Digital World



Tech firms lead Asian markets higher, oil swings after Maduro ouster

AFP - 8h ago

Asian stocks rose Monday on the back of a fresh rally in tech firms and oil fluctuated as investors weighed the impact …

Sprawling CES gadgetfest a world stage for AI and its hype

AFP - Jan 03 2026

Dreams about the vast potential of artificial intelligence will collide with cold, hard reality as the Consumer …

Grok under fire after complaints it undressed minors in photos

Jan 02 2026

Elon Musk's Grok on Friday said it was scrambling to fix flaws in the artificial intelligence tool after users claimed …

Tech campaigner decries US 'punishment' after visa sanctions

Jan 02 2026

British tech campaigner Imran Ahmed on Friday decried a US visa ban as "punishment" for his organization's work …

World welcomes 2026 with fireworks after year of Trump and turmoil

Jan 01 2026

Revellers around the world toasted the start of 2026 on Thursday, bidding farewell to a volatile year when temperatures …

AI, chips boom sent South Korea exports soaring in 2025

Jan 01 2026

Soaring global demand for semiconductors fuelled by a boom in artificial intelligence sent South Korea's exports to …

World welcomes 2026 after a year of Trump, truces and turmoil

Dec 31 2025

People around the globe toasted the end of 2025 as the clock ticked down on Wednesday, bidding farewell to one of the …

Sydney falls silent before fireworks bring in 2026

Dec 31 2025

New Year celebrations took on a sombre tone in Sydney as revellers held a minute of silence for victims of the Bondi …

France plans social media ban for children under 15

Dec 31 2025

France will make a fresh attempt to protect children from excessive screen time, proposing a ban on social media access …

World begins to welcome 2026 after a year of Trump, truces and turmoil

Dec 31 2025

New Year's Eve revellers toasted the end of 2025 on Wednesday, waving goodbye to 12 months packed with Trump tariffs, a …

World bids farewell to 2025, a year of Trump, truces and turmoil

Dec 31 2025

New Year's Eve revellers toasted the end of 2025 on Wednesday, waving goodbye to 12 months packed with Trump tariffs, a …

Tiny tech, big AI power: what are 2-nanometre chips?

Dec 31 2025

Taiwan's world-leading microchip manufacturer TSMC says it has started mass producing next-generation "2-nanometre" …

TSMC says started mass production of 'most advanced' 2nm chips

Dec 31 2025

Taiwanese tech titan TSMC has started mass producing its cutting-edge 2-nanometre semiconductor chips, the company said …

SoftBank lifts OpenAI stake to 11% with $41bln investment

Dec 31 2025

Japanese tech investor SoftBank said Wednesday that its stake in OpenAI is now around 11 percent after completing the …

Chinese homeschool students embrace freer youth in cutthroat market

Dec 30 2025

Fourteen-year-old Estella spends her weekdays studying Spanish, rock climbing or learning acupuncture in her living room …

How company bets on bitcoin can backfire

Dec 28 2025

The year-end plunge in cryptocurrencies has rattled companies that had bet heavily on bitcoin, sending share prices …

UK tech campaigner sues Trump administration over US sanctions

Dec 25 2025

The chief of a prominent anti-disinformation watchdog has sued President Donald Trump's administration over a US visa …

EU 'strongly condemns' US sanctions against five Europeans

Dec 24 2025

The European Union and some member states reacted sharply Wednesday to US sanctions imposed on five European figures …

First Bond game in a decade hit by two-month delay

Dec 24 2025

A Danish video game studio said it was delaying the release of the first James Bond video game in over a decade by two …

David Sacks: Trump's AI power broker

Dec 24 2025

From a total Washington novice, Silicon Valley investor David Sacks has against expectations emerged as one of the most …

The European laws curbing big tech... and irking Trump

Dec 24 2025

The European Union is back in the crosshairs of the Trump administration over its tech rules, which Washington denounced …

Rome pushes Meta to allow other AIs on WhatsApp

Dec 24 2025

Italian regulators ordered Meta on Wednesday to open its WhatsApp chat platform to rival AI chatbots as it and EU …

