Despite its popularity globally, true crime is not a well-tread genre in the Gulf. Due to conservative cultural norms, most avoid discussing heinous crimes openly to spare the families of those involved from the public gaze.
Wuhoosh a new series from Kuwait is attempting to push the envelope on this taboo subject this Ramadan. Translating to 'Beasts', the 10-episode series streaming on Shasha is directed by filmmakers Mohamed Salama from Egypt and Saeed El Marouk from Lebanon.
The show stars some of the most talented and famous names in Kuwaiti television including Shujoun Al Hajri, Haya Abdel Salam, Faisal Al Omairi, Bashar Al Shatti, Ali Kakooli and Mansour Al Bloushi. Divided into four stories, two are told over two episodes while the other two are told in three episodes.
All 10 episodes released on the first day of Ramadan, and the series has since sparked debate on social media between viewers who enjoyed its daring way of telling real-life stories and those who condemned it for using these traumatising events for a television drama.
The first of the four stories is about a fire that ravaged a wedding tent in 2009 which took the lives of 57 people and severely injured 90. The arsonist that started the fire is the first wife of the groom, who was not in the tent at the time. Having grown apart, the groom falls in love with another women and marries her.
Fuelled by jealousy and blind rage, the woman takes douses the outside of the tent with petrol and lights it on fire. In the ensuing panic, a stampede occurs inside the tent, with many being trampled over before being burnt to death. Investigations then lead to the arrest of the arsonist, before she is sentenced to death for her crime.
Right from the start, the show establishes two crucial things with this first story. The first is that this is going to be a tough, perhaps excruciating watch for many. Seeing a person commit these crimes and witnessing the result and how it affects people will make many feel uneasy.
The second thing it establishes is the quality of the filmmaking, acting and storytelling. There’s very little glamour in these roles, whether portraying a criminal or a detective, the actors make sure to do it sincerely without belittling the event or the people affected. With all these stories being set at some point in the past 40 years, much attention and effort is put into getting the details of the time period right. From the cars to the clothes or even the locations, the result is very impressive.
The second and third stories are both told in two episodes. The first is about a child abuser who abducted and assaulted 17 children before being caught in 2007 and hanged in 2013. The second is about a thief who in 1983 would ask for a ride home in front of banks before murdering the drivers and stealing their money.
The fourth and final story is perhaps the hardest to watch. In 2002, a countrywide search began after a girl, 6, went missing. Days later, her body was found in a remote area, showing signs of being brutalised and tortured. The case truly rocked Kuwaiti society, with many hoping it would be solved as they started to live in fear from what is out there.
After a thorough investigation, it was found that three men had abducted the child for what they claimed was an “honour killing” to avenge an illegal relationship between the victim's brother, and the sister of two of the killers. With stories like these, there’s no enjoyment to be taken outside of appreciating the effort and craft put into making it as good as it is. The stories have been told for generations either as cautionary tales or injected with saucier details to make it more scandalous. Presenting the facts in this way sets the record straight on many things, especially being crimes so notorious in society at this point.
It is very refreshing that a Gulf drama would not hold back in its presentation, allowing the filmmakers to direct something that can be appreciated for its style while also giving the actors roles in which they can dive into and fully embody. One hopes that this is the start of a trend and not a flash in the pan.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Results
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UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Persuasion
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
RESULT
Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay: Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')
Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com
Timeline
1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line
1962
250 GTO is unveiled
1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company
1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens
1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made
1987
F40 launched
1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent
2002
The Enzo model is announced
2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi
2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled
2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives
2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company
2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street
2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary
