An Ethiopian man describes how he was tortured by human traffickers as he went in search of his nephew on a now infamous migration route from the Horn of Africa through Yemen to Saudi Arabia.
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Kidnapped and tortured on an infamous migration route to Saudi Arabia
An Ethiopian man describes how he was tortured by human traffickers as he went in search of his nephew on a now infamous migration route from the Horn of Africa through Yemen to Saudi Arabia.
Truecaller Partners with AnyMind Group to Expand Direct Sales Footprint Across MENA and Southeast Asia
CASSABLANCA, Morocco, 27 February 2026-/African Media Agency(AMA)/- Truecaller, the leading global communications platform, today announced a strategic direct sales reseller partnership with AnyMind Group, a Business-Process-as-a-Service company for marketing, e-commerce and digital transformation. The collaboration is aimed at accelerating the growth of Truecaller’s direct advertising business across the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) and Southeast Asia (SEA) regions.
Under this partnership, AnyMind Group will serve as the exclusive intermediary for Truecaller’s advertising inventory across Egypt, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Ghana, Nigeria, Morocco, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. The scope of the partnership is focused specifically on enabling brands and agencies to leverage Truecaller’s premium ad formats to reach highly engaged, high-intent users through relevant, data-driven advertising solutions.
With a strong on-ground presence and established relationships with leading advertisers and agencies across MENA and SEA markets, AnyMind Group brings deep regional expertise that will support the scaling of Truecaller’s advertising footprint locally. The partnership is designed to empower brands with impactful placements on Truecaller’s trusted communications platform, helping drive meaningful engagement with users in these fast-growing digital economies.
Truecaller continues to see strong user adoption across MENA and Southeast Asia, presenting advertisers with significant opportunities to connect with audiences in trusted, brand-safe environments. By combining Truecaller’s global scale, proprietary data capabilities, and premium ad formats with AnyMind Group’s local market leadership and execution strength, the partnership aims to unlock the full monetization potential of Truecaller’s ad inventory in these regions.
Commenting on the partnership, Hemant Arora, Vice President & Global Head Truecaller Ads Business, said: “As Truecaller continues to expand its global advertising business, partnerships with strong regional players like AnyMind Group are critical to delivering localized expertise and measurable outcomes for advertisers. MENA and Southeast Asia represent high-growth markets with evolving digital maturity, and through this collaboration, we aim to bring brands closer to consumers via trusted and contextual communication experiences on our platform.”
Aditya Aima, Managing Director, Growth Markets; Co-MD, India and MENA from AnyMind Group added: “We are excited to partner with Truecaller to open its inventory to brands across MENA and Southeast Asia. With Truecaller’s scale and trusted user ecosystem, combined with our market depth and networks, we see strong potential to drive more relevant, high-impact advertising outcomes for advertisers looking to deepen engagement in these dynamic markets.”
This collaboration marks an important milestone in Truecaller’s broader international expansion strategy, focused on building strong local partnerships to deliver measurable value to advertisers while driving sustainable revenue growth across emerging markets.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Truecaller
About AnyMind Group
Founded in April 2016, AnyMind Group [TSE:5027] is a Business-Process-as-a-Service company for marketing, e-commerce and digital transformation. The company provides end-to- end offerings to brands and businesses, publishers and influencers for digital commerce, marketing, logistics, customer engagement, data and AI utilization, publisher monetization and creator monetization. AnyMind Group has over 2,000 staff across 24 offices in 15 markets, including Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, India, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia.
As of September 2025, the company serves over 1,000 enterprises for marketing, 190+enterprises for e-commerce, 1,800+ publishers and 2,100+ creators. More information is available on the company’s investor disclosure site.
About Truecaller and Truecaller Ads
Truecaller is an essential part of everyday communication for over 450 million active users, with more than a billion downloads since launch and 68 billion spam and fraud calls identified in 2025 alone. The company has been headquartered in Stockholm since 2009 and has been publicly listed on Nasdaq Stockholm since October 2021. Advertising is the primary revenue stream for Truecaller. Truecaller Ads serves 5 billion impressions every day and is trusted by over 10,000 brands. Visit https://advertisers.truecaller.com for more information.
