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A gentle study of dysfunctional families by veteran American director Jim Jarmusch clinched top prize at the Venice Film Festival Saturday, while a harrowing docu-drama about the Gaza war took second. Jarmusch's *Father Mother Sister Brother starring Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver and Tom Waits, drew mostly positive reviews for its humourous portrayal of awkwardness and guilt. The *Broken Flowers director, who wrote the script for three family get-togethers in upstate New York, Dublin and Paris, had called it "a kind of anti-action film". "Thank you for appreciating our quiet film," he said during his acceptance speech. In a move that might disappoint campaigners against the Gaza war, the Venice jury under American director Alexander Payne did not reward *The Voice of Hind Rajab with the Golden Lion. Instead, the film about a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli troops last year, which reduced many festival viewers to tears, was given the grand jury second prize. Director Kaouther Ben Hania produced a dramatised re-telling of Hind Rajab Hamada's ordeal after she was trapped in a car that came under fire while she and her relatives were fleeing Gaza City. It was the most talked about movie on the Venice Lido and tipped by many as the likely winner after a 23-minute standing ovation at its premiere on Wednesday. Hind Rajab's story "is not hers alone", Ben Hania said as she accepted her award. "It is tragically the story of an entire people enduring genocide, inflicted by a criminal Israeli regime that acts with impunity," she added. Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix as well as Oscar-winning directors Jonathan Glazer (*The Zone of Interest) and Mexico's Alfonso Cuaron (*Roma) joined the film as executive producers after editing had been completed. Jarmusch signalled his opposition to Israel's continued siege and bombardment of Gaza by wearing a badge saying "Enough" on the red carpet for the Venice awards ceremony. BEST ACTORS Elsewhere Saturday, China's Xin Zhilei won the best actress award for her role in *The Sun Rises on Us All directed by Cai Shangjun. The 39-year-old actress plays a woman trying to make amends with her former lover, who served time in prison for a crime she had committed. Italy's Toni Servillo won the best actor award after wowing audiences in Paolo Sorrentino's *La Grazia, playing a principled politician facing a moral dilemma. The veteran film and stage actor portrayed an Italian president at the end of his career wrestling with whether or not to sign a bill to legalise euthanasia. Big-budget productions such as Netflix's *Frankenstein by Guillermo del Toro and *Jay Kelly by Noah Baumbach as well as Yorgos Lanthimos's *Bugonia with Emma Stone went home empty-handed. In the secondary *Orizzonti (*Horizons) section of the festival, Mexican truck driver drama *En el Camino by David Pablos scooped top prize. *Father Mother Sister Brother is the first Jarmusch film to compete at Venice. The American had previously opted to showcase his productions at rival festival Cannes. Film bible *Variety said his film had his "trademark wry humour but also new notes of mellow, generous wisdom". Screen called it a "tender family triptych". Critics were broadly positive about the line-up of films in Venice this year. The festival is an important launch platform for big-budget international productions and arthouse films. Several previous winners of the prestigious Golden Lion have gone on to Oscar glory, such as *Nomadland and *Joker. *The Smashing Machine by American director Benny Safdie, a touching film about late 1990s mixed martial-arts (MMA) pioneer Mark Kerr, picked up the third-place directing prize Saturday. *The Hollywood Reporter called the film starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson a "compellingly gritty and offbeat biopic", while Johnson was even tipped by some for a best actor award. *Sotto le Nuvole (Below the Clouds), a sumptuous documentary about Naples by acclaimed Italian documentary maker Gianfranco Rosi, won a special jury prize. The Gaza conflict has been a major talking point throughout this year's festival and many prize winners mentioned the war while on stage on Saturday night. An open letter calling on festival organisers to denounce the Israeli government over its offensive in Gaza has been signed by around 2,000 cinema insiders, according to the organisers.

