Algerian journalist in custody ahead of trial, lawyers say

El Kadi has been a vocal critic of the Algerian government. (Twitter/Sourced)
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Updated 29 December 2022
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Algerian journalist in custody ahead of trial, lawyers say

  • El Kadi was arrested on Dec. 24

ALGIERS: Algerian journalist Ihsane El Kadi, who owns a media group and has been a vocal critic of the government, has been placed in a pre-trial detention, accused of receiving foreign funding, his lawyers said on Thursday after he was arrested on Dec. 24.
Reporters Without Borders, the international media freedom group, condemned El Kadi’s arrest and called on the authorities to “free him and respect the work of the media in the country.”


4 journalists killed in Gaza as death toll climbs above 100

Updated 17 May 2024
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4 journalists killed in Gaza as death toll climbs above 100

  • 104 Palestinian media workers reported dead, along with 3 Lebanese and 2 Israelis

LONDON: The Gaza Media Authority on Thursday said that four journalists had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, bringing the total number of journalists killed in the conflict to more than 100.

The victims were identified as Hail Al-Najjar, a video editor at the Al-Aqsa Media Network; Mahmoud Jahjouh, a photojournalist at the Palestine Post website; Moath Mustafa Al-Ghefari, a photojournalist at the Kanaan Land website and Palestinian Media Foundation; and Amina Mahmoud Hameed, a program presenter and editor at several media outlets, according to the Anadolu Agency.

The Gaza Media Office said the four were killed in an Israeli airstrike, but did not provide additional details on the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

A total of 104 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the conflict began on Oct. 7. Two Israeli and three Lebanese media workers also have been killed.

The latest loss adds to the already heavy toll on media workers, with the Committee to Protect Journalists saying the Gaza conflict is the deadliest for journalists and media workers since it began keeping records.

Israel is continuing its offensive on Gaza despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.

On Thursday, South Africa, which has brought a case accusing Israel of genocide to the International Court of Justice, urged the court to order Israel to halt its assault on Rafah.

According to Gaza medical authorities, more than 35,200 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 79,200 have been injured since early October when Israel launched its offensive following an attack by Hamas.


Russia outlaws SOTA opposition news outlet

Updated 17 May 2024
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Russia outlaws SOTA opposition news outlet

  • Authorities said outlet tries to destabilize the socio-political situation in Russia
  • Move could criminalize SOTA content and puts its reporters at risk of arrest

LONDON: Russia declared opposition media outlet SOTA “undesirable” on Thursday, a move that could criminalize the sharing of its content and put its reporters at risk of arrest.
Authorities in Russia have declared dozens of news outlets, think tanks and non-profit organizations “undesirable” since 2015, a label rights groups say is designed to deter dissent.
In a statement, Russia’s Prosecutor General accused SOTA of “frank attempts to destabilize the socio-political situation in Russia” and “create tension and irritation in society.”
“Such activities, obviously encouraged by so-called Western inspirers, have the goal of undermining the spiritual and moral foundations of Russian society,” it said.
It also accused SOTA of co-operating with TV Rain and The Insider, two other independent Russian-language outlets based outside of the country that are linked to the opposition.
SOTA Project, which covers opposition protests and has been fiercely critical of the Kremlin, denied it had anything to do with TV Rain and The Insider and rejected the claims.
But it advised its followers in Russia to “remove reposts and links” to its materials to avoid the risk of prosecution. SOTA’s Telegram channel has around 137,000 subscribers.
“Law enforcement and courts consider publishing online to be a continuing offense. This means that you can be prosecuted for reposts from 2023, 2022, 2021,” it said.
SOTA Project was born out of a split with a separate news outlet called SOTAvision, which still covers the opposition but distanced itself from the prosecutors’ ruling on Thursday.
Since launching its offensive in Ukraine, Moscow has waged an unprecedented crackdown on dissent that rights groups have likened to Soviet-era mass repression.
Among other organizations labelled as “undesirable” in Russia are the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, Transparency International and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.


OpenAI strikes deal to bring Reddit content to ChatGPT

Updated 17 May 2024
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OpenAI strikes deal to bring Reddit content to ChatGPT

  • Deal underscores Reddit’s attempt to diversify beyond its advertising business
  • Content will be used to train AI models

LONDON: Reddit has partnered with OpenAI to bring its content to popular chatbot ChatGPT, the companies said on Thursday, sending the social media platform’s shares up 12 percent in extended trade.
The deal underscores Reddit’s attempt to diversify beyond its advertising business, and follows its recent partnership with Alphabet to make its content available for training Google’s AI models.
ChatGPT and other OpenAI products will use Reddit’s application programming interface, the means by which Reddit distributes its content, following the new partnership.
OpenAI will also become a Reddit advertising partner, the company said.
Ahead of Reddit’s March IPO, Reuters reported that Reddit struck its deal with Alphabet, worth about $60 million per year.
Investors view selling its data to train AI models as a key source of revenue beyond Reddit’s advertising business.
The social media company earlier this month reported strong revenue growth and improving profitability in the first earnings since its market debut, indicating that its Google deal and its push to grow its ads business were paying off.
Reddit’s shares rose 10.5 percent to $62.31 after the bell. As of Wednesday’s close, the stock is up nearly 12 percent since its market debut in March.


