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Articles by Paul Maroudis
World Cup host Qatar seeks to change minds on Islam
Proudly Muslim Qatar has taken advantage of the World Cup to reach out to the hundreds of thousands of visiting fans to change minds about Islam or even make conversions. The Gulf emirate is the first Muslim nation to stage a football World Cup and its gas riches have endowed it with an array of grand mosques to pique the curiosity of visitors. Canadian couple Dorinel and Clara Popa listened to the call to prayer at an Ottoman-style mosque in Doha's Katara cultural district.
World Cup Host Qatar Seeks To Change Minds On Islam
Proudly Muslim Qatar has taken advantage of the World Cup to reach out to the hundreds of thousands of visiting fans to change minds about Islam or even make conversions. The Gulf emirate is the first Muslim nation to stage a football World Cup and its gas riches have endowed it with an array of grand mosques to pique the curiosity of visitors.
Qatar looks to football, World Cup to kick obesity problem
Seven-year-old Alain trains with two dozen other children in Doha, the World Cup's host city, striving to lose weight in pursuit of his dream: becoming a professional footballer. Dribbling around cones on a hot and sticky evening, he is taking part in a broad campaign to encourage health and fitness in the Gulf, home to alarming levels of obesity. "I'm here to lose weight and become a footballer... because this sport makes me happy," Alain says with a smile, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Economic meltdown in Lebanon leaves schoolchildren hungry
November 17, 2022 BEIRUT — Cash-strapped Lebanese families are struggling to feed their children at home and in schools, and many have to choose between heating or food. Many families are skipping meals and borrowing money to make ends meet, resulting in a greater dependence on food-distributing charities. Social activists have also been distributing free meals for families to send to school with their children, targeting the most vulnerable.
Left out of Knesset, Arab Israeli party fights for survival
November 16, 2022 For the fifth time in four years, Israelis watched yesterday as a new Knesset was sworn in. Conspicuously absent were the representatives of the Arab Balad party, which did not make it pass the Knesset-entry threshold at the Nov. 1 elections. For the first time since Azmi Bishara founded the party in the 1990s, Balad has no representatives in the Israeli parliament.
The Business & Tech Briefing: Binance CEO takes heat at Abu Dhabi event after FTX fall
November 16, 2022 Changpeng Zhao, CEO of the largest infrastructure provider in the global $1 trillion cryptocurrency industry, maintained that crypto is the future, despite FTX filing for bankruptcy last week. But not everyone attending the second day of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) event was buying it. A speaker at the event tweeted about his distrust of Zhao shortly after.
Binance CEO takes heat at Abu Dhabi event after FTX fall
November 16, 2022 ABU DHABI — Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao stood in support of crypto, reassuring a packed hall on Wednesday at Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) that crypto is the future. Yet not everyone attending the second day of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) event was buying it. A speaker at the event tweeted about his distrust of Zhao shortly after. What happened: Bahamas-based cryptocurrency exchange FTX filed for bankruptcy last week, and Binance’s role in it has led to big reactions.
US sanctions employees of Iranian state broadcaster
November 16, 2022 The US Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed sanctions on six senior employees of an Iranian state-run media corporation accused of broadcasting hundreds of forced confessions of detainees in Iran.
Middle East startups rise to challenges of climate change
November 16, 2022 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the world’s largest annual climate conference this week with a dire warning that climate change is not just a problem for future generations. “The deadly impacts of climate change are here and now,” Guterres said Nov. 13 during his opening speech of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Israel’s most religious, furthest right Knesset sworn in
November 16, 2022 JERUSALEM — Israeli politics' veer to the right was especially visible yesterday as the new Knesset was sworn in. There are more people in yarmulkes, more ultra-Orthodox and more settlers occupying the coalition benches than ever in the furthest-right and most religious Knesset to serve in Israel. Almost a third of its members are Orthodox Jews from various denominations. Most of them are members of the coalition.
