Social media fooled by AI video of ‘sky stadium’ for Saudi 2034 World Cup
Paris, France - An AI-generated video claiming to show one of the football stadiums for the 2034 FIFA World Cup...Economy
Gartner lists 2026’s defining tech: Faster AI, safer clouds, and smarter security
AI supercomputing platforms integrate CPUs, GPUs, AI ASICs, neuromorphic and alternative computing paradigms, enabling organizations to orchestrate complex workloads while...Technology
Apple to lower iPhone 12 radio power across EU
Paris, France - Apple will update software on iPhone 12 handsets across the EU to lower the power of their...The software update, scheduled "in the coming weeks" across the EU, is in line with a 2023 change made to the phones in France based on testing by ANFR radio frequency authority
"We continue to disagree with the French ANFR's testing approach, (but) respect the European Commission's decision," Apple said in a statement
Chinese cluster now world’s top innovation hotspot: UN
Geneva, Switzerland -- Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou has overtaken Tokyo-Yokohama to become the world's top cluster for innovation, the United Nations said...The UN's World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) said the Chinese cluster had leapfrogged its Japanese rival in its 2025 Global Innovation Index.
The change at the top of the world's 100 leading innovation clusters was down to WIPO broadening the criteria to include VC investments to formulate the annual rankings.
From entertainment to economics: GCC govts make room for creators in their national vision plans
In Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, digital content creation is a key pillar of economic transformation, and Qatar National Vision 2030...The UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have seen a big boom in the emergence of bloggers, influencers, and content creators who are gaining a substantial following
The Gulf region - home to a predominantly young population, with over 50% being under the age of 25 in 2021 - has 90% smartphone penetration
China manufacturing shrinks in August despite new US trade truce
Beijing, China -- China's factory output ticked up in August but still recorded a fifth straight month of contraction, official...The Purchasing Managers' Index -- a key measure of industrial output -- was 49.4, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said, up slightly from 49.3 in July.
The last time China recorded a figure above 50 -- indicating growth -- was in March.
UAE continues to attract major global companies for new headquarters
Dubai, UAE -- The United Arab Emirates has continued to attract global companies looking to establish regional or global headquarters....This trend is supported by the country's legislative and digital infrastructure, as well as its strategic location.
A report from the Kearney Foundation ranked the UAE second among emerging markets in its "FDI Confidence Index 2025."
How Viet Nam’s informal waste workers are leading the plastic pollution fight
Behind nearly 90% of all plastic recycled in Viet Nam is someone like Ms Nguyen Thi Kenh or Ms Nguyen...In the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, nearly 10,000 women collect plastics for recycling, part of an army of informal waste workers
Viet Nam accounts for 1.8 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with about 27% of that recycled, making the country a potential leader in tackling the problem
Fed governor calls for rate cut at September policy meeting
A governor of the US Federal Reserve, Christopher Waller, said Thursday that the central bank should lower its key interest...US Federal Reserve, Christopher Waller enthusiasm echoes President Donald Trump's eagerness to cut the rate that is central to US banking and borrowing
For months the Republican president has called for the cut repeatedly, despite resistance from current Fed chairman Jerome Powell
Saudi Bank credit grows by over 116 billion in one year by June 2025
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Bank credit extended to the public and private sectors in the Kingdom continued its upward trend,...The total bank credit also recorded a quarterly growth of 2.7% by the end of the second quarter of the current year
Every month, bank credit rose by 0.6% with an increase of USD 4.99 billion (SAR 18,713 million) compared with May 2025, when it stood at USD 844.68 billion (SAR 3,167,558 million)
25 countries suspend postal services to United States over tariffs: UN
The Trump administration said late last month that it will abolish a tax exemption on small packages entering the United...The move has sparked a flurry of announcements from postal services, including in France, Britain, Germany, Italy, India, Australia and Japan.
The United Nations' Universal Postal Union said he suspensions will remain in place until there is more clarity on how US authorities plan to implement the announced measures.
Saudi non-oil exports increase by 17.8 percent in second quarter
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rose by 17.8 percent in the second quarter of 2025, according to...The increase included a 46.2 percent rise in re-exports, while national non-oil exports excluding re-exports grew by 5.6 percent.
In Q2 2025, a 15.8 percent decline in oil exports dragged total merchandise exports down by 7.3 percent year-on-year.
