Hajj pilgrimage to begin on June 4: Saudi state media
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that the annual Muslim hajj pilgrimage to Mecca would begin on...Arts & Culture
Filmmaker Panahi cheered on return to Iran after Cannes triumph
Paris, France - Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi was given a hero's welcome by supporters on his return to Tehran on...Arts & Culture
Italian paper prints fully-AI edition, but not to ‘kill’ journalism
Rome, Italy -- In a world first, an Italian newspaper is printing a fully AI-generated edition for a month in...Il Foglio, a daily broadsheet with an irreverent touch and a circulation of about 29,000, says it is the first newspaper in the world to print entire editions created through AI.
The newspaper's 20-odd journalists ask a version of ChatGPT to write a story on a specific subject in a specific tone, and it produces a text using information scraped off internet
Jet skis in the desert: winter lake creates Saudi watersports oasis
Az Zulfī, Saudi Arabia -- The ear-splitting roar of his jet ski fills the air as Hamza al-Hamm thunders past,...Zulfi's lake, more than 200 kilometers northwest of Riyadh, appears every winter, giving desert-dwellers the chance to take part in a sport usually associated with seaside resorts.
When it forms, the lake offers a welcome respite in a country where intense heat limits outdoor activities for much of the year.
Wild AI, a royal letter and big hugs – a week in Trumpworld
Washington, United States - President Donald Trump closed out a packed week at the White House after hosting a string...Last week, Trump branded elected Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" -- but things change fast in this administration
"Did I say that? I can't believe I said that," Trump responded with a slight grin when asked if his opinion had evolved
Second edition of Saudi art biennale seeks to modernize Islamic tradition
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - Under a vast canopy of tents in the Saudi city of Jeddah, religious artefacts are on display...Arts Biennale features as its centrepiece segments of the "kiswa", the black cloth embroidered with gold and silver that covers the Kaaba
Under his "Vision 2030", Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has sought to transform the kingdom's image
Art and culture retain power to humanize the Intelligent Age, says WEF’s Fowler
Davos, Switzerland -- In an age where artificial intelligence is reshaping our lives, the World Economic Forum's Arts and Culture...I see talent emerging in the MENA region, UAE especially. Saudi Arabia is extremely exciting at the moment with the focus they're placing on culture, Fowler said.
The UAE is extremely forward-thinking. They absolutely have a finger on the pulse when it comes to technology and how technology can be integrated into everyday life.
Maori-led AI initiative can revolutionize language preservation, says Peter-Lucas Jones
Davos, Switzerland -- Peter-Lucas Jones, a Kaitaia native, who has been listed in the prestigious Time100 AI 2024 List, was...Peter-Lucas Jones, a Time100 AI 2024 List honoree, discussed AI's role in preserving the Te Reo Maori language at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
His team at Te Hiku Media developed Te Reo Maori natural language processing tools and an automatic speech recognition model.
Palestinian pottery sees revival in war-ravaged Gaza
Deir el-Balah, Palestinian Territories - Traditional clay pottery is seeing a resurgence in the Gaza Strip, where Palestinians are forced to...Traditional clay pottery sees a resurgence in Gaza as war-ravaged residents turn to old ways amid shortages of crockery and basic goods
Potter Jafar Atallah works tirelessly to meet soaring demand, crafting 100 clay pieces daily in a makeshift workshop under Gaza's harsh conditions
Portraits of pain: smuggled Palestinian art shows trauma of Gaza
Smuggled art pieces from Gaza are on display in an exhibition in Amman showcasing pain, suffering and a strong resolve...The paintings document the brutality of war and massacres… carrying pain and sorrow and also a strong resolve and determination
The exhibition in Jordan features 79 artworks crafted from improvised materials including medicine wrappers
‘Amazing’ AI de-ages Tom Hanks in new film ‘Here’
Los Angeles, United States - Tom Hanks has praised the "amazing" use of artificial intelligence to de-age him "in real time"...Hanks portrays his character from an idealistic teen, through various stages of youth and middle age, to a frail, elderly man
But rather than just relying on makeup, filmmakers teamed up with AI studio Metaphysic on a tool called Metaphysic Live, to rejuvenate and "age up" the actors
Five charged over ketamine death of ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry
Los Angeles, United States - Five people who allegedly supplied ketamine to "Friends" star Matthew Perry in a bid to exploit...The actor died at his luxury Los Angeles home last year, sparking an outpouring of grief from fans around the world
An autopsy found the cause of his death was "the acute effects of ketamine," a controlled drug the recovering addict was taking as part of supervised therapy
