The Yazidi New Year festival is celebrated on the first Wednesday after April fourteenth and honors the day when God’s representative, the ‘Peacock Angel’ Tawûsê Melek descended to earth at Lalish to fill earth with life and renewal. This year’s celebration marks the biggest gathering since the Yazidis faced persecution by Daesh in 2014. Candle-lit processions, painted eggs, and special dishes are all part of the visual feast that makes up this ancient holiday celebrating the rebirth of spring.

Real Madrid's French coach Zinedine Zidane waits prior the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg football match Real Madrid vs FC Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, on April 18, 2017. Christof STACHE / AFP

Ferrari's German driver Sebastian Vettel celebrates after winning the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Sakhir circuit in Manama on April 16, 2017. ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP

A string of attacks on Egypt’s Coptic Christians has left the region shaken. Daesh promised more attacks after targeting the community in the Sinai Peninsula, and last week, on Palm Sunday, bombs struck two Coptic churches, killing 45. Over the last several years, religious minorities of all stripes have been under attack in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Even quiet Jordan has heavy security presence stationed outside churches ahead of Easter. But lest these attackers succeed in spreading sectarianism and dividing communities, now seems like a good time to remember all ...

Al-Ain's captain Emirati midfielder Omar Abdulrahman (R) is tackled by Al-Ahli's Saudi defender Motaz Hawsawi during their AFC Champions League Group C football match at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al-Ain on April 11, 2017. KARIM SAHIB / AFPAl-Ain's captain Emirati midfielder Omar Abdulrahman (R) is tackled by Al-Ahli's Saudi defender Motaz Hawsawi during their AFC Champions League Group C football match at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al-Ain on April 11, 2017. KARIM SAHIB / AFP

Whether our widely shared habit of drinking coffee in the morning, brushing our teeth after eating or enjoying a calm afternoon in an English garden, we owe many of today’s habits to Muslim inventions of the Islamic golden age. Benefitting from the knowledge they inherited from the Greco-Roman antiquity, India, Persia and China, Muslim scientists developed existing knowledge further and made new revolutionary discoveries. Through their innovative work, they contributed to an ever developing corpus of knowledge that subsequently spread to Europe and other parts of the world, shaping the ...

Camels are seen before a race during al-Marmoom Heritage Festival at the al-Marmoom Camel Racetrack on April 7, 2017 in Dubai. KARIM SAHIB / AFP

Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema celebrates a goal during the Spanish league football match Real Madrid CF vs Deportivo Alaves at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 2, 2017. JAVIER SORIANO / AFP

Yesterday, Ministers and Heads of States from 22 countries in the Arab world gathered in Jordan to discuss some of the most complex issues affecting stability and security in the region. Tensions were clearly running high and pressures mounted as we witnessed leaders stumbling over stairs , falling asleep or not turning up at all! From Arab Spring to Arab Siesta, here are some of the most unwittingly comic moments straight out of the Arab League’s 2017 Summit.

Lebanon's forward Mohamad Ghaddar celebrates after scoring a goal during the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers football match between Lebanon and Hong Kong at the Sport City Stadium in Beirut on March 28, 2017. STRINGER / AFP

Jockey Mike Smith (R) rides Arrogate to win the Dubai World Cup race in the Meydan Racecourse on March 25, 2017 in Dubai. Abdulqader AL-ANI / AFP