Catholic teen set to become first millennial saint
Vatican City, Holy See -- Tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected at the Vatican Sunday for the canonization of...Arts & Culture Culture & Society
AI-powered meet-up apps fight ‘epidemic of’ loneliness
San Francisco, United States -- On a summer evening in San Francisco, JT Mason went to dinner with five complete...Arts & Culture Culture & Society Health
Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani dead at 91
Rome, Italy -- Italian fashion legend Giorgio Armani, king of a high-end lifestyle empire, has died at the age of...The Italian icon was credited with inventing red-carpet fashion, but also moved into a younger and less expensive range through Emporio Armani.
His death came just weeks ahead of celebrations marking 50 years of his eponymous label.
Turkey bans concert by French singer over support for Israel
Istanbul, Turkey - Turkish authorities Wednesday said they have banned a planned concert Friday in Istanbul by Enrico Macias after...The Istanbul governorate said in a statement that it had wanted to prevent any demonstrations on the sidelines of the concert "against the genocide of the terrorist state Israel."
The 86-year-old singer told AFP that he has performed in Turkey for 60 years and is "deeply surprised and saddened not to be able to see my audience."
Big dreams but no protein shake: Yemeni bodybuilder fighting to make it
Al Mukalla, Yemen -- In a dimly lit, suffocatingly hot gym in Yemen, bodybuilder Saleh Hussein al-Raidi wraps his hands...Raidi is fueled more by passion than the strict nutrition regimen required by his sport, his meals often limited to a small piece of fish with rice.
Supporting his family is already a daily struggle, even before he pays for what little specialist food and supplements he can afford.
Tunisian brutalist landmark faces wrecking ball, sparking outcry
Tunis, Tunisia -- Tunisia's brutalist landmark the Hotel du Lac -- a 1970s postcard icon said to have inspired a...Built by Italian architect Raffaele Contigiani in central Tunis, the concrete-and-steel inverted pyramid opened in 1973.
Its daring silhouette has since enraptured brutalism and modernist architecture admirers from across the globe.
Bird call contest boosts conservation awareness in Hong Kong’s concrete jungle
The competition brought nearly 100 people together, including a contestant who mimicked the critically endangered yellow-crested cockatoo.Despite its relatively small size, more than 580 types of birds -- about a third of China's total species -- have been recorded in Hong Kong.
That diversity is attributed to Hong Kong's status as a vital stopover on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway for migratory birds.
Indonesian child’s viral fame draws tourists to boat race
Pekanbaru, Indonesia -- Armed with colourful oars, rowers pack into long boats in western Indonesia, paddling furiously in front of...Sports stars including Formula One's Alex Albon and MotoGP's Marc Marquez imitated his moves in their own videos.
The viral dance craze has drawn visitors from across the country and world to the Kuantan river in Sumatra's Riau Province.
‘Curly is beautiful’: Tunisian women embrace natural hair
Tunis, Tunisia -- Tunisian mother Mouna Jebali had long used a flat iron to straighten her thick hair, but with...For generations, people around the world were told to straighten, braid, cut or otherwise conceal their curls, or else get sent home from school or work.
A global drive buoyed by the Black Lives Matter movement gave rise to a major pandemic-era trend of beauty videos celebrating natural hair.
After DJs and raves, Saudi Arabia pushes home-grown culture
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- First, deeply religious Saudi Arabia opened its doors to Western raves and music festivals. Now it's...The move towards more wholesome, Saudi-inspired entertainment comes after raucous scenes at past music festivals in the capital.
Reports of alcohol and drug use -- both banned in the kingdom -- at the MDL Beast electronic music festival have been denied by Riyadh authorities.
Gulf tourists say Polish mountain town is a cool place
Zakopane, Poland -- Saudi photographer Fahad Alayyash gazed over the Alpine-like panorama of the Tatras, Poland's highest mountain range --...Up to seven flights fly daily from the Gulf region at nearby Krakow Airport.
Arab customers constitute up to 30 percent of all summer guests at his five-star hotel in Zakopane.
Lebanese craftsman keeps up tradition of tarboosh hat-making
Tripoli, Lebanon -- Nestled among shops in a bustling market in north Lebanon's Tripoli, Mohammed al-Shaar is at his workshop...The brimless hats are made with maroon, black or green felt, some bearing floral motifs or embroidered with Lebanon's national emblem, the cedar.
While the tarboosh has been around in Lebanon for several centuries, it became particularly common during the late Ottoman period.
