diff --git a/frontend/app/home.tsx b/frontend/app/home.tsx
index ccc2de1e..e11f4132 100644
--- a/frontend/app/home.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/home.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 
 import { getEventsEventsGet, MiniEventDTO } from "@/client";
+import ArticleLoading from "@/components/news/article-loading";
 import NewsArticle from "@/components/news/news-article";
+import { useUserStore } from "@/store/user/user-store-provider";
 
 const NUM_TOP_EVENTS = 10;
 const DAYS_PER_WEEK = 7;
@@ -10,6 +12,7 @@ const DAYS_PER_WEEK = 7;
 const Home = () => {
   const [topEvents, setTopEvents] = useState<MiniEventDTO[]>([]);
   const [isLoaded, setIsLoaded] = useState<boolean>(false);
+  const user = useUserStore((state) => state.user);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const fetchTopEvents = async () => {
@@ -20,12 +23,24 @@ const Home = () => {
         .toISOString()
         .split("T")[0];
 
-      const response = await getEventsEventsGet({
-        query: {
-          start_date: formattedEventStartDate,
-          limit: NUM_TOP_EVENTS,
-        },
-      });
+      let eventQuery;
+      if (user?.categories && user.categories.length > 0) {
+        eventQuery = {
+          query: {
+            start_date: formattedEventStartDate,
+            limit: NUM_TOP_EVENTS,
+            category_ids: user.categories.map((category) => category.id),
+          },
+        };
+      } else {
+        eventQuery = {
+          query: {
+            start_date: formattedEventStartDate,
+            limit: NUM_TOP_EVENTS,
+          },
+        };
+      }
+      const response = await getEventsEventsGet(eventQuery);
 
       if (response.error) {
         console.log(response.error);
@@ -36,7 +51,7 @@ const Home = () => {
     };
 
     fetchTopEvents();
-  }, []);
+  }, [user]);
 
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-col w-full py-8">
@@ -51,7 +66,11 @@ const Home = () => {
 
       <div className="flex flex-col w-auto mx-4 md:mx-8 xl:mx-24">
         {!isLoaded ? (
-          <p>Loading data...</p>
+          <>
+            <ArticleLoading />
+            <ArticleLoading />
+            <ArticleLoading />
+          </>
         ) : (
           topEvents.map((newsEvent: MiniEventDTO, index: number) => (
             <NewsArticle key={index} newsEvent={newsEvent} />
diff --git a/frontend/components/icons/placeholder-image.tsx b/frontend/components/icons/placeholder-image.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8399683a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/components/icons/placeholder-image.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+const PlaceholderImage = ({ classname }: { classname?: string }) => {
+  return (
+    <div className="flex flex-wrap place-content-center bg-gray-100 w-full h-full p-1">
+      <div className="flex h-1/2">
+        <svg
+          className={`${classname} h-full w-full`}
+          fill="none"
+          viewBox="0 0 132 132"
+          xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
+        >
+          <path
+            d="M40.9999 89.2632C37.4999 83 44.5177 73.9921 52.4998 72C62.5172 69.5 76.2429 75.8588 80.7928 89.2632C85.5774 103.359 78.7019 118.625 64.7614 123.846C51 129 40 127 28.5002 121C10.4065 111.56 2.49991 89.2632 6.76136 65.8462C16.0139 15.0025 112.563 -19.2824 122.761 27.3462C126.936 46.4359 109.5 58.5 100.793 77.2632C97.0116 85.4107 96.7925 93.0265 98.7925 99.7632C100.793 106.5 106.481 115.119 117 118.5"
+            stroke="#D1D5DB"
+            strokeLinecap="round"
+            strokeWidth="7"
+          />
+          <path
+            d="M90.5395 31.7036C88.9019 35.0846 89.6241 38.4518 92.2096 41.1771C95.6087 44.76 101.735 45.0045 104.856 41.1771C107.401 38.056 107.271 34.0871 104.856 30.8643C101.497 26.3827 92.9808 26.6632 90.5395 31.7036Z"
+            fill="#D1D5DB"
+          />
+        </svg>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+};
+
+export default PlaceholderImage;
diff --git a/frontend/components/news/article-loading.tsx b/frontend/components/news/article-loading.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fc635d0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/components/news/article-loading.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+const ArticleLoading = () => {
+  return (
+    <div className="flex flex-col-reverse animate-pulse py-10 lg:py-6 xl:py-4 gap-x-16 border-y-[1px] lg:border-y-[0px] hover:bg-muted/70 lg:rounded-md px-4 md:px-8">
+      <div className="flex flex-col w-full lg:w-7/12 2xl:w-9/12 3xl:w-10/12">
+        <div className="flex flex-row justify-between w-full">
+          {/* Article source placeholder */}
+          <div className="h-3 bg-gray-300 rounded w-1/6 mb-2"></div>
+          {/* Article date placeholder */}
+          <div className="h-3 bg-gray-300 rounded w-1/4 mb-2"></div>
+        </div>
+        {/* Event title placeholder */}
+        <div className="h-4 bg-gray-300 rounded w-2/3 mb-2 mt-2"></div>
+        {/* Event description placeholder */}
+        <div className="h-6 bg-gray-300 rounded w-5/6 mb-4"></div>
+        {/* Event category placeholder */}
+        <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-x-2 gap-y-2 mt-6">
+          <div className="rounded h-5 bg-gray-300 w-14 mb-2"></div>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+      {/* Event image placeholder */}
+      <div className="min-h-32 bg-gray-300 rounded w-full lg:w-5/12 2xl:w-3/12 3xl:w-2/12 mb-6"></div>
+    </div>
+  );
+};
+
+export default ArticleLoading;
diff --git a/frontend/components/news/news-article.tsx b/frontend/components/news/news-article.tsx
index 64d6faef..dabfdad2 100644
--- a/frontend/components/news/news-article.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/news/news-article.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { ArrowUpRightIcon } from "lucide-react";
 
