If you’ve visited a foreign country, and felt like you’ve left a piece of yourself behind, you’ll relate with Edmund Le Brun and Flore de Taisne.
The duo met while working in Kabul, Afghanistan, Le Brun with NGO Turquoise Mountain and de Taisne as a consultant for aid agencies. However, when they left, they quickly got frustrated with how the rest of the world perceived the country that they had come to love.
“People had this idea that it was a deserted place with little culture and history which was not a fair reflection of the country at all. We wanted to launch a business that would change all that,” says Le Brun.
The duo brainstormed ways to show how capable and multifaceted these countries are – which was how Ishkar, an online marketplace for artisans living in war-torn countries, was born.
The name is derived from a plant found in the deserts of Northern Afghanistan that, when burned, turns into a substance that can be used to make dyes more vibrant. "It's an emblem of how something that looks ordinary could have extraordinary properties when you use it right," explains Le Brun.
One of the first products Ishkar started dealing with were hand-blown glasses that were made by artisans in Afghanistan for over 2,000 years. While there were dozens of workshops creating the products in the past, the duo were only able to find one artisan who still did it, and ordered 5,000 glasses from him “to get the industry going again.”
“It’s one of our core products, and one of the most popular. No two glasses are the same,” says Le Brun.
That was in 2016. In the years that followed, Ishkar has branched out and sells a variety of products – jewellery from Kabul to homeware from Pakistan to face masks from Somalia.
“Each product tells a story about the person who made it, where it comes from, what’s unique about it. Not a lot of people are able to source products from the same places. If you visit trade fairs, you’ll find that these countries are often underrepresented.”
Ishkar currently sources products from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Burkina Faso and Myanmar. Brun cites brass lamps from Yemen and jewellery created by Saeeda Etebari, an Afghani artisan as examples of their bestsellers.
Le Brun and Taisne moved to the UAE in May 2019 to better handle the international business before leaving for London in March 2020. They have since also launched a brick-and-mortar space in London.
Meanwhile, the company aims to help artisans by not only giving them access to an international market but also by buying from them at an above-market rate. “We work like a retail business on most aspects. But the idea has always been to help artisans that have lost their market due to reasons like war.”
The initiative became all the more important during the pandemic with tourism slowing down all over the world, and affecting the livelihood of thousands of artisans who depended on it to sell their goods. “Interestingly, our sales have doubled last year which I think is a result of people spending more time at home, thinking about the interiors of their house,” says Le Brun.
In 2019, the founders launched another arm of their business – a travel enterprise that took people to offbeat countries to change their perceptions about the places. While Le Brun admits that the timing was inconvenient (the travel aspect started in November 2019, just before the pandemic arose) he stands by its launch.
“We don’t think of Ishkar as a single brand. We want to be considered more like a magazine in some respects which is why we also create movies on these places and have a blog. Maybe in the future we can have a record label. We are driven by what we love and that is to tell fair stories of these countries – and you can’t do that through any one medium.”
The company had two trips to Afghanistan before the pandemic made travel impossible in 2020. They restarted their tours in 2021, with their first being to the Democratic Republic of Congo in February. They have trips scheduled to Pakistan in May and Yemen later in the year.
According to Le Brun, the best part about taking the road less travelled, quite literally, is that it makes for more authentic experiences.
"The world has become very flat in a way – you can go to a tourist hotspot and they have already worked out what tourists want to see and travel has become increasingly bland because of that. It's always the same hotels, same foods, same services.
“But countries that have been at war don’t have that structure. Tourism isn’t a big part of their economy so they aren’t trying to second guess what tourists want and the result is a more unique experience.
“One of the first things you’ll find when you visit these locations is the fact that they are affected by war is just the smallest part of the whole experience,” he says.
More information is available at Ishkar's website.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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:
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
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'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
