عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Lebanon’s Nadine Labaki Wins Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival

Lebanese director Nadine Labaki wins the Jury Prize at the Cannes film festival. (AFP)
Lebanese director Nadine Labaki wins the Jury Prize at the Cannes film festival. (AFP)
TT
TT

Lebanon’s Nadine Labaki Wins Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival

Lebanese director Nadine Labaki wins the Jury Prize at the Cannes film festival. (AFP)
Lebanese director Nadine Labaki wins the Jury Prize at the Cannes film festival. (AFP)

Lebanese director Nadine Labaki won on Saturday the Jury Prize at the 2018 Cannes film festival for “Capernaum”, the story of a destitute Beirut boy who takes his parents to court for bringing him into a miserable existence.

She was only the second Arab woman to have a film in the running for the Palme d'Or, after Lebanon's Heiny Srour in 1974 (the year of Labaki's birth).

The Palme d'Or ultimately went on Saturday to Hirokazu Kore-eda of Japan for his touching film "Shoplifters".

Labaki’s third feature, which won a 15-minute standing ovation at its premiere, catapults her into the big league after "Caramel", her intimate debut about a Beirut beauty parlor, and "Where Do We Go Now?", about women on a mission to end sectarian violence in their village.

This time the main protagonist is a foul-mouthed 12-year-old street kid.

Labaki told Agence France Presse that in the past she found herself amplifying women's voices because "it was a subject I was more versed in than men" but "never really felt pressure to talk about women just because I am a woman."

"There are other things bothering me now," she said, citing the dense thicket of issues tackled in "Capernaum".

"I'm thinking of the notion of borders, of having to have papers to exist, of being completely excluded from the system if you don't have them, of the maltreatment of children, modern slavery, immigrant workers, Syrian immigrants -- all these issues where people find themselves completely excluded from the system because it is not capable of finding solutions."

Labaki does not spare the rod with her homeland, at the risk of being accused by the Lebanese of washing their dirty laundry in public.

"Obviously it's a huge risk but we must stop making excuses, it's a reality that exists and we cannot continue to bury our heads in the sand," she insisted.

For the director who turned to films for escapism during Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, "cinema is not only about making people dream."

"It's about changing things and making people think."

Labaki found the idea for the film staring her in the face one night when she was driving home from a party and saw a child half-asleep in the arms of his mother begging on the pavement.

"It became an obsession for me... I did more than three years of research. I was trying to understand how the system fails these kids."

This year's festival, which featured five directors from North Africa and the Middle East, is one of the best in half a century for Arab cinema.

Three of the filmmakers are women but gender equality takes a back seat to poverty, class and social stagnation in this crop.

Labaki is lukewarm about the campaign for gender quotas in film casts and crews fronted by Hollywood actresses, including jury president Cate Blanchett, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

"It's not just because we decide that there should be parity in a given domain that it is truly merited. Whether it's a man or a woman it must be truly on merit."

The glamorous director, who was a red-carpet guest of French President Emmanuel Macron at a dinner in Paris last year, started out making advertisements and music videos for artists like Lebanese pop icon Nancy Ajram.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Holy Kaaba to Align with Sun on Thursday in Rare Astronomical Event

During the moment of alignment, shadows cast by vertical objects in Makkah’s surroundings nearly disappear as sunlight falls almost perpendicularly on the surface. (SPA)
During the moment of alignment, shadows cast by vertical objects in Makkah’s surroundings nearly disappear as sunlight falls almost perpendicularly on the surface. (SPA)
TT
TT

Holy Kaaba to Align with Sun on Thursday in Rare Astronomical Event

During the moment of alignment, shadows cast by vertical objects in Makkah’s surroundings nearly disappear as sunlight falls almost perpendicularly on the surface. (SPA)
During the moment of alignment, shadows cast by vertical objects in Makkah’s surroundings nearly disappear as sunlight falls almost perpendicularly on the surface. (SPA)

The skies above Makkah will witness the phenomenon of the sun aligning directly over the holy Kaaba on Thursday, at approximately 12:18 PM local time.

