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Australian teen sensation Emerson Jones overcome with emotion after making tennis history

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Australian rising star Emerson Jones has made tennis history with a clutch win over Linda Fruhvirtova at the multimillion-dollar Miami Open.

Jones, just 17, dropped the first set but fought back to claim a 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) in just under three hours.

The wildcard is in her first appearance at a WTA 1000 tournament and is the youngest Aussie to win a main-draw match at the level, the highest below the grand slams, since Jelena Dokic in 1999.

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Jones is also just the second woman born in 2008 to win a main-draw match in a WTA 1000 tournament.

The world No.147 edged out Fruhvirtova in a wobbly match that featured a total of 13 breaks of serve, with Jones saving 11 of 18 break points while converting six of her own 10 chances.

The Aussie raced out to a 4-1 lead in the third set behind three breaks.

Fruhvirtova fought back and saved a match point to level it up at 5-5 before being just two points away herself on Jones’s serve.

But Jones held firm to send it to a tiebreak, where she quickly trailed 1-3 but claimed six of the next seven points to seal an emotional victory.

The teenager dropped her racquet and sunk into a kneel before standing and briefly turning to compose herself.

Her reward is a second-round clash with Australian Open semi-finalist Elina Svitolina, who had a first-round bye.

Svitolina made a final in Dubai last month and reached the semis at Indian Wells last week.

Elsewhere among the Aussies in Miami, Talia Gibson continued her hot run with a 6-0 6-1 rout of Sara Bejlek.

Gibson will face four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka in the second round, with the Japanese star seeking to bounce back from being knocked out of Indian Wells by world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Australian Kim Birrell went down to American Ann Li 2-6 6-2 3-6.

There was also history on the men’s side of the draw at Miami with Moise Kouame becoming the first player born in 2009 to win an ATP Tour match.

The 17-year-old Frenchman, like Jones, fought back from losing the first set to claim a 5-7 6-4 6-4 win over American qualifier Zachary Svajda.

The wildcard became the youngest Miami match winner and the youngest ATP Masters 1000 winner since Rafael Nadal in 2003.

“It’s huge,” Kouame told the Tennis Channel.

“First main draw at a Masters 1000 here in Miami, it’s such a cool place. I’m really happy to win that match today and hopefully I can win many more.

“It’s my first time, so I didn’t expect all of this, but here I am. I need to get used to it pretty fast. It brings me a lot of confidence. It shows me that I’m on the right path. I just need to keep working.”

At a career-high world No.385, Kouame is the youngest player inside the top 900 and has soared to fourth in the Next Gen Race.

Next up in Miami is Czech 21st seed Jiri Lehecka, as he looks to extend his dream debut.

But while Kouame marches on, Aussie Alexei Popyrin’s slow start to the year continued with a 6-4 6-4 loss to revitalised three-time grand slam finalist and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic.

After cracking the world’s top 20 last year, Popyrin — the only Australian since Lleyton Hewitt more than two decades ago to conquer Novak Djokovic — has only won two matches thus far in 2026.

James Duckworth also lost to a veteran, bowing out 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) to Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.

In other matches, former French and Australian Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas beat French-born British qualifier Arthur Fery 6-1 7-6 (7-4) to set up a second-round showdown with Australia’s world No.6 Alex de Minaur.

World No.3 Iga Swiatek was a shock first-round loser in the women’s event, the five-time grand slam champ falling 1-6 7-5 6-3 to Polish compatriot Magna Linette.

– with AAP

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Major city hikes hotel tax to nearly 20% as tourism bosses eye future events

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The Chicago City Council has agreed to raise its tourist tax in an effort to grow traveler marketing programs.

The vote on Ordinance 2026-0022544 will raise the tax on hotel rooms within that district to 19% from the rate of 17.5% — which includes a combined city, county and state tax, according to the Chicago Sun Times.

The increase will be applied to hotel stays at properties in the downtown and surrounding areas that contain over 100 rooms.

LAS VEGAS TOURISM PLUMMETS AS OFFICIALS CONSIDER $6M PLAN TO WIN BACK CANADIAN VISITORS

The increase will apply to room rates at hotels with 100 or more rooms that agree to opt in.

The city council also passed the formation of the Tourism Improvement District (TID) — which will fund Choose Chicago, the city’s official destination marketing organization.

A scenic view of Chicago, Illinois

Chicago is raising tourist taxes on downtown hotel bookings to 19% to boost tourism marketing efforts. (iStock)

Revenue will be used for city marketing campaigns and to cover bid fees for conventions and major events.

Chicago is already targeting the Democratic National Convention, which requires a $1 million bid. 

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The Windy City previously hosted the DNC in August 2024.

Earlier this month, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) advanced bids from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver and Philadelphia.

Boats on the Chicago River

The City Council also passed the formation of the Tourism Improvement District. (Robert Knopes/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Its advisory board is considering several factors, the DNC said — including a “commitment to selecting a city that shares Democratic values.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a press release after the City Council’s vote, praising the decision.

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“Chicago is a premier city for tourism, business travelers, conventions and large-scale events,” said Johnson.

“My administration will continue our collaboration with Choose Chicago, as we continue to build up Chicago’s tourism and hospitality industry while leveraging economic growth and development to continue building safe and affordable communities across our city,” he added.

Democratic National Convention

Chicago is already targeting the Democratic National Convention, which requires a $1 million bid. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Choose Chicago president and CEO Kristen Reynolds said in a press release that this marks a “transformative moment” for the city.

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“With the TID in place, we now have the enhanced resources to match the ambition and vibrancy of our city,” said Reynolds.

