Latest news with #Ahlam
CairoScene
27-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Your Guide to AlUla's Season of Sound, Sport & Storytelling
From ancient ruins lit by candlelight to desert dance floors—AlUla's 2025–2026 season is a journey through time, rhythm, and renewal in one of Saudi's most iconic destinations. Framed by sandstone cliffs and stories carved into stone, AlUla is no longer just a place to visit—it's a destination to return to, again and again. Each year, AlUla transforms into the backdrop for 'AlUla Moments'—a curated, six-month season of festivals, concerts, wellness retreats, outdoor adventures, and cultural experiences set in one of Saudi Arabia's most storied landscapes. Running from September 2025 to February 2026, the upcoming season weaves together everything from electronic sets in the desert to candlelit heritage tours, sound baths in ancient valleys to cycling races across timeless terrain. So, whether you're here for rhythm or reflection, performance or pilgrimage—this is your map to everything unfolding in the 2025–2026 AlUla Moments season. September – AZIMUTH The season opens with a sonic desert storm—AZIMUTH, AlUla's signature music and digital art festival, merges global beats with immersive visuals under star-studded skies. October – AlUla Wellness Festival From sound healing and meditation in Ashar Valley to Les Mills pop-ups, a half marathon, duathlon, and triathlon—this is where stillness meets stamina. November – Ancient Kingdoms Festival AlUla becomes a living museum—you can wander The Incense Road, experience Hegra After Dark, or look up for the drone show above ancient tombs. December – Winter at Tantora Winter at Tantora blends gastronomy, music, and heritage—featuring performances by Ahlam, pop-ups from Ducasse and Annabel's, Tantora Nights, and a celebration of Saudi craft. January – Sport and Art Collide From AlUla Desert Polo and the AlUla Tour cycling race to AlUla Arts Festival, January delivers a dynamic blend of sport and culture—featuring Desert X, Centre Pompidou exhibitions, and design showcases across the AlJadidah Arts District. February – Endurance and Adventure AlFursan Endurance returns with top-tier equestrian competition, while the AlUla Trail Race challenges athletes across some of the region's most dramatic natural terrain.
Roya News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
AFP journalists issue unprecedented plea to save Gaza team from starvation
AFP journalists warn Gaza team faces death from hunger: 'Without immediate intervention, the last reporters in Gaza will die' In a historic and urgent plea, AFP's Société des Journalistes (SDJ) has issued a statement warning that their freelance reporters in Gaza are facing imminent death from starvation and exhaustion. The statement, released on July 21, 2025, marks the first time in the agency's 80-year history that such a humanitarian alert has been issued on behalf of its own journalists. 'Without immediate intervention, the last reporters in Gaza will die,' the statement opened. Since the withdrawal of AFP staff journalists from Gaza in 2024, the agency has relied on a team of freelancers - one text reporter, three photographers, and six video journalists - to report from inside the besieged territory. 'Along with a few others, they are now the only ones reporting what is happening in the Gaza Strip. The international press has been banned from entering this territory for almost two years,' the statement noted. 'We refuse to see them die.' The statement draws particular attention to Bashar, a 30-year-old photojournalist who has worked with AFP since 2010. 'On Saturday 19 July, he posted a message on Facebook: 'I no longer have the strength to work for the media. My body is thin and I can't work any more'.' Bashar lives with his family in the ruins of their home in Gaza City, moving between camps in search of safety. 'On Sunday morning, he reported that his eldest brother had 'fallen, because of hunger'.' Though these journalists receive monthly payments from AFP, the economic collapse inside Gaza has rendered salaries nearly useless. 'Even if these journalists receive a monthly salary from AFP, there is nothing to buy, or else at totally exorbitant prices. The banking system has disappeared, and those who exchange money between online bank accounts and cash take a commission of almost 40%.' Transport has become nearly impossible and extremely dangerous. 'AFP can no longer use its vehicle, let alone procure petrol to fuel it and transport its journalists for their reporting. In any case, travelling by car would make them a target for the Israeli air force. AFP reporters therefore travel on foot or by donkey cart.' Ahlam, another AFP journalist, continues to report from the south of Gaza. 'And she wants to 'bear witness' for as long as possible. 'Every time I leave the tent to cover an event, do an interview or document something, I don't know if I'll come back alive'.' ''The biggest problem,' she confirms, 'is the lack of food and water'.' According to the SDJ, the situation for these journalists is deteriorating by the day. 'They are young and losing their strength. Most of them no longer have the physical capacity to travel around the enclave to do their job. Their heart-rending cries for help are now a daily occurrence.' 'Over the last few days, we have learnt from their brief messages that their lives are hanging by a thread and that the courage they have shown for months to bring news to the world will not be enough to pull them through.' 'The idea that we could hear of their passing at any time is unbearable to us. On Sunday, Bashar wrote: 'For the first time, I feel defeated'. Later that day, he told one of us that he was grateful to him 'for explaining what we go through every day between death and hunger'. 'I wish Mr Macron could help me get out of this hell'.' Ahlam continues to hold on. 'Ahlam is still standing. 'I'm trying to continue doing my job, to carry the voice of the people, to document the truth in the face of all the attempts to silence it. Here, resisting is not a choice: it's a necessity.'' The SDJ underscored that this crisis is without precedent in the agency's long history: 'Since AFP was founded in August 1944, some of our journalists were killed in conflict, others were wounded or made prisoner, but there is no record of us ever having had to watch our colleagues starving to death.'
