Best Photos of July 28: From the funeral of Ziad Rahbani to the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore
TOPSHOT - Mourners gather around the hearse of Lebanese musician and composer Ziad Rahbani outside Khoury Hospital in Beirut's central Hamra district on July 28, 2025. Lebanon mourned musician and composer Ziad Rahbani, son of iconic singer Fairuz and a musical pioneer in his own right, who died on July 26 aged 69 after a decades-long career that revolutionised the country's artistic scene. (Photo by Anwar AMRO / AFP) Show less
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Al Etihad
8 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Rare 'Hobbit' first edition auctioned for £43,000
7 Aug 2025 00:51 LONDON (AFP)A rare first edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" sold for 43,000 pounds ($57,000) at auction on Wednesday, after it was found during a house clearance in southwest by a private collector in the United Kingdom, the book is one of 1,500 original copies of the British author's seminal fantasy novel that were published in those, only "a few hundred are believed to still remain", according to the auction house Auctioneum, which discovered the book on an bookcase at a home in from around the world drove the price up by more than four times what the auction house expected for the manuscript."It's a wonderful result, for a very special book," said Auctioneum rare books specialist Caitlin Riley."The surviving books from the initial print run are now considered some of the most sought-after books in modern literature," Auctioneum said in a unearthed the book during a routine house clearance after its owner passed away."Nobody knew it was there," Riley said. "It was just a run-of-the-mill bookcase.""It was clearly an early Hobbit at first glance, so I just pulled it out and began to flick through it, never expecting it to be a true first edition," she said, calling it an "unimaginably rare find".The copy is bound in light green cloth and features rare black-and-white illustrations by Tolkien, who created his beloved Middle Earth universe while he was a professor at the University of book was passed down in the family library of Hubert Priestley, a botanist connected to the university."It is likely that both men knew each other," according to Auctioneum, which said Priestley and Tolkien shared mutual correspondence with author C.S. Lewis, who was also at Oxford."The Hobbit", which was followed by the epic series "The Lord of the Rings", has sold more than 100 million copies sagas were turned into a hit movie franchise in the 2000s. A first edition of "The Hobbit" with a handwritten note in Elvish by the author sold for £137,000 at Sotheby's in June 2015.
Gulf Today
20 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Lavish 'Grand Mariage' weddings celebrate Comoros tradition, society
It is wedding season in the Comoros, when the diaspora return to the tiny Indian Ocean islands for days-long celebrations that mark an essential rite of passage, the "Grand Mariage". The elaborate, tradition-infused ceremonies -- which can be held years after an initial religious wedding -- are most often held in July and August, coinciding with the summer holidays in France which has a significant community of Comorian migrants. On a recent day in July, Badjanani Square in central Moroni -- the capital of the mainly Muslim nation off East Africa -- was packed with hundreds of people attending a prayer ceremony ahead of the "Grand Mariage" (French for "Big Wedding") of a couple based in the central French city of Le Mans. The groom, 55-year-old Issa Mze Ali Ahmed, made his entrance in style, dressed in a turban and robes lined with golden cloth. Amadi Maria (forth left), the mother of Franco Comoran Faid Kassim (third left), who lives with his wife Faizat Aboubacar (2nd L) in Reunion, stands next to the couple as friends and relatives drop banknotes in a suitcase while dancing in Moroni. Accompanied by men from his extended family, he took his seat for the prayers among rows of men, many wearing the traditionally embroidered mharuma scarf denoting their distinguished status. The dowry intended for Ahmed's bride was officially announced and he was saluted by ululating women resplendent in glitzy headscarves and dresses. Elsewhere on the Grande Comore, the largest of the nation's three islands, it was the big day for a couple based on the French territory of Reunion about 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) further east into the Indian Ocean. Franco Comoran Faid Kassim (left), 42, is helped by his uncle Faissoil Ali Wa Boina (right) to wear a traditional dagger part of the dressing ceremony at his parents home in Tsidje at the beginning of their Grand Mariage. In a family home in the town of Tsidje in the hills just outside Moroni, men helped the groom, 42-year-old Faid Kassime, put on a handmade black velvet coat embroidered with gold threads. Accompanied by an entourage of family and friends and with an umbrella held over him, Kassime walked to the family home of his wife -- whom he first married in 2012 -- in a procession preceded by drummers and displaying cases of gold ornaments and jewellery as dowry. "It's an accomplishment," Kassime told AFP. "I really wanted to carry out this ceremony to honour traditions, parents and the in-laws." Staggering sums It can often take a couple several years after their first wedding, called the "Petit Mariage", to accumulate the money required to host the second, more lavish event. Men swing their sticks as they dance the traditional Dinahou on the central Badjanani square in Moroni. But, as costly as it is, the ceremony is valued for sealing the social status of a couple in the hierarchy of their community, said anthropologist Damir Ben Ali. "It marks the end of a period of social apprenticeship," Ali said. "It means that a person has followed all the rules that allow him to have some responsibility in the community ... for making decisions concerning the community." A "Grand Mariage" can cost a couple their entire life savings, said Ali, who found in research in 2009 that the financial outlay then ranged between 6,000 and 235,000 euros. Porters carry display cases containing the gold dowery that Franco Comoran Faid Kassim (centre). "It has surely increased since then," he said. The spending is staggering for a nation where 45 percent of the population of under 900,000 people lives below the poverty