The ballot hadn't been expected until spring next year. But Egypt's National Election Authority announced this week that the country would be holding its presidential vote in December, amid its worst-ever economic crisis. The vote is already fraught with accusations of repression. Human rights groups say at least 35 opposition supporters have been arrested in recent months. Our Cairo correspondent Eduard Cousin tells us more.
In north-western Syria, children are going back to school this month. But in some regions, such as Idlib province, education is a luxury that many families can no longer afford. Displaced by war, half the population in the rebel-held area is living in abject poverty in crowded refugee camps. We take a closer look.
