French police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris: security source/node/2495736/world
French police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris: security source
French police and members of French special police forces of Research and Intervention Brigade secure the area near Iran consulate where a man is threatening to blow himself up, in Paris on April 19, 2024. (Reuters)
French police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris: security source
Police preparing to enter property at the consulate’s request
Updated 19 April 2024
AFP
PARIS: French police cordoned off the Iranian consulate in Paris on Friday and were preparing to enter it at the consulate’s request, after a report that someone had come in with an explosive, a police source said.
“A witness saw a man enter carrying a grenade or an explosive belt,” the source said, adding that an elite police unit had been mobilized after the consulate requested an intervention.
Striking Indian doctors to resume work after murder protest
The discovery of a 31-year-old doctor’s body at a state-run hospital in Kolkata last month rekindled nationwide anger at the chronic issue of violence against women
While the protests and strikes have since calmed in the rest of India, regular demonstrations continued in the eastern city, which is the capital of West Bengal state
Updated 2 min 35 sec ago
AFP
KOLKATA: Indian doctors on strike in Kolkata to protest the brutal rape and murder of a colleague will resume some duties from Saturday, the group leading the protests told AFP on Friday.
The discovery of the 31-year-old doctor’s bloodied body at a state-run hospital in the eastern city last month rekindled nationwide anger at the chronic issue of violence against women.
While the protests and strikes have since calmed in the rest of India, regular demonstrations had continued in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state.
“We will return to work in a graded manner from Saturday,” Aniket Mahato of the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front told AFP following late-night talks with authorities.
Junior doctors would return to emergency rooms in state-run hospitals, but would not resume their duties in outpatient departments, inpatient services or on planned surgeries, he said.
He said the decision came following floods that have inundated parts of West Bengal in recent days.
“It’s time to move and help the affected people,” he said.
Doctors had given the state government a seven-day deadline to implement measures enhancing security and safety in hospitals, Mahato said, adding they would stop work again if the demands were not met.
Tens of thousands of ordinary Indians joined in the protests following the August attack, which focused anger on the lack of measures for female doctors to work without fear.
One man has been detained over the murder, but West Bengal’s state government has faced public criticism for its handling of the investigation.
Authorities eventually sacked the city’s police chief and top health ministry officials.
India’s Supreme Court last month ordered a national task force to examine how to bolster security for health care workers, saying the brutality of the killing had “shocked the conscience of the nation.”
The gruesome nature of the attack has invoked comparisons with the 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman on a Delhi bus, which also sparked weeks of nationwide protests.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has termed stability and progress in Egypt “vital” for peace in the Middle East, Pakistani state media reported on Friday.
The statement came after Asif’s meeting with Egyptian Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Ihab Abdelhamid Hassan in Islamabad, at which they discussed bilateral relations between the two countries.
Pakistan and Egypt have cordial ties and both countries have resolved in recent years to enhance bilateral trade by facilitating businessmen with visas, exchanging trade-related information and promoting private-sector contacts.
During the meeting, Asif said relations between the two countries had a “great potential to grow” in all fields, including defense production, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Egypt’s stability and progress is vital for peace and prosperity in the Middle Eastern region,” he was quoted as saying.
Friendly ties between Pakistan and Egypt can be traced back to 1947, when the former gained independence and its founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, visited Egypt on the special invitation of King Fuad II.
In August this year, Pakistan and Egypt unveiled a commemorative stamp to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
In July, Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Ambassador Hassan agreed to enhance cooperation between the two countries in religious education and other areas of mutual interest.
In memory of Safeya Binzagr: ‘She had a remarkable eye for beauty’
The Saudi artist, who died earlier this month, led an inspiring life of a ‘true pioneer’
Updated 14 min 44 sec ago
Rawaa Talass
DUBAI: Safeya Binzagr, one of Saudi Arabia’s foremost female artists, died on Sept. 12 at the age of 84. Art institutions, artists, cultural experts and enthusiasts and former students were quick to pay tribute.