Sinar Daily
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Sinar Daily
AFP journalist in Gaza at risk of starvation, warns association
Issuing a stark warning, the SDJ, the French news agency's journalists' association, said that they refuse to let their staff watch them die. 22 Jul 2025 01:18pm Despite receiving a monthly salary, AFP journalists in Gaza have nothing to buy or must pay exorbitant prices. Photo by AFP The agency no longer has the resources to own a vehicle, as there is far too little fuel to allow its journalists to travel for their reports. Photo by AFP LONDON - The AFP journalists' association on Monday warned that journalists working with the news agency in the Gaza Strip are facing extreme food shortages and risk starving amid the ongoing Israeli blockade of aid delivery and strikes, Anadolu Ajansi reported. Issuing a stark warning, the SDJ, the French news agency's journalists' association, said that they refuse to let their staff watch them die. "Since AFP was founded in August 1944, we have lost journalists in conflicts, we have had wounded and prisoners in our ranks, but none of us can recall seeing a colleague die of hunger," the association said in a post on X, sharing the statement. In the statement, the SDJ noted that AFP has been working with a freelance reporter, three photographers, and six freelance video journalists in the Gaza Strip. Naming one of them, Bashar Taleb, who is working for the agency as a photographer, the union shared his social media post, showing grave conditions in the besieged enclave. "I don't have the power to cover media anymore. My body is lean and I no longer have the ability to walk," Taleb, 30, wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday. He also said that his older brother collapsed on Sunday morning from the severity of hunger. According to the union's statement, despite receiving a monthly salary, AFP journalists in Gaza have nothing to buy or must pay exorbitant prices. The agency no longer has the resources to own a vehicle, as there is far too little fuel to allow its journalists to travel for their reports. They noted that travelling by car is tantamount to running the risk of being a target for the Israeli air force. Also mentioning Ahlam, another AFP journalist, the union said she wants to "bear witness" for as long as possible. "Every time I leave the tent to cover an event, conduct an interview, or document a fact, I don't know if I'll come back alive," said Ahlam, who noted that lack of food and water is the biggest problem. Expressing concern over their worsening situation, the union said their courage, which they devoted for many months to informing the entire world, "will not help them survive." "We risk learning of their deaths at any moment, and this is unbearable," the statement added. Since March 2, Israel has enforced a total blockade on Gaza, barring entry of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned of a man-made famine, with no sign of easing. Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and a spread of disease. BERNAMA More Like This
Al-Ahram Weekly
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
AFP Journalists' Association warns its Gaza reporters face death by starvation
The journalists' association of Agence France-Presse (AFP) issued a stark and emotional statement on Monday, warning that the news agency's final remaining contributors inside the Gaza Strip are facing imminent death by starvation, as Israel's blockade on food and aid continues. The statement, posted on X, underscores the desperation gripping the Strip's last journalists amid a deepening famine. "Since AFP was founded in August 1944, we have lost journalists in conflicts, we have had wounded and prisoners in our ranks, but none of us can recall seeing a colleague die of hunger. We refuse to see them die." The association confirmed that, following the departure of its staff correspondents in 2024, its operations in Gaza have relied on a core team of ten freelance collaborators: one text reporter, three photographers, and six videographers. Despite the increasing risk to journalists in the Strip, these individuals have continued to risk their lives to document the humanitarian catastrophe. Now, they are on the brink of collapse. One, Bashar—AFP's chief freelance photographer in Gaza—posted a harrowing message on Facebook last Saturday: "I no longer have the strength to work for the media. My body is thin, and I can no longer work." 'We refuse to watch them die' The AFP statement paints a grim picture of life for these reporters. Bashar, 30, lives in the ruins of his home in Gaza City alongside his mother, siblings, and extended family. Their shelter is devoid of basic necessities—no beds, no electricity, and little food. On Sunday morning, Bashar reported that his eldest brother had "fallen, because of hunger." These journalists, though still paid monthly by AFP, face a brutal economic blockade. There is little or nothing to buy, and what remains comes at exorbitant prices. A collapsed banking system has made accessing their salaries nearly impossible, with informal currency exchange networks charging up to 40 percent in fees. There are no AFP vehicles or fuel left to support field work, and travelling by car risks Israeli airstrikes. Journalists now walk or use donkey carts to reach locations—if their physical strength allows. Ahlam, another contributor, continues to report from the south. 