France blames Iran for supermarket fridge hack, seeks EU sanctions French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Monday blamed Iran for the October cyberattack that disabled refrigeration at supermarkets across France. Iran
Turkey probes Google’s AI search tools, orders protections for news websites Turkey’s competition watchdog said it is assessing whether AI-generated answers appearing on Google Search divert traffic from news sites and impose unfair content-use terms. Turkey
OpenAI's Altman signs UAE energy, government deals amid Gulf funding push The deals deepen the company’s ties to the UAE as the ChatGPT creator pursues a massive new funding round with help from Middle East investors. United Arab Emirates
Explainer What Iran’s threats to Hormuz internet cables mean for Gulf Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to cut crucial internet and communications routes in the region if US aggression escalates. Iran
'Ethical hacking' courses proliferate in Gaza Some centers in Gaza are providing courses on ethical hacking under the pretext of helping citizens protect their online data, while in some cases hacking and piracy operations are being taught. Palestine
Israeli tech companies take fertility treatments to next level With generous state financing for fertility treatments, the in vitro fertilization field is booming in Israel and several Israeli start-ups are working to innovate it. Israel
Dubai prepares for launch of first 'self-driving' taxis Dubai has begun a digital mapping project for a fleet driverless taxis. Legacy: Gulf
Qatar partners with Meta on digital economy Gulf states are working to increase the size of their digital economies. Legacy: Gulf
Women in Idlib face online harassment Many women in Idlib have been subjected to online harassment and blackmail, where their personal data posted on social media have been exploited for financial or moral gain, or for sexual exploitation purposes. Syria
Global investment summit invites Gaza company for first time An international investment conference this month will host a Gaza tech company for the first time, coming as a great surprise to the Palestinian team. Palestine
Egyptian students develop luminescent concrete Four Egyptian students created an innovative glow-in-the-dark concrete that can be used to light up highways and roads, as the world faces a growing energy crisis. Egypt
Egypt uses augmented reality to promote medical tourism Egypt’s General Authority for Health Care announced the use of metaverse technology to promote its medical tourism project as the country’s tourism sector is trying to compensate for the losses incurred during the coronavirus pandemic, and most recently the Russian war on Ukraine. Egypt
Robots take over Gaza classroom With the help of a team of local engineers, a school in Gaza City managed to create the first human-like robot for educational purposes using local tools and equipment. Palestine
Egypt promotes ties with Africa via new satellite A new Egyptian satellite was recently launched as part of efforts to expand Egypt’s media presence in the African continent. Egypt
Venezuela’s Maduro receives warm welcome in Turkey Turkey and Venezuela have good relations, much to the chagrin of the United States. By Adam Lucente In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change
Israeli, Moroccan ministers of science and technology sign cooperation agreement Israel’s Science and Technology Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen and Morocco’s Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation Minister Abdellatif Miraoui made history today, concluding a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in a vast field. Israel