Israeli-owned tanker hit by drone off Oman coast
November 16, 2022 An oil tanker partly owned by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer was struck last night by a bomb-carrying drone off the coast of Oman. An unnamed official from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British military organization monitoring shipping in the region, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying, "We are aware of an incident and it's being investigated at this time." The official identified the vessel attacked as the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Pacific Zircon.
Israel rejects US plan to investigate death of Palestinian journalist
November 16, 2022 The FBI's reported decision to launch a criminal probe of the May 2022 killing of Palestinian-American Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh during a firefight between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen has prompted consternation and anger among Israeli officials. “This is a very dramatic step. None of us knew about it; we did not see it coming. We did not receive any advance warning from the administration.
'Monsoon Wedding' Drops Alcohol, Kissing For Qatar Run
Text size ADDS dates of run, World Cup details A musical adaptation of "Monsoon Wedding" starting Thursday in Qatar had to remove alcohol and kissing, but the hit film's director Mira Nair insists it has not lost its "soul". One of the biggest made-in-India international hits, the 2001 film recounts the chaotic preparations for the Delhi wedding of an Indian girl to an Indian-American man. The musical version of "Monsoon Wedding" has already played in Broadway and London.
Dubai Design Week features sustainable building innovations
November 16, 2022 DUBAI, UAE — Dubai Design Week returned for its eighth edition this month, gathering regional and international talent at the D3 Design District. The theme, "Design with Impact," focused on sustainability and environmentally conscious living. Running Nov. 8-13, the fair coincided with the first week of COP27, the global climate summit this year held in Sharm Al Sheikh, Egypt.
Falconers hope to draw World Cup fans to Qatar heritage
In the deserts of northern Qatar, children with a falcon perched on gloves on their left arms show off their hunting birds in a bid to preserve an age-old tradition. These "Little Falconers" have gathered in a tent ahead of the football World Cup in the gas-rich Gulf emirate, in a bid to introduce visitors to a practice inherited from their forefathers.
Few candidates run in Tunisian parliamentary elections
November 16, 2022 TUNIS, Tunisia — The Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) has for the first time extended the number of days to nominate parliamentary candidates. After the customary eight days, the number of successfully nominated candidates had not been reached, so the decision was taken to extend the nomination period by three days, finally closing nominations on Oct. 27.
Abu Dhabi Global Market adopts blockchain for courts
November 16, 2022 Abu Dhabi’s international business center announced on Tuesday the introduction of blockchain technology to its legal system. The Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts said it will begin securing commercial judgments via blockchain technology. The judgments will be available immediately via the courts’ digital system, meaning entities will no longer need to wait for a certified copy from a judge, according to a press release.
US Navy seizes load of missile fuel going from Iran to Yemen
November 16, 2022 US Navy and Coast Guard ships operating in the Gulf of Oman interdicted a Yemen-bound fishing boat that had departed Iran laden with more than 70 tons of aluminum perchlorate, a chemical frequently used to make explosives as well as rocket and missile fuel.
Catar pasa a la ofensiva frente a las críticas europeas
Ante las críticas de Europa Occidental a medida que se acerca el Mundial de 2022, que comenzará el domingo, Catar ha alzado el tono en el escenario mediático y diplomático, llegando a abrir incluso la puerta a procesos judiciales. Acusado por las oenegés de violar los derechos humanos, el pequeño emirato del Golfo Pérsico se contentaba desde hace tiempo con repetir que "todos serán bienvenidos" y reprochar a sus críticos no haber ido al país para comprobarlo.
Taça, torcedores e seleções começam a chegar ao Catar a uma semana da Copa
A uma semana da Copa do Mundo 2022, o troféu mais cobiçado do planeta retornou ao Catar neste domingo, enquanto torcedores e seleções começam a chegar na capital Doha para uma das edições mais polêmicas da história do torneio. Após seis meses de uma turnê mundial por cinquenta países, a taça, que será levantada pelo vencedor em 18 de dezembro, chegou ao emirado pouco antes antes da partida de abertura, que verá a seleção anfitriã enfrentar o Equador no dia 20 de novembro.
