MENLO PARK, California: Facebook is showing off its new “war room,” a center for combating fake accounts and bogus news stories ahead of upcoming elections.
It’s the social network’s latest public signal that it takes election interference seriously ahead of the midterms.
Facebook didn’t always take the risk of election interference seriously. Days after the surprise victory of President Donald Trump, CEO Mark Zuckerberg brushed off assertions that the outcome had been influenced by fictional news stories on Facebook.
That attitude shifted as criticism of the company mounted.
Facebook offered reporters a peek into the war room to show off its improved ability to prevent foreign interference in the upcoming US midterm elections.
But critics fear the war room is more of a publicity stunt than an effective solution.
Facebook’s election ‘war room’ takes aim at fake information
Facebook’s election ‘war room’ takes aim at fake information
- Days after the surprise victory of President Donald Trump, CEO Mark Zuckerberg brushed off assertions that the outcome had been influenced by fictional news stories on Facebook
- Facebook offered reporters a peek into the war room to show off its improved ability to prevent foreign interference in the upcoming US midterm elections
Trump says confident of TikTok deal before deadline
- Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the popular short video app by April 5 or see it banned in the US
- US in talks with four groups interested in acquiring the platform, Trump said
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Sunday he was confident of reaching a deal on TikTok ahead of the April 5 deadline for its Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the popular short video app or see it banned in the United States.
“We have a lot of potential buyers. There’s tremendous interest in TikTok,” Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One.
“We have a lot of people that want to buy TikTok. We’re dealing with China also on it, because they may have something to do with it,” he said, adding “I’d like to see TikTok remain alive.”
China on Thursday had rebuffed a suggestion from Trump that he might offer to reduce tariffs to get Beijing’s approval for the sale of TikTok to a non-Chinese firm.
Trump said this month the United States was in talks with four groups interested in acquiring the platform, which has 170 million American users.
A US law has ordered TikTok to divest from ByteDance or be banned in the United States, enacted over concerns that Beijing could exploit the app to spy on Americans or covertly influence US public opinion.
The law took effect on January 19, a day before Trump’s inauguration, but he quickly announced a delay that has allowed it to continue to operate.
That delay is set to expire on April 5.
“There’ll be a deal with TikTok, I’m pretty certain,” Trump said when asked if he would extend the deadline if there was no deal.
Trump attempted to ban TikTok in the United States because of national security concerns during his first stint in the White House but has warmed up to it.
“Selfishly speaking, I won the young vote by 36 points. Republicans generally don’t do very well with the young crowd, and I think a lot of it could have been TikTok,” he said.
Turkiye confirms Swedish journalist arrested amid protests
- The jailing of Medin came just hours after the authorities released the last of 11 journalists arrested in dawn raids on Monday for covering the protests
Istanbul: A Swedish journalist who was detained on his arrival in Turkiye to cover protests over the jailing of Istanbul’s mayor has been arrested on terror-related charges and for “insulting the president,” the Turkish presidency said Sunday.
Joakim Medin, who works for the Dagens ETC newspaper, “has been arrested on charges of ‘membership in an armed terrorist organization’ and ‘insulting the president’,” the presidency said.
Medin was detained on Thursday when his plane landed in Turkiye, and sent to prison the next day.
In a bulletin published by its “Disinformation Combat Center,” the presidency said Medin was “known for anti-Turkiye news and his closeness to the terrorist organization PKK,” the banned Kurdish militant group.
“This arrest decision has no connection whatsoever to journalistic activities,” it added.
The jailing of Medin came just hours after the authorities released the last of 11 journalists arrested in dawn raids on Monday for covering the protests, among them AFP photographer Yasin Akgul.
Turkish authorities have also deported BBC journalist Mark Lowen, who had been covering the protests, after holding him for 17 hours on Wednesday, saying he posed “a threat to public order,” the broadcaster said.
Turkiye’s communications directorate said Lowen had been deported “due to a lack of accreditation.”
Turkish prosecutors had already opened an investigation into Medin in 2023 over a demonstration he joined in Stockholm in which a puppet of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was hung from its feet, according to the presidency’s statement Sunday.
