Author: Steven Sahiounie

Meta Plans $65 Billion Investment in AI for 2025 Meta, the parent company of both Facebook and Instagram, is set to invest up to $65 billion this year, a 50% increase over its 2024 investment, to strengthen its standing in the AI race. On Friday, Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, shared on his Facebook page that “2025 will be a defining year for AI.” He envisions that Meta AI will become the primary AI assistant, serving over a billion people, while Llama 4 will be at the forefront of advanced AI models. Additionally, Meta plans to develop an AI engineer that…

Billions Required for Reconstruction Efforts in Syria In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Martin Griffiths, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, emphasized that the current priority in Syria is life-saving support and coordination with the authorities in Damascus to deliver aid. “With Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of Syria’s new administration, we agreed on the necessity to open the crossings so that we can deliver aid from all directions where it’s needed,” Griffiths stated. He added, “We need to conduct a thorough assessment of needs to understand exactly what is required to help the Syrian people.…

Saudi Arabia Engages with Europe and US to Lift Sanctions on Syria On Friday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan announced that the Kingdom is in talks with Europe and America to remove sanctions imposed on Syria. Speaking from Damascus during a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shibani, Prince Faisal stated, “Riyadh is engaged in discussions to lift the sanctions on Syria and we are receiving positive signals regarding this matter.” Prince Faisal emphasized Saudi Arabia’s support for Syrian sovereignty, stability, and territorial integrity, highlighting that Syrian unity would enable the country to regain its significant…

Dollar Heading for Worst Weekly Loss in Over a Year The dollar fell on Friday, setting the stage for its worst weekly loss in more than a year, following signals from U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting a less aggressive approach to imposing tariffs on China, adding to the ambiguity surrounding U.S. trade policies. The yen reduced its early gains against the dollar after the Bank of Japan raised interest rates and adjusted its inflation forecasts upward without providing much guidance on the timing or pace of future rate hikes. Investors moved to sell the dollar after Trump’s inauguration, as his…

Turkey and Syria Begin Negotiations to Revive Free Trade Agreement The Turkish Ministry of Trade announced on Friday that Ankara and Damascus have agreed to commence negotiations for the revival of the free trade agreement between Turkey and Syria, which was suspended in 2011, according to Anadolu Agency. The ministry’s statement noted that officials have held meetings with Syrian authorities to discuss steps needed to strengthen economic, trade, and customs relations. The statement highlighted that bilateral relations have seen significant progress recently, especially following the fall of the previous Syrian regime on December 8, 2024. A specialized technical delegation from…

Man in Florida Horrified by X-Ray Revealing Body Full of Tapeworm Eggs In a shocking medical discovery in Florida, USA, a man was horrified to find out through an X-ray that his body was riddled with tapeworm eggs. This case was highlighted by the British newspaper, the Daily Mail, where Dr. Sam Galy, an emergency care physician in Florida, shared the X-ray on social media, calling it “one of the craziest X-rays” he had ever seen. The patient, whose identity was not disclosed, contracted this condition after consuming raw or undercooked pork containing tapeworm larvae. According to Dr. Galy, these…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Battles are raging in the northeast region of Syria, between the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) supported by a contingent of Turkish military. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has entered the fray on the side of Turkey, which had supported them in Idlib for years. Ahmad Sharaa is the current de facto leader of Syria, and the commander of HTS, formerly known as Jibhat al-Nusra, the Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria. Recently, the SDF hit a Turkish military base and killed three soldiers at Ras al-Ayn near Hasakah. …

Iraqi Parliament Passes General Amnesty Law Offering Retrials for Terrorism Convicts On Thursday, Iraqi lawmakers announced that the parliament has passed a general amnesty law that could potentially lead to the release of thousands of prisoners, including Iraqis convicted of launching attacks on American troops. A copy of the law viewed by Reuters states that those convicted of terrorism leading to death, injury, or accidental killing, as well as those involved in damaging government institutions, recruiting for terrorist organizations, or joining them, can request a retrial if they claim their confessions were coerced. Judicial sources and parliament members confirmed that…

UAE Billionaire Khalaf Al Habtoor Plans Major Investments in Lebanon Post-Government Formation On Thursday, an Arab businessman revealed his intention to invest in several massive projects in Lebanon to rejuvenate the country’s economy, but with one condition. Emirati billionaire Khalaf Al Habtoor stated that he plans to invest in Lebanon once a new government is formed. This announcement was made via a post on the platform “X”, where he said, “I’m pleased to announce my intent to invest in a large, ambitious project immediately following the formation of the new government. This project carries a vision to contribute to Lebanon’s…

FDA Approves Spravato for Treatment-Resistant Depression in Adults The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given its nod to the use of Spravato (esketamine) nasal spray for adults suffering from severe, treatment-resistant depression who have not responded to at least two oral antidepressants. This announcement was made in a press release by Johnson & Johnson, marking Spravato as the first FDA-approved standalone treatment for adults with this challenging condition. According to McGovern Medical School, the approval came after an expedited review by the FDA, based on results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial. The results showed significant…