Tag Archives: government

Indonesia has pledged to protect ancient cave paintings which researchers say could prove that Europe was not the birthplace of art. Indonesian authorities plan to place the caves, located on the central island Sulawesi, on a list of Indonesia’s official “cultural heritage” and are applying to get them included on the UNESCO World heritage list. “This is certainly something that …

By Natalie Shooter – REORIENT In the midst of a nascent film industry, a handful of female filmmakers have emerged in the Arabian Peninsula, pioneering film in the region and using it as a tool to fight for change. Saudi Arabia and Yemen both present volatile environments for any director; in the former, cinemas are illegal, and in both, authorisation …

The Palestinian unity government on Thursday held its first meeting in the Gaza Strip as its rival factions presented a common goal ahead of an important donors’ conference. The meeting happened four months after the government was sworn in ensuing a landmark deal between Hamas and Fatah.The composition of the new unity government was decided by Fatah and Hamas in …

Several pro-Kurdish demonstrations took place across Turkey on Wednesday as people were enraged over their government’s lack of action regarding the Syrian Kurdish border town Kobane. According to government officials, at least 14 people were killed in the protests. The violence was mostly in the pre-dominantly Kurdish southeast but also flared up in Ankara, Istanbul and other cities, where protestors …

Shi’ite rebels in Yemen rejected the appointment of new Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Awad Mubarak on Tuesday, in a major blow to hopes of restoring peace in the country.The Huthis had stormed into the capital on September 21st and established a strong military presence quickly, manning checkpoints and mounting patrols. “We strongly reject this nomination, which is not in accord …

The Canadian government is set to introduce a new law that will make it harder for immigrants to obtain Canadian citizenship. As things stand, a person needs to be physically present in the country for 1,095 days of the four years from their application date. If the remainder of Bill C-24, introduced by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Chris …

Palestinian movements Fatah and Hamas have made a breakthrough in their talks in Cairo aimed at breathing  life into their unity government, negotiators from both factions said on Thursday. Neither party provided any details of their talks, but said that they would make an official announcement later in the day. Both Fatah and Hamas representatives, speaking on the condition of …

On Monday, France urged French citizens living in or travelling to certain countries to exercise “utmost caution” after extremist group Islamic State (IS) called on Muslims all over the world to kill citizens of countries whose government are a part of the coalition against the group. The French Foreign Ministry said sent a warning to its embassies “in around 30 …

Eleven Iranians who have been accused of sending insulting texts about Islamic republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini were arrested in the province of Shiraz on Monday. “After monitoring social network applications on mobile phones like WhatsApp, Viber, Line and Tango… 11 people were arrested”, General Esmail Mohebipour, the provincial Revolutionary Guards chief”, said. “They recognized the error of their ways”, …

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in Tuesday urged nations with the capacity to take actions against the Islamic State (IS). “I urge the international community, and those with the means, to act decisively and after sober reflection. It is critical to keep at the forefront the protection of civilians”, he said. However, the UN chief did not say what steps …