AI game gains popularity during Chinese New Year festivities
SHANGHAI, CHINA - Young Chinese flocking home for Lunar New Year this weekend have turned to an AI chatbot game to...
Arts & Culture
Arab Israelis let out of Gaza recount ‘terrifying’ journey
JERUSALEM - When Fatima, an Arab Israeli married to a Palestinian from the Gaza Strip, fled Israel's bombardment of the...
Geostrategy
Arts & Culture
Cartoon alien aims to ease World Cup culture shock
Kawkabani, star of the series, has to learn Arabic pronunciation, how to drink coffee -- and to discover that Qataris...
- Kawkabani was part-financed by Qatar's World Cup organisers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, as well as the Doha Film Institute and telecoms giant Vodafone.
- Creators Hossein Heydar and Amal al-Shammari want Qataris to get the message that they will have to make cultural concessions to the beer-drinking and good-time-seeking masses.
Arts & Culture
Iran archeologists stand against antiquities trade bill
46 out of 290 MPs in Iran proposed the draft law earlier this week, dubbed the "optimal utilization of ancient...
- Iranian lawmakers said they hope to turn Iran into a "regional center" for antiquities trade
- Local media regularly report arrests of individuals accused of smuggling artefacts out of the country
Arts & Culture
Egypt’s ancient ‘zar’ ritual puts exorcism on stage
"The singing is spiritual and brings out negative energies," said the lead singer of the Mazaher ensemble, adding that they...
- "We're not quacks or witches," Umm Sameh, singer in 'zar' ritual said, she learned it in her childhood from her mother and grandmother
- The zar ritual would last several days and include animal sacrifices as per their tradition and no blood is spilled at Cairo's Makan Cultural Centre
Arts & Culture
Canadian offices going to the dogs
In a survey, 18 percent of those aged 18 to 24 years said they would change jobs if their employer...
- According to a recent Leger survey for PetSafe, 51 percent of Canadians support bringing dogs to the office.
- An estimated 200,000 Canadians have adopted a dog or cat since the start of the pandemic in 2020, bringing the nationwide total to 3.25 million.
Arts & Culture
Sharjah, Tunisia to cooperate on cultural heritage preservation
The Tunisian side highlighted the importance of joining forces with Sharjah, which will reflect positively on the efforts to protect...
- SIH Chairman Abdul Aziz Al Musallam and Tunisian Culture Minister Hayat Katat Al Garmazi recently met to discuss bilateral cooperation
- They are said to have discussed tie-ups in the field of protecting tangible, intangible heritage, and heritage under water
Geostrategy
Asian Games postponed as China tries to stamp out Covid spike
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said in a statement that the decision to postpone "was taken by all the...
- Hangzhou was poised to become the third city in China to host the continental competition after Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010.
- China has stubbornly stuck to its zero-Covid policy, imposing strict lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing programmes even while other countries start to reopen.
Geostrategy
Nobel winner warns of ‘toxic’ social media threats
Social media allows dangerous propaganda to flourish, making professional journalists vulnerable to threats and attacks, says Nobel Peace Prize laureate...
- The 58-year-old co-founder of the news website Rappler highlighted how social media had made it far easier to spread propaganda, reject facts and change historical realities.
- "There are no guardrails," Ressa said, pointing to the lawless world of social media, often based on algorithms that promote the outrage and hateful debate that drive traffic.
Arts & Culture
Fossils dating back 66m years found in Bangkok
More than 70 shells embedded in a footpath outside a Bangkok shopping mall have been found to be the fossils...
- An eagle-eyed shopper first spotted the snail-shaped fossils, measuring up to 12 centimeters (five inches) across
- Palaeontologists from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment investigated and found 77 ammonite fossils
Arts & Culture
Women’s cricket looks to future with Dubai event
The FairBreak Invitational, featuring England captain Heather Knight, West Indies skipper Stafanie Taylor and Pakistan's Sana Mir, opens on Wednesday.
- Women's cricket has emerged as a marketing hit in recent years with international finals played at sold-out stadiums, including a record 86,000-plus at the MCG.
- Progress was halted by the pandemic but the sport bounced back with a successful World Cup in New Zealand, Australia beating Knight's England at a sold-out Hagley Oval last month.
Videos
Middle East: What are the most influential values?
Different values are given different magnitudes of priority across the world. Here are the ones that the Middle East is...
- Different values can become an influence for any number of reasons
- These could be range from geography to climate to even religion
AI game gains popularity during Chinese New Year festivities
SHANGHAI, CHINA - Young Chinese flocking home for Lunar New Year this weekend have turned to an AI chatbot game to...
Arts & Culture
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Youth hold the keys to a brighter future
Arts & Culture
Space Economy: Saudi Arabia targets stars and beyond
From the establishment of the Saudi Space Authority to Serco Middle East's new space division in Riyadh, the Kingdom is...
Economy
Spanish footballer Veiga to play for Saudi club Al Ahli
Gabri Veiga, one of Spain's most promising young players, signed for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli from Celta Vigo in a...
Arts & Culture
Saudi Arabia’s archeologists make ‘significant’ discoveries at Al Abla site
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Saudi Arabia's Heritage Commission has announced significant discoveries made at the Al-Abla site in Asir region during the...
Arts & Culture
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Arts & Culture
Saudi MMA players out to ‘prove themselves’
Mixed Martial Arts became popular in the kingdom since 2014, when it hosted the regional Desert Force competition.
- The sport's popularity has since soared with the rise of fighters from across the Middle East and the establishment of a national MMA foundation to develop Saudi talent.
- Abdullah al-Qahtani and his Jeddah-based compatriot Mostafa Rashed Neda are set to compete in separate bouts in New York.
Arts & Culture
‘Humanitarian workers play key role in restoring hope’
"Humanitarian work knows no geographical or political boundaries; it does not recognize distinctions between cultures, nationalities, religions, and sects; and...
- Humanitarian workers, driven by their passion and dedication, work tirelessly to alleviate suffering, provide basic services, and restore hope to communities and individuals
- Humanitarian work transcends cultural, national, and religious borders and unites individuals in their noble quest to serve humanity, says Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al-Thani
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia’s football rise ‘long-term project’, says top official
The Saudi Pro League has a years-long commitment from the kingdom's rulers in its goal to become one of the...
- The Saudi league's rapid expansion has drawn comparisons with the Chinese Super League, which sucked in players for exorbitant sums until clubs hit financial problems.
- The no-expense-spared revamp is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's ambitious Vision 2030 project, which aims to reshape the economy of the world's top oil exporter.