A selection of stories from across Europe, North Africa, and Central America. Some of my favorites include this piece about a Saharan desert town being wiped off the map, the forensic scientist identifying migrant corpses in Evros, the last places in Europe where it’s illegal to have an abortion, and the stigma against unmarried mothers in Tunisia.
PEOPLE
The unapologetically gay, erotic drawings of Soufiane Ababri // Hyperallergic
As anxiety and depression soar, Greek mental health professionals come to the rescue // Incubator for Media Education and Development (English, Greek)
The last person hand painting movie posters in Greece // Vice Magazine
For victims of domestic abuse, lockdown is not safe // Incubator for Media Education and Development (English, Greek)
Dora Dalila Cheffi: How it feels being a young mixed woman in Tunisia // WePresent
The marble sculptors of Tinos // WePresent
Henna artist Azra Khamissa on her unconventional approach to the art form // Allure
Killing spree: when migrant women disappeared on the island of Cyprus, no one went looking for them // Airmail
Activist’s murder in Tunisia attests to racism’s grip // Al Monitor
Greek roads prove deadly to migrants on busy land route to Europe // The New Humanitarian
Greece’s man in the migrant morgue // The New Humanitarian
Lena Platonos and the secret sound of Greek electronica // Resident Advisor
Meet the last practitioners of Greece’s whistling language // The Outline
Greece’s old gods are ready for your sacrifice // The Outline
I became a citizen of Bitnation, a blockchain-powered virtual nation. Now what? // Vice Motherboard
‘They’re not seen as human beings’: life for unmarried mothers in Tunisia // The Guardian
Can Stambeli, the spiritual music of Tunisia, be saved? // Vice Noisey
Long-silent victims of Tunisia’s dictatorship speak out // Al Jazeera
Rosh Hashanah in Tunisia: a rabbi reflects on the power of Muslim-Jewish solidarity // Quartz
PLACES
Our children’s lives are on the line: the ongoing battle for Guam // The Guardian
The best European wine regions you’ve never heard of // Travel + Leisure
Greek island refugee camps face coronavirus ‘disaster’, aid groups warn // The New Humanitarian
For migrants and refugees, Greece has become a hostile place // World Politics Review
Tunisie : station balnéaire, saison mortuaire // ARTE Reportage avec Olivia Dehez (French)
The last places in Europe where it’s illegal to get an abortion // Vice Magazine
An all-natural Greek skincare line // Travel + Leisure
Tunis from the inside // Four Seasons Magazine
The EU-Turkey deal: Evros, the new deadly route to Europe (video) // CEAR (Spanish) GCR (English)
The Netherlands’ burgeoning free speech problem // The New Republic
Kosovo is an all-night party and shows no signs of slowing down // Conde Nast Traveler
A visit to the biggest little mosque in Honduras // Atlas Obscura
The plan to build a gold mine on a seismic fault in Greece // Vice Motherboard
Lessons from ancient Greek coinage // The Economist
22 things to know before you go to Athens // Roads & Kingdoms
Behind the gender politics of Berlin’s female fight club // Vice Magazine
Sand is wiping this Tunisian town off the map // Vice Motherboard
How the world’s largest tropical theme park ended up on a former Nazi airfield // Quartz
19 things to know before you go to Tunis // Roads & Kingdoms
The doobie underground: cannabis social clubs in Italy // Roads & Kingdoms
‘There is nothing like this festival’: Gnawa in Morocco // Roads & Kingdoms
POLITICS
George W. Bush doesn’t deserve praise for being better than Trump (op-ed) // Teen Vogue
Gays in Tunisia still suffer under archaic laws // Al-Monitor
Why is Greece such a hot spot of left wing terrorism? // The New Republic
Unprepared & overwhelmed: Greece’s resurgent river border with Turkey // The New Humanitarian
Arab spring memories fresh as Tunisians protest MBS // Al-Monitor
Only 34% of Macedonians voted in the referendum on “Macedonia” // Quartz
Turkey’s band of pro-Erdoğan hackers keep trolling Europe // Vice News
Tunisia protests highlight worrying decline in press freedoms // Al-Monitor
What does the Gulf crisis have to do with Tunisian women? // Al-Monitor
Two Americans detained in tense Tunisia border town // Al-Monitor
Tunisia’s tourism: the Russians are coming // The Economist
Illegal trees: the Tunisian smuggling racket you’ve never heard of // Vice Motherboard
Deal Signed: Merkel in Tunisia // Vice News
Border Control: Tunisia attempts to stop terrorism with a wall // Vice Magazine
Why foreign fighters abandon ISIL // Al Jazeera