It said the Swedish journalist was among 15 suspects believed to have carried out, organized or publicized the demonstration.
The protest infuriated Turkish authorities, who alleged it was orchestrated by PKK members and summoned Sweden’s ambassador to Ankara.
Academy apologizes after stars say it ‘failed to defend’ Palestinian filmmaker
- Hamdan Ballal was assaulted this week by settlers and detained at gunpoint by soldiers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank
- “No Other Land” chronicles the forced displacement of Palestinians by Israeli troops and settlers in Masafer Yatta in the West Bank
LOS ANGELES: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences apologized Friday for failing to defend an Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker who said he was attacked by Israeli settlers.
The group, which hosts and awards the Oscars each year, wrote to members after movie stars including Joaquin Phoenix, Penelope Cruz and Richard Gere had slammed its initially muted response to the incident.
The Academy “condemns violence of this kind anywhere in the world” and its leaders “abhor the suppression of free speech under any circumstances,” said the letter, seen by AFP.
Hamdan Ballal co-directed “No Other Land,” which won best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards.
This week, he said he had been assaulted by settlers and detained at gunpoint by soldiers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Unlike multiple other prominent filmmaker groups, the US-based Academy initially did not issue a statement.
On Wednesday, it sent a letter to members that condemned “harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints,” without naming Ballal.
By Friday morning, more than 600 Academy members had signed their own statement in response.
“It is indefensible for an organization to recognize a film with an award in the first week of March, and then fail to defend its filmmakers just a few weeks later,” the members said.
“We stand in condemnation of the brutal assault and unlawful detention of Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal by settlers and Israeli forces in the West Bank,” they wrote.
The Academy leadership’s response “fell far short of the sentiments this moment calls for,” said the members.
The Los Angeles-based group’s board convened an extraordinary meeting Friday to confront the deepening crisis, according to trade outlet Deadline.
Later Friday, it issued an apology to Ballal “and all artists who felt unsupported by our previous statement.”
“We regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name,” it wrote.
“No Other Land” chronicles the forced displacement of Palestinians by Israeli troops and settlers in Masafer Yatta — an area Israel declared a restricted military zone in the 1980s.
Despite winning the coveted Oscar, the film has struggled to find a major US distributor.
Following Monday’s incident, Ballal told AFP the “brutality” of the attack “made me feel it was because I won the Oscar.”
During his detention at an Israeli military center, Ballal said he noticed soldiers mentioning his name alongside the word “Oscar” during shift changes.
He was released Tuesday, after being detained the previous day for allegedly “hurling rocks.”
Yuval Abraham, who also co-directed and appears in the documentary, has spoken out against the Academy’s response.
“After our criticism, the academy’s leaders sent out this email to members explaining their silence on Hamdan’s assault: they need to respect ‘unique viewpoints’,” he wrote on X, sharing a screenshot of the Academy’s letter.
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Warner Bros. Discovery investment in OSN Streaming signals broader industry shift, says CEO
- Middle East ‘no longer a peripheral market’ — Joe Kawkabani
DUBAI: Warner Bros. Discovery this week announced a minority investment in OSN Streaming in a move that “reinforces its commitment to the region’s rapidly growing streaming landscape.”
The deal is reportedly valued at $57 million for a third of OSN Streaming. It will take place in phases and is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approvals.
Joe Kawkabani, OSN’s group CEO, said the deal “signals a broader shift in the industry” as global players recognize “that substantial growth in the Middle East and North Africa region requires more than just exporting content.”
He told Arab News: “It’s about investing in local platforms, collaborating with regional talent, and tailoring content specifically to the market. That’s precisely what we’re doing here, and I believe it sets a new standard for successful partnerships in the region.”
Warner Bros. Discovery opened its first office in the region in Dubai in 2012. The investment reflects its “prioritization of working with the best creative talent, advancing technologies and forging key partnerships to fuel continued growth.”
It also serves as an opportunity for the company to “deepen their regional presence through a trusted platform that truly understands the market's nuances,” Kawkabani said.
The two companies have had a long-standing history, with OSN being the exclusive home for HBO content in the region. Just last year, OSN acquired the rights to all first-run Max Originals and the full Warner Bros. Pictures feature film library as part of a multi-year deal.