Fans, trophy and teams arrive in Qatar for World Cup countdown
One week from kickoff, the World Cup trophy returned to Qatar on Sunday, teams and fans started arriving and safety barriers went up across Doha ahead of one of the most controversial football tournaments ever. The trophy which will be presented to the winning team on December 18 returned from a world tour in time for next Sunday's opening game when hosts Qatar take on Ecuador.
Hamas says it is not behind rocket attacks from Gaza
November 13, 2022 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - The Palestinian Hamas movement, which runs the Gaza Strip, arrested on Nov. 6 two people allegedly affiliated with a Salafist group over their alleged involvement in firing four empty rockets toward Israel on Nov. 3, an unidentified Hamas security source revealed to Agence France-Presse on Nov. 6.
En Catar, las carreras de dromedarios interesan más que el fútbol
Los dromedarios se lanzan a toda velocidad por una pista. En una vía paralela, sus entrenadores les siguen al volante de un todoterreno, en uno de los cuales viaja el joven Nasser al-Marri, que controla a distancia el robot instalado en la joroba de su camélido. Mientras Catar se prepara para recibir más de un millón de aficionados para el Mundial de fútbol, la pista de Al-Shahaniya, a 40 kilómetros al este de la capital, Doha, parece estar aislada de la fiebre que invade el pequeño emirato.
Au Qatar, les courses de dromadaires plus prisées que le soccer
(Al-Shahaniya) Les dromadaires se sont élancés sur la piste. Sur une route parallèle, leurs entraîneurs roulent à leur hauteur. Au volant de son 4x4, le jeune Qatari Nasser al-Marri contrôle à distance le robot sur le dos de son camélidé. Alors que le Qatar se prépare à accueillir plus d’un million de partisans pour la Coupe du monde de football, la piste d’Al-Shahaniya, à 40 kilomètres à l’est de la capitale Doha, semble encore loin de la fièvre qui envahit l’émirat.
Qatar robo-jockey camel races hope to draw World Cup crowd
Sitting in a white all-terrain truck, Nasser al-Marri watched his remote-controlled camel race across the Qatar desert and insisted that his sport makes football pale in comparison. But with Qatar bracing for the arrival of more than one million fans for the World Cup, the camel race track at Al-Shahaniya hopes to get a boost on the back of the world's most popular pastime.
The Business & Tech Briefing: COP27 kicks off with flurry of green energy deals
November 10, 2022 A flurry of agreements have been made at the UN climate change conference COP27, which kicked off in Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt this week. The Emirati renewable energy company Masdar announced a new wind farm in Egypt, which will build on Egypt’s growing wind power production.
British LGBTQ Campaigner Criticised Over Qatar Protest
Text size A British LGBTQ campaigner who staged a protest this week in Qatar has been accused of putting local activists at risk through his challenge to the Gulf state's laws. The Qatar government said Peter Tatchell, 70, wrongly claimed that he had been arrested on Tuesday, and one Arab activist said the Briton had "betrayed" the trust of rights advocates after telling them he would not protest.
Iraq's Falcon Intelligence Cell wants to root out corruption
March 5, 2020 BAGHDAD — “Terrorism generates corruption and corruption generates terrorism,” stressed Abu Ali al-Basri in his soft-spoken but acutely focused voice. Basri leads Iraq's elite Falcon Intelligence Cell, which was created to focus on extremist groups including Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS). The counterterrorism intelligence unit has become better known after some high-profile cases and successes in recent years.
Sudan Free From Bashir But Effects Of Sanctions Linger
In a cooking oil factory in Khartoum, Sudanese workers hammer at a broken-down machine, as general manager Sarah al-Fateh sighs in frustration. She is unable to import replacement parts for her family's business, she said, because of "American sanctions".
Sudan’s first female football stars push for women’s rights
KHARTOUM: Within months of Sudan’s first women’s football league kicking off, the championship’s emerging stars are being hailed as icons for equal rights in a country transitioning to civilian rule. Orjuan Essam, 19, and Rayan Rajab, 22, of Khartoum-based Tahadi women’s club, have scored several goals already in a tournament that would have seemed unlikely when autocrat Omar Al-Bashir was in power.