She added, “This investment will allow us to amplify our marketing efforts, attract more conventions and events and ultimately deliver significant benefits to Chicago’s economy and communities.”

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Guy Chipparoni, chair of the Choose Chicago board of directors, said in a statement, “It sends a message to our competing cities that when it comes to attracting visitors, Chicago means business.”

Reacting on social media to the news about the tax hike, one person wrote, “19% tax on a hotel room, making it the highest in the nation. Vacations can get pricey, especially for a family. How would this help tourism?”

Another X user wrote, “Democrats in Chicago will even dream up a breath tax. It’s not far away.”

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Mondevo Group Announces Phiphen International, a New International Media Partnership

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Joint Venture with Award-Winning Producer Molly Conners Establishes International Media Fund and Co-Production Platform Across EMEA and APAC

ABU DHABI, UAE, MILAN and NEW YORK, March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Mondevo Group, the AI-native wealth and innovation platform, today announced the formation of Phiphen International, a joint venture between MondeVita — a subsidiary of Mondevo Group — and Phiphen LLC, the entertainment company founded by award-winning producer Molly Conners.

The venture establishes an international co-production platform and media fund operating across EMEA and APAC, and marks Mondevo Group’s first dedicated partnership in the international film and media space. Molly Conners will serve as Global CEO of Phiphen International, overseeing operations across the United States and an international media fund supporting ventures in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

Phiphen International will leverage Mondevo Group’s global infrastructure — including its ITTIKAR AI-native platform and its active relationships with over 120 leading family offices worldwide — to access international co-production incentives, launch a cross-border media fund, and expand Phiphen Games into EMEA and APAC markets.

Phiphen’s US operations remain unchanged under this partnership. Conners, who has produced or executive produced dozens of award-winning and nominated feature films — including Birdman and Frozen River — founded Phiphen in 2015. The company’s upcoming slate includes Midge, WTF: What the F**k Is My Password, Mattress Mack, The Stalemate, and Somedays.

“Film and media are among the most powerful forms of expression a group like ours can engage with seriously. Phiphen brings a track record of genuine creative excellence and courage – exactly the standard Mondevo Group holds for every partnership it builds across its MondeVita platform. It is the beginning of something we intend to build seriously, over time, together.”

Fabio Brambilla
Co-Founder and Group CEO, Mondevo Group

“This partnership allows us to take what we’ve built and expand our global footprint by finding and working with talented filmmakers, developing content across all genres and at all budget levels and providing funding to make their vision a reality that can be shared with the international audience. Mondevo’s network and infrastructure give us the reach to do that in a way we couldn’t on our own, and support the auteurs and storytellers across the regions that are producing some of the best new content. I’m looking forward to providing our expertise on a global scale.”

Molly Conners
CEO, Phiphen International

“Phiphen has built something genuinely rare — a track record of creative excellence across more than thirty film and television projects, and a producer in Molly whose instincts I respect enormously. Within MondeVita, we have built a pillar dedicated entirely to culture, film and media – because we believe that the work, when it is made with genuine conviction, is the most enduring thing a group like ours can put its name to. We will be watching what Phiphen International produces with exactly that in mind.”

Sherin Shaker Otaibi
Chairwoman, MondeVita Creative Board

About Mondevo Group

Mondevo Group is a multi-divisional holding company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, operating at the intersection of AI-native technology, wealth management, venture capital, and lifestyle. Mondevo’s mission is to harness its AI-native capabilities and a global network of over 120 ultra-high-net-worth families to build enduring businesses across sectors with high barriers to entry and strong long-term growth potential.

About MondeVita

MondeVita is the creative and cultural division of Mondevo Group, operating across four sovereign pillars: MondeVita Spirits, Fashion & Lifestyle, Hotels & Hospitality, and Culture, Film & Media. MondeVita’s founding acquisition is Raffaele Caruso S.p.A., the Parma-based tailoring house founded in 1964. The division is governed by a Creative Board chaired by Sherin Shaker Otaibi, with a founding philosophy built on craft, tradition, teamwork, and uncompromising quality.

About Phiphen

Phiphen is an independently owned film and television production company founded by award-winning producer Molly Conners. The company creates content across all genres and budget levels, supporting innovative talents and telling bold stories for a global audience. Phiphen has produced more than 30 film and television projects. Phiphen Games, a division of the company, publishes independent video games including Blue Fire and Ruffy and the Riverside.

Contact:

Investor Relations | ir@mondevogroup.com  

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Transportation Sec. Duffy on TSA exodus: Small airports could begin to shut down

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy joins ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss the state of DHS shutdown, impact of TSA staffing shortages on air travel, and more.

09:36

Thu, Mar 19 20269:11 AM EDT

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Woori IO, an OSR Company, Signs NDA with Sinopharm for China Market and Global Multicenter Trials

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BELLEVUE, Wash., March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — OSR Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: OSRH), a healthcare-focused holding company advancing innovative medical technologies, today announced that its subsidiary, Woori IO Co., Ltd. (“Woori IO”), has entered into a mutual non-disclosure agreement (“NDA”) with Sinopharm Group Beijing Huahong (“Sinopharm”), the Beijing-based unit of Sinopharm Group and major state-owned healthcare and pharmaceutical distribution enterprise of China. This announcement is being made in accordance with Regulation FD to ensure broad, non-exclusionary public dissemination of this information.

The NDA establishes a formal framework for Woori IO and Sinopharm to exchange confidential information relating to Woori IO’s noninvasive near-infrared (NIR) glucose monitoring technology, allowing both parties to evaluate potential regulatory, clinical, and commercial pathways in China. Sinopharm Group, with reported 2024 revenue of approximately USD 81 billion, is generally considered China’s largest pharmaceutical and medical device distributor with the most extensive nationwide network.

