黑料社区

Saudi鈥檚 Manga Productions, Japan鈥檚 KOEI TECMO announce new gaming partnership

Saudi鈥檚 Manga Productions, Japan鈥檚 KOEI TECMO announce new gaming partnership
Nioh 3 is the latest installment in the popular RPG series known for its mysterious samurai setting. (SPA)
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Updated 17 June 2025

Saudi鈥檚 Manga Productions, Japan鈥檚 KOEI TECMO announce new gaming partnership

Saudi鈥檚 Manga Productions, Japan鈥檚 KOEI TECMO announce new gaming partnership
  • Manga Productions licensed for Nioh 3 in Mideast, North Africa
  • Full Arabic support for region鈥檚 gamers, says CEO Essam Bukhary

RIYADH: 黑料社区鈥檚 Manga Productions has announced a partnership with Japan鈥檚 KOEI TECMO as the publisher of the highly anticipated action game Nioh 3 in the Middle East and North Africa region.

According to a recent Saudi Press Agency report, the game is scheduled for release in early 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Steam.

Nioh 3 is the latest installment in the popular RPG series known for its mysterious samurai setting, earning widespread acclaim for its unique blend of Japanese mythology and intense combat.

The series has achieved global success, selling over 8 million copies worldwide. This new installment features an open-world environment and innovative combat system that allows players to switch between 鈥渟amurai鈥 and 鈥渘inja鈥 fighting styles during battles.

As a part of this collaboration, Manga Productions will handle its Arabic translation, marketing and publishing for the Middle East and North Africa region.

Manga Productions, which is a subsidiary of the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation, will engage Saudi creators in the localization process to ensure a culturally relevant experience for Arabic-speaking gamers.

Dr. Essam Bukhary, CEO of Manga Productions, stated: 鈥淭he launch of Nioh 3 with full Arabic support for gamers in the region is an additional step towards delivering world-class experiences while empowering Saudi talent at every stage of development.鈥

He added: 鈥淭he trust we have earned from our global partners reflects Manga Productions鈥 capabilities in publishing, distribution, and marketing, as well as our continued success in professionally delivering high-quality content to audiences in the region while respecting local culture.鈥

Hisashi Koinuma, president and chief operating officer of KOEI TECMO, said the success of DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS has further strengthened the partnership with Manga Productions to bring Nioh 3 to Arabic-speaking gamers.

Abdulaziz Al-Naghmoush, head of business development and content licensing at Manga Productions, welcomed the pact.

鈥淔ollowing our collaboration on DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS, which was well-received for delivering a uniquely localized Arabic experience, we are now taking a new step with Nioh 3.鈥

He said the offering would be a 鈥渟eamless, localized experience that makes players feel as if it was made especially for them from day one.鈥


Israeli writer Grossman denounces Gaza 鈥榞enocide鈥

Israeli writer Grossman denounces Gaza 鈥榞enocide鈥
Updated 01 August 2025

Israeli writer Grossman denounces Gaza 鈥榞enocide鈥

Israeli writer Grossman denounces Gaza 鈥榞enocide鈥
  • 鈥淔or many years, I refused to use that term: 鈥榞enocide鈥,鈥 Grossman told La Repubblica
  • He told the paper he was using the word 鈥渨ith immense pain and with a broken heart鈥

ROME: : Award-winning Israeli author David Grossman called his country鈥檚 campaign in Gaza 鈥済enocide鈥 and said he was using the term with a 鈥渂roken heart.鈥

This came days after a major Israeli rights group also used the same term, amid growing global alarm over starvation in the besieged territory.

鈥淔or many years, I refused to use that term: 鈥榞enocide鈥,鈥 the prominent writer and peace activist told Italian daily La Repubblica in an interview published on Friday.

鈥淏ut now, after the images I have seen and after talking to people who were there, I can鈥檛 help using it.鈥

Grossman told the paper he was using the word 鈥渨ith immense pain and with a broken heart.鈥

鈥淭his word is an avalanche: once you say it, it just gets bigger, like an avalanche. And it adds even more destruction and suffering,鈥 he said.

Grossman鈥檚 works, which have been translated into dozens of languages, have won many international prizes.

He also won Israel鈥檚 top literary prize in 2018, the Israel Prize for Literature, for his work spanning more than three decades.

He said it was 鈥渄evastating鈥 to 鈥減ut the words 鈥業srael鈥 and 鈥榝amine鈥 together鈥 because of the Holocaust and our 鈥渟upposed sensitivity to the suffering of humanity.鈥

The celebrated author has long been a critic of the Israeli government.


