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CAIRO: For Ramadan this year, Magdy Hafez has been longing to reclaim a cherished ritual: Performing the nighttime group prayers called taraweeh at the mosque once again. Last year, the coronavirus upended the 68-year-old Egyptian’s routine of going to the mosque to perform those prayers, traditional during Islam’s holiest month. The pandemic had disrupted Islamic worship the world over, including in Egypt where mosques were closed to worshippers last Ramadan. “I have been going to the mosque for 40 years so it was definitely a very, very, difficult thing,” he said. “But our religion orders us to protect one another.” Still, “It’s a whole other feeling, and the spirituality in Ramadan is like nothing else.” Egypt has since allowed most mosques to reopen for Friday communal prayers and for this Ramadan it will let them hold taraweeh, also with precautions, including shortening its duration. Ramadan, which begins this week, comes as much of the world has been hit by an ... » Learn More about Muslims navigate restrictions in the second Ramadan amid COVID-19 pandemic

SCREENGRAB from Netflix NEW YORK — The success of the French crime series “Lupin” on Netflix, riding on the heels of hit Spanish show “Money Heist,” may hint at a waning of US dominance on the small screen as ambitious European, Latin American and South Korean players kick down the doors on streaming platforms. “Ten years ago, 90 percent of creativity was in the United States,” said Pascal Breton, founder and head of the Federation Entertainment production company. “There were some good little local creatives, but it didn’t travel.” But the increase in internet speed, the rise of on-demand television and the example given by American pay channels, led by HBO, have pushed their counterparts abroad to bet on TV shows, having mainly relied on cinema and sport in the past. “Spiral,” (originally “Engrenages”), “Carlos”, or “Braquo,” all produced for Canal+, highlighted a growing global appetite for non-anglophone TV productions and series. They were followed by shows from public ... » Learn More about Netflix’s ‘Lupin’ marks rise of international TV content

SINGAPORE - Trade associations and chambers (TACs) here can do more to help companies tap opportunities that arise from digitalisation and improve their capabilities, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing on Friday (Feb 12). They play a critical role in the national effort to introduce firms, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to new technologies, and to help them adopt these, he added. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (SCCCI) live streaming studio at the Trade Association Hub in Jurong, on the first day of the Chinese New Year. The studio is an example of what TACs can do on this front, to help companies navigate challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic , added Mr Chan. SCCCI president Roland Ng said the studio expects to support live streaming for up to 50 activities in its first year, including trade associations' annual general meetings, product launch events and international ... » Learn More about Singapore trade associations play critical role in helping firms tap opportunities from digitalisation: Chan Chun Sing

GENEVA (Reuters) -Confusion and complacency in addressing COVID-19 means the pandemic is a long way from over, but it can be brought under control in months with proven public health measures, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday. "We too want to see societies and economies reopening, and travel and trade resuming," Tedros told a news briefing. "But right now, intensive care units in many countries are overflowing and people are dying – and it’s totally avoidable." "The COVID19 pandemic is a long way from over. But we have many reasons for optimism. The decline in cases and deaths during the first two months of the year shows that this virus and its variants can be stopped," he added, saying transmission was being driven by "confusion, complacency and inconsistency in public health measures." India has overtaken Brazil to become the nation with the second highest number of infections worldwide after the United States, as it battles a massive second ... » Learn More about Coronavirus pandemic ‘a long way from over’, WHO’s Tedros says