China represents one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing diabetes markets, with more than 140 million people estimated to be living with the disease and rising demand for convenient glucose monitoring solutions. China’s diabetes device market is projected to expand significantly over the next decade, potentially exceeding $12 billion by 2032, according to a report by Research and Markets, as adoption of advanced glucose monitoring technologies accelerates. Woori IO’s proprietary NIR optical sensing technology addresses this demand directly, offering noninvasive, needle-free continuous glucose monitoring without the pain and adoption barriers of conventional invasive methods.

China is a highly compelling market, given its large and growing diabetes population and increasing adoption of advanced glucose monitoring technologies,” said Peter Hwang, CEO of OSR Holdings. “Our engagement with Sinopharm reflects the strategic importance of the China market and the potential role that established national distribution platforms may play in enabling future commercialization. While still at an early stage, this engagement underscores the broader global interest in Woori IO’s noninvasive glucose monitoring platform.”

Woori IO has received additional interest from healthcare organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and distribution partners across multiple regions, highlighting growing recognition of its noninvasive glucose monitoring platform and strong demand for more accessible, patient-friendly solutions. “Our NDA with Sinopharm allows us to begin evaluating potential regulatory and commercial pathways in China while continuing discussions with partners in other regions,” said Sunkie Park, CEO of Woori IO. “These interactions could help shape future clinical development programs, including potential global multicenter trials.”

While discussions remain preliminary, OSR Holdings intends to actively pursue strategic partnerships across major international markets as it advances development, regulatory strategy, and potential commercialization pathways for this next-generation glucose monitoring technology, which could represent a transformational step forward in improving accessibility and convenience in diabetes care globally.

About OSR Holdings, Inc.

OSR Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSRH) is a global healthcare holding company dedicated to advancing biomedical innovation approaches to health and wellness. Through its subsidiaries, OSRH is engaged in immuno-oncology, regenerative biologics, and medical device technologies. Its vision is to build a portfolio of breakthrough healthcare solutions to improve global health outcomes. Learn more at www.OSR-Holdings.com.

About Woori IO Co., Ltd.

Woori IO is a South Korea-based medical device company developing noninvasive biosensing technologies for glucose monitoring and beyond. Its proprietary NIRS-based system enables accurate, pain-free glucose tracking and is designed for integration into wearables. The company has been recognized by a leading global consumer electronics company’s startup program for its innovation in NIGM technology. Learn more at www.woori.io.

Contact:

Media & Investor Contacts
OSR Holdings, Inc.
Investor Relations
ir@osr-holdings.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding potential collaboration opportunities, anticipated commercialization pathways, regulatory strategy, global market demand for noninvasive CGM technology, and future business prospects. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Factors that may affect future results include, but are not limited to, the ability to enter into definitive agreements with prospective partners, regulatory approvals, product development outcomes, market acceptance, competitive developments, capital market conditions, and other risks described in OSR Holdings’ filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. OSR Holdings undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by law.

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Gulf airlines are burning through serious cash as airport, safety picture stays patchy: Analyst

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Aviation analyst Alex Macheras says disruption in the Gulf has far-reaching financial implications as the region handles 10% of global international passengers. He discusses how airports in Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi collectively handle up to 500,000 passengers daily at peak seasons and how the loss of such foot traffic amid the Iran War, as well as the patchy picture of airspace closures and limited operations, all weigh on airlines.

04:38

Thu, Mar 19 20264:07 AM EDT

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ART CENTRAL 2026 CREATIVE PROGRAMME PROBES INDELIBLE EFFECTS OF DIGITAL CULTURE ON ART

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Curated By Zoie Yung, The Programme Unfolds Through Installation, Moving-Image, Performance, And On-Site Dialogues

Hong Kong Artist Kaitlyn Hau To Debut Large-Scale Commissioned Installation Exploring The Intersections Of Art, Technology, And Embodied Experience

Central Stage Spotlight To Honour Three Globally Acclaimed Artists—
Arahmaiani, Esther Mahlangu, And Arno Rafael Minkkinen

HONG KONG, March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Art Central, together with Lead Partner UOB, announce today details of its creative programme ahead of the Fair’s eleventh edition. Curated by Zoie Yung, the programme examines the frictions and intimacies that shape contemporary social and virtual life, foregrounding emergent Asian voices alongside influential practitioners shaping the region’s cultural landscape. A cornerstone of Hong Kong Art Month, Art Central 2026 will be held from 25 to 29 March, with a VIP Preview on 24 March, at its iconic Central Harbourfront location. Art Central 2026 is financially supported by the Mega Arts and Cultural Event Fund under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

Kaitlyn Hau, 'Polishing the Bloom' scene visual demo still from Recursive Feedback Ritual 0.01, 2026.
Realtime computational sculpture, 715 × 830 × 300 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
Kaitlyn Hau, ‘Polishing the Bloom’ scene visual demo still from Recursive Feedback Ritual 0.01, 2026. Realtime computational sculpture, 715 × 830 × 300 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • Kaitlyn Hau will present the Art Central 2026 Hong Kong Commission, Recursive Feedback Ritual 0.01 (2026), a large-scale installation and motion‑capture performance.
  • The Fair’s Video Art programme, ‘Reading the Room’, features a focused selection of regional and international moving-image works that trace the tensions between human intuition and algorithmic reasoning, exploring how AI and other emerging technologies have reframed the emotional signals intrinsic to our communication.
  • ‘Endless Night and Midnight Sun’ features four commissioned performances that examine how the compressed temporalities of contemporary life manifest through metamorphic bodies, behaviours, and social relations.
  • Central Stage introduces its final featured artists — Arahmaiani, Esther Mahlangu, and Arno Rafael Minkkinen — rounding out a group of six artists at the Fair whose influential practices command growing international and institutional recognition.
  • The 2026 Talks Programme convenes practitioners working at the intersections of contemporary art and technology, spanning from conversations on music videos as a medium for radical experimentation to the development of local art‑tech and new media practices.

