THE HOT STORY

Microsoft launches tool to help companies manage AI agents

Microsoft has introduced Agent 365, a management platform for businesses to oversee AI agents - automated programs that are expected to reach 1.3bn in use by 2028. The tool allows IT staff to monitor, secure, and control AI agents across platforms including Microsoft and Salesforce. Agents can be quarantined if they misbehave or pose cybersecurity risks. “Business leaders want to measure ROI and manage these agents just like employees,” said Judson Althoff, Microsoft’s commercial chief executive. While some firms have seen success with AI agents, others have faced implementation challenges, raising concerns about the technology’s maturity and the potential for an AI market bubble.

CNBC

Reuters

INVESTMENT

New Saudi-US business deals touted at investment forum

Billions of dollars in new investments and growing financial ties between Saudi Arabia and the US have been touted in Washington, coinciding with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's first visit since 2018. bin Salman has promised to increase his country's US investment to $1tn from a $600bn pledge he made when President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia in May. HUMAIN, a government-backed Saudi AI firm and Elon Musk's xAI will jointly develop data centres in Saudi Arabia, including a 500-megawatt facility.

Reuters

STRATEGY

Beyti launches new production lines in Egypt

Beyti has inaugurated five new production lines at its Nubaria facility, with an investment of EGP 1 bn. The expansion aims to enhance productivity, improve product quality, and promote local sourcing. Deputy Prime Minister Kamel El-Wazir noted that the investment supports national industry and local manufacturing. Almarai chief executive Abdullah Al-Bader said that the new lines increase production capacity to 32 and create job opportunities for over 6,000 employees. Beyti produces more than 130 products for local and international markets. Its business spans cheese, yoghurt, and drinking yogurt manufacturing.

Zawya EN

HIRING

Flydubai hires nearly 90% staff from Dubai

Flydubai has ordered 225 aircraft worth $37bn at the Dubai Airshow 2025 and is expanding its workforce. Chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith said that 90% of recruits come from Dubai, highlighting the region's talent pool. The airline's workforce has grown to over 6,500 employees, a 10% increase from 2024. Airbus projects that the Middle East will need 265,000 aviation professionals in the next 20 years, including 69,000 pilots and 64,000 technicians.

Khaleej Times Online

WORKFORCE

WHO to shed over 2,000 jobs by mid-2026

The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) forecasts that its workforce will shrink by 2,371 posts by June 2026 after Donald Trump withdrew the US from the agency. “This year has been one of the most difficult in WHO’s history, as we have navigated a painful but necessary process of prioritisation and realignment that has resulted in a significant reduction in our global workforce,” said Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a message to staff, adding that the process was now nearing an end. “We are now preparing to move forward with our reshaped and renewed Organisation,” he added.

Reuters

The Guardian

SUSTAINABILITY

Momentum grows at COP30 for 'road map' to quit fossil fuels

Almost 20 government ministers and more than 80 countries at the UN COP30 climate summit in Brazil have called on the almost 200 nations to sign up for a "road map" away from fossil fuel use. Supporters said that none of the options to accelerate the shift included in a draft agreement were sufficient, and they called on Brazil to do more. Panama’s climate envoy, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez, told the Financial Times that any road map would need a “lot of flexibility” to allow for the different circumstances of countries.

INTERNATIONAL

Japanese firms relax rules for workers

In Japan, retailers are relaxing hair colour rules amid a tight labour market. Hinako Mori, a 22-year-old employee at Don Quijote, says she appreciates the freedom to dye her hair, unlike in her previous job at a convenience store that enforced strict colour policies. Nearly 25% of Don Quijote's staff now sport bright hair, reflecting a broader relaxed trend among companies including Fuji Yakuhin and Tokyu Store. Reuters notes that Japanese employers have been gradually relaxing their dress codes over the past two decades, precipitated by a 2005 Ministry of Environment "Cool Biz" campaign that encouraged the ditching of jackets and ties to cut down on air conditioning costs during summer months.

U.S. News

Kela director apologises over worker comments

Lasse Lehtonen, the Director General of the Social Insurance Institution (Kela), the government agency that provides basic economic security for everyone living in Finland, has apologised for comments that offended staff. In an interview with Helsingin Sanomat, Lehtonen suggested that it is a job seekers' market, and Kela has "no particular need to retain its staff until the very last minute." During an ensuing board meeting, he acknowledged that his remarks about the job market and staff retention were inappropriate. "My comments have not shown the respect that the professionals working at Kela deserve, and for that I apologise," a statement from Lehtonen read. He noted that the agency will continue to discuss the matter with its employees.

YLE Uutiset

Thailand considers raising retirement age for civil servants

Thailand is revisiting a proposal to extend the civil service retirement age from 60 to 65, seeking to address the challenges of an ageing population and labour shortages. Deputy Prime Minister Borwornsak Uwanno has tasked the Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC) to study the feasibility of such an extension. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul supports the initiative, which aims to allow capable older officials to remain in the workforce. The OCSC's study will consider budgetary impacts and the effects on younger recruits, with findings expected by mid-December 2025. "We must prepare now," Piyawat Sivaraks, Secretary-General of OCSC, said.

The Nation

Kenya's digital transformation emboldens predators

Kenya's digital economy is thriving, but a new report by Equality Now highlights a troubling rise in online sexual exploitation. The report, titled “Not Just Online: Addressing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Across Digital and Physical Realities in Kenya,” reveals that existing laws, such as the Sexual Offences Act (2006) and the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (2018), are inadequate against modern threats. The report calls for urgent reforms to improve cross-border cooperation and enhance evidence preservation to protect survivors.

Zawya EN

OTHER

Ultra-processed foods linked to colon cancer

Younger adults consuming high amounts of ultra-processed foods are at an increased risk of developing pre-cancerous polyps, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology. Women under 50 who ate the most ultra-processed foods had a 45% higher risk of polyps compared to those with lower consumption. Dr. Andrew Chan, senior researcher at Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, emphasised the need to reduce ultra-processed food intake to combat the rise of early-onset colorectal cancer. The study analysed data from over 29,000 female nurses, revealing that those consuming an average of 10 servings of ultra-processed foods daily faced a significantly higher risk. Christine Molmenti, a cancer epidemiologist, noted that these foods often lack nutritional value and can disrupt the microbiome, leading to inflammation and metabolic issues. "Ultra-processed foods and junk foods promote disease", she said, highlighting the urgent need for dietary awareness.

US News and World Report

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