Iraqi women table tennis players chase Paralympic dreams
Diwaniyah, Iraq -- Iraqi table tennis player Nur al-Huda Sarmad adjusts her wheelchair before striking the ball into play, braving...
Arts & Culture
China says balance between AI development, security ‘urgently requires consensus’
China's Premier Li Qiang warned Saturday that artificial intelligence development must be weighed against the security risks, saying global consensus...
Economy
Geostrategy
Iraq judge quizzes five tax officials over missing $2.5 billion
Local media published a tax authority document showing the funds were withdrawn between September 2021 and August this year, transferred...
- The Baghdad judge summoned five tax office officials, including the director-general, his deputy and a supervisor at the finance and control department.
- Rafidain Bank said in a statement Sunday that it had cashed the cheques on the basis of official correspondence from the tax authority assuring their validity.
Business
Foxconn of Taiwan unveils more electric vehicle prototypes
The Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn has moved to diversify beyond electronics assembly and embraced the competitive but rapidly expanding EV...
- The world's largest contract electronics maker, Foxconn already plays a lynchpin role in assembling gadgets for a host of top international brands including Apple's iPhones
- Foxconn has also started building electric vehicles for Lordstown Motors after completing its purchase of a former General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio in May
Geostrategy
Israel riled as Australia stops recognising Jerusalem as its capital
Lapid described the move as a "hasty response", adding that Israel can only hope that the Australian government manages other...
- In 2018, a conservative government led by Scott Morrison followed then US president Donald Trump's lead in naming west Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
- Jerusalem is claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians, and most foreign governments avoid formally declaring it the capital of any state.
Geostrategy
US warns of sanctions over Iran drone ties after Kyiv strikes
State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters that Russia deepening an alliance with Iran is something the whole world, especially...
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the drone strikes showed the need to provide "everything possible" to Ukraine as its forces gain ground against Russian invaders
- US officials have previously said that Russia, historically a major arms exporter, is also turning to North Korea while China has rebuffed calls for assistance
Geostrategy
Argentina requests arrest in Qatar of senior Iranian official
Iran's vice president for economic affairs, Mohsen Rezai, is wanted by Argentinian special prosecutors for alleged participation in the planning...
- A diplomatic source told AFP that the foreign ministry had granted the special prosecutor's request after confirming Rezai's presence in the Gulf country
- Last January, the Argentine government voiced its anger at Rezai's presence during the inauguration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega
Geostrategy
Egypt court cuts sentence of Ismail Alexandrani, security expert
Advocacy groups say there are currently about 60,000 political prisoners in the country, an issue that rights groups hope to...
- In 2018, Ismail Alexandrani was sentenced to 10 years in prison, accused of publishing military secrets and belonging to the banned Muslim Brotherhood
- Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country with 104 million residents, draws regular criticism over its rights record
Geostrategy
Australia strikes down recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital
Striking down the previous government's decision to recognize West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Australia has said the city's status should...
- In 2018 a conservative government led by Scott Morrison followed former US president Donald Trump's lead in naming West Jerusalem as the Israeli capital
- Palestinians claim the eastern part as the capital of a future Palestinian state
Economy
Morocco arrests 25 more migrants after June border tragedy
The arrests are the latest after courts handed heavy prison sentences to several dozen people, many from Sudan, on charges...
- On June 24, some 2,000 mostly Sudanese migrants attempted to enter the enclave by force
- At least 23 people died in the attempt, the worst toll in years of such attempted crossings
Business
FIFA praises Qatar’s reforms to improve living conditions of workers
Applauding Qatar's "groundbreaking reforms" that are "changing the lives of thousands of workers for the better," FIFA President Gianni Infantino...
- Amnesty International and other groups have demanded that FIFA set up a $450 million fund for migrant workers and their families who suffered during the decade of construction
- Officials also said on Monday that 30,000 extra hotel rooms had been added to the official accommodation platform to cater for late ticket sales
Geostrategy
US officials not invited to Saudi investment forum: organiser
The organizer said he did not want the gathering "to become a political platform". The decision not to invite American...
- The Future Investment Initiative (FII), a three-day conference set to begin on Oct 25 in Riyadh, typically draws Wall Street titans and high-ranking officials from around the world
- Up to 400 American CEOs are expected to participate this year, said Richard Attias, CEO of the group behind the event. It is often referred to as "Davos in the Desert".
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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
Iraqi women table tennis players chase Paralympic dreams
Diwaniyah, Iraq -- Iraqi table tennis player Nur al-Huda Sarmad adjusts her wheelchair before striking the ball into play, braving...
Arts & Culture
Company News
Latest News
Iran, Israel appear to pull back from brink as US approves military aid
Iran downplayed Israel's reported retaliation for its unprecedented drone and missile attack, tamping down fears that escalating attacks between the...
Erdogan urges Palestinian unity after meeting Hamas chief: office
Erdogan called on Palestinians to unite following the talks at the Dolmabahce palace, on the banks of the Bosphorus strait,...
Geostrategy
AI is revolutionizing news ecosystem: Expert
Generative AI has removed barriers in the previous generation of AI such as news devices, new hardware and technical expertise,...
Interview
Most Read
Japanese AI tool predicts when recruits will quit jobs
Tokyo, Japan -- Bosses worried about turnover or wondering how long a new hire will stick around can now turn to...
- The artificial intelligence tool was developed by Japanese researchers to try and help managers provide targeted support to staff to stop them from quitting.
- It crunches data on employees at a company, from their attendance record to personal information such as age and gender.
Business
Meta releases beefed-up AI models
The models are built on new versions of publicly available Llama 3.
- Being open source means that developers outside of Meta are free to customize Llama 3 as they wish.
- Llama 3, for now, is based in English but in the coming months Meta will release more capable models able to converse in multiple languages, the company said.
Geostrategy
G7 nations oppose ‘full-scale military operation in Rafah’
Ministers from Italy, the UK, US, France, Germany, Japan and Canada also slammed the "unacceptable number of civilians" killed in...
- Israel has faced growing global opposition to the relentless war that has reduced much of Gaza to rubble, while its 2.4 million people have suffered under an Israeli siege.
- Israel's offensive has killed at least 33,970 people in Gaza, mostly women and children. according to the Gaza health ministry.