Muslim nations announce start of Ramadan in shadow of Gaza war
In Saudi Arabia, the start of the holy month had been cast into doubt after some of the kingdom's observatories...
Morocco law reform offers hope for women’s rights
Rabat, Morocco - Two decades after a landmark but limited revision of Morocco's family law marked a breakthrough for women, activists...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
French president announces measures to quell riots
French President Emmanuel Macron announced measures including more police and urged parents to keep minors off the streets as he...
- French President Macron attempted to strike a balance between political pressure for a harsh response and fears of triggering a still stronger backlash.
- "Additional means" would be mobilized by government to tackle the rioting, Macron said, without specifying how many more officers might be involved.
Royal fever sweeps Jordan ahead of crown prince Hussein’s wedding
On the big day for the Hashemite kingdom, a key Western ally, the royal red motorcade, reserved for special occasions,...
- The eldest son of King Abdullah II will marry Saudi fiancee Rajwa Al Saif at the grand royal wedding with regional monarchs, US First Lady Jill Biden is also among the guests
- Photos of Saif's henna bridal party took the internet by storm last week as she donned a white gown with an Arabic poetry verse embroidered: "When I see you, life becomes sweet"
Geostrategy
Uzbekistan, IsDB ink pacts worth US$396.7m for infrastructure, education
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIAÂ - Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) President and Group Chairman Dr. Muhammad Al-Jasser and Uzbekistan Minister of Investments,...
- Under the agreement, IsDB will provide US$260 million in financing for the Integrated Rural Development Project.
- The project will empower local communities, improve their access to quality and resilient infrastructure.
Business
Red Cross to cut 1,500 jobs over funding crunch
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The Red Cross announced Tuesday that it would cut 1,500 jobs over the next 12 months in a...
- The Red Cross said an expected drop in humanitarian assistance budgets over the next two years was forcing it to make significant cuts.
- The Geneva-based organization said its governing board on March 30 had approved US$474 million in global cost reduction through early 2024.
Business
Artists close ranks in order to fight AI programs that copy their styles
Fury erupted in the art community last year with the release of generative artificial intelligence (AI) programs that can convincingly...
- In January, artists Andersen and Ortiz filed a class-action lawsuit against DreamUp, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, for copying their art works
- Prompted by artists, a team at the University of Chicago last week launched their "Glaze" software to help protect original works
Jordanian club holds workshops to train people in art of comedy
The new comedians hoping to put a smile on Jordanian faces range in age between 18 to 40 and include...
- The Amman Comedy Club has been training aspiring comics since 2019 and offering free, three- to four-month workshops in stand-up, improv, comedy sketches and satire writing
- Aided by foreign institutions such as the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and Chicago-based comedy club The Second City, the ACC has already trained more than 140 people in Jordan
In troubled Libya, young robotics fans see hope in hi-tech
Libya has seen more than a decade of stop-start conflict since a 2011 NATO-backed revolt toppled strongman Moamer Kadhafi, with...
- The robotic competition is aimed at preparing the workers of the future and make the country aware of the importance of technology and innovation, event coordinator said
- The event, funded by an international school and private sponsors, had been envisaged since 2018 but repeatedly delayed because of unrest and then the Covid pandemic
Arts & Culture
Year after the slap, Chris Rock hits back at Will Smith in Netflix special
The comedian came out swinging, accusing the Hollywood star of "selective outrage" when he reacted to a jibe about Jada...
- Rock was presenting an Oscar in Hollywood last March when he made a crack about Pinkett Smith's closely cropped head
- The comedian said Smith had been widely mocked after an episode of his wife's podcast in which the couple talked about her affair
Geostrategy
Sexting chatbot ban brings AI rules in focus
Given that these bots still make factual blunders, often show bias and could even spout libelous statements, some are clamoring...
- Regulators in Italy last week barred the firm from gathering data after finding breaches of Europe's massive data protection law, the GDPR.
- OpenAI's latest model, GPT-4, is scheduled for release soon and is rumored to be so good that it will be impossible to distinguish from a human.
Economy
Sharjah Consultative Council reviews districts and villages department’s work
SHARJAH, UAE - The Sharjah Consultative Council (SCC), in its seventh session, held as part of the fourth regular session...
- The SCC meeting, at its headquarters in Sharjah, was chaired by Ali Mehd Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the Council.
- Sheikh Majid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Member of Sharjah Executive Council, Head of DVAD represented the department in the session.
Muslim nations announce start of Ramadan in shadow of Gaza war
In Saudi Arabia, the start of the holy month had been cast into doubt after some of the kingdom's observatories...
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Iraq asks Sweden to extradite accused in Quran burning incident
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - Baghdad has asked Sweden to extradite Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, who stoked international outrage by desecrating the Quran,...
Geostrategy
Sheikha Fatima launches national plan for empowerment of Emirati women
ABU DHABI, UAE – Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU) Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak launched the National Strategy for...
Geostrategy
All eyes on tech firms as strict EU digital rules come into effect
The landmark Digital Services Act (DSA) compels tech companies to better police content to protect European users against disinformation and...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Macron adjourns Germany visit over riots in France
President Emmanuel Macron informed Berlin he was postponing a state visit to deal with the urban rioting that has rocked...
- Shops were ransacked and town halls attacked in various locations nationwide, despite 45,000 members of the police dealing with the situation.
- The protests over the death of teenager Nahel M., who was of Algerian origin, have again exposed the severe racial tensions in modern France.
Geostrategy
French president announces measures to quell riots
French President Emmanuel Macron announced measures including more police and urged parents to keep minors off the streets as he...
- French President Macron attempted to strike a balance between political pressure for a harsh response and fears of triggering a still stronger backlash.
- "Additional means" would be mobilized by government to tackle the rioting, Macron said, without specifying how many more officers might be involved.
Royal fever sweeps Jordan ahead of crown prince Hussein’s wedding
On the big day for the Hashemite kingdom, a key Western ally, the royal red motorcade, reserved for special occasions,...
- The eldest son of King Abdullah II will marry Saudi fiancee Rajwa Al Saif at the grand royal wedding with regional monarchs, US First Lady Jill Biden is also among the guests
- Photos of Saif's henna bridal party took the internet by storm last week as she donned a white gown with an Arabic poetry verse embroidered: "When I see you, life becomes sweet"