Jeddah Astronomy Society Director Eng. Majed Abu Zahra described the phenomenon as a precise astronomical event that attracts wide interest among those seeking to determine the Qibla direction.

He noted that it provides a direct opportunity to verify geographical and astronomical calculations without complex instruments.

During the moment of alignment, shadows cast by vertical objects in Makkah’s surroundings nearly disappear as sunlight falls almost perpendicularly on the surface, he added.

This phenomenon occurs twice annually as the sun moves between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn due to Earth’s axial tilt of approximately 23.44 degrees, allowing it to pass over Makkah’s latitude twice a year, once northward and once southward.

Varieties

Heat Dome Over Europe Scorches UK, France, Spain

A drone view shows people using kayaks and paddle boards in the River Thames at Teddington Lock, London’s first official river bathing water site, as temperatures climb over the bank holiday weekend due to a heat dome spreading across the region, in London, Britain, May 24, 2026. (Reuters)
A drone view shows people using kayaks and paddle boards in the River Thames at Teddington Lock, London’s first official river bathing water site, as temperatures climb over the bank holiday weekend due to a heat dome spreading across the region, in London, Britain, May 24, 2026. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Heat Dome Over Europe Scorches UK, France, Spain

A drone view shows people using kayaks and paddle boards in the River Thames at Teddington Lock, London’s first official river bathing water site, as temperatures climb over the bank holiday weekend due to a heat dome spreading across the region, in London, Britain, May 24, 2026. (Reuters)
A drone view shows people using kayaks and paddle boards in the River Thames at Teddington Lock, London’s first official river bathing water site, as temperatures climb over the bank holiday weekend due to a heat dome spreading across the region, in London, Britain, May 24, 2026. (Reuters)

Temperatures hit record highs for May in the United Kingdom and France on Monday, as forecasters warned of a prolonged period of extreme heat across Europe throughout the week. 

A so-called "heat dome" of warm air from northern Africa trapped under a high-pressure system over western Europe is behind the high temperatures not usually seen until high summer. 

Temperatures in Spain were expected to peak later this week at 38C, while parts of Italy imposed restrictions on working outdoors. 

"The weather here, it's like a mini version of hell. It's boiling. It's like really hot," said 10-year-old Liza Nizari on a visit to London, where temperatures normally average about 17C or 18C at this time of year. 

Lindy Brand-Daloze, a 66-year-old Australian administrator who has been living in in London for 12 years, said: "It's warm, but it's climate change, isn't it? So, you know, (we have) probably got to get used to this." 

The Met Office weather agency said Monday was the hottest May day on record, with the mercury rising to 33.5C at Heathrow, west of the capital, at 1:00 pm (1200 GMT) -- 1.3C more than the previous benchmark recorded in 1922 and 1944. 

"Records are usually only broken by tenths of a degree -- making this heatwave unprecedented for the time of year," the agency said in a social media post. 

Scientists say human-induced climate change is making extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts and floods more intense, resulting in temperature records being broken more frequently. 

Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst told AFP the increase in extreme temperatures was "a good indication of climate change in action" and more likely to become "the new norm". 

Climate advisers last week warned the UK government that the country was "built for a climate that no longer exists" and urged it to adapt infrastructure like schools and hospitals for a warming planet. 

In 2022, temperatures in the UK soared above 40C for the first time since records began. 

- Heatwave alert - 

Across the Channel, weather agency Meteo-France put eight areas in the west of France on heatwave alert -- signifying three days and nights of intense heat that are likely to pose a health risk to the population. 

In the northwestern city of Rennes, 74-year-old Daniele Dupont tried to stick to the shade as she walked her dog in 27C on Monday morning. 

"I'm going to close the shutters. I won't be going out this afternoon," she said in the capital of the Brittany region. 

On Sunday, "record high maximum temperatures for the month of May" were felt in at least 10 locations, including the northwestern seaside towns of Lorient and Noirmoutier. 

The capital, Paris, on Saturday notched up its first temperature above 30C of the year, hitting 31.9C. 

Temperatures of up to 35C are expected in Brittany and between 36C and 37C in the south. 