Jamie Cooke, executive vice president and managing director for Central Europe, Turkey and Middle East, at Warner Bros. Discovery said this was a “natural step” for the company, as “OSN has been a great partner and custodian of our content.”
He added: “We recognize that alongside enjoying the latest global hits, regional audiences also want stories from and about the region that reflect their own cultures and experiences.”
Kawkabani highlighted the importance of the MENA market on the global map.
He said: “It is no longer a peripheral market — it’s becoming central to the future of streaming. Our role is to drive this transformation from within the region, not just import it from the outside.”
Saudi Arabia has emerged as a key player in the region’s media and entertainment industry. In 2018, the Kingdom announced it would invest $64 billion in its entertainment sector over the coming decade. Since then, it has implemented several initiatives and investments to bolster these sectors.
Most recently, in January, Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority unveiled 29 investment opportunities aimed at expanding the entertainment landscape while fostering private sector participation and aligning with Vision 2030 objectives.
Saudi Arabia is “one of the most exciting and dynamic entertainment markets in the world right now” and the deal “aligns seamlessly with Saudi Arabia’s broader vision for its entertainment sector — one that prioritizes creativity, local talent, and global collaboration,” said Kawkabani.
“We view Saudi Arabia not just as a key market but as a creative hub that can lead the region forward,” he added.
Going forward, the deal will see the two companies invest in “high-quality, locally produced content, ensuring a richer and more diverse offering for viewers,” according to Cooke.
For OSN, Kawkabani said it wasn’t just about content licensing or capital, but rather about “two companies aligning on a vision to sustainably grow the regional streaming market in a way that resonates locally.”
He added: “We’re not here to follow trends; we’re here to shape them.”
Majority of listeners tune in to Spotify during Ramadan’s pre-dawn hours
- Spiritual, peaceful and relaxing audio is the most popular choice during Ramadan, with listenership of such playlists increasing by more than 3,000 percent in the first two weeks.
DUBAI: Streaming and content consumption habits change as audiences adjust to different routines during Ramadan, according to new data from Spotify.
This year saw a return of the streaming platform’s Ramadan Hub, with a specially curated selection of playlists, music and podcasts.
Based on an analysis of customers’ streaming habits during the first two weeks of Ramadan, Spotify found the majority of Saudi listeners tune in at around 3 a.m. Spiritual, peaceful and relaxing audio is the most popular choice, with listenership of such playlists increasing by more than 3,000 percent.
“With the Ramadan Hub, Spotify continues to be a companion for every moment of the holy month,” Mark Abou Jaoude, the platform’s head of music for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan told Arab News.
The playlist with the highest increase in listeners (3,750 percent) was “Duaa,” which features prayers and supplications. Similarly, “Ramadaniyat,” which features traditional Islamic songs, saw a streaming rise of almost 1,890 percent.
Users’ love of TV dramas is reflected in their streaming habits with the “Titrat Ramadan” playlist recording a 2,900 percent increase in streams. This features songs that appear in popular shows at this time, known as “titrat” and traditionally sung by Arab pop stars.
Another playlist gaining popularity is “Cooking Time,” which saw the number of streams increase by 743 percent. This serves as a cooking companion and features songs such as Nancy Ajram’s “Aam Betaala’ Feek,” Marwan Khoury’s “Kel El Qasayed” and Amr Diab’s “El Kalam Leek.”
“Over the past two years, local podcast listening hours have increased by nearly 90 percent (on Spotify),” Abou Jaoude said.
Spotify has also seen significant increases in the popularity of local podcasts such as “Finjan with Abdul Rahman Abu Maleh” and “Sawalif Business.” Users are also listening to lighter entertainment content, such as “Kanabat al-Sabt,” “Saturday Couch” and the “Abjoorah Podcast,” as well as religious shows like the “Omam Podcast,” which puts a modern spin on the stories of prophets.
“These shifting listening habits reflect the growing trend of audio in setting the atmosphere for these shared experiences during the month,” said Abou Jade.
“It’s great to see how our Saudi listeners use Spotify to enrich their Ramadan journey and deepen their connections during this meaningful time.”
