UAE influencers tour India to reshape its image in Middle East

Special UAE influencers tour India to reshape its image in Middle East
Content creators from the UAE take part in a dinner gala hosted by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. (Rutavi Mehta)
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Updated 31 August 2024
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UAE influencers tour India to reshape its image in Middle East

UAE influencers tour India to reshape its image in Middle East
  • 15 content creators based in UAE are on a week-long trip to Delhi and Himalayan region of Leh and Ladakh
  • They are the second group of international influencers invited by Ministry of External Affairs this year

NEW DELHI: Sally Elazab has visited India before as a tourist, but this time her trip is different. Known as The Adventurous Mom, the influencer from Abu Dhabi returned to New Delhi to create content specifically for her followers in the Arab world.

Elazab is part of a 15-member team of UAE-based content creators specializing in travel, tech, food, and lifestyle who arrived in India on Aug. 26 at the invitation of the Ministry of External Affairs.

They are touring the country for eight days, visiting historical sites and top educational institutes in Delhi, as well as the Himalayan region of Leh and Ladakh.

“This kind of initiative will further bring the Arab world and India together … India deserves to have lots of tourists from the Arab world because they can find many things that they have not seen anywhere (else),” Elazab told Arab News.

“It’s full of culture, full of diversity. You see diversity the moment you step into the country. There are lots of villages, lots of languages, and many types of food.”

She was already sharing parts of the visit with her 318,000 Instagram followers, trying, as she said, also to break some negative stereotypes about India.

“I think our visit will change lots of people’s minds about India … We are safe here, we are eating lots of good things, and we are meeting the nicest people ever,” she said.

“I have been eating continuously since coming, I have not stopped, it’s so flavorful. Every state has its own cuisine, which is beautiful. Whatever you like, you will find in India.”

Abdulla Al-Marzooqi, a content creator with a civil engineering background and over 515,000 followers across social media accounts, was focused on showing India more from the tech side.

He has already visited the 17th-century Red Fort — the largest monument in Delhi that historically served as the main residence of the Mughal emperors.

“There is something about India. Delhi is such a blooming city. I wanted to see the historical places … I am amazed with the quality of the buildings, and I will talk about it in my posts. I want to show things that the mainstream media is not showing to people in the Middle East,” he said.

“I have content from the Red Fort, I have content from IIT (Indian Institute of Technology). The IIT has a branch in Abu Dhabi … I want to visit India again.”

This is the second time that the Indian government invited foreign content creators. In April, a group of 19 influencers from Nepal and Sri Lanka visited India’s most iconic monument, the Taj Mahal in Agra and Mumbai — the country’s financial hub and the center of its Bollywood film industry.

Rutavi Mehta, an Indian content creator based in Abu Dhabi who has been helping the Indian Embassy in the UAE coordinate the project, told Arab News the purpose was to show India from different perspectives.

“We have engineers, tech influencers, a motorbike racer who is a girl, a food blogger, lifestyle, fashion, travel (influencers). We have got different influencers from different countries,” she said.

“These content creators can create a positive image about India in the Middle East … Most Emiratis come here for health treatment. This gives them perspective about India. They know India, but they have not seen the other side of India.”

Mona Tajarbi, a lifestyle and beauty influencer who has over 1.6 million followers on Instagram, wanted to show a more personalized image of the country.

“In the Middle East, everyone knows about India. My content is more to know India from my perspective. Why you should come here, why you should visit,” she said. “Half of the people don’t know Leh and Ladakh … We will let the Middle East know about these places.”

The mountainous region is in the eastern part of the larger Kashmir territory that has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India and China since 1959.

It is one of the most sparsely populated regions in India and is increasingly promoted as a tourist destination.

“This kind of trip helps us to discover India more … The whole idea is to change the minds of some people who have negative perceptions of India. India is a big country, it has lots of historical places and heritage,” said Sohaila Wael, an Egyptian travel content creator based in the UAE, who was also part of the influencer group.

“In Arab countries, there is a certain perception that India is dangerous, there is a lot of traffic, it’s not safe. But when we are here, we don’t feel anything like (that). It’s quite easy to move around, there is no sense of anxiety … I like the way Indian people interact with us. They are very polite.”