line of around 100 euros a month, according to the National Statistics Institute. Remissions from the diaspora account for 30 percent of the national GDP. The sumptuous attire worn by couples at the ceremonies reflect the outfits worn by sultans before the Comoros became a French protectorate in the 19th century, said Sultan Chouzour, author of the 1994 book, "The Power of Honour". A woman who recently completed the Grand marriage ceremony is introduced to the congregation gathering for the Ukumbi. "The ceremony is akin to enthroning a new king," he said. "Here, everyone can be a sultan." New status Kassime's procession to the home of his 41-year-old bride, Faizat Aboubacar, illustrated the Comoros' matrilineal system and its practice of matrilocality in which husbands move into the communities of their wives. Aboubacar was overjoyed after her special day. "I am surrounded by my loved ones and that is all that matters. It is a beautiful moment," she said. A general view of friends and relatives gathering on the central Badjanani square in Moroni. Photos: AFP The event announces to society that a woman's social status has improved, said Farahate Mahamoud, one of the guests. "She will be treated as a dignitary wherever she goes. At all ceremonies, she will have the right to speak," Mahamoud said. Aboubacar's mother-in-law was proud that the couple had returned to the Comoros to uphold one of its pillar traditions. "A continuation of our customs is a great joy -- especially for children who were born in France, raised in France, educated in France or working in France to accept doing what we, as parents and grandparents, did," said Maria Amadi. Agence France-Presse
The National
2 days ago
- The National
From Ziad Rahbani to Naima Samih: Arab celebrities who died in 2025
From a pioneering Emirati actress who helped lay the foundations of national television and theatre, to a Lebanese composer who soundtracked the social and political pulse of his homeland, the Arab cultural scene has been etched by significant loss in 2025. Spanning music, film, television, literature and visual arts, these 11 artists not only shaped the creative landscape in their own country, but also brought Arab creativity to the global stage. 1. Mohammed Al Tawayan: January 31 The Saudi actor and playwright passed away at the age of 79. Renowned for blending deft social commentary into his theatre and television works, particularly in the series Awdat Asweed and Tabeeb Bil‑Misha'ab, Al-Tawayan is credited with raising the bar when it comes to domestic Saudi stories being told on stage and screen. 2. Maha Bayrakdar Al Khal: February 22 The Syrian‑Lebanese poet, visual artist, children's book author and TV presenter passed away at the age of 77, in Lebanon, reportedly after a long illness. Born in Damascus, she released poetry collections, illustrated children's stories, and curated arts and cultural events in Beirut. She was the wife of the late influential poet Yusuf al‑Khal, and mother to actors Ward and Youssef al-Khal. 3. Naima Samih: March 8 Hailed in her homeland as 'the Lady of tarab', the veteran Moroccan singer died in Rabat at the age of 72. A defining voice in Arab music since the 1970s, Samih rose to fame with hits such as Jrit Ou Jarit and Wagif Aala Babkom, and reportedly became the third Arab singer – after Egypt's Umm Kulthum and Lebanon's Fairuz – to perform at Paris's Olympia theatre in 1978. 4. Inas Al Najjar: March 31 The Tunisian actress died in a Cairo hospital after developing sepsis caused by a ruptured gallbladder. She was 41. Best known for her debut in Mido Mashakel (2003) and her appearance in this year's Ramadan series El Halangy. 5. Subhy Otry: April 18 The Syrian television presenter and entertainment columnist died of a heart attack in Germany, aged 48. At ease both in the studio and on the red carpet, Otry was a leading anchor of the entertainment programmes ET Bil Arabi and Trending. 6. Suliman Eid: April 18 The Egyptian actor and comedian died in Cairo from a reported heart attack – aged 63. A graduate of Egypt's Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts, Eid appeared in more than 300 productions – films, television series and stage plays – earning a reputation as a seasoned character actor in hits such as El Nazer and Hammam in Amsterdam. 7. Fakhri Odeh: May 6 The Kuwaiti actor, who died aged 75, was revered for his work across theatre, radio, television and children's programming. Odeh brought warmth and gravitas to Gulf media – from dramas such as Al Alkdar and Darb Al Zalik to the children's show Salamtak – in a career spanning more than five decades. His range and enduring presence made him a fixture on the Gulf cultural scene. 8. Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina: May 23 The influential Algerian director died in Algiers at the age of 91. His film Chronicle of the Years of Fire was the first – and remains the only – Arab and African film to win the Palme d'Or at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival. His body of work – including The Winds of the Aures and Sandstorm – cemented his status as a cinematic chronicler of postcolonial struggle and North African identity. 9. Samiha Ayoub: June 3 The legendary Egyptian actress died in Cairo aged 93, ending a celebrated six-decade career across stage, film, radio and television. Popular roles include the films Bein el-Atlal (1959) and El Resala (1976), as well as the television drama El Mesaya (2012). Ayoub has also been described as a mentor to younger generations of actors, including Hanan Motawie and Ahmed Helmy. 10. Raziqa Al Taresh: July 4 The Emirati theatre and television pioneer died aged 71 following a prolonged battle with cancer. Starting her career as a child, she rose to prominence in the 1970s with the comedy Ish'hafan and went on to shape Emirati entertainment across decades. Her passing prompted tributes across the Gulf, acknowledging her foundational role in national television drama. 11. Ziad Rahbani: July 26 The Lebanese composer, playwright and political commentator died aged 69. The son of singer Fairuz and the late composer Assi Rahbani, he was widely regarded as one of the most distinctive creative voices to emerge from Lebanon in the past five decades. He rose to prominence during the Lebanese Civil War with a series of groundbreaking plays and musicals that blended jazz, classical Arabic music, and colloquial dialogue with biting political and social commentary.
