LONDON: The European Union has accused Facebook parent Meta of breaching the bloc’s antitrust rules by distorting competition in the online classified ads business.
The bloc’s executive commission said Monday that it “takes issue” with the tech company tying its online classified ad business, Facebook Marketplace, to Facebook.
That means Facebook users automatically have access to Marketplace “whether they want it or not,” the European Commission said.
The commission, the 27-nation bloc’s top antitrust enforcer, said Meta also imposes unfair trading conditions on competing online classified ad companies that advertise their services on Facebook or Instagram.
Companies that breach EU antitrust rules can be hit with fines worth up to 10 percent of their annual global revenue.
EU accuses Meta of antitrust breaches with classified ads
https://arab.news/4hv28
EU accuses Meta of antitrust breaches with classified ads
- The commission accused Meta of imposing unfair trading conditions on ad companies
Saudia Airlines to bring AlUla FM onboard in new strategic partnership
- Initiative aims to raise awareness and appreciation of AlUla’s rich cultural heritage, company says
LONDON: Saudia Airlines announced it is brining AlUla FM radio to its onboard entertainment as part of a strategic partnership with the Royal Commission for AlUla.
Announced on Monday, the new initiative aims to raise “awareness and appreciation of AlUla’s rich cultural heritage among passengers and those intrigued by Saudi Arabia’s offerings,” the companies said in a statement.
“AlUla’s rich stories and deep cultural legacy are taking flight with Saudia,” said Abdulrahman Altrairi, chief communications and PR officer, and official spokesperson for the RCU during a presentation with Khaled Tash, Saudia’s group chief marketing officer.
“Our new agreement promotes cultural heritage, RCU partnership network and invites new audiences to join in the expansion of AlUla as a global destination and AlUla FM as an audio platform.”
The Saudi national carrier said that AlUla FM is now accessible on all flights through the airline’s “Beyond” inflight entertainment system, in what the radio described as a major advancement in its evolution as an audio platform.
Since its official launch in 2020 under the banner “The Sound of Arabia,” AlUla FM has served as a platform for the promotion of AlUla, broadcasting local narratives to an international audience through regular and seasonal shows and programs.
British foreign secretary renews call for BBC to label Hamas as terrorists
- David Cameron says BBC should ‘ask itself again’ how it labels Hamas after death of British-Israeli hostage
- BBC defends its editorial position citing concerns over impartiality
LONDON: British Foreign Secretary David Cameron reiterated his appeal to the BBC to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization following the death of a British-Israeli hostage.
The national broadcaster has maintained a clear stance since the beginning of the conflict, referring to the Palestinian group as “fighters,” “militants,” or a proscribed terrorist organization in its coverage.
This decision has sparked a nationwide debate, with some experts and politicians accusing the corporation of avoiding an accurate portrayal of the Islamist group, which is holding Israeli hostages.
Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, Lord Cameron urged the organization to reconsider how it labels Hamas and reassess its editorial policy.
The foreign secretary said: “Like everyone else, I watched the video on Twitter, X, last night, put out by Hamas of Nadav (Popplewell) answering a question as to who he was. And I watched that video and you just think, what callous people they are to do that, to play with the family’s emotions in that way.”
He added: “And when you see what Hamas are prepared to do, you just realise the terrible, dreadful, inhuman people, frankly, that we are dealing with.
“Maybe it’s a moment actually for the BBC to ask itself again, shall we describe these people as terrorists? They are terrorists.”
The BBC has resisted calls from the government to classify Hamas as a terrorist organization, fearing it could compromise its impartiality in the conflict.
Last October, Deborah Turness, chief of BBC News, explained the network’s decision not to label any group as terrorists, stating that such terminology is often politicized and weaponized in conflicts.
Hamas announced on Saturday that Nadav Popplewell had died from injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike a month earlier, and released a video in which he appeared with a black eye and provided personal details.
Popplewell was abducted with his mother from her home in the Nirim kibbutz during Hamas’s incursion into southern Israel on Oct. 7, according to the Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum. His brother was killed, while his mother was released during a temporary ceasefire in November.
Cameron said that there were no updates on the fate of Nadav Popplewell as the Foreign Office continues to investigate the situation.
Majarra to publish ‘Werathyat’ magazine in partnership with Saudi Society for Medical Genetics
- Collaboration includes agreement to disseminate knowledge about genetic science and medicine in Arabic
DUBAI: Arabic digital content provider Majarra has signed an agreement with the Saudi Society for Medical Genetics to publish Arabic content that advances knowledge sharing in the field of genetics.
As part of the agreement, Majarra will publish SSMG’s quarterly journal “Werathyat,” which raises awareness, and provides education about genetic diseases and advancements in the field.
The magazine also highlights SSMG’s new initiatives and social responsibilities, with the goal of promoting genetic literacy and reducing the prevalence of genetic diseases in Arab societies, the companies said in a statement.
Additionally, the two organizations will collaborate on publishing other high-quality Arabic content on genetic counseling in order to enhance community awareness of genetic diseases, rectify misconceptions surrounding them, and provide psychological and cognitive support to individuals affected by such conditions.
The partnership plays a key role in showcasing SSMG’s efforts “to provide health care, social support, and educational services to individuals with genetic diseases and their families” and “facilitates the dissemination of awareness and genetic guidance through the innovative projects and programs implemented by our Society,” said SSMG spokesperson Prof. Zuhair bin Abdullah Rahbini.
