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
Cardinals elect a new pope to lead Catholic Church
Cardinals chose a new pope to lead the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on Thursday, sending up white smoke from the...
Arts & Culture
World Economic Forum
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.
Arts & Culture
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
Arts & Culture
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
Arts & Culture
‘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
Arts & Culture
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
Shah Rukh Khan to be honoured at Locarno Film Festival
Held on the shores of Lake Maggiore, in the Italian-speaking Ticino region of southern Switzerland, films are screened in Locarno's...
- Bollywood superstar Khan, 58, will on Saturday be given the Pardo alla Carriera award for people whose artistic contributions have redefined cinema
- Founded in 1946, Locarno is one of the world's longest-running annual film festivals and focuses on auteur cinema.
Economy
Saudi Arabia submits official bid to host FIFA World Cup 2034 after successful Qatar event in 2022
The next steps include official visits by FIFA and a comprehensive evaluation of the bid.
- This bid highlights Saudi Arabia’s commitment to Vision 2030
- Saudi Arabia is currently the sole nation bidding for the 2034 World Cup
Arts & Culture
Unveiling Tunis: mural celebrates ‘invisible’ talents
Tunis, Tunisia - In the old medina of Tunis, a wall installation titled "1001 Bricks" showcases the talents of "invisible" creators,...
- Led by Swiss artist Anne Francey, the project took shape over a year through workshops that culminated in a large bas-relief made of carved and painted clay bricks
- The initiative follows Francey's 2019 project "1001 Hands", inspired by the "One Thousand and One Nights" fairytale, emphasising stories that intersect endlessly
Arts & Culture
Canon Middle East, Dubai Business Women Council launch ‘Women Who Empower’ campaign
Canon Middle East and DBWC launch the 'Women Who Empower' campaign, offering training and opportunities for women in imaging and...
- Aligned with this year's International Women's Day theme, "Inspire Inclusion," the campaign focuses on empowering women through a variety of platforms
- These include webinars, mentorship opportunities, and networking events, aimed at showcasing their work and fostering their professional growth
Arts & Culture
Exhibition of art and poetry in Dubai celebrates women
Featuring the work of international women artists, "La Belleza" celebrates the deep connection between art and poetry.
- “La Belleza,” which translates to "The Beauty," reflects the central theme of the exhibition
- At the core of "La Belleza" is a commitment to supporting and promoting women artists
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
Company News
Remains of 5,000-year-old noblewoman found in Peru dig
Arts & Culture
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‘Diriyah Tan’ unveiled to celebrate Saudi tourism hub’s rich heritage
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Diriyah Company has collaborated with Pantone to produce "Diriyah Tan," a color that embodies the essence...
$20 million rare blue diamond goes on show in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates -- A rare blue diamond valued at $20 million went on pre-auction display on Tuesday...
Business
Qatar’s ‘Hit Show’ wins $12 million Dubai World Cup
Dubai, UAE -- Qatar's 'Hit Show' triumphed in the 2025 Dubai World Cup's main event at Meydan, the pinnacle of...
Arts & Culture
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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.
Arts & Culture
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.
Arts & Culture
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.