Record 900,000 Fireworks to Light up Saudi Skies on National Day

Preparations are underway for Saudi Arabia's commemoration of its National Day. (SPA)
Preparations are underway for Saudi Arabia's commemoration of its National Day. (SPA)
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Record 900,000 Fireworks to Light up Saudi Skies on National Day

Preparations are underway for Saudi Arabia's commemoration of its National Day. (SPA)
Preparations are underway for Saudi Arabia's commemoration of its National Day. (SPA)

Preparations are underway in Saudi Arabia to commemorate the Kingdom’s 88th National Day on Sunday.

A record 900,000 fireworks will be fired on the occasion, one of many events that will be taking place on that day.

The 18-minute fireworks show will light up the sky in 20 regions and cities. Their launch will be accompanied by the playing of national songs.

In addition, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SFCPD) and General Authority for Entertainment (GEA) will launch the world's two largest Saudi flags.

Three hundred drones will fly over Riyadh and Jeddah in the shape of the Saudi flag.

The flags, with a length of 400 meters and width of 350 meters, will be registered in the Guinness Book of Records.

Throughout the week, various Saudi monuments and buildings were lit in the Kingdom’s green color to mark the occasion. Similar scenes were witnessed in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Posters of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, have been hoisted throughout the Kingdom.

In Dubai, Burj Khalifa will commemorate Saudi National Day with a LED display, while a show to mark the occasion is also be prepared at the nearby Dubai Fountain.



Microsoft's Linkedin Sued for Disclosing Customer Information to Train AI Models

FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen between displayed US flag and Linkedin logo in this illustration picture, August 30, 2018. To match Exclusive LINKEDIN-CHINA/ESPIONAGE  REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen between displayed US flag and Linkedin logo in this illustration picture, August 30, 2018. To match Exclusive LINKEDIN-CHINA/ESPIONAGE REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Microsoft's Linkedin Sued for Disclosing Customer Information to Train AI Models

FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen between displayed US flag and Linkedin logo in this illustration picture, August 30, 2018. To match Exclusive LINKEDIN-CHINA/ESPIONAGE  REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen between displayed US flag and Linkedin logo in this illustration picture, August 30, 2018. To match Exclusive LINKEDIN-CHINA/ESPIONAGE REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Microsoft's LinkedIn has been sued by Premium customers who said the business-focused social media platform disclosed their private messages to third parties without permission to train generative artificial intelligence models.
According to a proposed class action filed on Tuesday night on behalf of millions of LinkedIn Premium customers, LinkedIn quietly introduced a privacy setting last August that let users enable or disable the sharing of their personal data, Reuters said.
Customers said LinkedIn then discreetly updated its privacy policy on Sept. 18 to say data could be used to train AI models, and in a "frequently asked questions" hyperlink said opting out "does not affect training that has already taken place."
This attempt to "cover its tracks" suggests LinkedIn was fully aware it violated customers' privacy and its promise to use personal data only to support and improve its platform, in order to minimize public scrutiny and legal fallout, the complaint said.
The lawsuit was filed in the San Jose, California, federal court on behalf of LinkedIn Premium customers who sent or received InMail messages, and whose private information was disclosed to third parties for AI training before Sept. 18.
It seeks unspecified damages for breach of contract and violations of California's unfair competition law, and $1,000 per person for violations of the federal Stored Communications Act.
LinkedIn said in a statement: "These are false claims with no merit."
A lawyer for the plaintiffs had no immediate additional comment.
The lawsuit was filed several hours after US President Donald Trump announced a joint venture among Microsoft-backed OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank, with a potential $500 billion of investment, to build AI infrastructure in the United States.
The case is De La Torre v. LinkedIn Corp, US District Court, Northern District of California, No. 25-00709.