Category: Xtra

LOS ANGELES — Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a divorce settlement, ending one of the longest and most contentious divorces in Hollywood history but not every legal issue between the two.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott J. Nord approved the agreement Tuesday, a day after Jolie and Pitt signed off on it.

“More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt,” Jolie’s attorney, James Simon, said in a statement. “She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since that time she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family. This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.”

The filing says they give up the right to any future spousal financial support, but gives no other details. An email to Pitt’s attorney seeking comment was not immediately answered.

Jolie, 49, and Pitt, 61, were among Hollywood’s most prominent pairings for 12 years, two of them as a married couple.

The Oscar winners have six children together.

Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, after a private jet flight from Europe during which she said Pitt physically abused her and their children. The FBI and child services officials investigated Pitt’s actions on the flight. Two months later the FBI released a statement saying it would not investigate further, and the US attorney did not bring charges.

A heavily redacted FBI report obtained by The Associated Press in 2022 said that an agent provided a probable cause statement to prosecutors on Pitt, but that after discussing the merits, “it was agreed by all parties that criminal charges would not be pursued.”

The document said Jolie was “personally conflicted” about supporting charges, and in a later court filing she said she opted not to push for them for the sake of the family.

A source familiar with the child services inquiry told the AP in 2016 that the child services investigation was closed without a finding of abuse.

A judge in 2019 declared Jolie and Pitt divorced and single, but the splitting of assets and child custody needed to be settled separately.

Both have been free to marry again since that declaration, but neither has. The marriage was the third for Jolie, who was previously married to Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton, and the second for Pitt, who was previously wed to Jennifer Aniston.

Soon after, a private judge that the two had hired to handle the case reached a decision that included equal custody of their children, but Jolie filed to have him removed from the case over an unreported conflict of interest.

An appeals court agreed, removing the judge and vacating his decision. The couple had to start the process over.

During the long divorce fight, four of their children became adults, negating the need for a custody agreement for them. The only minors that remain are 16-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

The court will maintain jurisdiction over the child custody even with the finalized agreement, as it does in all California cases. In June, one of their daughters, then known as Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, successfully petitioned to remove Pitt’s name from hers.

The couple’s use of private judges — an increasingly common move among splitting celebrities in recent years — kept the details of the divorce largely under wraps. There had been no official court actions in the case in nearly a year, and no indication that the two were near agreement.

Some elements of their disputes, however, have been revealed through a separate lawsuit filed by Pitt over Jolie’s sale of her half of a French winery they owned.

Pitt had wanted to buy her half of the winery, Chateau Miraval, and said she abandoned their negotiations and sold her part to the Tenute del Mondo wine group. Pitt said it was a “vindictive” and “unlawful” move that should not have been made without his consent and ruined a private space that had been a second home.

Jolie and her attorneys said that Pitt had demanded she sign a wide-ranging non-disclosure agreement about him as part of the proposed deal that was an attempt to cover up his abuse of her and the children.

The divorce agreement does not affect the winery lawsuit, where the legal battle between the two stars could continue.

Publicly, both Pitt and Jolie have been extremely tight-lipped on everything surrounding their split, despite robust promotional tours for various projects.

Pitt said in a 2017 interview with GQ that he had had a drinking problem at the time of the plane incident and the split, but had since become sober and was going to therapy. He has not defended his behavior on the family flight.

Both were among the most elite stars in film when they began dating in 2004, after co-starring as hitman-and-hitwoman spouses in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” and remained atop the Hollywood A-list throughout their coupling.

The star of “Maleficent” and “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” Jolie won an Oscar for her performance in 1999’s “Girl, Interrupted.”

Pitt, the star of “Fight Club” and “Inglourious Basterds,” thrived as both actor and producer after the split. He won his own Academy Award for 2019’s “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,” the crowning achievement in an awards season that some in media framed as a redemption and brought major public affection for him.

Jolie kept a less visible profile in the years since the divorce, though she directed several films and appeared in several more while trying to focus on raising the children. She has very much returned to the Oscar conversation this year for her portrayal of the legendary soprano Maria Callas in “Maria.”

AN-AP

Saudi producer Farah Al-Ibrahim’s new digital art show “Pearls of emotions” is set to premiere at the Theater of Digital Art in Dubai on Dec. 2.

Presented by her production company Artellosa, Al-Ibrahim told Arab News she hopes this show, which explores the rich history of pearl diving in the Gulf, resonates with viewers and offers them a new perspective on the region and its culture.

“I feel it’s in my DNA to talk about pearls and our relationship to the sea. But knowing this culture and keeping it in our hearts is not enough. We need to preserve it and reflect it to international audiences,” she said.

The desire to engage a diverse audience is a key driving force behind the experience, as “Pearls of Emotion” features a unique musical score that fuses traditional Gulf melodies with contemporary sounds in order to appeal to visitors from around the globe, as well as younger generations seeking a fresh take on the exploration of Gulf heritage.

“A lot of people think our civilization started when oil money entered the region. This is not correct, we have the need and duty to change that perspective and reflect the beauty and richness of our culture,” Al-Ibrahim explained.

“Pearls of emotions” tells the story of a bride who says goodbye to her husband days after their marriage as he embarks on a pearl diving journey, explained Al-Ibrahim.

“The show has seven parts, each one talks about a certain emotion such as love, resilience, strength, pride and so on,” she added.

The show offers a 360° immersive journey back in time at TODA, a 1,800-square-metre immersive art space located in Souk Madinat Jumeirah.

Al-Ibrahim relied on AI to generate the imagery for this art exhibition. She described the process as a challenge as AI databases are not fully versed with data from the Arab world.

By talking to her family, who have a long history in the trade, Al-Ibrahim was able to collect information on what ships, sailors and diving experiences looked and felt like so she could feed it to AI programs and generate a depiction of these stories.

“It’s very important to have these stories documented, even if it’s AI,” she said.

AN

NEW YORK — Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion known for plenty of on-court grit and off-court attention, and Bob and Mike Bryan, twins who won a record 16 major titles in men’s doubles together, are first-ballot selections for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

The Newport, Rhode Island-based Hall announced the Class of 2025 on Thursday.

Sharapova won at least one championship at each of her sport’s four most prestigious events, making her one of 10 women in tennis history to complete a career Grand Slam, and she was the first Russian woman to reach No. 1 in the WTA singles rankings. She retired in 2020 at age 32 after a career that included 15 years in the spotlight, a 15-month doping ban and multiple operations on her right shoulder.

In a message posted on social media, Sharapova called herself “incredibly grateful to receive this honor.”

The Bryan brothers also compiled a career Grand Slam and spent 438 weeks at No. 1 in the ATP doubles rankings. They won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and helped the United States win the 2007 Davis Cup title; Bob is currently the captain of the American team that will go to Malaga, Spain, for next month’s finals to compete for the country’s first triumph in that competition since then.

Mike Bryan — he’s right-handed, and his brother is a lefty — is the career leader with 18 major men’s doubles trophies overall; he got two with Jack Sock while Bob was injured in 2018.

“We are truly humbled and grateful to receive this honor. Though making it to Newport was never our goal, being included among so many of our idols and role models is incredibly special,” Bob Bryan wrote in a text message to The Associated Press on Thursday. “Mike and I continue to be best friends, and we feel lucky to have been able to ride this tennis rollercoaster together.”