HONG KONG ARTIST COMMISSION
Art Central has commissioned new media artist Kaitlyn Hau (b. 1999, Hong Kong) to realise a large‑scale installation for the Fair’s 2026 edition. Titled Recursive Feedback Ritual 0.01 (2026), the commission extends Hau’s ongoing inquiry into the emotional, perceptual, and technological dimensions of digital embodiment. As an artistic director and visual engineer for virtual-singer performance, Hau has developed a distinctive methodology of “selective inclusion”, using micro‑gestures such as subtle shifts of breath, posture, and movement to heighten the affective presence of her digital personas.

Unfolding as an expansive installation, Recursive Feedback Ritual 0.01 transforms Hau’s compulsive self‑regulation into a real‑time computational sculpture. Motion‑capture-driven visuals loop through a recursive feedback system, rendering the artist’s psychiatric symptoms as measurable cycles of repetition and dissociation. The work reclaims bodily agency within a curated aesthetic structure—transforming autonomous internal “invaders” into a generative vocabulary of movement and image.

PERFORMANCE
Presented daily in the Fair’s Central Theatre, the performance programme ‘Endless Night and Midnight Sun’ turns to the altered temporalities of the AI era, drawing on the extreme cycles of light and darkness in polar regions as a metaphor for our shifting sense of duration. Through a series of commissioned works, the programme reflects on how compressed time reshapes social instinct, emotional endurance, and the rhythms through which we move together in contemporary life.

  • Jiaming Liao (b. 1992, Guangdong) presents IYKYK (ON AIR) (2026). Appearing in his signature muscle suit, Liao stages a hybrid virtual‑physical performance realised by motion‑tracking animation, where audiences are invited to “transform” his body through interactive participation. Blurring the line between artistic consumption and creation, the work foregrounds how beauty and masculinity are culturally constructed amid intensified commercialisation and technological mediation. 
  • Chaklam Ng (b. 1984, Hong Kong) presents Shadow Work (2026), a sound performance that fuses physical gesture with object manipulation and electronic modulation. Through percussive activation, the installation generates a feedback loop of multi‑choral electronic responses, staging an ephemeral dialogue between the body and its digital echo.
  • Isabella Isabella (b. 1986, Hong Kong) presents I see blood in the sky today. (2026). The work explores the concept of “teleproximality,” imagining the child as an external limb and their absence as a hollowed imprint within the parent’s body. Moving through a series of textural suits, the artist stages a body in transition, each shift articulating new configurations of intimacy and care.
  • Susie Au (b. 1962, Hong Kong) presents Memory In Motion – Walk-In-Cinema (2026), transforming the Fair’s Central Theatre into a surreal corridor of memory constructed from cardboard boxes. As audiences navigate the space alongside performers, they encounter looping projections drawn from Au’s music video archive and daily visual notes, allowing latent recollections to be reassembled into new sensory narratives.

VIDEO ART
Championing the breadth of contemporary moving‑image practices from the region and beyond, the Fair’s 2026 programme of Video Art, ‘Reading the Room’, turns toward the subtleties of human interaction and the labour of meaning-making. Observing how artificial intelligence routinely processes vast datasets yet struggles to apprehend nuance, subtext, and tone, the programme reframes this technological shortfall as an analogue for the misalignments inherent in everyday communication, foregrounding the tensions, hesitations, and emotional undercurrents that contour our attempts to understand one another. 

Highlights include:

  • Liang‑Jung Chen (b. Taipei) presents UK Indefinite Leave to Remain Application Fee (2025). This screen‑recording of a YouTube performance adopts the format of a live fundraising campaign, transforming a colour‑coded Google Sheet into a site of resilience that documents the artist’s efforts to secure the legal fees required for a UK permanent residency application. Chen renders private financial struggle as public data, illuminating the structural pressures that shape migrant experience.
  • Yifan Jiang (b. 1994, Tianjin) presents One Sunday Morning (2021). Jiang hand-draws magical-realist fables that probe the limits of communication and human connection. The animated video work imagines a parallel universe in which humanity abruptly loses language. Through the encounter of two characters from opposite sides of the world, Jiang examines empathy, estrangement, and how understanding is formed.
  • Jon Rafman (b. 1981, Montreal) presents Cloudy Heart – Strawberry Moon (2025). Operating at the intersection of video art and digital subcultures, Rafman’s work centres on an AI‑generated bedroom-pop star whose ‘e-girl’ persona unfolds across social media feeds, music, and algorithmic aesthetics. The project probes the uncanny space where artificial consciousness acquires human messiness, reflecting on desire and loneliness born of life online.
  • Adrian Wong (b. 1980, Chicago) presents With Love from Hong Kong (Episode 1) (2025) and With Hate from Hong Kong (2025), a two‑part inquiry where personal narrative meets the pulp conventions of Western and Eastern screen cultures. With Love draws on Wong’s grandmother’s fascination with American soap operas to stage scripted vignettes of her migrant life; With Hate reactivates the rapid‑assembly production tactics of 1960s kung fu studios, sutured with newly choreographed stunt sequences. Together, the works invert familiar narrative tropes, centring female protagonists endowed with agency and exaggerated physical prowess.

