Features

STOCKHOLM — Nobel Literature Prize laureate Jon Fosse on Thursday said that “writing can save lives”, as he reflected on the many suicides that featured in his writing.

“If my writing also can help to save the lives of others, nothing would make me happier,” the Norwegian playwright said in his Nobel lecture in Stockholm ahead of Sunday’s gala prize ceremony.

Fosse noted that there were more suicides in his works “than I like to think about”.

“I have been afraid that I, in this way, may have contributed to legitimising suicide,” Fosse said.

However, the author said that he had been deeply touched by congratulations following the announcement of his Nobel nod, where fans said his writing “had quite simply saved their lives”.

“In a sense I have always known that writing can save lives, perhaps it has even saved my own life,” Fosse said.

Announcing the prize in early October, the Swedish Academy said the 64-year-old was honoured “for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable”.

Sometimes compared to Samuel Beckett, another Nobel-winning playwright, Fosse’s work is minimalistic, relying on simple language that delivers its message through rhythm, melody and silence.

Fosse will receive his prize, which comes with a medal and a sum of 11 million Swedish kronor (about $1 million), from King Carl XVI Gustaf at a formal ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of the 1896 death of scientist and inventor Alfred Nobel.

HAVANA — As one of the greatest living exponents of romantic bolero music, 82-year-old Migdalia Hechavarria was thrilled on Tuesday to hear that UNESCO has recognised it as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, calling the musical form “identity, emotion and poetry turned into song”.

There was little else for Hechavarria to do except break into song.

So she celebrated with an old bolero standard, “Me faltabas tu”.

“I sing it a cappella, I sing it with a tumba [drum], but always my bolero,” she tells AFP at her home, because “it is the music that makes you live.”

With a voice that delights, Hechavarria has taken bolero around the world, singing with such stars as Omara Portuondo and the late Celia Cruz, Elena Burke, Cesar Portillo and Ignacio Villa (Bola de Nieve).

“Bolero is a feeling. It’s a soft, sweet thing, for people to enjoy, for those who want to fall in love, to fall in love, for those who want to kiss, to kiss,” adds Hechavarría, who has been singing for 25 years at the Gato Tuerto, a bolero bastion in Havana.

UNESCO on Tuesday said bolero combines European poetic style with African rhythms and sentiments of native Americans, with songs passed down within families.

On an island with genres such as Cuban son and rumba, singers also live and breathe bolero — often on street corners for the enjoyment of passersby.

Drummer Pedro Luis Carrillo, 52, has been singing boleros on Havana’s seaside esplanade for 30 years, and still admits surprise that the “wonderful music” enthuses tourists.

Cuban and Mexican 

As a musical form, bolero was born in Santiago in south-eastern Cuba at the end of the 19th century, and later took root as well in all of Mexico.

The candidacy of bolero as intangible heritage of humanity was presented jointly by Cuba and Mexico, which called it “an indispensable element of the sentimental song of Latin America”.

In a popular bar in Mexico City, Jose Antonio Ferrari, 72 years old and half-a-century singing boleros, performs “Sabor a mí.”

“The bolero is the soundtrack that moves the sensations and the most intimate fibers of the human being,” he tells AFP.

In 1932 Consuelo Velazquez, known popularly as Consuelito, performed “Besame mucho”, a song about unrequited love later sung by such luminaries as Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and the Beatles.

The golden age of Mexican cinema was also key in the diffusion of the genre, with interpretations by the legendary Pedro Infante, while Cuban bolero singers like Benny More and Rita Montaner made their careers in Mexico.

‘As long as love exists’ 

The Mexicano singer Jose Jose, known as the nation’s romantic voice, played Alvaro Carrillo, author of the bolero classic “Sabor a mi”, in a movie of that name, and his compatriot composer Armando Manzanero played a key role in the albums of popular singer Luis Miguel that won two Grammys.

Since 1987, Cuba has organised the Golden Bolero Festival to promote the genre. In 2001, nearly 600 bolero singers from Cuba and abroad sang for 76 consecutive hours at the festival in what was billed as “the longest bolero in the world”.

Ferrari says that in Mexico, just as in Cuba, most bolero singers are over age 60 and must compete with lots of other musical styles in bars and cantinas.

