In the heart of Beirut, one family upholds a unique dessert tradition
Beirut, Lebanon - At a shop nestled in a busy, crowded Beirut district, Hasan El-Makary is weighing out containers of warm,...
Arts & Culture
Egypt to prosecute travel agents over hajj ‘fraud’: government
Cairo, Egypt - Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly ordered 16 tourism companies stripped of their licences and referred their managers to...
Business
Airbus and Tata to build helicopter assembly line in India
Paris, France - Airbus will build a helicopter assembly line in India with Indian conglomerate Tata, the European aircraft manufacturer said Friday....
- Airbus said the facility -- which will take two years to set up -- would be the first such operation to be run by a private group in India.
- Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said making the helicopter in India would "unlock the true potential of the helicopter market in the country".
Geostrategy
Education campaigners alarmed as homeschooling rises in England
LONDON, UK - Education campaigners demanded government action on Friday after new figures revealed that the number of children in England...
- Nearly a quarter of parents involved said they were keeping children at home primarily as a "lifestyle choice" or for "philosophical or preferential reasons".
- These were the most commonly given main reasons, ahead of mental health factors (eight percent) and general dissatisfaction with the school (six percent).
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.
Arts & Culture
AI and death: Sundance films grapple with our digital afterlife
Park City, United States -- Artificial intelligence promises to make death "optional," as the technology learns to perfectly emulate our personalities,...
- The filmmakers found themselves empathizing with the customers after hearing their tragic stories of bereavement.
- Western society is terrible at dealing with grief, they said, and technology can appear to fill the gap left by religion for many.
Arts & Culture
Money weighs on would-be Chinese parents as population falls
Long alarmed by falling fertility, the government has relaxed its decades-long one-child policy in recent years to allow three children...
- Childbirth in China usually comes after a wallet-draining process of buying a home, finding a spouse, and paying for a lavish wedding
- The average cost in 2019 of raising a child in China from birth to age 18 was 485,000 yuan ($68,000), a Beijing-based report said
Geostrategy
Sudan war threatens UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Regional Network for Cultural Rights said it "strongly condemns the incursion by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)", the paramilitary...
- The Cultural Rights group said the incident, which took place on Sunday, marked the second time since December that fighting had broken out at the religious sites
- State authorities reported "an incursion by the RSF, repulsed by the air force", claiming that "calm has returned" without mentioning whether the sites suffered any damage
Arts & Culture
Epstein case: Social media frenzy over released papers
The release of Epstein-related court documents has ignited a social media frenzy, sparking intense scrutiny and various reactions about high-profile...
- The release of Epstein-related court documents has ignited a social media frenzy, sparking intense scrutiny and various reactions about high-profile individuals' involvement.
- The scandal has shown how social media can transform public discourse and activism, allowing for the expression of outrage, demands for justice, and alternative narratives.
Business
Elie Saab to showcase Riyadh Season Fall Collection 2025
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Renowned fashion designer Elie Saab will unveil the Riyadh Season Fall Collection 2025 after signing an...
- Elie Saab and General Entertainment Authority CEO Faisal Bafarat signed an MoU in London.
- The Authority said the MoU will create a one-of-a-kind experience that intertwines fashion and entertainment during the upcoming Riyadh Season.
Geostrategy
Gaza couple celebrate wedding amid war and destruction
Rafah, Palestinian Territories - Surrounded by family and friends, clapping and cheering, Gaza woman Afnan Jibril beams a brilliant smile on...
- Afnan, 17, donning a crown of flowers and pristine white dress, and her partner Mustafa Shamlakh, 26, want to make the most of their chance to celebrate.
- Relatives were gathered on Friday for the wartime wedding in a tiny room at an abandoned school building in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Arts & Culture
Boots, Banksy, piano: Elton John puts items up for auction
New York, United States - Music icon Elton John has put a variety of personal items up for auction at Christie's...
- Most of the items come from John's former home in Atlanta, a condo on Peachtree Road that was recently sold, the auction house said Thursday
- Beginning on February 21, Christie's is organizing a series of eight sales, both in person and online, for the collection of the 76-year-old's belongings
In the heart of Beirut, one family upholds a unique dessert tradition
Beirut, Lebanon - At a shop nestled in a busy, crowded Beirut district, Hasan El-Makary is weighing out containers of warm,...
Arts & Culture
Company News
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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...
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...
Geostrategy
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...
Arts & Culture
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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