A survey* of 2,386 adults across Australia, the US, Canada, France, and Spain shows that location-based VR has quietly become a family occasion. Today, 44% of respondents describe Zero Latency as “suitable for families”, a brand that was once almost entirely associated with young adults and friend groups. 60% of people now visit location-based entertainment with family. The biggest single group of Zero Latency visitors is aged 35-44: people who saw the original Jumanji in cinemas as kids, and watched the reboots with their own children.
Fractal Analytics Ltd. announced that it has secured a US$17M+ multi-year agreement with a leading U.S. healthcare enterprise to modernize its Data and AI foundation on Databricks platform and support its journey toward becoming an AI-ready organization. The engagement also encompasses 24 x 7 managed data operations, improving operational efficiency and accelerating AI adoption.
Etihad Airways is set to commence seasonal nonstop flights connecting Abu Dhabi and Gothenburg beginning December 17, 2026. Operating four times weekly, the service will run until March 21, 2027. This route aims to link the UAE capital with Sweden’s second-largest city during the winter travel season. Tickets for the new flights from Abu Dhabi to Gothenburg are already available. The route will operate between Zayed International Airport and Göteborg Landvetter Airport.
A successful educational tour organised by ANICAV – the Italian Association of Canned Vegetable Industries – and co-funded by the European Commission has concluded in Italy to promote the rich heritage of Italian canned tomatoes in Qatar. This initiative showcased the essence of Italian cuisine to a select group of seven Qatari opinion leaders, media representatives, and influencers. During their time in Italy, the participants enjoyed an immersive experience including visits to lush tomato fields, where they learned about the cultivation and harvesting processes. They toured state-of-the-art tomato processing facilities, gaining insight into the meticulous methods used in creating high-quality canned tomatoes. The tour also featured engaging masterclasses led by renowned chefs, allowing attendees to delve into the art of Italian cooking. Hands-on pizza sessions enabled participants to craft authentic Neapolitan pizzas, honing their skills and appreciating the delicious nuances of the ingredients. During the tour, tasting menus inspired by Neapolitan culinary traditions showcased the versatility of Italian canned tomatoes. In addition to these unique culinary experiences, the Qatari guests explored the major attractions of Naples and its surroundings, immersing themselves in the local culture and heritage that influences Italian cooking traditions.
Al Meera Consumer Goods Company (Q.P.S.C.), one of Qatar’s leading national retailers and property developers, has selected Yardi® to support the next phase of its retail property management and leasing operations. With a strong presence across the country, almeera operates an extensive network of supermarkets, hypermarkets and convenience stores, serving communities with high-quality, accessible retail experiences. The partnership marks another milestone in almeera’s digital transformation journey, enabling greater operational efficiency, enhanced tenant experiences and data-driven portfolio management across its growing retail network.
DRC malaria response targets a disease that caused more than 26 million cases in 2025. The National Malaria Control Programme released these statistics amid the expansion of malaria response initiatives in Ituri. Dembo stressed the importance of maintaining control efforts while also enhancing interventions that have already demonstrated effectiveness. Additionally, he urged for strategies tailored to the specific conditions of individual health zones. The initiative in Ituri focuses on widespread administration of antimalarial medications. This campaign forms part of broader efforts aimed at malaria prevention and treatment. The programme orchestrates national actions to reduce infection rates, severe cases, and deaths caused by malaria. The World Health Organization estimated that there were 282 million malaria cases globally in 2024, resulting in 610,000 deaths. Africa accounted for roughly 95% of these cases and fatalities during that year. The region recorded an estimated 265 million cases and 579,000 deaths. The Democratic Republic of the Congo contributed to 11.7% of the continent’s malaria deaths. According to WHO data, children under five years old made up about three-quarters of all malaria fatalities across Africa. These figures place the country among those with the highest malaria burdens worldwide. The malaria burden remains heavily centered in Africa Malaria primarily spreads through bites from infected female Anopheles mosquitoes and remains a preventable and curable disease. Common early symptoms include fever, chills, and headaches. When severe, infections can lead to breathing difficulties, seizures, extreme fatigue, and impaired consciousness
Mavrix, the global data acquisition and research execution company, used its Platinum Sponsorship of The Quirk’s Event New York 2026 to advance a clear view on the changing research landscape: as artificial intelligence makes data generation and analysis faster and more accessible, the ability to reach, verify and engage the right real people is becoming more valuable, not less. “AI gives our industry extraordinary capabilities,” said Glen Collins, EVP, Global Commercial Group at Mavrix. “But AI cannot fix speaking to the wrong people. If the human evidence underneath is weak, technology simply allows us to analyze weak evidence faster and with greater confidence. Better human evidence in means better intelligence out.”
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has set a new record for the highest death toll in the nation’s history. As of August 16, government data indicates there have been 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 fatalities. During the last 24 hours alone, health officials confirmed 101 new cases. The death count now exceeds the 2,299 lives lost during the Ebola outbreak from 2018 to 2020 in the country.
LG Smart TV users in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain can now enjoy seamless, instant access to stc tv’s premium entertainment services directly from the webOS home screen. The collaboration introduces a new webOS integration providing LG Smart TV users direct access to stc tv’s premium entertainment offerings through a dedicated Quick Access feature on the webOS home screen. The partnership brings the stc tv experience closer to users across leading GCC markets while supporting LG’s focus on intuitive and locally relevant entertainment experiences.