Even so, he is confident that “as long as love and heartbreak exist, there will be beautiful things like the bolero”.

NEW YORK — With a prolific musical output, a remarkably bankable tour and a name that’s headline catnip, it’s no surprise that Time Magazine has declared 2023 the Year of Taylor Swift.

In its annual issue honouring a Person of the Year — a nearly century-old designation whose recipients include Volodymyr Zelensky, Martin Luther King Jr. and Greta Thunberg — the magazine called music’s reigning deity a “rare person who is both the writer and hero of her own story”.

Nearly two decades into her career the 33-year-old’s star simply keeps rising: Swift is smashing industry records, and her conversation-commanding “Eras” tour is set to bring in an estimated $2 billion in revenue — and become the first tour to cross the symbolic $1-billion mark.

With hundreds of millions of social media followers and a staunchly loyal fan base, she can move any dial with the tiniest of efforts.

“Taylor Swift found a way to transcend borders and be a source of light,” Time editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs wrote in a statement. “Much of what Swift accomplished in 2023 exists beyond measurement.”

“She mapped her journey and shared the results with the world: she committed to validating the dreams, feelings and experiences of people, especially women, who felt overlooked and regularly underestimated.”

By some estimates her sprawling empire is worth more than $1 billion, and the massive $92.8 million opening this fall of her tour-documenting film is but another jewel on the artist’s crown.

Advance ticket sales for the movie topped $100 million worldwide, theater operator AMC said, making it the best-selling feature-length concert film in history.

And Swift’s blossoming romance with Kansas City Chiefs football player Travis Kelce has also brought the NFL a whole new wave of fans, as her hundreds of millions of social media followers track the couple’s every move.

It’s not new for Swift, who since her teenage years has seen her dating life broadcast to the world.

“There’s a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don’t know where it is, and you have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once,” she said of the current frenzy around her game-day appearances.

“I’m just there to support Travis,” she continued. “I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads and Chads.”

‘Taylor’s Version’ 

After winning a mainstream audience for her introspective country songs, Swift went full pop for her fifth studio album, “1989”.

It was “an imperial phase”, she said in Time, a moment that saw her seemingly reach her zenith.

The years that followed grew increasingly taxing, she said, as the public grew weary of constant attention on her at a moment before US society had re-examined its hyperfixation on and criticism of young female celebrities.

Her media-hyped feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian didn’t help: “I had all the hyenas climb on and take their shots,” Swift says.

The difficult moment coincided with the satisfaction of her record deal with Scott Borchetta at Nashville’s Big Machine Records.

Swift decided it was time to move on and signed a major new deal with Universal that granted more agency and ownership of her own work.

But her relationship with Big Machine haunted her, as the sale of her catalog to a private equity firm triggered a massive dispute over musicians’ rights — and a bold new era of Swift’s career.

She publicly assailed Borchetta as well as her former manager Scooter Braun — who founded the rights holding company that acquired Swift’s catalog — as a “manipulative” bully who took advantage of her professionally when she was a fledgling star.

Her cunning next move was a huge risk that perhaps only an artist of her stature and wealth could take: Swift decided she would re-record her first six albums to own their rights, urging her fans to listen to “Taylor’s Version” instead of previous releases.

Swift has sweetened her re-records with previously unreleased tracks — like the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” — breaking records, delighting ardent fans and bringing new Swifties into the fold.

As she drops re-records, Swift has also released four albums of new work since 2019’s “Lover”, including last year’s “Midnights”, which is poised to earn her a fourth Album of the Year Grammy.

Doing so would see her surpass the likes of Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder as the winningest artist of the ceremony’s most prestigious prize.

“This is the proudest and happiest I’ve ever felt, and the most creatively fulfilled and free I’ve ever been,” Swift told Time. “Ultimately, we can convolute it all we want, or try to overcomplicate it, but there’s only one question.”

“Are you not entertained?”

LOS ANGELES — US actor Jamie Foxx made his first public appearance in Hollywood since suffering a mysterious medical emergency, telling an award show that he had not been able to even walk six months ago.

Making a surprise appearance at the Critics’ Choice Association’s Celebration of Cinema and Television in Los Angeles Monday night, Foxx said he had “been through some things”.