US says China chip policies unfair but will delay tariffs to 2027

Dec 24 2025

US trade officials determined that China should be punished for employing unfair tactics to dominate the semiconductor …

US denies visas to EU ex-commissioner, four others over tech rules

Dec 24 2025

The US State Department said Tuesday it would deny visas to a former EU commissioner and four others, accusing them of …

US slams China policies on chips but will delay tariffs to 2027

Dec 23 2025

US trade officials determined that China should be punished for employing unfair tactics to dominate the semiconductor …

Spotify says piracy activists hacked its music catalogue

Dec 22 2025

Music streaming service Spotify said Monday it had disabled accounts from a piracy activist hacker group that claimed to …

Billionaire Ellison offers personal guarantee for son's bid for Warner Bros

Dec 22 2025

Oracle tech tycoon Larry Ellison is offering a $40.4 billion personal guarantee to back Paramount's hostile bid for …

Italy fines Apple nearly 100 mn euros over app privacy feature

Dec 22 2025

Italy's competition authority said Monday it had fined the US tech giant Apple 98 million euros ($115 million) for …

As US battles China on AI, some companies choose Chinese

Dec 22 2025

Even as the United States is embarked on a bitter rivalry with China over the deployment of artificial intelligence, …

AI resurrections of dead celebrities amuse and rankle

Dec 22 2025

In a parallel reality, Queen Elizabeth II gushes over cheese puffs, a gun-toting Saddam Hussein struts into a wrestling …

Burkinabe teen behind viral French 'coup' video has no regrets

Dec 20 2025

A Burkinabe teenager who used artificial intelligence to post fake news of a French coup on Facebook got more than he …

Misinformation complicated Brown University shooting probe: police

Dec 19 2025

Officials in the US state of Rhode Island have denounced misinformation that they said complicated their multiday search …

French court rejects Shein suspension

Dec 19 2025

A French court on Friday rejected the state's request to suspend Shein's site in France as "disproportionate" after the …

TikTok signs joint venture deal to end US ban threat

Dec 19 2025

TikTok said Thursday it has signed a joint venture deal with investors that would allow the company to maintain …

TikTok: key things to know

Dec 19 2025

TikTok boasts over a billion users worldwide, including more than 170 million in the United States, it says -- nearly …

Oscars to stream exclusively on YouTube from 2029

Dec 17 2025

The Oscars will be shown only on YouTube from 2029, the Academy said Wednesday, in a radical gambit for a movie industry …

Oscars to stream exclusively on YouTube from 2029: Academy

Dec 17 2025

The Oscars will be available to watch exclusively on YouTube from 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences …

CNN's future unclear as Trump applies pressure

Dec 17 2025

CNN is heading into an uncertain future with its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) destined for a takeover -- …

Netflix to launch FIFA World Cup video game

Dec 17 2025

Netflix is set to release a FIFA football simulation game exclusively on its gaming platform in summer 2026, timed to …

Grok spews misinformation about deadly Australia shooting

Dec 16 2025

Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok churned out misinformation about Australia's Bondi Beach mass shooting, misidentifying a key …

'Easiest scam in the world': Musicians sound alarm over AI impersonators

Dec 16 2025

Does the latest track by your favourite singer sound slightly off? You may be right. Fraudulent AI-generated tracks are …

Will OpenAI be the next tech giant or next Netscape?

Dec 16 2025

Three years after ChatGPT made OpenAI the leader in artificial intelligence and a household name, rivals have closed the …

China's smaller manufacturers look to catch the automation wave

Dec 14 2025

In a light-filled workshop in eastern China, a robotic arm moved a partially assembled autonomous vehicle as workers …

Crypto firm Tether bids for Juventus, is quickly rebuffed

Dec 12 2025

Cryptocurrency firm Tether said Friday it had submitted a bid to Juventus's main shareholder, Exor, to acquire its …

In Pakistan, 'Eternal Love' has no place on YouTube

Dec 12 2025

YouTube has hit pause on a dating show that whisked eight men and women from deeply conservative Pakistan to a …

