It’s been quite a year for the Middle East, with Daesh becoming further entrenched in Syria and Iraq, a massive refugee crisis destabilizing the region, and a new Palestinian intifada trying once again to shake off the Israeli yoke. Here are 11 of the most powerful images from 2015 that show major events in the Middle East, and how they’ve affected the rest of the world.

New York's Times Square may be synonymous with New Year's Eve , but that's a mostly Western construct. Muslim countries emphasize instead the arrival of the Hijri New Year based on a lunar calendar, marking each new Islamic year. But all the world loves a party, and increasingly, the Middle East has been ringing in the first day of the Gregorian calendar more spectacularly than Europe or North America with posh parties or private events in pristine nature. Let's leave Times Square to Donald Trump. Come countdown MENA-style . And ...

Messi attends the 10th Dubai International Sports Conference

Unfortunately, there’s no legit crystal ball to give us a heads up of the dreams that will come true or the drama that will unfold in the following year, but based on our insight into the Arab celebosphere, Al Bawaba can pretty well guess some possible scenarios that will play out in 2016. Spoiler alert: babies will be born, songs will be sung, films will be made, and somebody's going to space. Consider yourself warned. Enjoy this tongue and cheek attempt at playing Claire Voyant for our Arab stars. Happy ...

We’ve made a list, checked it twice, and found out which Arab celebrities have been naughty and nice. With Christmas Eve being the busiest night of Santa’s year, delivering presents to good boys and girls all across the globe, we’ve saved Jolly Old Saint Nick the trouble of going through his Book of Names by giving him a list of the Arab celebs who should get a full stocking and those that are better left with just a lump of coal. While some like Mohammad Assaf have been collecting good ...

In July, Pope Francis called the persecution of Christians in the Middle East “a form of genocide.” The plight of Christians in Iraq and Syria has been well-documented in the media since ISIS seized a massive swath of both countries last year, but harassment and violence against Christians occurs all over the Muslim world. This Christmas, don't forget about these persecuted Christian groups.

Although a spate of violence has gripped Israel-Palestine in the past three months -- with over 100 Palestinians killed since October 1 -- the West Bank city of Bethlehem is still rolling out a big Christmas celebration this year. The historically Christian city is the site of Jesus’s birth, and has remained a popular destination for Christian pilgrims from the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Africa and North America over the years, despite the hardships the Israeli occupation has placed on tourism in the West Bank. Here’s how the fabled Palestinian ...

Tragedy after tragedy struck the region’s entertainment industry this year, forcing us to say farewell to some of the greatest artists in Arab music and cinema to date. We were deeply saddened at the losses of icons like Nour el Sherif and Ibrahim Yousri, and shocked by the deaths of young artists Mirna El-Mohandes and Issam Breidy. They may be gone, but their legacy will not be forgotten. Here’s an Al Bawaba tribute to many of the talented musicians, actors, and poets that passed away in 2015. May they rest ...