Qatar revealed as owner of famed Courbet self-portrait
Paris, France -- Qatar has revealed itself as the owner of a famous self-portrait by French realist master Gustave Courbet...Arts & Culture
UAE edge closer to World Cup after beating Oman
Doha, Qatar -- The United Arab Emirates moved to within a match of their second World Cup appearance with a...Arts & Culture Sports
Walking sharks, bombing crocodiles: Italian Brainrot memes only kids know
Shouty, crude and often nonsensical Italian voiceovers feature in many of the clips made by people in various countries that...The dozen-plus cartoonish AI creatures have fast become memes, inspiring a stream of new content such as "Brainrot Rap", viewed 116 million times on YouTube.
A YouTube Short titled "Learn to Draw 5 Crazy Italian Brainrot Animals" -- including a cactus-elephant crossover named "Lirili Larila" -- has also been watched 320 million times.
Tunisia’s Jaouadi pushes through pain for second world gold
Singapore, Singapore -- Tunisia's Ahmed Jaouadi added the 1,500m freestyle world title to his 800m crown on Sunday for a...Jaouadi won a thriller to grab gold in 14min 34.41sec, ahead of Germany's Sven Schwarz (14:35.69) and the American world record holder Finke (14:36.60).
With three laps to go in the gruelling long-distance race, it was a three-way tussle between Jaouadi, Schwarz and Finke.
Portugal’s Felix joins Ronaldo at Al Nassr in Saudi
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Portuguese forward Joao Felix has signed a two-year deal with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr, where he...Felix, now 25, made a blockbuster move from Benfica to Atletico Madrid in 2019, but has since seen his fortunes decline.
"I'm here to spread joy. Let's win together," said Felix in a video posted on the club's X account. A separate post said he had signed until 2027.
Godzilla fans fete the monster as it turns 70
San Diego, United States - Godzilla has morphed over the years, but one constant is the devotion of its fans,...The Japanese studio Toho, which created Godzilla, maintains a calendar of events to celebrate the beast often called the king of monsters, and Comic-Con is on the agenda
As the story of Godzilla goes, a prehistoric amphibious beast is awakened and mutated by nuclear bomb testing in the Pacific
Iraqi women table tennis players chase Paralympic dreams
Diwaniyah, Iraq -- Iraqi table tennis player Nur al-Huda Sarmad adjusts her wheelchair before striking the ball into play, braving...With no dedicated training facility, the team often has to share the three second-hand tables at the public community center with visitors.
In the scorching Iraqi summer they cannot turn on the fans, which would disrupt the movement of the balls.
Egypt grand museum delay puts tourism hopes on hold
Cairo, Egypt - In the shadow of the Grand Egyptian Museum, souvenir shop owner Mona has been readying for the...Originally scheduled to fully open this month, the museum was expected to attract up to five million visitors annually, fuelling optimism across Cairo's battered tourism sector
Though parts of the museum have been open for months, the main draw - the treasures of Tutankhamun - will remain under wraps until the official launch
Japan’s World Barber Classic tries to bring back business
Tokyo, Japan -- Hundreds of rowdy spectators, many heavily tattooed, roared Monday at a Tokyo arena usually reserved for boxing...A dozen Japanese and foreign contestants were taking part in the World Barber Classic, showing off their hairdressing skills surrounded by national flags.
The event is part of a bid by Japan's struggling barber industry to attract young male clients lost in recent years to hair salons, which are popular for their high-quality service
Tourist coins pose giant problem at N. Ireland’s famous causeway site
Bushmills, United Kingdom -- Northern Ireland's Giant Causeway draws close to one million visitors a year but their habit of...Tourists' habit of wedging tiny coins in cracks between the rocks -- to bring love or luck -- is damaging the world-famous wonder.
Some 40,000 columns mark the causeway, Northern Ireland's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Syrian designer Rami Al Ali to make history at Paris Couture Week
Paris, France -- As well as being optimistic about the future of his war-ravaged country, Rami Al Ali has other...After studying in Damascus, Al Ali left for Dubai as a young man in search of opportunities in the fashion industry, working initially for two regional brands.
He branched out on his own in 2001, building a regional fanbase for his eponymous brand from the United Arab Emirates before creating a following in Europe.
Turkey opens Spotify probe after ‘provocative playlist’ complaint
Istanbul, Turkey - Turkey's competition authority has launched an investigation into Spotify for anti-competitive practices as a deputy minister demanded...The Turkey's competition authority said the probe would seek to establish whether Spotify gave more visibility to some artists and engaged in unfair practices
In a statement, Spotify, which launched in Turkey in 2013, said its operations complied with "all applicable laws" but it would cooperate with the investigation
