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Metaverse-into-reality event Metacon to take place in Dubai this month

Metaverse-into-reality event Metacon to take place in Dubai this month
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Each ticket comes with a Metacon One NFT Token. (Supplied)
Metaverse-into-reality event Metacon to take place in Dubai this month
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Each ticket comes with a Metacon One NFT Token. (Supplied)
Metaverse-into-reality event Metacon to take place in Dubai this month
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Each ticket comes with a Metacon One NFT Token. (Supplied)
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Updated 26 May 2022
Arab News

Metaverse-into-reality event Metacon to take place in Dubai this month

Metaverse-into-reality event Metacon to take place in Dubai this month
  • The event will feature 4 zones: MetaStage, MetaConnect, MetaArena and MetaSpaces
Updated 26 May 2022
Arab News

DUBAI: The first edition of Metacon, a one-of-a-kind “metaverse into reality” pop culture convention, is set to take place on May 28 and 29 in Dubai with tickets being sold as non-fungible tokens.

Each ticket comes with a Metacon One NFT Token, giving visitors always-on access to exclusive NFT drops, satellite events, networking sessions and more at Metacon and upcoming events.

The event aims to highlight the latest technologies in blockchain gaming and tech, eSports, NFTs, Web3, art, music and entertainment. Metacon will be divided into four zones: MetaStage, MetaConnect, MetaArena and MetaSpaces.

MetaStage will host sessions and panel discussions on the hottest topics about the metaverse; MetaConnect will feature workshops focused on practical and useful tips on kick-starting one’s blockchain journey; MetaSpaces will function as an exhibition zone, and MetaArena will be dedicated to eSports and blockchain gaming.  

The MetaStage will bring together speakers such as Dr. Marwan Al-Zarouni, member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council and CEO of the Dubai Blockchain Centre, and Jason Brink, president of blockchain at Gala Games. The panels include topics like “Metaverse Real Estate versus Traditional Real Estate by Damac Properties,” “Ethereum Towers and Master Ventures,” “The Metaverse and How it Can Save our Climate Crisis,” and “Play-to-Earn: The Future of Gaming.”

The event will also host the Metavator Challenge, a pitch competition and the first-of-its-kind platform for innovators in the metaverse, NFT, gaming and Web3, with prizes including AED 75,000 ($20,400) in cash, NFTs, mentorship support and investor connections.

The MetaArena stage will see eight international guilds competing in the first-ever blockchain, multi-game eSports tournament featuring titles such as “Axie Infinity,” “Thetan Arena” and “Spider Tank” with a $50,000 cash prize pool.

Metacon is organized by OnChain Events, the brainchild of Abdelrahman Mohammed, one of the UAE’s eSports pioneers who currently sits on the advisory board for the Emirates eSports Federation; Kyle Chasse, a cryptocurrency industry veteran and technology entrepreneur, and Domain Entertainment, a pop culture consultancy firm created by the co-founders of events such as the Middle East Film and Comic Con and ANI:ME.

“We now see ourselves at the exact spot when we first came together in 2010, at a time when pop culture was only consumed by a small eager community that was excited to discover, learn and grow together,” said Somaya Soeryadiredja, managing partner of Domain Entertainment.

“A lot of heart and hard work went into building events into well-loved IPs in the region, and we hope to create the same love for the metaverse through Metacon,” she added.

Topics: #media Metaverse Dubai

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Britain’s top movie funder accused of inadequate steps to tackle ‘systemic racism’

Britain’s top movie funder accused of inadequate steps to tackle ‘systemic racism’
Updated 1 min 17 sec ago
Arab News

Britain’s top movie funder accused of inadequate steps to tackle ‘systemic racism’

Britain’s top movie funder accused of inadequate steps to tackle ‘systemic racism’
  • Filmmaker Faisal A. Qureshi claims 2-year-old complaint unaddressed
  • BFI reportedly dealing with multiple cases of alleged discrimination
Updated 1 min 17 sec ago
Arab News

LONDON: A prominent filmmaker has accused the British Film Institute, the UK’s chief movie-funding body, of failing to address “systemically racist” attitudes by officials in the organization.

Faisal A. Qureshi, an award-winning screenwriter, editor, director and researcher, said he was still anticipating the outcome of a discrimination complaint he filed to the BFI more than two years ago, reported the industry news site Deadline on Monday.

The BFI’s head of inclusion, Melanie Hoyes, reportedly told Qureshi in July that she was aware that other creatives of diverse racial backgrounds have had “traumatic experiences” with the organization, admitting that it was “systemically racist” and likening it to “the Titanic.”

However, Qureshi felt Hoyes’ apology was dismissive, prompting him to request a formal written apology and an investigation into the experiences of filmmakers from diverse racial backgrounds.

He said the BFI responded through a customer service email, leaving Qureshi feeling as though he “was complaining about a bad meal, not about something that had significantly impacted my career.”

The BFI stated three executives, including Hoyes, had apologized to Qureshi after listening to his concerns. Britain’s most influential film-related body also explained that Qureshi had not received a written apology because it would preempt the outcome of his complaint, wrote Deadline, as his case has not yet been closed.

