AI-based science research startup Bower bags $2 million pre-Seed

Bower grabs $2M to turn lab goggles into an AI research OS, capturing experiments before knowledge vanishes.

Business hopes for continuity after 'mixed bag' Zambian election

From travel warnings to visa fees: why Chinese tourism to Japan is in free fall

Mainland Chinese tourist arrivals in Japan fell for an eighth consecutive month in July, as group tours slumped and visa costs rose amid deteriorating ties between Beijing and Tokyo. Mainland China has traditionally been a major source of visitors for Japan, but tourist arrivals plunged 56.1 per cent year on year in July, extending a downward trend that began in December 2025, according to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) on Wednesday. Overall foreign arrivals to..

Hesai rides on lidar growth as smart cars gain ground despite China’s struggling market

Chinese carmakers’ reinforced push to produce more smart vehicles could sustain growth for hi-tech component suppliers, even as the broader automotive market remains lacklustre, according to Hesai Group chief financial officer Andrew Fan. “Orders for our lidar sensors [this year] were higher than in the same period last year,” Fan told the South China Morning Post on Wednesday. “An increasing percentage of new [car] models are now fitted with lidars as brands make them more intelligent.” Hesai –

This total solar eclipse looked strangely golden — here’s why

Spain’s total solar eclipse delivered an unexpected sight: a corona glowing gold instead of its usual pearly white. Because the Sun was setting, its light passed through more atmosphere, while smoke from nearby wildfires filtered out even more blue light. The result was a dramatic golden eclipse, punctuated by a bright pink solar prominence.

China’s supernodes go mainstream as AI model sizes grow

Supernodes were everywhere at last month’s World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai. Assemblies of dozens or hundreds of computer chips and associated hardware, supernodes are China’s way around the United States’ ban on the export of the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips. Using greater quantities of domestic chips to deliver world-class computing power, they allow China to dodge the chokehold the US is trying to place on its AI aspirations. At this year’s WAIC,

Oman’s Automobile City to start operations next year

Oman will open the first phase of the Automobile City project in Salalah in the second quarter of 2027, with nearly half of the work completed, according to a senior executive of the contracting company. The project aims to serve as an integrated destination for the automotive sector, Faisal Al Dheeb, managing director of Al […]

Nigeria's APC in major election scare ahead of 2027 vote

Voice AI startup HeyBreez raises $2.5 million Seed round

MENA-born enterprise voice AI startup HeyBreez has raised $2.5 million in an oversubscribed Seed round led by Lunara Partners, with participation from Jabbar Group, DASH Ventures and angel investors. Founded in 2025 by Karim Malhas and headquartered in Delaware, with offices in Amman and Dubai, HeyBreez provides infrastructure for deploying and managing enterprise voice AI agents, including telephony, callbacks, follow-ups, integrations and other workflows around voice interactions. The company

AILA raises $3 million pre-Series A to expand personalised learning platform

Saudi Arabia-based edtech company AILA has raised $3 million in a pre-Series A round led by Rua Growth Fund, with participation from Jo Academy, 500 Global, Bunat VC and Fikr Ventures. Founded in 2023 by Yousef Alsayed, Nouf Mugayel and Abdulaziz Bin Mugayel, AILA develops AI-powered personalised learning technology that identifies students’ learning gaps and provides tailored assessment, practice and performance insights. The funding will be used to expand into regional and international