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...Arts & Culture
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...Arts & Culture
Digging for box office gold, ‘A Minecraft Movie’ hits cinemas
Paris, France -- With an A-list cast and a big budget, "A Minecraft Movie" releasing this week is hoping to...Made by "Napoleon Dynamite" director Jared Hess, the film stars Jack Black -- who also appeared in Super Mario -- alongside Jason Momoa, Emma Myers and Jennifer Coolidge.
Minecraft was first released 16 years ago, developed by Swedish designer Markus Persson, who sold it for $2.5 billion to Microsoft several years later.
Japan’s Masaki Kashiwara wins Abel Prize for mathematics
Oslo, Norway -- The prestigious Abel Prize for mathematics was on Wednesday awarded to Japanese mathematician Masaki Kashiwara a specialist...The 78-year-old mathematician was honored for "his fundamental contributions to algebraic analysis and representation theory.
D-modules provided a "new basis for studying systems of linear differential equations", according to the jury.
Saudi Arabia draw with Japan to keep World Cup hopes alive
Saitama, Japan -- Saudi Arabia battled to a 0-0 away draw with already qualified Japan on Tuesday to keep their...The Saudis went into the game in Saitama in third place in Asian qualifying third round Group C, one point behind Australia.
The top two teams qualify directly for next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with those placing third and fourth going into another qualifying round.
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
