Author: OMN AI

Meta has eliminated 600 roles in its artificial intelligence division, according to U.S. reports. The company confirmed the layoffs on Wednesday while continuing to recruit staff for its superintelligence lab. Axios revealed that the job cuts target Meta’s Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) team, along with its product-based AI and AI infrastructure groups. FAIR Faces Major Workforce Changes Meta’s TBD Lab will remain unaffected by these layoffs. In a memo, Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang urged affected employees to seek new positions within the company. Most displaced workers are expected to secure other internal roles. Wang stated that reducing team size…

New Economic Measures Broaden Financial and Energy Crackdown The European Union has endorsed its nineteenth round of sanctions targeting Russia, extending restrictions across banking, shipping, and energy sectors. The newly adopted package widens the blacklist of Russian companies and individuals while increasing oversight of maritime activities linked to evading oil bans. Officials in Brussels said the expanded measures are intended to further weaken the Kremlin’s revenue streams and tighten control over illicit trade routes. Liquefied Natural Gas Ban Marks Major Energy Policy Shift Central to the new sanctions is a prohibition on Russian liquefied natural gas imports. The plan stops…

Tesla recorded its highest quarterly revenue ever, yet profits fell sharply. Rising tariffs, higher research costs, and growing competition weighed on earnings despite strong sales. Revenue climbs while profits decline For the quarter ending September, Tesla reported $28 billion (£21 billion) in revenue, a 12% increase from last year. Profits dropped 37% due to higher tariffs and increased research and development spending. Investors reacted cautiously. Tesla shares fell 3.8% in after-hours trading. Still, the company’s market value remains around $1.4 trillion, supported by confidence in Elon Musk’s ambitions in AI and robotics. US tax credits drive sales surge Tesla reversed…

TIRANA — Mounting evidence suggests that Albania has quietly become a gateway for sanctioned Russian and Iranian interests to bypass Western trade restrictions, exposing vulnerabilities in the country’s governance and critical infrastructure. Investigations indicate that through negligence, smuggling, or outright corruption within the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama, entities tied to Russia and Iran have gained access to sectors considered vital to national security. A report by RBC Ukraine uncovered how banned Russian oil was being funneled into Europe through Albanian ports. The investigation described ships docking at Porto Romano near Durrës under false cargo declarations — vessels listed…

New research from King’s College London and the University of Oxford has found that antidepressants can cause markedly different physical side-effects, including changes in weight, heart rate, and blood pressure. The large-scale review analysed data from 151 clinical trials involving more than 58,000 patients and compared 30 different antidepressants. It revealed that some drugs can cause significant weight gain within weeks, while others can lead to weight loss. Patients taking maprotiline gained an average of 2kg in the first two months, while those on agomelatine lost about 2.5kg on average — a difference of roughly 4kg between drugs. Nearly half…

Donald Trump said he did not want a “wasted meeting” after abandoning plans for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine. Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, the US president said Moscow’s refusal to stop fighting along the current front line blocked any meaningful progress. White House halts Budapest summit A White House official confirmed there were “no plans” for a Trump-Putin meeting “in the immediate future.” The announcement came just days after Trump had said both leaders would meet in Budapest within two weeks. This week exposed widening gaps between Washington and Moscow…

France Approves Fee on Mass-Produced Clothing France has taken a major step against the environmental toll of fast fashion with the introduction of a new levy on low-cost garments. The measure imposes a €5 fee per item, set to rise gradually to €10 by 2030. The charge will vary according to a brand’s sustainability performance and cannot exceed 50% of the product’s pre-tax price. The legislation also mandates that all clothing carry a label showing its environmental score, aiming to push shoppers toward more sustainable options and discourage disposable fashion. EU Cracks Down on Import Exemptions The European Commission is…

The company behind Pizza Hut’s UK restaurants has entered administration, resulting in the closure of 68 dine-in locations and 11 delivery-only sites across the country. The affected restaurants span from Finchley Lido in London to Carlisle in Cumbria and Rhyl in north Wales, putting about 1,210 jobs at risk. DC London Pie, which operated Pizza Hut’s UK venues under a franchise agreement, appointed administrators from FTI Consulting on Monday. The move comes amid financial struggles in the casual dining sector. Parent company Yum! Brands — which also owns KFC and Taco Bell — has stepped in to purchase the UK…

European markets rose slightly on Tuesday, rebounding from recent declines despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. Major indexes in Europe opened cautiously higher after Asian shares advanced and U.S. futures dipped. By midday, Milan’s stock exchange led European gains with a 0.80% increase. Italian banking giants UniCredit and Intesa Sanpaolo, along with energy producer Eni and aerospace firm Leonardo, helped drive the rally. Germany’s defence sector also lifted sentiment, although the DAX index still slipped 0.13%. Shipbuilder TKMS gained 6.28% in Frankfurt after its IPO debut at €60 per share on Monday. Rheinmetall AG added 0.48%, while London-listed BAE Systems dropped 0.91%.…

Amazon Web Services (AWS) said late Monday that it had restored service after a major outage that left thousands of websites and apps offline globally for much of the day. Over 1,000 platforms — including Snapchat and banks such as Lloyds and Halifax — were affected by failures in Amazon’s US-based cloud network. Downdetector, a global outage tracker, reported more than 11 million user complaints during the incident. Experts said the event revealed the risks of concentrating essential digital infrastructure in the hands of a few major providers. Single technical fault impacts millions Professor Alan Woodward of the University of…