TALKS
Art Central’s Talks Programme brings together some of the most engaging voices in contemporary art today for a series of thought‑provoking conversations. Presented throughout the week, the programme offers visitors distinct opportunities to hear directly from artists, curators, and industry leaders.

Highlights include:

  • ‘MV as an Art Form’, in conversation with Susie Au (film/MV director) and Halftalk (MV director). Renowned for their work with prominent Cantopop artists, the duo discusses the narrative and artistic strategies that shape their music‑video direction and the medium’s evolution as a site for radical experimentation amid accelerating technological change.
  • ‘Anchor Point—Art Central 2026 Hong Kong Artist Commission’, in conversation with Kaitlyn Hau (artist), Inti Guerrero (curator/educator), and Ashley Lee Wong (Co-Founder and Artistic Director, MetaObjects). Taking motion tracking as both a technical anchor and a metaphor for how Hong Kong artists negotiate their positionality within global contexts, the trio discusses Hau’s generative practice, her ACG (Anime, Comic, and Games) influences, and her translation of “exhaustion” into an aesthetic form central to her practice.
  • ‘Art Tech—Rethinking the Contemporary Art Ecology’, in conversation with media artists Samuel Yip, Keith Lam, and Ng Tsz-Kwan. The speakers will reflect on their role in shaping the local art tech landscape and examine the infrastructural conditions required to sustain its continued development. 

Zoie Yung, Curator, said, “This year’s creative programme reflects the criticality and nuance of the questions artists are asking in this present moment—how we communicate across misalignment, how technology reshapes embodiment, and how shifting temporalities recalibrate our social instincts. With a focused, multi-disciplinary framework, we aim to bring forward practices that speak directly to the material and perceptual conditions of Hong Kong and Asia today.”

CENTRAL STAGE
Art Central announces presentations by Arahmaiani, Esther Mahlangu, and Arno Rafael Minkkinen as part of its Central Stage feature, joining the previously announced SIDE CORE, Elnaz Javani, and Marta Frėjutė. Central Stage spotlights six artists whose practices have garnered recent institutional recognition, including participation in major international exhibitions and recurring large‑scale shows, as well as significant public commissions, acquisitions and awards. Presented under the curatorial direction of Enoch Cheng, Central Stage is among the Fair’s curated gallery features.

  • Yogyakarta-based artist Arahmaiani is a seminal figure in Indonesian contemporary art. Since the 1980s, her practice has grappled with contemporary politics, gendered power inequalities, and cultural commodification through performance, installation, and community‑based collaboration. Arahmaiani has exhibited widely at major institutions and biennials, including Tate Modern (London), the Brooklyn Museum (New York), the National Gallery Singapore, the Istanbul Biennial, the Gwangju Biennale, and documenta fifteen (Kassel).
  • Born and based in Mpumalanga, South Africa, Esther Mahlangu is celebrated for her bold geometric abstractions rooted in Ndebele cultural knowledge. Painting across an expansive range of surfaces, her practice reanimates ancestral visual systems within contemporary art and design. Dr. Mahlangu has exhibited internationally at major institutions, including the British Museum (London), Centre Pompidou (Paris), and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
  • Born in Helsinki and based in Massachusetts, Arno Rafael Minkkinen is known for black‑and‑white self‑portraits that investigate the relationship between the human body and the natural world. His images draw on intuition, chance, and physical risk as integral elements of his process. In 2025, Minkkinen was named the recipient of the Académie des Beaux-Arts Photography Award, William Klein. His work has entered the permanent collections of MoMA (New York), the National Gallery of Finland (Helsinki), the Centre Pompidou (Paris), and the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography.

Corey Andrew Barr, Fair Director, said, “Art Central has established itself as a discursive platform where experimental voices from Hong Kong and across Asia gain meaningful visibility and resonance. This year’s creative programme spotlights practitioners advancing new conceptual and technological frontiers, inviting audiences to engage with the emergent vocabularies shaping contemporary new‑media practice. It is our privilege to support work that not only reflects the region’s cultural vitality but also contributes to its ongoing transformation.”

Advance Tickets end 24 March, 11:59 PM HKT. Visitors are encouraged to book online in advance at artcentralhongkong.com/tickets/

Opening Dates and Hours

Tuesday 24 March
VIP Preview (by invitation)
Wednesday 25 March
Fair Hours                        12 pm – 5 pm
Night Central                    5 pm – 9 pm
Thursday 26 March
Fair Hours                        12 pm – 7 pm
Friday 27 March
Fair Hours                        12 pm – 7 pm
Saturday 28 March
Fair Hours                        11 am – 7 pm
Sunday 29 March
Fair Hours                        11 am – 5 pm

Venue
Central Harbourfront Hong Kong, 9 Lung Wo Road

www.artcentralhongkong.com
Facebook: artcentralhk | Instagram: @artcentralhk |
WeChat Public Platform: artcentral | Xiaohongshu: ArtCentralHK

#ArtCentralHK #ArtCentralUOB #HongKongArtWeek

For media enquiries, please contact:
Chance Communications
[Mandy Chan | mandy@chancecomm.com | 2509 3123]
[Tommy Yuen | tommy@chancecomm.com | 2509 3389]

About Art Central
Art Central, a cornerstone event of Hong Kong Art Month, presents the next generation of talent from Asia’s most forward-thinking galleries alongside celebrated artists from across the globe. Since its inaugural edition in 2015, Art Central has established itself as a leading platform for innovation in contemporary art, advancing the profiles of artists and galleries and reinforcing their presence within the international art landscape. Today, the Fair is recognised for the strength of its curatorial programming and as a vital meeting point for discovery and exchange among collectors and curators representing private, corporate, and institutional collections worldwide.

