

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Monday

Islamists Say They Are Filling Vacuum Left By Egyptian State

Egyptian men and boys pray at a mosque in Assiut, southern Egypt, that serves as the headquarters for Gamaa al-Islamiya, a group that once waged a bloody insurgency, attacking police and Christians in a campaign to create an Islamic state. Now the Islamist group says it's determined to ensure law and order in the area. Nariman El-Mofty/AP hide caption

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Nariman El-Mofty/AP

Africa

Islamists Say They Are Filling Vacuum Left By Egyptian State

The Islamist group Gamaa al-Islamiya recently agreed to handle security during a strike by police in the city of Assiut; the police returned to work the next day. But the group says it will continue to provide services such as trash pickup, reflecting the larger problem of a deteriorating Egyptian government.

Islamists Say They Are Filling Vacuum Left By Egyptian State

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