Muslim pilgrims pray at Mount Arafat in hajj apex
To make this year's pilgrimage safer, authorities have expanded infrastructure, deployed thousands of extra personnel and relied on an arsenal...
Arts & Culture
New metro cuts through Saudi social divisions
With its eye-watering oil riches, intricate tribal networks and large numbers of foreign workers, Saudi society has long been divided...
Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture
The unexplained: Giant Swedish archive logs paranormal phenomena
The Archives for the Unexplained (AFU) claims to be the world's biggest library of paranormal phenomena, with 4.2 kilometers of...
- The archives are in the process of being digitalized and many of the documents can already by consulted on a server.
- The study of UFOs has long been stigmatized, but is becoming a more accepted field of scientific research.
Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif celebrates 1084th anniversary
Cairo, Egypt - Historic al-Azhar Mosque marked its 1084th anniversary of its founding on March 17, celebrated by al-Azhar ash-Sharif...
- The event, held annually on the seventh day of Ramadan, features various activities highlighting the mosque's rich history
- The history of the establishment of the Al-Azhar Mosque dates back to the year 970 by the Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah
Arts & Culture
Europe’s largest art fair reports ‘record’ prices for Van Gogh, Picasso
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS – Europe's largest art fair closed its doors on Friday with organizers saying that sales, including a rare...
- Top ticket items for sale this year included a rare early Van Gogh, painted when the artist was living in southern Netherlands around 1884.
- The US-based gallery selling the Van Gogh, titled "Tete de paysanne a la coiffe blanche" confirmed a buyer, with Dutch media.
Geostrategy
US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passes TikTok ban bill
The measure requires TikTok's parent company ByteDance to sell the app within 180 days or see it barred from the...
- The fate of the bill is uncertain in the Senate, where some key figures are apprehensive of making such a drastic move against an app that has 170 million US users.
- China warned that the move will "inevitably come back to bite the United States." TikTok staunchly denies any ties to the Chinese government.
Geostrategy
High inflation leaves Nigeria struggling ahead of Ramadan
Lagos, Nigeria - The holy fasting month of Ramadan begins early next week in Nigeria, with the worst economic crisis in...
- With food inflation at around 35 percent, worshipers taking part in Friday prayers at the central mosque in Lagos said they were barely able to provide for their families
- The government brought in reforms last year that have had a devastating effect on citizens of Africa's biggest economy, where around half the population is Muslim
Arts & Culture
UAE elected Vice Chair of UNESCO’s committee for promotion of cultural diversity
Abu Dhabi, UAE - The UAE has been elected the Vice Chair of the UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) for the...
- The appointment was made during the 17th meeting of the committee, which was recently held at UNESCO’s HQ in Paris, France
- It acknowledges the UAE’s contributions to cultural diversity and its role in fostering a multicultural society both regionally and globally
Reincarnation and realpolitik: Dalai Lama’s succession dilemma
Tibetan activists are keenly aware that his death will mark a major setback in his push for more autonomy for...
- The 88-year-old spiritual leader, Tenzin Gyatso, has shown no indication of serious health issues, and has said that his dreams suggest he could live until he is 113
- But as Tibetans mark on Sunday the 65th anniversary of the failed uprising against China, the question of who will succeed their ageing leader is in sharp focus
Business
Iraq economy likely to grow this year, says IMF
BAGHDAD, IRAQ – Economic growth of the country is projected to continue amid fiscal expansion, an International Monetary Fund (IMF)...
- Medium-term vulnerabilities to oil price volatility have increased significantly, the IMF said.
- Growth in the non-oil sector has rebounded strongly in 2023 while inflation has receded.
Arts & Culture
Young Iraqis seek desert retreats for a change from the hustle of big cities
SAMAWAH, IRAQ – Far from the hustle and bustle of major cities, young Iraqis are increasingly taking advantage of a renewed...
- For years, only the most intrepid of hikers and campers would brave the trips into Iraq's desert.
- With the rise of social media and a period of relative stability, it has become a popular destination.
US designer, ‘geriatric starlet’ Iris Apfel dies age 102
New York, United States - Iris Apfel, centenarian style icon from the New York borough of Queens immediately recognizable by her...
- A flamboyant interior designer, she was a fixture on front rows of Paris fashion shows for more than half a century
- Her cropped white hair, massive glasses, bright lipstick, large-bead necklaces and bangles earned her kooky distinction among New York's glitterati
Muslim pilgrims pray at Mount Arafat in hajj apex
To make this year's pilgrimage safer, authorities have expanded infrastructure, deployed thousands of extra personnel and relied on an arsenal...
Arts & Culture
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Palestinian behind Oscar-winning documentary arrested by Israeli army
Jerusalem, Undefined - The Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land" was attacked by settlers and arrested by...
Arts & Culture
‘Love is in the air’: Woods confirms romance with Trump’s ex daughter-in-law
Los Angeles, United States - Tiger Woods took the unusual step of confirming his romance with Donald Trump's former daughter-in-law...
Arts & Culture
Jet skis in the desert: winter lake creates Saudi watersports oasis
Az Zulfī, Saudi Arabia -- The ear-splitting roar of his jet ski fills the air as Hamza al-Hamm thunders past,...
Arts & Culture
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Arts & Culture
Saudi Arabia, Gulf neighbours say Ramadan to start on Saturday
Observing fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, requiring believers to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking...
- Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's two holiest sites, was joined by the UAE and Qatar in declaring the sighting of the crescent moon that heralds Ramadan
- "The Supreme Court has decided that tomorrow, Saturday, is the first day of the month of (Ramadan)," the official Saudi Press Agency posted on X
Arts & Culture
81 percent of Saudi population attends cultural events, activities in 2024: GASTAT
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Nearly 81.6 percent of Saudi individuals visited at least one cultural event or activity in 2024, according...
- The survey said that 85.3 percent attended at least one entertainment event or activity.
- The data showed that 65.8 percent of individuals visited parks and gardens, 40.5 percent attended national celebrations.
World Economic Forum
Art and culture retain power to humanize the Intelligent Age, says WEF’s Fowler
Davos, Switzerland -- In an age where artificial intelligence is reshaping our lives, the World Economic Forum's Arts and Culture...
- I see talent emerging in the MENA region, UAE especially. Saudi Arabia is extremely exciting at the moment with the focus they're placing on culture, Fowler said.
- The UAE is extremely forward-thinking. They absolutely have a finger on the pulse when it comes to technology and how technology can be integrated into everyday life.