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Nigerian artist uses AI to re-imagine life for the elderly

Nigerian artist uses AI to re-imagine life for the elderly
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An undated handout picture by Nigerian artist Malik Afegbua, created with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), shows an elderly model walking on a runway, as part of his Elder series. (Reuters)
Nigerian artist uses AI to re-imagine life for the elderly
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An undated handout picture by Nigerian artist Malik Afegbua, created with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), shows elderly models walking on a runway, as part of his Elder series. (Reuters)
Nigerian artist uses AI to re-imagine life for the elderly
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An undated handout picture by Nigerian artist Malik Afegbua, created with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), shows an elderly model walking on a runway, as part of his Elder series. (Reuters)
Nigerian artist uses AI to re-imagine life for the elderly
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An undated handout picture by Nigerian artist Malik Afegbua, created with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), shows an elderly model walking on a runway, as part of his Elder series. (Reuters)
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Updated 30 January 2023
Reuters

Nigerian artist uses AI to re-imagine life for the elderly

Nigerian artist uses AI to re-imagine life for the elderly
Updated 30 January 2023
Reuters

LAGOS: A Nigerian artist is using artificial intelligence to re-imagine life for African elderly people by showcasing near real-life pictures and videos of them walking down the fashion ramp and on the beach.
Malik Afegbua, who is also a film maker, said because many elderly people were marginalized in society, especially in the fashion world, he began to imagine how they would look if they were models.
Afegbua started posting some of his work on social media and it went viral.
He came up with “Elders Series,” a catalogue of pictures and videos showing white-haired women and bearded men strutting the runway for a virtual fashion show in Afrocentric attire, including ornamental neck and arm bands.
“So I wanted to ... imagine the elderly people in a place that is not either in a sad space or in a suppressed state,” Afegbua told Reuters.
“However, when I was making it, I kind of knew there was something there. I was like this is dope. I’m loving what I’m seeing.”
Afegbua was not always an artist. He studied business in university but stepped into the world of filming after a friend bought him a camera in 2011.
He said the idea to explore a different world for old people came when his elderly mother fell ill. Using an artificial intelligence app, he started creating content showing a brighter side of old age.

Topics: fashion AI Nigeria

Media mogul Murdoch, 92, engaged for fifth time

Media mogul Murdoch, 92, engaged for fifth time
Updated 21 March 2023
AFP

Media mogul Murdoch, 92, engaged for fifth time

Media mogul Murdoch, 92, engaged for fifth time
  • The Australian Murdoch, whose media empire includes The Wall Street Journal, Fox News and other influential outlets, is worth more than $20 billion, according to Forbes
Updated 21 March 2023
AFP

WASHINGTON: Conservative media tycoon Rupert Murdoch will tie the knot for the fifth time, at the age of 92 years, he said Monday in an interview with his own newspaper, the New York Post.
Murdoch is engaged to Ann Lesley Smith, a 66-year-old former police chaplain in San Francisco and widow of American country singer and media executive Chester Smith.
“I was very nervous. I dreaded falling in love — but I knew this would be my last. It better be,” he told the tabloid. “I’m happy.”
Murdoch divorced his fourth wife, model Jerry Hall, last year after six years of marriage.
The Australian Murdoch, whose media empire includes The Wall Street Journal, Fox News and other influential outlets, is worth more than $20 billion, according to Forbes.
Murdoch met his new fiancee last year at an event he hosted at his vineyard in California and soon enough the pair decided to spend “the second half of our lives together,” the tycoon was quoted as saying.
“In perspective, it’s not my first rodeo. Getting near 70 means being in the last half,” said Smith. “I waited for the right time. Friends are happy for me.”
The wedding will take place this summer and the couple plans to split their time between the United States and Britain.
Murdoch, who has six children, was first married to Patricia Booker, an Australian flight attendant, whom he divorced in the late 1960s.
He and his second wife, Anna, a newspaper reporter, were together more than 30 years before divorcing in 1999. His third marriage to Wendi Deng ended in 2013.

 

Topics: rupert murdoch

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Chinese city to launch matchmaking app in bid to increase marriage rate

The app is not the only incentive in Jiangxi’s campaign to increase the marriage rate. (AFP)
The app is not the only incentive in Jiangxi’s campaign to increase the marriage rate. (AFP)
Updated 21 March 2023
Arab News

Chinese city to launch matchmaking app in bid to increase marriage rate

The app is not the only incentive in Jiangxi’s campaign to increase the marriage rate. (AFP)
  • Service uses residents’ local data to help in search
  • Japan, Iran promoted similar initiatives to help people into relationships
Updated 21 March 2023
Arab News

LONDON: A Chinese city has launched a state-sponsored matchmaking app that promises to find the perfect partner, in an attempt to reverse the declining marriage rate.

Guixi, a city of about 640,000 people in Jiangxi province in eastern China, has developed an app that uses residents’ data to build a matchmaking platform.

After receiving the data, the app — known as Palm Guixi — then looks for potential matches to send a prospective couple on a blind date.

The app was created as part of a province-wide initiative aimed at boosting the marriage rate, which has been declining across China over the past decade.