Fair Director
Corey Andrew Barr
joined Art Central as Fair Director in 2019. A champion of Hong Kong artists, Barr has expanded the Fair’s platform to highlight local talent and underscore its position as a benchmark for aspiring galleries from around the world. He was formerly the director of a prominent Hong Kong- and London-based gallery focusing on contemporary Asian art, and prior to that, served as Specialist and Head of Sales for Phillips in New York, where he also organised exhibitions of contemporary art, photography, and design by leading international artists.

Curator
Zoie Yung
, currently based in Hong Kong, is an independent exhibition consultant and curator, and former exhibition manager of chi K11 art museum in Shanghai. She provides a unique approach to exhibition production by combining practice in exhibition spatial arrangement and her knowledge of Chinese Xuanxue as well as Western astrology. Selected recent exhibitions include Wonder-verse (chi K11 art space, Hong Kong, 2022) and Curve of Buoyancy (Duddell’s, Hong Kong, 2021). She also actively organises public education campaigns; she has collaborated with local organisations, including Tai Kwun Contemporary, Para Site, 1a Space, and Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre.

Enoch Cheng is an artist-curator whose work spans curation, moving image, installation, performance, dance, and fashion. His cross-disciplinary multimedia practice reinterprets norms, stories, and myths through contemporary lenses, drawing on a range of creative practices and engaging audiences through diverse cultural traditions. Cheng was awarded the Asian Cultural Council Fellowship (2020) and held artist residencies at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York (2022), and the American Museum of Natural History, New York (2020). He was most recently named Artist of the Year (Visual Arts) at the 2025 Hong Kong Arts Development Awards, recognising his contributions to the arts, including his role at Art Central since 2024.

About UOB
UOB is a leading bank in Asia. Operating through its head office in Singapore and banking subsidiaries in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, UOB has a global network of more than 470 branches and offices in 19 markets in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. Since its incorporation in 1935, UOB has grown organically and through a series of strategic acquisitions. Today, UOB is rated among the world’s top banks: Aa1 by Moody’s Investors Service and AA- by both S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings.

For nine decades, UOB has adopted a customer-centric approach to create long-term value by staying relevant through its enterprising spirit and doing right by its customers. UOB is focused on building the future of ASEAN – for the people and businesses within, and connecting with, ASEAN.

The Bank connects businesses to opportunities in the region with its unparalleled regional footprint and leverages data and insights to innovate and create personalised banking experiences and solutions catering to each customer’s unique needs and evolving preferences. UOB is also committed to helping businesses forge a sustainable future, by fostering social inclusiveness, creating positive environmental impact and pursuing economic progress. UOB believes in being a responsible financial services provider and is steadfast in its support of art, social development of children and education, doing right by its communities and stakeholders.

About Mega Arts and Cultural Events (ACE) Fund
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government sets up the Mega ACE Fund to attract and support international or large-scale arts and cultural events which bring significant arts, cultural or economic values and can be recurrent and anchored in Hong Kong, or events which can bring exceptionally significant arts or cultural merit, as well as publicity and image building values to Hong Kong as an arts and cultural hub with a view to contributing to Hong Kong’s development into an arts and cultural metropolis as well as a tourist destination, providing development opportunities for the arts, cultural and creative sectors, and facilitating arts and cultural exchange.

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Aussie great Usman Khawaja celebrates ‘beautiful’ arrival as he begins retirement from first-class cricket

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Usman Khawaja has entered his retirement from first-class cricket on a high with wife Rachel giving birth to the couple’s third child.

Khawaja missed out on a Queensland farewell in the Sheffield Shield final when his teammates’ bid for an unlikely appearance came unstuck against Tasmania this week.

But the 39-year-old already had his hands full even before the Bulls took the field on Saturday, with Khawaja’s third daughter born a day earlier.

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Khawaja went public on Thursday with happy pictures of Rachel with their three girls — all starting with A — in hospital.

“Three from three,” he wrote.

“Amira Maya Khawaja born last Friday.

“We are so grateful. Another beautiful girl.

“Eight more to (go) for a full team! Alhamdulillah.”

The Khawajas first became parents to Aisha in 2020 and Ayla in 2022.

Former Australian Test opening partner David Warner also has three daughters and joked: “Congrats mate, must be an openers thing.”

Well wishes poured in from around the cricket and sporting world.

Long-time teammate Matt Renshaw congratulated the couple while his wife Josie wrote: “Such a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”

Pat Cummins’ wife Becky said: “Another girl! Congratulations guys.”

Brett Lee wrote: “Beautiful mate! Lovely name.”

Channel 7 presenter Erin Holland, wife of Aussie cricketer Ben Cutting, added: “Welcome to the family lil one x.”

Australian swimming great Giaan Rooney wrote: “Wonderful news, congratulations lovely family!”

Bec Judd, the influencer wife of AFL great Chris, said: “Congrats, love her name!!!!!!”

The then family of four pictured at the SCG ahead of Khawaja’s final Test.
The then family of four pictured at the SCG ahead of Khawaja’s final Test. Credit: AAP

Khawaja retired from Test cricket after a dramatic Ashes summer that began with a back injury in Perth.

He missed the Brisbane Test but was recalled — as a middle-order bat — for the final three, his 88-match career coming to an end in Sydney where he was raised and played his first Test in 2011.

