Patrick Lanagan News Today

Though the rest of the world has yet to hear about it, hip-hop is currently booming in the Nigerian capital, Lagos – and the rappers are angry about the state of things under President Obasanjo. Annett Busch reports

Among the many Arab intellectuals who travelled through Europe in the 19th century, Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq stands out as a dazzling character. He was a brilliant intellectual, and he was a combative spirit. A portrait by Barbara Winckler