WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States has “no indication” that China has decided to supply arms to Russia, but the possibility remains “on the table,” a White House spokesman said Thursday. “This is not a move that would be in the best interest of the Chinese and their standing in the international community, which we know they highly prize,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists. “We’ve communicated to the Chinese our […]
North America
TikTok to add screen time limits for young users
Paris, France | AFP | TikTok on Wednesday said it would introduce automatic daily screen time limits of one hour for accounts belonging to under-18s, as the social media platform faces criticism over its addictiveness among young users. Teenagers will have to enter a passcode to continue watching after 60 minutes and those aged below 13 require a parent or guardian to set or enter a passcode to release an additional 30 minutes, TikTok […]
Florida takes over Disney district to punish ‘woke’ politics
by Gerard MARTINEZ Agence France-Presse MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Florida’s governor seized control of Walt Disney World’s self-governing district on Monday, hailing the end of the “corporate kingdom” as he effectively punished the entertainment giant over its “woke” opposition to his political agenda. The bill allows Republican Ron DeSantis to appoint his own board to oversee the services provided in the theme park by Disney, which attracted the governor’s ire last year after it […]
First blizzard in a generation in Los Angeles
Heavy snow fell in southern California on Friday, as the first blizzard in a generation pounded the Los Angeles area, with heavy rains threatening flooding in other places. Breathless television weather presenters more used to delivering a same-every-day forecast of warm sunshine found themselves knee-deep in the white stuff as the region grappled with its worst winter storm for decades. Major roads were closed as ice and snow made them impassable, including sections of Interstate […]
Meta unveils more cautious approach to ChatGPT frenzy
Facebook-owner Meta on Friday unveiled its own version of the artificial intelligence behind apps such as ChatGPT, saying it would give access to researchers to find fixes to the technology’s potential dangers. Meta described its own AI, called LLaMA, as a “smaller, more performant” model designed to “help researchers advance their work,” in what could be seen as veiled criticism of Microsoft’s decision to release the technology widely, while keeping the programming code secret. Microsoft-backed […]
Canada sending four more Leopard tanks to Ukraine
Toronto, Canada | AFP | Canada is sending four additional battle tanks to Ukraine — doubling its commitment — and sanctioning an additional 192 Russian individuals and entities, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday. “Canada has stood in solidarity with Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict,” Trudeau said in a news conference on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “We will continue to do so,” Trudeau told journalists, speaking in Toronto where he […]
UN demands Russia withdraw from Ukraine
by Nicolas REVISE / Amélie BOTTOLLIER-DEPOIS Agence France-Presse UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The United Nations voted overwhelmingly Thursday to demand Russia immediately and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine, marking the one-year anniversary of the war with a call for a “just and lasting” peace. Ukraine earned strong backing in a nonbinding vote that saw 141 of the 193 UN members in support, seven opposed and 32, including China and India abstaining. Coming […]
China did not consult Ukraine on its peace plan: official
KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — The Chinese government did not consult with Kyiv when preparing its peace plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian official said on condition of anonymity. “China did not consult with us,” the official told reporters, including AFP. Beijing has promised to publish its proposed “political solution” to the Ukraine conflict this week, in time for the first anniversary of Russia’s February 24 invasion of its neighbor. Ukraine’s top […]
Architect of Mexico’s drug war convicted in US of trafficking
by Ana FERNÁNDEZ Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A once-powerful Mexican government minister was convicted by a US jury Tuesday of aiding the very drug smuggling he was tasked with cracking down on. Genaro Garcia Luna, public security minister under Felipe Calderon’s presidency from 2006 to 2012, was found guilty on all five counts following a high-profile trial in New York. The month-long proceedings shone a spotlight on the corruption of the […]
US Supreme Court treads carefully on landmark tech law
The US Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments in a landmark case that could transform the internet by scrapping decades-old legal protections for tech companies, but gave no indication that a clear majority would opt to rework the law. In a two-and-a-half-hour session, the nine justices targeted their questions on better understanding the so-called Section 230, a US law that was signed in 1996 at the dawn of the internet era and before the creation […]
UN Security Council ‘silence’ on N. Korea missiles ‘dangerous’, US says
UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The United States on Monday denounced a “dangerous” lack of action by the UN Security Council on North Korea’s missile launches, accusing — but not naming — China and Russia of having “forced” the body “into silence.” The reclusive North Korean state test-fired dozens of missiles in 2022, setting security postures in East Asia on edge. It fired two ballistic missiles Monday, 48 hours after it test-launched an intercontinental […]
Six dead in Mississippi shooting rampage, suspect detained
Washington, United States | AFP | Six people were killed Friday in a shooting rampage in a rural area of the southern US state of Mississippi, local media reported. Police said a man who is now in custody shot a person at a store in the small town of Arkabutla, and then went to a nearby house and killed a woman, according to media in nearby Memphis, Tennessee. The man then drove his car […]