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SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 21, 2023 (AFP) – Tens of thousands of global users of X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday reported problems using the Elon Musk-owned social network. Reports of the platform’s troubles began spiking just before 0600 GMT on monitoring site Downdetector. “User reports indicate problems at X (Twitter),” the site said. Timelines on the platform were emptied and no new posts visible, although the twitter.com site was available. With no way to post on […]
TOKYO, Dec 21, 2023 (AFP) – Sales of Sony’s PlayStation 5 have crossed 50 million units, the Japanese electronics giant said, pointing to “strong momentum” this year for its flagship gaming console. The PS5 was launched in November 2020, with the world in the grip of the Covid pandemic, and its sales initially suffered because of widespread supply chain problems and a global chip shortage. Still, the PS5 reached the 50-million-unit milestone in almost the […]
By Danny Kemp with Javier Tovar in Caracas WASHINGTON, Dec 20, 2023 (AFP) – The United States released an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in exchange for 10 American detainees and a fugitive dubbed “Fat Leonard” in a sweeping prisoner swap deal between the rival governments Wednesday. US President Joe Biden made the “extremely difficult decision” to free Alex Saab, the onetime confidant of socialist leader Maduro, who is accused by the United States […]
By Chris Lefkow and Selim Saheb EttabaWASHINGTON, Dec 20, 2023 (AFP) – The US Supreme Court played a critical role in deciding the 2000 presidential election when it halted a vote recount in Florida with Republican George W. Bush holding a razor-thin edge over Democrat Al Gore. The stage is set for the nation’s highest court to figure prominently again in a White House race as it mulls a pair of cases involving Donald Trump, […]
SEOUL, Dec 21, 2023 (AFP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned Pyongyang will not hesitate to launch a nuclear attack if “provoked with nukes”, state media said Thursday, while Seoul and its allies called for “dialogue without preconditions”. Kim’s warning follows a meeting between South Korea and the United States last week in Washington, where they discussed nuclear deterrence in the event of conflict with the North. The meeting’s agenda included “nuclear and […]
WASHINGTON, Dec 19, 2023 (AFP) – Pharmacy group Rite Aid was ordered Tuesday to stop using facial recognition for the next five years by a US regulator, which said the company falsely identified consumers as shoplifters using the technology. The case touches on one of the main concerns about the proliferation of artificial intelligence, and facial recognition in particular, which is deemed to potentially misidentify or discriminate against individuals, especially non-whites and women. “Rite Aid’s […]
By Camille CAMDESSUS WASHINGTON, Dec 20, 2023 (AFP) – The Democratic and Republican leaders of the US Senate said Tuesday that Washington will not be able to approve new aid for Ukraine before year’s end, as the two sides continue to seek a compromise. “As negotiators work through remaining issues, it is our hope that their efforts will allow the Senate to take swift action… early in the new year,” Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republican […]
SEOUL, Dec 19, 2023 (AFP) – Troops on the South Korean side of the Joint Security Area on the border with the North have been authorised to carry guns, the UN Command said Tuesday, after Pyongyang’s soldiers reportedly started carrying weapons there last month. Soldiers from both countries face off at the JSA north of Seoul, which is overseen by the US-led United Nations Command. North and South Korea agreed to disarm their troops on […]
TOKYO, Dec 18, 2023 (AFP) – Japan’s Nippon Steel has agreed to buy US Steel Corp for $14.1 billion, the companies announced on Monday, months after the steelmaker rejected an offer from its main US rival. The leading Japanese steelmaker will acquire US Steel in an all-cash deal at $55 per share, a 40 percent premium above its closing price on December 15, representing an equity value of about $14.1 billion, the companies said in […]
BRUSSELS, Dec 18, 2023 (AFP) – The EU on Monday announced “formal infringement proceedings” against Elon Musk’s X platform under a law cracking down on illegal online content, after identifying disinformation related to Hamas’s October 7 attack in Israel. The action against the company formerly known as Twitter is the first against a major online platform since Brussels implemented the Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping piece of European Union legislation that strengthens online companies’ […]
SEOUL, Dec 18, 2023 (AFP) – North Korea fired its most powerful and advanced solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile on Monday, extending a record-breaking run of weapons tests this year that have been condemned by the West. The move follows leader Kim Jong-un’s declaration last year that Pyongyang is an “irreversible” nuclear power. Here is a look at North Korea’s arsenal: – Intercontinental ballistic missiles – Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) have a minimum range of 5,500 […]
By Sunghee Hwang SEOUL, Dec 18, 2023 (AFP) – North Korea on Monday test-fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile that has the potential to reach the United States, extending a record-breaking number of weapons tests this year and triggering further international condemnation. South Korea said the North fired an ICBM that used solid fuel, which makes missiles easier to transport and faster to fire than liquid-fuelled versions. Monday’s launch was the third time the […]