Sharapova became an instant star when she won her first major title at Wimbledon in 2004 at age 17 by beating Serena Williams in the final, then collected the trophies at the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and the French Open in 2012 and 2014.

Sharapova helped Russia win the team competition now known as the Billie Jean King Cup in 2008, and she claimed a silver medal in singles at the 2012 Olympics, losing to Williams in the final.

All the while, Sharapova earned millions of dollars more in endorsement deals than prize money.

“There are a couple of sides of me,” Sharapova said in an interview with the AP in 2006, shortly before she won the title at Flushing Meadows. “There’s the Maria that’s a tennis player. There’s the Maria that is a normal girl. And there’s the Maria who’s a businesswoman. And that’s where the ‘Maria Sharapova brand’ comes into play.”

At the 2016 Australian Open, Sharapova tested positive for the newly banned drug meldonium and initially was handed a two-year suspension. After appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Sharapova was given a reduced penalty when it was determined that she bore “less than significant fault” in the case and could not “be considered to be an intentional doper.”

The Bryans and Sharapova will be inducted in August.

“We are thankful to so many people who supported us along the way, and we look forward to sharing this moment with them next year,” Bob Bryan wrote. ”Our parents created a magical environment at their club and made tennis fun for us. They helped us fall in love with the game, so tennis never felt like work; it was always play.”

Daniel Nestor, a Canadian who won 12 Grand Slam titles in men’s or mixed doubles, did not receive the 75 percenet of the vote required to qualify for the Hall in balloting among members of the media, historians, Hall of Fame members, industry experts and fans. This was his third — and final — year as a candidate.

AN-AP

DUBAI — Fifty of the world’s best female drivers from 25 countries will battle it out in the first Formula Woman Global Nations Cup qualifying round at the Dubai Autodrome on Dec. 12.

Each will be hoping to make it through to the inaugural Formula Woman Global Nations Cup, which will also be hosted by Dubai in May 2025. Additional races are also planned around the world next year.

Formula Woman, the world’s first all-female motorsport community and is already proving a great success. Its 5,000 members range from beginners with a passion for motorsport to seasoned racers, and it has attracted interest from the industry and global media.

The series aims to tap into the huge pool of talent and passion for motorsport among women, with the ultimate target being an all-female team in the world-famous 24-Hour Le Mans endurance race.

Four drivers — Sofia Necci, Amal Al-Mheiri, Darcy Mead and Manon Robillard — will represent the host nation, UAE. Also competing from the region are Saudi Arabia’s Farrah Al-Yousef, Lebanon’s Stephanie Hobeika, Qatar’s Nuha Koghali and India’s Manisha Ram Kelkar.

Formula Woman is the brainchild of founder and CEO Graeme Glew, a former race driver and Formula One executive who wants women to have the chance to compete at the highest levels of motorsport.

“We’re so excited to come to Dubai to give race fans there, and around the globe, the opportunity to see what our fabulously talented women drivers are capable of,” he said.

“We know that there is a reservoir of female driving stars out there just waiting to show the world what they can do, and Formula Woman will give them the opportunity. The fantastic racetrack at Dubai Autodrome is the perfect setting for this first step in what we believe will be a revolution in motorsport.”

Glew is supported by a highly experienced team of seasoned professionals, dedicated to building the profile of women in motorsport, with additional events planned around next year and beyond.

AN

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 23 (Reuters) — A female cat has more freedom in Afghanistan than a woman does, Hollywood actor Meryl Streep said at the United Nations on Monday in a bid to get world leaders to focus on the plight of Afghan women and girls.

“The way that … this society has been upended is a cautionary tale for the rest of the world,” Streep told an event on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to encourage the inclusion of women in the future of Afghanistan.

The Taliban seized power in August 2021 when U.S.-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war. The U.N. has sought a unified global approach to dealing with the Taliban, who have cracked down on women’s rights.

Most girls have been barred from high school and women from universities by the Taliban. The group has closed beauty salons and curtailed travel for women without a male guardian.

“Today in Kabul a female cat has more freedoms than a woman. A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel into the park.

A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today, because the public parks have been closed to women and girls,” Streep said.

“A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not and a woman may not in public. This is extraordinary,” she said.

The Taliban say they respect rights in line with their interpretation of Islamic law.

The group formally codified a long set of rules governing morality last month that were based on a decree by the Taliban’s supreme spiritual leader in 2022 and will be enforced by the morality ministry.

“Without educated women, without women in employment, including in leadership roles, and without recognizing the rights and freedoms of one-half of its population, Afghanistan will never take its rightful place on the global stage,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the event

DUBAI — From Georgina Rodriguez to Bruna Biancardi, the partners of Saudi Pro League football players are forging links with fashion and fragrance labels in Saudi Arabia.

Brazilian influencer and model Biancardi unveiled a campaign with Saudi perfume label Ibrahim Al-Qurashi over the Saudi National Day weekend.

The mother-of-one stars in the advert alongside her soccer superstar partner Neymar, who is seen sporting a crisp white thobe in the images and short video clip.

The couple are promoting the brand’s new Musk collection and Biancardi shows off a dark green dress in the new campaign.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez, who now calls Riyadh home, is the partner of soccer icon and Al-Nassr player Cristiano Ronaldo. She is often spotted out and about in the Saudi capital and previously starred in a campaign for Saudi perfume label Laverne, in addition to attending launch events hosted by the luxury brand.

Known for her fashion sense, the Argentine model also posed in a sleek dress by Saudi designer Yousef Akbar in shoot for Hia Magazine in May. The look featured asymmetrical sleeves with a triangular neckline and high slit.

Season three of Rodriguez’s reality TV show “I Am Georgina” hit Netflix on Sept. 18, with fans offered a sneak peek inside the power couple’s life in Saudi Arabia. We see Rodriguez and her family – including the couple’s children and her stepson Cristiano Jr. – at the St. Regis Red Sea Resort in Saudi Arabia, as well as at their home in Riyadh.

The model is known for highlighting Saudi Arabia’s touristic appeal with her 63 million Instagram followers and recently took to the social media platform to reshare a video clip by Visit Saudi, captioning it: “This is real, this is Saudi Arabia.”

The video captures the diverse landscapes of Saudi Arabia, showcasing everything from the desert areas to the country’s seascapes. It highlights the Kingdom’s history and modern developments, featuring scenes of golden sand dunes, the Ithra cultural center, the ancient site of AlUla, the mirrored Maraya concert hall, the Red Sea and lush greenery in gardens and forests.

Rodriguez has been living in Saudi Arabia since January 2023 and has made a point of exploring the Kingdom, with trips to the Red Sea coast and her evenings out in Riyadh being showcased on her Instagram account.

AN

DUBAI — American singer-songwriter Camila Cabello made waves at the MTV Video Music Awards when she dazzled in a breathtaking gown by Lebanese-Italian designer Tony Ward.

The dress featured a black lace design adorned with intricate embroidery that flowed across sheer fabric, with a fitted silhouette and semi-transparent sleeves. She completed the ensemble with a dramatic black lace veil.

