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Streaming giant Netflix has announced it’s launching a fund in order to help Lebanon’s television and film industry.
In collaboration with the Arab Fund for Arts & Culture (AFAC), Netflix will launch an emergency fund worth $500,000 (Dhs1.8 million).

The fund will be distributed to individuals who need financial support who work in the film and television industry whether they be freelancers, crew, craftspeople and more.
Following the economic hardships caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating blast in Beirut, many have been left out of work and the arts industry has been particularly hard-hit.

In a statement released by AFAC’s Executive Director Rima Mismar, she explained she hopes the new fund will offer relief to those who have been left in a vulnerable position due to the economic downturn.

“The multiple crises that Lebanon has been facing over the past year expose further the vulnerability and precarity of the arts and culture sector and magnify long-standing inequalities and lack of social safety nets,” she said. “There is a real fear of loss of livelihoods for freelance artists, professionals and practitioners which may eventually lead to migration and creativity drain.
“We hope that this support will offer the community of practitioners a sense of solidarity and something to hold on to while fighting its way out of this emergency situation.”
The fund is set to launch later this month on October 26. In order for those who are a part of Lebanon’s film industry, they will be able to apply for individual grants – worth up to $2,000 – online.
Documentation needs to be provided of recent projects, references and other support they may be receiving at present. Furthermore, applicants must outline what projects have been delayed or cancelled which they were set to work on this year.
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Images: Supplied, Feature Image: Jo Kassis from Pexels More

For the last 14 years, Kris Jenner has led her family to become the most famous reality stars and businesswomen in the world.
Labelled the ‘momager’ in the early days of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, she has overseen each of her daughters careers – as well as her own – to catapult the whole family into international stardom.

However, it was recently announced that the season which is set to air early next year would mark the last for KUWTK.
Discussing the decision to end the long-running reality show in a recent interview with Beauty Inc., Kris said that the growth of social media and the accessibility it gives to people was a factor in the ending of the show.

“When we first started, there was no Instagram or Snapchat or other social media platforms,” the momager explained.
“The world has changed. Now there are so many, the viewer doesn’t have to wait three or four months to see an episode. We can give them all of the information anyone would ever want to know in real-time.”

While it’s the end of the show, Kris doesn’t blame social media, in fact, she explained that she and her daughters would continue to let their followers – which combine to over 679 million between them – into their lives.
“The girls want them to be part of the journey to keep them engaged,” she said.
However, it’s been reported there were other factors in the show come to an end.
Last month, it was reported by The Sun momager Kris was the one who pulled the plug to end the series as both Kim and the youngest Kardashian-Jenner Kylie decided they were going to quit the show regardless.
“The family have been locked in an ongoing debate over the future of the show for months now,” a source told the outlet. “Kim has all the drama with Kanye West going on.
“He’s refusing to put anything personal on the show, and it’s increasingly difficult for Kim to find time to film the show.”
Meanwhile, 23-year-old Kylie was ready to leave the show as she’s making plenty of money through endorsements and her beauty brands Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin. In fact, she and older sister Kendall have reportedly “always struggled with fame and being in the spotlight”.
While it’s certainly an end of an era for KUWTK, we’re sure sisters Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie, as well as momager Kris, won’t be going anywhere.
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Images: Supplied, Instagram, Feature Image: Kylie Jenner Instagram More

Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi has become the latest minister to receive the UAE’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Taking to her official Instagram page, the Minister of Culture and Youth shared with her 138,000 followers a photo of her receiving the vaccine.

In the caption of her post, Her Excellency thanked the nurse who administered the jab for her.
“Thank you Nurse Ozma, from Lahore! She’s been working in the UAE for the past 18 years,” the minister said.

Just under a month ago, the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was administered in the UAE, which was given to the country’s Minister of Health and Prevention, Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Owais.
Per the UAE’s state news agency WAM, the vaccine was developed by Chinese drug maker Sinopharm and has undergone extensive testing in the UAE with over 31,000 volunteers taking part in the trial over the last couple of months.
The health minister received the first dose of the vaccine one week after approval was given by the UAE government for a COVID-19 vaccine to be administered on frontline workers including doctors, nurses and police.
The principal investigator and chairperson of the National Clinical Committee for Coronavirus, Dr Nawal A-Kaabi noted that the initial results are “encouraging”, but that studies will be ongoing.
“The initial results are encouraging in terms of the presence of antibodies in the body,” Dr Al Kaabi said.
Shortly after, the COVID-19 vaccine began to be administered on frontline workers.
It has been clearly stated by the Ministry that those who are receiving doses of the vaccine will be closely monitored.
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Images: Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi Instagram More

It’s hard to believe that three decades ago, Dubai is a far cry from what it looks like today.
Emirates Airline recently shared two photos which showcased the dramatic transformation of the emirate over the last 30 years and it’s safe to say in the first photo Dubai would be unrecognisable to many.