Qureshi, whose credits include the hit movie “Four Lions” and documentary “Leaving Neverland,” expressed concerns over career damage due to his pursuit of the BFI although the institute stated that complaints would not affect funding opportunities. 

The initial complaint by Qureshi was about a funding meeting with a BFI Network representative in Sheffield in March 2019. According to Qureshi, the executive had told him he was “very forthright” on social media about race.

An investigation by Deadline found that most complaints to the BFI in the past three years were related to racial discrimination and that the institute was now undertaking anti-racism training, in addition to overhauling its complaints handling processes.

The BFI also said that 35 percent of the productions it funded in the past 12 months were the works of Black, Asian and minority ethnic creatives, highlighting that this exceeds its target of 30 percent.

Topics: bfi racism

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Apple launches ‘buy now, pay later’ service

Apple launches ‘buy now, pay later’ service
Updated 29 March 2023
Reuters

Apple launches ‘buy now, pay later’ service

Apple launches ‘buy now, pay later’ service
  • Apple Pay Later service will allow users to split purchases into four payments spread over six weeks with no interest or fees
  • Apple said service is currently available to selected users in the US, full rollout coming soon
Updated 29 March 2023
Reuters

LONDON: Apple Inc. on Tuesday launched its “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) service in the United States, a move that threatens to disrupt the fintech sector dominated by firms like Affirm Holdings and Swedish payments company Klarna.
The service, Apple Pay Later, will allow users to split purchases into four payments spread over six weeks with no interest or fees, the company said. It will initially be offered to select users, with plans of a full roll-out in the coming months.
Users can get loans between $50 and $1,000 for online and in-app purchases made on iPhones and iPads with merchants that accept Apple Pay, according to the company.
More than 85 percent of US retailers accept Apple Pay, the company said.
“Apple Pay Later will absolutely wallop some of the other players. Other companies would’ve taken a look at Apple’s announcement today because they are an ubiquitous name. This will take a bite out of the market share of other players,” said Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell.
BNPL firm Affirm’s shares fell more than 7 percent, while PayPal closed about 1 percent lower.
In 2020, pandemic-related lockdowns turned shoppers to online payment platforms, bolstering demand for fintech companies offering BNPL services, especially to millennials and Gen Z customers.
Digital payments behemoths including PayPal and Block Inc. have expanded into the sector through acquisitions, while Affirm went public in a multi-billion dollar listing.
The sector’s fortunes have since turned as rising interest rates and red-hot inflation dampened purchasing power and forced consumers to tighten their purse strings.
“We expect Apple to tread cautiously, especially in this macro environment,” said Christopher Brendler, analyst at D.A. Davidson, alluding to its decision to not use a partner and underwrite, fund, and collect on the loans directly.
Apple Pay Later is enabled through the Mastercard Installments program, the company said, adding that Goldman Sachs was the issuer of the Mastercard payment credential.

Topics: Apple apple pay later Apple Pay US

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Twitter Blue shakeup to scrap privileges for non-paying users, Musk says

Twitter Blue shakeup to scrap privileges for non-paying users, Musk says
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News

Twitter Blue shakeup to scrap privileges for non-paying users, Musk says

Twitter Blue shakeup to scrap privileges for non-paying users, Musk says
  • ‘Only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over’
  • From April ‘legacy’ users will pay either $8 a month or $84 per year
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News

LONDON: Twitter chief Elon Musk has announced putting more of the social media platform’s features behind a paywall by giving the paid blue tick service a shakeup.

As of April 15, only the tweets of verified Blue subscribers will be promoted to others on the “For You” stream.

Paid blue tick owners will also be the only ones to vote in polls.

“This is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over,” said Musk in a tweet on Monday. “It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle.”

“Voting in polls will require verification for same reason,” Musk added.

Despite this, Musk later tweeted: “That said, it is ok to have verified bot accounts if they follow terms of service and do not impersonate a human.”

Last week, Twitter stated that “legacy” accounts, which have a free blue tick, including celebrities, government officials, and other high-profile users, would lose their free verification starting in April.

To maintain their verification, those accounts will have to pay a fee of either $8 a month or $84 per year.

Twitter Blue subscribers currently pay $7 a month.

After Musk took control of Twitter in October last year, he turned to a subscription-based model to shift the firm away from being dependent on advertising for revenue, especially as a large number of the platform’s ad base withdrew following his takeover.

Topics: Twitter twitter blue Elon Musk

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UK court charges Twitter user who hailed killing of French teacher with encouraging terrorism

UK court charges Twitter user who hailed killing of French teacher with encouraging terrorism
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News

UK court charges Twitter user who hailed killing of French teacher with encouraging terrorism

UK court charges Twitter user who hailed killing of French teacher with encouraging terrorism
  • Ajmal Shahpal has been found guilty of posting tweets urging followers “to commit, prepare, or instigate acts of terrorism,”
  • The convict praised in a tweet the murderer of Samuel Paty, who was beheaded in 2020.
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News

LONDON: A court in England found a Twitter user guilty of two charges related to encouraging terrorist acts after he shared a photo of a victim’s severed head, calling for the decapitation of anyone who insults his religion.