Giorgio Armani's death leaves a vacuum at the top of his billion-dollar luxury business, an independent empire he built up over 50 years spanning hotels to haute couture.Born into a modest family in northern Italy, Armani, who died on Thursday aged 91, became one of the richest men in the world and the fourth richest in Italy.His net worth was estimated at $11.8bn, according to *Forbes magazine.From his historic headquarters in Milan, Armani led an empire employing more than 9,000 staff at the end of 2023, and with revenues of €2.3bn ($2.7bn) in 2024, according to the group.More than 600 stores worldwide sell Armani brands under several lines: Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, A|X Armani Exchange, and EA7.The group also licenses eyewear from EssilorLuxottica, and perfumes and cosmetics from L'Oreal.Armani is also active in the hotel, restaurant and real-estate industries, with building collaborations in China, Miami and Brazil.A sports enthusiast, the designer owned the Olimpia Milano basketball team and designed formalwear for Juventus and the Italian national football team.Armani had no direct heirs, but he had long planned for his succession, keen for the integrity and independence of the group to outlast him.According to the Italian press, a new statute has been ready since 2016 for his death. It would see the creation of six classes of shares with specific voting rights and governance prerogatives.In this new structure, a central role is expected to be played by the Giorgio Armani Foundation, which holds 0.1% of the Armani group's capital, and by the designer's close relatives and friends.These include his nieces Silvana and Roberta Armani, his nephew Andrea Camerana, his sister Rosanna Armani, and his right-hand man Leo Dell'Orco."I would like the succession to be organic and not a moment of rupture," he told the *Financial Times in an interview published just days before his death."My plans for succession consist of a gradual transition of the responsibilities that I have always handled to those closest to me," he said, "such as Leo Dell'Orco, the members of my family and the entire working team".Armani owned numerous properties in Italy and abroad. In addition to his main residence in Milan, on Via Borgonuovo, the designer regularly sought refuge in his villa on the island of Pantelleria, in his summer residence in Forte dei Marmi, an upscale seaside resort in Tuscany, or in his "Villa Rosa", south of Milan.He had numerous other residences abroad, notably in France — in Paris and Saint-Tropez — and in Saint Moritz, Switzerland.A few days before his death, Armani completed the acquisition of the "Capannina di Franceschi", the legendary Forte dei Marmi club where he met his partner Sergio Galeotti, with whom he went on to found Giorgio Armani in 1975.Armani remained one of the few independent luxury groups, at a time when most designers were being bought out by conglomerates.After years under Armani's tight control, his death raises the question of what happens next to a company so closely associated with one man.Luca Solca, analyst at research group Bernstein, said the Armani group benefited from being "a little more universal" than others, attracting a wide audience, much like Ralph Lauren."There is certainly a lot of interest in acquiring the group — it remains to be seen if there are any sellers after the succession," he told AFP.It is a difficult time for the luxury industry, hit by slowing growth in China and the uncertain global economic outlook.The Armani group has not been spared, reporting a 6% drop in revenue in 2024.But Armani kept investing — €332mn over the year — notably renovating its stores in New York and Milan and opening a new one in Paris.It has also taken its online sales operations in-house."I am convinced that pursuing consistency and continuity, avoiding chasing immediate gains, is the best strategy to ensure success in the long run," Armani said this year.

Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative to the UN, ambassador Abdulaziz al-Wasil, presented an oral draft resolution during Saturday's session of the UN General Assembly on behalf of Saudi Arabia and France.The resolution pertained to the resumption of the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. It was adopted by consensus without a vote.Ambassador al-Wasil reaffirmed the shared commitment of Saudi Arabia and France to upholding international law and implementing relevant UN resolutions, highlighting that the key objectives of the conference include the protection of international legitimacy and taking practical steps toward achieving lasting peace in the Middle East region.On July 28, 2025, the aforementioned conference kicked off at the headquarters of the UN General Assembly in New York, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France.It primarily aimed to bring the occupation to an end and to support the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state.