Meanwhile, pop icon Taylor Swift dominated the night, taking home seven trophies. The accolades put her on level terms with Beyonce as most-awarded musician in the VMAs’ 40-year history.

Swift snagged the top honor, Video of the Year, for the bleak black and white “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone. “Good Luck, Babe” singer Chappell Roan was named best new artist.

Blackpink singer Lisa won best K-pop video for her solo hit “Rockstar, while South African artist Tyla claimed the Afrobeats award for “Water” and Brazilian singer Anitta snagged best Latin video for “Mil Veces.”

The show opened with rapper Eminem performing “Houdini” from his album, “The Death of Slim Shady.” He was then joined via video feed by country singer Jelly Roll for their hit “Somebody Save Me.”

Katy Perry, recipient of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, wore enormous silver butterfly wings as she sang hits such as “Teenage Dream” and “Firework” on a futuristic set.

AN

KYIV — After spending years in what she described as “boring, sedentary” roles in the offices of several Ukrainian companies, Liliia Shulha landed her dream job as a truck driver with Ukraine’s leading retailer, Fozzy Group.

“I always dreamed about big cars. Instead of (playing with) dolls, I drove cars when I was a child,” she told Reuters.

“Now the situation is such that they take people without experience and they train. I was lucky,” said Shulha, 40, wearing a company uniform in front of a large truck.

As the war with Russia drains the labor force, businesses are trying to cover critical shortages by hiring more women in traditionally male-dominated roles and turning to teenagers, students and older workers.

With millions of people, mostly women and children, abroad after fleeing the war, and tens of thousands of men mobilized into the army, the jobs crisis could endanger economic growth and a post-war recovery, analysts say.

Ukraine has lost over a quarter of its workforce since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, central bank data showed.

Nearly 60 percent of businesses said finding skilled workers was their main challenge, an economy ministry survey of over 3,000 companies showed.

“The situation is indeed critical,” said Tetiana Petruk, chief sustainability officer at steel company Metinvest, one of Ukraine’s largest employers with a workforce of about 45,000. It has about 4,000 vacancies.

“The staff deficit that we feel has an impact on our production,” Petruk told Reuters in an online interview.

“We are not the only ones who feel the staff shortages, all companies in the regions feel that, including our contractors.”

Reuters spoke to representatives of nine Ukrainian companies, from big industrial firms to retail groups and small private entrepreneurs. All said staff shortages and a growing mismatch of skills were big challenges.

Businesses said they were changing recruitment and business practices, automating, rotating existing staff and expanding their job descriptions, re-hiring retirees and offering more benefits, especially for younger workers.

They have also had to increase wages. The average monthly wage is now about 20,000 hryvnias ($470) compared to about 14,500 a year ago.

“There is a noticeable shift away from gender and age bias in candidate selection as employers adjust criteria to attract needed employees,” said the Kyiv School of Economics. “This trend also extends to entrepreneurship, where the share of female entrepreneurs is growing significantly.”

More women
Male-dominated industries are more affected by staff shortages, the central bank said.

The construction sector, transport, mining and others have all suffered because of military mobilization, for which men aged 25 to 60 are eligible.

To keep the economy running, the government provides full or partial deferrals for critical companies.

In the energy and weapons production sectors, 100 percent of staff are eligible for draft deferral. In some other sectors, firms can retain 50 percent of male staff. But the process to secure deferral is long and complicated.

As the government toughened mobilization rules this year, the number of men preferring informal employment — allowing them to stay off public data records — grew, some enterprises said.

In the agricultural southern region of Mykolayiv, women are being trained as tractor drivers. Women are also increasingly working as tram and truck drivers, coal miners, security guards and warehouse workers, companies say.

“We are offering training and jobs for women who have minimal experience,” said Lyubov Ukrainets, human resources director at Silpo, part of Fozzy Group.

Including Shulha, the company has six female truck drivers and is more actively recruiting women for other jobs previously dominated by men, including loaders, meat splitters, packers and security guards.

The share of female employees is growing in industries such as steel production. Petruk said female staff accounted for about 30-35 percent of Metinvest’s workforce and the company now hired women for some underground jobs.

Metinvest was unable to provide comparative figures for before the war.

Some other women are unable or unwilling to join the workforce because of a lack of childcare. Shulha, who works 15-day stretches on the road, has moved back in with her parents to ensure care for her 14-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter.

Young people
Businesses and economists expect labor market challenges to persist.

Employers are turning their attention to young people by offering training, job experience and targeted benefit packages.

Metinvest, which previously focused on students, is now increasingly working with professional colleges, Petruk said.

Silpo is more actively hiring teenagers for entry-level jobs in supermarkets and has launched a specialized internship program for students.

Mobile phone operator Vodafone repackaged its youth program, creating an opportunity for about 50 teenagers in 12 cities to get their first job experience.

“We want to offer the first proper experience of the official job to this young audience. Another objective is to build a talent pool,” said Ilona Voloshyna of Vodafone Retail.

“Also we want to understand the youth,” she said in a Vodafone shop in Kyiv as six teenagers consulted with visitors.

The government and foreign partners have launched several programs to help Ukrainians reskill.
“We provide the opportunity for everyone at state expense to obtain a new profession which is in demand on the labor market, or to raise their professional level,” said Tetiana Berezhna, a deputy economy minister.

AN-REUTERS

LONDON — Stephen Kapos, a Holocaust survivor, and his family have joined many to speak up against the killing of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi during a protest in the occupied West Bank.

Eygi was shot by Israeli forces on Friday while participating in a demonstration against illegal Israeli settlements in the town of Beita.

An autopsy report confirmed that she was killed by an Israeli sniper’s bullet to the head, Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas said Saturday.

Eygi, 26, had been actively involved in solidarity movements supporting Palestinian rights. Her death has sparked outrage and calls for accountability from both local and international communities.

In an interview with Anadolu, Kapos, an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor from Budapest, Hungary termed the killing “outrageous.”

“I think it’s an obvious outrage because she was, I think, deliberately targeted,” he said during a march for Palestine in London over the weekend.

Kapos also called out the double standards in coverage of Israeli violence against Palestinians, saying the killing should not be paid more attention to than the killing of thousands of Palestinians since Oct. 7 last year.

“It points out the double standards of thousands of others. Palestinians are also being assassinated, murdered and nobody takes an equal amount of interest at all.”

He added that it also shows “the difference in human value given to a Western connected person or a Palestinian, and it should be equal, equal attention, equal treatment.”

Kapos was accompanied by his family members during the march, including his son Peter and daughter Andrea under a banner that said: “Holocaust survivor descendants against Gaza genocide.”

Peter called Israel’s actions “absolutely criminal.”

“It’s obviously part of the way that Israel is prosecuting this war that it assassinates civilians, and it does it in a very targeted way, but it also does it indiscriminately,” he noted.

Calling what is happening in Gaza “genocide,” he said that Eygi’s killing is a “feature of the genocide.”

“Every death is inexcusable, and every death is an absolute tragedy, and what’s happening at the moment is absolutely criminal,” he added.

Andrea labeled the killing of the activist “a symptom of the genocide.”

“There are so many, many, many people being killed, and it just needs to stop,” she said.