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Thales to recruit more than 9,000 new employees in 2026
DOHA, Qatar, 18 February 2026-/African Media Agency(AMA)/- Thales, world leader in high technologies for Defence, Aerospace and Cybersecurity & Digital, plans to recruit more than 9,000 employees worldwide in 2026.
These hiring prospects follow the recruitment of 8,800 employees in 2025, exceeding the initially announced target of 8,000 new talent. Over the past 5 years, Thales has recruited at least 8,000 people per year to support the growth dynamics of its three business sectors.
In 2025, Thales received 1.4 million applications worldwide, exceeding its record of one million CVs received in 2024. The Universum ranking positioned Thales in first place amongst the most attractive employers for engineering school students in France (and second place in 2024).
Strengthening the diversity of teams and management committees remains a priority for the Group. In 2025, women accounted for 32% of all recruitments. 69% of the Group’s management committees are composed of at least 4 women and Thales aims to reach 75% in 2026.
In 2026, Thales plans to recruit 150 people in the Middle East and Africa with 60 in the United Arab Emirates and 30 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In France, Thales will recruit 3,300 people, including 1,630 in the Ile-de-France, 290 in Brittany, 280 in Nouvelle Aquitaine, 270 in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, 250 in Occitanie, 220 in Centre-Val de Loire, 180 in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and 130 in Pays de la Loire.
In addition to the 9,000 external recruitments, and thanks to the variety of Thales’ three business sectors, roles and geographies, 3,500 employees will benefit from internal mobility. Additionally, the Group’s “Learning Company” approach, with more than 35 internal academies, will enable employees to develop their skills, thereby maintaining Thales’ expertise at the highest level worldwide.
Thales is committed to advancing the integration of people with disabilities, with an employment rate of over 7% in France in 2025.
Around 40% of new arrivals will be assigned to engineering (software and systems engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data) and 25% to industry (technician, operator and engineer positions).
Thales reinforces commitment to inspire and support young talent in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
Thales is dedicated to fostering the careers of young people and places strong emphasis on welcoming apprentices and interns, particularly in France, where it will support 1,700 trainees and 1,600 apprentices from Bac+2 to Bac+5, as well as 1,000 third-year and 500 second-year students in 2026. For these young people, these opportunities serve as a stepping stone to future employment. In 2025, apprentices and interns accounted for 15% of Thales’ recruitment in France.
Through its “Vocation Makers” programme, Thales is actively engaging with young people ages 6 to 18 to spark their interest in science and technology. This is achieved through site visits and educational presentations in schools. In 2025, the Group met with 250,000 students worldwide, ranging from primary to high school levels.
In parallel, Thales has launched the STEM for All’s programme, a scholarship and mentorship initiative in partnership with the French Academy of Technologies. The programme is designed to support and inspire young students from disadvantaged backgrounds who aspire to pursue careers in STEM. In its inaugural year, 40 awards were given in France and Belgium, each including a €5,000 grant and one-year of mentorship from a Thales employee. In 2026, STEM for All will be expanded in 2026 to countries including the Czech Republic, Poland, Greece, Romania, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil and South Korea.
“We take great pride in seeing Thales’ appeal grow stronger year after year. The talented individuals who join us are driven by a desire to contribute to the development of sovereign, innovative, and sustainable solutions that the world needs more than ever. Together, we shaping the future by inspiring an increasing number of young people, especially young women, to pursue careers in science and technology.”
Patrice Caine, CEO of Thales
Candidates interested in the positions available at Thales can find out more and apply online at https://www.thalesgroup.com/fr/candidat and here for STEM for All.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Thales
About Thales
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies in advanced for the Defence, Aerospace and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.
The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.
Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.
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House Votes On Epstein Files, MAGA Coalition Cracks, Saudi Leader Visits White House
The House votes today on whether to force the release of long-awaited Epstein files, a move pushed by a bipartisan coalition despite President Trump’s earlier efforts to stop it. A widening feud between Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene exposes growing cracks inside the MAGA movement over foreign policy and the “America First” agenda. And President Trump welcomes Saudi Arabia’s crown prince to the White House as both sides seek deeper security and economic ties.