The post was simply captioned, “How it started vs. How it’s going.”
In the first photo, which is thought to be taken around 1990, shared on the airline’s Instagram page, an old Sheikh Zayed Road can be seen.

With only a handful of buildings seen in the image, you’d be forgiven if you didn’t know this image was of Dubai.

Now, 30 years later, the road connects the buzzing emirate from Marina to Downtown and is filled with skyscrapers, hotels, residences, malls and more.
In contrast, Emirates also shared a photo of the now hustling and bustling Dubai and one of its iconic landmarks – the Burj Khalifa.
If this is what’s happened in just 30 years for Dubai, we can only dream of what the next 30 will bring…
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Images: Emirates Airline Instagram More

All year round, 99 per cent of the time you can expect weather in the UAE to be one thing – hot and sunny.

However, the UAE has now launched a new multi-million dirham grant in order for scientists to research into making it rain in the country.
Spearheaded by the National Centre of Meteorology, grants of Dhs5.5 million could be available to those who can contribute to the National Rain Enhancement Programme with their research. This grant would be distributed over three years, meaning the yearly amount would equate to a maximum of Dhs2.02 per annum.
Discussing the new initiative, the director of the National Centre of Meteorology and the President of the Regional Association II (Asia) of World Meteorological Organisation, Dr Abdulla Al Mandous said it was an “important step in pushing forward the rain enhancement research to the next level of impact and sophistication”.
“This focus will improve our ability to address water-stress issues more effectively in line with the aspirations of our leadership, while enhancing the UAE’s position as a global hub for rain enhancement,” he added.
In the last few years, cloud seeding has been used in the UAE in order to encourage increased rainfall.
Last year, according to Statista.com, it rained a total of 38 days.
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Feature Image: Sheikh Hamdan Instagram More

Dubai is set to launch a residency programme which will encourage remote-working.

The new programme will grant permission to working professionals to live in Dubai and work remotely, whilst still being employed by their respective companies abroad.
The development of this initiative, according to the director-general of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Helal Almarri, has been largely due to the knock-on effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as it has forced many businesses to change the way they operate.
“The global pandemic has changed how we live and work,” Almarri said in a statement. “As multinationals and leading start-ups across the world accelerate their rates of digital adoption, the need to be physically present to fulfil professional responsibilities has been redefined.”
She also added, “Dubai is uniquely positioned to offer a safe, dynamic lifestyle opportunity to these digitally savvy workers and their families while they continue to work remotely, whether it is for a couple of months or an entire year.”
Under the new scheme, those using the remote-working model encouraged will be eligible for services that Dubai residents currently have – phone, internet, schooling and even the tax-free salaries which UAE residents receive.
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In 2019 Kylie Jenner broke records, becoming the “youngest self-made billionaire” ever, according to Forbes at the time.
However, the publication has now declared that she is no longer the richest member of the Kardashian-Jenner family.

Forbes claims that Kim Kardashian West is now wealthier than Kylie. This comes after the outlet revoked the previous status they had given her as a billionaire.
In a recent outline of the world’s wealthiest “self-made women in 2020”, the publication has now calculated that Kim’s net-worth for the year as $780 million. Meanwhile, 23-year-old Kylie’s net-worth sits at $700 million.

Earlier this year, Forbes accused the reality star inflating her net worth in her financial filings.

While Kylie sold 51 per cent of her cosmetics company to Coty, another beauty company, last year, for $600 million (Dhs2.2 billion), reportedly making her a billionaire, the publication alleged in May this is not true in an article titled ‘Inside Kylie Jenner’s web of lies’.
“No one cares more about the topic than the family itself, which has spent years fighting Forbes for higher spots on our annual wealth and celebrity earnings lists,” the article stated.
In the article, the publication went on to allege Kylie Cosmetics is “significantly smaller, and less profitable, than the family has spent years leading the cosmetics industry and media outlets, including Forbes, to believe”.
“Forbes now thinks that Kylie Jenner, even after pocketing an estimated $340 million after taxes from the sale, is not a billionaire,” the scathing article stated.
Following the publishing of the story in May, the makeup mogul responded to the article stating the claims were based on “inaccurate statements and unproven assumptions”.
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Images: Supplied More