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Manga Productions Partners with SEGA to Publish 'Sonic Racing: Crossworlds' Game in MENA

Manga Productions signed a publishing and distribution agreement with the Japanese gaming giant SEGA to publish the iconic game Sonic in the Middle East and North Africa. (SPA)
Manga Productions signed a publishing and distribution agreement with the Japanese gaming giant SEGA to publish the iconic game Sonic in the Middle East and North Africa. (SPA)
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Manga Productions Partners with SEGA to Publish 'Sonic Racing: Crossworlds' Game in MENA

Manga Productions signed a publishing and distribution agreement with the Japanese gaming giant SEGA to publish the iconic game Sonic in the Middle East and North Africa. (SPA)
Manga Productions signed a publishing and distribution agreement with the Japanese gaming giant SEGA to publish the iconic game Sonic in the Middle East and North Africa. (SPA)

Manga Productions, a subsidiary of Mohammed bin Salman Foundation (Misk), has signed a publishing and distribution agreement with the Japanese gaming giant SEGA to publish the iconic game Sonic in the Middle East and North Africa.

CEO of Manga Productions Dr. Essam Bukhary said: “Manga Productions has built strategic partnerships that support the creative content industry in Saudi Arabia and the region. Our collaboration with SEGA brings 'Sonic Racing: Crossworlds' to MENA audiences.”

In a statement on Monday, Manga Productions said it will collaborate with SEGA to publish the game for audiences in the MENA region, providing opportunities for Saudi talents to participate in the publishing process, as well as marketing the game.

“Sonic Racing: Crossworlds” is the next-generation kart racing game developed by SEGA's arcade racing team. Its standout feature is its dynamic track design, where players warp into an unknown world on the second lap of each race, making every race unpredictable and thrilling.

With a record-breaking 23 characters available at launch, the roster will continue to expand through post-launch updates, featuring guest appearances from Hatsune Miku, Joker (Persona 5 Royal), Ichiban Kasuga (Like a Dragon), Minecraft, SpongeBob SquarePants, and more.

Players can customize their racing strategies using over 70 types of “Gadgets,” each offering unique skills and advantages. The game also supports cross-play in online multiplayer, allowing up to 12 players to compete in various exciting modes.

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Technology

OpenAI Seeks to Increase Global AI Use in Everyday Life

The OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. (Reuters)
The OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. (Reuters)
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OpenAI Seeks to Increase Global AI Use in Everyday Life

The OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. (Reuters)
The OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. (Reuters)

OpenAI is expanding its efforts to convince global governments to build more data centers and encourage greater usage of artificial intelligence in areas such as education, health ​and disaster preparedness.

The initiative – called OpenAI for Countries – will expand the reach of its products and help close the gap between countries with broad access to AI technology and nations that do not yet have the capacity, the company said.

OpenAI also hopes to encourage deeper usage of its tools, adding that AI systems are capable of more complex tasks than many ‌people realize.

“Most ‌countries are still operating far short ‌of ⁠what today’s ​AI ‌systems make possible,” the company said in a report shared with Reuters.

OpenAI started the international initiative last year and appointed former British finance minister George Osborne to oversee the project in December. Osborne and Chris Lehane, OpenAI chief global affairs officer, are pitching government officials on the project this week in Davos.

The initiative is part of ⁠a broader strategy that has helped cement ChatGPT creator OpenAI at the vanguard of ‌the modern AI boom. The company was ‍most recently worth $500 billion ‍and is exploring a public offering that could be worth as ‍much as $1 trillion.

Eleven countries have signed up for OpenAI for Countries. Each deal is structured differently.
Estonia, for example, is embedding OpenAI's education tool, ChatGPT Edu, into secondary schools across the country. In Norway, OpenAI is working with other companies to build data centers and become their first customer.

On Wednesday, OpenAI ⁠executives said they were hoping to work with governments in other areas, like disaster planning. In South Korea, OpenAI is exploring a deal with the government’s water authority to build a real-time, water-disaster warning and defense system against water problems driven by climate change.

In its report, OpenAI said its typical “power user” - or those in the 95th percentile - reaches for OpenAI’s advanced reasoning capabilities seven times more often than a typical user. There are also big gaps within countries.

For example, in Singapore, which has broad access to ‌AI tools, people send more than three times more messages about coding than average, the report said.

Technology

Beijing Vows to ‘Safeguard’ Rights if EU Bans Telecom Suppliers

21 January 2026, China, Beijing: Guo Jiakun, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, answers questions from journalists. (dpa)
21 January 2026, China, Beijing: Guo Jiakun, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, answers questions from journalists. (dpa)
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Beijing Vows to ‘Safeguard’ Rights if EU Bans Telecom Suppliers

21 January 2026, China, Beijing: Guo Jiakun, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, answers questions from journalists. (dpa)
21 January 2026, China, Beijing: Guo Jiakun, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, answers questions from journalists. (dpa)

Beijing vowed on Wednesday that it would "safeguard" the rights and interests of Chinese businesses if the European Union pushes on with plans to ban "high-risk" foreign telecoms suppliers, a move seen as targeting China.

Brussels unveiled the proposal on Tuesday as part of plans to revise its cybersecurity rules in a bid to bolster Europe's defenses against a surge in cyber attacks.

It did not name any country or company as a target, but has taken an Increasingly tough stance on trade issues with China, often citing security concerns.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters on Wednesday the move amounts to protectionism by the bloc.

"We urge the EU to avoid going further down the wrong path of protectionism, otherwise, China will inevitably take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," Guo told a news conference.

The plans would see the European Union block third-country companies from European mobile networks if they are deemed a security risk, building on previous measures in 2023 that saw Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE excluded from networks.

Guo warned that the EU plans would again incur "huge" economic costs.

"It is naked protectionism. Behavior that wantonly interferes in the market and goes against the laws of economics not only fails to achieve so-called security but also incurs huge costs," he said.

Brussels took the new step after the 2023 measures failed to yield enough change across the 27-country bloc.

Technology

Saudi Arabia, Japan Explore AI and Digital Government Collaboration

The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology met with Japan's Minister for Digital Transformation in Davos. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology met with Japan's Minister for Digital Transformation in Davos. SPA
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Saudi Arabia, Japan Explore AI and Digital Government Collaboration

The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology met with Japan's Minister for Digital Transformation in Davos. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology met with Japan's Minister for Digital Transformation in Davos. SPA

Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha met with Japan's Minister for Digital Transformation Hisashi Matsumoto during the Kingdom's participation in the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

The meeting focused on expanding the partnership between the two countries in digital government, AI, digital capability development, and the empowerment of entrepreneurship.