-
West Asia
Abu Dhabi’s Festival of Lights approaches
With only a few days to go, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is getting ready to light up its iconic red roof for its popular “Festival of Lights”. A colorful line-up of Bollywood-inspired dance acts, Dhol drummers and family friendly activities that include henna and Rangoli art work is awaiting guests.…
Read More » -
West Asia
Protests ahead of Sisi’s visit to the UK
As Egypt’s president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi arrives in London for planned discussions with Prime minister David Cameron on 4th November, a broad coalition of Egyptian and British groups calls for demonstrations against him on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Hundreds of people are expected to join protests outside Downing Street against the visit…
Read More » -
West Asia
Russian plane crash in Sinai kills 224 passengers
Russian and Egyptian investigators are investigating the crash of a Russian airliner in Sinai that killed all 224 people on board. The plane crashed 23 minutes into its flight from Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg on Saturday 31st of October. The Kogalymavia Airbus A321 came down early on Saturday, shortly after leaving…
Read More » -
South Asia
Saudi Raif Badawi wins EU Sakharov rights prize
Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for insulting Islam, was awarded the European Parliament’s prestigious Sakharov human rights prize on Thursday 29th October. The 31-year-old blogger, who was arrested in 2012, is an advocate of free speech whose public flogging in…
Read More » -
West Asia
Right activists dismiss Qatar labor reforms
Rights groups on Wednesday criticized reforms of Qatar’s “kafala” labor system for foreign workers, which critics have likened to modern-day slavery, as an AFP report shows. Qatar’s prince, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, approved on Tuesday a new law overseeing the sponsorship “kafala” system – which currently only allows workers to…
Read More » -
West Asia
Animate Dubai festival offers more opportunities to the region
Animate Dubai launches this December and the team are proudly announcing the festival schedule and new initiatives which are set to engage with their global following. A wonderful addition to the program of events is the ‘Works in Progress’ (WiP) component of the festival, a section that is now open for…
Read More » -
South Asia
Unspeakable taboo: alcohol in Middle East
Alcohol or liquors are one of the unspeakable taboos around the Middle Eastern countries, with their Muslim majority. Quran prohibits Muslims from drinking alcohol or being intoxicated in any way, but has it always been that way? And does that ever stop them? And who says what’s considered intoxicated and…
Read More » -
West Asia
Iran could join Syria talks with US and Russia
Iran is likely to be invited for the first time to international talks with the US and Russia over the Syrian conflict after a longstanding opposition, the US says. US state department spokesman John Kirby said it was unclear if Iran’s leaders would attend the talks, starting in Vienna on…
Read More » -
West Asia
Saudi prince caught ‘with two tons of drugs’ at Lebanese airport
A Lebanese official says Beirut airport authorities have foiled one of the country’s largest drug smuggling attempts, seizing two tonnes of the amphetamine fenethylline (Captagon) before they were loaded on to the private plane of a Saudi prince. Saudi prince Abdel Mohsen Bin Walid Bin Abdulaziz and four others were…
Read More » -
West Asia
Egyptian historian represents Middle East in Korean forum
Dr. Hussein Abdel-Baser, Director of the artifacts in the Pyramids area, managed to get Egypt’s minister of artifacts’ Mamdouh Al-Damaty’s consent, to participate in Yeongwol’s third international forum for Museums, held in South Korean city, Yeongwol. The forum will start on Wednesday, 28th of October and will last for three…
Read More »