Live Updates Turkey seizes opposition Halk TV as crackdown widens: What to know Halk TV is a pro-opposition broadcaster and one of Turkey’s most-watched news channels. Turkey
Culture How Argentina-Spain World Cup final became debate over Israel, Palestine Governments and fans alike have turned teams and players into symbols of political division. Palestine
What we know about UAE blocking X accounts accused of misinformation A number of X accounts including Al Arabiya Breaking are now not accessible in the Gulf state as Abu Dhabi navigates regional turmoil. United Arab Emirates
UAE AI investor MGX moves closer to strategic stake in TikTok US The state-linked Emirati investment firm is set to acquire a 15% stake in the social media platform's new US business as part of a plan that would avert a nationwide ban starting in 2026. United Arab Emirates
Analysis Gulf investors emerge as key players in US social media giants TikTok, Snap, X By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Iraqi militias continue to use Telegram despite block Iraq’s state media channel switched to the Israeli-founded Viber in response to the ban. Telegram is popular with protesters and militias alike in Iraq. Iraq
Arab users flock to Meta's Threads as it takes on Twitter Threads has seen a variety of new users from the Middle East since its launch Wednesday including influencers and even heads of state. Legacy: Gulf
Turkey arrests prominent TV journalist over criticizing Ocalan's isolation Journalist Merdan Yanardag’s arrest comes amid a post-election climate in which many journalists feel threatened, according to media watchdogs. Turkey
Turkey Elections: Fears of internet restrictions mount with over a dozen under Erdogan With a critical presidential election runoff on Sunday, Turks are on high alert for potential censorship and internet shutdowns. Turkey
Culture What's behind removal of Palestinian Mohammed Assaf's song from Spotify? Spotify says the Gazan artist’s song was removed from its streaming service by "the distributor." Social media users call the act discriminatory and part of the ongoing censorship of Palestinian content masked under the guise of eliminating anti-Israeli sentiment. Palestine
Antisemitism skyrockets on Twitter as Israel's requests go ignored With the number of antisemitic posts on social media on the rise, Israel’s Foreign Ministry focuses on tracing such dangerous trends and battling them on the platforms they are published on. Israel
Elon Musk defends ‘antisemitic' tweets on George Soros after Israeli criticism Israel's Foreign Ministry accused the Twitter owner of encouraging antisemitic posts on the social media platform. Israel
Saudi firms face 6.7% higher Twitter verification fees than US Syria, Sudan, Iran, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are not on the price list and appear to be unable to purchase this subscription. Legacy: Gulf
In Morocco, YouTube is one tool to attack LGBTQ, vulnerable communities After a Moroccan content creator targeted the transgender community, the damaging videos were left on YouTube for two weeks before being removed. North Africa
Israeli protests shake Netanyahu’s social media empire With so many top high-tech Israeli figures leading the anti-judicial overhaul movement, social media wizard Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reason to worry. Israel
Germany's DW closure in Turkey sparks fears of pre-election media clampdown Deutsche Welle, which produces news in Turkish, will close its office next week after the government refused it permission to operate. Turkey
Turkey fines Elon Musk over Twitter purchase The decision follows the implementation of a controversial social media law in Turkey that prompted Twitter to open an office in the country. Turkey