Without Test cricket in his future, Khawaja announced his Shield retirement earlier this month after his last home game.

“Very grateful to have been accepted by the organisation all those years ago,” he wrote.

“Never thought growing up that I’d end up living and loving this beautiful state. But it’s home and my heart will always be here.”

Khawaja intends to keep playing T20 cricket but the Brisbane Heat captain’s four-year contract expired at the end of last season.

It is unclear if he will step up his overseas franchise commitments given the new addition to the family.

Khawaja has previously only made sporadic appearances in the Indian Premier League, while he also enjoyed a homecoming 2021 season with Pakistan Super League side Islamabad United — the city where he was born before his family moved to Australia.

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Inside India newsletter: Gold loans are thriving in India — and attracting global investors

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Hello, I am Priyanka Salve, writing to you from Singapore.

Welcome to the latest edition of Inside India — your one-stop destination for stories and developments from the world’s fastest growing large economy.

This week, I unpack what’s driving the rapid surge in gold‑loan growth in the world’s second‑largest bullion market. Loans against gold are a multibillion‑dollar industry in India, powered by households holding $5 trillion in bullion.

Enjoy!

Any thoughts on today’s newsletter? Share them with the team.

The big story

Indian households are sitting on a mountain of gold.

They own more than 34,000 tons of the yellow metal, as per a Morgan Stanley report from October last year, with Kotak Mahindra Bank pegging its value at about $5 trillion.

That vast reserve is now powering one of the fastest-growing lending segments in India. As other forms of consumer credit slow, gold loans have surged, driven by tighter banking rules for unsecured loans, a sharp rally in global gold prices, improved access, and perhaps a rising financial stress among households.

While about 90% of Indian households’ hoardings are still lying idle, according to Shripad Jadhav, business head of gold loans at Kotak Mahindra Bank, gold-backed lending is beginning to reshape India’s retail credit landscape, even drawing some global investors.

Global private equity firm Bain Capital has made a bold bet on loans against gold, with plans to acquire up to 41.7% stake in Manappuram Finance, India’s second‑largest gold loan provider.

The deal, approved by the Reserve Bank of India last month, signals how international investors see opportunity in the country’s most traditional but underutilized asset.

In December last year, Japanese financial behemoth MUFG said it was acquiring a 20% stake in Indian shadow banking firm Shriram Finance, which plans to double down on loans against gold.

RBI data shows gold loans more than doubled in one year, rising to 4 trillion rupees ($43.3 billion) in January from 1.75 trillion rupees a year earlier. Gold-backed lending is now the largest retail loan segment in the country after home and vehicle loans, as well as the fastest-growing retail credit category.

The actual size of gold loans in India is estimated to be 14 trillion rupees, said Yan Wang, chief emerging market strategist at Canadian firm Alpine Macro, adding that the RBI data only captures personal gold loans from certain commercial banks.

Non-banking financial companies, or NBFCs, account for 45%–50% of gold loan volume, according to a Macquarie report from last month — which is not captured by the RBI.

Gold rush

As India’s central bank tightened the rules around unsecured lending in late 2023, it cut off access to this line of credit for many small and private business borrowers, Hanna Luchnikava-Schorsch, head of Asia-Pacific economics at S&P Global Market Intelligence, told me.

“Personal loans growth has slowed from an average of 30% in six months to December 2023 to 12.2% in 2025,” she said. During the same time, global gold prices have soared.

From 2024 to date, gold has gained more than 140% to cross $5000 per ounce, hitting several records this year.

Higher gold prices increase the value borrowers can unlock with the same amount of metal — making gold loans more appealing, Luchnikava-Schorsch said.

Historically, demand for loans against gold was driven by South Indian states and the semi-urban market, especially among agricultural communities, experts said.

Now, that growth is broad‑based across India, says Kotak Mahindra Bank’s Jadhav, as middle‑class as well as high-net-worth individuals in big cities are using gold loans to fund time‑sensitive financial needs.

NEW DELHI, INDIA – OCTOBER 18: People buying the gold and silver jewelry on the occasion of Dhanteras at PP Jewellers, Karol Bagh on October 18, 2025 in New Delhi, India.

Hindustan Times | Hindustan Times | Getty Images

The biggest beneficiaries of this demand for gold loans have been NBFCs such as Manappuram Finance and industry leader Muthoot Finance. Their shares have risen 24% and 47%, respectively, over the last year, outpacing the benchmark Nifty 50 index by a wide margin.

“Most NBFCs can disburse a loan within an hour of a customer walking into a branch,” said Shreya Shivani, an NBFC analyst at Nomura.

Even a person with a “poor” credit score who owns good quality gold can get a loan at a much better lending rate compared to unsecured personal loans, she said. While that widens access to credit, it also raises questions.

A rapidly growing loan segment that bypasses traditional credit assessments could indicate stress in the economy, with Macquarie’s report also attributing people feeling financially squeezed, and incomes not keeping pace with costs, among the reasons driving the boom in gold loans.

Shripad says that the rise in gold loans is “a marker of financial maturity” as people are monetizing the precious metal and using it as a hassle-free, quick, and low‑cost credit line.

Need to know

India’s Modi reaches out to Iran. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian within hours of Tehran’s new supreme leader vowing to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, as New Delhi scrambles to mitigate energy supply risks.

India’s U.S.-Israel tilt is testing ties with Iran. While millions of barrels of oil flow to China via the Strait of Hormuz, India — Tehran’s old ally — is yet to secure a safe passage for its ships stuck in the critical waterway as New Delhi’s deepening ties with the U.S. and Israel strain relations with Iran.

