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JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — The fifth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival, one of the Middle East’s largest film festivals, opened Thursday in the coastal city of Jeddah, marking a significant moment for the kingdom’s growing film industry.Running from Dec. 4 to 13, the Red Sea International Film Festival brings together filmmakers and talent from around the world, screening more than 100 films from over 70 countries.The festival’s prestigious “Red Sea: Competition” strand features a selection of 16 narrative features, animations and documentaries from the Arab world, Asia and Africa, all vying for the top honor: the…

by Sarah Kuta Last updated: 9:55 AM ET, Thu December 4, 2025 Carnival Cruise Line is launching new offerings for travel advisors.In 2026, the brand will offer new ship tours and Seminars at Sea as part of the next wave of its Funnel Faves campaign. The offerings are designed to give travel advisors an up-close look at the onboard experience, helping them level-up their businesses with first-hand knowledge.  Next year, Carnival will offer 60 ship tours across the fleet. Advisors will have access to public spaces, lounges and staterooms, and enjoy a hosted lunch on board. The brand will also…

Micro1’s rapid climb over the past two years has pushed it into a cohort of AI companies scaling at breakneck speed. The three-year-old startup, which helps AI labs recruit and manage human experts for training data, started the year with roughly $7 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR). Today, it claims to have surpassed $100 million in ARR, founder and CEO Ali Ansari told TechCrunch. That figure is also more than double the revenue Micro1 reported in September when it announced its $35 million Series A at a $500 million valuation. Ansari, 24, said then that Micro1 works with leading…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jo Ann Allen Boyce, who as part of the “Clinton 12” helped integrate one of the first public schools in the South, died on Wednesday at her Los Angeles home. She was 84. Her death was confirmed by her daughter, Kamlyn Young, who said her mother died from pancreatic cancer after living with it for a decade.Clinton High School in Tennessee was integrated in 1956, a couple of years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v Board of Education that separating public school children on the basis of race was unconstitutional and a year…

JATUN RUMI, Ecuador (AP) — High in the mountains of the Ecuadorian Andes, a group of young Otavalo Indigenous people is using anime to inspire pride in their ancient culture and language, especially among Otavalo children.They produced an animated short film titled “We’re Aya” that follows the adventures of Aya, a mythical Otavalo warrior, and other characters who interact under the watchful eye of a condor — an iconic bird for Andean Indigenous cultures that symbolizes power and energy.Inspired by the work of legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, the story takes place in the mountains of Imbabura, a province in…

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has asked Waymo for more information about its self-driving system and operations following reports from the Austin School District that its robotaxis illegally passed school buses 19 times this year. In a December 3 letter sent to Waymo, regulators requested detailed information about its fifth-generation self-driving system and operations. Reuters was the first to report on the letter, which comes two months since the agency opened an investigation into Waymo over how its robotaxis perform around stopped school buses. The agency’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened its initial investigation into the Alphabet-owned company…

by Sarah Kuta Last updated: 1:45 PM ET, Wed December 3, 2025 Bookings are now open for Nile Seray, an A&K Sanctuary, the new Abercrombie & Kent ship slated to debut in October 2026.The luxury 64-guest riverboat will sail along Egypt’s Nile River, with 32 suites, two restaurants, a swimming pool and other amenities. Fares start at $3,125 per person for a four-night voyage between Aswan and Luxor. The voyage includes daily excursions to the temples of Luxor, Karnak and Aswan, felucca sailing around Elephantine Island, Egyptian cooking classes and traditional entertainment. A&K Egyptologists will accompany every excursion. Every booking…

NEW YORK — Starbucks Workers United held a rally outside the Empire State Building on Thursday as its open-ended strike entered its third week and no signs of an impending resolution.Adding to the crunch of holiday shoppers and tourists, several hundred picketers gathered outside of the famous landmark, which is also the site of a swanky three-floor Starbucks Reserve location and the company’s regional headquarters. Members of other unions, like the AFL-CIO and Service Employees International Union, which is affiliated with Workers United, protested alongside baristas, chanting “No coffee, no contract” and “What’s disgusting? Union busting” between speakers.”Their fight is…

by Sarah Kuta Last updated: 1:55 PM ET, Wed December 3, 2025 Riviera Travel has hired Matt Luscombe to be its new group chief executive officer.Appointed by the board of directors, Luscombe will start his new role on January 1, 2026, succeeding Phil Hullah. Hullah will remain onboard for the first part of the year, ensuring a seamless transition, and will remain a significant shareholder in the business thereafter.Luscombe served most recently as chief executive officer of Freemans Event Partners. He also served as chief executive officer of Cycas and spent a decade at InterContinental Hotels Group, including as its…

Milan-based tech conglomerate Bending Spoons this week acquired Eventbrite for $500 million, adding the event ticketing platform to its growing portfolio of recognizable consumer tech brands. The deal, announced Tuesday, marks the latest acquisition for the 12-year-old company that has quietly become one of the tech industry’s most prolific buyers — despite remaining largely unknown to the general public. So what exactly is Bending Spoons? Despite its catchy name, the company has stayed remarkably under the radar, and it typically makes headlines only when it adds another recognizable brand to its portfolio — which now includes Evernote, WeTransfer, Meetup, and…