The National has won a Middle East and North Africa Stevie Award for a feature on its website that allows visitors to listen to stories in English and Arabic.
The text-to-speech feature, developed with support from the Google News Initiative Innovation Challenges programme, involved extensive training of the translation engine to accurately translate expressions, idioms and colloquialisms, which are challenging in both the English and Arabic languages.
It was the first such feature for publishers in the region and continues to be popular with a growing audience.
"Our goal was to introduce a new way for users to consume news — particularly for commuters and those who are visually impaired," said Xavier Kashelle, digital product manager of The National.
“Google’s voice and translation capabilities have now reached a level of sophistication that is very appealing to users. With the rise in popularity of voice platforms, it was an important move for us to demonstrate how we can leverage technology to raise our level of inclusivity.
"We’ve seen a very encouraging uptake of the feature and hope to continue working in this space as demand increases.”
The National received the bronze Stevie Award in the Innovation in Media, Visual Communications & Entertainment category at the Mena ceremony held on Saturday at the Waldorf Astoria in Ras Al Khaimah.
Stevie Awards aim to recognise innovation in the workplace among government and private-sector entities.
This year's Mena event received more than 800 nominations from organisations across 18 countries.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did
We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla
