After weeks of debates, drama and outrage, the Islamic Republic is finally going to the polls. Whilst reformists may be disillusioned at the lack of options, the buzz surrounding Hassan Rouhani is palpable in the streets of Tehran. The cleric’s closely aligned with the former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and leads the polls going into election day. At the opposite end of the political spectrum, the conservatives have a number of candidates to choose from. At this stage, however, they are yet to unite behind a single name, which could ...

Some may have predicted that former president Hosni Mubarak's downfall would lead to greater riches for Egypt. A time of relative darkness under dictatorship by rights would give way to illumination and progress. At the time, people were living in poor conditions and many questioned why life was so harsh when the country generated so much revenue. But ever since Mubarak was usurped in 2011, Egypt has seen an increase in violence - from vigilantes hanging thieves, to sprees of kidnappings, murder and also rape. Yet the mayhem under Mohammad ...

What started as a local outcry against a governmental move to build a shopping mall in an Istanbul park, has transformed into a national crisis for Recep Tayyip Erdoğan , and a personality crisis for Turkey itself . The creeping authoritarianism of the ruling party , its open-armed embrace of neoliberal capitalism and a feeling that secular groups are being marginalised at the expense of Islamist interests, are recurring themes of conversation, and chanting, on Turkish streets. Riding out the protests must be the Turkish government’s short-term goal. But in ...

We all know they can prance around on stage, and we can see that they all love to show a bit of skin, but it seems that our Arab stars have more in common with Western superstars than you think! It could be their looks or their stage presence, but we've been getting some twinny vibes off some of the biggest stars in the Middle East. Is this a coincidence? Or are they trying to look like some of the biggest stars in the US? Check out nine of the ...

In light of the recent news of Israeli female soldiers being punished by their commanding officers for posting racy pictures of themselves on Facebook, we thought we’d put together a list of some of the most popular IDF ladies on the web. Whether you see them posing in their knickers under the #IDF on instagram, or wandering around Jerusalem playing with their phones, it’s clear to see that these military ladies have more on their minds than their basic training. Or, put another way, IDF girls just wanna have fun ...

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is somewhat of a veteran in Turkish politics, having been the Prime Minister since 2003. He’s been one of the most influential leaders since Ataturk, but that’s not to say he is wildly popular in Turkey. Increasingly, it seems the Turkish population is growing steadily more discontent with his rule and its many contradictions. The early years of Erdogan’s office were characterised by strong economic policies, a drive for democratic reform and a sense of liberalism in politics and society. Since his most recent election, in 2011 ...

From an Israeli native offering $5,000 for each homosexual killed to a man planning on building a gay mosque in France, news of gays standing up for themselves both in the Middle East region and out seems to be on the rise.

It seems that Middle Easterners at Cannes are front and centre stage. Whether it be showcasing top notch directors or providing the finest of ‘lady companions’ to the worlds hottest (and richest), Arabs are dominant on the red carpet in the south of France and this year was no different. A couple of things seemed a-miss to the keener eye - usually a staple of fine film, Egyptian movies were seriously under-represented this year. Knocking them off their podium were North Africa and Iran, with a Tunisian film taking the ...

Mohammed Rifi made Morocco look good Friday night after winning the crowning title on X Factor Arabia’s final episode of season two . It didn’t take long after the results were out for online debates to begin, which is just so typical of talent shows like the first season of Arab Idol . Before Rifi reigned victorious, the last two episodes Thursday and Friday were also dedicated to Libyan Ibrahem Abdul-Athem, who like Rifi represented UAE singer Hussein Al Jassmi ’s team, and the Jordanian Adham Al-nabulsi from Wael Kfoury’s ...

The X Factor winner will be crowned this Friday but the competition starts hotting up on Thursday. Voting will open at the beginning of Thursday’s show, with the least popular contestant being hoofed into reality-TV oblivion at the end of the night. That will leave just two contestants to go head-to-head on Friday’s final.

With summer vacation season on the horizon, the Middle East’s holiday hotspots are sure to be crowded and stressful. Let’s face it, a visit there will probably leave you in need of another holiday as soon as you get home. It’s time to cast the Pyramids and Petra aside people! Believe it or not, there are more hidden gems in the Middle East than there are shawarma shops. Whether you fancy finding an isolated spot for burkhini snorkelling, the oldest ghost town in the UAE or the rambunctious Ramallah nightlife ...