According to the China Statistics Yearbook, in 2021 the number of people getting married in the country dropped to 7.64 million, about 500,000 down on the previous year and a rate of 5.4 marriages per 1,000 people.

The figures highlight a worrying trend, although it is difficult to gauge the impact of COVID-19 on the figures.

The marriage rate in Saudi Arabia in contrast was at 9.6 per 1,000 people in 2020, with a growth rate of 10.6 percent from 2019.

The downward trend in China is likely to be mirrored by a further fall in birth rates, which plummeted to a historic low of 6.77 births per 1,000 people in 2022, according to official figures, with the population declining for the first time in six decades.

The app is not the only incentive in Jiangxi’s campaign to increase the marriage rate.

In other areas of the province, local authorities have promoted initiatives for single locals to socialize.

The campaign also aims to raise awareness of high “bride prices,” a cultural tradition in which the potential groom offers large sums of cash to the bride’s family in a practice that remains common, especially in rural areas.

Several state officials around the world have come up with unusual ways to promote marriage and the birth rate in the last few years.

A project was sponsored a few years ago by Luanzhou municipality in China’s Hebei province, with authorities mapping data about the city’s single women and men while helping them to find their perfect match.

The Iranian government in 2021 endorsed a state-run dating app called Hamdam to help single people find the right partner for a “sustainable marriage.”

Japanese authorities since 2010 have set up matchmaking websites to pair residents with lonely hearts in cities in an effort to persuade urbanites to marry and relocate to the countryside.

 

 

Topics: Marriage app Guixi #china

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Their world was the oyster: Oldest pearl town found in UAE

Their world was the oyster: Oldest pearl town found in UAE
Updated 20 March 2023
AP

Their world was the oyster: Oldest pearl town found in UAE

Their world was the oyster: Oldest pearl town found in UAE
  • The town was likely once home to thousands of people and hundreds of homes
Updated 20 March 2023
AP

SINIYAH ISLAND, United Arab Emirates: Archaeologists said Monday they have found the oldest pearling town in the Arabian Gulf on an island off one of the northern sheikhdoms of the United Arab Emirates.
Artifacts found in this town on Siniyah Island in Umm Al-Quwain, likely once home to thousands of people and hundreds of homes, date as far back as the region’s pre-Islamic history in the late 6th century. While older pearling towns have been mentioned in historical texts, this represents the first time archaeologists say they have physically found one from this ancient era across the nations of the Arabian Gulf.
“This is the oldest example of that kind of very specifically Khaleeji pearling town,” said Timothy Power, an associate professor of archaeology at the UAE University, using a word that means “Gulf” in Arabic. “It’s the spiritual ancestor of towns like Dubai.”
The pearling town sits on Siniyah Island, which shields the Khor Al-Beida marshlands in Umm Al-Quwain, an emirate some 50 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of Dubai along the coast of the Arabian Gulf. The island, whose name means “flashing lights” likely due to the effect of the white-hot sun overhead, already has seen archaeologists discover an ancient Christian monastery dating back as many as 1,400 years.
The town sits directly south of that monastery on one of the curling fingers of the island and stretches across some 12 hectares (143,500 square yards). There, archaeologists found a variety of homes made of beach rock and lime mortar, ranging from cramped quarters to more sprawling homes with courtyards, suggesting a social stratification, Power said. The site also bears signs of year-round habitation, unlike other pearling operations run in seasonal spots in the region.
“The houses are crammed in there, cheek by jowl,” he added. “The key thing there is permanence. People are living there all year around.”
In the homes, archaeologists have discovered loose pearls and diving weights, which the free divers used to quickly drop down to the seabed while relying only on their held breath.
The town predates the rise of Islam across the Arabian Peninsula, making its residents likely Christians.
Umm Al-Quwain’s Department of Tourism and Archaeology, UAE University, the Italian Archaeological Mission in the emirate and the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University all took part in the excavation. Umm Al-Quwain, the least-populated emirate in the UAE, plans to build a visitor’s center at the site.
Today, the area near the marshland is more known for the low-cost liquor store at the emirate’s Barracuda Beach Resort. In recent months, authorities have demolished a hulking, Soviet-era cargo plane linked to a Russian gunrunner known as the “Merchant of Death” as it builds a bridge to Siniyah Island for a $675 million real estate development. Authorities hope that development, as well as other building, will grow the emirate’s economy.
However, even this ancient site bears lessons for the Emirates.
The story of pearling, which rapidly collapsed after World War I with the introduction of artificial pearls and the Great Depression, holds particular importance in the history of the UAE — particularly as it faces a looming reckoning with another extractive industry. While crude oil sales built the country after its formation in 1971, the Emirates will have to confront its fossil fuel legacy and potentially plan for a carbon-neutral future as it hosts the United Nations COP28 climate talks later this year.
Those searching the site found a dumpsite nearby filled with the detritus of discarded oyster shells. People walking across the island can feel those remains crunching under their feet in areas as well.
“You only find one pearl in every 10,000 oyster shells. You have to find and discard thousands and thousands of oyster shells to find one,” Power said. ”The waste, the industrial waste of the pearling industry, was colossal. You’re dealing with millions, millions of oyster shells discarded.”