Among them was the influential Swiss curator and art critic Hans Ulrich Olbrist, who posted a picture of a handwritten note from Binzagr from 2022. “If you have the will, you will,” it read; a quote that encapsulates Binzagr’s own story as a persevering artist, who has been affectionately called “the mother of Saudi art.”
Binzagr was born in 1940 in the Harat Al-Sham neighborhood of Jeddah, a place she developed a long-lasting bond with. From a young age, at a time when it was rare for Saudi and Arab women to travel, Binzagr had the opportunity to see the world outside of the Kingdom. When she was seven, her family relocated to Egypt, where she was educated until high school.
'Zabun' 1969. (Supplied)
Although she was away from her beloved Jeddah, the streets of Cairo reminded her of home. “The scent of the old alleys lingered with her, their images dwelled in her memory, and a strong sense of nostalgia pulled her back to a special place enriched by the warmth of its people, their valuable customs and traditions,” reads a statement published by Darat Safeya Binzagr, the late artist’s cultural center.
England played an important role in her formative years too. After completing her education in Egypt, Binzagr moved there to attend finishing school, and in 1976, she graduated with a degree in drawing and graphics from London’s prestigious St Martin’s School of Art.
1968 was a defining year for the artist, then in her late twenties. She showed her paintings publicly for the first time in the Kingdom (along with her Saudi contemporary, the late Egypt-trained artist Mounirah Mosly) at Dar at-Tarbiyah al-Haditha School in Jeddah, making them reportedly the first women to exhibit their art in Saudi Arabia.
Traditional costumes inside Darat Safeya Binzagr. (Supplied)
During the 1970s and 1980s, the ever-active Binzagr held shows in Jeddah (where she eventually returned), Dharan, Madinah, London, Paris and Geneva. She continues to be honored in public events decades later. For instance, at the Diriyah Biennale in Riyadh earlier this year, a selection of her colorful drawings of women in traditional Saudi attires charmed audiences.
Binzagr’s oeuvre was mostly devoted to telling a variety of narratives surrounding Saudi culture, everyday scenery and architectural heritage. Whether depicting a wedding ceremony or pilgrims at the Holy Kaaba, children playing games or hardworking fishermen, she was a dedicated chronicler of her surroundings, but also a preserver of native traditions, which some were forgetting as the country rapidly modernized.
Perhaps Binzagr’s greatest work is “Al Zabun,” her stunning 1969 portrait of a woman dressed in a bright yellow gown, seated against an ornamental background. It has been described as “The Arab Mona Lisa” or “The Mona Lisa of Hjaz.” The title, according to a statement from Darat Safeya Binzagr, refers to the type of dress the woman is wearing.
'Memories' 1987. (Supplied)
“The bodice underneath, which served as a vest or bra, was fastened by six buttons of silver, gold or diamonds — depending of her wealth — all connected by a chain,” the statement explains. “Her hair is worn in the Mihrama wa Mudawwarah style, in which the hair was braided with a cotton scarf coiled around the head, then covered with a cap.”
But arguably Binzagr’s greatest achievement in her storied career was the establishment of her namesake cultural center in Jeddah in 2000, where countless students have had the opportunity to study art, thanks to Binzagr’s generosity and commitment to education.
Safeya's paintings. (Supplied)
One of the center’s former pupils, artist Daniah Alsaleh, told Arab News: “I had the privilege of studying at Safeya Binzagr’s atelier from the early 2000s until around 2008, under the guidance of painter Dorothy Boyer. Safeya created a unique space where students could immerse themselves in the principles of drawing and painting, something that was quite rare at the time. She would often visit our lessons, sharing her personal experiences and stories about her work. Her passion extended beyond art — she was a dedicated collector of traditional Saudi costumes, tea cups, and various artifacts, and had a remarkable eye for beauty. Safeya also opened her extensive art library to the public, fostering a sense of community and education.