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p class=”readrate” data-rr=”17″ data-pm-slice=”1 1 []”>Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Kelsey Snell, Megan Pratz, Rebecca Rossman, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.
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p class=”readrate” data-rr=”17″>It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.
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p class=”readrate” data-rr=”17″>We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
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Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Major Decision About Future Ahead of 2026 World Cup
Soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo is gearing up for one last shot at the FIFA World Cup.
The Portuguese superstar, 40, confirmed that the 2026 World Cup will “definitely” be his last and that he would retire “soon” during an interview at the Tourise Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, November 11.
“I am enjoying the moment, but when I mean soon, it’s really soon,” he said, “because I give everything for football. I’m in the game for the last 25 years, I did everything, I have many records in the different scenarios in the clubs and also in the national team — I’m really proud. So let’s enjoy the moment and live the moment.”
The 2026 World Cup, which North America will host, will be Ronaldo’s sixth. Though he’s among the most accomplished players in the tournament’s history as the all-time leading World Cup goal scorer and the only men’s player to score a goal in five different World Cups, he is still seeking an elusive championship for his country. He helped lead Portugal to a fourth-place finish in 2006, his first appearance, but Portugal has not advanced past the quarterfinals since.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez’s Relationship Timeline
Ronaldo added that while he’s almost ready to call it a career, he still feels good enough to contribute at a high level.
“So, the moment is good, I feel very good in this moment,” he said. “I score goals, I still feel quick and sharp, I’m enjoying my game in the national team and [the Saudi Pro League’s] Al Nassr, but of course, let’s be honest, when I mean ‘soon’ it’s probably one, two years I’ll still be in the game.”
But even if this is the last World Cup for Ronaldo, he hopes his family’s presence on soccer’s biggest stage is just beginning. He is the father of Cristiano Jr., 15, who is currently a member of Portugal’s under-16 club. Cristiano Sr. said he hopes his son can be an even better player than he is.
“Human beings, we don’t want nobody being better than us,” he said. “But in my point, I wish if my kids will be better than me, I’m never going to be jealous of him, trust me. As a father, I’m here to help him to be whatever he wants to be.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and His Kids Cheer on Georgina Rodriguez at Fashion Week
He struck a similar tone in the 2022 Netflix docuseries I Am Georgina, which profiled his now-fiancée Georgina Rodriguez, where he said he would “never pressure” his son to play soccer but that he could be “great” if he chose to pursue the sport.
“He will do what he wants,” Cristiano Sr. said. “Also, what I want the most for [Cristiano Jr.] and everyone else is that they’re happy and that they choose what they want. I will support in any way.”
Cristiano Sr. shares his son with a mystery woman who he has never publicly identified. He also welcomed twins Eva Maria and Mateo, 7, via surrogate in 2017. He and Georgina Rodriguez share daughters Alana, 8, and son Bella, 3. Bella’s twin brother, Angel, died in labor in 2022.
Pete Davidson Makes Surprise ‘SNL’ Cameo, Gives Update on Future Fatherhood
Pete Davidson made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live to share the latest updates on his life in the two years since he last appeared on the long-running variety show.
“Colin [Jost], you’re looking as great as ever,” Davidson, 31, said during the Saturday, November 8, “Weekend Update” segment, jokingly adding that Jost’s cohost, Michael Che, “was starting to crack.”
Davidson, dressed in a gray graphic T-shirt and a leather bomber jacket, took a seat at the anchor desk to address speculation that he and Jost, 43, were losing money with their Staten Island Ferry remodel. (Davidson and Jost purchased the decommissioned ship in 2022 with plans to transform it into an entertainment venue.)
“In case you’re wondering why I had to do a show in Saudi Arabia, we’re losing millions on this ferry,” Davidson said. “I assume that’s what the [New York Times] article says. I can’t spend $5 on a paywall when I got a kid on the way.”
