Author: Sam Allcock

James Gunn’s Superman has taken flight with an impressive $96.5 million global box office debut through Friday, marking a strong start for the new DC cinematic era. Released by Warner Bros., the film garnered $21.5 million across 78 international markets on Friday alone, pushing the overseas total to $40 million and establishing it as a global hit going into its first weekend. The film, featuring David Corenswet as Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, has performed especially well in Latin America and parts of Europe. Mexico leads all international territories with $3.8 million, followed by the UK at…

American rapper and pop star Doja Cat has joined growing online criticism of Sydney Sweeney’s latest American Eagle ad campaign, which has come under fire for its tone, imagery, and language. The campaign, titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans”, plays on the homophone between “jeans” and “genes,” but has been widely criticised as overly sexualised and racially insensitive. The ad features Sweeney, known for her roles in Euphoria and Anyone But You, in various denim looks with commentary alluding to genetics. In one now-deleted video, she remarks, “My genes determine the make-up of my body,” before jokingly directing the camera…

Orange Jordan has launched a new initiative to promote financial literacy among entrepreneurs and small businesses in Jordan, in collaboration with the German development agency GIZ. The program, titled Finance Forward: Empowering Entrepreneurs Through Financial Literacy, is part of the broader “Innovative Approaches for Financial Inclusion of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Jordan” project, commissioned by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The initiative aims to strengthen the financial knowledge of early-stage entrepreneurs, youth professionals, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) owners across five major Jordanian governorates—Amman, Zarqa, Irbid, Karak, and Aqaba. Participants in…

United Arab Bank (UAB) has partnered with AI and RegTech firm Smarbl to co-develop a new compliance management platform, RegPRISM, in a move that could transform how banks in the UAE and beyond handle regulatory obligations. The newly launched platform is designed to provide real-time intelligence on evolving regulations, automate compliance workflows, and reduce operational inefficiencies traditionally associated with manual compliance systems. The strategic collaboration comes at a time when financial institutions across the region are facing growing pressure to adapt to rapidly evolving global and local regulatory frameworks. By integrating artificial intelligence, RegPRISM aims to simplify the process of…

Al Masaood Automobiles, the authorised distributor for Nissan, INFINITI, and Renault in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and the Al Dhafra Region, has announced the extension of its popular “Buy Now, Pay in 2026” campaign. The initiative now covers both new and Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles (CPOVs), offering greater financial flexibility and immediate delivery for customers across the emirate. The extended campaign is designed to support customers amid today’s cautious purchasing climate by allowing them to secure a vehicle now, with no payments due until 2026. Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles with Premium Assurance The offer includes a wide range of rigorously inspected CPOVs…

In the UAE’s dynamic urban landscape, achieving healthy weight loss isn’t about fads or fasting—it’s about realistic, sustainable choices. With a culture that blends fast-paced work life, rich culinary traditions, and a hot desert climate, residents across cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi are increasingly looking for balanced approaches to eating well without feeling deprived. Whether you’re a busy executive navigating business lunches, a parent balancing family meals, or an expat exploring regional cuisine, understanding how to tailor a meal plan to your lifestyle is key. What a Weight Loss Diet Really Means At its core, healthy weight loss involves…

A bizarre and controversial workaround to the UK’s new online safety regulations has gone viral, with reports claiming that some users are using ultra-realistic game graphics—specifically the likeness of actor Norman Reedus in Death Stranding—to fool age verification systems. The incident follows the rollout of the UK’s stricter online safety measures, which aim to limit access to adult and potentially harmful content for underage users. Platforms including pornographic websites, Reddit, and Discord are now legally required to verify the age of UK users using methods such as selfie-based age estimation, credit card authentication, and government-issued photo ID matching. Those failing…

Romania’s Deputy Prime Minister Dragoș Anastasiu has stepped down following the resurfacing of a past corruption scandal in which he was previously named as a witness. The resignation comes just a month into the tenure of a fragile coalition government already under fire for its planned economic reforms. Anastasiu, a key figure appointed by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan to lead reforms of Romania’s underperforming state-owned enterprises, announced his resignation in a public statement on Sunday. The decision follows renewed media attention on a years-old corruption case involving one of his companies and the national tax authority. According to details now…

A strategic alliance between geospatial technology giant Esri, UAE-based space and AI company Space42, and Microsoft aims to create the most comprehensive and detailed digital basemap of the African continent. Formalised earlier this month at the 2025 Esri User Conference in San Diego, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signals the launch of the Map Africa Initiative—a five-year collaborative project targeting scalable, high-resolution geospatial data across all 54 African nations. The partnership is expected to have a significant impact on more than 1.4 billion people by addressing a major data gap: the fragmented, outdated or inaccessible maps currently used by many…

LG Electronics has officially introduced its latest gaming innovation, the UltraGear™ GX9 series, to the Gulf region, highlighted by the LG UltraGear OLED Gaming Monitor (model 45GX950A). This marks the regional debut of LG’s next-generation OLED display technology in the gaming sector, aligning with the Gulf’s rapidly expanding gaming ecosystem. The 45GX950A enters a market witnessing unprecedented growth, driven by competitive esports tournaments, tech-forward gaming cafes, and a passionate player base. With a curved OLED display and cutting-edge performance features, the new monitor aims to set a benchmark for immersive gameplay and professional-level responsiveness. Game-Changing Display Performance At the heart…