A French court sentenced Moroccan pop artist Saad Lamjarred to five years in prison following his conviction in a sexual assault case involving a young woman. During the sentencing hearing at the Draguignan Court, Lamjarred appeared visibly emotional upon the reading of the verdict, breaking into tears and embracing his wife and mother-in-law. Notably, the court did not issue an immediate arrest warrant, as the artist had been appearing before the judiciary while out on bail. The French prosecution had originally sought a 10-year prison sentence for the Moroccan singer. However, the court settled on a five-year term, alongside ordering Lamjarred to pay €30,000 in financial compensation to the plaintiff, in addition to €5,000 to cover legal fees. The case dates back to 2018, in the southeastern resort town of Saint-Tropez, France. Lamjarred had met a young woman working as a waitress at a local nightclub. She later accompanied him...

Egypt has surpassed Spain to become the top winter destination for German travelers during the current season. According to the German travel magazine Dertour, industry experts attribute the success of the Egyptian tourism sector to its stable climate, short flights, and a diverse portfolio of premium travel packages. The findings were published in the latest travel barometer released by Dertour Germany for the winter season spanning November 1, 2025, to February 28, 2026. The comprehensive analysis compared booking data compiled across prominent travel brands, including Dertour, ITS, Meiers Weltreisen, and Travelix Last Minute, against the corresponding period from the previous year. The CEO of Dertour for Germany and Austria, Boris Raoul, noted that customer volumes remained stable compared to the prior winter season. “This trend represents a highly positive indicator, particularly given the challenging consumer climate,” Raoul stated. He added that the winter season experienced an exceptional, strong start, recording...

New York —  AI probably won’t take your job anytime soon. At least not all of it. Concerns about artificial intelligence replacing human workers have simmered over the past year as companies slash headcounts, AI models grow more capable of office work and businesses integrate AI more deeply into their operations. AI was the top reason companies cited for job cuts in April for the second month in a row, the executive outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said Thursday. “The anxiety around AI at work is real—from fears of job loss to the pressure to keep up with rapidly evolving technology,” Microsoft wrote in a report about how AI is changing jobs released last week. But the reality of AI in the workplace isn’t so black-and-white, experts say. Companies are using AI to automate certain parts of jobs rather than replace entire positions. Business leaders are figuring out what AI...

Jerusalem —  Despite a fragile US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, Israel carried out strikes on Gaza City targeting Hamas’ most senior military leader, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, according to a joint statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. The Israeli strikes killed at least seven people, with more than 50 others injured and taken to Al-Shifa Hospital, according to the emergency services in Gaza. It was not immediately clear if al-Haddad was one of the dead. Israel accused al-Haddad of being responsible for and one of the “architects” behind the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, and for holding hostages in the attack’s aftermath. Israel also accused al-Haddad of refusing “to implement the agreement led by US President (Donald) Trump for Hamas to disarm and for the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.” Emergency services in Gaza said Israel struck a residential building in the al-Rimal neighborhood near Gaza City...

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives to attend talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, Russia, on April 27. Dmitri Lovetsky/AP Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is demanding the release of four Iranians detained by Kuwait, which suspects them of trying to infiltrate the Persian Gulf nation. “In clear attempt to sow discord, Kuwait has unlawfully attacked an Iranian boat and detained 4 of our citizens in the Persian Gulf,” Araghchi posted Wednesday on X. “This illegal act took place near island used by the U.S. to attack Iran.” “We demand immediate release of our nationals and reserve right to respond,” the minister added, without addressing the allegations of an attempt to infiltrate. On Tuesday, Kuwaiti state media reported that authorities arrested four individuals described as members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who were trying to infiltrate the country to “carry out hostile acts.” The Iranians...

Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi, who was recently granted bail and transferred to a hospital in Tehran, faces “irreversible harm” if authorities continue to delay specialized medical care, more than 100 Nobel Prize winners have said in a letter. Some 113 signatories called for the “urgent unconditional release” and the “drop of all unfair charges” against 54-year-old Mohammadi, who was awarded the Nobel in 2023 for her “fight against the oppression of women in Iran.” Mohammadi has shown “severe weight loss,” “unstable blood pressure” and “serious cardiac symptoms” in recent days, according to a statement released by the Nobel laureates on Tuesday. “The denial of such care places her at risk of irreversible harm,” the statement added. On Wednesday, the Narges Foundation, which is run by Mohammadi’s family, said that she underwent an angiography, a type of X-ray, to evaluate her heart health. It indicated “significant deterioration and progression of the...

Egyptian actress Yasmine Sabri made a stunning appearance at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival, joining an elite gathering of global cinema icons for the prestigious event. Sabri shared a behind-the-scenes video of her time at the festival with her followers on Instagram. In the clip, she appeared carrying a bouquet of flowers captioned with the short phrase: “Hello Cannes.” She turned heads in two distinct looks during her time at the festival – a white dress and a gold one. Sabri recently wrapped up filming the final scenes of her new movie, “Nasib” (Fate).  The film stars Moatasem Al-Nahar, Khaled Sarhan, and Rahma Ahmed. The production was carried out by Show Media Production, headed by Mahmoud al-Sheikh and General Manager Mohamed Sanjar. The film is written by Ahmed Abdel Fattah and directed by Ahmed Khaled Amin. Source link

The United Arab Emirates denied Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a secret visit to the Persian Gulf nation, after the Israeli leader’s office released a statement about the trip. “The United Arab Emirates denies all circulating reports with regard to a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the UAE, or any Israeli military entourage on UAE soil,” the UAE Foreign Ministry posted on X. “The UAE would like to emphasize that its relations with Israel are crystal clear and were established within the clear framework determined by the Abraham Accords — meaning they are not conducted through secretive back-channeling,” the ministry added. The Abraham Accords were agreements signed during US President Donald Trump’s previous term, under which the UAE and and Bahrain normalized relations with Israel. Expanding the Abraham accords to include other Arab states has been a top foreign policy goal for the Trump...

A top adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates decried “confrontations and conflict” in relations between Iran and its Arab neighbors and renewed a call for a negotiated “political solution” to the US-Israeli war with Iran. Anwar Gargash made the comments in a post on X shortly after the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that he made a secret trip to the UAE during the war. “We did not seek this war, and we worked sincerely to avoid it,” Gargash posted to X. “Arab-Iranian relations in the Gulf cannot be built on confrontations and conflicts in a region whose peoples are bound by deep-rooted geographical and historical ties.” He added that defending the UAE is “a sacred duty” and that the Persian Gulf country would “protect its sovereignty.” But, he said, the UAE’s priority remains achieving political solutions. “As the world follows the crucial visit...

Oakland, Calif. —  Elon Musk’s lawyer began his cross examination of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in court on Tuesday with a brief question: “Are you completely trustworthy?” Musk is suing the company and its leaders over allegations that OpenAI, Altman and president Greg Brockman breached their charitable trust when OpenAI shifted from its nonprofit mission to include a profit-oriented structure. Microsoft, an early investor in OpenAI, is named as a co-defendant. Musk’s lawyer grilled Altman about accusations of dishonesty from OpenAI’s board members, his investments and his brief, tumultuous ousting as CEO in 2023. In contrast, OpenAI’s attorney suggested Musk, who helped create and fund the company, angled early for total control of OpenAI as Altman pushed back to ensure the powerful tech was not dominated by just one person. Musk wants the judge to order OpenAI to revert to a nonprofit and for Altman and Brockman to lose their board...