India’s consumer inflation rises for a fourth straight month. India’s consumer inflation rose to 3.21% in February, up from 2.75% in the previous month, but in line with expectations of economists polled by Reuters.

Coming up

March 20: Weekly RBI updated on India FX reserve.

March 20: Central Mine Planning & Design Institute IPO opens.

March 24: India HSBC manufacturing and services flash PMI.

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Major cruise line cancels planned sailings, upending vacations: ‘Definitely a disappointment’

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Carnival Cruise Line has canceled 11 sailings on its Carnival Firenze ship, which were all scheduled for fall 2026.

“Due to changes to itinerary plans, we have canceled sailings aboard Carnival Firenze scheduled between Oct. 12, 2026, and Nov. 16, 2026,” Carnival said in a shared statement with Fox News Digital.

The cruise cancellations are connected to a redeployment effort, according to a statement by the company to booked guests. 

MIDDLE EAST CRUISE NIGHTMARE DEEPENS AS IRAN AIRSTRIKES LEAVE PASSENGERS STRANDED

Carnival is planning to redeploy its Firenze ship from Long Beach to Miami in early 2027, followed by a permanent move to New York City in the summer of 2027, it said. The vessel will offer voyages to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Canada, TravelAge West reported.

The redeployment will include a Carnival Journeys Southern Caribbean voyage departing from Miami in May 2027 before it leaves for New York City, according to Cruise Industry News.

Carnival Firenze ship cancels sailings

Carnival Cruise Line said it canceled 11 sailings on its Firenze ship, which were all scheduled for fall 2026. It reached out to passengers with the news. (iStock)

“Guests booked on the affected sailings, as well as their travel advisors, have been notified directly. We have apologized to our impacted guests and are offering them the option to rebook another,” the statement continued.

Carnival Firenze was scheduled to operate three- and four-night cruises due to depart from Long Beach.

Carnival is working closely with booked passengers to find a similar voyage. 

Gene Sloan, cruise director at The Points Guy, said these kinds of itinerary changes aren’t unusual.

“It’s definitely a disappointment for customers who are booked on the existing sailings that get canceled. But given the sailings on Carnival Firenze are 7-8 months out, it probably doesn’t affect a huge number of people,” Sloan told Fox News Digital.

MEXICO CRUISE STOPS ARE SUDDENLY SCRAPPED AS SAFETY CONCERNS CONTINUE IN REGION

“In general, shorter sailings get booked up closer to departure dates.”

Carnival is working closely with booked passengers to find a similar voyage, it said. In the event that those passengers do not want to change their itineraries, they will receive a full refund.

Carnival Firenze Cancellations

The Carnival Firenze features Italian-themed decor and dining — such as the Terrazza stateroom and Amari cocktail bar — and familiar favorites like Guy’s Burger Joint.  (Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg )

Carnival cruise passengers have the option of booking comparable sailing in similar accommodations, along with an onboard credit, Carnival said.

“Guests who choose not to reschedule will receive a full refund of their cruise fare and any pre-purchased items to the original form of payment,” the statement concluded.

OUTRAGED CRUISE PASSENGERS BLAST COMPANY’S ‘IDIOTIC’ NEW DRESS CODE CRACKDOWN

If booked passengers schedule a comparable sailing by March 25, 2026, they will receive a $50 per person onboard credit, according to Yahoo Travel.

After the March 25 deadline, reservations will be automatically canceled and a full refund will be issued, the same source said. 

cruise ship

Several 2026 voyages on the Carnival Panorama will have a revised schedule. (Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram)

The Carnival Firenze debuted in April 2024. It’s known for its “Fun Italian Style” cruising, inspired by the city of Florence. 

It had been operating year-round out of Long Beach, California.

The Firenze can accommodate around 4,126 passengers at double occupancy, with a maximum capacity of roughly 5,245 to 5,260 guests, according to the company. 

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The ship features Italian-themed décor and dining — such as the Terrazza staterooms and Amari cocktail bar — and familiar favorites such as Guy’s Burger Joint.

Carnival also notified booked guests this week of another change in California. Several 2026 voyages on the Carnival Panorama will have a revised schedule implemented.

Cruise companies planning to go to Puerto Vallarta canceled the stop

Safety concerns rattled cruise passengers after the U.S. government issued warnings about security in Mexico Feb. 22.  (Marte Rebollar/AFP)

Carnival Panorama also departs from Long Beach and visits Mexican Riviera ports, including Mazatlán, La Paz and Cabo San Lucas.

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None of the destinations have been removed, but the company changed the order of port calls, port times and some departure and return times from Long Beach, according to CruiseHive.

Passengers rattled

In recent weeks, many cruise lines have been thrown into chaos after the killing of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho” and most recently due to the Iran conflict.

Safety concerns rattled cruise passengers after the U.S. government issued security warnings for Mexico Feb. 22. Puerto Vallarta was of particular concern to cruise ship operators.

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Additionally, thousands of passengers were on ships in Doha and Dubai during the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Cruise lines have been facing the volatility in oil prices during the industry’s busiest booking period, known as the “wave season,” which runs between January and March. It typically sees operators offering special deals and discounts for trips.

Middle East cruise chaos

At least six ships from four different companies were reportedly affected by the conflict in the region. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP)

These cruises tend to run during the third quarter and have a disproportionately large contribution to cruise operators’ incomes, according to Lizzie Dove, an analyst at Goldman Sachs.

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Dove noted that the oil shock could affect Americans’ bookings to Europe, particularly for higher-priced transatlantic trips.

Eric Revell of FOX Business contributed reporting.

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