Iran war latest: US strikes three Iranian tankers after IRGC attacked navy vessels
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US military strikes three Iranian tankers
US Central Command forces struck three Iranian crude oil tankers on Saturday. The strikes were in response to unprovoked attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Centcom said in a statement. The carriers targeted in the US strikes were M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask. A third vessel, M/T Kylo (also called "Noxen”), was 'rendered inoperable' in the Gulf of Oman after the crew were directed to abandon ship, Centcom added. US forces said the three tankers are part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost —taking out three of yours,” Centcom chief Admiral Brad Cooper said. “We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.”The state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) outlet reported a US strike on an Iranian tanker near Kharg Island earlier on Saturday. The tanker was struck by four American missiles in the island's anchorage area, with no casualties initially reported and crew members safely evacuated, IRIB reported.“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost —taking out three of yours. We will not hesitate to defend American f...
Read briefingPierre Gasly clinches 'special' maiden pole position at Italian GP
Alpine's French driver Pierre Gasly grabbed a stunning career first pole position at the Italian GP on Saturday.Gasly secured pole ahead of Mercedes' George Russell with his final effort and a lap of one minute and 21.786 seconds, which was 0.060 seconds quicker than the Briton.Gasly was on the mark in the earlier phases, leading Q1 and finishing fourth fastest in Q2. He was the last of the pole contenders to complete his final flying lap. “It's been nine years trying to chase the opportunity to get a pole,” said Gasly. “I won my first race in Monza and got my first pole at this track. It's something special around here.”McLaren's Oscar Piastri qualified third and will be in the second row with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton squeezed into the final phase – by just 0.001 of a second – to secure fifth place on the grid, one slot ahead of the Red Bull rival Max Verstappen, last year's race winner.FIRST. CAREER. POLE. 👏👏👏 @PierreGASLY #F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/hUj7O8KVfc— Formula 1 (@F1) September 5, 2026Mercedes's championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who is 59 points clear of George Russell and Hamilton, qualified seventh but will go to the back due to engine penalties.Russell lauded an incredible performance by Gasly.“We were finishing a game of chess about 15 minutes before qualifying and he beat me there and I went 'well, I thin...
Read briefingTrump's Strait of Hormuz and Lake Ontario name ideas 'annoy' USGS workers
President Donald Trump's suggestion he might rename the Strait of Hormuz as the Trump Strait has irked some employees of the US Geological Survey, which oversees map names on the federal level.Several workers described a gloomy atmosphere at the agency since Mr Trump ordered the federal government to refer to Lake Ontario as Lake America amid a trade dispute with Canada. "I'm not happy," said one of the USGS staffers, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. "We've had other controversies about names before, but never something like this." Name changes are usually agreed by a vote at the US Board on Geographic Names, not via executive order. The staffer said there is some precedent for such orders, but noted the Lake Ontario name change comes as Mr Trump's popularity hovers around all-time lows. "This is all so annoying because we have a lot of work to do and we're dealing with this," the USGS employee said, adding that the agency must now change signs, maps and other references to Lake Ontario. "It's costing taxpayer dollars and human time to do this work," the employee said. "It is all so unnecessary."Another wrinkle is that both Apple and Google say they use USGS information to label their map software on billions of smartphones around the world. Both companies changed Lake Ontario to Lake America for US users as a result, causing anger towards Mr Trum...
Read briefingFrance steps up its preparations with Jordan to assist Lebanese army
France will host a meeting this month with King Abdullah II of Jordan before a conference in support of the Lebanese army, a senior French official said on Friday.The aim is to help Lebanese security forces disarm Hezbollah. The Iran-backed militia is refusing to lay down its weapons amid hostilities with Israel, which occupies about seven per cent of Lebanese territory.“A new initiative is being launched under the Aqaba Process, under the auspices of the King of Jordan. I hope it will take place in Paris on September 17,” said French President Emmanuel Macron's special envoy for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian.“Strengthening the army is crucial. You cannot ask the army to ensure Hezbollah gives up its weapons if it lacks the means to command respect,” Mr Le Drian added. He was speaking during a panel on Lebanon at an event in France's capital promoting French diplomacy and organised by the Foreign Ministry. The Aqaba process is an initiative launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II to enhance regional military and security co-operation. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is expected to attend the Paris meeting as well as US and Saudi representatives, according to media reports.Support frameworkFrance had initially planned a conference to support the Lebanese army in March but was forced to push it back that has yet to be confirmed after the Iran war began in late February.A former colonia...