For Majarra, the agreement “aligns with our mission to deliver the best Arabic content on the Internet” and the company will work with SSMG “in carrying out its mission of developing the medical practice of genetics, enriching scientific research, and providing awareness, the level of health awareness in our Arab societies,” said Dia Haykal, Majarra’s director of partnerships and branding.
“Werathyat” will be available on Majarra’s paid subscription-based mobile app. SSMG will provide Majarra subscriptions to all its members.
Britain’s Arab-focused SAFAR Film Festival to feature stories from 15 countries
- Biggest festival to date will include 60 screenings and events across four London venues, plus screenings in 8 other UK venues
LONDON: This year’s SAFAR Film Festival will be held from June 18-30 in nine British cities, making it the largest and longest-running Arab cinema event in the UK, according to the Arab British Center.
Curated by long-time SAFAR and Arab British Center collaborator Rabih El-Khoury, the 2024 program will explore the themes of dreams, hopes, and realities through stories from 15 Arab countries.
The festival’s program features 60 screenings and events across four London venues, as well as cinemas in Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Hull, Liverpool, Manchester, Oxford and Plymouth.
El-Khoury said the festival will include Sudanese and Palestinian cinema, and promised audiences “themes spanning family dynamics, loss, love, migration, and the harsh truths of war and politics.”
He said: “Within these stories, and through challenging and captivating cinema, we aim to facilitate exchange, reflection and share strength in solidarity.”
In its ninth year, SAFAR is viewed as the leading platform for showcasing Arab cinema in the UK.
The program features new releases, classics, archive film, and family-friendly screenings.
Highlights include the documentary “Life is Beautiful” by Mohamed Jalaby, which examines European solidarity, and the rigidity of borders, both physical and bureaucratic, amid the Gaza war in 2014.
Other works include “Bye Bye Tiberias” by Lina Soualem, a poignant exploration of four generations of Palestinian women; “The Burdened” by Yemeni director Amr Gamal, which follows Isra’a and Ahmed who struggle to provide a sense of normalcy for their three young children; and “Inshallah a Boy” by Amjad Al Rasheed.
“The festival forms a key part of our work to further understanding of the Arab world in the UK,” said Nadia El-Sebai, executive director of the Arab British Center.
“This year we are honored to work once more with Rabih El-Khoury and our guest curators and partners across the UK to present our biggest festival to date.
“Despite the shadows cast by the difficult realities faced across the region, SAFAR invites us to come together and find solace, hopes and dreams, in the universal language of cinema,” she said.
Taliban warn journalists and experts against cooperating with Afghanistan International TV
- Cooperating with the London-based media outfit is a crime, says Taliban information ministry
- During their previous rule in the late 1990s, the Taliban barred most TV, radio and newspapers
KABUL, Afghanistan: The Taliban on Thursday warned journalists and experts against working with Afghanistan International TV, saying they would be committing a crime if they cooperated with the station. It’s the first time they have told people not to cooperate with a specific outlet.
Afghanistan International TV, which is headquartered in London, is accessible through satellite, cable and social media.
A spokesman for the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Information and Culture alleged the station was committing professional violations and violating moral and legal boundaries.
The Media Violations Commission wanted all journalists and experts in Afghanistan to cease their collaboration with the station, said ministry spokesman Habib Ghofran.
“At the commission’s meeting held yesterday (Wednesday), it was decided that participating in discussions and facilitating the broadcast of this media outlet in public places is prohibited,” added Ghofran.
The deputy minister for broadcasting Zia ul Haq Haqmal said people would be committing a crime if they cooperated with the station.
He cited 10 reasons to avoid working with Afghanistan International TV, including its alleged distortion or falsification of information and campaigning against the ruling system.
“If someone does not cooperate on the basis of all these 10 reasons, then it’s the court’s job to give a punishment,” said Haqmal.
The director of Afghanistan International TV, Harun Najafizada, said the commission’s decision would not affect the channel because it had no employees or freelancers in the country.
“We don’t have anyone on the ground and rely on the reporting of Afghan citizens,” said Najafizada. “That’s more challenging, but we have tough verification. It’s a threat to free media, to other media, and to put pressure on us to forgo our professional standards. It’s not going to work.”
Afghanistan fares abysmally in terms of press freedom. The latest index from Reporters without Borders ranked the country 178 out of 180. It ranked 152 last year.
The organization said three radio reporters were arrested in April for broadcasting music and receiving calls from female listeners during shows. Local authorities weren’t available to confirm the arrests.
Also last month, the Taliban suspended two TV stations for failing to “consider national and Islamic values.”
The director for one of the suspended stations, Barya TV, rejected the Taliban’s allegations. The station is still off air.
Latif Sadiq said the station wasn’t informed about the suspension. “The reports that they repeatedly warned (Barya) are absolute lies,” Sadiq said Thursday. “They have decided on their own that (Barya) television is off, broadcasting is off, and they said the case will go to court.”
Many journalists lost their jobs after the Taliban takeover in 2021, with media outlets closing over a lack of funds or because their staff left the country. Women journalists face additional hardships because of work bans and travel restrictions.
During their previous rule in the late 1990s, the Taliban barred most television, radio and newspapers.
