
‘The Silk Kingdom' breaks viewership records on Yango Play
Interest was so high that the phrase 'The Silk Kingdom airing time' became the number one search query in Egypt, Kuwait and the UAE, reflecting the show's immense popularity and regional impact.
Written and directed by Dr Peter Mimi, the series is produced by Synergy Plus in partnership with Konker. It stars Karim Mahmoud Abdel Aziz in the lead role alongside an acclaimed ensemble cast including Asmaa Abulyazeid, Ahmed Ghazy, Amr Abdelgelil, Sarah El Touni, Walid Fawaz and Mahmoud El Bezawy.
The Silk Kingdom runs for 10 episodes and airs daily from Sunday to Thursday at 4:30 PM Cairo time exclusively on Yango Play, giving subscribers access three hours before any other platform. The show's continuous schedule promises viewers an intense and suspenseful experience throughout its run.

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Gulf Today
18-07-2025
- Gulf Today
Space skydiver Felix Baumgartner, 56, dies in paragliding crash
Felix Baumgartner, known for his record-breaking skydive from the edge of space, has died in a paragliding accident aged 56. Baumgartner lost control of his motorised paraglider while flying over Porto Sant'Elpidio in Italy's central Marche region, and fell to the ground near the swimming pool of a hotel, local police said. Porto Sant'Elpidio's mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said reports suggested he may have suffered a sudden medical issue mid-air, and offered the town's condolences for the death of "a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights". The Austrian made headlines around the world in October 2012 when, wearing a specially made suit, he jumped from a balloon 38km (24 miles) above Earth, becoming the first skydiver to break the sound barrier, typically measured at more than 690 mph. He made the historic jump over Roswell, New Mexico, reaching a peak speed of over 833 mph, on the 65th anniversary of legendary American pilot Chuck Yeager's flight shattering the sound barrier on 14 October 1947. "When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble, you do not think about breaking records anymore, you do not think of gaining scientific data. The only thing you want is to come back alive," he said after landing. The altitude he jumped from also marked the highest-ever for a skydiver, shattering the previous record set in 1960 by Joe Kittinger, who served as an adviser to Baumgartner during his feat. Baumgartner's altitude record stood for two years until Google executive Alan Eustace set new marks for the highest free-fall jump and greatest free-fall distance. The self-styled "God of the Skies" started parachuting as a teenager before taking up the extreme sport of base jumping. His long career of daredevil jumps included skydiving across the English Channel and parachuting off the Petronas Towers in Malaysia. The Independent


Khaleej Times
17-07-2025
- Khaleej Times
New tools, diverse storytelling: Is AI democratising filmmaking?
"Dad, I know this looks real, but it's only AI. You don't have to wire money to anyone!' says a young, handcuffed woman, sitting in the centre of a dingy room. That video, and many others, made the rounds on social media shortly after the launch of VEO3. Google's new AI video generation model promised anyone with an access to a computer the ability to generate near-realistic videos from simple text prompts — and it kept its promise. What had been primarily a tool for filmmakers was suddenly available to everyone. What if this tool lands in the wrong hands: those who will abuse it for purposes other than the art of audio-visual storytelling? And that, of course, is not the only 'downside' of AI in film. Recently appointed Head of Luma AI's LA Studio, Verena Puhm has made significant waves in the field, trailblazing through a world of new opportunities in the art of audio-visual storytelling with AI. Puhm attended the AI Film Festival in Dubai, where she vowed the audience with her Sora Selects Film 2025 AI short film MILK. She also spoke frankly about the pros and cons, hinting at another shortcoming: IP and copyright infringements, anticipating what would occur a couple of months later, when Disney sued Midjourney for using Disney's IP. In this context, Puhm broadens the discussion in our interview: 'There's a big responsibility also on creatives to just do the right thing. If you put in 'Batman is fighting Spider-Man' in Midjourney, you might get Batman and Spider-Man fighting. Is that the content that you want to create? Then you cannot sell it.' One of the keywords that quickly crystalises from the interview is 'agency.' Puhm criticises some AI filmmakers for ripping off other artistes, for prompts like: 'in the style of Wes Anderson.' As James Cameron once pointed out, we're all models. We have been trained on movies, trained on stories, trained on the world's materials, but that doesn't give filmmakers permission to rip off other artists' work. Generally, it's not the intention of the AI toolmaker to encourage this, so it shouldn't be the intention of the creative using it, either. For audio-visual filmmakers who are just starting out in AI, Puhm suggests that they educate themselves before going through the creative process, and to keep doing what any creative would have done before the existence of AI: to secure their rights and involvement. While AI toolmakers aren't taking anything away from the creative in the same way studios have done in the past, Puhm points out that if there's a concern with IP retention or copyright, then leave traces of human involvement in the creation. For example, manipulate the created image in Photoshop, make screenshots or screen recordings of the process, do anything to document interaction between human and machine. While the use of AI was somewhat frowned upon at previous editions of the Cannes Film Festival — not just because the tools we have today hadn't been developed yet — Puhm noticed a change at this year's edition: AI was met with curiosity for the first time. 'If you're curious, you're not there yet where you're judging, and the biggest issue that I've seen in the past was that people are judging too fast. They judge based on fear or ignorance and no education.' One of the greatest opportunities AI film-making has to offer any storyteller around the world is that it 'provides this new playground for filmmakers that have historically been left out of the narrative because they were either not locally in Hollywood… to tell a story, did not have personal ties to studios … and now they pitch their project and (it) would get made (even though) they did not have a story that would reflect what the mostly male, white-dominated studio heads would want to see.' 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To Puhm, the biggest argument in favour of AI is democratisation: giving power back to the people, which is happening with the accessibility of film-making tools, and giving respect back to the artists, who 'historically have been very much exploited by the system... even though the creatives are the ones that are creating worlds; so with this new shift we can become storytellers on any platform.' She concludes: 'That's what it's about … giving artists an opportunity, the respect they actually deserve and to shape how the future of storytelling can look like. Hopefully, it will be broader than what we have experienced in the past.'


