Meta’s AI talent war raises questions about strategy
New York, United States -- Mark Zuckerberg and Meta are spending billions to recruit top artificial intelligence talent, triggering debates...
Business
Gaza rescuers say Israeli forces kill 48 as ceasefire calls mount
The swift resolution of Israel's 12-day war with Iran has revived hopes for a halt to the fighting in Gaza,...
Geostrategy
Business
Sony logs record full-year sales
However, net profit dipped 14% from the last year's record high.
- A lockdown-fueled gaming boom has slowed down, but Sony has seen success in other sectors
- Spider-Man: No Way Home has overtaken Avatar as North America's third-highest-grossing film
Geostrategy
Russia shells Ukraine’s Odessa as US pledges fresh arms for Kyiv
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the West and Ukraine are responsible for the ongoing war, telling his country's Victory...
- A Russian airstrike in Odessa killed one and destroyed buildings and a shopping center, hours after the European Council president visited the war-torn country
- The US resurrected a World War II measure to aid Kyiv, opening the spigots on artillery, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank weapons, and another powerful Western materials
Geostrategy
Iran says EU nuclear coordinator will visit this week
Enrique Mora has played a key role as an intermediary between the United States and Iran during a year of...
- The deal was agreed between Iran and the five permanent UNSC members — China, Russia, the United States, United Kingdom and France — alongside Germany
- But the US unilaterally withdrew in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump and reimposed economic sanctions, prompting Iran to roll back its own commitments
Arts & Culture
Egypt’s ancient ‘zar’ ritual puts exorcism on stage
"The singing is spiritual and brings out negative energies," said the lead singer of the Mazaher ensemble, adding that they...
- "We're not quacks or witches," Umm Sameh, singer in 'zar' ritual said, she learned it in her childhood from her mother and grandmother
- The zar ritual would last several days and include animal sacrifices as per their tradition and no blood is spilled at Cairo's Makan Cultural Centre
Geostrategy
UN says ‘imminent’ Yemen oil spill would cost $20 bn to clean up
The United Nations warned Monday that it would cost $20 billion to clean up an oil spill in the event...
- The 45-year-old FSO Safer, long used as a floating oil storage platform with 1.1m barrels of crude on board, has been moored off the rebel-held Yemeni port of Hodeida since 2015
- The UN official had earlier announced on Twitter that the Netherlands would host on Wednesday a pledging conference for the international body's plan to avert the crisis
Market Report
Bitcoin falls below $30,000, lowest since July 2021
Bitcoin slumped below $30,000 for the first time since July 2021 on Tuesday as cryptocurrencies track sinking markets with investors...
- Bitcoin's value has more than halved since a November surge that saw the token hit a record of nearly $69,000
- Traditional investors have been offloading bitcoin and other digital tokens along with other volatile assets like tech stocks
Economy
Saudi fights to lead ‘saturated’ MidEast aviation market
Saudi Arabia on Monday pitched aviation industry leaders on its plans to become a global travel hub, drawing scepticism from...
- The kingdom's aviation goals, part of "Vision 2030" reforms, include more than tripling annual traffic to 330 million passengers by the end of the decade.
- It also wants to draw $100 bn in investments to the sector by 2030, establish a new national flag carrier and construct a new "mega airport" in Riyadh.
Geostrategy
French President says Ukraine could join EU after decades
Russia invaded Ukraine in February, in part to thwart Kyiv's tilt towards integration with the EU and NATO.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, tweeted that EU executive would give its "opinion" on Ukraine's membership bid in June.
- "It is our historic obligation ... to create what I would describe before you today as a European political community," Macron said.
Arts & Culture
Canadian offices going to the dogs
In a survey, 18 percent of those aged 18 to 24 years said they would change jobs if their employer...
- According to a recent Leger survey for PetSafe, 51 percent of Canadians support bringing dogs to the office.
- An estimated 200,000 Canadians have adopted a dog or cat since the start of the pandemic in 2020, bringing the nationwide total to 3.25 million.
Economy
Global stocks sink on rising rates and China lockdown
World stock markets mostly sank Monday on stubborn fears over the impact of rising US interest rates, surging inflation and...
- Frankfurt, London and Paris each shed more than one percent nearing the half-way stage after Tokyo closed down 2.5 percent
- Oil prices lost two percent on demand worries and the haven dollar rose, while bitcoin plunged to a 2022 low below $34,000
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Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
Meta’s AI talent war raises questions about strategy
New York, United States -- Mark Zuckerberg and Meta are spending billions to recruit top artificial intelligence talent, triggering debates...
Business
Company News
Latest News
EU queries Meta about ad-free subscriptions, shadow banning
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - The EU on Friday used new regulatory powers to query Meta about ad-free subscriptions to Facebook and Instagram as...
Business
Hamas says Israeli military action kills 7 hostages in Gaza
Hamas said that seven more hostages seized during its unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7 had died because...
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia formally launches bid for 2034 World Cup
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia formally launched its bid to host the 2034 World Cup on Friday, nearly four months...
Arts & Culture
Most Read
Business
Elon Musk files lawsuit against OpenAI over mission ‘betrayal’
Paris, France - Elon Musk has launched a legal case against OpenAI, the AI firm he helped to set up in...
- The tycoon, who left OpenAI in 2018, argued in documents filed in a San Francisco court late on Thursday that the firm was always intended as a non-profit entity
- But he said recent boardroom changes meant OpenAI was now effectively a subsidiary of software giant Microsoft, arguing that this was breach of contract
Geostrategy
UN warns famine in Gaza almost inevitable unless war changes
The UN and other humanitarian actors have not yet declared a state of famine in Gaza, despite worsening conditions in...
- "We have to look at what more and more voices, more and more loudly, are saying about the food security situation across the Gaza Strip, in particular in the north," said Laerke.
- Laerke cited the near-total closure of commercial food imports, the "trickle of trucks" coming in with food aid, and the "massive access constraints" to moving around inside Gaza.
Business
VW’s 2023 operating profit $24.4bn
An increase in sales in North America and Europe lifted the profits.
- In all, Volkswagen delivered some 9.2 million cars to customers in 2023, an improvement of 12 percent.
- The auto giant's units sold rose by 20 percent in Europe and in the North America region by 18 percent.