'Every time I leave the tent to cover an event, conduct an interview, or document something, I don't know if I will come back alive… The biggest problem is the lack of food and water,' Ahlam said. The AFP journalists' association stated: "We see their situation worsening. They are young, and their strength is fading. Most no longer have the physical capacity to travel around the enclave to do their work. Their heartbreaking cries for help are now daily." On Sunday, Bashar wrote: "For the first time, I feel defeated." Later, he reportedly thanked one of his AFP contacts for "explaining what we live through every day between death and hunger," and added: "I wish Mr. Macron could help me get out of this hell." Gaza's descent into famine AFP's call comes amid dire warnings from humanitarian organizations about worsening famine conditions in Gaza. The United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a 17 July update that Gaza is experiencing "persistent famine risks," with people surviving on a single poor-quality meal per day—or none at all. Families are turning to fasting, rationing bread for children, begging, and even scavenging for scraps in dumps. The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that around 500,000 people in Gaza are currently starving. "I met many of those families who told me that there are days that their children are not eating at all," WFP Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau stated, following a visit. He also noted that parents are trying to prevent children from playing to reduce their calorie expenditure. While aid convoys are technically allowed entry through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), established in late May with US and Israeli backing, the flow of aid remains wholly inadequate. The WFP warns that humanitarian cargoes are often delayed at checkpoints for up to 20 hours and that the incoming food supplies are only a fraction of what is needed. Worse, militarized distribution has triggered deadly chaos: Israeli and American soldiers have killed nearly 1,000 starving Palestinians as they tried to access aid near distribution sites or along convoy routes. As fuel, medical supplies, and food dwindle, prices of basic goods have skyrocketed, and malnutrition-related deaths are rising rapidly. A broken aid system The GHF system—created to replace UN-led food distribution—has drawn fierce criticism from human rights organizations. Amnesty International released a report in early July accusing Israel and the US of deliberately weaponizing starvation to advance military objectives in Gaza. 'Israel has turned aid-seeking into a booby trap for desperate starved Palestinians,' the report said. Amnesty's secretary general, Agnès Callamard, said, 'This devastating daily loss of life is the consequence of their deliberate targeting by Israeli forces and the foreseeable consequence of irresponsible and lethal methods of distribution.' Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has reported an unprecedented surge in child malnutrition at its Gaza clinics, with 983 children enrolled in feeding programmes in Gaza City alone by early July—nearly four times the number in May. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has also warned that Israel is starving Gaza's civilian population, including one million children. 'We are witnessing a real state of famine,' the Palestinian Health Ministry added. Press freedom under siege AFP's Gaza collaborators represent some of the last independent voices on the ground. With international press barred and local journalists facing lethal danger, the few who remain are vital to documenting the war's human toll. But these journalists are now being physically erased by hunger. According to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), at least 229 journalists have been killed since October 2023, making Gaza the most dangerous place on Earth for journalists today. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna stated that "Since the war in Gaza started, journalists have been paying the highest price – their lives – for their reporting. Without protection, equipment, international presence, communications, or food and water, they are still doing their crucial jobs to tell the world the truth." Even as AFP freelancers continue working, their ability to do so diminishes with each passing day. Their cameras are still, their batteries uncharged, their bodies wasting. 'Here, resisting is not a choice: it is a necessity,' Ahlam insisted. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
The National
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Emirati acting pioneer Raziqa Al Taresh dies aged 71
Artists from across the Gulf have been paying tribute to Emirati stage and screen actress Raziqa Al Taresh, who has died aged 71. Al Taresh rose to prominence from her role on the Emirati comedy show Ish'hafan in 1978. Since then, she has featured in numerous television including Hayer Tayer and Tamasha. Her career began in 1964, when at the age of 10, she appeared in his first television show titled Al Mara'a. At 15, she began working for a radio station in Abu Dhabi. She then moved into theatre work, acting in five stage plays between 1969 and 1979. In 1976, she appeared in her first television series Al Shaqiqan, followed Al Qawas in the following year. But it was her role in the Ish'hafan that earned her acclaim and appreciation for the rest of her career. Audiences in the UAE became accustomed to seeing Al Taresh on their screens every Ramadan, often depicting a caring but funny mother. Her warm style of comedy endeared her to multiple generations with every successful production. Artists from across the Gulf have taken to social media to share tributes. Kuwaiti comedian Tareq Al Ali shared on X: 'The beloved and great Emirati star Raziqa Al Taresh, Umm Saif, has passed away to the mercy of Almighty God. Our condolences go to her family and to the esteemed artistic community in the United Arab Emirates.' Emirati singer Ahlam shared a similar post, writing on X: "[We ask] the Almighty to have mercy on her, forgive her, grant her a place in His spacious gardens, and inspire patience and solace in her family, relatives, and fans.'
