Chinese man defies demolition orders to build madcap rural home
Xingyi, China -- Surrounded by the rubble of demolished homes, Chen Tianming's ramshackle tower of faded plyboards and contorted beams...
Arts & Culture
Gaza rescuers say Israeli fire kills 13 including 6 near aid centre
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 13 Palestinians on Saturday, six of them in a shooting...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Iraq sends planes to Belarus to collect over 600 migrants
Hundreds of Iraqis, most of them Kurds, returned home last week on a voluntary repatriation flight from Belarus.
- Hundreds of Iraqis, most of them Kurds, returned home last week on a voluntary repatriation flight from Belarus
- On Nov 18, a total of 431 Iraqis were flown back home from Belarus, many returning with mixed feelings
Arts & Culture
Egypt unveils Rams Road at Karnak Temple in Luxor
The road is nearly 3 km (2 miles) long and named The Path of God in ancient Egyptian mythology.
- Dubbed the Rams Road, the sandstone-paved path connects the temples of Karnak and Luxor
- It was officially opened by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and a host of senior officials in a night-time ceremony
Geostrategy
Three Lebanese judges resign over ‘political meddling’
A probe into the Beirut port explosion has exposed the extent of such interference, with top officials mounting court challenges...
- The head of the country’s top court has yet to approve the resignations and has called for the matter to be discussed in a meeting.
- Among those who resigned this week is a judge who turned down a request by an official to remove the investigator.
Geostrategy
Lebanon to travel agents: Stop advertising Belarus
Tourism Minister Walid Nassar said the move was aimed at preventing Beirut from being used as a departure point.
- Thousands of migrants -- including from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq -- have been massing at Belarus' border with Poland, hoping to seek asylum in the EU.
- The West accuses Belarus of creating the crisis by bringing in would-be migrants and taking them to the border with promises of an easy crossing into the bloc.
Arts & Culture
From crypto to Covid: Why auction prices are rocketing
Crypto "whale" Justin Sun has bought works by Picasso and Andy Warhol this year, and paid $78.4 million for Alberto...
- Crypto "whale" Justin Sun has bought works by Picasso and Andy Warhol this year, and paid $78.4 million for Alberto Giacometti's "The Nose" sculpture this month
- The auction houses were very behind the times. But Covid forced them to modernise and the result is that online sales have been spectacular
Arts & Culture
New restoration works shore-up Iraq’s historic Arch of Ctesiphon
Construction of the arch began in AD 540 during the Persian Sassanid dynasty's long wars with the Byzantine Empire.
- Construction of the arch began in AD 540 during the Persian Sassanid dynasty's long wars with the Byzantine Empire
- Restoration work on the arch, also known as Taq-i Kisra from its Persian name, was carried out in 2013 after a massive slab fell off due to damp caused by heavy rain
Geostrategy
Iran accused of stalling redress for downed Ukraine flight
The Islamic republic shot down Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 shortly after take-off from its capital Tehran on January 8,...
- The Islamic republic shot down Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 shortly after take-off from its capital Tehran on January 8, 2020
- Three days later, it admitted that its forces had mistakenly targeted the Kiev-bound Boeing 737-800 plane
Geostrategy
Libya poll panel rejects Gaddafi son’s presidential bid
The election commission said presidential candidates should have a clean criminal record, with the country’s election law saying that hopefuls...
- Saif al-Islam Gaddafi had been sentenced to death by a Tripoli court for crimes committed during the revolt that toppled his father
- He was later pardoned by a rival administration in eastern Libya
Geostrategy
‘No progress’ on eve of Iran nuclear talks: UN Atomic Agency
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the talks he held in Tehran on Tuesday...
- Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the talks he held in Tehran on Tuesday were "inconclusive" despite being "constructive".
- "In terms of the substance... we were not able to make progress," Grossi told reporters, saying that the lack of agreement had come "in spite of my best efforts".
Geostrategy
Israel, Morocco sign security deal as minister visits
The Morocco deal came as Gantz made the first visit by an Israeli defence minister to the North African kingdom....
- Israel has several security MoUs with allied nations, but the Morocco deal marks the first-of-its-kind agreement with a majority Arab nation
- Tel Aviv has now full diplomatic relations with only four Arab countries: Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain
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Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
Chinese man defies demolition orders to build madcap rural home
Xingyi, China -- Surrounded by the rubble of demolished homes, Chen Tianming's ramshackle tower of faded plyboards and contorted beams...
Arts & Culture
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Israeli strikes kills 200 in Lebanon since Gaza war began
Since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel on October 7, the Lebanese-Israeli border has witnessed a near-daily exchange...
Geostrategy
Imane Ayissi brings African tradition to Paris couture
PARIS, FRANCE - Imane Ayissi is on a mission to put authentic African textiles in the spotlight but faces an uphill...
Business
European market up on record-busting Wall Street
A surge in tech titans including Apple, Amazon, Nvidia and Facebook parent Meta on Friday pushed New York's S&P 500...
Business
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Business
Mac computers could reach new glory due to AI
SAN FRANCISCO, US - Forty years after igniting a PC revolution, Apple's Mac is stronger than ever and could reach new...
- Macs became the preferred choice for Apple fans along with artists, film makers and other creative professionals.
- Apple has been making inroads in business, getting help from iPhone lovers using their smartphones for work.
Geostrategy
‘New era for India’: Modi inaugurates temple built over razed mosque
"Breaking the shackles of slavery, the country should rise, taking lessons from the past," Modi said, speaking outside the temple...
- "January 22, 2024 is not merely a date in the calendar but heralds the advent of a new era", PM Modi said.
- The Temple has been built on grounds where a mosque stood for centuries before it was torn down in 1992 by Hindu zealots incited by members of his party.
Geostrategy
WHO chief warns pandemic accord hangs in the balance
Shaken by the Covid-19 pandemic, the WHO's 194 member states decided more than two years ago to start negotiating an...
- But WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the momentum had been slowed down by entrenched positions and "a torrent of fake news, lies, and conspiracy theories".
- Failure to strike an agreement would be "a missed opportunity for which future generations may not forgive us," he said.