(Brands & Consumers)
Meta has suspended a company-wide employee monitoring initiative designed to collect workplace computer usage data for artificial intelligence training, following growing concerns over privacy and data security. The programme, known internally as the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), was introduced approximately two months ago as part of the company’s efforts to improve its AI systems. The…
For years, Kunal Shah occupied a unique place in India’s technology ecosystem. He was not merely a startup founder. He was a thinker, investor, commentator and, to many aspiring entrepreneurs, a voice worth listening to. His podcast appearances frequently explored subjects far beyond business, touching on human behaviour, trust, incentives, wealth creation and the future…
Chinese technology giant and e-commerce leader Alibaba Group has filed a lawsuit against the United States government after being placed on a Pentagon blacklist that labels it as a company allegedly linked to China’s military. The legal action, filed in a California federal court, challenges the decision by the United States Department of Defense to…
The anticipation surrounding the release of Grand Theft Auto VI appears to be extending beyond the gaming community and into the workplace, with one company publicly acknowledging that the highly anticipated launch could affect its day-to-day operations. Burger Motorsports, an automotive performance parts and tuning company, recently shared what it described as an internal company…
For millions of football fans, hydration breaks at the World Cup have become an unwelcome interruption. The referee blows the whistle, players gather around coaching staff for water and tactical instructions, and the momentum of the match comes to a halt. But while viewers in some countries continue to watch analysis and on-pitch scenes, audiences…
For years, studying abroad has been seen as a reliable path to better opportunities for millions of Indian students. But that aspiration is now being reshaped by a combination of currency depreciation, tighter visa rules, and shifting global job markets. A Dream Becoming Harder To Finance For students like 29-year-old Pragati Priya, the dream of…
The UK’s proposed ban on social media access for under-16s is being framed as a child-protection measure, but its impact could extend far beyond teenagers. If implemented as planned in 2027, it may fundamentally change how people of all ages access online services, verify their identities, consume information, and interact with digital platforms. A Shift…
US President Donald Trump has announced that technology giant Apple will begin sourcing chips manufactured in the United States through a new arrangement with Intel, as concerns grow over rising semiconductor costs. In a post shared on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that Intel had reached an agreement with Apple to produce computer chips…
A strange corner of TikTok known as the “Farlands” is capturing attention online, offering users an experience that feels very different from the platform’s usual stream of polished dances, comedy clips, and viral trends. Named after the legendary “Far Lands” glitch from the video game Minecraft, the TikTok Farlands refers to a collection of bizarre,…
Imagine opening your front door to a team of cleaners equipped with cameras, sensors, and recording devices. The service is completely free, your apartment gets professionally cleaned, and there is even the possibility of having meals prepared. It may sound like a futuristic television experiment, but for some residents of New York City, it is…
Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO, Hideaki Nishino, has reiterated his belief that dedicated gaming consoles remain central to the gaming experience, even as the industry continues to expand across PC, mobile, and cloud platforms. Speaking in a recent interview with Japanese gaming publication Famitsu, Nishino stated that he still considers a game console an…
Indian billionaire and business magnate Mukesh Ambani has announced plans to take telecommunications giant Jio Platforms public, in a move that could become one of the largest share offerings in India’s corporate history. The announcement was made during the annual shareholders’ meeting of Reliance Industries, where Ambani disclosed that Jio’s board had approved a draft…
As the World Cup captures the attention of football fans worldwide, another fierce contest is unfolding away from the pitch. Sportswear giants Nike and Adidas are locked in a battle for global attention, using star-studded advertising campaigns, sponsorship deals, and innovative marketing strategies to win over consumers. A Clash Of Football Giants Both brands have…
Rockstar Games has officially revealed the cover artwork for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) and announced that pre-orders for the game will open on June 25. The announcement was made through the company’s official social media channels, where fans were also given access to download the newly released cover art. The…
The BBC has unveiled plans to cut 550 jobs across its news, television, radio, and regional operations as part of a wider strategy to save £500 million over the next two years. The move marks the first phase of a broader restructuring programme that could eventually see between 1,800 and 2,000 positions eliminated across the…
Researchers have discovered that the latest public version of ChatGPT can be manipulated into generating sexualised and graphic violent images through carefully modified prompts, raising fresh concerns about AI safety and content moderation. The findings were made by British AI security company Mindgard, which specializes in testing and exposing vulnerabilities in artificial intelligence systems. How…
Claude Guillemot, one of the co-founders of video game publisher Ubisoft, has died following a plane crash in western France. He was 69 years old. According to reports from French media, the incident occurred on June 19 when a small aircraft crashed near La Baule, a coastal town in western France. Guillemot was reportedly on…
