SAN FRANCISCO: In a rare public feud between large technology companies, Amazon.com said on Tuesday its Echo Show devices could no longer play videos from YouTube because the site’s parent, Google, stopped supporting the service.
The spat is the latest in Silicon Valley in which competitive tensions stood in the way of customers. Amazon and Google square off in many areas, from cloud computing and online search, to selling voice-controlled gadgets like the Echo Show.
In a statement, Amazon said, “As of this afternoon, Google has chosen to no longer make YouTube available on Echo Show, without explanation and without notification to customers. There is no technical reason for that decision, which is disappointing and hurts both of our customers.”
Google, owned by Alphabet Inc, said instead that the development was no surprise.
“We’ve been in negotiations with Amazon for a long time, working toward an agreement that provides great experiences for customers on both platforms,” it said in a statement. “Amazon’s implementation of YouTube on the Echo Show violates our terms of service, creating a broken user experience. We hope to be able to reach an agreement and resolve these issues soon.”
The Echo Show had displayed YouTube videos without integral features, from video recommendations to channel subscriptions. Google has been in a similar dispute with Microsoft in the past.
It was not clear how many customers were affected. Amazon only started selling the Echo Show in June, which comes with a touchscreen and responds by voice command.
Amazon’s suite of Echo devices, including the Echo and Echo Dot, have outsold the voice-controlled Google Home, according to research firm eMarketer. Amazon has ambitions to make it normal for people to control computers by voice — and to place orders for its online retail business by voice, too.
“It’s a bit of a blow to Amazon,” said analyst Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research. “YouTube is one of the big video services that they had in addition to their own. For that to disappear means a big chunk of the possible video content you could watch on Echo Show is now gone.”
The Verge, a technology news website, earlier reported the news.
Among recent tech standoffs, Amazon had stopped selling Apple Inc’s TV players in 2015 because they did not support its Prime Video service. The two finally reached an agreement earlier this year.
“Things get harder for end users because these companies can’t get along,” Dawson said.
Amazon says Google has pulled YouTube from Echo Show device in rare public face-off
Amazon says Google has pulled YouTube from Echo Show device in rare public face-off
Bahri profit rises 12% to $647m in 2025 as oil shipping boosts earnings
RIYADH: The National Shipping Co. of Saudi Arabia, also known as Bahri, posted a 12.07 percent increase in annual profit as stronger tanker earnings and higher global freight rates boosted results.
Net profit attributable to shareholders reached SR2.43 billion ($647.46 million) in 2025, compared with SR2.17 billion a year earlier, according to a filing on Saudi Exchange.
Revenue for the year ended Dec. 31, 2025, rose 9.12 percent to SR10.35 billion, compared with SR9.48 billion in 2024, while gross profit increased 14.71 percent to SR3.10 billion.
Highlighting the main reason for the increase in net profit during the current year, the company said: “The increase in gross profit of Bahri Oil BU by SR755 million mainly due to improved operational performance and global shipping rates during the current year compared to the last year.”
It added: “The increase in the company’s share of results of equity-accounted investees by SR134 million during the current year compared to the last year.
However, the gains were partly offset by declines in other areas. Gross profit from the chemicals business unit fell by SR324 million, while the integrated logistics unit recorded a SR37 million decrease.
The company’s operating profit climbed 4.67 percent year on year to SR2.73 billion, reflecting improved operational performance across several business units.
Bahri said the increase in revenue was driven primarily by higher activity in multiple divisions, particularly its oil business unit, where revenue rose by SR1.26 billion due to increased operational activity and higher global shipping rates.
The growth in revenue was partially offset by lower performance in other segments.
Revenue from the chemicals business unit declined by SR396 million, while the dry bulk unit recorded a decrease of SR87 million compared with the previous year.
Bahri also reported a SR138 million decline in other income, mainly due to lower capital gains from vessel sales.
The company recorded SR216 million in gains from vessel sales in the previous year compared with SR6 million in the current year. Higher general and administrative expenses and increased finance costs also weighed on profitability.
Total comprehensive income attributable to shareholders reached SR2.38 billion, up 8.65 percent from SR2.19 billion in the previous year.
Total shareholders’ equity rose 12.07 percent to SR15.27 billion, compared with SR13.63 billion a year earlier, while earnings per share increased to SR2.63 from SR2.35.
Separately, Bahri’s board of directors recommended the distribution of cash dividends totaling SR922.85 million for the 2025 fiscal year, equivalent to SR1 per share.
The proposed dividend represents 10 percent of the share’s par value and will be distributed to shareholders owning 922.85 million eligible shares, subject to approval at the company’s upcoming general assembly meeting. The eligibility and distribution dates will be announced at a later stage.