NGOs warn Elon Musk of ‘collective punishment’ if Starlink in Sudan is shut down

Updated 16 May 2024
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NGOs warn Elon Musk of ‘collective punishment’ if Starlink in Sudan is shut down

  • People and organizations rely on ‘unofficial’ Starlink connection for lifeline services
  • Coalition of 94 humanitarian, human rights groups call for warring factions to repair damaged communication infrastructure

LONDON: Starlink’s chief Elon Musk has been urged not to shut down the satellite internet service in Sudan, as doing so could “collectively punish” millions of Sudanese.

In an appeal to the American billionaire, nearly 100 humanitarian, civil society, human rights organizations and members of the #KeepItOn coalition have highlighted the critical role Starlink plays as a lifeline for on-the-ground organizations operating in the war-torn African country. They warn that interrupting the service could have fatal consequences.

“Any shutdown of telecommunication services is a violation of human rights and may be considered to be a collective punishment that will not only isolate individuals from their support networks but also exacerbate the already dire economic situation facing millions,” said the coalition, which includes Save the Children, Islamic Relief Worldwide and Action Against Hunger, among others.

The statement added: “The potential shutdown of Starlink would have a disproportionate impact on civilians and the aid organisations who are trying to reach them.”

Sudan has been grappling with a widespread telecommunications blackout for several months, severely limiting emergency and humanitarian services and access to basic transactions such as cash transfers from abroad.

Starlink, which can operate across borders thanks to its satellite service, announced earlier this month that it would cease its services in Sudan by restricting roaming in jurisdictions where it is not licensed.

If confirmed, this decision risks provoking a permanent nationwide telecommunications shutdown, similar to the one in February 2024 that left almost 30 million Sudanese without access to the internet or telephone calls for more than a month.

The situation is further exacerbated by the damage and destruction of communication infrastructure, targeted by both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese military.

The coalition, which relies on expensive and scarce satellite internet in areas where formal telecommunications are not functioning, has also urged the warring factions to repair the infrastructure.

SpaceX’s Starlink has been under pressure to maintain its connection since conflict broke out in Sudan in April 2023.

In August, a hacking group called Anonymous Sudan took X offline in more than a dozen countries to pressure Elon Musk into formally opening Starlink in Sudan.

In recent months, the company has been at the center of a public debate over its role in connecting war-torn areas worldwide.

Earlier in May, Bloomberg reported that SpaceX was close to finalizing a deal with the Yemeni government to provide satellite internet to the country in what experts described as a “victory” over the Houthi rebels.

In September 2023, several media outlets reported that Elon Musk denied a Ukrainian request to extend Starlink’s coverage to Crimea during a surprise attack.

Although this was later clarified as an erroneous claim that Musk “turned off” Starlink coverage in Crimea, it raised concerns about the service’s role during conflicts.


Dentsu opens sports practice in MENA with Riyadh HQ

Updated 16 May 2024
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Dentsu opens sports practice in MENA with Riyadh HQ

DUBAI: International advertising group Dentsu has announced the launch of its dedicated sports practice, dentsu Sports International, in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The new practice, which focuses on sports marketing and analytics services, will be headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with additional offices in the UAE.

To provide end-to-end service to clients, the group brings together three dentsu businesses: dentsu Sports International Commercial, MKTG Sports + Entertainment and dentsu Sports Analytics.

Charlie Wylie, managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa at dentsu Sports International, said: “dentsu Sports International will serve as a strategic sports and entertainment arm of dentsu in MENA, offering comprehensive solutions tailored to the needs of brands and rights holders.”

The company has appointed Olaf Borutz as vice president of commercial development, reporting to dentsu Sports International’s global chief commercial officer, Echo Li.

Borutz’s previous role as head of sports and events at law firm Al Tamimi & Company saw him advise clients on sports and events-related commercial matters, including government bodies, rights holders, agencies and players of the Saudi Pro League and Qatar Stars League. 

“The appetite for sports marketing in the Kingdom is at an all-time high, with Saudi’s ambitions and investment in this space only expected to grow,” said Tarek Daouk, CEO, dentsu MENA.

A significant 62 percent of Saudi sports fans say that sport plays a bigger role in their lives than  before, according to a new study conducted by dentsu Sports International.

The study also found that fans spend more time and money than their international counterparts on live events in the Kingdom, with Saudi fans attending an average of six events in person a year, more than the UK average of two events per year.

Saudi Arabia’s significant youth population is passionate about sports, with 68 percent of 18–24-year-old Saudis saying they find attending sports events more rewarding than other entertainment events.

The study also revealed that these younger consumers are the most likely to purchase premium tickets, spending 31 percent more a ticket than older fans.

Daouk said: “It’s an exciting time for sports in the region and we are thrilled to launch dentsu’s bespoke sports and entertainment offering.”