An Israeli strike flattened a high-rise in Gaza City Saturday — the second in as many days — after the military warned people to flee ahead of a planned offensive against the urban hub. Israel has been warning for weeks of a new assault on the territory's largest city, without issuing a timeline. It has stepped up air strikes and ground operations on the city's outskirts, sparking fears it could worsen already dire conditions. Saturday, Israeli aircraft dropped thousands of leaflets on western neighbourhoods calling on residents to evacuate, witnesses and an AFP journalist said. Nafez Anis, who has been living in a tent with his family in Gaza City, said he had read the leaflet, but was not planning on leaving. "Where should we go?" he told AFP. "We will wait, and when we see Israeli tanks approaching here, we will leave." Gaza civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 55 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli fire during the day, including 18 near an aid distribution centre in the north. Saturday, the military struck a Gaza City high-rise, saying Hamas was using it "to monitor" Israeli troops and adding that it had taken "measures to mitigate harm to civilians". Witnesses identified the building as the Sussi residential tower and said it was destroyed. Hamas condemned the attack and denied using residential or civilian buildings for military purposes. The Israeli military has said it will target structures being used by Hamas, particularly tall buildings. It also issued an evacuation order for another high-rise Saturday, warning of an imminent strike and telling people to leave for the south. A military spokesperson had earlier called on residents to leave for Al-Mawasi, on the Mediterranean coast to the south. Israel first declared Al-Mawasi a safe zone early in the war, but has carried out repeated strikes on it since then, saying they targeted Hamas. Gaza City residents said they believed it made little difference whether they stayed or fled. "Some say we should evacuate, others say we should stay," said Abdel Nasser Mushtaha, 48. "But everywhere in Gaza there are bombings and deaths" he added, pointing, in particular, to the strikes on Al-Mawasi. "It no longer makes any difference to us," said his daughter Samia Mushtaha, 20. "Wherever we go, death pursues us, whether by bombing or hunger." Israel has faced mounting domestic and international pressure to end the nearly two-year war. Thousands demonstrated in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Saturday evening to call for a ceasefire and hostage release deal. In Tel Aviv, protesters unfurled a massive banner saying: "President Trump, save the hostages now!" Hamas agreed last month to a proposal for a temporary ceasefire and staggered hostage releases, but Israel has demanded the group release all the hostages at once, disarm and relinquish control of Gaza, among other conditions. The UN estimates nearly 1mn people remain in and around Gaza City, where it declared a famine last month. It has warned of a looming "disaster" if the assault proceeds. Israel's offensive has killed at least 64,368 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the UN considers reliable.

HE the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi on Friday inaugurated the headquarters of the Consulate General of Qatar in Shanghai, China.The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Municipal Government Liu Ping; Deputy Director-General of the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China Wu Demin; and Consul General of Qatar in Shanghai Rashid bin Mubarak al-Khater. The ceremony was also attended by a number of senior Chinese officials, as well as heads and members of consular missions accredited to Shanghai.

Morocco trounced 10-man Niger 5-0 in Rabat on Friday to win Group E and become the first African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Ismael Saibari scored twice in the first half after Abdul-Latif Goumey was sent off and second-half goals from Ayoub el Kaabi, Hamza Igamane and Azzedine Ounahi completed the rout.A sixth straight victory lifted Morocco to an unassailable lead with 18 points – eight more than Tanzania and sealed a seventh appearance at the global showpiece with two matches to spare. Morocco were shock semi-finalists at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, topping a group including Croatia and Belgium and eliminating Spain and Portugal in the knockout phase. The stunning run came to an end in the semi-finals as they lost 2-0 to France.Only Ounahi of the scorers against Niger was in the 2022 World Cup squad with coach Walid Regragui introducing new faces since, including Saibari from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.In Group A, Egypt beat Ethiopia 2-0 in Cairo with Premier League stars Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush converting late first-half penalties. Egypt can join Morocco at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico if they win away to second-placed Burkina Faso on Tuesday.Newcastle United signing Yoane Wissa was among the goals as the Democratic Republic of Congo hammered South Sudan 4-1 in Juba to stay top of Group B. Wissa moved from Brentford in a £50mn ($67mn) deal after Sweden striker Alexander Isak left Newcastle for Liverpool in a British record move. The Congolese are hoping to return to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when the central African country was called Zaire.Cedric Bakambu scored twice to help the visitors build a three-goal half-time advantage and Wissa added a fourth before Keer Majak claimed a consolation goal. Senegal trail DR Congo by one point ahead of a top-of-the-table showdown in Kinshasa on Tuesday after beating Sudan 2-0 in Diamniadio through goals from Kalidou Koulibaly and Pape Matar Sarr.South Africa maintained a five-point lead in Group C thanks to a comfortable 3-0 'away' victory over neighbours Lesotho in Bloemfontein. The home fixture for Lesotho was moved to the central South African city, 145 kilometres by road from the border, because the mountain kingdom does not have a FIFA-approved stadium.Mohau Nkota, who quit famed Soweto club Orlando Pirates last month to join Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ettifaq, scored his first international goal for Bafana Bafana (the Boys) on 15 minutes. Lyle Foster from Premier League returnees Burnley and Oswin Appollis netted within four minutes midway through the second half.Victory did come at a cost for South Africa, though, with defenders Nyiko Mobbie and Thabo Moloisane retiring injured ahead of a key clash with Nigeria at the same venue on Tuesday. South Africa have 16 points, five more than Benin, who edged Zimbabwe 1-0 in Abidjan through a Steve Mounie goal. Nigeria, nine points behind the leaders, host Rwanda.Clinical first-half finishing earned Gambia a surprise 3-1 win over Kenya in Nairobi with Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh scoring the second. However, the result had no impact on the top of Group F, with reigning African champions the Ivory Coast away to Gabon on Tuesday in a match likely to decide who finishes first.Serhou Guirassy, a prolific scorer for Borussia Dortmund with 38 goals in all competitions last season, bagged his first for Guinea in World Cup qualifying to set up a 3-0 win over Somalia. But a disappointing campaign by Guinea they lie fourth eight points behind Group G leaders Algeria means Guirassy will almost certainly miss the World Cup.

