‘Cleanfluencers’ sweep TikTok, drawing millions

‘Cleanfluencers’ sweep TikTok, drawing millions
Combo image of screen grabs taken from viral TikTok videos showing (from left) Maria Kondom, Auri Kananen and Abbi in action.
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Updated 23 March 2023

‘Cleanfluencers’ sweep TikTok, drawing millions

‘Cleanfluencers’ sweep TikTok, drawing millions
  • With the global rise of TikTok, cleaning videos have become hugely popular on social media, inspiring a growing number to start posting content

HELSINKI, Finland: Marie Kondo may have admitted defeat, but a new generation of “cleanfluencers” is taking social media by storm, with millions watching them scour filthy homes and dole out cleaning hacks.
Digging through a mountain of trash, Auri Kananen uncovered a rotten piece of pizza on the floor of a Helsinki flat, with insects devouring it.
“I love cleaning, I love dirt,” declared the 30-year-old Finn, who has far more social media followers than Kondo, the Japanese tidying guru who has admitted embracing the messier side of life since having her third child.
Kananen has quickly become one of the world’s most successful “cleanfluencers,” traveling the globe hunting for “the dirtiest homes possible.”
“I remember when I had 19 followers. Even then it felt really cool to have 19 strangers wanting to see me clean,” said Kananen, or aurikatariina as she is known to her nine million followers on TikTok, with two million on YouTube.
In her upbeat videos, she dusts, scrubs and sorts, wearing her signature hot pink rubber gloves as zippy pop music plays in the background.
Her voiceovers often explain how the person she is helping ended up living in squalor.
“Usually people have some mental health problem or other tragedy that has happened in their lives,” Kananen told AFP.
The flat in Helsinki is the home of a depressed young man whose brother suffers from multiple sclerosis, she explained.
She can relate to people living in miserable conditions because she went through a period of depression herself, she said.
“I know how overwhelming it is,” she said.
But her experience has shown her that no situation is hopeless.
The comments sections of her videos are filled with people saying how her videos have helped them cope with their difficulties, praising her non-judgmental manner.
“I love how she is understanding the person in this situation and helping them instead of blaming them,” one commenter wrote.

With the global rise of TikTok, cleaning videos have become hugely popular on social media, inspiring a growing number to start posting content.
“I was watching videos and I thought, that’s what I do at home, I can just film myself doing it,” recalled 27-year-old Abbi, known as cleanwithabbi to her two million followers.
The English single mum films herself cleaning, doing the dishes and hoovering in her red brick home in Huyton near Liverpool.
Cleaning has always been an important part of her life as her youngest son Billy lives with sensory processing disorder.
“He really loves his routine and he does like things to be clean,” she said.
Now Abbi, who does not wish to reveal her full name, posts TikTok videos for a living. Brands sponsor her to use their products, and she earns between $720 and $1,200 a video.
Abbi — whose sons Jack and Billy are six and five — hits the record button on her phone and swiftly makes their beds, arranging the soft toys nicely.
“It relaxes me, it’s like therapy,” she told AFP.
“For me it’s like an escape from any worries I’ve got.”

Ann Russell, a 59-year-old full-time cleaner from the south of England, has a different approach.
Sitting on her sofa with her black dog Hollie, she answers a question from one of her TikTok followers, holding her phone up to her face.
To remove a felt tip mark from a wooden table without removing the varnish she recommends isopropyl alcohol: “Dip a cotton bud in it and just rub it gently.”
She said people need to be taught how to clean properly.
“If nobody told you, how on earth are you supposed to know?” she told AFP.
Russell makes between four and 12 videos every day, answering questions from her 2.3 million followers in a no-nonsense fashion.
“I turn the phone on, I talk to the phone, and that’s it. That’s about as good as it gets. I am not very proficient,” she said with a laugh.
The fact that cleaning “is satisfying” may be behind the videos’ success, Russell said.
Most of her and Abbi’s viewers are women and millennials, as well as people struggling to find the motivation to clean.
“Washing your socks, pairing them up and putting them in the drawer (gives) a sense of a good job well done,” she said.
“It makes people feel in control. And because they feel in control in their personal life, they feel that the outside world is a safer place.”
 