“It’s crazy. I couldn’t do that six months ago, I couldn’t actually walk,” he told the audience.

“I wouldn’t wish what I went through on my worst enemy, because it’s tough when you almost... when it’s almost over, when you see the tunnel,” Foxx added.

The Oscar-winner did not explain the nature of the illness, which occurred in April in the state of Georgia, where the 55-year-old was filming a Netflix movie.

But he joked: “I saw the tunnel, I didn’t see the light! It was hot in that tunnel too. I don’t know what was going on... ‘am I going to the right place?’ I see the devil going, ‘C’mon!’”

Foxx, an actor, comedian and Grammy-winning singer, won an Academy Award in 2005 for the Ray Charles musical biopic “Ray”.

Earlier this year he was filming “Back in Action”, co-starring Cameron Diaz, in Georgia.

In an Instagram message in July, Foxx told fans he had been “to hell and back”, and shared that his “road to recovery had some potholes as well”.

Monday’s award ceremony honoured Black, Latino and Asian American performers who have appeared in movies contending for prizes this year.

Foxx received the Vanguard Award for “The Burial”, a legal drama co-starring Tommy Lee Jones.

Other honorees on Monday night included America Ferrera (“Barbie”), Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”) and Colman Domingo (“The Colour Purple”.)

ASIKKALA, Finland — In his rustic cabin in the forests of southern Finland, 87-year-old Erkki Pekkarinen carves delicate strips of birch bark with his knife, before intricately weaving them into beautiful objects.

“I started practising at the age of 10. You could say that for 77 years I’ve been fiddling with birch bark,” Pekkarinen tells AFP.

While wood is generally perceived as a robust and inflexible material, Pekkarinen insists that, with the right technique, birch bark can be used to make “anything you can imagine”.

His art gallery in Asikkala is filled with a myriad of objects constructed of nothing but strips of birch bark woven together without glue or nails.

When properly processed, the cardboard-like honey-hued bark from the black and white boreal tree can be effortlessly cut and flexed.

Pekkarinen has crafted everything from detailed wooden jewellery and handbags to small toy ducks and backpacks.

His piece de resistance is a full suit, complete with a hat, briefcase and shoes.

It creaks and rustles as he puts it on but it is surprisingly flexible when Pekkarinen walks around the cabin, which is brimming with his wooden artwork

Born in the eastern Finnish town of Lieksa, Pekkarinen says his interest in bark dates back to his youth when he worked as a lumberjack.

“I liked to spend my time at the logging camp crafting all kinds of things. There was plenty of free time back then,” he says.

Stone Age traditions 

He recalls birds gnawing through colleagues’ cotton backpacks to steal their lunch while they were felling trees but his own food remained safe in his sturdy bark rucksack.

Full bark suits may have been rare in the Nordic country’s past but the age-old tradition of weaving birch bark into everyday items dates far back.

Tracing its origins to the Stone Age, birch bark has served a role akin to our contemporary use of plastic, from boxes for storing berries to small toys for children.

With its water-resistant and insulating properties, the early inhabitants of the Arctic region traversed snowy forests with bark shoes on their feet and bark packs on their shoulders.

The material was once so valuable that it left its mark on the Finnish language — the expression “to collect bark” still means “to make money”.

Pekkarinen said that with the correct technique, the bark can be removed from the trunk without killing the tree.

“It will still be usable in 10 years,” Pekkarinen says, holding a roll of bark that he has cleaned and dried.

Using a stockpile of bark that he gets from friends and family, Pekkarinen crafts whatever comes into his mind.

“You can make whatever your imagination will allow,” he says, showing off a football-sized bark version of a COVID-19 virus, complete with spikes extending in every direction.

If not the automotive unicorn that is the little known early W12-cylinder engine version of Audi’s fifth generation full-size luxury model line, the A8 L 60 TFSI is however a hidden gem. Sitting between the most popular V6-powered A8 55 TFSI and sporting S8 variants, the 60 TFSI is probably the best all-round version. Not to be confused with the more recently added V6 hybrid model bearing an “e” at the end of its designation, the 60 TFSI might even possibly be the best in its segment.