“I think any death, any killing, whether it’s specifically targeted or whether people have been caught in the crossfire, it just needs to stop.”

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

The Israeli onslaught has killed more than 40,900 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 94,700, according to local health authorities.

The military campaign has also turned much of the enclave of 2.3 million people into ruins, leaving most civilians homeless and at risk of famine.

ANADOLU, Sept 9, 2024

DUBAI — In a Dubai recording studio, hijab-clad Ghaliaa Chaker tunes her guitar and belts out original songs as she builds a career that is turning heads for more than just her music.

The 26-year-old Syrian, raised in the UAE, has become a social media sensation, with 437,000 followers on Instagram and millions of views on her YouTube channel.

She offers not only a unique sound but also an unusual look in a region where artists who wear the hijab, the head covering characteristic of Muslim women, are few and far between.

“I hope that I have paved the way for other” hijabi singers, Chaker said at the studio.

“It is a very beautiful thing to know that you have … given a push to a girl who has many dreams and is unable to achieve them because she has never seen another girl do the same thing.”

Chaker, a keen motorbike rider who is part of an all-hijabi biker squad in Dubai, began composing and writing lyrics at 16.

She drew inspiration from Nedaa Shrara, a veiled Jordanian singer who won “The Voice,” the Arabic version of the popular TV talent show, in 2015.

Shrara had stirred controversy among Arab fans who were not accustomed to seeing a singer wearing the head covering.

But for Chaker, who says she often receives criticism online, Shrara was a symbol of “self-confidence.”

After seeing her, “I said to myself that I can do it too,” Chaker said.

Chaker’s first song, composed in English, was picked up by Dubai radio stations in 2018, marking the start of her musical career.

She now sings mainly in Arabic, at a time when the regional music scene is witnessing the rise of young talents with innovative sounds.

The green-eyed singer said the headscarf has never been an obstacle. “There is nothing I have wanted to do and not done because I wear the veil,” Chaker said.

However, the issue of women singing has always been controversial in conservative Islamic societies.

Although the Qur’an does not explicitly prohibit singing, or ban women from performing music, some religious scholars frown upon the idea, viewing it as immodest.

Chaker said her immediate family has always supported her, but relatives in Syria were “very surprised at first,” mainly because they feared how people would react.

She said she receives a lot of “negative comments” on social media, including from family and friends.

“It bothers me of course, but I try to remember the positive comments and how much people love my music,” she said.

Chaker traces her artistic influences to her early upbringing in Al-Ain, a former desert oasis and now a city in Abu Dhabi, one of the UAE’s seven sheikhdoms.

At home, her father blasted Arab singers such as Fairouz, an iconic Lebanese singer, and Egyptian diva Umm Kalthoum. Chaker’s mother preferred Western music, including Elvis Presley.

“The music mixture in the house was always rich,” she said, influencing her sound, which she describes as a mix of R&B, hip-hop, electro-pop, indie and jazz.

A multi-instrumentalist, Chaker credits her father with her love of the drums, guitar, and piano, all of which she plays.

She said that instead of gifting her toys as a child, he would buy her new instruments.

The Middle Eastern darbuka drum is “the closest to my heart because I often played it with my father, who loves it very much, and it is the basis of oriental rhythm,” she said.

In addition to Arabic and English, Chaker sometimes sings in Turkish, Armenian, and Persian.

The singer, who performed in the Lebanese capital Beirut in August, said she wants to take her music beyond the Middle East.

“It is vital to me that my music is heard in Europe, in America, in Australia, in the whole world, maybe even in Latin America,” she said, adding that she aspires to “collaborate with many artists from different countries.”

“It is time for the Western world to know how beautiful our music is.”

AN-AFP, Sept. 07, 2024

DUBAI — Portuguese football star Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr, said that it was easy for him and his family adapting to Saudi Arabia after signing with the Saudi football club to a two-and-a-half-year contract.

“To be honest, I am really happy to be there [Saudi Arabia],” Ronaldo said in an interview former Portuguese footballer, Rio Ferdinand.

“For me the adaptation was easy, and I really love it to be there,” he said. “It is a lovely country; I love to be there; my family loves to be there.”

Ronaldo was one of the first top-name recruits to the Saudi Pro League at the start of 2023, which paved the way for entry of other big-league players from Europe.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner began his club career with Portuguese side Sporting CP before joining Manchester United in 2003. Ronaldo moved to Spanish La Liga giants Real Madrid after six seasons at United. He then played for two years with Juventus before making a return to the Red Devils in 2021 where he played until 2023, before departing for the Saudi Pro League.

Ronaldo became the first man to score 900 career goals after tapping in the ball at the 34th minute of Portugal’s UEFA Nations League group stage match against Croatia in Lisbon, which they won 2-1.

The Portuguese football star called Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea his “second house,” adding that he loves to spend time there with his family.

“The Red Sea which is my second home or [even my] first home is unbelievable like a diamond,” he said, adding that it is “one of the most beautiful places” he has ever been to.

Ronaldo also spoke on AlUla, an increasingly famous tourist spot in Saudi Arabia’s northwest located near two oases, Khaybar and Tayma.

“It is beautiful because it is spiritual, you can feel the energy there. I felt it as well, to be honest,” the Portuguese star said.

“Even in the mountains they have snow. People in Saudi [Arabia]? Yes, they have snow. They have everything, so it is a lovely country.”

AN

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) — Last month was Earth’s warmest July on record, extending the streak of record-high monthly global temperatures to 14 successive months, according to a new report released by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In the monthly report released on Monday, scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information pointed out that the average July global surface temperature was 1.21 degrees Celsius above the 20th-century average of 15.8 degrees Celsius. It’s the warmest July in NOAA’s 175-year global record.

Last month’s temperatures were above average across much of the global land surface except for Alaska, southern South America, eastern Russia, Australia and western Antarctica, said the report, adding that Africa, Asia and Europe had their warmest Julys on record, while North America saw its second-warmest July.

The report found the global ocean temperature in July was the second warmest on record, ending a streak of 15 consecutive months of record-high temperatures.

The report also showed that the year-to-date global surface temperature was 1.28 degrees Celsius above the 20th-century average, making it the warmest year-to-date global surface temperature on record.

According to the agency’s Global Annual Temperature Rankings Outlook, there is a 77 percent chance that 2024 will rank as the warmest year on record and nearly a 100 percent chance it will rank in the top five.

BEIRUT, Lebanon: After a deadly strike on civilians in the annexed Golan Heights, Israel has threatened retaliation against Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, accusing it of perpetrating the attack with an Iranian-made Falaq-1 rocket — part of its wide-ranging arsenal.

Hezbollah has traded near-daily cross-border fire with Israel in support of Hamas since the Palestinian militant group’s October 7 attack on southern Israel triggered war in the Gaza Strip.

The Iran-backed group has used Falaq rockets in attacks on Israeli military sites but says it had “no connection” to the strike Saturday on a football field that killed 12 youths.

AFP takes a look at the Shiite Muslim movement’s weapons cache:

Experts say Hezbollah has a wide range of unguided heavy artillery rockets, ballistic missiles, as well as anti-aircraft, anti-tank and anti-ship missiles.

