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East Asia
World’s tallest building in Dubai lights up in support for Wuhan, Chinese communities
Dubai: Burj Khalifa, the world tallest building at 828 meters, and other iconic landmarks across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were lit up in the colors of the Chinese national flag in solidarity with the Beijing over the outbreak of the new coronavirus. The initiative is part of the…
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Politics
Sultan Qaboos, the ruler of Oman, dies at 79
By Habib Toumi Muscat: Sultan Qaboos bin Said, a ruler who embodied Oman as he led its transformation from a sleepy enclave into a modern state, was laid to rest on Saturday. Qaboos, 79, ruled for almost five decades, having replaced his father as the Sultan of the country on…
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Politics
Bahrain to name GCC chief as its Foreign Minister
By Habib Toumi Manama: Abdul Lateef Rashid Al Zayani, the current secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will become Bahrain’s foreign ministry when his term ends on March 31. Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa today told Al Zayani that King Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa is…
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East Asia
As we bid 2019 adieu, thoughts about the year that was
By Habib Toumi Manama: Any year is a good year to be a journalist. Especially when you are privileged to have an extensive network of fellow journalist friends from various countries. We at the Asia Journalists Association (AJA) are among these lucky journalists. We come from countries that are vastly…
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Culture
Gulf countries welcome 2020 with extravagance and color
By Habib Toumi Dubai: Gulf countries welcomed the New Year with extravagant light and firework displays and spectacular shows that lit up the skies and brought joy to millions of locals and expatriates. In the United Arab Emirates, 28 locations around the famed city of Dubai came alive with fireworks…
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Society
Social media bring joy to orphan couple in Egypt, destitute patient in Malaysia
By Habib Toumi Manama: Facebook and social media have helped an orphan couple in Egypt celebrate their wedding in great style and amid thousands of guests and a patient in Malaysia undergo a surgery for which he had no money. In Tanta, a large city about 100 kilometers north of…
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Society
Christians mark Christmas in Bahrain with prayers, expressions of gratitude
By Habib Toumi Manama: Christians from several communities in Bahrain have celebrated Christmas Eve in a joyous spirit and amid expressions of gratitude for the tolerance they enjoy in the overwhelmingly Muslim country. Hundreds of Christians gathered at the various churches in Bahrain where they prayed for peace and…
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Culture
Art conquers cancer: Bahraini painter spreads messages of hope, kindness and strength
By Habib Toumi Manama: Acts of charity are often associated with places of worship, religious groups and homes caring for the orphans, the elderly, the handicapped and the needy. However, for Dayana Al Shaikh, a Bahraini painter and a multiple cancer fighter, acts of charity can also be linked with…
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Politics
Kuwait’s cabinet includes three women for the first time
Kuwait: Kuwait’s new-look cabinet includes a new prime minister and seven new ministers, half of the total number. None of the ministers in the 36th cabinet to be formed over 57 years since the country’s independence has open affiliations to religious societies in a clear departure from traditions that have…
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Politics
NATO to Gulf partners: We share common interests, common challenges
By Habib Toumi Kuwait: NATO’s partnership with the Gulf countries is more important today than it has ever been before, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said. “The partnership between NATO and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) has grown stronger over the years,” Stoltenberg said. “We…
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