Read briefingStarlink has arrived in the UAE. But who actually needs it?
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Read briefing'How can I reclaim my utility deposit after leaving the UAE and closing my local bank account?'
Question: I am leaving the country and have closed my bank account. My landlord has agreed to transfer my security deposit to my account in my home country. However, the utility company, Taqa, has given me two options: they require either a power of attorney to send the deposit to my friend who is a UAE resident, or I can leave it in my account so I can access it if I return to the UAE as a resident. They do not offer an option to transfer the deposit to an international account, and the cost of setting up a power of attorney is nearly as much as the deposit itself. Is there anything else I can do? SN, Abu DhabiAnswer: The standard deposit amount with Taqa (formerly known as ADDC) is Dh1,000 ($272). It is usual to pay such sums to utility companies and then to reclaim them on vacating a property. Alternatively, a deposit can be transferred to a different property.It is also standard practice for this sum to be paid to a local bank account in UAE dirhams. On its website, Taqa states: “We only refund deposits by bank transfer, although you can choose whether to have it refunded in to your bank account or in to the ADDC account of another property. We also offer the option of donating your deposit to Emirates Red Crescent, to help with their local charity work.”Utility companies do not do overseas transfers and there will always be a cost in setting up an official legal document s...
Read briefingThe lost art of doing nothing
I miss being bored.It sounds ridiculous, I know. Of all the things to miss, boredom must rank somewhere below delayed flights and lost luggage. Nobody ever wished for it. As children, we complained about it constantly, and adults had an infuriating habit of replying: “Then go and find something to do.” Somehow, we always did.These days, finding something to do has never been easier. Finding a moment when you're not is the hard part.I was thinking about this at a departure gate recently. The place was full but oddly silent. Not because nobody was talking, but because nobody was talking to anyone in the room. A man in a suit was watching what looked like a football match with no sound at all. A teenager was laughing at something the rest of us couldn't hear. A young couple sat shoulder to shoulder, scrolling through two entirely separate versions of the world. It struck me that we had all left long before the aircraft had.Flying used to be one of the last places you could not be reached. Once the doors closed, the world had to wait. Now the Wi-Fi is creeping aboard. Even when it hasn't, most of us have packed enough downloaded films and podcasts to circle the planet twice. The headphones go on before the safety demonstration is over. The one thing we can't seem to download is an idle moment. It isn't only flying. Watch anyone waiting for a lift. Nobody simply waits. They check. M...
Read briefingDoes Mamdani's AI moratorium in schools mirror the 'calculator panic' of the 1980s?
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's decision to declare a one-year moratorium on the use of artificial intelligence in classrooms has been criticised as regressive and anti-technology. While it has its share of supporters, critics have compared Mr Mamdani's moratorium on "student-facing generative AI" – from kindergarten to Grade 8 – to the "calculator panic" of the 1970s and '80s, when parents and educators voiced concern about bringing the electronic devices into the classroom.The Democratic Mayor announced on Wednesday that the moratorium was designed to ensure children would learn from teachers first and not become reliant on AI, giving education officials time to study the effects of AI on classrooms. “Children need teachers and human connection in order to learn and grow. They need to develop skills alongside their peers, build relationships with educators and wrestle with tough problems on their own,” he told reporters. "The tech industry wants us to believe that AI-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary. We do not see it that way."'Wildly misguided'?Mr Mamdani's decision comes as recent polls in the US show that although AI use is increasingly prevalent, concerns about its effects on labour markets, the environment and overall societal norms are on the rise. The AI innovation race between the US and China is heating up, and those who regard the techno...