Protesters slam The New York Times over Gaza famine coverage

Protesters slam The New York Times over Gaza famine coverage
Updated 01 August 2025

Protesters slam The New York Times over Gaza famine coverage

Protesters slam The New York Times over Gaza famine coverage
  • Pro-Palestine activists deface building with 鈥楴YT lies, Gaza dies鈥
  • NYT amended article to whitewash Israel鈥檚 crimes, say activists

LONDON: Protesters targeted the headquarters of The New York Times in Manhattan on Thursday, accusing the newspaper of whitewashing Israel鈥檚 role in the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, where Tel Aviv is already facing charges of war crimes and genocide.

Videos circulating online showed pro-Palestinian activists defacing the building with the words 鈥淣YT lies, Gaza dies鈥 in bold white lettering, alongside red paint smeared over the publication鈥檚 logo. A nearby Starbucks logo was also vandalized with red paint.

Activists accused the 173-year-old paper of bowing to pressure from pro-Israel lobby groups and 鈥渆liding鈥 the fact that Tel Aviv 鈥渆ngineered the starvation.鈥

鈥淚n the past week, more than 100 Palestinians in Gaza have died of starvation. Six hundred and fifty thousand children have reached the fifth stage of malnutrition, which means those who do not die will likely suffer from permanent organ damage,鈥 read a statement shared anonymously alongside footage of the protest.

鈥淲ho is responsible? You鈥檇 never know from reading the so-called 鈥榩aper of record,鈥欌 it continued.

鈥淚t is our responsibility as people who live in this city to hold The New York Times to account. May life and peace return to Gaza, while consequences visit the home of every genocidaire.鈥

No group has claimed responsibility for the action, though the statement has been widely circulated online by anonymous activists.

The protest came days after the NYT amended a front-page article on the famine in Gaza.

On Thursday, an analysis by The Intercept found that the NYT repeated Israel鈥檚 baseless claim that Hamas was stealing aid nearly 24 times before its own sources contradicted that talking point.

The report originally included a photo of severely malnourished Mohammed Zakaria Al-Mutawaq.

But a subsequent correction stated that the child had a pre-existing medical condition that affected his appearance 鈥 a revision made following pressure from pro-Israel media watchdogs including Honest Reporting.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett reacted to the correction on X, writing: 鈥淭his is simply unbelievable. After generating a tsunami of hate towards Israel with that terrifying picture, the NYT now quietly admits that the boy has pre-existing conditions.鈥

The NYT 鈥 like other Western media outlets 鈥 has come under increasing criticism for coverage perceived as biased in favor of Israel during its ongoing assault on Gaza.

Earlier this week, Gaza health authorities said the death toll had surpassed 60,000 鈥 roughly one in every 36 people 鈥 with a third of the dead believed to be children.

A UN-backed monitor confirmed that famine is now 鈥減laying out鈥 in real time across the territory.

The controversy comes on the heels of a report by Writers Against the War on Gaza, which accused the NYT of institutional and individual bias in its coverage.

The dossier alleges ties between current staff members and pro-Israel lobbying groups or the Israeli military.


WPP Media鈥檚 MENA CEO on multinational group鈥檚 AI-centric approach

WPP Media鈥檚 MENA CEO on multinational group鈥檚 AI-centric approach
Updated 01 August 2025

WPP Media鈥檚 MENA CEO on multinational group鈥檚 AI-centric approach

WPP Media鈥檚 MENA CEO on multinational group鈥檚 AI-centric approach
  • Amer El Hajj says rebrand from GroupM to WPP Media represents 鈥榝undamental shift鈥 into 鈥榝ully integrated, AI-powered media company鈥
  • 鈥榃e鈥檙e in the AI era where media is everywhere and in everything鈥

Multinational advertising network WPP鈥檚 media-investment business GroupM at the end of May announced its rebranding to WPP Media, signaling a new era for the network and its clients.

WPP Media manages more than $60 billion in annual media investment and works with more than 75 percent of the world鈥檚 leading advertisers in more than 80 markets, the company said.

Arab News spoke with Amer El Hajj, Middle East and North Africa CEO of WPP Media, to understand how the rebrand is being implemented and what its implications are for the group and its clients, particularly in the MENA region.

The rebrand represents 鈥渁 fundamental shift from GroupM to WPP Media, reflecting our evolution into a fully integrated, AI-powered media company,鈥 he said.

Along with a new visual identity, the key change 鈥渋s deeper integration across our agencies through WPP Open, enabling seamless collaboration between media, data, production, and creative teams to deliver personalized solutions at scale,鈥 he added.

GroupM comprised three agencies: Mindshare, Wavemaker, and Essence Mediacom. These agencies will now serve as 鈥渉omes for dedicated client teams鈥 representing a shift from 鈥渟eparate agency P&Ls (profit and loss statements) 鈥 to integrated client service teams that share technology, data, and operational functions while maintaining brand names and identities for client relationships,鈥 El Hajj explained.

