Turkey bans Oct 7 Robbie Williams concert over ‘safety concerns’
Istanbul, Turkey - Turkish authorities have banned a Robbie Williams concert scheduled for October 7 in Istanbul over "safety concerns"...
Arts & Culture
‘God’s Influencer’ to become first millennial saint
Computer whiz Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 aged 15, will be raised to sainthood by Pope Leo...
Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture
World’s only Dragon Ball theme park launched in Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya City
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Board of Directors of the Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) revealed on Sunday the launch of...
- Nestled within Qiddiya City, just 40 minutes from Riyadh, this never-seen-before anime theme park is set to become a spectacle.
- Inspired by the seven legendary Dragon Balls, visitors can navigate seven distinctively themed zones within the park.
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.
Turkey bans Oct 7 Robbie Williams concert over ‘safety concerns’
Istanbul, Turkey - Turkish authorities have banned a Robbie Williams concert scheduled for October 7 in Istanbul over "safety concerns"...
Arts & Culture
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Muslim pilgrims pray at Mount Arafat in hajj apex
Arts & Culture
Million-plus pilgrims to begin hajj under blazing sun
Arts & Culture
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New metro cuts through Saudi social divisions
Arts & Culture
Huge crowds flock to Vatican for Pope Francis’s funeral
Arts & Culture
Qatar table tennis says ‘prepared to escalate’ after chaotic vote
Doha, Qatar -- Qatar's table tennis association has warned of possible legal action as it disputes the result of a...
Arts & Culture
Snakes on a plane: Indian smuggler caught with venomous vipers
Mumbai, India - A passenger smuggling dozens of venomous vipers was stopped after flying into the financial capital Mumbai from...
Arts & Culture
How social media can ‘trigger’ eating disorders in young people
Paris, France -- Social media can push vulnerable young people towards developing eating disorders by glorifying thinness and promoting fake,...
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Arts & Culture
Huge crowds flock to Vatican for Pope Francis’s funeral
Tens of thousands of mourners flooded into St Peter's Square on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis, the champion...
- Some people waited overnight to be first in the queue for the ceremony, which will be attended by world leaders including US President Donald Trump
- The Argentine pontiff, who died on Monday aged 88, sought to steer the centuries-old Church into a more inclusive direction during his 12-year papacy
Arts & Culture
Trump, Zelensky to attend Pope Francis’s funeral Saturday
Pope Francis's funeral will be held on Saturday, the Vatican announced, as world leaders from US President Donald Trump to...
- The Argentine pontiff, 88, died on Monday after a stroke, less than a month after returning home from five weeks in hospital battling double pneumonia
- Francis died in the Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican residence where he lived during his 12-year papacy, and his body was laid out in its chapel on Monday evening
Arts & Culture
As world mourns, cardinals meeting to decide the date for Pope Francis’s funeral
Vatican City, Holy See - Cardinals will meet Tuesday to decide the date for Pope Francis's funeral, starting a process...
- Francis, the head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, died at his home in the Vatican on Monday aged 88 after suffering a stroke
- Tributes have poured in from around the globe for Francis, a liberal reformer who took over following the resignation of German theologian Benedict XVI in 2013