Middle East

Lebanon

Beirut blast: Death toll rises as three days of mourning start

Lebanon's Health Minister warned 'there are probably more (victims) under the rubble".

05/08/2020

Lebanon

Dozens killed and thousands injured in Beirut port blast

The explosion took place at the port shortly before 19:00 local time (18:00 CET) with a large cloud of smoke billowing over the city. Eyewitnesses reported significant damage.

04/08/2020

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The rise of lockdown robots - and Nissan takes on Tesla

Partner content presented by Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Dubai

How is A.I. and automation helping businesses bounce back post-lockdown? And does Nissan have a car to take on Tesla?

03/08/2020

No Comment

Worshippers observe final day of Hajj amid COVID-19 restrictions

Muslim pilgrims cast sanitised pebbles as they "stoned the devil" in the last major ritual of the hajj, which the Saudi king acknowledged had been tough to organise due to coronavirus pandemic.

02/08/2020

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Coffee-rubbed Wagyu steak: Dubai chef offers top-grade meals at home

Partner content presented by Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Dubai

Discover Chef Cima's recipe for top-grade, marbled Wagyu meat.

31/07/2020

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The supersized attractions of Downtown Dubai

Partner content presented by Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Dubai

The delights Downtown Dubai, described by many as ‘The Centre of Now’, include supersized attractions such as the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa; a 10-million litre aquarium and a huge virtual reality park.

31/07/2020

World

Why is Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra Jonas considering learning Arabic?

Aged 18, Indian celebrity Priyanka Chopra was crowned Miss World in the 2000 pageant. It was to mark the start of a glittering career which has since seen her act, sing, write and mentor young performers.

31/07/2020

World

How are Sudan’s youth the driving force behind the country’s film revival?

The arrival of president Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir in 1989 brought Sudan's film industry to a crashing halt. Cinema doors were closed for thirty years and filmmakers went underground.

31/07/2020

Saudi Arabia

Interactive: See how COVID-19 has dramatically changed Hajj pilgrimage

In 2019, 2.5 million pilgrims made the journey to Mecca, Islam's holiest site. This year, numbers have been restricted to not more than 10,000.

31/07/2020

No Comment

Tel Aviv artist depicts Netanyahu at 'Last Supper' table

Artist Itay Zalait said the piece in Rabin Square, which features an image of Netanyahu perched at a long dining table with his hand in a cake, represents "the last meal of Israeli democracy".

30/07/2020

Living

Hajj goes virtual for the first time in history

The Islamic pilgrimage begins today, but amid coronavirus restrictions - could a virtual experience be the future?

29/07/2020

Turkey

Turkish parliament approves new social media regulation law

Human rights advocates expressed concerns after the Turkish parliament give the green light to a law allowing the government greater powers to regulate social media

29/07/2020

Saudi Arabia

Pilgrims start first day of Hajj under heavy COVID-19 restrictions

It is the first time in nearly a century that people from outside Saudi Arabia will not take part in the five-day pilgrimage.

29/07/2020

Israel

Thousands march in Israel against Netanyahu's handling of coronavirus

The country had initially managed to keep the epidemic at bay but infections surged after the economy reopened in May.

26/07/2020

Yemen

97 medics die from COVID-19 as humanitarian crisis worsens in Yemen

The healthcare system of the war-ravaged country has been left in tatters. Even before coronavirus struck, Yemen had just 10 doctors for every 10,000 people.

25/07/2020

World

How might the next invention by battery anode creator Rachid Yazami change your life?

Moroccan scientist, Professor Rachid Yazami’s passion for science started as a child, in his native Fez, with a fascination for geology.

24/07/2020

Israel

Israel: Police arrest 55 in anti-Netanyahu protests

COVID and corruption: Discontent about Benjamin Netanyahu's government has spilled onto the streets of Jerusalem.

24/07/2020

Turkey

Hagia Sophia opens for first Muslim prayers in 86 years

The former Byzantine cathedral, which was until this month a museum and Istanbul's top tourist attraction, will open for the first time in 86 years for Friday prayers.

24/07/2020

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UAE's Hope Probe begins interplanetary mission

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The United Arab Emirates' Hope Probe heads to Mars after six years of hard work and meticulous planning from the team of Emirati scientists and engineers. It's the first interplanetary mission for the Arab world.

23/07/2020

Turkey

Netflix 'told to drop gay character' to get Turkey's green light

The series' creator, screenwriter Ece Yorenc, said the streaming giant cancelled the drama on the eve of filming after the government blocked the project.

23/07/2020

Turkey

Euroviews. Turkey's decision to remove Hagia Sophia's universal status is a new provocation of Europe ǀ View

The controversial decision to strip the Hagia Sophia of its status as a symbol of interfaith and intercultural co-operation is yet another hammer blow to EU-Turkish relations.

23/07/2020

Turkey

In photographs: children document life on Turkish-Syrian border

The student's projects have become a vivid documentation of life in eastern Turkey through the eyes of children, as they focus on the subjects they find the most remarkable.

22/07/2020

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Why visitors are hooked on Dubai Marina, home to luxury yachts, docks, hotels and beach clubs

Partner content presented by Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Dubai

Why Dubai Marina is so much more than just a glamorous urban dock for luxury yachts; it's actually home to many chic bars and restaurants, amazing pastimes for adults and kids alike - and also has the iconic towers that define its unforgettable skyline.

22/07/2020

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian King Salman hospitalised for tests on gallbladder

His health is closely monitored as he presides over one of the world's top oil-producing countries and a large economy.

20/07/2020

United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates successfully launches historic first Mars mission

The UAE's orbiter took off from a Japanese launch centre on Monday morning.

20/07/2020

Cyprus

Cyprus warns migrants positive to COVID-19 may illegally cross into EU

It comes after a number of migrants who recently crossed from the breakaway north to the internationally recognised south of Cyprus tested positive to COVID-19.

19/07/2020