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The Houthis: Masters of Unassisted Suicide

Amid the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, patterns emerge that we pretend to understand, only for them to slip through our fingers. The latest example: repeated missile launches by Yemen’s Houthis targeting Israel. In this absurd drama, the Houthis have spent the past several months directing their attacks at Israel. Why? To support Gaza, ...

France Defends Cinema Model after Trump Threats

France's culture minister vowed Wednesday to defend the country's system of promoting domestic film production in the face of threats from US President Donald Trump. France has a complex mix of taxes, quotas and levies on film and TV distributors that helps funnel money into the national film sector, making it Europe's cinema powerhouse. "We ...

Disney to Open First Middle East Theme Park in Abu Dhabi

The Walt Disney Company announced plans Wednesday for a new theme park in the United Arab Emirates, highlighting the country's growing prominence as a global financial and entertainment hub. The waterfront resort will be located on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island and developed in partnership with local firm Miral. Disney stated that it aims to attract ...

Trump's Film Tariff Shocks Hollywood: 'Makes no Sense'

Hollywood reacted with skepticism on Monday to US President Donald Trump's announcement of 100 percent tariffs on foreign films, with movie insiders calling it a policy made up on the fly by a president who fails to understand how the industry works. "It makes no sense," entertainment lawyer Jonathan Handel said of Trump's idea. Handel told AFP ...

'Thunderbolts' Opens Strong with Explosive Box Office Debut

Marvel’s Thunderbolts stormed the North American box office with a spectacular debut, grossing $76 million in its first three days, according to data released Sunday by Exhibitor Relations. This team of unconventional and jaded anti-heroes falls into a dangerous trap, forcing them to join forces for a high-risk mission that will make them face ...

Iran Denies Aiding Yemen Huthis in Israel Airport Attack

Iran on Monday denied supporting Yemen's Huthi attack on Israel's main international airport after the rebels claimed a missile strike the day. "The Yemeni action in support of the Palestinian people was an independent decision taken in solidarity" with them, said Iran's foreign ministry in a statement. A missile fired from Yemen on Sunday ...

Trump Says Ordering '100% Tariff' on All Movies Produced Abroad

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he was ordering new tariffs on all films made outside the United States, claiming Hollywood was being "devastated" by a trend of US filmmakers and studios working abroad. The announcement comes as the White House is coming under mounting criticism over its aggressive trade policies that have seen Trump impose ...

ChatGPT Adds Shopping Help, Intensifying Google Rivalry

OpenAI announced Monday that ChatGPT is now helping users find products online, enhancing its challenge to Google amid regulatory pressure on the search giant's market dominance. The new shopping capability further blurs the line between AI chatbots and search engines, signaling OpenAI's ambition to compete with Google in a market the ...

Xi Says China Must 'Overcome' AI Chip Challenges.

President Xi Jinping said China must "overcome" the challenges of developing core AI technologies including high-end chips, state media reported Saturday, as Beijing seeks to become a world leader in the rapidly developing industry. China aims to dominate the artificial intelligence sector, a goal complicated by the trade standoff with Washington ...

Washington-Tehran Dialogue: A Question of Trust

Can the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran be trusted? Should they be? Are they truly serious, strategically speaking, in their talks with the Trump administration? Are they genuinely capable of pursuing a path toward reintegration into the international community — with all the implications this would entail — and of breaking ...

Carlos Santana Postpones Shows After Testing Positive for Covid-19

Celebrated rocker Carlos Santana was forced to postpone several tour dates after testing positive for Covid-19, his manager said Wednesday. The 77-year-old guitar icon "experienced dehydration" before canceling Tuesday's show in San Antonio, and "out of an abundance of caution" is doing the same for Wednesday's performance in Sugar Land, Texas, ...

Frances Mayes Awarded Italian Citizenship for Literary Merit

The Italian government announced Friday its decision to grant honorary citizenship to American author Frances Mayes, known globally for her best-selling memoir Under the Tuscan Sun. Officials cited “exceptional merit” as the reason behind the move. In an official statement, authorities confirmed that the Italian Council of Ministers had ...