Bishop Bevnotious of Egypt's Minya Governorate has established a new museum that commemorates the 21 Egyptian Christians who were taken hostage and beheaded by militants of the Islamic State in Libya, five years after the video of their deaths shocked the world. The museum includes 21 four-meter high statues dedicated as a memorial to each of the martyrs and placed in front of a monument of Jesus Christ, which was designed to look like He is embracing the victims of the 2015 massacre. The new museum also features a documentary panorama showing in full detail the murder of the 21 Egyptians, who were abducted and killed by the Islamic State while residing in Sirte, Libya. The museum is housed in

A US Senator held secret meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif last week, according to an unnamed source briefed by the French delegation to the Munich Security Conference, reported the Federalist. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy is the latest Western official to meet Iranian regime officials in the months after Iran shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane that killed all 176 people on board. Last week, Zarif met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, sparking criticism online.

Fearing a low turnout in the parliamentary elections scheduled for Friday, President Hassan Rouhani urged Iranians once more on Sunday to vote. “Anyone who goes to the polls will be complicit in the regime's killing of the revolutionary youth and would be endorsing the regime and its crimes,” said 12 female activists, imprisoned in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, in a joint statement published on Monday.

NMC Health Plc, an operator of hospitals in the United Arab Emirates targeted by short seller Muddy Waters, said founder and co-Chairman Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty resigned after he was excluded from board discussions for possibly misrepresenting his holdings in the company. Shetty stepped down with immediate effect, along with Chief Investment Officer Hani Buttikhi and board member Abdulrahman Basaddiq, the company said Monday.

As part of the “Cairo Days for Drama” event currently running in Paris, acclaimed Egyptian actress Yousra and late actor Farid Shawky have been honored by the Arab World Institute on Monday for their distinguished contributions to Egyptian cinema. To celebrate his 100th birthday Rania Farid Shawky, the actor's daughter and an accomplished actress on her right, attended the ceremony to accept the award on behalf of her father. Shawky's contribution to Egyptian cinema covered 361 movies, 12 theatrical plays and 12 TV series, according to IMDB. Some of his best known roles are Cemile (1968), al fatawa (1957) and Amir al-Inteqam (1950). Set to run from February 16 until February 19 and organized

Jakarta/Denpasar, Indonesia - Nearly a month after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency, Indonesia is yet to report a single case. Some experts, however, are raising questions over the lack of reported cases in the country, given its close links to China, where the virus was first detected in late December. Researchers at Harvard University in the United States have suggested there could be "undetected cases" in Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, and have recommended Jakarta strengthen its detection systems. More: Coronavirus prompts 'hysterical, shameful' Sinophobia in Italy Scared and exposed: Rise in virus cases among

Iran has released a German citizen sentenced to three years in jail, Iran's judiciary said, as part of a prisoner swap for an Iranian held in Germany on suspicion of violating US sanctions. The announcement of his release came on Tuesday, a day after Tehran said a jailed Iranian accused of violating US sanctions had returned home from Germany. More: German army translator on trial over spying for Iran Germany bans Iran's Mahan Air over 'security concerns' France, Germany, UK pull diplomatic trigger on Iran deal dispute "On Monday, a German citizen returned home. He was arrested a while ago and was sentenced to three years in jail for taking pictures from sensitive places," judiciary spokesman