Ajmal Shahpal, 41, of Nottingham was convicted Monday, following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court, of posting tweets that incite others “to commit, prepare, or instigate acts of terrorism,” according to BBC News.

Jurors convicted Shahpal by majority verdicts of intentionally encouraging terrorist acts and of doing so recklessly. He was cleared of a third charge of a similar nature.

The defendant denied the offenses despite tweeting a photo of Samuel Paty, the French teacher killed in 2020 by an extremist for showing his class cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, and captioning it, “the insolent had been sent to hell.”

He also praised the murderer for being “as brave as a lion.”

Judge Melbourne Inman KC rejected a bail application after the rulings, keeping Shahpal in custody for sentence on April 13.

Prosecutor Dan Pawson-Pounds, who opened the Crown’s case against Shahpal, said the convict encouraged terrorist acts “by publishing tweets on his Twitter account which specifically encouraged others to behead those who he believed had insulted his religion, his religion being Islam.”

Other tweets on Shahpal’s public account urged his following to kill anyone who insults Islam.

The convict claimed he merely retweeted other people’s views “to have some more followers.”

He told jurors: “A friend of mine who set up this account for me, he told me that if you do this, you are going to get more followers.”

Topics: Twitter terrorism

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Burkina junta orders France 24 off air after Al-Qaeda interview

Burkina junta orders France 24 off air after Al-Qaeda interview
Updated 27 March 2023
AFP

Burkina junta orders France 24 off air after Al-Qaeda interview

Burkina junta orders France 24 off air after Al-Qaeda interview
  • Burkina Faso has been battling a jihadist insurgency since 2015
  • France 24 has been accused of ‘legitimising the terrorist message’ in the country
Updated 27 March 2023
AFP

OUAGADOUGOU: The military junta in Burkina Faso on Monday suspended all broadcasts by the France 24 news channel in the west African country after it interviewed the head of Al-Qaeda North Africa.
Burkina Faso, which witnessed two coups last year, is battling a jihadist insurgency that spilled over from neighboring Mali in 2015.
“By opening its channel to the head of AQIM (Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb), France 24 not only acts as a communications agency for these terrorists but also offers ... legitimacy to terrorist actions and hate speech,” the junta spokesman said, referring to a March 6 interview with AQIM head Abu Ubaydah Yusuf Al-Annabi.
“Therefore the government has decided... to suspend sine die the diffusion of France 24 programs on all national territory,” spokesman Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo said.
The France 24 broadcast was cut around 0900 GMT on Monday, AFP journalists said.
On March 6, France 24 broadcast written replies given by Al-Annabi to 17 questions posed by the news channel’s specialist on jihadist issues, Wassim Nasr.
“We believe this is part of a process of legitimising the terrorist message and we know about the effects of this message in this country,” Ouedraogo later told RTB national television.
In Paris, France 24 hit back branding the Burkinabe government statement “outrageous and defamatory.”
“The management of France 24 condemns this decision and disputes the baseless accusations calling into question the channel’s professionalism,” the broadcaster said.
It stressed that the AQIM chief’s interview had not been directly aired but used as an account to confirm that the group had detained a French hostage who was released in Niger last week.
“The security crisis the country (Burkina Faso) is going through must not be a pretext for muzzling the media,” France 24 said.
The French foreign ministry also issued a statement saying it “regrets” the suspension and voicing “constant and determined commitment in favor of press freedom.”


In December, the Burkina junta suspended Radio France Internationale (RFI), which belongs to the same France Medias Monde group as France 24, accusing the radio station of airing a “message of intimidation” attributed to a “terrorist chief.”
Both RFI and France 24, which cover African affairs closely and are popular in francophone nations, have been suspended in neighboring Mali, which is also run by a military junta fighting jihadist forces.
According to France 24 one third of Burkina’s population watches the channel every week.
The military government in Ouagadougou said it would continue to “defend the vital interests of our people against anyone who acts as a loudspeaker for terrorist acts and the divisive hate speech of these armed groups.”
In March, the ruling junta in Mali announced the suspension of the broadcasting authorization granted to RFI and France 24, after they published stories implicating the national army in abuses against civilians.
One of the world’s poorest nations, Burkina Faso’s soldiers staged two coups in 2022 over the failure to tackle the threat from jihadist groups.
More than 10,000 civilians, troops and police have been killed, according to one NGO estimate, and at least two million people have been displaced.
With jihadists effectively controlling about 40 percent of the country, according to official figures, junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore vowed to recover lost territory after taking power in September.
But jihadist attacks have escalated since the start of the year, with dozens of soldiers and civilians killed every week.
Former colonial power France has in the past year withdrawn troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic.
The pullout from Mali and Burkina Faso, where French soldiers were supporting the Sahel nations in the long-running insurgency, came on the back of a wave of local hostility.

Topics: france24 France Burkina Faso Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) Radio France Internationale

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