live Houthi attacks target Riyadh as Iran sets conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are m...
Amazon says it will cut 16,000 corporate jobs, completing a plan to shed around 30,000 positions since October, as the company restructures and increases its use of artificial intelligence.
The layoffs affect nearly 10% of Amazon’s corporate workforce and mark the largest job cuts in the company’s history. Most of Amazon’s 1.58 million employees work in fulfilment centres and warehouses.
The company says the cuts are aimed at reducing management layers, cutting bureaucracy and increasing ownership across teams. Amazon’s top human resources executive Beth Galetti said some teams may still make further adjustments. Most U.S.-based employees whose roles are affected will be given 90 days to look for another job inside the company. Timing may vary in other countries depending on local labour rules.
Amazon has also announced it is closing its remaining Fresh grocery stores and Go markets and is dropping its Amazon One palm-scan payment system after years of investment.
The move comes as CEO Andy Jassy pushes to abandon underperforming businesses and streamline operations. He has said wider use of generative AI and internal AI agents will change how work is done across Amazon. Jassy has warned the company will need fewer people in some roles and more in others as efficiency gains from AI grow, and that overall corporate headcount is likely to fall in the coming years.
The latest round follows 14,000 job cuts announced in October, which Amazon linked to the growing role of AI and concerns about corporate culture.
Amazon also mistakenly sent an internal email referencing the layoffs as “Project Dawn” to some Amazon Web Services staff, unsettling thousands of employees. Workers across AWS, Alexa, Prime Video, devices, advertising and last-mile delivery teams say they have been affected.
Amazon has been cutting costs so it can invest more heavily in AI and in the rapid expansion of data centres. The company has said capital spending is expected to reach about $125 billion in 2026.
Shares in Amazon were up slightly in pre-market trading.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker was struck while attempting to make an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said early on Friday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
German voters cast ballots on Sunday in two state elections that could add to the political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as his government faces growing public frustration and a resurgent far right.
Iraq has returned restricted airspace across the western part of the country to civilian authorities, ending limits imposed for military operations against Islamic State since 2016, the Transport Ministry said.
Denmark and Greenland have moved to reassure the public that their sovereignty will remain intact under a new security agreement with the United States.
World leaders are set to gather at the United Nations General Assembly in New York for several days of high-level debate, with Iran, Ukraine, artificial intelligence (AI) and a range of global crises expected to dominate discussions this week.
Ed Sheeran has broken his silence on the controversy surrounding his U.S. tour, apologising for decisions made after rapper Macklemore was removed from the line-up over his public support for Palestine.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment