Economic hardship affects Lunar New Year celebrations in China
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — The Lunar New Year, also called the Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival in China, is traditionally celebrated with tables piled with food and red envelopes filled with cash for children. In past years, smoke from…
Uganda confirms Ebola outbreak in capital Kampala, one dead
Kampala, Uganda — Uganda has confirmed an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the capital Kampala, with the first confirmed patient dying from the disease on Wednesday, the health ministry said on Thursday. The patient, a nurse at the Mulago…
Economists mixed on possible impacts of Trump’s tariff proposals
President Donald Trump is widely expected to impose tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada as early as February 1 as part of a plan he says will boost the U.S. economy. But with much about the specifics still unknown,…
EU vows ‘action plan’ for beleaguered auto sector
Brussels, Belgium — The EU promised Thursday an “action plan” to help the bloc’s beleaguered auto sector, as it held talks with industry leaders who have sounded the alarm over emissions fines and Chinese competition. The European Union is under…
Myanmar: UN chief urges return to civilian rule as crisis worsens
Following the coup, President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained and the country was plunged into a humanitarian and human rights crisis that has only worsened amid an intensifying civil conflict. “Secretary-General António Guterres condemns…
African schools gear up for the AI revolution
The emergence of cheap or free AI tools is being eagerly embraced by those with smartphones and the ability to get online. As governments and legislators struggle to get their heads around the implications of this powerful technology and work…
Hospitals overwhelmed in DR Congo, food running out: Goma faces ‘devastation’
The World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Thursday that food supplies are running dangerously low, as water and electricity outages exacerbate the crisis. The seizure and closure of Goma’s airport by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels has further interfered with aid delivery,…
Russian drone attack kills 4 in Sumy, Ukraine says
Ukrainian officials said Thursday a Russian drone attack killed at least four people in the northeastern city of Sumy. The regional state administration in Sumy said a drone hit a high-rise residential building, and that the attack also injured nine…
Microsoft, Meta CEOs defend hefty AI spending after DeepSeek stuns tech world
Days after Chinese upstart DeepSeek revealed a breakthrough in cheap AI computing that shook the U.S. technology industry, the chief executives of Microsoft and Meta defended massive spending that they said was key to staying competitive in the new field….
Chinese app shakes up AI race
A small Chinese company sent shockwaves around the tech world this week with news that it has created a high-performing artificial intelligence system with less computing power and at a lower cost than ones made by U.S. tech giants. Michelle…