UK minister criticizes Israel’s proposed legislation against UNRWA efforts

UK minister criticizes Israel’s proposed legislation against UNRWA efforts
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UK minister criticizes Israel’s proposed legislation against UNRWA efforts

UK minister criticizes Israel’s proposed legislation against UNRWA efforts
  • Hamish Falconer highlighted the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling Israel’s potential decision “neither in Israel’s interest nor realistic”

LONDON: The UK’s Middle East minister has warned that Israel’s status as a democracy would be “deeply harmed” if the Knesset proceeded with a bill to cut all cooperation with the UN Relief and Works Agency, it was reported on Sunday.

Speaking at a London conference hosted by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Hamish Falconer highlighted the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling Israel’s potential decision “neither in Israel’s interest nor realistic.”

Falconer’s statements mark the strongest criticism from a Western official regarding the potential legislation, which is anticipated to reach a vote in the Knesset this week unless Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervenes.

The UK, along with six other European foreign ministries, have jointly urged Israel to drop the bill, emphasizing in a statement: “It is crucial that UNRWA and other UN organizations be fully able to deliver humanitarian aid and their assistance to those who need it most, fulfilling their mandates effectively.”

Falconer’s concern extended to the restrictions on aid entering Gaza, and he stressed the impact on civilian lives amid Israeli military operations, The Guardian reported.

“We are deeply concerned by legislation currently under consideration by the Israeli Knesset which would critically undermine UNRWA,” he said.

“Given the agency’s vital role in delivering aid and essential services at a time when more aid should be getting into Gaza, it is deeply harmful to Israel’s international reputation as a democratic country that its lawmakers are taking steps that would make the delivery of food, water, medicines, and healthcare more difficult.”

The UK minister, who recently visited the Egypt-Gaza border, described harrowing scenes, including “thousands of trucks waiting to cross … warehouses full of life-saving items — medical equipment, sleeping bags, and tarpaulin for the winter.”

He also noted that the level of aid “getting in is far too low,” with humanitarian convoys facing repeated attacks and significant blockages.

Falconer also raised concerns about Israel’s military approach in Gaza, calling for a balance between pursuing Hamas and protecting civilians.

“Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization, it hides behind Gazan civilians, but all parties must do everything possible to protect civilians and fully respect international humanitarian law,” he told the conference. “The Israeli government must take all necessary precautions to avoid civilian casualties, to ensure aid can flow into Gaza, and freely through all humanitarian land routes.”

Amid escalating tensions, Falconer advised “calmer heads to prevail,” while former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, addressing the conference via video link, emphasized that “Hamas cannot be allowed to continue to govern Gaza.”

Blair advocated for the establishment of a new governance structure, adding: “Israel will need to pull back to allow the development of a different governance structure for Gaza that would then enable reconstruction to take place.”

Polls commissioned by the Tony Blair Institute, he shared, indicate that many residents favor international oversight and ties to the Palestinian Authority, with strong support for reform of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.


India warns social media after airline bomb threats

India warns social media after airline bomb threats
Updated 27 October 2024
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India warns social media after airline bomb threats

India warns social media after airline bomb threats
  • Some threats led to planes being diverted to Canada and Germany, and fighter jets scrambled to escort aircraft above Britain and Singapore
  • The India government called the spread of the threats ‘dangerously unrestrained’ and warned social media platforms of ‘consequential action’

NEW DELHI: India has warned social media platforms of “consequential action” after hundreds of hoax bomb threats to Indian airlines this month triggered travel chaos and terror it said threatened national security.
Some threats led to planes being diverted to Canada and Germany, and fighter jets scrambled to escort aircraft in the skies above Britain and Singapore.
The government called the spread of the threats “dangerously unrestrained.”
It warned social media platforms of “consequential action as provided under any law” if they do not comply with the “prompt removal of misinformation.”
“The instances of malicious acts, in the form of hoax bomb threats to such airlines, lead to a potential threat to the public order and security of the state,” it said in a statement on Saturday.
“Such hoax bomb threats, while affecting a large number of citizens, also destabilizes the economic security of the country.”
At least 275 bomb threats were made since mid-October, all reported to have been false, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency. Other Indian media suggest it could be as high as nearly 400.
“The exemption from liability for any third party information... shall not apply if such intermediaries do not follow the due diligence obligations,” it added.
Civil aviation authorities have had to check every flight that has been threatened, many by messages posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The government warning did not mention any social media company by name, but cited an advisory notice from the information technology ministry.
“The scale of (the) spread of such hoax bomb threats has been observed to be dangerously unrestrained due to the availability of the option of ‘forwarding/re-sharing/re-posting/re-tweeting’ on the social media platforms,” the information ministry said.
It said companies must report any offenses “likely to threaten the unity, integrity, sovereignty, security or economic security” of the country, and cooperate swiftly with government agencies to aid investigations.
The government on Monday said it is discussing “legislative action” to overhaul aviation and aircraft security laws, and to make those who make such threats guilty of a serious, or “cognizable,” crime with longer potential sentences.
India, the world’s biggest democracy, regularly ranks among the top five countries globally for the number of requests made by a government to remove social media content.
Last year, an Indian court hit X with a $61,000 fine after the platform unsuccessfully challenged orders to remove tweets and accounts critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.