Colin Jost Says Scarlett Johansson Took His $280K Ferry Purchase in Stride
Davidson’s girlfriend, Elsie Hewitt, announced this summer that she and the comedian are expecting their first baby.
“Hell yeah, I’m just excited to be a dad and give it all the energy and enthusiasm I never had for this show,” Davidson, who left SNL in 2022 after eight years as a cast member, said.
Jost, for his part, added that being a father is preferable compared to having a ferry. (Jost and wife Scarlett Johansson share 3-year-old son Cosmo. The actress, 40, is also mom to daughter Rose, 10, from a previous relationship.)
“What do you have to worry about? You have a great job and your uncle Robert [F. Kennedy] is the HSS secretary?” Davidson asked Jost, jokingly suggesting that his former SNL colleague is a member of the Kennedy family. “I actually understand RFK. Look, I wouldn’t be famous without my dad dying either.”
Davidson’s father, Scott, died in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks when the actor was 7 years old.
“Thank God that happened, wouldn’t trade it,” Davidson sarcastically added on Saturday, before going back to his original message about the ferry upgrades. “We even gave the boat a new name. We thought ‘The Staten Island Ferry’ sounded too depressing, so now it’s called ‘The Titanic II.’”
As for Jost, he stressed that the pair’s ship upgrades were “going very well.”
“We got paid by Nike to put an ad on it for the New York City Marathon,” Jost stated.
MGK! Kid Cudi! See Who’s In Pete Davidson’s Inner Circle
Davidson then revealed how the ferryboat purchase was actually inspired by longtime SNL showrunner Lorne Michaels.
“If Lorne Michaels taught us anything, it’s that you never ever give up,” he said. “Even if everyone says the time has come and Tina Fey is ready to take over. [And] I actually have an idea to make this ferry a success. As you know, we just had a mayoral election, which is my least favorite type of oral.”
Davidson subsequently interrupted his own bit to exclaim that it was a “classic Pete” innuendo-filled joke.
“Pete’s back, baby,” he quipped. “It’s now this, and [my SNL character] Chad.”
While Davidson left SNL in 2022, he briefly returned the next year to make his hosting debut on the show.
Saturday Night Live airs on NBC Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. EDT.
Aleph Hospitality Celebrates 50th Hotel and Sets Bold Growth Trajectory for 2029
A decade of owner-focused partnerships drives record growth for the Dubai-based hotel management company
DUBAI, 15 October 2025 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- Aleph Hospitality celebrated its 10th anniversary this September, marking a decade-long expansion from a single hotel in 2015 to 50 operating hotels across 39 cities and 23 countries in the Middle East and Africa in 2025.
The Dubai-based hotel management company disrupted the traditional hotel management model a decade before global competitors entered the region and grew to become the largest independent hotel management company in the Middle East and Africa.
Aleph Hospitality’s 10-year rise can be accredited to several factors: market foresight, a scalable tailored-to-fit hotel management model, agile operations, regional expertise and focus on driving benefits to owners to maximise their returns. The company’s close and collaborative relationship with hotel owners is a key component of its exponential growth, leading to over 60% of existing hotel owners entrusting multiple properties to Aleph Hospitality’s management.
In 2025 Aleph Hospitality secured the largest ever hotel management portfolio deal in the region with African Hotel Development Group for the management of 26 ONOMO-branded hotels across 15 African countries. The same year, the company won Leading Hotel Management Company in the Leaders in Hospitality Awards 2025 by Hotel & Catering Middle East.
Previous milestones include the opening of a regional office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and the opening of the landmark complex Jewel of the Creek which comprises 20,000sqm of retail space, an 86-berths marina and two branded properties with a total of 770 keys: Hilton Dubai Creek Hotel & Residences and Marriott Marquis Dubai Creek. In a first for the region, Aleph Hospitality manages this complex with two different brands with clustered support functions.
To reinforce its regional expertise and responsiveness to hotel owners, Aleph Hospitality will be opening four new regional offices in 2026: Casablanca in Morocco, Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Town in South Africa and Nairobi in Kenya. The company has also announced a Luxury Division to provide dedicated attention to its growing portfolio of luxury hotels. Having reached its long-standing goal of operating 50 hotels by 2025, Aleph Hospitality has set itself a new ambitious goal: operating 100 hotels by the end of 2029.
