Author: Sam Allcock

Doha is set to host a landmark international gathering on artificial intelligence (AI) ethics, bringing together leading voices from academia, technology, and policy. The two-day conference, organised by Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), will take place at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) from 28–29 September 2025. The event, titled AI Ethics: The Convergence of Technology and Diverse Moral Traditions, is expected to serve as a crucial forum for examining how AI is reshaping societies and how ethical frameworks rooted in diverse global values can guide its development. Organisers say the gathering will feature prominent academics, policymakers, industry leaders, and…

Three people have died and a fourth is in critical condition after a helicopter crashed during a flying lesson on the Isle of Wight, Hampshire Police have confirmed. Emergency services were called to the crash site on Monday afternoon, where they found the wreckage of the aircraft belonging to Northumbria Helicopters. The operator said the helicopter was carrying four people at the time of the incident, all of whom were on board for an instructional flight. Police said efforts are ongoing to contact the families of those involved. “At this time we are unable to provide further information about the…

The Empire State Building (ESB) staged a dazzling Music-to-Light Spectacular on Thursday night (22 August) to celebrate the global success of Netflix’s animated film KPOP DEMON HUNTERS. The golden light show, choreographed to the film’s hit single Golden, marked the start of what was billed as the film’s “Golden Weekend” in New York City. Earlier in the day, cast members Arden Cho, May Hong, and singer REI AMI joined the iconic tower’s lighting ceremony. The trio flipped the symbolic switch to set the building aglow and later toured the landmark’s observatory, one of the city’s most visited attractions. Dan Rogoski,…

Holo, a fintech platform reinventing how people purchase homes in the United Arab Emirates, has raised $22 million in one of the largest Series A funding rounds in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) this year. The round was led by Saudi Arabia’s venture capital firm Impact46, with additional backing from Abu Dhabi’s sovereign investor Mubadala Investment Company, alongside Rua Growth Fund, anb seed, MoreThan Capital, and returning investors Salica Oryx Fund and Dubai Future District Fund. The investment marks a major milestone for the regional proptech sector, underscoring a shift toward digital-first home ownership solutions. Basmah AlSinaidi, Managing Partner at…

Global energy technology company SLB has announced that its joint venture, OneSubsea™, has been awarded a major engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by Norwegian energy giant Equinor for the Fram Sør development, located offshore Norway. The contract marks a historic step for the industry as it involves the delivery of the world’s first large-scale all-electric subsea production system (SPS). The project will see the installation of 12 wells and four subsea templates, pioneering a new approach to subsea operations that eliminates the need for hydraulic fluid supplied by the host platform. The deal follows a year-long front-end engineering design…

Google has released its first detailed technical report on how artificial intelligence (AI) queries impact the environment, offering unprecedented transparency about the hidden costs of its Gemini app. The report, published this week, breaks down the energy, carbon, and water footprint of AI queries and the infrastructure that supports them. Experts are calling it a landmark step, as no major technology company has previously disclosed such granular information. According to Google, a single Gemini text prompt consumes around 0.24 watt-hours of electricity—comparable to running a microwave for one second or watching nine seconds of television. Each query produces 0.03 grams…

Students and staff at the University of South Carolina in Columbia were thrown into panic on Wednesday evening after a black umbrella was mistaken for a firearm, prompting an active shooter alert across campus. The incident began shortly after 6:30 p.m. when university officials reported what they believed to be an armed individual near the Thomas Cooper Library, one of the campus’s busiest locations. Authorities urged people to shelter in place or evacuate immediately while police searched the grounds. The library was closed during the investigation, and emergency alerts were sent across the university community. For nearly an hour, fears…

Egyptian singer Sherine Abdel Wahab has issued a statement clarifying her position on recent controversies, firmly denying rumours of a reunion with her ex-husband Hossam Habib and announcing the end of her relationship with lawyer Yasser Kantoush. In a post shared on her official social media pages, the star stressed that Kantoush no longer represents her legally and that she has no professional or personal ties with him. “Artist Sherine Abdel Wahab announces to her esteemed fans and the public that Mr. Yasser Kantoush does not legally represent her in any matter, and she has no current relationship with him,”…

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, has officially released its Grok 2.5 model as an open-source system, a move the billionaire says is intended to promote transparency and collaboration in AI development. The announcement was made on Musk’s social media platform X, where he also confirmed that Grok 3, the company’s next major release, would be open-sourced within six months. The Grok series of AI models is positioned as a rival to leading frameworks from companies such as OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. By making Grok 2.5 publicly available, xAI aims to allow researchers, developers, and hobbyists worldwide to test, refine,…

Apple’s smartwatch line offers a wide range of features, but one area where users should exercise caution is water exposure. Despite its sleek design and high price tag, the Apple Watch is not entirely waterproof. Apple has been deliberate in its language, consistently describing the device as “water resistant” rather than “waterproof.” This distinction is crucial for users who might assume the device can withstand extended water exposure without issue. According to Apple’s official classifications, models from the Apple Watch Series 2 onwards — including the Apple Watch SE — carry a water resistance rating of up to 50 meters,…