RIYADH: Arab News, the Riyadh-based regional English-language newspaper, has partnered with Facebook to broadcast prayers from Saudi Arabia during Ramadan.
The newspaper will carry the Taraweeh prayers — the additional evening prayers performed during the Islamic holy month — live from the Holy Mosque in Makkah.
These videos will be available in real-time on Arab News’ newsfeed in conjunction with Facebook and the Saudi state-owned television as part of the newspaper’s wider coverage during Ramadan.
“Our partnership with Facebook will allow our audiences across the world — who perhaps couldn’t make it to Makkah for the Muslim holy month — to capture some of the spirituality of Ramadan as we live broadcast the Taraweeh prayers from the Holy Mosque every night,” said Faisal J. Abbas, editor in chief of Arab News.
“Other Ramadan-related coverage will include human stories from the Middle East and beyond, as Muslims across the world together celebrate this important month of fasting, prayer and reflection.”
Fares Akkad, Facebook’s head of media partnerships in the Middle East,Turkey and Africa, also welcomed the partnership.
“We work with publishers and broadcasters to offer specific tools and features to help engage people around the programming that matters most to them and the content they love to share with friends,” Akkad said.
“Our partnership with Arab News gives people access to a live experience on Facebook that is immediate, authentic and interactive.”
The Ramadan videos will be broadcast via the newspaper’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheArabNews while readers will find wider coverage at www.arabnews.com.
Arab News partners with Facebook to broadcast Ramadan prayers from Makkah
Arab News partners with Facebook to broadcast Ramadan prayers from Makkah
- The newspaper will carry the Taraweeh prayers — the additional evening prayers performed during the Islamic holy month
- These videos will be available in real-time on Arab News’ newsfeed in conjunction with Facebook
Apple, Google offer app store changes under new UK rules
LONDON: Apple and Google have pledged changes to ensure fairness in their app stores, the UK competition watchdog said Tuesday, describing it as “first steps” under its tougher regulation of technology giants.
The Competition and Markets Authority placed the two companies under “strategic market status” last year, giving it powers to impose stricter rules on their mobile platforms.
Apple and Google have submitted packages of commitments to improve fairness and transparency in their app stores, which the CMA is now consulting market participants on.
The proposals cover data collection, how apps are reviewed and ranked and improved access to their mobile operating systems.
They aim to prevent Apple and Google from giving priority to their own apps and to ensure businesses receive fairer terms for delivering apps to customers, including better access to tools to compete with services like the Apple digital wallet.
“These are important first steps while we continue to work on a broad range of additional measures to improve Apple and Google’s app store services in the UK,” said CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell.
The commitments mark the first changes proposed by US tech giants in response to the UK’s digital markets regulation, which came into force last year.
The UK framework is similar to a tech competition law from the European Union, the Digital Markets Act, which carries the potential for hefty financial penalties.
“The commitments announced today allow Apple to continue advancing important privacy and security innovations for users and great opportunities for developers,” an Apple spokesperson said.
The CMA in October found that Apple and Google held an “effective duopoly,” with around 90 to 100 percent of UK mobile services running on their platforms.
A Google spokesperson said existing practices in its Play online store are “fair, objective and transparent.”
“We welcome the opportunity to resolve the CMA’s concerns collaboratively,” they added.
The changes are set to take effect in April, subject to the outcome of a market consultation.
