Facebook owner Meta said on Monday it was banning RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state media networks from its platforms, claiming the outlets had used deceptive tactics to carry out covert influence operations online, Reuters reported.

The ban marks a sharp escalation in actions by the world's biggest social media company against Russian state media, after it spent years taking more limited steps such as blocking the outlets from running ads and reducing the reach of their posts.

"After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity," the social media company said in a written statement.

Enforcement of the ban would roll out over the coming days, it said. In addition to Facebook, Meta's apps include Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.

The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The White House declined to comment, read the report.

Meta's move came after the United States filed money-laundering charges earlier this month against two RT employees for what officials said was a scheme to hire an American company to produce online content to influence the 2024 election.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that countries should treat the activities of Russian state broadcaster RT as they do covert intelligence operations.

RT has mocked the U.S. actions and accused the United States of trying to prevent the broadcaster from operating as a journalistic organization, Reuters reported.

In briefing materials shared with Reuters, Meta said it had seen Russian state-controlled media try to evade detection in their online activities in the past and expected them to continue trying to engage in deceptive practices going forward.

Apple opens new tab on Monday unveiled its long-awaited, artificial intelligence-boosted iPhone 16 and promised improvements in its Siri personal assistant as it rolled out new software, beginning in test mode next month, Reuters reported.

"The next generation of iPhone has been designed for Apple Intelligence from the ground up. It marks the beginning of an exciting new era," Chief Executive Tim Cook said at a product launch.

Shares of Apple closed barely changed for the day at $220.91. Apple's event came hours before China's Huawei launches a tri-fold phone, underscoring the competitive challenge the iPhone maker faces. Apple has yet to announce an AI partner in China to power the 16s.

Apple and technology companies around the world are racing to add AI to products, and phones are expected to be among the most important battlegrounds. The Cupertino, California-based company also is betting the AI feature will drive consumers to upgrade amid a slowdown in iPhone sales.

Apple Intelligence, the company's AI software, will be used to improve Siri as well as enhancing features such as understanding and identifying objects captured by the phone camera, executives said.

A test version of Apple Intelligence will be available in the U.S. version of the English language next month. It will be available for other localized versions of English in December, with versions in languages including Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish next year. Features including improvements to Siri will be rolled out over time, Apple said. It did not say, however, when it would move beyond test, read the report.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will cost the same as models they replace and use a new chip and an aluminum case. A customizable button that can control the camera was one of the most touted hardware features in a format that looks similar to previous models.

The higher-end 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are made from titanium and have more AI capability, such as offering suggestions on how to set up a photo shoot more effectively and audio-editing capabilities aimed at professional-level video production.

Apple's new iPhone chips use the latest version of Arm's architecture that includes specific features to speed AI applications.

"Existing iPhone users who have had their device for 3-4 years will definitely be enticed to upgrade, even if some things are rolling out later, as this will future-proof their device for AI," said International Data Corp analyst Nabila Popal.

Still, several analysts described the delays in features as keeping many potential buyers on the sidelines initially.

"You might see people wait a little bit to see how these things work out, how well they function, and then they'll start to investigate it. But I don't think we'll see the mad rush that we've seen in years past," said TECHnalysis Research founder Bob O'Donnell.

By comparison, Huawei's website showed on Monday that it had garnered more than 3 million pre-orders for its Z-shaped tri-fold phone ahead of its official unveiling. This underscores Huawei's ability to navigate U.S. sanctions and solidifies its position against Apple in China, where consumers are hankering for more AI features and are willing to pay for them, Reuters reported.

Apple also unveiled new Watches and AirPods with health-focused capabilities, as well as hardware-design improvements. Apple highlighted the Watch's ability to discover longer-term health conditions such as sleep apnea as well as detecting and responding to emergencies such as a fall.

As it updated AirPods, Apple rolled out hearing-aid features that it has submitted for U.S. regulatory review.

Apple fans globally have been waiting to see the new phones with AI. IPhones accounted for more than half of Apple's $383 billion sales last year.

"While Android phones may have some of these features, Apple has packaged them well and will be able to market them far more broadly," said D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria.

China offers particular challenges to Apple.

"Apple fell out of the list of top five smartphone vendors in China in Q2," said eMarketer senior technology analyst Gadjo Sevilla. "It was the first time that China's domestic smartphone firms held all five spots. Since Apple Intelligence still needs to be approved by Beijing for a rollout in China, it will likely not initially be a key driver for adoption in the region."

In China, Apple aggressively slashed prices earlier this year, prompted by government restrictions and increased domestic competition, read the report.

The iPhone 16 lineup is the first Apple smartphones designed around these AI features though those are expected also to be available on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, the top-end versions of the previous-generation devices.

Rivals including Alphabet's, opens new tab Google are also showcasing AI features to try to upend Apple's dominance in the high-end smartphone market.

Google, developer of the Android operating system which competes with Apple's iOS, focused its Pixel smartphone rollout event in August on AI features including Gemini Live, which allows users to hold live voice conversations with a digital assistant. Many of the AI features Google announced were also rolled out to the Android-based devices made by manufacturers such as Samsung, opens new tab and Motorola, opens new tab.

In June, one week after its developer conference, Apple said it would delay the release of AI-powered features in Europe due to European Union tech rules.

Huawei has scheduled an official announcement of its Mate XT Z-fold phone on Tuesday in China, Reuters reported.

Apple’s latest iPhone with its A18 chip, which is set to be unveiled at an event on Monday, has been developed using SoftBank-owned Arm’s newest V9 chip design, the Financial Times newspaper reported on Saturday.

Apple is set to host its fall event on Sept. 9 at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, where it will likely unveil a series of new iPhones and updates to other devices and apps, Reuters reported.

Apple signed a deal with Arm in September last year that "extends beyond 2040" in a boost for Arm for chip technology.

Arm had said in July that its V9 chip accounts for 50% of smartphone revenue.

Arm owns the intellectual property behind the computing architecture for most of the world's smartphones, which it licenses to Apple and many others.

Apple uses Arm's technology in the process of designing its own custom chips for its iPhones, iPads and Macs.

The two companies have a long history - Apple was one of the initial companies that partnered to found the firm in 1990, before the release of its "Newton" handheld computer in 1993, which used an Arm-based processor chip.

The Newton flopped, but Arm went on to become dominant in mobile phone chips because of its low power consumption, which helps batteries last longer.