Bani Haddad, Founder and Managing Director of Aleph Hospitality said: “Pioneering a new business model requires patience, and the determination to remain steadfast in a vision that anticipated industry change a decade ahead. It is deeply rewarding to see that foresight validated today and that our business model has proven to be both resilient and successful.”
Neil George, Executive Director of Aleph Hospitality added: “It took considerable market education to introduce a model that, although well proven in the rest of the world, was new to our region. The results of those efforts are now evident. Our focus for the future is clear: to continue to deliver locally smart, world-class owner-centric hotel management services across the region.”
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Aleph Hospitality.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
About Aleph Hospitality
Headquartered in Dubai, with regional offices in Riyadh, Casablanca, Abidjan, Cape Town and Nairobi, Aleph Hospitality is the first and largest independent hotel management company in the Middle East and Africa. Aleph Hospitality manages over 50 hotels, representing 7,000+ rooms across 23 countries and 39 cities. Working for hotel owners, either with a franchise for branded properties or as a white label operator for independent hotels, Aleph Hospitality handles all aspects of hotel operations at any stage of development – from site and brand selection to technical assistance, pre-opening and day-to-day operations. Aleph Hospitality’s regional expertise has earned the trust of leading brands such as Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Accor, Best Western, Rotana, Wyndham and Onomo. Visit www.alephhospitality.com
Media Contact:
Anne Bleeker
Managing Director, In2 Consulting
anne@in2consulting.com / +971 56 603 0886
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Donald Trump wraps up Gulf tour with a string of lucrative deals in UAE
United States President Donald Trump wrapped his Middle East tour on Friday that saw him visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and with a last stop in the United Arab Emirates.
In this first visit to the UAE by a US president since 2008, the two countries pledged to strengthen ties and announced deals totalling over $200 billion.
This includes a partnership with the UAE to build a massive AI data centre in its capital, Abu Dhabi, and for the Gulf state to buy advanced AI semiconductors from US companies.
Its Etihad Airways has said it will buy in 28 US-made Boeing aircraft in a deal worth $14,5 billion.
Abu Dhabi itself has pledged to hike the value of its energy investments in the US to $440 billion in the next decade.
The four-day trip to the region was very much focused on business and resulted in a string of lucrative deals for both Washington and the three countries.
Trump boarded Air Force One in Abu Dhabi on Friday, giving his signature fist pump before heading back home, having shifted Washington’s focus from Israel to the wealthy Gulf states.
Record volume and revenue for Ethiopian coffee exports
Ethiopia’s Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA) said Wednesday that the country earned a record $1.868 billion from coffee exports over the past 10 months.
Its director-general, Adugna Debela, said 354,302 thousand tonnes were sold, with Germany, Saudi Arabia, and the United States ranked as its top three destinations.
These figures represents an increase of 70 per cent in volume and 87 per cent in revenue compared to the same period in the last fiscal year.
Debela described this as an “outstanding achievement” and the outcome of a well-coordinated national effort.
He also expressed optimism that the next two months of the fiscal year would build on the same momentum.
Coffee production is seen as the backbone of the country’s agriculture-led economy and is the primary source of its export revenue.
The brew is one of the world’s most widely consumed beverages with an estimated 2 and a quarter billion cups of it is consumed daily.
It is also one of the most traded commodities, with the Arabica species representing the majority of global coffee production.
The variety makes a cup of joe that is smooth and mild with fruity and nutty notes.
Last year researchers unlocked the genome of the Arabica species and confirmed that its origins were in Ethiopia’s southwestern highlands.
The country’s coffee producers, many of them smallholder farmers, take great pride in their high-quality beans.
They are a result of Ethiopia’s exceptional heirloom varieties, high altitudes, and traditional farming practices.
Farmers believe the characteristic flavour and quality of Ethiopian coffee is derived from growing it in the shade of larger trees.