Campaign ME
17-07-2025
- Campaign ME
Matter of Fact: Balancing silicon with soul
In the rush to embrace artificial intelligence (AI), some brands confuse technology with creativity, substituting machine mechanics for human insight. These approaches leave brands with shiny, shareable campaigns that fail to make a lasting impression. If AI drives the idea, originality drowns in sameness. Consider Coca-Cola's 2024 AI-generated holiday advert, a remake of its iconic 'Holidays Are Coming' commercial. Despite its glossy animation, audiences and critics labelled it a 'creepy, dystopian nightmare', describing it as cold, uncanny and devoid of festive warmth. The backlash wasn't about technology; it centred on tone. The advert had the data and mechanics to be successful, but lacked the heart behind its message. AI can amplify and enhance creativity, but it should not be viewed as the replacement. Artificial prompts and visuals can assist the process, yet the emotional core still requires a creative mind. The best campaigns won't be the most automated; instead, they will strike a balance between mechanical and human input to bring more profound ideas to life. Matter of Fact: The game changer, the viral hit, and the misstep A closer look at three moments that defined the month in marketing and media: one innovation shaping the future, one campaign that struck the right chord, and one that failed to land as intended. From breakthrough tech to viral traction and brand misfires, this Matter of Fact section unpacks what stood out – for better or for worse. 1/3 GAME CHANGER: A 'VEO' vision Google's VEO 3, revealed at I/O 25, can generate videos with synced dialogue, sound effects and ambient audio using only text prompts. While creators praised its realism, others voiced concern over deepfake risks and the potential disruption to traditional video workflows. As excitement builds, so does the debate over balancing innovation with responsibility. THE GAME CHANGER Google's VEO 3, revealed at I/O 25, can generate videos with synced dialogue, sound effects and ambient audio using only text prompts. While creators praised its realism, others voiced concern over deepfake risks and the potential disruption to traditional video workflows. As excitement builds, so does the debate over balancing innovation with responsibility. BREAKING THE NET Labubu, the offbeat plush collectible, has become the latest viral sensation. Recent weeks have seen social media flooded with videos of fans vying for the blind-box toy due to its rarity and mystery model, fuelling repeat purchases and viral momentum. Sensing an opportunity, brands such as Deliveroo have entered the conversation, hosting exclusive drops to tap into the plush-driven cultural wave. #NOT Australian fashion e-retailer Peppermayo came under fire for prioritising influencer trips and sponsorships while customer complaints over unfulfilled orders, delayed refunds and limited communication mounted. The contrast drew criticism, with many accusing the brand of favouring image over customer experience. A response followed, alongside a month of free express shipping, but reputational recovery may require more than a marketing fix. By Tariq Al Sharabi, Managing Director of Cicero & Bernay Communication Partner.