On Sunday, a man died during a 10-kilometer running race in Paris, civil defense services said, while 10 more runners had to be taken to hospital in critical condition after a race in the capital's suburb of Maisons-Alfort, the authorities said. 

In Spain, the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) warned the "extraordinarily high temperatures for this time of year" will continue across the country all week, except in the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, off the northwest coast of Africa. 

"Widespread tropical nights" are also forecast in southwestern Spain from Wednesday, with temperatures peaking from Wednesday to Friday at between 36C and 38C, it wrote on X. 

Farther east, Italy's Lazio region, which includes Rome, on Monday approved rules limiting work in conditions "with prolonged exposure in the sun" between 12:30 pm and 4:00 pm. 

The measures apply, for example, to farms, construction sites and in the logistics sector and apply until September 15. 

Similar rules had been put in place last year but only from May 30. 

Varieties

How Collecting DNA Samples in the Wild Could Transform Conservation

A golden monkey is seen in Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi, Rwanda, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP)
A golden monkey is seen in Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi, Rwanda, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP)
TT
TT

How Collecting DNA Samples in the Wild Could Transform Conservation

A golden monkey is seen in Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi, Rwanda, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP)
A golden monkey is seen in Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi, Rwanda, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP)

A guide called out to endangered golden monkeys with grunts and clicks to signal he posed no threat, a familiar sound in the mist-covered forests of Rwanda ’s Volcanoes National Park.

Here in one of Africa's most well-known parks, steep ridges and dense vegetation often obscure even the largest mountain gorillas — also endangered — and scientists are turning to new technology to detect and protect them.

Known as environmental DNA, or eDNA, the technology allows researchers to identify species using genetic material like fur or feces left in soil and water. This reduces the impact of human interaction during wildlife surveys that can leave researchers groping through the mist.

The technology, more often used in marine conservation work, was introduced by the African Wildlife Foundation in partnership with the Rwandan government. It aims to develop a list of all species in the country. That will help protect biodiversity that is threatened by climate change and population growth.

“We selected eDNA as a new technology to bring solutions and to complement existing methods used in ecological monitoring,” said the foundation’s country manager for Rwanda, Patrick Nsabimana.

Biodiversity monitoring for decades has relied on camera traps, which operate when animals trigger their sensors, and ranger observations.

But that is a challenge in rugged terrain such as the Virunga mountains that are central to Volcanoes National Park, which covers part of Rwanda, Uganda and Congo. Insecurity in the border area also can limit ranger movement.

Nsabimana said eDNA is a cost-effective monitoring approach in large ecosystems such as Virunga. Samples are taken from locations like downstream ponds that are likely to have traces of animals on higher ground. Then they are tested.

“With one sample, you can detect multiple species, mammals, birds, amphibians and many others,” said Deogratias Tuyisingize, a Rwanda-based biodiversity researcher with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund that is also involved in the project.

He said a combination of traditional methods and new technology is needed to ensure all species are monitored. Because of steep ravines and mountainsides, “we are sure we were missing some species."

Meanwhile, having a better sense of where endangered species are could help in patrolling against poachers, people with the project said.

The ability to generate a broad snapshot of biodiversity is critical for conservation, especially as Rwanda expands some of its national parks by rehabilitating previously agricultural land.

“We can see how species are colonizing these sites over time,” Tuyisingize said.

That allows conservationists to measure success by the return of rare or threatened species, and offers early warnings of invasive species.

But the eDNA technology is not without limitations. It cannot reliably estimate how many animals are present in an ecosystem. DNA can linger long after a species has left.

Being able to process samples in Rwanda is also a challenge, as the project's initial ones had to be sent to Europe for analysis.

Joshua Newton, who conducted research on eDNA for Curtin University’s Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory, said challenges also include having cold storage to preserve DNA samples and ensuring samples are not contaminated.

Data gaps are another issue. Africa has relatively limited genetic reference libraries, despite decades of conservation work on the continent, making it harder to match DNA samples to known species.

Most genetic reference libraries come from Europe and America, said James Munyawera, a lab specialist with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

Researchers are now building region-specific databases.

The project in Volcanoes National Park has also begun training residents of local communities, along with rangers, to participate in monitoring efforts by collecting samples.