In this week’s episode of the Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei, Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal start by talking about indoor season kicking off in the UAE, and all the activities and attractions that can be enjoyed in the country, with indoor theme parks, shopping malls and cultural centres.
The hosts then turn their attention to jailed Palestinian author Basim Khandaqji, who was announced as the winner of the 2024 International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his novel A Mask, the Colour of the Sky. They talk about the novel, how it was written from prison and what it represents.
Enas, Farah and Maan then celebrate the selection of Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki as a jury member for the 77th Cannes Film Festival, sharing their favourite films directed by her.
Lastly, the hosts dive into a conversation about Netflix's Baby Reindeer, a limited series that has become a major hit online since it had its premiere on April 11. They discuss the storyline, how it is based on true events and their thoughts about the dark show.
Listen to the full conversation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major podcasting platforms, and watch the full episode on YouTube.
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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
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
More on Quran memorisation:
Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
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