Frida Kahlo painting auctions for $54.6 mn, record for woman artist
New York, United States - A self-portrait by legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo sold for $54.66 million in New York...
Arts & Culture
Picasso portrait of Dora Maar sells for $37 mn
The Spanish master painted it on July 11, 1943 and it was acquired in August 1944 by a private French...
Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture
Saudi Arabia and Qatar to host Asian playoffs for World Cup: AFC
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- Saudi Arabia and Qatar will host the Asian qualifying playoffs for the 2026 World Cup, the...
- Six teams, the third and fourth-placed sides from the recent Asian qualifiers, namely Indonesia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE will be divided into two groups of 3 teams.
- They will battle each other in a centralized format from October 8 to 14, 2025, the AFC said in a statement.
Arts & Culture
Warner Brothers Discovery will split company to build streaming
The move, which reallocates assets such as HBO Max and CNN, is the latest reflection of how streaming is remaking...
- The entertainment giant will break itself into two publicly traded companies: one covering "Streaming & Studios" and the other "Global Networks."
- The shift, designed to enable each venture to "maximize its potential," is expected to be completed by mid-2026, the company said
Arts & Culture
Chinese man defies demolition orders to build madcap rural home
Xingyi, China -- Surrounded by the rubble of demolished homes, Chen Tianming's ramshackle tower of faded plyboards and contorted beams...
- Authorities razed most of Chen's village in Guizhou province in 2018 to build a lucrative tourist resort in a region known for its spectacular rice paddies.
- Chen, 42, refused to leave, and after the project faltered, defied a flurry of demolition notices to build his family's humble stone bungalow higher and higher.
Arts & Culture
Muslim pilgrims ‘stone the devil’ as Hajj concludes under extreme heat in Saudi Arabia
Starting at dawn, the more than 1.6 million Muslims took part in the pilgrimage will throw seven stones at each...
- The more than 1.6 million Muslims taking part in the pilgrimage will throw seven stones at each of three concrete walls symbolising the devil in the Mina valley,
- The ritual commemorates Abraham's stoning of the devil at the three spots where it is said Satan tried to dissuade him from obeying God's order to sacrifice his son
Arts & Culture
‘Italian genius’ Inzaghi to coach Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Former Inter boss Simone Inzaghi was revealed as the new coach of Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal...
- The Italian, who led Inter to a heavy defeat in Saturday's Champions League final, had earlier played down rumors of a two-year deal worth 50 million euros.
- Inzaghi, 49, becomes just the latest high-profile footballing acquisition for oil-rich Saudi Arabia, which will host the World Cup in 2034.
Arts & Culture
Trump bans visas for new foreign students at HarvardÂ
Washington, United States - US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a ban on visas for foreign students who are...
- The Trump administration has been in an ongoing showdown with academia, and Harvard in particular
- The Ivy League institution has rejected his administration's demands to give up control of recruitment, curricula and research choices
Arts & Culture
In Cairo, the little indie cinema that could
Cairo, Egypt - In the heart of Cairo, a small cinema has for over a decade offered a unique space...
- Zawya was born in the post-revolutionary artistic fervour of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak
- Egypt,long known as the Hollywood of the Arab world, has now largely been restricted to crowd-pleasing blockbusters
Arts & Culture
Qatar table tennis says ‘prepared to escalate’ after chaotic vote
Doha, Qatar -- Qatar's table tennis association has warned of possible legal action as it disputes the result of a...
- Tuesday's 104-102 vote to Soerling ended in such acrimony that the ITTF's annual general meeting was suspended.
- The world body said the assembly was "disrupted by outsiders" after the election result was announced.
Arts & Culture
Stitching change: Moroccan women weave livelihoods through Art
Sidi Rbat, Morocco - In a small village on the coast of southern Morocco, women gather in a house to...
- In a quiet Moroccan village, a women's embroidery workshop is stitching together livelihoods and self-worth
- Through thread and fabric, rural women are transforming tradition into empowerment and economic independence
Business
Saudi Arabia unveils ‘Colour Your Summer’ program, targeting 41 million visitors
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's tourism sector is poised for an unprecedented summer season, with the official launch of...
- It brings together over 120 partners from across Saudi Arabia's tourism ecosystem, including both public and private sectors, to offer an unparalleled array of experiences.
- Major events include the highly anticipated Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh from July to August, alongside dynamic Jeddah and Aseer Seasons.
Frida Kahlo painting auctions for $54.6 mn, record for woman artist
New York, United States - A self-portrait by legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo sold for $54.66 million in New York...
Arts & Culture
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Catholic teen set to become first millennial saint
Arts & Culture
AI-powered meet-up apps fight ‘epidemic of’ loneliness
Arts & Culture
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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...
Arts & Culture
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...
Arts & Culture
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.
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Arts & Culture
‘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.
Arts & Culture
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.
Business
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.