Taiwan will host Taiwan Weeks 2026 from Nov. 3 to 13, bringing together global asset managers, exchange leaders, and institutional investors as Taiwan strengthens its position as an Asian Asset Management Center (AAMC).Expanding Taiwan’s global financial reachNow in its second year, Taiwan Weeks will feature broader participation from global financial leaders under the theme “From Tech Island to Capital Hub.” The event will highlight Taiwan’s strengths in technology and capital markets, its role in global supply chains, and growing demand for wealth management services across Asia.
“Through our partnership with the Jordan Tourism Board, we’re pleased to introduce Ahlan Jordan to travellers across the MENA region, providing them with an official platform that simplifies travel planning while making it easier to discover the remarkable diversity of experiences the Kingdom has to offer.”
The Paraná factory integrates smart factory solutions, including AI and industrial robots, to enhance productivity, product quality and manufacturing efficiency. The new facility will strengthen LG’s presence in Brazil while supporting broader growth across Latin America.
APIC delivers 55% EBITDA growth in the first half of 2026, reaching USD 44 million. Revenues reached USD 688.2 million representing 15% growth compared with the same period in 2025. EBITDA increased by 55% and amounted to USD 44 million. Profits from operations also rose by 53% and reached USD 31 million. Consolidated net profit reached approximately USD 5.5 million. Net profits attributable to APIC shareholders grew significantly and reached approximately USD 6.6 million, representing a growth of 1866%. Total assets stood at USD 1.05 billion, representing a 4.7% increase compared with year-end 2025. Total liabilities reached USD 774.2 million, up 5.5%. Net equity attributable to APIC shareholders amounted to USD 235.3 million, representing a 2.6% increase compared with year-end 2025.
On Friday, global markets for precious metals experienced a downward trend, with spot gold prices decreasing and setting the stage for an overall weekly decline. Market data indicated that spot gold fell by 0.5 percent to trade at $4,326.75 per ounce, while United States gold futures for December delivery declined nearly 1.0 percent to $4,382.50 per ounce. These market declines followed a brief, sharp rally on Thursday when bullion prices hit their highest levels in more than two months before dropping 1.3 percent amid rapid profit taking.
Global health authorities issued a stark warning on Friday, highlighting the rapid escalation of the public health emergency in Central Africa. The World Health Organization confirmed that, unless swift measures are taken to control community spread and address regional supply chain issues, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak will surpass all previous mortality figures. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the current epidemic’s trajectory could outpace the devastating 2014–2016 West African outbreak, which caused over 11,000 deaths.
7 Wonders of Future Cities today marks 77 days until global voting begins on www.7wondersfc.com on 31 October 2026. The day, also known as World Cities Day, will be when the public can start choosing amongst the participating cities and developments, to become historically recognised as the leading representatives of the future of urban life.
TestMu Conference 2026 is designed to explore how AI is reshaping the way software is built, tested, and shipped, from agentic workflows and autonomous quality to battle-tested AI playbooks and the engineering culture driving it all. With an esteemed lineup of global speakers, the conference will feature some of the most influential voices in tech, including Luis Héctor Chávez, Chief Technology Officer of Replit; Francesca Lazzeri, Principal Group Director of Microsoft; Thomas Dohmke, Co-Founder and CEO of Entire; Dona Sarkar, Chief Troublemaker – Enterprise AI Advocacy at Microsoft; Nilesh Dalvi, Engineering Leader at Glean; Rashi Agrawal, Head of AI at Hinge Health; Viktoria Semaan, Principal Technical Evangelist at Databricks; Amanda Martin Head of Developer Relations at Vapi along with other speakers.
Global electric vehicle sales rose 9% year on year in July 2026 to 1.85 million units. Among the major EV markets, Europe experienced the most substantial growth in July, with sales increasing by 33% from the previous year to approximately 450,000 units. During the first seven months of 2026, the region’s EV sales rose by 28%. France saw an impressive 81% annual growth in July, reaching a 37% EV market penetration. Germany’s sales grew by 46%, while the United Kingdom reported a 43% increase. Despite the growth, European EV sales in July were 17% lower than those in June.
A earthquake measuring 5.4 struck northeastern Pakistan early Thursday morning, causing tremors in parts of Gilgit-Baltistan close to the northern border. The force of the quake was strong enough to reach Hunza and Nagar districts, with Chipurson Valley in Upper Hunza experiencing some of the most significant effects. Despite this, the earthquake caused considerable ground movement in steep terrains, leading to falling rocks and obstructed roads. The Gilgit-Baltistan administration actively monitored the situation in impacted communities and assessed immediate threats to roads and populated zones caused by the tremors and subsequent landslides.
South Korea auto exports reached a record July value as eco-friendly vehicle shipments grew. (Credit – Hyundai) Eco-friendly vehicles drove the strongest growth in South Korea’s auto exports during this period. Their export value surged 25.5% year-on-year to US$2.59 billion. Exports of electric and hydrogen vehicles rose by 31.9%, totaling US$940 million. Hybrid vehicle exports advanced by 22.2%, reaching US$1.65 billion. Conversely, exports of internal combustion engine vehicles declined by 3.1%, amounting to US$3.65 billion. Notably, eco-friendly models comprised approximately 41.5% of the nation’s total automobile export value in July. North America continued to be the primary regional destination, with exports increasing by 18.0% to US$3.25 billion. Shipments to the European Union saw a rise of 23.5%, reaching US$880 million. Exports to the Middle East grew by 12.7% to US$430 million, marking their first year-on-year growth in eight months. Meanwhile, exports to Asia fell by 27.1%, and shipments to Central and South America decreased by 7.4%. The regional data highlights the strongest gains in North America, the European Union, and the Middle East. Eco-friendly vehicles spearhead July export growth The ministry attributes the export increase in July to more days of operation and ongoing overseas demand for eco-friendly vehicles and SUV