Novak Djokovic vowed to "continue fighting" for Grand Slam titles after his US Open semi-final exit to Carlos Alcaraz on Friday. Djokovic, whose dream of a record 25th Grand Slam title ended in a straight-sets loss to Alcaraz, pledged to keep playing next year."I'm not giving up on Grand Slams, I'm going to continue fighting," the 38-year-old Serbian legend said after his 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 defeat. "I still want to play a full Grand Slam season next year. They are just different from any other tournament. They are the pillars of our sport."Djokovic had warned before Friday's semi-final he would need to be in peak physical condition to stand a chance of toppling the 22-year-old Alcaraz. The Spaniard has dominated men's tennis alongside Italian world number one Jannik Sinner in recent seasons, with the duo splitting the last seven Grand Slam tournaments between them.However Djokovic said he had faded after running Alcaraz close in the opening two sets in Friday's semi-final. "I ran out of gas after the second set," he said. "I think I had enough energy to battle him and to keep up with his rhythm for two sets. After that I was gassed out, and he kept going," he added, stating that competing with his much younger rivals in future was only going to get more challenging."I'm happy with my level of tennis, but you know, it's just the physicality of it," Djokovic said. "As I said after the quarter-finals, I'm going to do my very best to get my body in shape to sustain that level and that rhythm for as many hours as it's needed, but it wasn't enough. That's something I, unfortunately at this point in time in my career, can't control. I can do only as much as I can do. It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner, Alcaraz, in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams. I think I have a better chance best-of-three, but best-of-five, it's tough."Djokovic though said he had no problem coming off second best to the duo who have collectively become known as "Sincaraz". "It's never fun losing a tennis match, but at the same time, if I'm to lose to someone, I would lose to these two guys," Djokovic said. "I know that they are just better at the moment. You just have to hand it to them and say, 'Well done.'"His next stop on the ATP Tour will be in Athens and Djokovic said it was too soon to say whether he would play at Melbourne Park next year. "At least at this stage of my career, I mean, I'm not thinking that far," he told reporters. "I still want to play Grand Slams, Grand Slam season, full Grand Slam season next year. Let's see whether that's going to happen or not."