Read briefingUN report finds Sudanese Armed Forces used foreign-supplied drones in attacks on civilian areas
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) used foreign-supplied drones in operations that harmed civilians, a UN fact-finding report has revealed.While it repeated accusations that external players have supported the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces by facilitating weapons transfers, the report has cast a harsher light on the actions of the SAF, which has rejected ceasefire attempts and has vowed to continue the war until it achieves victory.The SAF has long accused the RSF of receiving external support; however, the new findings provide proof that Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan's forces have themselves relied heavily on foreign support to launch the deadly attacks on civilian areas.The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, established by the UN Human Rights Council, said that "available evidence indicates that, since late 2023, the Sudanese Armed Forces has significantly expanded its drone capabilities through foreign-supplied systems".The findings documented attacks attributed to the SAF on locations where "civilian presence was substantial or readily foreseeable", citing at least four waves of drone strikes on hospitals, markets and other civilian locations in different areas. It found "reasonable grounds to believe that the Sudanese Armed Forces used foreign-supplied drones and loitering munitions in attacks that struck civilian objects, including Yabus Market in Blu...
Read briefingIsrael announces release of five Lebanese hours after abducting three in border village
The US has commended Lebanon and Israel over a plan for the release of five Lebanese citizens detained in occupied southern Lebanon.The move indicated a renewed diplomatic push between the countries, as Washington seeks to enable further dialogue before negotiations in Rome. Talks have stalled but reports suggest officials from the countries could meet in Italy this month.US optimism remains, despite Israel abducting three more people from a Lebanese village.The Israeli military admitted the five people to be released were civilians “not engaged in terrorism”.The move is linked to talks over the return of the bodies of Jewish community leaders killed in Lebanon in the 1980s, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.Lebanon welcomed the release brokered by the US. The first handover took place on Thursday evening and Lebanese reports said the other four detainees were to be released on Friday morning.'State of terror'But the announcement came on the same day that Israel launched a raid in occupied southern Lebanon. The latest abductions took place in Halta, near the occupied Golan Heights, and lasted for hours, local officials and witnesses told The National.Halta is a mainly Sunni community and one of the few inhabited villages inside Israel’s so-called security zone in southern Lebanon. Israeli troops entered houses on the outskirts of the village at dawn and or...
Read briefingSyria begins destroying chemical weapon materials in break with Assad era
Syria has begun destroying chemical weapon materials identified in co-operation with the global watchdog, the country's UN envoy has said.Ibrahim Olabi told the UN Security Council that this marked the first destruction process since the end of the Assad regime in December 2024.“It’s also the first of its kind to destroy chemical materials on Syrian territory for over a decade," he said.Mr Olabi said Syria’s co-operation with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was a “profound political transformation in Syria’s approach to safeguarding the multilateral system".For more than a decade, Syria’s chemical weapons programme was a symbol of the civil war’s brutality. Investigators and human rights groups documented repeated use of banned agents, including sarin and chlorine gas, by the former regime in attacks that killed and injured thousands of civilians.Mr Olabi said securing chemical weapons sites and identifying munitions would help to prevent dangerous materials from falling into the wrong hands.“Every site that is secured, every ammunition that is identified, does not merely remove a danger to Syria but the entire world,” he said. “Syria, and on behalf of the international community, is preparing to hold the first court hearing for the use of such weapons to ensure that there will be no impunity."Russia's UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzya accused the OPCW of p...
Read briefingPresident Sheikh Mohamed gives warm welcome to 18 new ambassadors
President Sheikh Mohamed has received the credentials of 18 newly appointed ambassadors to the UAE, welcoming envoys from across four continents.The ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Thursday was attended by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, as well as other senior Emirati officials.Sheikh Mohamed welcomed the ambassadors and expressed his hope that they would succeed in strengthening diplomatic ties between their countries and the UAE. He assured the envoys that Emirati authorities would provide support to enable them to carry out their duties effectively.The ambassadors represented Germany, France, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Ireland, Slovenia and Lithuania in Europe, as well as South Korea, Mauritania, Gabon, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, the Maldives, the Marshall Islands and Haiti. The envoys conveyed the greetings of their respective heads of state to Sheikh Mohamed. They also expressed their wish for the continued prosperity of the UAE and its people.UAE President receives credentials of newly appointed ambassadors#WamNews https://t.co/Ca0XoMznnd pic.twitter.com/zPHDFg1HEU— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) September 3, 2026Among those presenting credentials were Dr Tobias Tunkel of Germany, Marie Audouard of France and Geraldine McCafferty of the UK. Lee Won-ik of South Korea, Rik Van Droogenbroeck of...
