Month: October 2023
Iran instigated a Hamas attack on Israel last weekend
The $6bn of Iranian oil funds held in South Korea were unfrozen in September as part of a deal that saw five dual US-Iranian citizens freed from captivity. US President Joe Biden’s officials have pushed back strongly against Republican criticism that the fund empowered Iran’s support for Hamas.America’s top diplomat said it was Iran’s money
Microsoft Tax Dispute
There have long been concerns that the biggest corporations do not pay enough tax in developed nations. Tech giants have been criticised for reporting lower profits in high-tax countries and higher profits in lower-tax jurisdictions to minimise their tax burden. Microsoft has said it will contest a US tax authority’s request to pay an additional
Investigation over alleged disinformation on X
Social media firms have seen a surge in misinformation about the conflict between Israel and Hamas, including doctored images and mislabelled videos. X, formerly known as Twitter, said it had removed hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts from the platform. The EU is investigating Elon Musk’s X over the possible spread of terrorist and violent content, and
European Union warn social media companies over Hamas videos
The EU introduced new laws in August 2023 which regulate the kind of content that is allowed online. The Digital Services Act (DSA) requires so-called “very large online platforms” to proactively remove “illegal content”, and show they have taken measures to do so if requested. If it decides that a platform has not complied or
takeover of Call of Duty-maker Activision Blizzard deal completed
After the competition watchdog blocked the takeover earlier this year, Microsoft’s president Brad Smith hit out at the CMA’s decision, which it said was “bad for Britain” and contradicted “the ambitions of the UK to become an attractive country to build technology businesses”. It has proved controversial and received a mixed response from regulators around
Middle East Support for Hamas
In Egypt’s second city, Alexandria, a policeman shot dead two Israeli tourists and their guide. Across Israel’s jittery border with Lebanon, there has been sporadic fighting. Supporters of Hamas have taken to the streets, from Bahrain to Morocco. In Damascus, the capital of Syria, the Palestinian flag lit up the opera house. In Lebanon’s Palestinian
Hamas attack on Israel effect on Middle East
Hamas’s murderous assault has blown up the status quo between Israel and the Palestinians. The coming weeks will determine whether war in Gaza sinks the Middle East deeper into chaos or whether, despite Hamas’s atrocities, Israel can begin to create the foundations for regional stability and, one day, peace. More than 1,200 Israelis, most of
new mpox cases are in China
In July and August the country said it had found nearly 1,000 new cases, more than half of the new infections reported worldwide in those months. This marked a sharp rise from zero infections early in the year. The mpox virus has spread across China, with 26 of the mainland’s 31 provincial regions reporting infections.
The fight in Black Sea
Attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea would doubtless send prices leaping again. Insurers would raise their rates or refuse to underwrite cargoes at all. Grain would not be the only casualty: some 2m barrels of oil and a further 1m barrels of refined petroleum products are exported through the Black Sea every day.
Russian Military Advances in Ukraine
The Russian offensive in the Avdiivka region of Donetsk Oblast launched on October 9, marking a significant escalation in the conflict. The assault involves up to three Russian battalions supported by armored vehicles, with the aim to encircle and capture the city of Avdiivka. The advancement in Avdiivka could be a strategic move to tie