The UAE Cybersecurity Council has urged the public to begin the new year by adopting smarter cybersecurity habits.

In an official post on its social media channels, the council highlighted the importance of following simple guidelines to stay safe online. These include securing home Wi-Fi networks, keeping devices and software up to date, verifying the safety of websites and applications before use, regularly reviewing app permissions, and deleting old or unused accounts.

The council also stressed the need to encrypt emails, use secure digital networks when connecting to public Wi-Fi, and back up important data.

It added that adopting these measures can help individuals better protect themselves and their information as the new year begins.

Story by Gulf News

 The cities of Oulu in Finland and Trenčín in Slovakia have been selected as European Capitals of Culture for 2026.

The European Union annually names several cities as European Capitals of Culture to underline Europe’s cultural diversity and honour the cultural and artistic identity of each region.

The two cities replace Chemnitz in Germany’s Saxony and the Slovenian-Italian border twin cities of Nova Gorica/Gorizia.

WAM

Grammy-winning artist joins husband Jay-Z and artists like Taylor Swift following the success of Cowboy Carter tour

Beyoncé is now a billionaire, according to a report from Forbes – becoming the fifth musician to obtain the status.

The Grammy award-winning artist, 44, has joined the world’s wealthiest people following the success of her Cowboy Carter tour, which grossed more than $400m in ticket sales, and an additional $50m in merchandise sales. Her previous Renaissance world tour brought in about more than $579m.

Her husband, Jay-Z, was the first musician to become a billionaire on Forbes’s list in 2019. Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift have also achieved the elite status.

Though Beyoncé has launched several ventures including a hair care brand, Cécred, a whiskey label called SirDavis and a clothing line called Ivy Park, most of her personal wealth comes from her music – including revenue from her catalogue and from her global tours – according to Forbes.

In 2010, she founded Parkwood Entertainment, a management and production company, bringing control of all her artistic ventures – including music, concerts and documentaries – in house.

Her 2024 album Cowboy Carter was critically acclaimed, winning Beyoncé her first album of the year Grammy. The tour that followed the album’s release was the world’s highest-grossing music tour of 2025. The three-hour production included guest appearances by her husband, children and former Destiny’s Child bandmates.

“Across any category of the entertainment industry, there is practically no enterprise more lucrative than a musician who can sell out stadiums,” Forbes wrote – noting that the concert tour employed 350 crew members, used 100 semi-trucks worth of equipment, and required eight 747 cargo planes to move the show from city from city.

Beyoncé began her career as a member of the pop group Destiny’s Child before launching her solo career in the early 2000s. She holds the record for most-awarded and most-nominated artist in Grammy history. The artist also made an estimated $50m for the 2024 “Beyoncé Bowl” half-time show for the NFL’s Christmas game, and $10m for starring in Levi’s commercials.

The artist – who sang on her track Pure/Honey, “It should cost a billion to look this good / But she make it look easy ‘cause she got it” – has now officially got it.

In 2025, there are more than 3,000 billionaires around the world, according to Forbes.

The Gurdian