Topics: United Arab Emirates (UAE) Umm al Quwain Umm Al-Quwain

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Range of Islamic toys launched in UK supermarkets ahead of Ramadan

Range of Islamic toys launched in UK supermarkets ahead of Ramadan
Updated 20 March 2023
Arab News

Range of Islamic toys launched in UK supermarkets ahead of Ramadan

Range of Islamic toys launched in UK supermarkets ahead of Ramadan
Updated 20 March 2023
Arab News

LONDON: A UK-based Muslim dolls and toys company has announced that it will launch their Islamic toy range in over 150 stores across the UK.

The brand is well known for its dolls and toys that promote the Islamic faith and culture and has been working hard to expand its reach to make their products more accessible to customers across the country.

The launch coincided with a two-day meet and greet with their mascots, Omar and Hana, across London and Manchester.

The Omar and Hana singing dolls are one of the most popular items in the Desi Doll Company range. (Supplied)

It will see the dolls and toys in British supermarkets ASDA and Morrisons. The range will also feature at high-end department store Selfridges in its London, Birmingham and Manchester branches.

The Omar and Hana singing dolls, one of the most popular items in the Desi Doll Company range, are the company's first License toys based on a hit children’s animation with over 1 million subscribers. It features Islamic content around having good character and moral values.

“Ramadan is an important time in the Islamic calendar, and families become more focused on their faith during this month,” the company said in a statement.

“With this additional focus on faith, parents look for ways to make the month more meaningful for their children, and Desi Doll Company sees a peak in demand for their range of Islamic toys at this time of year,” it added.

“The fasting month ends with the celebration of Eid, a time, like Christmas, when parents are looking for extra special gifts for their children, and toys that have the added benefit of Islamic values are usually top of the list,” it also said.

Farzana Rahman, founder and director of Desi Doll, said: “We are thrilled to be launching our range of unique toys in supermarket stores across the UK,” that are designed to provide children with enjoyable, informative and educational experiences of the Islamic faith.

The launch coincided with a two-day meet and greet with their mascots, Omar and Hana, across London and Manchester. (Supplied)

“With the arrival of our toys in ASDA and Morrison stores, customers now have the opportunity to discover our unique toys while doing their weekly shopping,” she added.

“We are also excited that our range is also available in the iconic Selfridges stores, allowing us to reach even more households with our products,” Rahman said.

Topics: Ramadan Britain Asda selfridges toys United Kingdom Penny Appeal

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Social media, bloggers boost Arab tourists’ presence in Turkiye

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Updated 17 March 2023
Arab News

Social media, bloggers boost Arab tourists’ presence in Turkiye

Social media, bloggers boost Arab tourists’ presence in Turkiye
  • People from MENA region influenced by popular Turkish dramas, social media and blogs
  • Instagram and Snapchat accounts dedicated to promoting Turkish tourism provide detailed information for holidays
Updated 17 March 2023
Arab News

ANKARA: Turkiye has witnessed a noticeable increase in the flow of tourists from Arab countries over the past few years thanks to social media and online blogs.
Over the past few years Arabs have been highly influenced and encouraged by popular Turkish dramas, social media and blogs to visit Turkiye’s most popular cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Marmaris and others.
Kuwait’s News Agency reported on Friday that, despite the catastrophic 7.7 and 7.6-magnitude earthquakes that hit southern Turkiye recently, Arab tourists have still traveled to the country for its nature and cultural heritage.
Tourist Sarah Al-Enizi from Kuwait said she was tempted and intrigued to explore a small town on the coast of the Aegean Sea, Kusadasi, due to heavy promotional content on social media.
The detailed content she watched on a Snapchat account was of great assistance and made her trip to Kusadasi an enjoyable experience.
One Kuwaiti blogger documented the holiday of his compatriots Ahmad Al-Kander and Dalal Al-Mulaifi when they visited Sapanca and other cities.
They confirmed that social media played a role in choosing their holiday destinations in Turkiye.
Social media also inspired Egyptian tourist Ala’a Mohammad, who spent his honeymoon traversing across cities including Antalya. It also acted as an eyeopener in terms of visiting and enjoying several unexplored destinations.
Lebanese tourist Mariam Madi spent her vacation on Turkish beaches. She said she had unforgettable experiences at Buyukada, Marmaris and Alanya.
Meanwhile, the owner of an Instagram account dedicated to Turkish tourism, Abdulrahman Mousa Mohammed, said his passion for traveling to Turkiye stimulated him to create his own content and share his experience online for voyagers to benefit from.
His Instagram page offers all vital information on travel to Turkiye from transport, hotels, and various tips and advices.
Kuwaiti tourists were attracted to Bursa for tourism as well as buying real estate, according to Mohammed, who added that Sapanca was a top destination due to its breath-taking nature in addition to Bodrum, where most Kuwaitis seek to relax.
However, Mohammed warned against fake media accounts that entice tourists with low prices and great accommodations but end up facing horrible travel experience.

Topics: Turkiye tourism social media Arab Tourists Instagram

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