A new deal granting landlocked Ethiopia access to a seaport holds potential for a huge upheaval in the Horn of Africa. The breakaway region of Somaliland finds itself in a make-or-break situation.
Islamic State claimed responsibility on Thursday for two explosions in Iran that killed nearly 100 people and wounded scores at a memorial for top commander Qassem Soleimani....
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied that it killed Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike in the Lebanese capital on Tuesday. But military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces were in a high state of readiness and prepared for any scenario....
The Nobel laureate economist was awarded six months of simple or non-rigorous imprisonment. He was immediately granted one-month bail after a furnishing bond of Taka 5,000.
78 years since the end of World War II, Japan has decided to take yet another step on the path toward becoming a “normal nation,” able to employ its military to boost its national interests like any other....
In the end, though, the crux of this lawsuit is the same as all the others. It’s a false belief that reading something (whether by human or machine) somehow implicates copyright. This is false. If the courts (or the legislature) decide otherwise, it would upset pretty much all of the history of copyright and create some...
Wordle. Connections. Spelling Bee. Ye olde crossword. The ‘Times’ is home to beloved brainteasers that are helping boost the paper’s bottom line. As one staffer jokes, the “‘Times’ is now a gaming company that also happens to offer news.”
The New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, alleging that the companies’ artificial intelligence technology illegally copied millions of Times articles to train ChatGPT and other services to provide people with information – technology that now competes with the Times.
If the market for initial public offerings recovers in the new year, one company that aims to go public early on is Reddit. An IPO will put the spotlight on the prospects for Reddit’s advertising business, which has fallen short of ambitious growth targets outlined by executives two years ago....
At least 12 journalists in the United States were arrested or faced dubious charges in 2023, among them two journalists in Alabama who were charged with felonies for “publishing” and a reporter in Illinois who was cited for asking city employees “too many questions.” The criminalization of routine journalism this year...
Indo-Myanmar border to be fenced, free movement regime scrapped: Amit Shah (www.hindustantimes.com)
India and Myanmar share a 1643-km long border in four states of northeast-Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
Pakistan says killed ‘terrorists’ in Iran through 'precision military strikes' (www.hindustantimes.com)
A senior intelligence source confirmed that Pakistan had carried out strikes against anti-Pakistan militant groups inside Iran.
Maternal mortality: Pregnancy is 'shockingly dangerous' (www.dw.com)
Almost 300,000 people died during pregnancy or childbirth in 2020. That includes the US, where maternal death rates are up. But India's MMR is down.
Iran attacks alleged militant bases in Pakistan; Islamabad says 'unprovoked' strikes kill 2 children (apnews.com)
The attack further raises tensions in a Middle East already roiled by Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Microsoft’s new Copilot key is the first big change to Windows keyboards in 30 years (www.theverge.com)
New laptops and PCs will ship with a dedicated Copilot key.
Al Jazeera journalist arrested in Tunisia amid crackdown on freedom of press (www.theguardian.com)
Samir Sassi joins growing number of journalists imprisoned and prosecuted in country
Scientists Lightly Zapped People’s Brains and Made Them Easier to Hypnotize (gizmodo.com)
The proof-of-concept study suggests it might be possible to boost the effectiveness of hypnosis for health conditions like chronic pain.
Why ad-funded journalism-for-all faces fight for survival in 2024 (pressgazette.co.uk)
As Google begins the big switch-off of cookies on Chrome, ad-funded journalism on the open web is facing a fight for survival.
Horn of Africa: A conflict evolving around Berbera Port (www.dw.com)
A new deal granting landlocked Ethiopia access to a seaport holds potential for a huge upheaval in the Horn of Africa. The breakaway region of Somaliland finds itself in a make-or-break situation.
Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly Iran attack, Tehran vows revenge (www.reuters.com)
Islamic State claimed responsibility on Thursday for two explosions in Iran that killed nearly 100 people and wounded scores at a memorial for top commander Qassem Soleimani....
Gaza war extends into Beirut with killing of Hamas leader (www.reuters.com)
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied that it killed Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike in the Lebanese capital on Tuesday. But military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces were in a high state of readiness and prepared for any scenario....
Elections Around the World in 2024 (time.com)
2024 is not just an election year. It’s perhaps the election year....
Bangladesh Court Convicts Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus in Labour Law Case (thewire.in)
The Nobel laureate economist was awarded six months of simple or non-rigorous imprisonment. He was immediately granted one-month bail after a furnishing bond of Taka 5,000.
Japan Eases Rules on Lethal Weapon Exports (thediplomat.com)
78 years since the end of World War II, Japan has decided to take yet another step on the path toward becoming a “normal nation,” able to employ its military to boost its national interests like any other....
Feisty Journalist and Documentary Maker John Pilger Passes Away (thewire.in)
Australia-born Pilger was adversarial, feisty and uncompromising, drawing praise and respect from people across the ideological fence.
The NY Times Lawsuit Against OpenAI Would Open Up The NY Times To All Sorts Of Lawsuits Should It Win (www.techdirt.com)
In the end, though, the crux of this lawsuit is the same as all the others. It’s a false belief that reading something (whether by human or machine) somehow implicates copyright. This is false. If the courts (or the legislature) decide otherwise, it would upset pretty much all of the history of copyright and create some...
Inside The New York Times’ Big Bet on Games (www.vanityfair.com)
Wordle. Connections. Spelling Bee. Ye olde crossword. The ‘Times’ is home to beloved brainteasers that are helping boost the paper’s bottom line. As one staffer jokes, the “‘Times’ is now a gaming company that also happens to offer news.”
Inside the News Industry’s Uneasy Negotiations With OpenAI (www.nytimes.com)
Several major publishers have been in talks to license content to the creator of ChatGPT, but agreement on the price and terms has been elusive.
2023 was the worst year for the news business since the pandemic - Poynter (www.poynter.org)
It’s a sharp reversal from the last two years, when layoffs fell and some news outlets even expanded.
How Russia’s Independent Media Survived 2023 - The Moscow Times (www.themoscowtimes.com)
The past year has been another troubling one for the Russian free press.
The New York Times sues OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement (edition.cnn.com)
The New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, alleging that the companies’ artificial intelligence technology illegally copied millions of Times articles to train ChatGPT and other services to provide people with information – technology that now competes with the Times.
Reddit Falls Short of Ad Growth Targets Ahead of Likely 2024 IPO (www.theinformation.com)
If the market for initial public offerings recovers in the new year, one company that aims to go public early on is Reddit. An IPO will put the spotlight on the prospects for Reddit’s advertising business, which has fallen short of ambitious growth targets outlined by executives two years ago....
Members of the press charged with committing ‘acts of journalism’ in 2023 (pressfreedomtracker.us)
At least 12 journalists in the United States were arrested or faced dubious charges in 2023, among them two journalists in Alabama who were charged with felonies for “publishing” and a reporter in Illinois who was cited for asking city employees “too many questions.” The criminalization of routine journalism this year...
Russia confirms damage to warship in Black Sea (www.bbc.com)
The Ministry of Defence says the ship was struck by Ukrainian aircraft carrying guided missiles.
US agency tasked with curbing risks of AI lacks funding to do the job (arstechnica.com)
Lawmakers fear the NIST will have to rely on companies developing the technology.