Microsoft snapped up Sam Altman and another architect of OpenAI for a new venture after their sudden departures shocked the artificial intelligence world, leaving the newly installed CEO of the…
more ...Lawmakers, Companies Set New Rules for AI-Generated Political Ads
As the 2024 U.S. presidential race begins to ramp up, some contenders are already using artificial intelligence to generate promotional videos, some of which blur the lines between what is…
more ...Space Tracking Helps Australia Monitor, Manage Feral Buffalo Herds
Indigenous rangers in northern Australia have started managing herds of feral animals from space. In the largest project of its kind in Australia, the so-called Space Cows project involves tagging…
more ...Cuban Private Grocery Stores Thrive, But Few Can Afford Them
Until recently, the space was the one-car garage of a private home in Cuba’s capital, Havana. Today, it is a well-stocked, if small, grocery store whose big board at the…
more ...Sugar Prices Rise Worldwide after Weather Damages Crops in Asia
Skyrocketing sugar prices left Ishaq Abdulraheem with few choices. Increasing the cost of bread would mean declining sales, so the Nigerian baker decided to cut his production by half. For…
more ...Artists Push for US Copyright Reforms on AI, But Tech Industry Says Not So Fast
Country singers, romance novelists, video game artists and voice actors are appealing to the U.S. government for relief — as soon as possible — from the threat that artificial intelligence…
more ...Ford Workers Approve Contract That Ended UAW Strike
The United Auto Workers union overwhelmingly ratified a new contract with Ford, a pact that, along with similar deals with General Motors and Stellantis, will raise pay across the industry,…
more ...Advertisers Flee Elon Musk’s X Amid Concerns of Antisemitism Backlash
Advertisers are fleeing social media platform X over concerns about their ads showing up next to pro-Nazi content and hate speech on the site in general, with billionaire owner Elon…
more ...Second SpaceX Starship Launch Presumed Failed Minutes After Reaching Space
SpaceX’s uncrewed spacecraft Starship, developed to carry astronauts to the moon and beyond, was presumed to have failed in space minutes after lifting off on Saturday in a second test…
more ...Taiwan-Lithuania Ties Face Uncertainty Two Years After Taiwan Office Opened
Two years after Taiwan opened a representative office in Lithuania, officials from both sides stress progress in bilateral relations while analysts cite risks that the deepened engagement could be affected…
more ...Hollywood Actors Offered Protections Against AI in Labor Deal
Leaders of the union representing Hollywood actors announced a tentative deal recently with film and television studios to end a strike that started in July. It includes pay raises, streaming…
more ...Biden, 13 Leaders, Sign Indo-Pacific Economic Framework
U.S. President Joe Biden Thursday hailed a new economic agreement among 14 Asia Pacific countries aimed at countering China’s regional economic dominance, saying the deal leaders signed at a summit…
more ...Biden, Xi Compete for Partnership With Asia-Pacific at Summit
US President Joe Biden on Thursday stressed the strength of America’s economic growth in a bid to sway 19 Asia-Pacific economies to partner with the U.S. — as China’s leader…
more ...Malawi President Suspends Foreign Trips by Officials Over Currency Devaluation
Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has suspended his foreign trips and those of government officials as part of austerity measures to cushion the impact of the recent 44% devaluation of local…
more ...Nigerian Analysts Skeptical About Oil Refinery Deals With Saudi Arabia
Nigerian experts are hopeful that deals reached last week with Saudi Arabia will boost local oil production and help grow the economy. The deals included a pledge by Saudi officials…
more ...US Approves SpaceX for 2nd Launch of Starship Super Heavy
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday granted Elon Musk’s SpaceX a license to launch the company’s second test flight of its next-generation Starship and heavy-lift rocket from Texas, the…
more ...Nickel Miners, Environmentalists Learn to Live Together in Michigan
It began as a familiar old story. In the early 2000s, multinational mining giant Rio Tinto came to the wilds of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to dig a nickel mine. Environmentalists…
more ...US House Approves Plan to Avert Partial Government Shutdown
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 336-95 on Tuesday to approve a plan to avert a partial government shutdown on Saturday but at the same time push off contentious debates…
more ...Amid Warning on US Debt Rating, Calls Mount for ‘Fiscal Commission’
With a government shutdown looming and a federal deficit that continues to climb, the bond rating firm Moody’s on Friday lowered its outlook for U.S. Treasury debt to “negative” from…
more ...Nepal Bans TikTok, Says It Disrupts Social Harmony
Nepal’s government decided to ban the popular social media app TikTok, saying Monday it was disrupting “social harmony” in the country. The announcement was made following a Cabinet meeting. Foreign…
more ...Cargo Standstill as Cyberattacks Close Australian Ports
Several major Australian ports are resuming operations after shutting down due to a cyberattack. The ports are run by DP World Australia, one of the country’s biggest logistics companies. Authorities…
more ...Russia to Limit Only VPN Services That Pose a ‘Threat’ to Security, State Media Say
Russia plans to block certain Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and protocols that are deemed by a commission of experts to pose a threat, state news agency RIA reported, citing correspondence…
more ...Australia Says Ports Operator Cyber Incident ‘Serious’
The Australian government on Sunday described as “serious and ongoing” a cybersecurity incident that forced ports operator DP World Australia to suspend operations at ports in several states since Friday.…
more ...Moody’s Turns Negative on US Credit Rating, Draws Washington Ire
Moody’s on Friday lowered its outlook on the U.S. credit rating to “negative” from “stable” citing large fiscal deficits and a decline in debt affordability, a move that drew immediate…
more ...China’s ‘Singles Day’ Shopping Bonanza Loses its Luster
China’s annual “Singles Day” sales bonanza wraps up at midnight Saturday, but consumers this year appear largely unswayed by its flashy deals and discounts as the world’s second-largest economy slows.…
more ...Internet Collapses in Yemen Over ‘Maintenance’ After Houthi Attacks Targeting Israel, US
Internet access across the war-torn nation of Yemen collapsed Friday and stayed down for hours, with officials later blaming unannounced “maintenance work” for an outage that followed attacks by the…
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