For centuries, Mecca was the pinnacle of exploration for Western travellers. Shrouded in mystery, it captured the imagination of a small but daring group of European Orientalists
In 1511, there were places in Mecca specifically designated for selling and drinking coffee, known as coffee houses. Decades later, the first café opened in Istanbul.
From Hitler and Mussolini to South American dictators, world leaders have long seen in football's biggest tournament an opportunity to further an agenda
From 3D players to data-transmitting balls, the sport's biggest tournament is awash with technology to help with everything from offside decisions to viewer angles, but does this come at a cost?
Netanyahu continues to defy calls from Washington to pump the brakes on Israel's offensive in Lebanon, something Iran has linked to a future peace deal
While it could be tied to military calculations related to the current US-Iran war, it also reflects a deeper struggle between two opposing regional visions