Those include Falaq-1 and Falaq-2 unguided rockets, which have a range of about 11 kilometers (seven miles) — according to a Hezbollah artillery officer interviewed by the group’s Al-Manar channel earlier this month.

Artillery rockets, including Falaq models, “are not accurate” and “have a margin of error of up to three kilometers,” according to Riad Kahwaji, head of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis.

Military analyst and retired Lebanese army general Khalil Helou said Hezbollah has Iranian ballistic missiles that it has yet to use.

They include the Fateh 110, a precision-guided missile with a range of around 300 kilometers, more than sufficient to reach Tel Aviv and Jerusalem from within Lebanon.

Hezbollah has expanded the size and quality of its arsenal since it last fought an all-out war with Israel in 2006.

“The group in 2006 reportedly had about 15,000 rockets, while unofficial estimates in recent years suggest that this number has multiplied by almost 10 times,” said Dina Arakji, an associate analyst at Control Risks consultancy.

Hezbollah has been launching drones toward targets in northern Israel and the Golan Heights.

The group has said it sent surveillance drones on three occasions to film military sites, including the Ramat David air base about 45 kilometers from the border.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has said local production contributed to his group’s large drone stockpile.

“Kamikaze drones give a tactical advantage due to their high level of autonomy and have the ability to be launched from anywhere,” said Arakji, noting they were inexpensive single-use weapons.

Helou said Hezbollah also had Shahed 136 attack drones and other Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles, some “with double guidance — electro-optical and GPS.”

Nasrallah has said previously that in an all-out war, Israel must expect “us on land, by sea and by air.”

All of Israel’s coasts, “all its ports, all its boats and ships” would be affected, he said.

Helou said Hezbollah had Russian anti-ship Yakhont missiles with a range of 300 kilometers, and Chinese-made Silkworm missiles.

Those two weapons, “which are very precise and extremely fast, could be used against targets at sea, including drilling platforms,” Helou said.

Hezbollah has announced it downed several Israeli Hermes 450 and Hermes 900 drones with surface-to-air missiles during the Gaza war, and has said it used the weapons to target Israeli warplanes.

Helou said Israeli aircraft have flown at low altitudes in an attempt to detect anti-aircraft missiles that could be used against their drones or planes.

But “it’s not just about having anti-aircraft missiles — you have to know how to use them effectively,” he said.

Arakji noted that “anti-aircraft missiles can put pressure on Israel’s multi-tier air defense system.”

“While the missiles do not significantly challenge Israel’s air supremacy,” she added, they will require the Israeli army “to adjust its mode of operations.”

Last month, Nasrallah said the number of fighters his group could count on “greatly exceeded” 100,000, and his group had turned down offers from allies in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Iran to send combatants.

Helou said Hezbollah could probably “mobilize more than 100,000 men, counting reservists.”

However, he noted “that doesn’t mean they are all ready and trained for fighting.”

Experts have said Hezbollah likely has an extensive network of underground tunnels in south Lebanon, as well as in the eastern Bekaa valley, near the border with Syria.

But it has evacuated positions in south and east Lebanon after Israeli threats of reprisals, a source close to the group told AFP.

At least 348 Hezbollah fighters have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon since October, according to an AFP tally based on official Hezbollah statements.

Helou said Hezbollah was “prepared for a war of attrition according to the same model as Hamas.”

“Its leaders will be unreachable to Israeli aircraft, as they will be underground,” he said.

AN – AFP

SHANGHAI, July 26 (Xinhua) — The 21st China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference (Chinajoy 2024) kicked off at the Shanghai New International Expo Center on Wednesday, bringing together over 600 exhibitors from 31 countries and regions worldwide.

As an integral part of China’s digital culture, the gaming industry has seen vigorous growth and steady market revenue increases in recent years. Cutting-edge digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping the entire gaming landscape and further unlocking the industry’s development potential, said industry insiders.

The actual sales revenue of the domestic game market in the first half of the year reached 147.3 billion yuan (about 20.3 billion U.S. dollars), up 2.08 percent year on year. During the same period, the number of game users in China reached a record high of 674 million yuan, according to an industry report released on Thursday.

Coinciding with the gaming expo, the Video Game Museum of China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association opened in Xuhui District in downtown Shanghai, covering 2,000 square meters.

It is reported to be the largest game museum in China, housing over 5,000 game-related items. It allows visitors to immerse themselves in the technology and cultural significance behind the games.

RIYADH — Several Saudi Arabia artists, photographers, artisans and musicians will be showcasing their work at the 38th Jerash Festival in Jordan which began on July 24 and ends Aug. 3.

The Ministry of Culture’s three agencies plan to have a variety of activities reflecting the artistic diversity of the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.

The Theater and Performing Arts Commission will present groups from various Saudi Arabia regions on the festival’s main stage, showcasing traditional arts including Al-Hajini, Al-Dahha, Al-Samri, Al-Khamari, and Al-Rabash.

The Heritage Commission will host a special pavilion for the “Year of the Camel 2024,” a digital photo exhibition of prominent UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia, and display the Kingdom’s architectural heritage through virtual reality.

The pavilion will also display traditional crafts by Saudi Arabia artisans, including palm crafts, pottery, Asiri weaving, bead making, jewelry manufacture, and woodwork.

The Music Commission will have a pavilion at the international exhibition site and will introduce Saudi Arabia’s “Turooq” initiative. This is aimed at preserving the country’s traditional music.

The commission will also have a show titled “Turooq Meets the World” at the festival’s Sound and Light Theater, featuring a fusion of music from Saudi Arabia and other nations.

The Ministry of Culture’s participation is in line with the country’s National Cultural Strategy and Vision 2030.

AN

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has witnessed a remarkable transformation in its fashion industry in recent years, emerging as a vibrant and dynamic regional hub of creativity. Now, thanks to the power of artificial intelligence, more opportunities are fast emerging.

With a blend of traditional influences and modern innovation, Saudi designers have been captivating global audiences, redefining cultural norms, and showcasing the Kingdom’s rich heritage through contemporary fashion.

The establishment of the Fashion Commission in 2020 has led to the launch of showstopper events such as Riyadh Fashion Week. One particularly innovative event that took place alongside October’s fashion week was the Tasawar exhibition.

Created by social media platform Snapchat, Tasawar — or “to imagine” in Arabic — welcomed visitors to explore a virtual reality gallery showcasing the creations of five Saudi designers and allowed guests to virtually try on clothing.

Abdullah Al-Hammadi, the managing director of Snapchat in Saudi Arabia, said that the exhibition was the first of its kind in the Middle East combining technology with the world of fashion.

“In the Tasawar exhibition, visitors can visit five rooms of Saudi designers where they will learn about their stories and the use of different augmented reality technologies in each room,” Al-Hammadi told Arab News.

By adjusting the filter in a room, the theme could be altered to help immerse visitors in the worlds of the various designers and their sources of inspiration.

Among the five designers who took part in the exhibit was Mohammed Khoja, owner of the fashion brand Hindamme, who praised the exhibit’s inventive use of AI. “Tasawar by Snapchat is the best example of how AI can be used in fashion effectively,” Khoja told Arab News.

“We created a universe for Hindamme and immersed users both in the digital as well as physical space. We created a mirror where users could try on digital pieces from Hindamme as well as special filters and lenses that take users on experiential journeys.”

