Latest news with #VOX
Campaign ME
20 hours ago
- Automotive
- Campaign ME
Jeep releases ‘dino-packed' cinema advertisement
Jeep has launched a cinema campaign across Middle Eastern theaters to coincide with Jurassic World Rebirth's theatrical release, marking the brand's most extensive collaboration with the franchise to date. Titled Jurassic Trail Rated, the campaign, booked through Starcom and facilitated by Motivate Val Morgan, capitalised on the film's $318m global opening weekend. The ad ran across premium cinema circuits in the UAE (VOX, Reel, CinemaCity) and Saudi Arabia (VOX, Reel, Muvi, AMC), allowing Jeep to capture peak audience excitement during the movie's strongest performance period. The 30-second spot showcases a Jeep Wrangler navigating prehistoric terrain while encountering seven different dinosaur species – velociraptors, tyrannosaurus, spinosaurus, compsognathus, titanosaurus, quetzalcoatlus, and a baby aquilops. Industrial Light & Magic, the VFX studio behind the film's creatures, created the photorealistic dinosaurs for the commercial. 'What began as natural product integration in 1993 has become one of automotive marketing's most enduring partnerships,' said Youssef Bouhaddioui, Head of Jeep Middle East. 'The Jurassic universe and Jeep share fundamental DNA – both represent resilience when civilisation meets wilderness. Cinema delivers that story at its most visceral – where every roar, every chase, every moment of survival feels real.' The production represented significant creative investment, with ILM-level VFX work and sound design optimised for cinema's premium audio-visual environment. 'The most effective cinema partnerships redefine the relationship between brand and narrative,' said Pavan Deshpande, Senior UAE Sales Manager, Motivate Val Morgan. 'The Jeep-Jurassic collaboration showcases this principle beautifully – where brand capability and storytelling become inseparable. Cinema's immersive environment transforms these authentic connections into memorable experiences that extend far beyond the theater.' The campaign extended beyond cinemas, with the partnership continuing through the film's New York premiere, where a specially designed Wrangler appeared alongside stars Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey. This multi-touchpoint approach anchored the strategy in cinema's premium environment while extending reach across additional platforms. The campaign launched as the Europe, Middle East and Africa cinema market showed strong recovery momentum. According to Gower Street Analytics, the EMEA region is projected to reach $9.1bn in 2025, positioning it 6 per cent ahead of 2024 and making it one of the fastest-recovering international markets in the global cinema landscape. The Middle East specifically is experiencing significant growth, with revenue projected to reach $1.5bn by 2029, up from $900 million in 2024, Motivate Val Morgan reports. Saudi Arabia is driving nearly two-thirds of this expansion, supported by approximately 1,000 new screens added since 2019. Motivate Val Morgan claims the cinema environment delivers guaranteed audience attention during advertising moments, while the shared viewing experience can amplify brand recall through collective engagement. For brands with compatible positioning and sufficient budgets, Jeep's UAE and Saudi Arabia cinema campaign execution demonstrates how authentic partnerships can leverage cinema's unique storytelling properties to create genuine audience connection. A version of this article was first published by Motivate Val Morgan.
Ya Biladi
2 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
OMDH condemns racist violence in Torre Pacheco and far-right incitement in Spain
A week after the violence in Torre Pacheco, in Spain's Murcia province, the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights (OMDH) has denounced what it calls «racist persecution against immigrants, the majority of whom are Moroccan nationals who have lived there for over two decades». In a statement issued Monday, the association voiced concern over «the rise of far-right racism, which targets migrants in Spain, threatens the social fabric, and reignites fear and hatred». The OMDH also warned of the potential impact of these events on Moroccan-Spanish relations, Spain's image among Moroccans, and the progress made in integrating immigrants into Spanish society. The group strongly condemned «racist acts committed by members of the far-right VOX party», along with «incitement to hatred by far-right-aligned media outlets and social media accounts». The organization further criticized how the far right exploits the issue of migration and minor incidents for political gain, turning them into campaign talking points. In response, the OMDH called on «democratic forces and human rights defenders in Spain» to stand up against what it described as a growing wave of racism and intolerance in all its forms. The NGO also urged the launch of a formal investigation into the racist incidents in Torre Pacheco, emphasizing the need to hold accountable both those who commit such acts and those who promote hate speech, discrimination, and xenophobia. The events of Monday, July 14, also drew a response from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who declared that «racism is incompatible with democracy». He added, «What's happening in Torre Pacheco is a challenge for all of us. We must speak out, take firm action, and defend the values that unite us. Spain is a country of rights, not hatred».
The Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Italian prosecutors appeal against Salvini's acquittal in migrant kidnapping case
FILE PHOTO: Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini speaks at Spanish far-right party VOX rally, in Madrid, Spain, February 8, 2025. REUTERS/Ana Beltran/File Photo ROME (Reuters) -Prosecutors in the Italian city of Palermo have filed a direct appeal to the Supreme Court against the acquittal of Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini in a migrant kidnapping case, a court document showed on Friday. Salvini - the leader of the League party - was charged after he ordered a boat carrying migrants to be kept out at sea when he was interior minister in 2019, an act that prosecutors said amounted to kidnapping the people on board. Prosecutors had sought a six-year jail term for Salvini, who is now the transport minister in the government of Giorgia Meloni. But he was cleared last year. "Defending Italy and its borders is not a crime," Salvini said in a post on his Instagram profile on Friday in response to the prosecutors' move. In a 15-page document addressed to the Supreme Court, prosecutors Maurizio de Lucia, Giorgia Righi and Marzia Sabella said Salvini had violated international rules on maritime rescue and was guilty of kidnapping. They said his conduct had been established by the court despite the acquittal verdict, and urged the judges to assess whether these actions constituted a crime. The prosecutors' move is unusual, as first-instance verdicts are typically challenged before an appeals court before reaching the Supreme Court's judges. The appeal request comes against the backdrop of tensions between the right-wing government and the judiciary. Magistrates across Italy are resisting Meloni's plan to break ties between prosecutors and judges, saying it undermines their independence. Courts have repeatedly blocked a government initiative to redirect migrants to Albania. Meloni criticised the prosecutors' decision to appeal, writing on X: "This doggedness is surreal, after a failed three-year trial of a minister who wanted to enforce the law, which ended with a full acquittal." (Reporting by Angelo Amante; additional reporting by Emilio Parodi; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Euractiv
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Euractiv
Sanchez to present anti-corruption plan amid deepening party scandal
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is set to unveil a 'powerful' anti-corruption package to overhaul his socialist PSOE party after a bombshell corruption scandal involving former cabinet members and top party officials rocked his administration. Reeling from one of the party's most severe crises to date, Sánchez, PSOE's secretary general, will appear in an "extraordinary" parliamentary session on Wednesday . The scandal, revealed in a recent Guardia Civil report, links members of Sánchez's inner circle to alleged kickbacks, tender rigging, and influence peddling. With public trust hanging in the balance, expectations are high for the prime minister to deliver the 'forceful response' he promised in June, shortly after the scandal broke. A fresh start Following the report's release, Sánchez announced an 'external audit ' of the party's financing structure and pledged an "internal restructuring" of his party. So far, changes include the appointment of Rebeca Torró as head of the party's organisational secretariat, replacing both the indicted former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos and PSOE's number three, Santos Cerdán, a ally of Sánchez. As criticism intensifies , left-wing party Sumar, PSOE's coalition partner, has joined right-wing Partido Popular (PP) in demanding accountability for the growing number of corruption cases linked to the Socialist-led government. Sumar has reportedly asked PSOE for a 'reset', and pushed for the creation of an "anti-corruption office.' The party also urged Sánchez 'to agree beforehand ' on specific measures set to be announced on Wednesday. According to government spokesperson Pilar Alegría, the measures to be announced on Wednesday "take into account" the concerns raised by coalition partners. Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, she declined, however, to provide further details. A strengthened opposition? Despite ruling out implementing a cordon sanitaire to far-right VOX, PP president Alberto Nuñez Feijóo declined joining a coalition government with the far-right party in the future. Meanwhile, the PP has sharpened its tone but stopped short of aligning fully with far-right party VOX. Although PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has ruled out forming a coalition with VOX, his party remains open to "future agreements" on "certain issues" with Spain's third-largest political force, new PP secretary general Miguel Tellado told the press Tuesday. At the regional level, PP continues to rely on VOX's support to govern in Castilla y León, Extremadura, Murcia, Valencia, Aragón. In the Balearic Islands, where VOX is not part of the regional government, the two parties maintain cooperation agreements, including on the budget. Feijóo has vowed to keep the far-right out of central government following the 2027 general election – but whether he can attract defectors from PSOE remains an open question. No-confidence motion back on the table Talk of a potential no-confidence vote has also resurfaced. While the PP lacks the 176 seats needed to pass a motion on its own, it is reportedly exploring alliances with regional nationalist parties. With 137 PP MPs and 33 from VOX, Feijóo's bloc is still short. Speculation now centers on whether Junts – the Catalan separatist party with seven MPs – might be persuaded to back the move. Speaking to the Catalan press on Monday, senior PP official Xavier García Albiol said his party is willing to sit at the negotiating table with Carles Puigdemont's Junts but ruled out "direct talks" with the exiled Catalan leader. Junts has so far reportedly denied overtures from the PP, citing the party's opposition to granting Catalan status as an official EU language. An alternative path could involve securing votes from Basque nationalist party PNV (five seats) and the Canarian Coalition (one seat). But the PNV has already rejected any no-confidence motion supported by VOX, their press office told E uractiv. As Sánchez loses allies and even his coalition partners distance themselves, support for VOX and PP continues to climb in recent polls. Whether the prime minister's upcoming reforms can restore confidence in PSOE – and secure his own political survival through the 2027 elections – remains to be seen. (de)
ABC News
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Choral Composer Eric Whitacre
Classic Drive's Vanessa Hughes speaks with choral composer and conductor Eric Whitacre about his unexpected journey into the world of choirs, sparked by a reluctant teenage encounter with a Mozart piece that ultimately transformed him into a self-proclaimed choir obsessive. Though he hadn't originally planned to write for choirs, that experience set the course for his career—and now, having seen his Virtual Choir go viral (ten years before pandemic lockdowns made virtual group performances widespread), he is one of the most commissioned and performed choral composers in the world. Whitacre also spills the beans on which section of a standard choir truly reigns supreme—who's the cleverest, the most overlooked: the basses, altos, sopranos, or tenors? Eric Whitacre will conduct the Australian premiere of his new work Eternity in an Hour at the Sydney Opera House with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' VOX chorus on Friday 27 June.
