Sapa / AFP At the top of Vietnam’s Fansipan Mountain, throngs of giddy tourists wielding selfie sticks jostle for a photo op on the once-remote peak in the Sapa region, famed for its breathtaking views across undulating rice terraces. Getting to the top traditionally takes a two-day trek but these days most visitors opt for a 20-minute ride by …

  Ariha / AFP With the deftness of decades of experience, Abu Mohammad wove thick green thread with a wooden loom in northwest Syria, creating a vibrant geometric pattern renowned among Arabic textiles. It was the last day before the weaver in his 50s would be forced to close the workshop, leaving the last five remaining looms in his hometown …

  Abu Dhabi / EMIRATES BUSINESS Twenty of the world’s leading oil industry chief executives gather in Abu Dhabi on Sunday to discuss the new energy landscape and different models for partnerships across the industry. The senior executives, representing the world’s biggest oil companies from across the globe, have been invited to the Abu Dhabi CEO Roundtable by HE Dr …