Prince Harry’s battle with British tabloids heads for courtroom showdown

Prince Harry’s battle with British tabloids heads for courtroom showdown
Updated 05 June 2023

Prince Harry’s battle with British tabloids heads for courtroom showdown

Prince Harry’s battle with British tabloids heads for courtroom showdown

LONDON: Prince Harry failed to appear on Monday at the High Court in London where he is suing a British tabloid publisher, with the judge saying he was surprised by his absence and a lawyer for the papers calling his no-show “extraordinary.”
Harry, King Charles’ younger son, will face hours of questioning in the witness box on Tuesday, becoming the first senior British royal to give evidence in court for 130 years.
He is one of more than 100 other high-profile figures suing the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), the publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, for alleged phone-hacking and other unlawful behavior between 1991 and 2011.
The trial began last month, as lawyers representing Harry and three other test claimants attempted to prove that unlawful information gathering was carried out with the knowledge and approval of senior editors and executives.
Harry’s allegations are the focus of the trial this week, and the prince had been expected to attend on Monday.
His lawyer David Sherborne told the judge, Timothy Fancourt, that Harry had flown from his home in Los Angeles on Sunday evening, after attending his daughter Lilibet’s second birthday, but was not available to give evidence on Monday.
“His travel arrangements are such and his security arrangements are such that it is a little bit tricky,” Sherborne told the packed courtroom.
Fancourt said he was “surprised” after he had asked that the first witness in each of the four test cases appear in court on the first day of their individual case.
MGN’s lawyer Andrew Green said it was “absolutely extraordinary” that the prince would not be there on Monday, and accused his legal team of wasting the court’s time, saying he had expected to start cross-examining the royal.
Green is seeking to question Harry for more than a day over 33 articles which the prince says were based on material which was unlawfully obtained. It means Harry could be returning to give further evidence on Wednesday.
MGN, now owned by Reach, apologized at the start of the trial for one admitted occasion that the Sunday People had unlawfully sought information about Harry, accepting he was entitled to compensation.
The publisher has previously admitted its titles were involved in phone-hacking and has settled more than 600 claims at a cost of more than 100 million pounds ($120 million) in damages and costs.
But it has rejected all Harry’s other allegations, saying he had no evidence for his claims. Buckingham Palace is likely to feature prominently in Harry’s cross-examination, with MGN arguing that some information had come from royal aides.

DISTRESS
In court documents, Harry says the impact of the alleged unlawful activities was to cause him “huge distress” and paranoia, blaming it for the breakdown of his relationship with ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy.
“Prince Harry was one of the most written-about individuals in these three newspapers,” said Sherborne, saying some 2,500 articles had appeared about Harry’s private life in the MGN titles.
“Stories about him were some of the most likely to drive sales and the suggestion that there was just one instance of unlawful information gathering at one of these newspapers, we say is plainly implausible.”
This week’s appearance will be the second time this year Harry has attended the High Court, after joining singer Elton John and others for hearings in March over their lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily and Sunday Mail tabloids.
Harry, the fifth-in-line to the throne, has barely been out of the headlines in the last six months.
He is in engaged in several legal battles with the British press, including a similar phone-hacking case against Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper arm.
The prince has also accused his family and their aides in his memoir and Netflix documentary series of colluding with tabloids. The palace has not commented on those accusations.


SRMG returns to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2023 with an exceptional line-up of leading industry figures

SRMG returns to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2023 with an exceptional line-up of leading industry figures
Updated 04 June 2023

SRMG returns to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2023 with an exceptional line-up of leading industry figures

SRMG returns to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2023 with an exceptional line-up of leading industry figures

RIYADH: SRMG, the largest integrated media group from the MENA region, is back at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for the second year with an even bigger presence at Rado Plage on the iconic Croisette. From June 19-23, SRMG is bringing together the leading names in media, tech and creativity for a series of panels, talks, workshops and live performances at the SRMG Beach Experience.

