Author: Gulf News Week

‘Finally, something was done’ – Parent reacts to social media trial settlementMeta’s decision to agree to an $18bn (£13.3bn) settlement on Wednesday, to resolve claims that Facebook and Instagram harmed children, came as a surprise.I was expecting weeks of courtroom drama as 29 states – almost two-thirds of North America – took on one US tech giant.Technically, the trial was about children’s online privacy. It was based on a US law called the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which is nearly 30 years old and predates all of today’s biggest social platforms. It centred around Meta’s historic gathering and…

NewsFeedPalestinians mourn ‘Camel of Hardship’ artist Sliman MansourPalestinians have mourned prominent artist Sliman Mansour at a public funeral in the occupied West Bank after he died on Monday, aged 79. Mansour was a pioneer of Palestinian art including one of the Arab world’s most famous paintings ‘Camel of Hardship’. Nida Ibrahim reports from Birzeit in the occupied West Bank.Published On 27 Aug 202627 Aug 2026SaveShare Palestinians mourn ‘Camel of Hardship’ artist Sliman Mansour on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd media on Googleinfo

BBCRhys Hibbert’s tumour could have led to blindnessThe world’s first patient to have brain surgery with live artificial intelligence assistance has successfully had his tumour removed.Rhys Hibbert, a father-of-two from Bedfordshire, could have lost his sight without the operation, said surgeons at University College London Hospital.The AI tool analysed a video feed of the operation as it happened and advised surgeons on how to avoid crucial but hidden vessels and nerves in the brain. It allowed them to safely remove as much of the tumour as possible.”From a patient safety perspective, I can see absolutely the benefit. There are no…

AFP via Getty ImagesPrime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir (C) supports Iceland joining the EUInside a waterfront factory, workers in hairnets and blue overalls are sorting freshly caught cod and haddock, and machines process the fish into fillets, mostly bound for Europe.Visir fishing boss Pétur Pálsson, who fears joining the European Union would cost Iceland jobs and drive factories abroad, says: “If we are in the EU, they will be the ones who make the policy.”On Saturday, voters in this island nation of almost 400,000 people will decide whether their country should resume talks on joining the EU. It is a referendum…

Tim Curry, known for playing Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has died.English actor Tim Curry, best known for playing the outlandish Frank-N-Furter in film musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has died at the age of 80.Curry first played the role on stage before the film version, which was released in 1975 and has remained a cult favourite.The actor also played fearsome clown Pennywise in the 1990 TV version of Stephen King’s It, and was Long John Silver in 1996’s Muppet Treasure Island.His other films included Annie, The Hunt for Red October, Home Alone 2, Scary Movie 2…

BBC visits hospital in Kathmandu as families wait for newsMore than 150 people have been killed after a massive flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border, as hundreds still missing.54 mins agoAsia

Watch: ‘We grabbed newborn and rushed out of Islamabad hospital’The moment she saw smoke, Hivsa Walid fled the building with her sister-in-law’s baby.6 hrs agoAsia

‘Finally, something was done’ – Parent reacts to social media trial settlementSocial media giant Meta has agreed to a significant settlement with US states and territories to resolve claims that Facebook and Instagram harmed children. If approved by a California judge, Meta will pay a maximum of $18bn (£13.3bn) to 48 states, plus the District of Columbia and three US territories, marking the company’s largest payment over child safety litigation to date.Meta will also implement a host of changes to the platforms aimed at better protecting children online, which the states had demanded, including default daily time limits and night-time…

EPACIA director John Ratcliffe pictured in Washington earlier this yearDonald Trump has said “something may come out of” Tuesday’s unannounced meeting between the head of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and figures from Russia’s intelligence services.There has been speculation over why John Ratcliffe went to Moscow on Tuesday, arriving on board a military plane and leaving hours later.The US president did not disclose what was discussed during the unconventional talks, but described the meeting as “semi-routine”, adding that Washington “would like to see the war in Ukraine end”.The last comparable meeting taking place in the months leading up to…

Watch: Hivsa Walid describes grabbing newborn and fleeing from hospital as fire ragedIt was just after dawn on Wednesday morning at a maternity ward in the Pakistani capital when a horrific blaze erupted.It would go on to kill 14 infants as parents say they waited hours for help to arrive. Hivsa Walid was near the room at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital with her sister-in-law, who had given birth days earlier. She initially heard a shout and thought a patient had died – but then she saw smoke. The pair fled with the baby, who is so…