Selfish, conceited, superficial? Not these celebs! These Arab stars see the gritty reality beyond the glitter and glamour of showbiz. From conservation to campaigning on behalf of refugees, buying ambulances to fundraising for autism charities, there are more than enough causes for our Arab celebs to support. Not everyone can be like Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who recently announced that he would be giving away his $32B fortune to charity – and certainly being a royal comes with a job description that includes championing philanthropic causes. But even amongst ...

There’s not much new to say about the Middle East’s scorching summertime heat . Typical daytime temperatures hover at 40 °C, but a cloudless sky and wind shift can bump them anywhere between 43-48°C. An extreme heat wave has the region broiling, reaching record-high temps that caused the Iraqi government to call for a mandatory, four-day national holiday. How hot is THAT? We’ve heard of being snowed in, now here’s being boiled in! Iraq’s hotspot was Kanaqin, reporting a July 30 high of 52°C. Baghdad trailed at 51°C and Bahrain ...

Paris Saint-Germain have made signing a new midfielder a priority. The French champions are looking at both Real Madrid's Toni Kroos and Barcelona's Sergio Busquets as they target a replacement for Thiago Motta, who will join Atletico Madrid.

Last week, a Libyan court sentenced Saif al-Islam Gaddafi , son of deposed leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, to death over war crimes linked to the 2011 revolution. In terms of atrocious actions across the Middle East, he‘s not alone. A suite of startling images flying ‘round social media are attention-grabbing, and stomach-turning. Created by Kurdish artist Ahmad Nabaz, they make bold artistic commentary in a region where political opinions are not freely broadcast. Nabaz riffs off formal portraiture of world leaders, digitally erasing backdrops of pricey paintings, fine furniture, and ...

If there’s one thing the media attention span has no limit for, it’s the painstakingly detailed accounts of Western recruits to Daesh (ISIS). Since the extremist group swept into northern Iraq last summer, news organizations have been climbing over each other to find the latest chef/rapper/ athlete turned militant in Syria. This is especially true for a handful of figures whose lives were not so private even before they went to the battlefield. In this year, we’ve seen world famous athletes and small town punk rockers join the group, leaving ...

Mass transit in Amman, Jordan’s capital, is a miserable mess. There are some bus routes and a fleet of services, both of which require a decent command of Arabic and an understanding of this city where not all streets are labeled. Several taxi companies operate in Amman, and you can hail a cab almost everywhere in town, but it’s a crapshoot whether you’ll actually be allowed in the car. Usually, you won’t even be offered a reason, they just stare and press on the gas pedal leaving you confused — ...

Baby names — considered one of the most important decisions in a parent’s life, the choice is under enough scrutiny. If you’re living in Saudi Arabia, achieving that family milestone just got harder. Saudi Arabia is known for some questionable practices: public executions, a ban on women driving , and segregated gender lines for grocery shopping. But a list of banned baby names ranks high up on the list. If you’re a parent planning on having kids anytime soon, you may want to take a look at this complete list ...

Want a tattoo in Arabic? Using Google Translate to get inspiration for ink stencils? Think again. Although there are many beautiful calligraphic designs, it doesn’t take a genius to work out using the internet to translate Arabic is an epic fail. Most Arabic keyboard fonts aren’t great for a start, and Google Translate tends to break letters into unconnected individual forms that don’t make sense. For all you know, you could be getting gibberish inked on your body (is your temple)! Bad tattoos in other languages are nothing new. Remember ...