Huda Beauty ends partnership with Love Island star Huda Mustafa after viral livestream backlash
Huda Beauty has cut ties with Love Island star Huda Mustafa after a viral livestream backlash. The brand says the incident “does not reflect its values.”
Hadia Seema
Journalist at LAFFAZ, Hadia Seema blends research-driven reporting with clarity to cover entrepreneurship, innovation, and business developments across the startup ecosystem. Her work makes complex corporate and market developments accessible, highlighting emerging startup trends, founder journeys, and innovation across multiple markets.
Rama Duwaji’s Election-Night Look Wove Fashion, Identity, and Resistance Into One Statement
On a night of political triumph, Rama Duwaji turned fashion into a language of identity and solidarity — wearing a Palestinian design that carried history, heritage, and quiet defiance.
DisrupTech Ventures Invests in Chari, Expands Fintech Footprint Beyond Egypt
DisrupTech Ventures invests in Morocco’s Chari, turning local shops into fintech access points. The fund joins Chari’s board to boost financial inclusion and digital innovation across Africa.
BRKZ Secures $30 Million Debt from Stride Ventures to Boost Saudi Construction Sector
BRKZ has secured a $30 million growth debt from Stride Ventures to expand financing solutions for Saudi Arabia’s booming construction sector, empowering contractors and driving Vision 2030 projects.
Jeel and Mambu Partner to Accelerate Saudi Arabia’s Fintech Innovation and Enable Banking as a Service (BaaS)
Jeel, the innovation arm of Riyad Bank, joins forces with Mambu to boost Saudi Arabia’s fintech ecosystem through the Jeel Sandbox, advancing Vision 2030 and Banking-as-a-Service.
Doha Bank and PayTabs Group partner to boost Qatar’s Digital Commerce and Cashless Economy
Doha Bank partners with PayTabs Group to strengthen Qatar’s digital commerce ecosystem, empowering SMEs and advancing the nation’s cashless economy vision.
Saudi Arabia’s Spare Raises $5 Million to Transform Open Banking Across MENA
Riyadh-based fintech will use funding to scale API integrations, enhance product development, and accelerate regional adoption of secure, real-time financial connectivity.
Foodics and Lean Technologies partner to empower restaurants with Open Banking and Cashflow Intelligence
Foodics partners with Lean Technologies to bring Open Banking and cashflow insights to Saudi restaurants, boosting financial visibility and growth.
Judge Delays Anthropic’s $1.5 Billion Settlement With Authors, Microsoft Seeks Collaboration
U.S. Judge William Alsup scrutinizes Anthropic’s $1.5 billion settlement with authors over pirated books, Microsoft to adopt AI models of Anthropic via AWS
European Commission hits Google with €2.95 Bn Antitrust fine; Trump warns of trade retaliation
The European Commission has fined Google €2.95 billion for abusing its dominance in the adtech market by favouring its own services. Google plans to appeal, while U.S. President Donald Trump slammed the ruling as “unfair” and threatened trade retaliation under Section 301.
Ex-Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal Launches AI Startup ‘Parallel’ with $30 Million Funding
Parag Agrawal launches AI startup Parallel with $30 million funding, claims to outperform OpenAI’s GPT-5 in advanced web-centric research tasks.
Indian Company Ships $1.4 Mn in Explosives to Russian Firms Amid US Sanctions Warning
Indian company Ideal Detonators exported $1.4 million worth of HMX, a high explosive with military uses, to Russia in December.