Read briefingUN warns world will breach critical 1.5°C warming limit within years
The UN said on Wednesday that the world was set to breach the warming threshold of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, agreed to under the 2015 Paris climate accord, within the next few years.It warned that governments must now work to limit the rise and bring temperatures back down.In an assessment drawing on the work of dozens of scientists, the UN Environment Programme said global action to curb greenhouse gas emissions had fallen short, increasing the risks from extreme weather, rising seas and ecosystem loss.“This is the legacy of our own inaction,” Unep executive director Inger Andersen said. “Extreme heatwaves are already proving that climate impacts will strike faster, hit harder and last longer, costing more lives and causing deeper disruptions.”Above 1.5°C, extreme weather, glacier melting, ecosystem loss and sea-level rises would intensify, placing greater pressure on human health, food and water security, cities and infrastructure, Ms Andersen said.“This is a matter of survival, not a matter of negotiation,” she told reporters at UN headquarters. Unep said it remained possible to bring temperatures back below the threshold, although significant uncertainty surrounds whether this could be achieved.Even under the most optimistic scenario, temperatures would peak at about 1.8°C before potentially falling back to 1.5°C later this century, the report said.Getting them bac...
Read briefingIran's cyber attack strategy is 'perfect weapon' against US
Amid new reports that Iran has broadened cyber attacks on the US, technology experts are warning that hacking is “perfectly suited to Iran's geopolitical situation”.A report from NBC said Iran had increased efforts in recent weeks to compromise computer systems in the US, which had the potential to affect electricity, telecoms and other critical infrastructure. Morey Haber, chief security adviser at US cybersecurity company BeyondTrust, told The National he was not surprised by Iran's continued attempts to flex its cyber crime capabilities against the US. “Cyber is an asymmetric weapon, perfectly suited to Iran’s geopolitical position and only requires expertise,” he said. Sanctions on Iran make hacking a logical last choice for the country, he added. “These attacks can have a significant impact on a population without requiring aircraft, missiles or personnel on American soil, while creating ambiguity around attribution and a proportional response.”Mr Haber added that, surprisingly, Iranian attacks were not particularly sophisticated from a technical standpoint. But the hackers seem to be having significant success by taking advantage of poor cybersecurity hygiene such as antiquated systems, weak password credential processes and devices that are unnecessarily connected to the internet. “Sometimes the easiest way through the front door is simply discovering that someone forgot...
Read briefingUS President suggests renaming Strait of Hormuz ‘Trump Strait’
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz “Trump Strait” and claimed that the waterway was under US control. Mr Trump has already ordered the US government to rename two international bodies of water, changing the official designations of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and Lake Ontario to Lake America. “Now that we have it under USA control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to Trump Strait?” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Like America itself, it would be ‘hotter’ than ever before.”The President only has the power to tell the federal government how to refer to place names. Other countries are free to ignore his new nomenclatures, though tech giants Google and Apple quickly fell in line and updated their maps for US users.It's got a nice ring to it pic.twitter.com/Fmzc9iUu8u— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 2, 2026Earlier this week, Mr Trump claimed the US had taken control of the Strait of Hormuz. On Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the waterway could soon become “worthless” as Gulf states fast-track alternatives for sending energy supplies to global markets.The Trump administration has struggled to end the war in Iran and fully reopen the strait, where shipping levels remain a fraction of prewar norms.The strait, through which one-fifth of the global petroleum liquids used to be shipped, has been at...
Read briefingSheikh Mohammed bin Rashid announces AI curriculum for all schools in UAE
The UAE Cabinet has approved measures that will give AI a more prominent role across government and the country's education sector.Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said the newly launched Agentic AI project would deliver a “step change in government”.Sheikh Mohammed, who chaired Wednesday's meeting at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, also spoke of the importance of building on the trust the UAE has spent years accumulating, state news agency Wam reported.“We do not wait for the perfect conditions to continue delivering. Our projects are moving, our economy is growing, our markets are operating at full capacity, and our events are welcoming the world. The UAE does not stop, and it will not stop,” he said.“We have launched the largest transformation project for government services involving Agentic AI. It is a strategic, national and forward-looking project, and we are counting on it to deliver a step change in government. Our message to every team is to be part of this strategic transformation of the UAE Government.”AI curriculumOne of the key developments from the meeting was the approval of an AI curriculum across all UAE public and private schools, which will equip children with the necessary skills and knowledge for the future, Wam reported.The curriculum will focus on “providing students with the technical requirements of AI, instilling an awareness...