However, as with other creative industries, there are anxieties about how just involved AI ought to be in the design process and what its encroachment could mean for fashion brands and culture more generally.

Although Khoja believes AI can be a valuable tool for research, he says that it should not be used as a primary design tool, as it may “handicap the designer’s own authentic identity and creativity.”

“AI is primarily a search tool that predicts what you want to see,” he said. “So when you search different themes, you get a mashup of what AI creates for you.

“Suggestions from AI are interesting, but they don’t come from your emotions. That is why I think AI will never truly replace our natural creativity as designers.

“AI is great, however, when used as a tool to perform routine functions and can save us a lot of time and energy in that respect.”

Dalia Darweesh, a personal stylist and editor of List Magazine, also views AI as a useful tool for creating mood boards and looks for clients based on their body shape, saving a significant amount of time.

“When it comes to fashion brands, AI can help analyze trends and customers preferences for future products,” she told Arab News. “In some cases, fashion brands can offer virtual fittings, making online shopping a seamless experience.”

She added: “One of my favorite businesses that utilizes AI is Taffi Inc., an online platform offering personalized styling services through an AI assistant in addition to professional stylists as well.

“I dislike the idea of AI taking over the world, especially within the creative industry. Yet, if it helps in assisting and delegating tasks, then it is essential to use.”

Fashion journalist Mohammed Yousif is likewise cautious about the applications of AI in the industry. “AI can significantly help reduce the number of errors,” he told Arab News. “It also can help sustainable brands to achieve a better result from their eco-friendly and ethical systems.”

However, he added: “Regarding the creative process, I think this is where designers might lose the core of their job. It’s for the designers to come up with ideas, pick fabrics and colors. That’s what makes them different from each other and that’s simply what creates an identity for the brand.

“I also believe that creativity is a human trait. Even if AI can be creative, it won’t be as authentic and influential as humans.”

Asked whether AI could allow top fashion designers to create a lasting “digital legacy” even after their passing, Yousif was skeptical. “I don’t think programming fashion is a smart idea, because fashion breaks itself when it becomes repetitive,” he said.

“Keeping an identity is important, but I imagine if Christian Dior had done this. I don’t think we would enjoy the work of John Galliano today. Same thing goes with Coco Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld. They both kept the founders’ style in a way that fits what’s new in fashion and at the same time allowed them to bring their own creativity.

“So why would any designer decide the future of their brand when you can never predict the future of fashion? Maybe your style won’t work later. Many of the brands we know today would’ve been forgotten if they hadn’t hired designers with a new style. Think of Gucci and Tom Ford.”

This has not stopped emerging and established fashion designers from experimenting with the technology and incorporating it into aspects of their work.

At the WWD (Women’s Wear Daily) Global Fashion Summit held in Riyadh on June 6, US fashion designer Norma Kamali said that her brand will release a full collection this October that was created with the help of AI, experimenting with how it interprets past Kamali designs.

“It’s not like a copy of Norma Kamali: It’s something new, and I can tweak it, I can play with it,” she said. “But ultimately, I do plan to live to 120, so when I have to pass on the baton, my team will be trained to be able to use it, too.”

She added: “I’m teaching it to think the way I do, to behave the way I do, to kind of use what I think about when I’m creating a collection.”

However, Kamali also has her reservations. “AI is not a creative person, and that’s something that’s hard to replace,” she said. “AI can support a creative person, can extend a creative person’s possibilities, and the creative person can use AI as a tool.”

Many designers seem to agree that AI’s greatest strength when applied to the fashion industry is its role as a research assistant. Rakan Al-Shehri, brand and design lead at Adhlal, believes one major benefit of AI is the acceleration of the creative process.

“In the past, creatives often depended on platforms like Pinterest, Shutterstock, Pexels, and social media to create mood boards and visuals across different design disciplines,” he told Arab News. “With AI, you can now create highly precise visual references in the early stages of your creative process.

“For example, if I’m designing a brand identity for a fashion retailer that specializes in menswear, I want to transform the brand narrative into cohesive visual instruments for marketing campaigns, social media, websites, and more.

“With the story ready, I can simply go to Midjourney (AI generator) and write a prompt that generates numerous visual references. This allows me to gather inspiration and create a mood board in a matter of minutes instead of spending hours searching through vast visual libraries for inspiration.”

Al-Shehri said that another significant benefit “is cost efficiency.”

“As a freelance designer, external tools and stock imagery websites can be expensive and often exceed project budgets,” he said. “With AI, you have access to unlimited visual elements that are either free or fairly priced.”

One program Al-Shehri is particularly fond of is Midjourney — a generative AI that creates images from natural language descriptions similar to OpenAI’s DALL-E. “Midjourney is, in my opinion, the best AI visual-generating platform available,” he said.

“It has multiple functionalities that are easy to use. One of my favorites is the ‘/blend’ feature, which allows me to blend old visual styles with modern work to quickly generate new styles for exploration.

“I use Midjourney almost daily and highly recommend it to anyone in the creative industry.

Another generative AI that is proving popular among fashion designers is Krea.ai. “Krea builds amazing art-driven web-based tools that offer more control over the generated visuals, making it ideal for visual arts rather than commercial graphics,” said Al-Shehri. “I spend many hours experimenting with it.”

Luma Labs and its “Dream Machine,” which makes high quality, realistic videos from text and images, has also transformed the creative process.

“Luma Labs specialize in video and motion generation, and some of my favorite photographers and art directors use it extensively,” said Al-Shehri. “It’s an extremely beneficial tool for fashion photographers.”

For now, at least, fashion designers should not fear being replaced by an AI-Armani or Robo-Rabanne. Instead, says Al-Shehri, they can use these tools to streamline and accelerate their work.

“Overall, AI in its current state is an incredible tool that elevates the creative process for artists and designers,” he said.

AN, July 25, 2024, 22:36

RIYADH — When it comes to tales of rags to riches, Rowgien “Owgwen” Unigo’s story is hard to beat. As a youngster, he shared a bed — not just a room — with his seven siblings. Now, as a 23-year-old professional esports player, he has career earnings of $300,000.

“I grew up in a very poor family,” Owgwen, from Quezon City in the Philippines, and a world champion roamer for Saudi Arabia’s Team Falcons in “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang,” states matter-of-factly.

“We are seven siblings and we just lived in our grandparents’ house. All seven of us shared one big bed. I’m the eldest. Sometimes my other siblings would wake up during the night because the space in the bed wasn’t big enough for all of us. It meant we suffered from lack of sleep.”

The family also struggled to feed themselves. His mother, who ironically worked in a restaurant, and unemployed father, divorced when he was young.

“We were so poor that we only had broth and rice to eat — broth and rice every day, every week,” says Owgwen. “The broth was from a neighbor for free. The rice was from our grandmother, whose house we all lived in. It wasn’t enough with seven siblings. It was really hard.”

Despite all this, he developed a passion and talent for gaming, playing whenever and wherever he could with friends and people he met who saw his ability.

Owgwen, whose incredible gaming moves are adored by millions of fans across the globe, remembers quite vividly the first time he won a “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” amateur tournament in the Philippines.

