Asia

The untold story of the deaths at Hajj

Iranian diplomat Ghadanfar Rokonabadi disappeared after being caught up in the mass panic on last year’s Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca Robert Fisk @indyvoices He was smart, occasionally humorous and detailed in his replies to my questions. Officially, he was an attaché at Iran’s high-walled, black-painted embassy in Beirut, but back in 1996 I […]

Re-emergence of banned groups

Source.ET It is the interior ministry which is responsible for the identification of groups that are to be banned under the Terrorism Act of 1997. PHOTO: EXPRESS There is a sense of weary resignation hung around the shoulders of reports that the government is struggling, and largely failing, to keep […]

Performed Umrah? Stay home

ARAB NEWS | Published — Friday 10 June 2016 JEDDAH: Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, who heads the Council of Senior Scholars, has urged Muslims who have undertaken many Umrah trips to refrain for entering Makkah, so that others have a chance to perform the rituals. Al-Asheikh said it […]

No peace on the horizon

Jun 09,2016 -JORDAN TIMES – George S. Hishmeh The French-sponsored conference that was attended by senior representatives of 26 countries, including senior French and American officials, has failed to outline the next step towards reaching the two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict now approaching 50 years. This disappointing outcome underlines the […]

A greying planet from north to south

By Duc-Quang Nguyen JUN 6, 2016 – 15:32 The ageing population is increasing at an unprecedented rate. If the phenomenon only affected developed economies in the past, now it has a worldwide effect. Pensions, health costs, lower economic growth … Through a weekly series of graphics, swissinfo.ch will help explain […]

A beginner’s guide to Ramadan

Associated Press | Published — Monday 6 June 2016    www.arabnews.com El Mesaharty Hussien wakes up residents for their pre-dawn meals during the first day of Ramadan in Cairo, Egypt, on Monday. (REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh) Millions of Muslims around the world on Monday marked the start of Ramadan, a month […]