Apple is preparing to raise prices across parts of its product lineup as soaring memory chip costs continue to put pressure on the technology giant’s manufacturing expenses. The company’s chief executive, Tim Cook, said rising component costs have made it increasingly difficult for Apple to absorb the additional financial burden without passing some of it…
The UK government has announced plans to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing major social media platforms, in what Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as one of the toughest online safety measures introduced anywhere in the world. The move is aimed at protecting young people from online harms and giving parents greater…
The chief executive of Mondelez International has defended the company’s decision to continue operating in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, while acknowledging concerns that the business contributes tax revenue to the Russian government. Dirk Van de Put, CEO of the global food and confectionery company behind brands such as Cadbury, Toblerone, Philadelphia and…
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has overtaken Amazon to become the world’s fifth-most valuable publicly traded company following a sharp rise in its share price just days after its historic stock market debut. The aerospace and technology company’s valuation climbed to approximately $2.78 trillion after its shares surged by more than 50 percent since listing on the…
Yum! Brands has announced plans to sell Pizza Hut in a deal valued at approximately $2.7 billion, marking a major shift for one of the world’s most recognisable restaurant brands. Under the agreement, private equity firm LongRange Capital will acquire Pizza Hut’s operations outside mainland China for $1.5 billion, while Yum China Holdings will purchase…
Starbucks Korea has announced plans to temporarily shut all of its outlets nationwide next week to allow employees participate in special training following public criticism over a promotional campaign linked to a sensitive period in the country’s history. The coffee chain said its stores will close for three hours on Wednesday afternoon as workers undergo…
Media company Fox has agreed to acquire streaming platform Roku in a deal valued at approximately $22 billion, a move that could significantly strengthen its position in the rapidly evolving television and streaming industry. The transaction, which values Roku at $160 per share through a combination of cash and stock, is expected to create one…
SpaceX has raised significantly more money from its historic stock market debut than initially reported, with total proceeds from the offering reaching $85.7 billion. The additional funds were generated after the investment banks managing the listing exercised an option that allowed them to purchase extra shares beyond the original offering size. The Elon Musk-led aerospace…
Microsoft’s gaming division could be heading for another round of job cuts as the company grapples with rising costs, slowing hardware sales and growing pressure to redefine the future of the Xbox brand. Reports indicate that Microsoft may announce significant layoffs within its gaming business in the coming weeks, following comments from Xbox leadership suggesting…
French video game publisher Ubisoft is reportedly preparing another round of restructuring that could result in approximately 380 job losses and the closure of two development studios in Canada and Serbia. According to a report by Insider Gaming, the company recently informed employees through an internal communication that the planned restructuring will impact operations across…
ChatGPT has become the fastest application in history to reach one billion monthly active users, achieving the milestone just three and a half years after its launch in November 2022. According to data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, the OpenAI chatbot surpassed the previous record held by Google Maps, which took approximately five years…
Consumer-rights advocate and popular YouTuber Louis Rossmann has threatened to sue Samsung, alleging that the company is refusing to properly honor the warranty on a defective 990 Pro SSD amid rising memory prices. Rossmann, who is also an independent repair technician, claims his Samsung 990 Pro 4TB solid-state drive failed well within its warranty period…
Samsung is pushing forward with plans to develop floating data centers on ships as demand for digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence computing capacity continues to surge worldwide. The initiative is being led by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), the shipbuilding arm of the Samsung Group, which is exploring ways to relocate large-scale data centers from land-based…
The development of Ubisoft’s next Ghost Recon title, currently known internally as Project OVR, is reportedly facing significant challenges, with sources claiming that recent management changes have raised concerns among members of the development team. According to reports from individuals familiar with the project, the game recently failed to meet key internal Alpha development targets,…
Leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has attributed Nigeria’s long-standing electricity challenges to poor public policy despite the country’s vast natural resource wealth. Badenoch made the remarks during a recent interview with The Spectator, where she reflected on her upbringing in Nigeria and discussed broader economic and governance issues. According to her,…
Maverick Games has unveiled the first gameplay footage for its upcoming racing title, Clutch, giving players a closer look at the ambitious open-world driving experience scheduled for release in Spring 2027. The game, which was first announced earlier this month, is being developed under the leadership of Mike Brown, the former creative director of the…
