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Israeli occupier attacks threaten historic Christian presence in West Bank town

In Taybeh, one of the few Palestinian communities with a Christian majority in the occupied West Bank, fears are growing that Israeli occupier attacks on farmland and property could push more families to emigrate, threatening the town’s demographic character and historic Christian presence. Local officials and clergy warned of the impact of rising violence by Israeli occupiers, which has coincided with worsening living and economic conditions in the town. Taybeh, east of Ramallah, is one of the few Palestinian towns in the West Bank that still has a Christian majority, according to church and local accounts. Residents say the town’s Christian roots go back thousands of years. Residents say the attacks have deepened fears in the town, even as they stress their determination to remain on their land. Also Read: Pakistan raises red flag over illegal settlements in West Bank, calls for Israel accountability In recent years, Israeli occupiers have established several ill...
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‘Pokémon Go’ to sell to a Saudi-owned firm for $3.5 billion

Niantic Inc., the maker of the globally popular game Pokémon Go, is in negotiations to sell its video-game business to Scopely Inc., a mobile game company owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Sources familiar with the discussions say the deal could be valued at around $3.5 billion and might be finalised in the coming weeks. The agreement is expected to include the Pokémon Go franchise as well as other Niantic mobile games. Niantic, which was spun out from Google in 2015, found massive success with Pokémon Go, an augmented reality game that became a worldwide phenomenon. However, in recent years, the company has struggled to replicate that success. In 2022 and 2023, it made staff cuts and canceled several upcoming games, including the Harry Potter: Wizards Unite game, which was shut down in 2022. Representatives from both Niantic and Scopely have declined to comment on the discussions. Scopely is owned by Savvy Games Group, which is a subsidiary of the Saudi Public Investment Fund. Niantic’s CEO and founder, John Hanke, who previously worked at Google in the satellite mapping division, created Pokémon Go to encourage players to explore their neighborhoods using an interactive map. Pokémon Go remains the most downloaded and profitable augmented reality app of all time, according to Niantic. In addition to its gaming endeavors, Niantic has developed tools that capture and share 3D scans of real-world locations, contributing to a large geospatial model that integrates millions of scenes using machine learning. Scopely, which was acquired by Savvy Games for $4.9 billion in 2022, has been positioning itself as a leading mobile game developer. In 2024, Savvy CEO Brian Ward stated that the company aimed to add a “genre-leading” mobile title to its portfolio through Scopely as part of its broader investment strategy in mobile gaming. The potential acquisition follows a deal between Niantic and Savvy in August 2024, aimed at expanding Niantic’s reach in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt as part of Savvy’s efforts to invest in the gaming industry and diversify the Saudi economy. This potential deal marks a significant move in Saudi Arabia’s growing involvement in the global gaming sector, a key part of the Public Investment Fund’s broader strategy to diversify the nation’s economic portfolio.

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At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

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