Author: Editor

On the eve of the release of her film ‘Batwara 1947’ with Sunny Deol, actress Preity Zinta shared her look test photo for her character Hamida. “On the eve of the release of Batwara 1947, I wanted to go back to where it all started. This photo was taken at the look test where I saw n felt the first glimpse of Hamida. To me Hamida is beautifully described by these famous words from Rumi – ‘If everything around seems dark, look again, you may be the light.’ See you all in a theatre next to you on the 14th…

Australian actor Cate Blanchett, goodwill ambassador for the UN agency for refugees, on Monday urged the film industry to take a leap and include their “incredible” stories.”People who are displaced have a voice, they have a story,” said the Oscar-winning actor at a talk at the Cannes Film Festival.”Their stories are so incredible and inspiring.”Blanchett, who has met refugees as a UNHCR envoy since 2016, said 114 million people had been displaced around the world by violence and war.”I’m always bewildered as to why more films don’t speak directly or obliquely to this,” she said.”The more we exclude these voices…

Suriya, whose full name is Saravanan Sivakumar, returns to the big screen with Vishwanath & Sons, which arrived in cinemas today. The family-focused drama centres on relationships, romance and emotion.Directed by Venky Atluri, the film stars Suriya alongside Mamitha Baiju, Radhikaa Sarathkumar, Raveena Tandon and Nassar.Ahead of the release, Suriya and the team spoke about the experiences that shaped the film, including one scene with an unexpectedly personal connection to the actor’s own family.During a promotional conversation for the film, Suriya recalled a family tradition following the birth of his daughter Diya in 2007.”We usually say that when a daughter is…

ABU DHABI, 14th August, 2026 (WAM) — The Emirates Arabian Horse Society (EAHS) has approved the Arabian horse championships and auctions programme in the UAE for the upcoming 2026-2027 season. Organised and supervised by the EAHS, the seasonal programme features a series of local and international Arabian horse championships, alongside specialised auctions that represent key highlights of the season’s calendar. The events will commence on 3rd October at Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club before concluding on 11th April 2027. The programme comprises 17 championships and events, including five international championships, in addition to auctions organised by Sharjah Equestrian and Racing…

Taylor Swift has been named to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Class of 2026, making her the youngest songwriter ever selected for induction.The 36 year old singer was chosen in the Contemporary Songwriter/Artist category, 20 years after releasing her debut single, “Tim McGraw,” in 2006.Taylor was not able to attend the announcement at Belmont University, but sent a letter reflecting on starting her career in Nashville as a teenager.“From the time I started writing songs as a child, I fixated on Nashville as the perfect place to be. To be honored by this city I love so much is…

Singer and actor Selena Gomez was sued on Thursday by investors who say the “Only Murders in the Building” star committed fraud by failing to fulfill duties to build and promote her mental health start-up.The plaintiffs invested nearly $1.2 million in Wondermind Global, which was launched in 2021 to help users strengthen their “mental fitness,” according to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Delaware.Investors said they were told Gomez, one of the biggest celebrities on social media with more than 500 million followers, would be actively involved in building the company as head of marketing. They argue that Gomez…

BANGUI, 14th August, 2026 (WAM) — Faustin-Archange Touadéra, President of the Central African Republic, has awarded Ali Alshimmari, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of UAE-based Global South Utilities (GSU), the rank of Commander of the Order of Central African Merit, the country’s highest civil order. The recognition follows GSU’s delivery of the largest infrastructure project in the history of the Central African Republic: a 50MW solar photovoltaic power plant in Sakaï, with 15MWh of battery storage, that increases the country’s electricity generation capacity by more than 60 percent. Delivered in just 10 months, the project is expected to provide…

DUBAI, 13th August, 2026 (WAM) — As football fans prepare for the start of the 2026 to 2027 ADNOC Pro League season, Dubai Police is calling on supporters to enjoy matches responsibly, follow stadium safety rules and ensure their support reflects the positive sporting spirit associated with major events across the UAE. Coinciding with the start of the new season on Friday, Dubai Police has launched the latest edition of its annual “Your Commitment is Happiness” initiative, which raises awareness of supporters’ responsibilities under Chapters Four and Five of Federal Law No. 8 of 2014 concerning the Security of Sports…

CARACAS, 13th August, 2026 (WAM) — XRG, ADNOC’s international energy investment company, today announced its entry into Venezuela through the award of the offshore Loran licence by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and the transfer of interest in the license by PDVsA Gas. Subject to customary regulatory approvals, XRG will hold an interest in the licence alongside bp and UCC. The licence contains over 4 trillion cubic feet of proven gas resources and would add meaningfully to XRG’s growing Latin America platform while enhancing its position in the Atlantic Basin. Mohamed Al Aryani, President, International Gas, XRG, said: “Venezuela holds…

ABU DHABI, 13th August, 2026 (WAM) — e& UAE, the flagship telecom arm of e&, on Thursday became the first telecom operator globally to announce the successful testing of enhanced Reduced Capability (eRedCap) on its live network. This achievement demonstrates a practical pathway for enterprises and public-sector organisations to move widely deployed IoT applications from legacy LTE technologies onto a simpler, more energy-efficient 5G-native IoT platform. eRedCap is designed to support a large number of connected devices that do not require the full performance capabilities of 5G. This technology is suited to smart utility metres, industrial sensors and controllers, asset…