Read briefingUAE foundation pledges Dh3 million to support Gazan amputees
A UAE-based philanthropic organisation has pledged Dh3 million to support the nation’s efforts to provide a lifeline for Palestinian amputees in Gaza.The Ahmed bin Zayed Foundation announced on Wednesday that it was donating the money to bolster the UAE’s Step of Hope programme, which was established in June to expand support for civilians who lost limbs during the Gaza war.The Step of Hope programme is part of the wider Operation Gallant Knight 3, set up by the UAE in response to the outbreak of the war in October 2023.Mohammed Al Shareef, spokesman for Operation Gallant Knight 3, told The National that the Dh3 million donation would play a vital role in supporting the UAE’s efforts to alleviate Palestinians' suffering.The numbers achieved by the Gallant Knight campaign reflect the UAE’s commitment to supporting those in need, he added.“The UAE contributed more than $4 billion of aid to Gaza which is 56 per cent of the total global aid. The operation sent more than 130,000 tonnes of aid to the strip,” said Mr Al Shareef.“More than 176,000 Palestinians received medical treatment in both the field hospital in Gaza and floating hospital in Al Arish.”Since the launch of the Gallant Knight campaign, the UAE has been at the forefront of aid delivery and humanitarian assistance. In August, it passed 1,000 days of continuous support, with more than Dh14.2 billion ($3.89 billion) of ai...
Read briefingTrump’s Venezuela oil deal gives US access to vast reserves as Iran war drives energy concerns
A sweeping new oil production agreement between the US and Venezuela is a geopolitical opportunity for Washington to secure access to oilfields that have largely been under the influence of Chinese and Russian companies, a US official said on Tuesday.The “historic” deal between the administration of US President Donald Trump and Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez will be enabled by increased private-sector investment from American companies in the country.US Energy Secretary Chris Wright will travel to Venezuela on Wednesday to sign an oil agreement that will see Chevron expand its existing operations and production capacity in the country.The US official told reporters that Washington could use Venezuelan oil supplies to replenish its own strategic reserves or generate revenue.“Related to our national interest in the geopolitics is the desire, of course, to have a reliable and stable supply of energy for the future,” the US official said. “As we have seen, there are challenges throughout the world, irrespective even predating the conflict with Iran.”The development comes after Mr Trump last week announced a deal that would give the US control of about a fifth of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, claiming it would lower energy prices for Americans.“I think it’s going to have a tremendous impact,” he told reporters on Monday. “It’s going to ultimately – prices are going...
Read briefingUS must support Yemeni government and regional allies to counter Houthis, experts say
The US should provide support to Yemen's internationally recognised government and back regional allies to counter Houthi actions in the Red Sea, experts told Congress on Tuesday.The House foreign affairs subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa heard that successive administrations have failed to permanently stop attacks on shipping in the Red Sea or curtail the group's influence in the region."The most sustainable way to reduce the threat is to empower Yemen to retake territory from the Houthis," said Nadia Al-Dawsari, associate fellow at the Middle East Institute. "This does not require US boots on the ground: this requires US leadership, and for the US to work with allies to provide the Yemeni government with the political, military and economic support it needs to restore state authority."Yemen has been mired in conflict since 2014, when the Houthi rebels pushed the internationally recognised Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa. Fighting between the two sides killed hundreds of thousands directly and indirectly, displaced more than four million, and caused a widespread, years-long hunger crisis.A truce struck in 2022 has mostly held, but the Houthis have been carrying out attacks on international shipping near Yemen's shores for several years. The Iran-backed group has also formed connections with terrorist groups across the Middle East.Allison Minor, direct...
