Prison is very vapid. Books are prohibited, radio is prohibited – even comic books are not allowed in. Over 100 female political prisoners are held in Egypt's jails due to their opposition to the Sisi regime and are systematically subject to psychological, health and physical violations. The human rights organization We Record has documented several unprecedented violations inside Al-Qanatir women's prison. They are held in solitary confinement, denied medical care and abused by prison staff and other detainees. In Egypt, the arrest of women was previously seen as a red ...

Iranian women read more, translate more, and write more. They are more present in the book market than men. French authors Albert Camus and Simone de Beauvoir rub shoulders with the likes of Jewish diarist Anne Frank and Russian poet Osip Mandelstam in Tehran bookstores where the largely female readership lap up foreign writers. Women readers are looking first for "romantic" books or thrillers, such as those by Americans like Sidney Sheldon and Mary Higgins Clark or the prolific British crime writer Agatha Christie. If censorship is present in Iranian ...

Every time Egyptian singer and actress Ruby shares a post on social media or makes a public appearance, she becomes trending on Arabic media. Few hours ago, Ruby shared a picture with her 783k followers on Instagram as she performed in a private event in Cairo. Soon after she topped the trending lists on social media, and fashion magazines were interested to know the details of her outfit. The Egyptian beauty sported a black jumpsuit by Elisabetta Franchi priced at $429. Check out Ruby's pictures she shared on Instagram.

Haiti is slowly developing its cocoa industry, refuting the stereotype that culinary art is the preserve of wealthy countries. The private sector began investing in the cocoa industry, which until then had been supported solely by non-governmental organizations and humanitarian efforts. Before, there was the systematic destruction of cocoa trees because the market price wasn't interesting for farmers who preferred very short-cycle crops. The cooperative now works with more than 4,000 farmers in northern Haiti. For master chocolatier Ralph Leroy, making a rum ganache was not an obvious choice. After ...

At Christmas, Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Traditional Christmas decorations often can be admired and festive celebrations can be joined in most countries, even in many of the countries where Christianity is not the religion of the majority of people. Christmas trees are a popular decoration as are tiny sparkling lights in windows and on walls. Christmas is generally celebrated on Christmas Day, the 25th of December. Some countries however have slightly different Christmas traditions and as such festive season celebrations take place over ...

The solar system's two biggest planets, Jupiter and Saturn, came within planetary kissing range in Monday's evening sky, an intimacy that will not occur again until 2080. This "great conjunction", as it is known to astronomers, occurred fortuitously on the winter solstice for those in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of summer in the global south. The two planets were, in fact, more than 730 million kilometres (400 million miles) apart. But because of their alignment in relation to Earth, they appeared to be closer to each other than ...

Infrastructure from bridges to streets to airports to tunnels might cost a fortune. However, it’s an indication of how advanced a country is and how services are provided to the public. Here is a list of 12 most expensive things ever built.

Less about commerce and more about religion; Bethlehem will celebrate a quiet Christmas. The Health Ministry has recommended strict limits on Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem this year due to the coronavirus outbreak. Celebrations in the biblical town revered by Christians as Jesus’ birthplace are usually attended by thousands of people from around the world. Visitors flood the Palestinian city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Those seeking a quiet moment of contemplation in the Church of Nativity -- the site of Christ's birth, according to tradition -- generally have to use ...

Misak Antranik Petros who has originated from a pottery craft family is still using an ancient wheel to throw different shapes from clay. He is living on the Jaghjagh River in northeast Syria. The 85-year-old Syrian man revealed this craft has been his family practice job for over 450 years. Petros adds he is originally from Armenia. "The profession was passed down from one generation to another like an inheritance," he says. "Now, my son is taking it up." Petros points out his workplace is located inside an ancient mud-brick ...

Lebanese actress and singer Cyrine Abdel Nour is participating in the Arabic version of The Masked Singer 'Inta Min'. Cyrine is part of the panel next to Syrian actor Qusai Khouli, Egyptian Actor Hassan Al-Raddad and Saudi actor Muhanned Al-Hamdi. The Lebanese beauty has an archive of series, such as Dentelle, Al-Hayba, Ruby, 24 Qirat and many more. During her career, Abdel Nour was able to achieve a high status among Arab a-listers, not only as a performer, but also as a fashion icon. Check out some of Cyrine's fashion ...

Tawergha, about 200 kilometers east of the capital Tripoli, is close to the port city of Misrata. Now, almost a decade after militia forces rampaged through the town of Tawergha, torching homes, destroying buildings, and leaving farms in ruins, the people are coming home. Around a third of the original population of the town has returned. People are trickling back to Tawergha after years of living in makeshift tent camps, to try to turn the page on a brutal chapter of their lives. At the end of the 2011 NATO-backed ...