By Ruth Sherlock, Jawad Rizkallah, npr.com -- NEAR AARAMTA, SOUTHERN LEBANON — Muscle-bound Hezbollah fighters karate chopped terracotta tiles to smithereens with their bare hands, as others leapt onto fast moving dirt-bikes while wielding rifles. Rockets smashed into a hillside the Lebanese militia had dotted with "enemy" Israeli flags. Snipers hit metal cut-outs of Israeli soldiers from hundreds of meters away. "Oh Zionists, we are coming for you, from places you know and places you don't," a Hezbollah member shouted into a microphone, as fighters sprayed their targets with live ammunition in the simulated attack. "We will come at you from the sea, from the air and from the land."

The military exercise on Sunday at a Hezbollah base in southern Lebanon, close to the border with Israel, was the biggest public show of force by the militia in at least a decade. The group invited local and foreign journalists to attend, giving them rare access to a sensitive military position to report on the event. The display was ostensibly to mark the upcoming anniversary of the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon on May 25, 2000. But it also comes at a time of heightened tension between Israel, Hezbollah and allied groups.

by Delia Reynolds -- bollyinside.com -- Princess Sara said ilmi “will offer all Saudi Arabia’s young and lifelong learners the ability to realize their potential, further drive advances in the Kingdom, and help shape the future. The ilmi center reflects the city’s goals to embody creativity and sustainability through integration in its natural surroundings and extensive landscaping, and make use of natural light. As featured on SPA, ilmi’s core is a unique approach that seeks to project a detailed, quality picture of how young people across Saudi Arabia best connect with STREAM subjects.

A new science and technology center called “ilmi” will be launched in Saudi Arabia in 2025. The center aims to encourage scientific curiosity and develop skills among youth in the kingdom, with a focus on STREAM subjects (science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and mathematics). Princess Sara bin Mashhour bin Abdulaziz Al Saud created the center, which will be a fully accessible Science Discovery and Innovation Center located at Mohammed bin Salman Nonprofit City in Riyadh. The project is a philanthropic, non-government initiative incubated and supported by the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation. The center will feature permanent exhibitions, installations, events, talks, performances, and learning partner programs designed to build a new STREAM community in Saudi Arabia. As featured on Arab News, a new center for science and technology called “ilmi” will be launched in Saudi Arabia to encourage scientific curiosity among youth in the kingdom as well as developing their skills. The center, created by Princess Sara bin Mashhour bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, aims to allow youth to best connect with STREAM subjects like science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

Princess Sara, the wife of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, stated that “ilmi will be a beacon of creativity, learning and accessibility.” The new center, which its name translates to “my knowledge” in Arabic, will be a fully accessible Science Discovery and Innovation Center. Located at Mohammed bin Salman Nonprofit City in Riyadh, the ilmi center is set to open in 2025 and spans 27,000 square meters.

by reuters — The Lebanese army said on Saturday it had arrested a prominent al-Qaida leader in Deir Ammar town, northeast of …

By Victor Dey -- venturebeat.com -- According to a recent survey conducted by automation software firm UiPath, a substantial majority of workers (approximately 60%) believe that AI-powered automation solutions can mitigate burnout and significantly improve job satisfaction. Moreover, 57% of the respondents expressed a more positive perception of employers that integrate business automation to support their employees and streamline operations than of employers that do not, reflecting their favorable attitude towards such practices. As workloads intensify, 28% of individuals report taking on extra responsibilities due to layoffs or hiring freezes. A full 29% of workers worldwide experience burnout. This is fueling an escalating dependence on AI tools for alleviation.

These factors are contributing to the emergence of what has been called the “automation generation” — professionals who proactively adopt automation and AI to enhance collaboration, foster creativity and boost productivity, regardless of age or demographic. These individuals actively seek technologies that enhance their professional and personal lives, as they strive to avoid feeling dehumanized. One of the survey’s primary revelations is that 31% of respondents actively employ business automation solutions in their workplaces. The automation generation subgroup believes they have the resources and support they need (87%) to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Furthermore, 83% of these workers believe that business automation solutions can effectively mitigate burnout and enhance job satisfaction. “With more than half of respondents stating they believe automation can address burnout and improve job fulfillment, it is clear that AI-powered business automation technology is already positively impacting business and technical workers and helping them to reduce time spent on repetitive tasks and focus on more critical and gratifying work,” Brigette McInnis-Day, chief people officer at UiPath, told VentureBeat.