Japan ruling party projected to miss majority in election

Japan ruling party projected to miss majority in election
Updated 27 October 2024
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Japan ruling party projected to miss majority in election

Japan ruling party projected to miss majority in election
  • Voters in Japan have been rankled by rising prices and the fallout from a party slush fund scandal that helped sink previous premier Fumio Kishida

TOKYO: Japan’s scandal-hit ruling party fell short of a majority for the first time since 2009 in snap elections on Sunday, media projections showed, in a blow to new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Worse still, it was touch and go whether Ishiba’s conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) could secure a parliamentary majority with its long-term coalition partner, the Komeito party.
“We are receiving severe judgment,” Ishiba told national broadcaster NHK late Sunday.
Voters “expressed their strong desire for the LDP to do some reflection and become a party that will act in line with the people’s will,” he said.
Former defense minister Ishiba, 67, called the election after being narrowly selected last month to lead the LDP, which has governed Japan for almost all of the past 70 years.
But voters in the world’s fourth-largest economy have been rankled by rising prices and the fallout from a party slush fund scandal that helped sink previous premier Fumio Kishida.
Footage from the LDP headquarters after the polls closed on Sunday showed gloomy faces as the projections based on exit polls said Ishiba’s justice and agriculture ministers were likely to lose their seats.
Ishiba, a self-confessed security policy geek who likes making model planes, had said his target in the election was for the coalition to win a majority.
Missing this goal would seriously undermine his position in the LDP and mean finding other coalition partners or leading a minority government.
“If we are unable to obtain a majority as a result of severe public judgment, we will ask as many people as possible to cooperate with us,” the LDP’s election chief Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters.
In Japan’s last general election in 2021, the LDP won a majority in its own right, with 259 seats in parliament’s powerful lower house. Komeito had 32.
On Sunday, national broadcaster NHK projected that the LDP would win between 153 and 219 seats — short of the 233 needed for a majority in the 465-seat parliament.
If confirmed by official results, the LDP losing its majority would be the worst result since it lost power 15 years ago before being brought back in a 2012 landslide by late former premier Shinzo Abe.
Together with Komeito, which is projected 21 to 35 seats, the coalition would hold between 174 and 254 seats, according to NHK.
Projections from the Asahi Shimbun and Yomiuri dailies suggested the coalition would lose its majority. The Asahi projected the LDP would win 185 seats and that the coalition would manage only 210.
Opinion polls before the election had suggested that in many districts, LDP candidates were neck-and-neck with those from the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), the second-biggest in parliament, led by popular former prime minister Yoshihiko Noda.
Projections on Sunday suggested that the CDP had made considerable gains, with NHK indicating it could win between 128 and 191 seats — up from 96.
“The LDP’s politics is all about quickly implementing policies for those who give them loads of cash,” 67-year-old Noda told his supporters on Saturday.
Noda said on Sunday night he would hold “sincere talks with various parties.”
“Our basic philosophy is that the LDP-Komeito administration cannot continue,” Noda told Fuji-TV.
Ishiba has pledged to revitalize depressed rural regions and to address the “quiet emergency” of Japan’s falling population through family-friendly measures such as flexible working hours.
But he has rowed back his position on issues including allowing married couples to take separate surnames. He also named only two women as ministers in his cabinet.
He has backed the creation of a regional military alliance along the lines of NATO to counter China, although he has cautioned it would “not happen overnight.”
Noda’s stance “is sort of similar to the LDP’s. He is basically a conservative,” Masato Kamikubo, a political scientist at Ritsumeikan University, told AFP before the election.
“The CDP or Noda can be an alternative to the LDP. Many voters think so.”