Commenting on the timing of the rebrand, he said: 鈥淕roupM was built for an era when media scale mattered most.

鈥淭oday鈥檚 reality is different 鈥 we鈥檙e in the AI era where media is everywhere and in everything.鈥

Clients, too, demand integrated capabilities covering media, production, and technology, and so, the rebrand aims to reflect this new landscape, 鈥渆mphasizing our AI-driven approach鈥 and integration with WPP鈥檚 鈥渃reative and technology ecosystem.鈥

Organizations in many industries are adopting AI at an accelerating pace and the advertising and media industry is no exception. One report found that in the US alone, 91 percent of advertising agencies are either currently using (61 percent) generative AI or exploring use cases (30 percent) for the technology.

For WPP Media, being 鈥淎I-driven鈥 means embedding AI throughout its operations, El Hajj said.

These include tasks such as analyzing vast data sets for deeper consumer understanding, automating media buying for greater efficiency, personalizing creative content in large volumes, and predicting campaign performance, he said.

The role of AI in planning, buying and optimizing media campaigns enables 鈥渞eal-time bidding, audience prediction, and creative personalization at unprecedented scale,鈥 he said.

Moreover, generative AI helps write advertising copy and even create multiple content variations, in addition to generating insights from complex data.

AI is undoubtedly a powerful tool, but ultimately, it remains just that: a tool.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not about replacing human creativity but amplifying it,鈥 El Hajj said.

 鈥淎I enhances rather than threatens human talent鈥 by handling monotonous tasks that free up people for strategic thinking, relationship building, and creative problem-solving, he added.

The core tenet of the rebrand 鈥 widespread AI adoption 鈥 is made possible by WPP Open, the network鈥檚 AI-enabled marketing operating system that connects all capabilities through one platform.

The platform features real-time data and is available to employees of all agencies. This means that data about the performance of adverts can be used to optimize creative production of those ads in real time. Similarly, media targeting decisions by one agency can be made instantly based on creative insights from another agency within the company.

鈥淭his integration eliminates traditional silos, accelerates campaign development, and ensures all client touchpoints are coordinated and data-driven rather than operating independently,鈥 El Hajj said.

The move comes at a time when clients in the MENA region are 鈥渋ncreasingly sophisticated in AI adoption, particularly in the UAE and 黑料社区, where Vision 2030 and digital transformation initiatives drive innovation.鈥

Contrary to what some believe, El Hajj said, 鈥渕any regional clients are actually ahead of some global counterparts in embracing AI for customer experience and operational efficiency.鈥

In 黑料社区 specifically, he said, the rebrand 鈥減ositions us perfectly to capitalize on the Kingdom鈥檚 unprecedented AI investment landscape,鈥 building on Saudi鈥檚 $100 billion AI initiative announced late last year.

When it comes to dealing with clients in the region, the group has a 鈥済lobally powered, locally rooted鈥 approach, as regional clients 鈥渨ant AI capabilities but implemented with deep understanding of local markets, languages, and cultural nuances,鈥 he said.

The restructure is expected to affect 40 percent to 45 percent of GroupM鈥檚 workforce, which does not necessarily imply layoffs, but rather changes to team structures, according to media reports.

El Hajj said that the company is 鈥渉eavily investing鈥 in upskilling talent for 鈥淎I-powered marketing鈥 while recruiting specialists in areas like data science and integrated commerce.

The company has developed internal training programs targeting different organizational levels. It also provides AI literacy sessions and hands-on training with WPP Open tools for all employees.

In the MENA region, WPP Media is creating region-specific modules that address 鈥渓ocal market dynamics and cultural considerations鈥 for employees at all seniority levels, he said.

El Hajj added: 鈥淭he focus is on evolution, not revolution,鈥 and the future belongs to those 鈥渨ho can leverage AI tools while bringing uniquely human skills like cultural intelligence and strategic creativity.鈥


The Guardian releases documentary on plight of Palestinian doctors in Israel amid Gaza war

The Guardian releases documentary on plight of Palestinian doctors in Israel amid Gaza war
Updated 31 July 2025

The Guardian releases documentary on plight of Palestinian doctors in Israel amid Gaza war

The Guardian releases documentary on plight of Palestinian doctors in Israel amid Gaza war
  • The documentary follows Dr. Lina Qasem-Hassan, a Palestinian doctor living and working in Israel, as she upholds her medical oath to treat both Israelis and Palestinians
  • The physician said she is determined to use her oath to fight injustice against Palestinians

LONDON: The Guardian has released a new documentary exploring the complex reality faced by Palestinian doctors working in Israel, as they navigate systemic discrimination, deepening identity struggles, and mounting hostility amid the ongoing Gaza war.

