Kazakhstan has hosted its first Astana AI Film Festival on attracting more than 8,000 entries from 125 countries and emerging as the world’s largest international competition dedicated to AI-generated films.
Exiled Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev confronts conscription and moral compromise in wartime Russia in Minotaur, a drama released nearly five years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
As Ethiopia's rainy season retreats and the landscape turns green beneath clearer skies, millions of Oromo people gather to celebrate Irreecha, a festival of thanksgiving, renewal and community.
In a workshop in Margilan, in eastern Uzbekistan's Fergana Region, silk threads are still being transformed into brightly coloured atlas and adras fabrics using techniques passed down through generations.
An online petition is calling for singer Pink to be removed from her UNICEF role following criticism of Macklemore over his pro-Palestinian remarks during Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for the 15th of September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in the world of culture.
Iran has unveiled the restored mausoleum of 13th-century mystic Shams Tabrizi in the northwestern city of Khoy, with plans for a cultural tourism route linking the site to the shrine of renowned Persian poet Rumi in Konya, Türkiye.
AnewZ has premiered its new documentary film Kontrapunkt in Berlin, exploring more than two centuries of shared German-Azerbaijani history and the legacy of German communities in Azerbaijan.
A 13-month-old Chihuahua named Comando is helping Mexico’s National Guard connect with the public, becoming its smallest canine member and an unusual addition to the country’s K9 force.
Iran has unveiled the restored mausoleum of 13th-century mystic Shams Tabrizi in the northwestern city of Khoy, with plans for a cultural tourism route linking the site to the shrine of renowned Persian poet Rumi in Konya, Türkiye.
The explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed at least 12 people and injured a further 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority. The airport remains closed until further notice.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Yemen's Houthis renewed warning to airlines, airport workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports, saying the warning should be taken seriously and that the kingdom “bore responsibility for failed interceptions”, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed 12 people.
Ed Sheeran has broken his silence over Macklemore’s removal from his U.S. tour following the rapper’s pro-Palestinian remarks, saying the decision was made by promoters and venues rather than him.
The Carolina Herrera fashion house celebrated its 45th anniversary with a vibrant runway show at New York's Fashion Week on Monday, presenting its spring 2027 collection against a backdrop of sunshine-coloured tulips.
The Emmy Awards delivered a night of familiar faces, surprise wins and a few milestones, with Apple TV’s horror comedy Widow’s Bay emerging as the biggest winner.
Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, has become home to what organisers say is the world's largest competition dedicated to films made using artificial intelligence, after the Astana AI Film Festival (AAIFF 2026) attracted more than 8,000 entries from 125 countries.
The 83rd Venice Film Festival has opened on the Lido, bringing Hollywood stars and leading filmmakers together for a programme dominated by war, political violence, grief, power and the pressures shaping the modern world.
Britain's King Charles, French President Emmanuel Macron and Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited the exhibition housing the historic Bayeux Tapestry on Wednesday (2 September), which depicts the conquest of England by the monarch's ancestor William I in 1066.
Country music legend Dolly Parton, whose songs, unmistakable style and warmth made her one of America’s most enduring entertainers, has died aged 80, her family said on Tuesday.
Kanye West’s first solo concert in Central Asia delivered an estimated five billion tenge ($11 million) tourism boost to Almaty, drawing 31,000 spectators from more than 50 countries.
American actress Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in TV shows such as Nashville and Heroes, has died at the age of 36, ABC News reported on Sunday, citing her representative.
Four artworks by 15th-century painter Antonello da Messina have been stolen overnight from the Museo Regionale di Messina, Italy's culture minister said on Sunday, expressing confidence in the police inquiry.
Cristiano Ronaldo has given one of his clearest indications yet that his playing career is nearing its end, saying the 2026-27 season will “probably” be his last in professional football.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has changed Eurovision Song Contest rules to allow a winning country to be blocked from hosting if security risks, armed conflict or geopolitical tensions make it unsafe to stage the event.