“I thought: ‘there’s money here,’” he recalls. “I won — I won money for winning these tournaments, and that helped a lot when it came to providing for my family. As an eldest son, it helped my family survive through everyday life.”

His dream was to become a professional esports player. The barrier to that, as a 19-year-old still to be signed up, was getting time off from his job as a call center agent to compete as much as possible and be spotted.

“Luckily, Coach Ducky scouted me,” says Owgwen of Francis “Ducky” Glindro, a fellow Filipino who is the coach for Team Falcons. “He secured me my spot in esports and the rest is my journey.”

Owgwen adds: “I support three siblings. They are only children — aged 14, 12 and 11 — and are still going to school. I help my family provide for what they need. And, of course, the bills I help with too.

“It means a lot to me to be able to do that. Life is hard when you don’t have anything, and you have to survive in your life. It helps my family, and me, to experience a normal life.

“I’ve made, like, $300,000. It’s been life-changing for me and my family. It makes me feel really good I can give my family whatever lifestyle they want.

“What motivates me the most is that I came from poverty. It really drives me to compete and play competitively against my opponents.”

In addition to supporting his family, he also recently set up his first business — an internet cafe and gaming hub in Binangonan, around 30 km from Manila, the capital of the Philippines. His dad helps him run the gaming hub.

“Business is booming,” Owgwen smiles.

Growing up, Owgwen could never have dreamed of the places that his gaming exploits have taken him to around the world. Having traveled on a plane for the first time two years ago, when he was 21, he has since been to Cambodia, Indonesia, Romania, Japan and Saudi Arabia.

The latest venture is the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, the largest gaming festival in the world, running for eight weeks from July 3 until Aug. 25 at Boulevard Riyadh City.

The elite competition is where the best players and clubs on the planet battle it out for the Esports World Cup Club Championship. The tournament has a prize pool of $60 million, the largest in the history of esports, and truly life-changing money.

With Owgwen in fine form, Team Falcons qualified for the “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” final earlier this month at the Esports World Cup. However, in an incredible game-for-the ages showpiece, in front of a raucous crowd at a packed Saudi Esports Federation Arena, they were beaten 4-3 by Malaysian outfit Selangor Red Giants.

As disappointed as Owgwen was, overcoming setbacks is something the Filipino knows all too well. He also sees the big picture and was blown away by the passion for gaming and esports in the Kingdom.

“It’s so big here,” says Owgwen. “Saudi Arabia supports esports. It really helps us shine as athletes that otherwise might not have the opportunities. It really means a lot to me. I think it’s a pleasure to serve Team Falcons here.

“They have trusted us with their name. We made it to the Grand Final but sadly we didn’t win the championship. But it was still a great experience for us in our journey here in Saudi Arabia.”

Asked whether he wants to become a millionaire through esports, Owgwen replies: “I’m not focused on the money. I’m focusing much more on winning esports games and helping my teammates be better on our ‘ML:BB’ journey.”

And his message to those who were once just like him, with only their dreams and love of family to live for?

“Don’t stop,” he says. “Don’t stop catching your passion. If you really like your passion then you won’t have any regrets, and you too can come this far.”

AN

MAKKAH — In a remarkable feat of grit, Sultan Al-Bariqi, a 10-year-old Saudi, has become the country’s youngest person to complete a 150-km journey on foot from Al-Namas to Abha in southern Saudi Arabia.

Accompanied by his father, who is also an adventure enthusiast, Sultan finished the five-day trek last Thursday.

Sultan’s father, Mohammed Al-Bariqi, told Arab News that the walk aimed to promote tourism in Asir, showcasing the region’s cool climate, dense vegetation and towering mountains.

The route offers visitors the chance to experience lush green landscapes and enjoy the natural environment.

“We chose Al-Namas as our starting point, passing through Balasmar, Billahmer, Tanomah, and Shaar en route to Abha,” he said. He highlighted the region’s significance as a hub for domestic tourism, attracting thousands of visitors annually.

“July typically sees high temperatures, but Asir enjoys a moderate, cool climate perfect for hiking and exploration,” he said.

Despite initial concerns about Sultan’s age, Al-Bariqi was impressed by his son’s enthusiasm for walking and experiencing nature first-hand.

Sultan, he added, was inquisitive about every stop throughout the five-day journey; the trip was filled with excitement for the young adventurer. He reported that the trip sparked joy in Sultan, keeping him motivated and eager from beginning to end.

The journey was also filled with encouragement from passersby, who offered drinks and motivational words. Sultan maintained high spirits and fitness throughout the trek, fueled by light meals and energy-boosting fruits, Al-Bariqi said.

With Abha as its final stop, the trek not only marked a spirited achievement for the young boy, but also highlighted environmental consciousness and long-distance walking’s therapeutic benefits.

Al-Bariqi, 52, is no stranger to long-distance walks, having previously journeyed from Asir to Makkah for Hajj in 16 days and to Madinah in 27 days.

He advocates walking as a holistic health practice, urging people to reduce dependency on cars and travel by foot, which he believes offers a comprehensive regimen for health and wellness. He also finds genuine pleasure in walking to explore tourist areas.

The younger Al-Bariqi, initially apprehensive, found the experience life-changing. “I was afraid I could not complete the first stage, but my father’s encouragement motivated me,” he said.

The 10-year-old now aspires to make long-distance walking a regular part of his life and is encouraging his peers to embrace physical activity.

He highlighted the universal importance of exercise, saying that it was not exclusive to any particular youth group. He also advocated for community-wide support and encouragement to foster a healthier, more active society.

Sultan eagerly anticipates recounting his adventure to schoolmates post-holiday, aiming to share the many benefits he discovered during his journey.

AN, July 24, 2024

LONDON — Adidas has apologized to supermodel Bella Hadid after pulling her from an advertising campaign that referenced the 1972 Munich Olympics, Sky News reported on Wednesday.

Israel-linked pressure groups accused the campaign of causing offense due to Hadid’s part-Palestinian background.

At the 1972 games, 11 Israeli athletes and a German police officer were killed by the Black September group.

Hadid is reportedly considering legal action over Adidas’ decision to remove her from the campaign, which is promoting the relaunch of a shoe from the 1972 Olympics.

The brand said on Instagram: “Connections continue to be made to the terrible tragedy that occurred at the Munich Olympics due to our recent SL72 campaign.

“These connections are not meant, and we apologise for any upset or distress caused to communities around the world. We made an unintentional mistake.

“We also apologise to our partners, Bella Hadid, ASAP Nast, Jules Kounde, and others, for any negative impact on them and we are revising the campaign.”

A number of Israeli and Jewish pressure groups targeted Hadid’s involvement in the ad campaign.

The supermodel has long been an outspoken advocate of the Palestinian cause and has criticized Israel’s war in Gaza.

The American Jewish Committee claimed that Adidas was using “a vocal anti-Israel model” for a campaign that “is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory.”

The CEO of the Combat Antisemitism Movement said: “To have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”

AN

JEDDAH — The Azimuth music festival is returning to AlUla as the city’s Moments calendar goes into full swing.

The popular musical extravaganza will return for its fourth edition from Sept. 19-21 ahead of Saudi National Day on Sept. 23. The 2024 theme is “Until the Sun Comes Up.”