Over the course of five days, the SRMG Beach Experience will highlight the transformation and trends taking place in the creative and tech industries across the world through insightful conversations with the pioneers, entrepreneurs and executives from companies, such as Brut and TikTok. These leaders have created innovative platforms that have revolutionized the way the new generation consumes content. The program will explore challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the media and creative industries, and how to leverage disruptive advertising technologies and tech solutions. The in-depth discussions will also feature the latest names defining popular culture, including TV star Mo Amer, and award-winning songwriter and rapper Belly.

Panels and talks with the industry’s top innovators will delve into the biggest trends and challenges impacting our industry and what this means for the future of the media industry. The panels will explore how AI will impact the future of the creativity, how film and entertainment can bridge cultures, how the music scene in MENA is rising, and an insightful discussion on how communities have the power to build world-class brands.

The SRMG Beach Experience will also feature immersive and interactive artificial intelligence and augmented reality activations for attendees from some of SRMG’s leading brands, including an Asharq Business with Bloomberg AI video booth that will put guests' reporting skills to the test. Asharq Al-Awsat will have an arcade game, where players will have to choose between real and fake news. Manga Arabia will utilize the latest AI face filter technology to allow guests to transform into their favourite characters, and HIA Magazine will bring the latest fashion trends to life through augmented reality.

Since launching its transformation strategy in 2021, SRMG has supported, empowered, and championed local and regional creative talents, and established partnerships with some of the largest global companies. Cannes Lions is widely recognized as the premier festival for the media and creative industries, and provides a global stage for SRMG to showcase how it is redefining the media landscape. In 2022, SRMG’s participation at Cannes Lions represented the first MENA presence at the festival. There was significant interest from international companies to partner and collaborate with SRMG, which has led to several new agreements and initiatives. In 2023, SRMG has increased its presence to showcase its media and business portfolio on the global stage, partner with strategic and established brands, and elevate local and regional talent.

This year, SRMG also partnered with Cannes Lions to launch the first Saudi Young Lions competition. SRMG held a competition in Saudi Arabia to find the best young talent to compete in the global competition at Cannes.

“Nurturing young talent is an important aspect of our broader transformation strategy, and SRMG is focused on driving innovation and empowering the next generation of media leaders and content creators. We have partnered with global players to expand our portfolio and provide a stage to showcase our creative talent and stories to the world. This includes partnering with Cannes Lions to launch the first ever Saudi Young Lions competition, where the winners will represent Saudi Arabia at the Global Young Lions competition in Cannes.” said Jomana R. Al-Rashid, CEO of SRMG. “Cannes Lions is the perfect environment to highlight the creative revolution taking place in the MENA region. This is why we are excited to use this year’s festival as a platform to announce the next major step in our growth and expansion strategy.”

The stellar line up of industry greats will be complimented each night with live performances. And on Thursday night, June 22, SRMG is transforming the beach for the second edition of MENA Night, featuring live performances from renowned singer Elyanna, known for her unique fusion of Latin and Middle Eastern sounds, and one of the most celebrated artists from the region DJ Rodge.

Full details of panels, speakers and entertainment line-up will be announced shortly at canneslions.srmg.com.


‘What is a Woman?’ documentary tweet goes viral after Musk retweet

‘What is a Woman?’ documentary tweet goes viral after Musk retweet
Updated 03 June 2023

‘What is a Woman?’ documentary tweet goes viral after Musk retweet

‘What is a Woman?’ documentary tweet goes viral after Musk retweet
  • Twitter owner’s move comes after platform accused of stifling free speech 

LONDON: Elon Musk retweeted on Saturday the Daily Wire’s documentary on gender in the digital age, sparking a debate that saw the film gain over 110 million views and get retweeted at least 120,000 times.

The owner of Twitter wrote in his pinned tweet: “Every parent should watch this,” promoting “What is a Woman?”, which features American right-wing political commentator Matt Walsh.  

The move came a day after his platform was accused by users of stifling free speech for curtailing the film’s exposure on the basis of “misgendering.”