Statuesque style

A quietly introduced and slightly late-coming version of the current high tech A8 line-up that first launched in late 2017, the A8 L 60 TFSI shares the same advanced aluminium construction, Audi AI-enabled autonomous potential and processing power, not to mention the shared 48V mild-hybrid hardware. The long wheelbase 60 TFSI is a more effortlessly muscular alternative to the entry level version, but also delivers performance and driving dynamic levels that are not far behind the sportier standard wheelbase S8, when equipped with optional four-wheel-steering and active electromechanical suspension.

Statuesque in style, the A8’s subtly sculpted surfacing, smoothly arcing roofline and level waistline lends it a conservative air of discretion. Mildly refreshed in 2021, the A8 notably receives a more eye-catching studded mesh to its enormous hexagonal grille, which serves as a design focal point that projects an assertive intent. 

Under the skin, the fifth generation A8 is lighter yet 24 per cent stiffer than its predecessor, with improved ride comfort and handling characteristics and better fuel efficiency owing to its un-intrusive and fluently integrated mild hybrid system.

Muscularly sure-footed

Positioned just ahead of the front axle, the A8 60’s twin-turbocharged 4-litre V8 engine is muscular and effortlessly flexible. Its quick spooling turbos and short gas flow paths allow excellent responsiveness from standstill, and a swift 4.4-second sprint through 0-100km/h. Smooth yet urgent climbing to its 454BHP maximum at 5,500rpm, the 60 TFSI’s generous, broad and accessible 486lb/ft torque throughout 1,850-4,500rpm provides abundant versatility. Its smooth and quick 8-speed automatic gearbox is intuitive and helps optimise output for performance, flexibility and efficiency, while automatic cylinder deactivation further reduces fuel consumption.

Like all longitudinal layout Audis, the A8 L’s Quattro four-wheel-drive works to dynamically counteract its inherent front-heavy weighting and provide unambiguously segment-leading levels of road-holding and traction. Operating with a nominal 60% rear bias but able to alter power distribution as necessary, the A8 drives in a tidier manner than expected, while an optional limited-slip rear differential lends further agility and stability. Supplementing this is a standard adaptive air suspension system that provides both comfort and body control as needed, and quick, precise and well-weight steering feel.

High tech handling

It is however the A8 L’s sophisticated optional electromechanical suspension and all-wheel-steering system that prove transformative in regards to ride and handling characteristics. Powered by the same 48V mild hybrid system that runs electrical systems and enables longer fuel-saving coasting, its electromechanical suspension is controlled by its quick AI processing system. It leverages numerous sensors, radars and cameras to independently control each wheel’s vertical movement with individual electric motors, to provide sublime control, comfort and agility, and can even raise the car to better protect occupants in anticipation of a collision.

Slicing through corners with the body control of much stiffer-riding sporting car and the sure-footedness typical of Audi’s Quattro system, the A8 L 60’s active electromechanical suspension intuitively reads the road, car’s position and other parameters to fluently, quickly and accurately adjust wheel position and ride firmness. Four-wheel-steering meanwhile turns the rear wheels in the same direction as the front at higher speeds for better agility, road-holding and tighter cornering lines, and opposite to the front at lower speeds for enhanced maneuverability through city streets and narrow switchbacks.

Swift yet serene

Cornering with the keen agility of an even smaller and lighter car than lighter, shorter and more basic A8 versions, the 60 TFSI’s high tech suspension, steering and four-wheel-drive systems work in concert to keep it nimble, taut, composed, committed and crisply accurate, when hurried along snaking routes. Its electromechanical suspension meanwhile subtly adjusts individual wheels to keep the car level and smooth over heavily textured road surfaces. At speed, it is impeccably stable and reassuring, with a thoroughly comfortable ride quality, and quiet and refined ambiance inside.