Azimuth has become a key event in the regional music scene, attracting loyal fans.

It features a diverse lineup of local, regional and international artists, set against AlUla’s stunning landscapes, blending music, art and culture.

This year’s performances will take place under the grand Qa’a Al-Haj.

Renowned artists like Ben Bohmer, James Blake, The Blaze, Cosmicat and Ghostly Kisses have been announced, with more to come. Past headliners include Jason Derulo, The Chainsmokers, Tinie Tempah, The Kooks, Jorja Smith, Peggy Gou and Thievery Corporation.

Azimuth launched in 2020, followed by editions in 2022 and 2023.

The AlUla Moments calendar also features five festivals covering art, culture, music, nature, wellness, equestrianism, dining and astronomy.

Early Bird tickets are available until Aug. 14, starting from SR760 ($202). For details and purchases, visit experiencealula.com.

AN

TARZANA — Rianne Malixi of the Philippines won the 75th US Girls’ Junior a year after falling in the final, routing Asterisk Talley 8 and 7 in the 36-hole championship match at El Caballero Country Club.

The 17-year-old Malixi won five straight holes to take a 7-up lead after 14, was 6 up after 18 and ended it with a par win on the 29th hole.

Last year in the final, Kiara Romero beat Malixi 1 up at the US Air Force Academy’s Eisenhower Golf Course in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Malixi has verbally committed to play at Duke, starting in 2025.

The 15-year-old Talley, from Chowchilla, California, teamed with Sarah Lim to win the US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball in May in San Antonio.

AN – AP

RIYADH — The famous heritage palaces in the Asir region have become tourist destinations, offering a rich blend of history and culture.

The Saudi Press Agency reported that these sites also boost economic activity by creating job opportunities during the summer season.

The Al-Asabila Palaces, which are situated in Al-Namas Governorate some 150 km south of Abha, have become a major attraction. Situated in the heart of Al-Namas, these palaces now draw hundreds of visitors daily, both tourists and locals, according to the SPA. Their popularity has surged following their inauguration by Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, chairman of the Asir Development Authority.

Visitors begin their tour of the palaces by shopping in areas dedicated to traditional fashions, antiques, and gifts that showcase the heritage and arts of the Asir region.

They can then relax with coffee and hot drinks before exploring the Abs Palace, which has been restored to welcome guests.

Tourist guide Saleh Al-Shehri told the SPA: “At the beginning of the Saudi era the palaces served as the headquarters for various government agencies, including the court, and as venues for national events.”

He added that the initiative to restore the palaces was taken by their owners and helped transform them into a tourist and cultural attraction. This effort aligned with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which aims to revitalize the area and boost domestic tourism.

Historian Amr bin Gharamah Al-Amrawi says that Al-Namas was established in 1363-1364. However, it only received the name Al-Namas about 150 years ago, being previously known as Al-Waad village.

It was later named after the trees in the surrounding areas and the adjacent valley, while the presence of a well called Al-Namasa also contributed to the village being renamed Al-Namas.

The heritage site features several palaces, including Abs, Mishref, Turban, and Kharif. These structures, which range from two to three floors in height, are examples of the traditional construction style of the Asir region.

The palaces contain 60 rooms and span a total area of about 5,000 sq. meters. The exteriors are of white limestone, extracted from white quartz stone, while the roofs feature wood, leaves, and juniper. The interiors are finished with plaster mixed with clay.

According to the SPA, the area is home to numerous archaeological sites from various periods, the most famous location being Al-Jahwah village, mentioned by the traveler Al-Hamdani, which is located east of the present-day Al-Namas Governorate.

Al-Amrawi added that the governorate contains Islamic inscriptions in mountains known as Al-Sijin, Al-Gharamah, Dhul-Ain, Ajama, and Qarn Al-Ghala.

AN

Al-Ittihad presented its distinctive new kit in photo sessions in the center of historic Jeddah, among its alleys and ancient buildings.

JEDDAH — Al-Ittihad FC has unveiled its kit for the 2024/25 season in collaboration with Nike.

Al-Ittihad presented its distinctive new kit in photo sessions in the center of historic Jeddah, among its alleys and ancient buildings, in cooperation with Al-Balad Development Company, the club’s official sponsor.

The classic striped design in yellow and black is based on the Nike shirt, with its authentic heritage, which fans have loved and celebrated for 97 years.

The kit’s new design represents the architectural style, “Rawashin,” the prominent traditional wooden panels used to cover windows and external openings at the old houses of Jeddah — considered an icon of the city’s heritage.

Al-Ittihad presented its distinctive new kit in photo sessions in the center of historic Jeddah, among its alleys and ancient buildings.

Domingos De Oliveira, CEO of Al-Ittihad Club, described the new kit as a symbol of the club’s history: “We worked closely with Nike in order to ensure access to the best that can be presented in the new kit, while preserving the established values of the basic kit, which represents a unique identity, after maintaining it for nearly a century.

“In the new kit, we worked to blend the heritage of Al-Ittihad Club with the history of the region from which it started, with a modern spirit that creates innovation in order to emerge with a product that reflects the club’s vision of starting from the base of its great history toward more glory and development in the current era and the future.

“Attention was paid to all the details in terms of the degree of color and their overlapping in the dividing line between them in the same way that the wooden columns in the Rawashin buildings of Jeddah are intertwined.”

For the first time, the home kit will be presented in three categories — the official home kit, which the players will wear, the stadium category, and the fans category.

AN

LONDON — Adidas on Friday dropped American model Bella Hadid from an advertising campaign for sneakers that are associated with the 1972 Munich Olympics, following criticism from pro-Israeli groups.

The German sportswear company apologized for the “upset and distress” caused by choosing Hadid, whose father is Palestinian, as the face of its relaunched SL72 sports shoes. The original version of the footwear was created for the 1972 Games, during which 11 Israeli athletes and a German policeman were killed by a Palestinian militant group.

The relaunch of the shoe last week drew criticism from the Israeli government, in a message posted on social media platform X, and several Jewish groups. They questioned the decision by Adidas to select Hadid to advertise a shoe originally associated with an event during which several Israelis were killed.

Adidas said it would “revise” its campaign and added: “We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events, though these are completely unintentional, and we apologize for any upset or distress caused.”

Hadid has repeatedly made public comments critical of the Israeli government and in support of Palestinians over the years. In an Instagram post dated Oct. 23 last year she described the military campaign launched by Israeli authorities following the Oct. 7 attacks as “the most intense bombardment in the history of Gaza,” and lamented the loss of innocent Palestinian lives.

“US White House National Security Council dangerously says Israel ‘owes no one any justification’ and that it will have ‘no red lines.’ Innocent lives should always be justified in the name of humanity,” she added.

“Israel has completely shut off telecommunications and electricity across Gaza. Injured civilians currently can’t call ambulances. Medics are begging reporters to let them know where bombardments are happening, but reporters don’t know either because of the internet outage. The people of Gaza have nowhere to go. Children are dying. Please.”

The decision to drop Hadid from the campaign prompted a wave of support for the model on social media, with figures such as journalists Mehdi Hasan and Candace Owens criticizing Adidas. Some people called for a boycott of the company.

AN, July 19, 2024, 23:29