But Musk’s promotion of “What is a Woman?” was hailed by many Twitter users, including British broadcaster Piers Morgan, who replied with three claps.

Twitter user Silvia Penack said Musk’s backing for the film provided “two sides of the story” as opposed to “one-sided reporting.”

Another commentator shared a meme showing Musk standing up to a group of people who reject the documentary.

However, not everyone was pleased with Musk’s stance. Columnist Donna Miles said in response to the retweet: “People who want you to watch this so-called documentary clearly neither care about children’s safety nor women’s rights.”

Musk also promoted the film in his response to a tweet by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, in which the latter asked: “If aliens were to visit us right now, what’s one thing we’ve chosen to do as a society (that feels relatively simple or obvious) that would be super hard to explain?”

“What is a Woman?” was censored on Thursday by Twitter staff, but following accusations of “throttling free speech,” to which Musk did not respond, the film was allowed and retweeted by the platform’s owner, who said the initial rejection was “a mistake by many people at Twitter.”


Kremlin: Western journalists won’t get accreditation for Russian economic forum

Kremlin: Western journalists won’t get accreditation for Russian economic forum
Updated 03 June 2023

Kremlin: Western journalists won’t get accreditation for Russian economic forum

Kremlin: Western journalists won’t get accreditation for Russian economic forum
  • “It has indeed been decided this time not to accredit publications from unfriendly countries to the SPIEF,” Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS
  • “Interest in SPIEF is always great, all other journalists will work on the site“

MOSCOW: The Kremlin said on Saturday that journalists from “unfriendly countries” would not be allowed into the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which President Vladimir Putin has used to showcase the Russian economy to global investors.
“It has indeed been decided this time not to accredit publications from unfriendly countries to the SPIEF,” Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS, using the acronym for the forum which is held annually in Russia’s former imperial capital.
“Interest in SPIEF is always great, all other journalists will work on the site,” Peskov said. “Unfriendly countries” is a definition used by Moscow to describe those who have sanctioned it over the war in Ukraine.
Reuters’ Moscow bureau was told by the organizers of the forum on Friday that accreditation for its journalists had been canceled after receiving an earlier confirmation of accreditation on Thursday.
Reuters sought written clarification but none has been issued yet.
The Kremlin has repeatedly said it will not close “the window” to Europe which Tsar Peter the Great sought to open 300 years ago even though the West has imposed the most onerous sanctions in recent history over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.


NEOM, Telfaz11 sign deal to produce 9 film, TV projects

NEOM, Telfaz11 sign deal to produce 9 film, TV projects
Updated 02 June 2023

NEOM, Telfaz11 sign deal to produce 9 film, TV projects

NEOM, Telfaz11 sign deal to produce 9 film, TV projects
  • 2 movies, TV series already in development, partners say
  • Telfaz11 to open offices at NEOM media hub this year

LONDON: The Kingdom’s media production hub NEOM has signed a deal with studio Telfaz11 to cooperate on at least nine TV and film productions over the next three years.

Two movies and one TV series are already in development, the two sides said after the deal was agreed on Thursday.

Wayne Borg, managing director of media industries, entertainment and culture at NEOM, said: “Our mission is to create a new world-class media hub at NEOM, one that supports the region’s industry to compete and succeed globally.

“This partnership with Telfaz11 complements and accelerates. This partnership, coupled with our evolving infrastructure, crew depth, industry learning programs, and highly competitive incentive scheme shows we are well on our way to achieving these goals.”

Telfaz11’s CEO Alaa Faden said: “We couldn’t be more honored to be at the center of NEOM’s next generation media and entertainment ecosystem.

“Telfaz11 has consistently operated on the leading edge of innovation, from launching the first Netflix partnership in the region to leveraging our powerful social media presence. And this new partnership with NEOM is yet another milestone in that effort.”

As part of the new deal, Telfaz11 will also open offices at NEOM later this year.

One of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 megaprojects, NEOM is a high-tech smart city and global media hub. More than 30 productions have been shot there over the past 18 months, including “Desert Warrior,” “Dunki” and “Rise of the Witches.”