A swift yet serene luxury express, the long wheelbase A8 L’s cabin has an elegant ambiance combining rich, high quality leathers, suedes, metals and woods with sophisticated  equipment including a configurable digital instrument panel and twin screen high tech infotainment system with voice recognition. Uncluttered inside, the A8 L’s horizontally-oriented design emphasises its spacious interior, which includes a comfortable and well-supportive driving position and generous rear legroom. Extensive equipment levels include massaging seats and active noise cancellation, and numerous safety and advanced driver assistance systems bordering on self-driving capabilities.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Engine: 4-litre, twin-turbo, in-line V8-cylinders
• Bore x stroke: 84.5 x 89mm
• Compression ratio: 10.5:1
• Valve-train: 32-valve, DOHC, direct injection
• Gearbox: 8-speed automatic, four-wheel-drive
• Drive-line: self-locking centre differential, optional limited-slip rear-differential
• Power distribution, F/R: 40% / 60%
• Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 454 (460) [338] @5,500rpm
• Specific power: 113.6BHP/litre
• Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 486.8 (660) @1,850-4,500rpm
• Specific torque: 165.3Nm/litre
• 0-100km/h: 4.4-seconds
• Top speed: 250km/h (electronically governed)
• Fuel capacity: 82-litres
• Length: 5,320mm
• Width: 1,945mm
• Height: 1,488mm
• Wheelbase: 3,128mm
• Track, F/R: 1,645 / 1,633mm
• Aerodynamic drag co-efficient: 0.27
• Luggage volume: 505-litres
• Kerb weight: 2,150-2,300kg (estimate)
• Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion, all-wheel steering
• Turning Circle: 11.8-meters
• Suspension: Five-link, active electro-mechanical suspension
• Brakes: Ventilated & perforated discs
• Tyres: 265/40R20

Her passion for learning and engaging with children was what fuelled Shireen Sabanegh’s decision to explore and dedicate time to writing children’s books.

“Storytelling was not only a part of my work at the Children’s Museum Jordan [CMJ], but represented the vibrant soul of these places, as museums deal beautifully with stories of humanity,” says Sabanegh as she explains her natural transition into writing.

During her 11 years at CMJ, she constantly looked for creative ways to help children explore the world around them, she says. This creative aspect continues to guide her toward writing stories that spark curiosity and enhance understanding for children.

With her long black hair and twinkling brown eyes, the vibrant museum professional turned children’s book author, believes that museums portray history and showcase art expressions, culture and scientific evolution. For her, books carry the same essence, serving as tools that narrate tales and convey imagination and knowledge.

Life lessons and values

This year, she debuted with two children’s books in Arabic titled Maymouna and Her Crazy Ideas and Knock Knock, produced by Hachette Antoine in Lebanon. “I use these books as a tool to convey values such as accepting the other and building self-confidence,” says the mother of three.

These stories integrate themes into engaging plots, allowing young readers to absorb important life lessons naturally, steering clear of preachy narratives:

“Children are extremely witty listeners and readers and if they spot a moral lesson from the beginning of the plot, they immediately lose interest,” notes the bubbly author.

Ingraining Self-confidence

Maymouna and Her Crazy Ideas highlights self-confidence, urging children to overcome fear and rely on their personal and social abilities for innovation and creative thinking. “Building self-confidence is essential in helping children face challenges and contribute positively to their communities,” states Sabanegh.

Friendship, she says, is significant in cultivating empathy and cooperation, providing children with the tools to build meaningful connections and contribute to a supportive social environment.

Given the rapid changes and challenges in today’s world, the author believes that instilling these values equips children with essential life skills that empower them to navigate complexities and contribute positively to their communities and beyond.

The main goal of both stories is to inspire children to become positive and tolerant individuals, who joyfully accept differences and have confidence in their ability to achieve success.

Transforming challenges into strengths

As for her book Knock Knock, it focuses on the theme of disability, illustrating how creativity and acceptance can transform challenges into strengths, with an emphasis on values of tolerance, respect for natural diversity and acceptance.

This story is unconventional with characters distinguished by their charm and uniqueness. Also, mystery is used to ensure unpredictable outcomes in the story.

A thirst for knowledge 

Currently residing in the United Kingdom with her husband and children, Sabanegh works part-time on designing creative learning programmes that support primary students’ learning within schools.

In the current context, with everything happening around the world, she feels the “need to introduce values such as accepting differences, building selfconfidence and fostering friendship which is now more crucial than ever”.

Navigating a globalised world

We live in a world marked by increasing diversity and interconnectedness, and for her teaching children, these values lay the foundation for a more inclusive and harmonious society. The author explains that “being proud of our own Arab identity, culture and heritage, while accepting that we live on a diverse planet, promotes tolerance and understanding”. Thus, preparing children to navigate a globalised world where change is a constant.