French indie title 'Clair Obscur' dominates Game Awards

Dec 12 2025

French indie title "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" dominated the annual Game Awards in Los Angeles, winning a record of …

Escapism or exaltation? 'Narco-culture' games raise concern in Mexico

Dec 12 2025

In violence-riddled Mexico, children as young as 13 are hooked on bloody video games that vividly recreate the horrors …

French indie 'Clair Obscur' dominates Game Awards

Dec 12 2025

French indie title "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" dominated the annual Game Awards in Los Angeles, winning a record of …

Reddit files legal challenge to Australia social media ban

Dec 12 2025

Online discussion site Reddit launched a legal challenge Friday to Australia's social media ban for under-16s, just days …

Make your own Mickey Mouse clip - Disney embraces AI

Dec 12 2025

Walt Disney and OpenAI announced a three-year licensing deal Thursday that will allow users to create short videos …

Crypto mogul Do Kwon sentenced to 15 years for fraud

Dec 12 2025

A US court sentenced cryptocurrency tycoon Do Kwon to 15 years in prison Thursday over fraud linked to his company's …

OpenAI beefs up GPT models in AI race with Google

Dec 11 2025

OpenAI released its latest artificial intelligence models on Thursday, shrugging off worries about how it will cash in …

Make your own AI Mickey Mouse - Disney embraces new tech

Dec 11 2025

Walt Disney and OpenAI announced a three-year licensing deal Thursday that will allow users to create short videos …

Time magazine names 'Architects of AI' as Person of the Year

Dec 11 2025

Time magazine named the "Architects of AI" as its Person of the Year on Thursday, highlighting the US tech titans whose …

OpenAI, Disney to let fans create AI videos in landmark deal

Dec 11 2025

Walt Disney and OpenAI announced a three-year licensing deal Thursday that will allow users to create short videos …

Taiwan to keep production of 'most advanced' chips at home: deputy FM

Dec 11 2025

Taiwan plans to keep making the "most advanced" chips on home soil and remain "indispensable" to the global …

US plans to order foreign tourists to disclose social media histories

Dec 11 2025

The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to order visa-exempt foreign tourists to disclose their social …

Not lovin' it: McDonald's pulls Dutch AI Christmas ad

Dec 11 2025

Burger chain McDonald's said on Wednesday it had removed an AI-generated Christmas advertisement in the Netherlands …

AI's $400 bn problem: Are chips getting old too fast?

Dec 11 2025

In pursuit of the AI dream, the tech industry this year has plunked down about $400 billion on specialized chips and …

'Downward spiral': French mother blames social media for teen's suicide

Dec 10 2025

A French mother whose teenage son took his own life is fighting to hold social media platforms accountable, saying their …

French first lady comments spark feminist backlash

Dec 10 2025

A vulgar slur France's first lady used to describe activists has ignited a feminist backlash in a case they say …

Instagram users given new algorithm controls

Dec 10 2025

Instagram on Wednesday unveiled a new AI-powered feature that lets users view and adjust the algorithm shaping their …

Oil-rich UAE turns to AI to grease economy

Dec 10 2025

Deep in the Abu Dhabi desert, a vast AI campus a quarter the size of Paris is starting to emerge, the oil-rich UAE's …

Australian mum of late teen says social media ban 'bittersweet'

Dec 10 2025

Mia Bannister said she would give anything to have her son Ollie beside her as Australia rolled out a landmark social …

Australia bans under-16s from social media in world-first crackdown

Dec 10 2025

Australia banned under-16s from social media in a world-first crackdown on Wednesday, declaring it was time to "take …

Microsoft announces $17.5 bn investment in India, its 'largest ever' in Asia

Dec 09 2025

Global technology giant Microsoft announced on Tuesday plans to invest $17.5 billion to help build India's artificial …

Trump says US will allow sale of Nvidia AI chips to China

Dec 09 2025

President Donald Trump said Monday he had reached an agreement with President Xi Jinping to allow US chip giant Nvidia …

South Korea police raid e-commerce giant Coupang over data leak

Dec 09 2025

South Korean police raided the Seoul headquarters of e-commerce giant Coupang on Tuesday over a recent data leak …

Reddit says Australia's under-16 social media ban 'legally erroneous'

Dec 09 2025

Online discussion site Reddit on Tuesday condemned Australia's imminent social media ban for under-16s as "legally …

Data centers: a view from the inside

Dec 09 2025

The expansion of data centers to power the AI boom has more people wondering: what exactly is in a data center?