Read briefingGoogle Maps Lake Ontario backlash grows as MapQuest tops downloads
Backlash against Google Maps for its decision to rename a lake on the US-Canada border after an executive order from President Donald Trump has continued to grow, with MapQuest rising to the top of the download charts.Amid trade tension between the US and Canada, Mr Trump last week signed an executive order directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario, which sits between the Canadian province of Ontario and the US, as “Lake America”. Caught in the middle are technology giants Apple and Google, which control most of the smartphone operating systems, the gateways to mapping apps in billions of pockets around the world. Google quickly changed the name to Lake America for US users. In Canada, it remains Lake Ontario. For users elsewhere, Google Maps shows both the Lake Ontario and Lake America labels.It is not the first time Mr Trump has tried to rename a large body of water. Earlier in his second term, he signed a similar order to change the name “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America”. Mr Trump took the recent actions at a time when his approval ratings have reached historic lows, as prices for petrol, food and other items remain high amid the increasingly unpopular war with Iran. MapQuest takes a Lake Ontario victory lap MapQuest, the dominant navigation website during the earliest days of the internet, seems to be benefitting from the Lake Ontario controversy. Last wee...
Read briefingBessent shrugs off bond market sell-off as he touts US growth
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday played down the most recent bond-market sell-off as worries mount over rising debt levels and energy-driven inflationary pressures.“The US bond market has been the best performing bond market. What happens over a month doesn't matter,” he said during a fireside chat at the G20 finance gathering in North Carolina.US Treasury yields were little changed on Tuesday after renewed strikes in the Middle East. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose 3 basis points to 4.788 per cent, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury note rose 1 basis point to 5.259 per cent.Mr Bessent said US bond markets show inflation expectations are “low to down”. “This is a growth story,” he said.Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh on Monday told the G20 conference that he looked forward to learning more about other countries' growth prospects. He said the global economy was moving into a period of “secular growth” after experiencing a “global savings glut”.The Treasury Department moved to steady US bond markets by announcing it would at least double the size of its government debt repurchases. The department also said it would increase the size of its 10-20-year and 20-30-year options from $2 billion to $4 billion, with the change coming into effect on September 9 and running to November 4.The plan was criticised by US investor and Mr Bessent's mentor Stanley D...
Read briefingStarlink spearheads satellite internet boom but other players are set to launch
Although new customers are not being taken on, Elon Musk’s Starlink is now providing satellite internet in the UAE – and more providers could join it in the marketplace.As reported in The National, Starlink has been given a decade-long licence by UAE regulators, providing an alternative to fibre internet services from du or e&.Customers in the emirates who signed up to Starlink have reported receiving the company’s hardware in recent days and are hoping to begin using the services shortly.Andrea Faggiano, a partner at the Arthur D Little consultancy in Dubai, said he expected satellite internet services would likely take 10 to 15 per cent of the overall internet market, although it could be higher.“I would say in 15 years, the satellite technology will be massive – 15 per cent. That may even be a conservative number,” he said. “It’s definitely a serious competitor.”Reports from earlier this month quoting Starlink indicate that the company had 12 million satellite internet customers globally in the second quarter of this year, double the number of a year earlier.Market research companies such as Grand View Research have highlighted challenges to deployment, including high initial deployment costs and delays in signal.Despite such hurdles, Grand View Research states that the global satellite internet market, currently valued at around $13.3 billion a year, is likely to grow to $3...
Read briefing'Let data reign': Trump tells Americans to embrace data centres or end up 'backwards and poor'
US President Donald Trump warned Americans on Monday that they would end up "backwards and poor" unless they embraced the data centres being built in their communities. In a post on Truth Social, he said the growing US public backlash to data centres poses an economic threat and could give China the upper hand in the AI race.“The only reason that communities throughout the USA should not want data centres is if they want to end up being backwards and poor,” Mr Trump wrote. “If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let data reign.”He said data centres were a "golden goose" and that China would exploit the growing anti-data centre movement. The centres, which provide the computing power for the AI revolution, have emerged as a defining issue for many Americans before the crucial November midterm elections. Concerns are growing over the noise they generate and the amount of water they consume, as well as AI's effects on jobs and rising energy costs. New York has enacted a moratorium on hyperscale data centres and Texas has an effective freeze on new development.Other US states and cities are considering limits on data centres that would add more hurdles for an industry already struggling to secure power and equipment for the sprawling, energy-intensive sites.Any construction delays would carry enormous implications for US tech compa...
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