Indian companies are betting on small towns and villages to sustain growth at a time the third-largest Asian economy is bracing for pain from US’s punishing 50% tariffs.Businesses from biscuits makers to building materials suppliers underscored the buoyant rural demand in investor calls for their June quarter earnings, adding that low inflation and the prospect of a good harvest will ensure the 900mn Indians living outside cities keep spending. Consumption growth in India’s countryside has outpaced that in urban markets for six straight quarters, according to data analytics firm NielsenIQ.Demand in rural India, dominated by its agrarian economy, is a bit more insulated from the impact of the exorbitant US tariffs, making it an important focus area to get growth from, Sudhanshu Vats, managing director at adhesives and paint maker Pidilite Industries Ltd told Bloomberg News.India’s gross domestic production in the three months through June expanded at the fastest pace in more than a year. Private consumption grew 7% on the back of strong rural demand and improvement in agriculture wages.The growth, however, risks hitting a speed-bump after US President Donald Trump doubled the 25% duty on Indian exports from August on more than half of goods shipped to the US — its biggest market. The levies will almost certainly bruise labour-intensive industries such as textiles and jewellery, which are concentrated around large cities.Meanwhile, real rural wages rose at the fastest pace in more than seven years, according to data from Citigroup Inc. The gap between rural and urban monthly per-capita consumption has also narrowed significantly, official figures showed.“We’ve seen very good growth this quarter,” Varun Berry, managing director at Britannia Industries Ltd, told investors last month, despite the global economy going through turbulent times. The bread and cookie maker expects to retain its growth momentum with a focus on India’s rural markets, he said.Pidilite is adding distributors and setting up branded stores in smaller towns, with population of less than 12,000, as well as expanding waterproofing centres and mobile customer support vans, to drive growth.Consumption accounts for more than half of the GDP in the world’s most populous nation, and mass spending in its hinterland is fast catching up with that in cities. Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced tax cuts that aim to shield the economy from the negative impact of US tariffs.“The timing of GST reforms is apt,” Tanvee Gupta Jain, chief India economist at UBS Securities, said in a note, adding that counter-cyclical policy measures were necessary to counter tariff uncertainties. The tax cuts will boost household consumption over the next two to three quarters, she added.Shares of rural-focused stocks have outperformed broader indexes, suggesting investors see them as a hedge against tariff risks.“We see large volumes of contribution coming from rural segment,” said Nikhil Doda, co-founder of Archian Foods Pvt, which sells a popular cumin-flavoured fizzy drink, Lahori Zeera.The company that competes with Coca Cola Co and PepsiCo Inc, even provides “insulated chill boxes” to rural sellers of its 10-rupees ($0.1) beverage, as most small shops don’t even have a refrigerator. Small towns are a significant contributor to the company’s sales.There is an inclination amid rural consumers to try newer products, according to K Ramakrishnan, managing director for South Asia at consumer research firm, Worldpanel by Numerator. “All the contributing factors to boosting consumption in rural areas are strong for India.”

Qatar’s PMI climbing to 51.9 in August indicates accelerating non-oil private sector activity in the country, according to Oxford Economics.Last month, the PMI climbed to 51.9, which Oxford Economics noted is “fuelled by the fastest job creation and employment growth in the region”.Business activity in the GCC’s non-oil private sector continued to strengthen in August, Oxford Economics said.The UAE’s PMI rose to 53.3 from July’s four-year low of 52.9, driven by faster output growth. Saudi Arabia’s PMI edged up slightly to 56.4, supported by stronger client demand and infrastructure projects.“Overall, the GCC's non-oil private sector has seen sustained expansion this year, and we expect 4% growth in the region's non-oil output this year,” Oxford Economics said.In Saudi Arabia, credit growth slowed to 15.2% y/y in August but remained well above deposit growth of 8.4%. A sharper drop in mortgage lending suggests softer real estate activity, although consumer credit stayed strong.“We expect early interest rate cuts to support credit demand, likely pushing the average loan-to-deposit ratio to a new high. This could raise liquidity concerns in the coming months, especially if deposit growth continues to lag,” Oxford Economics noted.In a recent report the researcher noted Qatar's fiscal balance is estimated to scale up to 5.4% (of country’s GDP) in 2026 from 1.8% this year.A growing fiscal balance signals improved macroeconomic stability and a stronger ability to manage government debt in the country, an analyst noted.In an indication of the country’s level of international competitiveness, Qatar’s current account will improve further reaching 18.3% of the country’s GDP in 2026, from 17.5% this year.Qatar’s real GDP growth has been forecast at 2.7% year-on-year (y-o-y) this year, rising to 4.8% in 2026.Inflation has been forecast at 0.4% this year and 2.8% in 2026.In its last country report, Oxford Economics noted Qatar’s GDP growth “will more than double” in 2026-2027, with both the energy and non-energy sectors contributing positively this year and beyond, according to Oxford Economics.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received on Saturday a phone call from the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom (UK) Yvette Cooper.During the call, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and strengthen them. HE Sheikh Mohammed congratulated Yvette Cooper on her appointment as Foreign Secretary, wishing her success in carrying out her duties.The call also discussed developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to a number of issues of common concern.HE Sheikh Mohammed also stressed the need to intensify regional and international efforts to end the brutal war on the Gaza Strip, ensure the sustainable and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid to the Strip, and release prisoners and detainees.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met on Saturday with Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov, who is visiting the country.During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and strengthen them, in addition to a number of topics of common concern.

Vice-President of the Libyan Presidential Council Musa al-Koni has met with ambassador of the State of Qatar to Libya Dr Khalid Mohammed bin Zaben al-Dosari. Discussions during the meeting dealt with co-operation relations between the two countries.