“I am incredibly grateful for the impact she had on my artistic journey,” Alsaleh continued. “Safeya was a true pioneer, dedicated to both art and education, and her contributions will continue to inspire many.”
Russ, Jason Derulo, more added to MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2024 lineup
Updated 22 min 59 sec ago
Arab News
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s MDLBEAST announced on Thursday the star-studded lineup of artists and DJs from around the world for its 2024 Soundstorm music festival, scheduled to take place from Dec. 12 to 14.
The lineup for the festival’s fifth edition includes US rap stars Tyler, the Creator, Jason Derulo and G-Eazy. Rising hip-hop artist Russ and Nigerian singer Tems, known for her R&B and Afrobeat hits, are also set to perform.
House music fans can look forward to sets from Black Coffee, Afrojack, DJ Snake and trance legend Armin van Buuren. The festival will also feature techno and house acts like Adam Beyer, Bedouin and Ricardo Villalobos, while David Guetta, James Hype and Morten promise electrifying performances.
The electronic lineup also features renowned acts like Meduza, Kölsch, Sonny Fodera, and Folamour, alongside emerging talents Miss Monique, Tita Lau, and Megatronic, offering a diverse range of styles.
The festival will also host previously announced stars, including Eminem, Muse, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Adriatique, Boris Brejcha, Marco Carola, Richie Hawtin, Brina Knaus, Chelina Manuhutu, Fleur Shore, Baloo, Anmarz, Dorar and Vinyl Mode.
As the region’s biggest music festival, Soundstorm delivers a vibrant mix of music styles and genres from around the world.
Ramadan Al-Haratani, CEO of MDLBEAST, said in a statement: “Soundstorm, the region’s biggest music festival, has successfully made a remarkable impact on the regional and global music scene, making it an eagerly anticipated annual festival for music fans worldwide.
“This has contributed to enhancing the Kingdom’s position in the music entertainment sector.”
REVIEW: Netflix’s ‘Officer Black Belt’ is a confusing genre mash-up
South Korean film is billed as an action-comedy, but the laughs rapidly fade
Updated 38 min 3 sec ago
Adam Grundey
DUBAI: South Korean director Jason Kim’s latest project, “Officer Black Belt,” is marketed as an action-comedy. And for the first 40 minutes or so, you can see why: it sets out as a so-so take on the “odd couple/buddy cop” trope. But then comes a shift.
The story: likeable-but-aimless Lee Jung-do (Kim Woo-bin) spends most of his time hanging with his gamer friends and working as a delivery driver for his dad’s restaurant. One night, he happens across a probation officer who’s being badly beaten by one of the violent ex-cons whose ankle bracelets he monitors. Jung-do, it turns out, is a master martial artist. He rushes to help the probation officer, likely saving his life.
Probation department manager Kim Sun-min (Kim Sung-kyun) offers Jung-do a temporary job while the officer he saved recovers. He accepts, and the two quickly become friends — despite a considerable age gap and what at first seems like a major difference in lifestyle choices. There are some vaguely humorous scenes as the two get to know one another and as Jung-do gets to grips with his new role — and with several parolees.
The general goofiness of these early scenes takes a turn when a notorious child abuser is released from prison and becomes the responsibility of the already over-worked probation department. The fight scenes are no longer comic-book-style entertainment, but grimly lethal, and the storyline gets especially dark when a young girl is abducted with the intent of forcing her to ‘star’ in a video for a dark web pornographer.
It's impossible to overstate just how jarring this narrative and stylistic shift is; but it’s a bit like watching an episode of “Friends” and having Phoebe turn up at the coffee shop bloodied and traumatized having been brutally assaulted. It’s not just a shock, but a shock that feels entirely out of place contextually.
Whether that’s intentional, as an attempt to subvert audience expectations, or simply sloppy storytelling is hard to say — and the result is ultimately the same: confusion. Which is only compounded when the director delivers a ludicrously saccharine, plot-hole-riddled ending.
Woo-bin, who shows himself to be a charismatic and capable lead, deserves better.