Books and abstract concepts

As a storyteller, Sabanegh believes that children’s books can help tackle tough topics in a way that connects with children. Stories, she says, have the potential to humanise and simplify complex situations, offering different perspectives and allowing children, through connecting with characters, to grapple with moral dilemmas, fostering a sense of compassion and a desire for peace.

She believes that, by weaving these difficult concepts into narratives, a safe space is created for children to explore emotions and morals. “Characters in stories can help children see different sides of war and conflict, encouraging compassion and a desire for peace.”

Stories spark discussions about values like justice and cooperation, guiding kids to make their own judgements and develop a sense of right and wrong.

For the author, children’s books aren’t just stories; they’re tools to help kids make sense of a sometimes confusing world and, hopefully, inspire a generation that values peace and understands the importance of empathy.

The shift

When asked about if she feels a shift to going back to hard copy books globally, she says she’s a fan of the physical book experience: “There’s a certain beauty in everything tangible that captivates the senses — the thrill of flipping a page, the aroma of a new book, and the feeling of accomplishment when you reach the final page and close the book.”

Although digital formats like e-books and audio books have become popular for their portability and easy access, many readers, especially when sharing stories with children, still cherish the tangible sensory aspect of physical books.

The children’s books’ author recognises that preferences for physical or digital books can differ among regions, age groups and reading communities.

But “some, like myself, find comfort in the simplicity of holding a physical book, while others value the convenience of having an entire library on a digital device.”

In this digital age, we must embrace the changes it brings. However, the author believes that, as digital becomes more prevalent, “the tangible qualities of physical books become even more unique, ensuring that they are here to stay”. 

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

RIYADH — Couturier Adnan Akbar’s past clients included Princess Diana and two French first ladies, but until recently he had never staged a major fashion show in his native Saudi Arabia.

The 74-year-old, dubbed the “Saint Laurent of the Middle East”, was among the most decorated designers at this year’s inaugural Riyadh Fashion Week.

On a runway set up in Riyadh’s financial district, in front of a mixed-gender crowd of Instagram influencers and diplomats, models donned more than two dozen of Akbar’s floor-length gowns, and one wedding dress sewn from French lace.

It was a world away from most prior fashion shows in the Gulf kingdom: small, women-only gatherings in private homes or, in one famous example, a public show that did away with models altogether, hanging dresses from flying drones.

“It’s a huge change, what’s happening now,” said Abdullah Akbar, Adnan’s son and managing director of the family brand.

“I think the world is seeing how creative we are, the strength of the designs that we have.”

But as the Saudi government extends previously unheard-of support to veterans like Adnan Akbar along with up-and-comers bringing out their first collections, it remains to be seen whether authorities can develop the infrastructure needed to support them.

‘Build local economy’ 

The Saudi fashion industry last year accounted for $12.5 billion, or 1.4 per cent of national GDP and employed 230,000 people, according to a report by the official Saudi Fashion Commission.

Under the right conditions, the report argues, the industry could become “a major driver” of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform agenda, which aims to transition the world’s biggest crude oil exporter away from fossil fuels and transform it into a business, sports and tourism hub.

One challenge will be lowering the current dependence on imports. In 2021, the kingdom spent $7.3 billion on imported fashion goods, the fashion commission report said.

With that in mind, Riyadh Fashion Week was structured to showcase local talent rather than well-known international designers.

Beyond Adnan Akbar and Mohammed Ashi, who has dressed celebrities including Beyonce and Zendaya, the line-up was rounded out by Saudis with much less visibility overseas.

“We are basically creating curiosity around a group of designers that have never been explored and seen from outside,” said Fashion Commission Chief Executive Burak Cakmak.

The fact that these designers already have “healthy businesses” at home points to the strength of the local market, Cakmak said.

Projects like a new manufacturing space, the commission’s first, expected to open in Riyadh next year, will help keep more of these brands’ value chains in the country, Cakmak said, potentially making fashion more of a force for the non-oil economic growth authorities want to see.

“Ultimately, our goal is to build the local economy,” he said.

‘Gap in the market’ 

Broader societal changes introduced under Prince Mohammed have also created new opportunities for Saudi designers.

