BLOOMBERG Amazon.com Inc is cutting hundreds of employees in the division responsible for its voice-activated Alexa assistant, according to a memo sent to employees. Daniel Rausch, an Amazon vice president who leads teams working on Alexa and the company’s Fire TV streaming franchise, said the company was “shifting some of our efforts to better align with our business priorities,” including ...

BLOOMBERG Adobe Inc’s $20 billion buyout of Figma Inc, a smaller maker of cloud-based design software, risks being derailed by European Union merger watchdogs unless the firms fix a list of competition concerns highlighted by the bloc’s antitrust arm. The European Commission issued a so-called statement of objections, highlighting how Adobe’s largest deal ever could imperil fair competition in the ...

BLOOMBERG Xiaomi Corp posted its first revenue gain in almost two years, a welcome boost for a smartphone maker that’s begun aggressively attacking its Chinese rivals with higher-end models at home and abroad. It posted sales of 70.9 billion yuan ($9.9 billion) for the September quarter, versus average projections for 70.5 billion. Net income was 4.9 billion yuan, compared with ...

SHARJAH/ WAM H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated on Sunday morning Al Tayyari Mosque. Located on the Corniche Road in the Mahlab area of Dibba Al Hisn, this mosque has the capacity to accommodate 800 worshippers, offering both indoor and outdoor prayer areas. Upon his arrival, the Ruler of Sharjah ...

ABU DHABI/WAM H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, discussed in a phone call with Hanke Bruins Slot, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the latest developments in the Middle East region and the efforts to safeguard the lives of all civilians from the repercussions of the ongoing crisis. The two top diplomats also touched ...

SHARJAH/WAM The Heritage Village in Mleiha, a site steeped in Bedouin tradition, a symbol of the Emirates’ deep-rooted connection to its land and the unwavering patriotism of its people, was a fitting location for the celebration of the 52nd UAE Union Day which took place over two days on the 23rd and 24th of November. The festivities started with a ...

DUBAI/WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has approved the Dubai Metro Blue Line project, a new 30 km metro route that will strategically link key areas in the emirate through 14 stations, in line with the anticipated growth of around one million residents outlined in the Dubai 2040 Urban ...

ABU DHABI/WAM His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has met the Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Authority Juan Carlos Salazar in Abu Dhabi. During the meeting, they discussed opportunities to collaborate in civil aviation with the aim of enhancing safety, security, ...

CAIRO/WAM The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) signed a medical equipment supply contract for the Ahl Masr Burns Hospital in Cairo as part of the ERC’s initiative announced during the 7th edition of the Zayed Charity Marathon in Alexandria last year. The initiative aims to allocate the event’s proceeds to support the hospital. The contract was signed by Mariam Khalifa Al ...

DUBAI/WAM Angel Luis Arias, Spain’s Permanent Representative on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), expressed confidence that the high prices of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will gradually decline over time. He attributed the current high prices to SAF’s novelty in the market and the limited number of SAF producers. “In the coming years, we anticipate a significant ...