Who is Handala, the hacktivist group US ties to Iranian intelligence? Handala Hack Team portrays itself as a pro-Palestinian group but is widely believed to be linked to Iranian intelligence. Iran
Iran names US tech, finance firms in new Middle East threat list Firms listed as potential targets included Oracle, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Meta, IBM, Palantir and Nvidia, while banking giant JPMorgan and UAE-based AI firm G42 were also listed. Iran
Gulf AI deals continues to lure investors despite US-Iran war Blackstone committed $250 million to a payment infrastructure platform in Abu Dhabi as the US investment firm's president lauded the UAE's strong investment credentials despite the conflict. Saudi Arabia
Analysis Iran’s longest-ever internet blackout leaves 99% offline: What to know Facing a historic internet blackout, Iranians are locked in a struggle with authorities to find loopholes to get around this communications crackdown, leading to "shutdowns within a shutdown." By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis India's Modi arrives in Israel as fears grow of US-Iran conflict By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Imprisoned Hamas members end 2-week hunger strike The senior leadership of Hamas prisoners said the prisoners have ended their hunger strike after receiving assurances from the Israel Prison Service to stop using cellphone jamming devices, but Israeli media portray the strike as having little effect. Palestine
Egypt evaluates digital upgrades, prepares for more The Egyptian government is reporting advances toward achieving its goal of digital transformation in all sectors. Egypt
How Russia plans to take part in building Syria's IT sector As Syria seeks to restore some of its damaged IT facilites and build "an information society" in the country, Russian companies consider opportunities to chip in. Syria
How Iran’s startup sector can realize its potential Iran’s startup scene is rapidly growing and holds great potential, but shortcomings remain and a failure to address them will undermine the sector. Iran
Coding academy opens new opportunities for Moroccan youth 3W Academy Maroc aims at addressing youth unemployment in Morocco through accessible tech education. Morocco
Egypt upping high-tech game to smarten cities, services The Egyptian government is launching itself into the world of technology by digitizing an array of services. Egypt
After Syria, Pentagon ramps up electronic warfare efforts A new team at the US Defense Department is addressing the growing Russian threat to American military technology after Moscow's jamming complicated the Syrian battlefield. Russia
Will Egyptians pay to WATCHiT? WATCHiT, Egypt’s homegrown response to Netflix, is under fire from Egyptians who resent the fees it charges, artists who resent its monopoly and hackers, who've challenged its security. Egypt
Arabs in video games often out of step with times Popular video games often depict minorities as exaggerated stereotypes restricted to predictable roles, but game developers in the Middle East could help break that mold for Arab characters. Pan Arab
New app assesses Islamic preachers in Gaza Gaza’s Ministry of Religious Endowments launched a smartphone app allowing worshippers to assess preachers and find out in which mosque they will be delivering Friday sermons across the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Here’s how Iran wants to take its financial system on the blockchain A major project commissioned by the Central Bank of Iran aims to incorporate blockchain technologies in the country’s banking and financial system, and potentially employ a sovereign rial-backed cryptocurrency. Iran
Netanyahu’s government neglects scientific education Judging by budgets and funding, Israel is focused on settlements, not advancing scientific education. Israel
