AP:There’s the Tunisian woman who fasts during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, though not for God. Such are the ways that some of the religiously unaffiliated, or ‘nones’ — people who are agnostics, atheists or nothing in particular — negotiate their existence in the Middle East and North Africa where religion is often ingrained in life’s very fabric. “I have a double life all the time,” said the 27-year-old Tunisian woman. But according to a Pew Research Center analysis, they were most common in the Middle East and North Africa, or MENA, region as of 2019. The Tunisian woman said she fasts to avoid being found out by her Muslim family.

A tropical depression may form this week from a system near Central America as Hurricane Tammy moves past islands on the edge of the eastern Caribbean. Tammy made landfall on the Caribbean island of Barbuda on Saturday night with 85 mph winds and lashed the Leeward Islands on Sunday. Tammy is expected to continue moving north through Sunday night, the hurricane center said, before turning north or north-northeast on Tuesday. The remaining storm names for 2023 are Vince and Whitney. In previous years, the Greek alphabet was used for additional storm names — which had only happened twice before — during the record-shattering hurricane seasons in 2005 and 2020.

By Mirette MagdyThe war between Israel and Hamas has turned the spotlight on Egypt’s role as a regional powerbroker, potentially winning it Western support as it tries to escape a grinding economic crisis. With long-held ties to Israel and a border with Gaza, Egypt’s stance is shaping up as key to the fate of any refugees and a sustained flow of aid for the besieged territory’s 2 million residents after Israel cut off crucial supplies in response to Hamas’s deadly Oct 7 assault.

EventAs of Oct. 22, pro-Palestinian rallies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are likely to continue through late October, and may escalate in response to developments in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Additionally, protest activity will likely surge across the region on Fridays, including on Oct. 27. Allies of Israel, including states with no official relations, such as Saudi Arabia, have condemned the attack, while supporters of Hamas, including Iran and Hizballah, have welcomed it. Exercise heightened caution near all likely protest sites and on likely protest days. Plan for localized road transport delays near protest sites.

S&P Global Ratings has downgraded Egypt’s long-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings to “B-“ from “B”, with a stable outlook, according to a statement on October 20th. The downgrade was due to the recurring delays to the execution of monetary and structural reforms in the North African country, which made the currency market unstable and negatively affected the net foreign asset position of systemic banks. The rating agency also confirmed its short-term sovereign credit ratings at ‘B’. “Inflationary pressures are likely to remain high as we expect further exchange-rate weakness,” as per the statement. S&P Global also forecasts the Egyptian economic growth to reach an average of 4% over the next three years.

The Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure appears alongside its mirror image, reflected in the glass of Mucem, a museum devoted to Mediterranean culture in Europe and North Africa. For me, the area really sums up Marseille: a cosmopolitan coastal city immensely proud of its heritage and equally optimistic about its future. When I’m on assignment, I always keep a zoom lens to hand to capture those more unexpected moments. Before taking this shot, I walked around Mucem’s perimeter, taking note of the different views it had to offer. I was instinctively drawn to the reflections in the glass and knew there would be a shot to take somewhere there.

In partnership with SHAWCO, Dell Technologies has unveiled the Kensington Solar Community Hub in Cape Town, enhancing the existing facility with a medical clinic to offer healthcare services to the Kensington community. With 12 hubs in South Africa, SHAWCO operates mobile health clinics, offering free medical consultations and health education. Natasha Reuben, Head of Transformation at Dell Technologies in South Africa, said: “SHAWCO is the ideal partner for this initiative and helps ensure the Kensington community can receive dignified healthcare. “The Kensington Solar Community Hub demonstrates our combined commitment and investment to support end-to-end growth for communities. Key characteristics of the Kensington Solar Community Hub include:The community manages the health clinic and features multi-purpose rooms for health screening and other services, enabled by Dell solutions.

Morocco has called for a political solution and an inclusive dialogue to preserve the unity and territorial integrity of Sudan, and reaffirmed readiness to provide all the necessary support to help the brotherly country overcome this difficult period and build a future of peace, stability and prosperity that meets the aspirations of its people. In this regard, he called on the Chairperson of the AU Commission to continue to use his good offices to step-up the resumption of dialogue between the various stakeholders. “We urge all parties involved in the conflict to exercise restraint and endeavor, in a spirit of calm and compromise, to find a solution worthy of Sudan that will preserve its stability, unity and territorial integrity,” Arrouchi underlined. He added that supporting Sudan to reach a political solution should be guided by an assessment of the vital needs of the Sudanese people. This implies a holistic approach that considers the peace, security and development dimension to establish a solid basis for a lasting solution.

