Middle East and north Africa

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‘The CGI would have cost millions. I spent $2,000.’ Is Dreams of Violets AI slop – or the future of film-making?

It should have taken years, but Ash Koosha made a drama about Iran’s anti-government protests in weeks – and now it’s the first AI-made movie to screen at a major film festival. It could transform indie film-making, claims the directorNext week a breakthrough 75-minute drama about the brutal crackdown in Iran on anti-government protesters in […]

‘The CGI would have cost millions. I spent $2,000.’ Is Dreams of Violets AI slop – or the future of film-making? Read More »

‘This isn’t freedom’: anger, anxiety and tears as Iran’s internet flickers back

After 88 days of near-total blackout, first reactions to the return of partial connectivity were not celebratoryAfter 88 days of near-total internet blackout in Iran, long-delayed messages, images and poems flooded phones and social media feeds at about 5pm on Tuesday, when still-limited connectivity flickered back to life.The first reactions, however, were not celebratory. Many

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Instagram, X and others blocking Saudi dissidents’ accounts

US social media firms acting on orders from Middle East kingdom accused of being ‘instruments of repression’Major US social media companies including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms have blocked the accounts of Saudi Arabian dissidents so they are no longer visible inside the kingdom, following orders by Saudi authorities.Those affected include Abdullah Alaoudh, a US-based

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‘It’s like stealing’: Palestinian family’s seized property listed on Booking.com

West Bank home described as ‘ideal for outdoor gatherings’ is among 41 listed rentals in illegal Israeli settlements Some of Mohammad al-Sbeih’s fondest childhood memories are of his small farm in the hills south of Bethlehem, where three generations of his family grew wheat and barley.“It was a hard plot to farm as it was

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Head of Microsoft’s Israel branch to step down after inquiry into dealings with Israeli military

The inquiry came after the Guardian revealed Israel used company technology to support mass surveillance of Palestinian phone callsThe head of Microsoft’s Israeli subsidiary will step down in the wake of an inquiry that has scrutinised its business dealings with the Israeli military.Microsoft ordered the inquiry last year in response to a Guardian investigation revealing

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‘If your wife asks you to change diapers, change your wife’: Lebanon’s hit show parodying the patriarchy

The female-created YouTube sketch series Smatouha Minni (You Heard It From Me) uses satire to confront misogynistic attitudes In Beirut’s Gemmayzeh neighbourhood a rented flat has been transformed into a film set: bright studio lights in a cosy living room. At its centre is Maria Elayan – though she is barely recognisable. Filming for the

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Sluts, simps and body shaming: the rise of Africa’s manosphere

Experts have been alarmed at the growth of deep misogyny dressed up as self-help on social media. We profile seven men from across the continent who are gaining tractionIt is not just Europe and the US that are grappling with a growing landscape of misogynistic influencers online. While Andrew Tate, Myron Gaines, Sneako and other

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Don’t blame AI for the Iran school bombing | Letters

Anthony Lawton and Dr Felicity Mellor on the importance of humans who design systems and execute decisions taking responsibility for themYour article on the Iran school bombing rightly challenges the reflex to blame artificial intelligence (AI got the blame for the Iran school bombing. The truth is far more worrying, 26 March). However, the deeper

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Trump’s video game war: AI, memes and a simplistic narrative have flattened the conflict | Nesrine Malik in Iran

What was supposed to be a quick win has become a quagmire, so it now must be reduced to a dopamine hitThe war on Iran, even as it spreads and destabilises the Middle East and the global economy, is not real. This is how it is being portrayed by the Trump administration. The war is

Trump’s video game war: AI, memes and a simplistic narrative have flattened the conflict | Nesrine Malik in Iran Read More »