It turns out that Donald Trump - hotelier and presidential hopeful - really wants to be a doorman, so he can stop entry of all Muslims into the US. His are the sentiments of a madman who's pandering to fear and ignorance, not the voice of a nation. (FYI - two of three Trump wives are immigrants !) But the US - a land made up of foreigners - does have a rep for marginalizing each new wave of ethnicity as it washes up on shores. Despite this, people still ...

Fiji's Jasa Veremalua scores the try against England during their rugby final match of the Dubai leg, the first leg of the IRB's 10-leg World Rugby Sevens Series, on December 5, 2015 in the Gulf emirate of Dubai. World champions Fiji won the Dubai Sevens with a 28-17 victory over England. AFP PHOTO / KARIM SAHIB

It's countdown to Christmas, with only 18 shopping days left. Or maybe you don't celebrate Santa , but are still in the market for an unusual present. Take a tip from Al Bawaba and steer away from the malls. Instead look at these unique gift ideas that "keep on giving" by supporting artists and craftspeople and NGOs across Palestine . Go old school this year and buy direct from the artisans of Palestine - the place where Christmas began.

The 2015 UN Climate Change Conference is underway in Paris aiming to forge a binding environmental agreement that involves all nations. At its core is the goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a level that keeps the planet’s mean temperature below a 2°C increase (compared to pre-industrial times). It's a race against the clock. This is the first year global temperatures rose 1 °C higher than the historic average. But only 26% of us in the Middle East are worried about global warming, said a recent Pew Research ...

Baby, it’s cold outside. Winter blues got you down? Avoid the airport queues and keep your money in your wallet, and instead live vicariously through the exotic travels of your favorite Arab stars. Scan this Al Bawaba overview of the region’s top celebrities and their best spent holidays of 2015. I t’s fun to window shop on their R&R choices, and it may inspire a superstar holiday of your own!

UAE footballer Ahmed Khalil poses for photographers on his arrival at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)'s Annual Awards ceremony in Gurgaon, on the outskirts of New Delhi on November 29, 2015. AFP PHOTO / SAJJAD HUSSAIN

Weary of all the frightening news? Since 1896, the banner of the New York Times has declared “All the News That’s Fit to Print.” A noble ambition, but impossible task. The irony at the core of all media is that objective reporting is beholden to subjective editorial decisions. So what gets reported? Humans of New York blogger Brandon Stanton sees a public appetite for sex, violence, conflict and puppies - and mainstream media delivers on all four. But personal videos, tweets, blogs, a dedicated radio show (the Pope), and a ...