Sudan's First Female Football Stars Push For Women's Rights
Within months of Sudan's first women's football league kicking off, the championship's emerging stars are being hailed as icons for equal rights in a country transitioning to civilian rule. Orjuan Essam, 19, and Rayan Rajab, 22, of Khartoum-based Tahadi women's club, have scored several goals already in a tournament that would have seemed unlikely when autocrat Omar al-Bashir was in power.
Sudan's first female football stars push for women's rights
Khartoum (AFP) - Within months of Sudan's first women's football league kicking off, the championship's emerging stars are being hailed as icons for equal rights in a country transitioning to civilian rule. Orjuan Essam, 19, and Rayan Rajab, 22, of Khartoum-based Tahadi women's club, have scored several goals already in a tournament that would have seemed unlikely when autocrat Omar al-Bashir was in power.
Sudan cinema flickers back to life after Bashir ouster
Dec. 05, 2019 | 12:05 AM Filmmaker Ibrahim Shadad in a scene from Suhaib Gasmelbari’s award-winning “Talking About Trees,” which premiered at the Berlinale. Photo courtesy of the Berlin International Film Festival
Sudan cinema flickers back to life after Bashir ouster
Sudanese cinemas are flickering back to life after the ouster of autocratic president Omar al-Bashir who was deposed by the army following months of street protests. By ASHRAF SHAZLY (AFP) Talal Afifi has worked for years to revive Sudanese cinema which has languished through decades of authoritarian rule. With the fall of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir, he sees new hope.
Sudan cinema flickers back to life after Bashir ouster
1 / 3 Sudanese cinemas are flickering back to life after the ouster of autocratic president Omar al-Bashir who was deposed by the army following months of street protests Talal Afifi has worked for years to revive Sudanese cinema which has languished through decades of authoritarian rule. With the fall of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir, he sees new hope.
Bashir's NCP Condemns Sudan 'Illegal Govt' Move To Scrap Party
Ousted president Omar al-Bashir's party on Friday condemned Sudan's new "illegal government" for ordering its closure and the dismantling of his regime that ruled the country for 30 years. Sudan's new authorities Thursday approved a law ordering the Islamist leader's National Congress Party to be dissolved, its assets confiscated and the regime dismantled as demanded by the protest movement that led to Bashir's fall in April.
Bashir's NCP condemns Sudan 'illegal govt' move to scrap party
1 / 2 Thousands of Sudanese rallied late last month in several cities, urging the new authorities to dissolve the former ruling party (AFP Photo/EBRAHIM HAMID) Khartoum (AFP) - Ousted president Omar al-Bashir's party on Friday condemned Sudan's new "illegal government" for ordering its closure and the dismantling of his regime that ruled the country for 30 years.
Bashir's NCP condemns Sudan 'illegal govt' move to scrap party
1 / 2 Thousands of Sudanese rallied late last month in several cities, urging the new authorities to dissolve the former ruling party Ousted president Omar al-Bashir's party on Friday condemned Sudan's new "illegal government" for ordering its closure and the dismantling of his regime that ruled the country for 30 years.
Sudan adopts law to dissolve Bashir party, 'dismantle' regime
Sudan's new authorities on Thursday ordered that the party of ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir be dissolved and his regime "dismantled", heeding the call of protesters whose campaign led to the leader's overthrow. Bashir and his Islamist National Congress Party (NCP) had ruled the northeast African country since 1989 before a nationwide protest movement resulted in him being deposed earlier this year.
Bashir's NCP condemns Sudan 'illegal govt' move to scrap party
Thousands of Sudanese rallied late last month in several cities, urging the new authorities to dissolve the former ruling party (AFP Photo/EBRAHIM HAMID) Khartoum (AFP) - Ousted president Omar al-Bashir's party on Friday condemned Sudan's new "illegal government" for ordering its closure and the dismantling of his regime that ruled the country for 30 years.