Artificial intelligence company Anthropic has suspended access to its recently launched AI models, Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5, after receiving directives from US authorities over potential national security concerns. The company announced the decision in a statement published on its website, revealing that restrictions imposed by the US government have forced it to disable…
For generations, the agave cactus was little more than a thorny nuisance across India’s dry landscapes. Farmers used it as a natural fence to keep animals away from their crops. Few imagined that the hardy desert plant would one day become the foundation of a fast-growing drinks industry, creating new income streams for rural communities…
The United States Department of Justice has approved Paramount Skydance’s proposed $111 billion (£82.8 billion) acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, removing a major regulatory hurdle for one of the largest media deals in recent history. The decision paves the way for the merger to move forward, potentially reshaping the global entertainment landscape by bringing together…
Elon Musk has become the world’s first trillionaire following a dramatic surge in the valuation of SpaceX after its long-anticipated stock market debut, marking one of the most extraordinary wealth milestones in modern financial history. The listing, described as the largest initial public offering ever recorded, pushed SpaceX’s valuation to $2.2tn and sent shockwaves through…
Online sports betting and gaming company Betway has announced renowned music executive and entrepreneur Don Jazzy as its new brand ambassador in Nigeria. The partnership brings one of Nigeria’s most influential entertainment personalities into the forefront of Betway’s marketing efforts as the company seeks to deepen its presence in the country’s growing gaming market. Don…
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has raised $75 billion (£56 billion) from investors ahead of its stock market debut on Friday, setting the stage for what is expected to become the largest initial public offering (IPO) in history. According to a filing submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the space exploration and artificial intelligence…
An advert promoting Beauty Pie’s LED face mask has been banned after regulators ruled that its anti-wrinkle claims were misleading and not supported by sufficient evidence. The advert claimed the company’s C-Wave Light Facial LED Mask was “clinically proven to reduce wrinkles in four weeks.” However, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) concluded that the…
Nigeria’s crude oil production rose to its highest level in 11 months in May 2026, exceeding the production quota allocated by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed that the country produced 1.70 million barrels of crude oil per day during the month,…
British retail giant Frasers Group has made a takeover offer for German fashion company Hugo Boss, in a move that could significantly expand its influence in the global fashion industry. Frasers, which already owns more than a quarter of Hugo Boss, announced on Wednesday that it wants to acquire the remaining shares in the company…
The FIFA Men’s World Cup is expected to become the biggest betting event ever, with more than $50 billion (£37.4 billion) projected to be wagered globally during the tournament. According to a forecast by financial services firm Macquarie, punters are expected to place bets worth approximately $500 million on each match throughout the competition. The…
MTN Group is in the final stages of separating its fintech businesses in Nigeria and Uganda as part of a broader restructuring strategy that will allow strategic investors, including Mastercard, to acquire minority stakes in its financial technology operations. Speaking during the company’s Capital Markets Day, MTN Group CEO, Ralph Mupita, explained that the process…
For years, Siri was one of the most recognisable features of Apple’s ecosystem. Introduced long before artificial intelligence became the defining technology race of the decade, the digital assistant helped users set reminders, answer basic questions, and control their devices with voice commands. But as AI-powered assistants such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini evolved into…
Abdul Samad Rabiu, Chairman of BUA Group and Africa’s second-richest individual, has reportedly taken delivery of a new Bombardier Global 8000 private jet valued at approximately $81 million. According to information shared on Rabiu’s Instagram page, the acquisition agreement was finalized on December 4, 2025, at BUA’s Dubai office following weeks of negotiations. The purchase…
Uber is preparing to introduce self-driving taxis in London through a partnership with British autonomous driving company Wayve, marking a significant step toward commercial driverless transport in the United Kingdom. The ride-hailing platform has begun asking London customers whether they would be interested in using autonomous minicabs, ahead of a planned rollout that could begin…
The United States has added several major Chinese companies, including BYD and Alibaba Group, to a list of firms that the US government alleges have ties to China’s military establishment. The designation, issued by the United States Department of Defense under its Section 1260H list, is intended to alert American businesses and investors to potential…
A former pilot with Air Canada has been charged with multiple fraud-related offences after allegedly flying commercial aircraft for 17 years without the license required to serve as a captain. According to authorities, 59-year-old Geoffrey Wall of Ontario is accused of using forged credentials while operating flights for the airline between 2009 and 2026. Police…
First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has highlighted the growing importance of digital payment solutions for businesses, positioning FCMB Collect as a tool designed to help enterprises improve collections, reduce payment delays, and gain better visibility into their finances. The digital platform enables businesses to receive payments through multiple channels while simplifying the management of invoices,…