 import { CategoryDTO, MiniEventDTO } from "@/client";
 import Chip from "@/components/display/chip";
+import PlaceholderImage from "@/components/icons/placeholder-image";
 import {
   categoriesToDisplayName,
   categoriesToIconsMap,
@@ -15,15 +16,19 @@ const NewsArticle = (props: { newsEvent: MiniEventDTO }) => {
   const newsEvent = props.newsEvent;
   const newsArticle = newsEvent.original_article;
   const [categories, setCategories] = useState<Category[]>([]);
-  const PLACEHOLDER_IMG_URL =
-    "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Placeholder_view_vector.svg";
+  const IMG_HEIGHT = 154;
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    setCategories(
-      newsEvent.categories.map((category: CategoryDTO) =>
-        getCategoryFor(category.name),
-      ),
-    );
+    try {
+      setCategories(
+        newsEvent.categories.map((category: CategoryDTO) =>
+          getCategoryFor(category.name),
+        ),
+      );
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.log(error);
+      setCategories([Category.Others]);
+    }
   }, [newsEvent]);
 
   const parseDate = (dateString: string) => {
@@ -51,10 +56,10 @@ const NewsArticle = (props: { newsEvent: MiniEventDTO }) => {
         <h2 className="text-lg font-semibold mt-2">{newsEvent.title}</h2>
         <p className="text-sm text-offblack">{newsEvent.description}</p>
         <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-x-2 gap-y-2 mt-6">
-          {categories?.map((category: Category) => (
+          {categories?.map((category: Category, index: number) => (
             <Chip
               Icon={categoriesToIconsMap[category]}
-              key={category}
+              key={index}
               label={categoriesToDisplayName[category]}
               variant="greygreen"
             />
@@ -62,17 +67,23 @@ const NewsArticle = (props: { newsEvent: MiniEventDTO }) => {
         </div>
       </div>
       <div className="flex w-full lg:w-5/12 2xl:w-3/12 3xl:w-2/12 mb-6 items-center">
-        <Image
-          alt=""
-          height={154}
-          src={newsArticle.image_url || PLACEHOLDER_IMG_URL}
-          style={{
-            width: "100%",
-            height: "fit-content",
-          }}
-          unoptimized
-          width={273}
-        />
+        {newsArticle.image_url ? (
+          <Image
+            alt=""
+            height={IMG_HEIGHT}
+            src={newsArticle.image_url}
+            style={{
+              width: "100%",
+              height: "fit-content",
+            }}
+            unoptimized
+            width={273}
+          />
+        ) : (
+          <div className="flex w-full" style={{ height: `${IMG_HEIGHT}px` }}>
+            <PlaceholderImage />
+          </div>
+        )}
       </div>
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/frontend/types/categories.ts b/frontend/types/categories.ts
index b22ef238..29d63d05 100644
--- a/frontend/types/categories.ts
+++ b/frontend/types/categories.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import {
   Building2,
+  CircleHelp,
   DollarSign,
   Film,
   HeartHandshake,
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ export enum Category {
   GenderEquality = "Gender & equality",
   Religion = "Religion",
   SocietyCulture = "Society & culture",
+  Others = "Others",
 }
 
 export const getCategoryFor = (categoryName: string) => {
@@ -39,7 +41,10 @@ export const getCategoryFor = (categoryName: string) => {
     "society & culture": Category.SocietyCulture,
   };
   const formattedName = categoryName.toLowerCase();
-  return mappings[formattedName];
+  if (formattedName in mappings) {
+    return mappings[formattedName];
+  }
+  return Category.Others;
 };
 
 export const categoriesToDisplayName: Record<Category, string> = {
@@ -53,6 +58,7 @@ export const categoriesToDisplayName: Record<Category, string> = {
   [Category.GenderEquality]: "Gender & equality",
   [Category.Religion]: "Religion",
   [Category.SocietyCulture]: "Society & culture",
+  [Category.Others]: "Others",
 };
 
 export const categoriesToIconsMap: Record<Category, LucideIcon> = {
@@ -66,4 +72,5 @@ export const categoriesToIconsMap: Record<Category, LucideIcon> = {
   [Category.GenderEquality]: Scale,
   [Category.Religion]: HeartHandshake,
   [Category.SocietyCulture]: UsersRound,
+  [Category.Others]: CircleHelp,
 };