Titled 鈥淭he Oath: To Be a Palestinian Doctor in Israel鈥檚 Healthcare System,鈥 the 22-minute documentary follows Dr. Lina Qasem-Hassan, a Palestinian doctor living and working in Israel, as she upholds her medical oath to treat both Israelis and Palestinians amid the Gaza war.

She highlighted that while Arab citizens comprise nearly a quarter of Israeli doctors, many face unequal treatment in access and opportunity. The physician said she is determined to use her oath to fight injustice.  

鈥淪ince 7 October, Palestinian staff in the Israeli healthcare system have faced persecution, slander and paralysis. Anti-Palestinian sentiment is surging, even among patients and colleagues,鈥 Qasem-Hassan wrote in her op-ed in The Guardian.

She noted that Israeli policies in the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank, forced displacement, and restriction of movement systematically restrict access to care, undermining the right to health for Palestinians both in Israel and the occupied territories.

This impact has been further exacerbated by the war on Gaza, where at least 1,581 health workers have been killed since Oct. 7. Only 18 of Gaza鈥檚 36 hospitals remain partially functional amid the widespread destruction of the healthcare system, according to UN figures, leaving patients without access to treatment amid severe shortages of medical supplies and staff.

The documentary recounts the death of Qasem-Hassan鈥檚 relative Marwan, a paramedic who was killed in an airstrike while transporting the wounded to hospital just hours after the war began. Weeks later, another strike on a refugee camp claimed the lives of 10 more members of her family.

鈥淎ll this takes place under deafening silence from the Israeli healthcare establishment and many of my fellow physicians, who too often choose silence over basic ethics and morality,鈥 said Qasem-Hassan.

As the chairwoman of Physicians for Human Rights 鈥 Israel, Qasem-Hassan detailed how her advocacy puts her at risk of suspension or persecution.

Earlier this year, patients submitted complaints against her for alleged pro鈥慞alestinian views. Yet, she refused to stay silent.

鈥淎ny expression of sympathy for victims 鈥 women, children, innocent civilians 鈥 is seen as support for terror,鈥 she wrote.

鈥淎nd still, I continue to fight. Because as long as we remain silent, our oath is hollowed out, and the right to health becomes a fantasy too far to reach.鈥

Torn between the decision to stay or leave Israel, Qasem-Hassan reflected: 鈥淏ut I go back to the question: if I leave, who will stay behind?鈥

For now, she remains committed to providing essential medical care to Palestinians and detainees in the West Bank and Gaza through Physicians for Human Rights 鈥 Israel, while also speaking out against the Gaza war both within Israel and on international platforms, as documented in the film.


French university rejects Gaza student over 鈥榟ateful鈥 online posts

French university rejects Gaza student over 鈥榟ateful鈥 online posts
Updated 31 July 2025

French university rejects Gaza student over 鈥榟ateful鈥 online posts

French university rejects Gaza student over 鈥榟ateful鈥 online posts
  • The woman had been offered a place at the Sciences Po Lille university following a recommendation by the French consulate in Jerusalem

LILLE, France: A top French university said Wednesday it canceled the enrolment of a woman student from Gaza because of her social media posts that the country鈥檚 interior ministry called 鈥渉ateful.鈥
Authorities did not release the content of the messages but screenshots shown on social media indicated the young woman had reposted messages calling for the death of Jewish people.
Israel is seeking to crush the Islamist militant movement Hamas through a devastating offensive in Gaza after the group launched deadly attacks on Israel in 2023.
The woman had been offered a place at the Sciences Po Lille university following a recommendation by the French consulate in Jerusalem, the establishment said.
Sciences Po Lille said that after consultations with the education ministry and regional authorities it 鈥渉as decided to cancel this student鈥檚 planned registration at our establishment.鈥
Some of the posts 鈥渃ome into direct contradiction with the values upheld by Sciences Po Lille, which fights against all forms of racism, antisemitism and discrimination, as well as against any type of incitement to hatred, against any population whatsoever,鈥 the university added in a post on X.
Accounts in the woman鈥檚 name have been closed.
Following the recommendation by French diplomats, the woman initially lived at the home of the university鈥檚 director while she waited for permanent lodgings, Sciences Po said.
French ministers have demanded an investigation into the case.
鈥淎 Gazan student making antisemitic remarks has no place in France,鈥 said Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who added that he had ordered an internal inquiry.
鈥淭he screening carried out by the relevant departments of the ministries concerned clearly did not work,鈥 he added in a post on X.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said he had demanded the closure of the 鈥渉ateful鈥 account and ordered local authorities to take legal action.
鈥淗amas propagandists have no place in our country,鈥 Retailleau said on X.