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South Asia
Indian Muslim cleric issues ‘fatwa’ against A.R. Rahman for Muhammad film
A Muslim group, The Raza Academy in Mumbai, India said it has issued a “fatwa” against the Oscar-winning Indian music composer A.R. Rahman and Majid Majidi, the Iranian director of the film Muhammad: The Messenger of God. The institute also wrote to the Indian government, seeking a ban on…
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Business
French AccorHotels becomes first international chain to open in Iran
The French group AccorHotels, the world’s sixth-largest hotel group, announced on Monday it would become the first international hotel group to operate in Iran as the Islamic republic opens up to the west after the deal on its nuclear program. AccorHotels will open an Ibis hotel and a Novotel branch…
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South Asia
Teacher who educates Afghan refugee girls wins UN prize
Aqeela Asifi, 49, a teacher who has dedicated her life to educating Afghan refugee girls, challenging cultural sexism by setting up classes in a temporary tent, has been named the 2015 Nansen Refugee Award winner by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Asifi left Kabul with her…
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Society
GSMF 16th forum in Gyeonggi
In its 16th forum, Global Students Mentoring Forum chose Gyeonggi creative economy and innovation center (CCEI) as their destination. G-CCEI was established by Korean government’s joint partnership with Gyeonggi province and other chaebols and business giants to foster IT projects. They have up till now 18 partnerships aiming to…
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West Asia
Egyptian security forces ‘kill Mexican tourists’
Security forces in Egypt have mistakenly killed 12 people, including Mexican tourists, during an anti-terror operation, the interior ministry says. The tourists were travelling in four buses that entered a “banned area” in the Wahat area of the Western Desert, the ministry said in a statement. Ten Mexicans and Egyptians…
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South Asia
Mecca crane collapse disaster
A powerful storm toppled a construction crane Friday afternoon at the Masjid al-Haram, or Grand Mosque, in Mecca killing at least 107 people and injuring 238 others, Saudi Arabia’s civil defense authorities said on Twitter. Photos and video on social media showed the crane crashing through the mosque roof and…
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West Asia
Lebanese government sets a new plan for waste disposal
The Lebanese government has agreed to resume waste disposal after weeks of protests over piles of rubbish left in the streets of the capital Beirut. Ministers decided in an emergency meeting to give local municipalities the authority to treat local waste. Protests triggered by rotting rubbish in Beirut quickly grew…
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South Asia
Over 1,000 Indian Muslim clerics deem IS ‘un-Islamic’
More than 1,000 Muslim clerics in India have backed a religious ruling condemning the Islamic State, calling the extremist group’s actions “un-Islamic.” Religious leaders from hundreds of mosques, education institutions and civic groups across India have signed the edict, or fatwa, saying the actions of the Islamic State group went…
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West Asia
Iranian photographer to share prize money with refugees
Iranian photographer Newsha Tavakolian has said she will donate part of a 100,000-euro ($112,000) Dutch award to charity, including Syrian and Iraqi refugees. “It is hard for me to enjoy this prize as much as I would like to, seeing the region where I work and live in flames and…
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West Asia
Syrian boy’s death sparks media’s attention
As many Syrian refugee families, Abduallah Kurdi’s family was trying to take shelter in another country, when the wife and the two kids died. In a rubber raft, they were trying to make their way from Turkey to Greece, when the waves hit the boat, and the two boys, Aylan…
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