Manila: With a decades-old tradition of solidarity iftars bringing Filipinos of different faiths together during Ramadan, this year the occasion has also become a platform for Muslim and Christian communities to raise awareness about Palestine. In the Christian-majority country where more than 110 million identify as Roman Catholics, Muslims make up about 10 percent of … Read more
TUNIS, Tunisia: A man believed to have started a fire in a garden at a synagogue in the east of Tunisia is in custody and under investigation for targeting a Jewish house of worship, officials said Saturday. Hichem ben Ayad, the public prosecutor in the eastern port city of Sfax, told The Associated Press that … Read more
MOSCOW: Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny will be buried in Moscow later on Friday amid tight security and fears of a police crackdown two weeks after he suddenly died at the age of 47 in an Arctic penal colony.Navalny’s allies — who have promised to livestream the day’s events online — have accused President Vladimir … Read more
RIYADH: US singer China Moses wowed the audience when she took to the stage in Riyadh. The musician’s performance was the third of cultural and creative hub Fenaa Alawwal’s Safar Nights concert series. She was joined by band members Jerome Cornelis on guitar, bassist and musical director Lawrence Insula, Tom Lartigue on keyboards, and Ebow … Read more
JEDDAH: Argentine digital artist Andres Reisinger has made a name for himself by reimagining various locations across the globe draped with fabric in shades of pink. Reisinger’s whimsical virtual spaces have taken over cliff edges, coastlines, and city centers. Now, his most recent physical installation lies in the heart of historic Jeddah’s Al-Balad, breaking the … Read more
How South Africa’s genocide case against Israel could influence the course of Gaza war DUBAI: Whichever way the UN’s highest court rules in the case lodged by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, the high-profile proceedings alone may well be enough to change the course of the conflict, experts claim. An interim ruling … Read more
LPGA starts a new season with plenty of new faces in the winners-only field at Lake Nona ORLANDO, Florida: As a new LPGA season gets underway on Thursday, here is one clue the tour is in the midst of change: There are lots of new faces (11) at the winners-only event. And lots of faces … Read more
LONDON: The energy transition will be at the core of the Gulf region’s strategy to continue to fuel its growth, Saudi Arabia’s investment minister said on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “The most important thing is political stability, long-sighted vision and consistency,” Khalid Al-Falih told a panel titled “Gulf Economies: All … Read more
TEL AVIV: Top US diplomat Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv late Monday as part of a regional tour seeking to avert regional escalation as Israel pounded Hamas-ruled Gaza and Lebanon’s Hezbollah said an Israeli strike killed a top commander. Palestinian militants reported fierce ground combat in southern Gaza, where Israel says its focus has … Read more
LONDON: Rights groups have condemned the arrest of prominent Tunisian journalist Zied El-Heni and urged authorities to release him immediately. El-Heni was detained on Dec. 28, shortly after he criticized Tunisia’s minister of commerce, Kalthoum Ben Rejeb, during that day’s live broadcast of his daily “Emission Impossible” show on independent radio station IFM. Local sources … Read more