“There are a lot of women in very high professions... who want to look professional, and they want to look respected, so I started designing suits and long blazers,” she said.

“Especially in a city like Riyadh, you can expect that everybody after work is spending time with friends and family outside until late hours in public spaces, which means that people are dressing differently than they would for an occasion at home,” Cakmak said.

Demand for street-wear has skyrocketed among new brands, yielding sweatshirts and jackets.

“And they all have a local twist,” Cakmak said, citing hoodies inspired by traditional Saudi thobes, the traditional white robes worn by men, and garments incorporating Arabic calligraphy.

During a meet-up with investors in New York in October, one such street-wear brand -- 1886 -- sealed an investment deal with Turmeric Capital, whose Chairman Ravi Thakran compared what’s happening in Saudi Arabia’s fashion industry to what he witnessed in China two decades ago.

“A decade from now,” Thakran said, “I believe books will be written about the colossal changes as Saudi increases its economic presence across Asia.”

WASHINGTON — Amazon on Tuesday released its own AI chatbot intended for businesses, about one year after ChatGPT took the world by storm.

“Q” will be available only to Amazon’s AWS cloud computing customers and will be in direct competition with OpenAI’s ChatGPT as well as Google’s Bard and Microsoft’s copilots that also run on OpenAI’s technology.

Chatbots targeted at businesses have become the main battleground for generative AI, a year after ChatGPT wowed the world with its ability to churn out expert and human-like content instantaneously.

Costing $20 monthly per user, Amazon Q will perform a variety of tasks including summarizing uploaded documents and answering questions about specific data sitting on a company’s servers.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy plugged Amazon Q as a more secure version of an AI chatbot in which access to content will be more closely controlled.

This was designed to reassure companies that have been put off by the technology’s tendency to churn out incorrect or inappropriate answers, sometimes called hallucinations.

“If a user doesn’t have permission to access certain data without Amazon Q, they can’t access it using Amazon Q either,” Jassy said in a post on X.

AWS CEO Andrew Selipsky insisted that cloud customers using Q could also limit their chatbots to a very limited and predetermined source of data.

While presenting the company’s latest AI developments, Selipsky also took a veiled swipe at Microsoft.

For AI tasks, Microsoft, AWS’s biggest rival, depends on OpenAI, the company that suffered an embarrassing boardroom dustup this month that saw CEO Sam Altman fired and rehired five days later.

Selipsky said the tumult showed that businesses needed to depend on a variety of AI providers.

“You need a real choice . . . The events of the past 10 days have made that very clear,” Selipsky said at the event in Las Vegas.

ATLANTA — Young Thug’s lyrics describe the violence-plagued and poverty-stricken environment the rapper grew up in, but are not  evidence of criminal activity, his lawyer Brian Steel said in court on Tuesday.

Attorney Brian Steel detailed the artist’s rags-to-riches trajectory as part of the defence’s opening statements in a sprawling racketeering trial targeting the rapper and others, which began in earnest this week after months of painstaking jury selection, courtroom dramas and myriad delays.

The US state of Georgia accuses the Grammy-winning rapper of leading a street gang fronted by his record label, YSL, and is prepared to controversially present rap verses as proof of real-life crimes.

The defence insists no such crime ring exists, and that presenting lyrics in court as confessions amounts to a violation of free speech and artistic licence.

In a lengthy opening, Steel described Young Thug’s upbringing in since-closed housing projects in Atlanta, where his family could barely afford food or utilities and lived in a community riven by violence fueled by severe poverty.

His raps detail murders, shootings and drug use because “this is the environment that he grew up, these are the people he knew, these are stories he knew”, Steel said.

The attorney said the artist aspired to fame to “break the generational hopelessness” experienced by his family.

The lawyer also said the rapper, born Jeffrey Williams, developed “deep embedded beliefs about our criminal justice system” — namely that it “was not just — at least not for the people that he saw.”

Steel described one scene where the rapper’s then-20-year-old brother was shot near their building, and when police arrived, they handcuffed his overwrought mother and put a sheet over his brother, even though he was still breathing.

Once he gained celebrity for his art, Steel said Young Thug became a mythical figure in his community, and engaged in rivalries online not as part of a gang but to “generate interest” in his work, as is common in the industry.