Qatar warns will cut gas supply to Europe over EU’s green rules
Qatar's energy minister on Monday warned the Gulf state would halt its supply of liquefied natural gas to Europe over...Economy
Steady and sensible, Oman builds its future brick by brick amid the Gulf’s glittering rush
With volatile geopolitics and the resulting uncertainty, the year 2025 has been challenging for most of the countries across the...Economy
China’s chip challenge: the race to match US tech
Beijing, China - China's push to develop top-end artificial intelligence microchips is gaining momentum, but analysts say it will struggle...Ramping up its chip industry is a way for Beijing to beat restrictions imposed by Washington on exports of the most advanced chips -used to power AI systems
The United States cites national security concerns, such as the risk of giving China a military advantage, for the block, a geopolitical bind that shows no sign of easing
Vietnam defies US tariffs with 8.2% growth in third quarter
Hanoi, Vietnam -- Vietnam recorded economic growth of 8.2 percent in the third quarter, among the highest increases in more...Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang said the figure -- excluding the surge in 2022 driven by a post-Covid recovery -- was "the highest quarterly growth since 2011".
The Southeast Asian manufacturing hub achieved growth of 7.96 percent in the second quarter.
AI in an ‘industrial bubble’ but will benefit society: Bezos
Turin, Italy - Artificial intelligence technology is in an "industrial bubble," Amazon founder Jeff Bezos told a tech conference in..."Investors don't usually give a team of six people a couple billion dollars with no product... and that's happening today," Bezos told an audience at Tech Week in Turin
Multiple technologies are in a kind of "golden age," he said, echoing language used by US President Donald Trump. "There's never been a better time to be excited about the future."
Abu Dhabi GDP grows 3.8% to $83.40bn in Q2 as non-oil sectors hit record
The non-oil economy expanded 6.6 percent year-on-year to AED174.1 billion — the highest quarterly value on record — and accounted...Manufacturing remained the largest non-oil contributor at AED30.1 billion, accounting for 9.8 percent of total GDP.
Finance and insurance activities expanded 10.3 percent to a record AED21.8 billion, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as a regional and global financial center.
Amazon adds AI muscle to connected home lineup
New York, United States - Amazon on Tuesday unveiled the latest generation of connected products, featuring enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities...Nearly 20 years after the launch of the Kindle e-reader, the Seattle-based online retail giant now offers a family of connected devices
The company has already made a major move into AI enhancements with the February launch of Alexa+, an upgraded version of the Alexa voice assistant
Microsoft trims service to Israel over Gaza surveillance
San Francisco, United States - Microsoft on Thursday said it cut an Israeli defense unit's access to some cloud services...Microsoft reviewed the decision with the Israel Ministry of Defense along with steps the tech firm is taking to ensure compliance
The move followed a two-month Microsoft probe into a Guardian report that the Israeli Defense Force used Azure to store phone call data from surveillance in Gaza and the West Bank
Trump announces steep new tariffs on pharmaceuticals, big-rig trucks, furniture, reviving trade war
US President Donald Trump announced Thursday punishing tariffs on pharmaceuticals, big-rig trucks, home renovation fixtures and furniture, reviving his global...The announcement is the harshest trade policy by the president since last April's shock unveiling of reciprocal tariffs on virtually every US trading partner across the globe
Earlier this year, the Trump administration launched a so-called Section 232 probe into imports of trucks to "determine the effects of national security."
WhatsApp, Twitch among sites that could face Australia under-16s social media ban
Tech companies including WhatsApp and Reddit as well as streaming giant Twitch and gaming firm Roblox could be among more...The head of Australia's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has written to 16 more companies to "self-assess" whether they fall under the ban's remit
Companies will need to make a case if they believe their platform should be exempt from the ban, the national broadcaster ABC said
Floating wind power sets sail in Japan’s energy shift
Still heavily reliant on imported fossil fuels, Japan has declared offshore wind energy a "trump card" in its drive to...That's despite rising project costs and fears over inadequate infrastructure to produce turbines en masse.
Floating turbines are particularly well suited to Japan as its deep coastal waters make fixing them to seabeds tricky.
UNGA80: World leaders to discuss framework for inclusive, accountable AI governanc
As there is no recognised body to govern AI on a global level, world leaders will gather in New York...The UN says Artificial AI has been rapidly transforming the world including everything from self-driving cars to the analysis of medical images
However, it notes that the benefits of AI are unevenly distributed, and many countries struggle to access the tools which could transform their societies by supporting development
