Middle Eastern Business Headlines at 11:41 a.m. GMT
Hundreds of Syrian refugees head home as anti-refugee sentiment surges in Lebanon
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TechCrunchMozilla removes 'Do Not Track' from Firefox because it was useless
Most web browsers currently have a feature called “Do Not Track” hidden in settings. In the case of Mozilla's Firefox browser, Windows Report has spotted a change in the upcoming version — the setting is gone.
- CoinDesk
Bitcoin Is Leaving Exchanges in Batches of $10M or More: Van Straten
Institutional appetite for bitcoin has grown since Donald Trump won the U.S. election back in November.
- CoinDesk
Haliey Welch’s $HAWK Shows Why We Need Better Standards for Memecoins
The saga of Hawk Tuah’s memecoin testifies to the need for governance and transparency in Web3, Azeem Khan says. It’s up to the industry to provide it.
- Reuters
Senators say US must boost security after Chinese Salt Typhoon telecom hacking
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States must do more to address hacking threats after China's alleged efforts known as Salt Typhoon to infiltrate American telecommunications companies and steal data about U.S. calls, senators said at a hearing Wednesday. "This attack likely represents the largest telecommunications hack in our nation's history," said Senator Ben Ray Lujan, a Democrat who chairs a telecom subcommittee. "There's a lot that we still don't know about the damage that was done by the Salt Typhoon hacks, but what we do know is that more must be done to prevent attacks like this."
- South China Morning Post
TikTok Shop opens in Spain, Ireland in e-commerce expansion ahead of potential US ban
TikTok has announced the launch of its in-app e-commerce feature in Ireland and Spain, bringing TikTok Shop to its first market in continental Europe, an expansion that comes just ahead of a potential ban in the US. TikTok announced on Tuesday the roll-out in Spain, where its 20 million monthly active users (MAUs) can shop while watching short videos or live-streaming sessions without leaving the app, according to a statement on its website. In a separate statement on the same day, the company s
- Associated Press
China's Xi is likely to decline Trump's inauguration invitation, seeing it as too risky to attend
Chinese leader Xi Jinping would likely see President-elect Donald Trump’s invitation to attend his inauguration as too risky to accept, and the gesture from Trump may have little bearing on the increasingly competitive ties between the two nations as the White House changes hands, experts say. Trump’s incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed on Thursday that Trump extended an invitation to the Jan. 20 ceremony.
- Cinema Online
Grace Wong reveals pregnancy in stunning Santorini announcement
The former TVB actress shares that she and husband will be welcoming a baby after eight years of marriage
- The Independent
Elizabeth Hurley reveals Hugh Grant’s response when he saw her in ‘that dress’ for the first time
Hurley was an unknown name when she appeared at the 1994 premiere for ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’
- Sky News
Inside Assad's abandoned home: Damning documents, wedding photos and children's notes
This was clearly where the dictator's British-born wife Asma loved to be, her inner sanctum where she stored her treasures. The looters had got there first, the place was ransacked, but in Asma's personal storage room and boudoir, the floor was covered with countless boxes for jewellery, antiques and designer goods. Among them bank records in Asma's maiden name, for staggering sums of money.
- Associated Press
2 Vietnamese police officials sexually attacked young women on visit to New Zealand, authorities say
New Zealand authorities have “no doubt” that two Vietnamese officials sexually attacked two young female servers at a restaurant during a visit to the country, but were unable to charge the men before they returned to Vietnam, police said Thursday. Vietnam and New Zealand do not have an extradition treaty so the alleged attackers cannot be forced to face charges. One of the women said they were attacked at a restaurant in Wellington in March days before Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính was due to visit New Zealand.
- The Hill
Gingrich: Xi attending Trump inauguration would be ‘signal to the planet’
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) responded to President-elect Trump’s invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend Inauguration Day in January, saying his acceptance would send a global “signal.” “Look, I think Trump believes in constant offense, constant momentum, keeping things going forward,” Gingrich told Fox New’s Jesse Watters in an interview Wednesday. “I…
- The Telegraph
Israeli troops can remain in Gaza after war, Hamas concedes in major U-turn
Hamas has reportedly agreed to allow Israeli troops to remain in Gaza in a major about-turn that could unblock a hostage deal.
- BBC
Bloody siege ends Myanmar army control of western border
Insurgents seized Myanmar's border with Bangladesh in one of the bloodiest battles of the civil war.
- The Telegraph
Hannah Kobayashi found alive after father’s suicide
A missing Hawaiian woman whose father killed himself during an extensive search for her has been found safe.
- The Hill
Bill Clinton says he’s open to talking to Biden about preemptive pardon for Hillary Clinton
Former President Clinton said he is open to having a conversation with President Biden about a potential preemptive pardon for his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Bill Clinton joined “The View” on Wednesday, where he was discussing President-elect Trump taking office early next year and the threat of him going after political enemies…
- Evening Standard
'Please give me my life back': British teen makes emotional plea after being jailed in Dubai for holiday romance
Marcus Fakana and his family have urged foreign secretary David Lammy to intervene in the case
- AFP News
China jails former Premier League star Li Tie 20 years for corruption
China on Friday jailed former Premier League star and men's national coach Li Tie for 20 years for bribery, snaring one of the country's greatest football figures in a sweeping government crackdown on corruption in sport.The 47-year-old is one of China's biggest football names, serving as national team coach from January 2020 to December 2021, after racking up nearly 100 international caps and playing as a midfielder for English Premier League side Everton.
- The Daily Beast
Trump Has Invited China’s Xi Jinping to Inauguration: Report
President-elect Donald Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration in January, multiple sources told CBS News on Wednesday. The president-elect reportedly sent the invite to the leader of China, a nation he has threatened with tariffs for months, shortly after his electoral victory in November, the sources told the network. It is unclear if the Chinese government has accepted the invite, and the Chinese Embassy has not commented on the invitation. A Chinese head of stat
- The Telegraph
Russian missile scientist ‘assassinated by Ukrainian special forces’
A Russian scientist known for developing cruise missiles has been found shot dead in a snowy wooded area near Moscow.
- People
Jennifer Lopez Is Trying to Convince Us That Super Low-Rise Jeans Are Back and It’s Working
The 'Unstoppable' star may be reviving a highly-debated denim trend