IBM has taken another step toward bringing blockchain technology into traditional banking, connecting its Digital Asset Haven platform to Swift’s new blockchain-based shared ledger. The integration, announced on September 24, allows participating financial institutions to instruct transactions involving tokenized bank deposits through Swift’s ledger using the existing ISO 20022 messaging standard. In practical terms, banks…
Researchers searching for the biblical Noah’s Ark have entered a new phase of their investigation, with drilling now beginning at a controversial boat-shaped formation in eastern Türkiye. The site, known as the Durupınar formation, has attracted attention for decades because of its unusual shape and its location near Mount Ararat, an area traditionally associated with…
YouTube is taking video A/B testing to a new level, allowing creators to upload up to three different versions of the same video and let the platform test which one performs best. The new feature, announced at YouTube’s Made on YouTube event on September 23, expands the platform’s existing A/B testing tools, which already allow…
Tony Elumelu’s stake in Seplat Energy gained about ₦131.5 billion in market value on Thursday, after the energy company’s shares surged on the Nigerian Exchange. Seplat Energy closed trading on September 24 at ₦16,000 per share, up ₦1,092.20 or 7.33% from its previous close of ₦14,907.80. The Nigerian Exchange recorded the same closing price and…
Starbucks is set to close approximately 250 coffeehouses across North America as the coffee giant continues its restructuring under CEO Brian Niccol. The company announced the closures on September 24, saying the affected locations were identified after a review of its North American store portfolio. Starbucks said some stores were not delivering the customer and…
Italy has approved a new decree-law banning the wearing of burqas and niqabs in schools, marking a significant expansion of restrictions on face coverings in the country’s education system. The decree was approved by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Council of Ministers on September 24 as part of a wider package of measures focused on integration…
Meta is taking its artificial intelligence ambitions beyond smartphones and smart glasses with a new pocket-sized device called Muse Charm. Unveiled during Meta’s annual Connect event, the gadget is designed to bring the company’s Muse personal AI assistant into a small, physical device that can be carried in a pocket or attached to a keychain….
Samsung has halted a faulty software update after it caused some of its smart refrigerators in South Korea to stop functioning, leaving some customers with spoiled food just days before the Chuseok holiday. The problem affected some Samsung Bespoke AI refrigerators after owners installed a software update through the company’s SmartThings platform. Following the update,…
A senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Hossein Zarifi, has been killed during clashes with armed fighters in southeastern Iran. Zarifi was the commander of the IRGC’s Shahid Sajjad Operational Headquarters in Saravan, in Sistan and Baluchestan province, near Iran’s border with Pakistan. The IRGC’s Quds Base confirmed his death…
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for the abolition of the United Nations Security Council’s veto system, arguing that global decision-making should no longer be concentrated in the hands of five permanent members. In an article published on September 22, Erdoğan said the current structure of the UN Security Council no longer reflects today’s…