Trump says to sign order blocking AI regulation by states

Dec 08 2025

President Donald Trump said Monday he will attempt to strip states of the right to regulate the surging AI industry, …

AI tools help choose best embryos for IVF

Dec 08 2025

Artificial intelligence tools can now help choose the most promising embryos for in vitro fertilisation (IVF), although …

'Not black or white': Teens worldwide react to Australia social media ban

Dec 08 2025

Australia's landmark move to ban under-16s from social media will be closely watched by other countries, which could …

Number's up: Calculators hold out against AI

Dec 07 2025

The humble pocket calculator may not be able to keep up with the mathematical capabilities of new technology, but it …

Netflix to buy Warner Bros. in deal of the decade

Dec 06 2025

Streaming giant Netflix said Friday it will buy film and television studio Warner Bros. Discovery for nearly $83 …

Netflix's Warner Bros. acquisition sparks backlash

Dec 06 2025

Netflix faced fierce criticism on Friday over its blockbuster deal to acquire Warner Bros., the storied Hollywood …

Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery in deal of the decade

Dec 05 2025

Streaming giant Netflix said Friday it will buy film and television studio Warner Bros. Discovery for nearly $83 …

Meta partners with news outlets to expand AI content

Dec 05 2025

Meta announced Friday it will integrate content from major news organizations into its artificial intelligence assistant …

EU hits X with 120-mn-euro fine, risking Trump ire

Dec 05 2025

The European Union hit Elon Musk's X with a 120-million-euro ($140-million) fine Friday for breaking its digital rules, …

TikTok to comply with 'upsetting' Australian under-16 ban

Dec 05 2025

TikTok said Friday it will comply with Australia's imminent ban on under-16s joining social media on the day it comes …

Softbank's Son says super AI could make humans like fish, win Nobel Prize

Dec 05 2025

SoftBank CEO and AI investor Masayoshi Son said Friday that advanced artificial intelligence could surpass humans to the …

OpenAI strikes deal on US$4.6 bn AI centre in Australia

Dec 05 2025

ChatGPT maker OpenAI and an Australian data centre operator have agreed to develop a multibillion-dollar AI centre in …

Facebook 'supreme court' admits 'frustrations' in 5 years of work

Dec 04 2025

An oversight board created by Facebook to review content-moderation decisions trumpeted improved transparency and …

EU hits Meta with antitrust probe over WhatsApp AI features

Dec 04 2025

The EU said Thursday it had opened an antitrust probe to determine if the way Meta is rolling out AI features in …

Meta starts removing under-16s from social media in Australia

Dec 04 2025

Tech giant Meta said Thursday it is starting to remove under-16s in Australia from Instagram, Threads and Facebook ahead …

Russia blocks popular game-creator Roblox over child 'harassment'

Dec 03 2025

Russia has blocked access to US-owned online gaming platform Roblox, accusing it of distributing extremist materials and …

YouTube attacks Australia's world-first social media ban

Dec 03 2025

YouTube on Wednesday attacked Australia's looming social media ban for under-16s as rushed, but the government called …

How anti-China disinformation shaped South Korea's year of crisis

Dec 03 2025

Yoon Suk Yeol's botched attempt to impose martial law last year plunged South Korea into its worst political crisis in …

Chinese smart glasses firms eye overseas conquest

Dec 03 2025

In China, AI glasses let the wearer pay in shops with just a glance at a QR code and a voice command, as a growing …

Concern as India orders phone manufacturers to preload govt app

Dec 02 2025

India has ordered smartphone makers to pre-install a government-run cyber security app that cannot be removed, a move …