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Saudi Arabia’s GEA Chairman Launches Website of Golden Pen Award for Most Influential Literature

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh. SPA
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh. SPA
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Saudi Arabia’s GEA Chairman Launches Website of Golden Pen Award for Most Influential Literature

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh. SPA
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh. SPA

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh inaugurated on Sunday the website for the “Golden Pen Award for Most Influential Literature” in a ceremony held in Riyadh.

This marks the first award by the GEA aimed at transforming literary works into cinematic productions.

“We were delighted three days ago to announce that Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan will sponsor this award as part of a significant agreement between the GEA and the ministry,” said Alalshikh in his speech at the ceremony.

He emphasized that the website will serve as a comprehensive repository of Arabic novels, screenplays, and related content, aligning with the large-scale productions underway across the Arab world, particularly in the Kingdom.

Regarding the Golden Pen Forum, Alalshikh stated that it will be a special gathering place for writers with free membership. He added that there will be specific criteria for selecting beneficiary members, making it a vibrant focal point throughout the year in the Arab world.

Chairman of the Golden Pen Award Dr. Saad Al-Bazei announced the main phases of the award during a press conference held on the sidelines of the official launch.

He explained that the submission period for literary works will open on the website on September 15 and continue until September 30. The longlist will be announced on November 30, with the shortlist following on December 30.

The winners will be announced, and the awards will be presented at a major ceremony scheduled for February 2025, with the attendance of a distinguished group of writers, intellectuals, filmmakers, and celebrities.

Al-Bazei outlined the six award categories: major awards for novels and screenplays, best-translated novel, best Arab publisher, and the People's Choice Award, with a total prize value of $740,000. He further detailed that for the major awards and screenplay categories, the first-place prize will consist of $100,000 and a film production; the second-place prize, $50,000 and a film production; and the third-place prize, $30,000.

The novel categories will include eight awards, each worth $25,000, covering Best Thriller Novel, Best Mystery and Crime Novel, Best Romance Novel, Best Fantasy Novel, Best Comedy Novel, Best Historical Novel, Best Horror Novel, and Best Realistic Novel.

Al-Bazei also highlighted that the Best Translated Novel will receive a $100,000 prize; the Best Arab Publisher will be awarded $50,000, and the People's Choice Award will be valued at $30,000. Voting for the People's Choice Award will open on the award’s website at a later date.

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Varieties

US Bans Red Food Dye over Possible Cancer Risk

Fruit by the Foot, a product that uses Red Dye No 3, can be seen on a shelf at a supermarket in this illustration photograph on December 27, 2024 - AFP
Fruit by the Foot, a product that uses Red Dye No 3, can be seen on a shelf at a supermarket in this illustration photograph on December 27, 2024 - AFP
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US Bans Red Food Dye over Possible Cancer Risk

Fruit by the Foot, a product that uses Red Dye No 3, can be seen on a shelf at a supermarket in this illustration photograph on December 27, 2024 - AFP
Fruit by the Foot, a product that uses Red Dye No 3, can be seen on a shelf at a supermarket in this illustration photograph on December 27, 2024 - AFP

Outgoing US President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday announced a ban on Red Dye No 3, a controversial food and drug coloring long known to cause cancer in animals.

Decades after scientific evidence first raised alarm, Red 3, as it is also called, is currently used in nearly 3,000 food products in the United States, according to the nonprofit Environmental Working Group.

"FDA is revoking the authorized uses in food and ingested drugs of FD&C Red No 3 in the color additive regulations," said a document from the Department of Health and Human Services, published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, AFP reported.

The decision follows a petition filed in November 2022 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and other advocacy groups, which cited the "Delaney Clause" -- a provision mandating the prohibition of any color additive shown to cause cancer in humans or animals.

Notably, the FDA determined as early as 1990 that Red 3 should be banned in cosmetics because of its link to thyroid cancer in lab rats.

However, the additive continued to be used in foods, largely due to resistance from the food industry. Manufacturers of maraschino cherries, for example, relied on Red 3 to maintain the iconic red hue of their products.

It's also present in thousands of candies, snacks and fruit products.

The United States is one of the last major economies to take action on the dye. The European Union prohibited its use in 1994, with similar bans implemented in Japan, China, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

CSPI hailed the decision as overdue and expressed hope it would lead to further action against other potentially harmful chemicals in food.

"They don't add any nutritional value, they don't preserve the food -- they're just there to make food look pretty," Thomas Galligan, a scientist with CSPI, told AFP.

"There's growing discussion across the political spectrum about food additives and chemicals, which reflects ongoing failures by the FDA."