Open Extended ReactionsMelbourne are back on top of the AFLW ladder after claiming a thrilling 23-point win over fellow premiership contenders North Melbourne. Finishing with four unanswered goals, the defending premiers continued their winning ways against the Kangaroos with a 5.7 (37) to 2.2 (14) victory at Ikon Park on Saturday. "That's not the real North Melbourne and the way we want to go about our footy. The Demons have returned to winning ways, sweeping aside North Melbourne in a 23-point win, and returning to the top of the ladder. North Melbourne (6-2) take on fellow premiership hopefuls Adelaide, followed by a meeting against the winless Western Bulldogs.

The Critical Minerals Africa 2023 summit was held in Cape Town this week (17-19 October), with a high-level ministerial panel addressing the future of African mineral resource development, as the continent’s mineral reserves gear up to power a global energy transition. The Critical Minerals Africa 2023 summit, organized by Energy Capital & Power, serves to position Africa as the primary investment destination for critical minerals. Held alongside the African Energy Week 2023 conference, the high-level event offered delegates access to the full scope of energy, mining and finance leaders. Mining ministers and senior government officials from South Sudan, Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe united to outline transformative visions for their respective critical minerals sectors and efforts to attract foreign partnerships and cement the continent’s geopolitical position as a global minerals hub. It also focused on how sustainable practices, localized supply chains and integrated mining operations will help secure critical minerals supplies of the future.

Rema and Davido were the top winners at the 2023 Trace Awards, which were held in Kigali, Rwanda, on Saturday (Oct. 21). The Trace Awards are a new awards franchise created by Trace, a global TV and multimedia platform. Burna Boy from Nigeria won album of the year for Love Damini. The Trace Awards included performances by approximately 50 Africa and Afro-inspired artists from around the world, including Davido, Yemi Alade, Mr Eazi and Diamond Platnumz. All the nominees and performers at the Trace Awards underlined exactly why African contemporary music has become a global phenomenon.”In addition to the competitive categories listed below, awards were presented in three categories in which no nominees were announced.

An aid convoy truck loaded with supplies is seen at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. A convoy of trucks loaded with humanitarian supplies such as food, water and medicines began entering Gaza from Egypt via the Rafah crossing on Saturday morning. Twenty trucks were estimated to have crossed from the Egyptian border, carrying supplies that the UN described as "the difference between life and death for so many people in Gaza." Humanitarian agencies, however, have said the initial aid delivery is a "drop in the ocean" and policymakers have called for the sustained delivery of essential goods to meet the needs of those living in the besieged enclave. "The situation remains dynamic and fluid and the security environment is unpredictable," according to the U.S. embassy in Israel in a security alert to Americans, warning it could be chaotic and disorderly "should the border open."

For all our coverage, visit our Ukraine war page. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un welcomes Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a meeting in Pyongyang on Oct. 19. (Russian Foreign Ministry/handout via Reuters)Thursday, Oct. 198:00 p.m. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, Russia's Foreign Ministry says. Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport to attend the Belt and Road Forum on Oct. 17. Drones have played a major part in the Ukraine war, both for attacks but also for reconnaissance amid fierce artillery battles.

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Assistant Professor in History - 31520 FacultyThe Department of History at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, seeks an Assistant Professor on the Tenure Track in Ancient History with a focus on the Mediterranean world including West Asia and North Africa. We are especially interested in candidates with expertise in subfields, including, but not limited to, gender history, environmental history, military history, human-animal studies, and mythology. We highly encourage candidates who can bring novel topics and innovative methodologies to apply for this position.The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) is one of four campuses in the University of Colorado system and is home to over 9,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students. Find out more about living in Colorado Springs through the Visit Colorado Springs page: https://www.visitcos.com/ On-siteRemote work will be available for emergency events. : Faculty: Colorado Springs Department: C0001 -- Colorado Springs Campus - 40073 - LAS-History: Full-time: Oct 20, 2023: Ongoing Posting Contact Name: Yang Wei Posting Contact Email: ywei@uccs.edu Position Number: 00482512Copyright ©2022 Jobelephant.com Inc. All rights reserved.jeid-ffd2d6fb4a20f743b8519de73ea08117