The use of blackface has become common in comedy shows in Egypt and the region, but is coming under increasing criticism, Declan Walsh writes for the New York Times. Walsh notes that several actors, including Egypt’s Shaimaa Seif, have defended their appearance in blackface as “a harmless joke,” but many are calling out these comedy shows for their racism, which frequently targets Sudanese people. “Whatever the intent of such performances, critics say they amplify a tolerance of racism that takes many forms in the Arab world. Slavery was not formally abolished in some Persian Gulf countries until 1970. In many places, the word ‘abeed,’ meaning slaves or servants, is still the racial epithet of choice for dark-skinned people,” Walsh says.

Other headlines worth a brief look include:

• An Egyptian wanted for questioning by the FBI for alleged links to Al Qaeda says he has “nothing to hide,” reports the New York Times.
• Comic theater and climate change: This Bloomberg video explores the theater groups educating Egyptian farmers on the effects of climate change (watch, runtime: 1:51).