British lawmakers accuse Starmer of ‘colonial mindset’ in slavery reparations debate

British lawmakers accuse Starmer of ‘colonial mindset’ in slavery reparations debate
Updated 27 October 2024
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British lawmakers accuse Starmer of ‘colonial mindset’ in slavery reparations debate

British lawmakers accuse Starmer of ‘colonial mindset’ in slavery reparations debate
  • Ahead of the Commonwealth heads of government summit in Samoa, where Caribbean and African nations wished to discuss the topic, Starmer said the issue was not on the agenda

LONDON: Some British Labour lawmakers on Sunday accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of having a “colonial mindset” and trying to silence nations pushing for discussions on reparations for transatlantic slavery at this month’s Commonwealth summit in Samoa.
Britain has so far rejected calls for reparations but some campaigners hoped Starmer’s new Labour government would be more open to it.
However, ahead of the Commonwealth heads of government summit in Samoa, where Caribbean and African nations wished to discuss the topic, Starmer said the issue was not on the agenda and that he would like to “look forward” rather than have “very long, endless discussions about reparations on the past.”
“(It) is very insulting (to) tell people of African descent to forget and move forward,” said Labour lawmaker Bell Ribeiro-Addy at a cross-party reparations conference in London.
At the end the Samoa summit, leaders of the 56-nation club headed by Britain’s King Charles agreed to include in their final communique that the time had come for a discussion on reparations.
“I’m very proud those nations refused to be silenced,” Ribeiro-Addy said.
Another Labour lawmaker, Clive Lewis, said it was surprising Starmer thought he could take a “colonial mindset” to the summit and “dictate what could and could not be discussed.”
At a news conference in Samoa on Saturday, Starmer said slavery was “abhorrent” and that the discussions agreed to in the communique would not be “about money.”
A Downing Street spokesperson had no further comment on the remarks by Labour lawmakers on Sunday.
Proponents of reparations say slavery’s legacy has caused persistent racial inequalities while opponents say countries shouldn’t be held responsible for historical wrongs.
The lawmakers said that reparations could include a formal apology, debt cancelation, the return of artefacts or changing the school curriculum, not just financial payments.
Diane Abbott, Britain’s first Black woman lawmaker, said Labour previously had plans to establish a national reparations commission but Starmer “seems to have forgotten that.”
“Reparations isn’t about the past, it is about the here and now,” she said.


Muslim and Arab American leaders in Michigan endorse Trump

Muslim and Arab American leaders in Michigan endorse Trump
Updated 27 October 2024
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Muslim and Arab American leaders in Michigan endorse Trump

Muslim and Arab American leaders in Michigan endorse Trump
  • Endorsement of Trump by Muslim and Arab communities would be a notable shift by Michigan’s Muslim community

DUBAI: Prominent Muslim leaders were invited by former US President Donald Trump on Saturday during a campaign rally in Michigan to announce their support for the Republican candidate.

Trump was joined onstage by what his campaign described as “prominent leaders of Michigan’s Muslim community” to encourage Muslim and Arab American to endorse him in the Nov. 5 presidential election.

The former president also said that he was banking on “overwhelming support” from these voters in the state, according to CNN.

“They could turn the election one way or the other,” Trump said of the Arab and Muslim communities, who are critical of US support for Israel in its war on Gaza.

On stage, the Muslim leaders cited Trump’s commitment to ending conflicts.

“We, as Muslims, stand with President Trump because he promises peace, not war,” Imam Belal Alzuhairi told the crowd. 

Alzuhairi described Trump as the “peace” candidate.

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CLICK HERE TO READ ARAB NEWS/YOUGOV POLL OF ARAB AMERICAN VOTERS

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“The bloodshed has to stop all over the world. And I think this man can make that happen.”

Trump said that Muslim and Arab voters in Michigan and across the country want a “stop to the endless wars and a return to peace in the Middle East.”

“That’s all they want,” he said.

The endorsement of Trump by Muslim and Arab communities would be a notable shift by Michigan’s Muslim community, who have traditionally aligned with the Democrats.