Sudan adopts law to dissolve Bashir party, 'dismantle' regime
Thousands of Sudanese rallied late last month in several cities, urging the new authorities to dissolve the former ruling party Sudan's new authorities on Thursday ordered that the party of ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir be dissolved and his regime "dismantled", heeding the call of protesters whose campaign led to the leader's overthrow.
Sudan Adopts Law To Dissolve Bashir Party, 'Dismantle' Regime
Sudan's new authorities on Thursday ordered that the party of ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir be dissolved and his regime "dismantled", heeding the call of protesters whose campaign led to the leader's overthrow. Bashir and his Islamist National Congress Party (NCP) had ruled the northeast African country since 1989 before a nationwide protest movement resulted in him being deposed earlier this year.
Sudan adopts law to dissolve Bashir party, 'dismantle' regime
Thousands of Sudanese rallied late last month in several cities, urging the new authorities to dissolve the former ruling party (AFP Photo/EBRAHIM HAMID) Khartoum (AFP) - Sudan's new authorities on Thursday ordered that the party of ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir be dissolved and his regime "dismantled", heeding the call of protesters whose campaign led to the leader's overthrow.
Sudanese women hope new government ends flogging, violence
1 / 4 Suleima Sharif, who heads a government committee combatting violence against women, says systemic such violence -- including by law enforcers -- constrains female participation in politics (AFP Photo/Ashraf SHAZLY) Khartoum (AFP) - Nine years after a Sudanese judge oversaw her flogging, Halima Abdalla remains broken and bitter, accusing even her family of rejecting her when it mattered most.
Sudanese women hope new government ends flogging, violence
1 / 4 Suleima Sharif, who heads a government committee combatting violence against women, says systemic such violence -- including by law enforcers -- constrains female participation in politics Nine years after a Sudanese judge oversaw her flogging, Halima Abdalla remains broken and bitter, accusing even her family of rejecting her when it mattered most.
Sudanese hope Ethiopian dam ends Blue Nile floods
13 MINUTES AGO SUDAN Sudanese farmers like Othman Idris say Ethiopia's construction of a controversial dam on the Blue Nile is a dream come true that would regulate flooding during rainy seasons. By ASHRAF SHAZLY (AFP) The Blue Nile is a renegade river, according to Sudanese farmer Osman Idris, its unpredictable flooding swallows crops and houses as it crashes through Sudan from Ethiopia on its way to Egypt.
Sudanese hope Ethiopian dam ends Blue Nile floods
by Paul Maroudis Sudanese farmers like Othman Idris say Ethiopia's construction of a controversial dam on the Blue Nile is a dream come true that would regulate flooding during rainy seasons The Blue Nile is a renegade river, according to Sudanese farmer Osman Idris, its unpredictable flooding swallows crops and houses as it crashes through Sudan from Ethiopia on its way to Egypt.
Sudan verdict in Bashir graft trial on Dec 14
The verdict in the corruption trial of Sudan's ousted president Omar al-Bashir is to be delivered on December 14, a judge announced Saturday, as his supporters staged a protest outside the court. Bashir, who was overthrown by the army in April, has been on trial in a Khartoum court since August on charges of illegally acquiring and using foreign funds -- offences that could land him behind bars for more than a decade.
Sudan's youths back on the streets - to ease bus crisis
After a year of mass protests that toppled an autocratic leader, Sudan faces a new kind of chaos -- a public transport crisis that's leaving thousands stranded by the dusty roadside. In the crunch that started several weeks ago, noisy crowds of men and women have jostled desperately for a ride back home when they spotted one of the city's increasingly rare buses.
Sudan rebels insist new parliament be formed only after peace deal
Sudanese rebel groups engaged in peace talks with Khartoum insisted Wednesday that the country's new parliament be formed only after an agreement is reached to end long-running conflicts in three border regions. A power-sharing deal signed on August 17 between protest leaders and the generals who ruled Sudan after the April overthrow of longtime president Omar al-Bashir stipulates that a 300-member parliament be formed within three months.
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