Africa
Grueling, low-paid human work behind generative AI curtain
The precarious work of training AI, which generally pays just a few dollars, has sparked a movement for better wages and conditions globally. Paris - For a generative artificial intelligence system to learn how to write an autopsy report, human workers must sort and annotate thousands of crime scene images. The precarious work of training AI, which generally pays just a few dollars, has sparked a movement for better wages and conditions stretching from Kenya to Colombia. You have to spend your whole day looking at dead bodies and crime scenes. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
Smuggler jailed for 40 years after shipping ballistic missiles parts from Iran
A weapons smuggler, who used a fishing boat to ship ballistic missile parts from Iran to Houthi rebels in Yemen, has been sentenced to 40 years in a US prison. Pakistani national Muhammad Pahlawan was detained during a US military operation in the Arabian Sea in January 2024 - during which two US Navy Seals drowned. Pahlawan's crew would later testify they had been duped into taking part, having believed they were working as fishermen. The Houthis were launching sustained missile and drone attacks on Israel at the time, as well as targeting international commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, saying they were acting in support of the Palestinians in Gaza. Iran has consistently denied arming the Houthis.
How nervous are investors about the US stock market?
How nervous are investors about the stock market? Every week it seems US financial markets are hit by another bout of fear. The latest worries spread this week from the banking sector in the US, after two regional lenders warned they would be hit by losses from alleged fraud. But before that, markets swooned over signs of rekindled US-China tensions, as the two superpowers face off over tariffs, advanced technology and access to rare earths. The bankruptcies of car parts supplier First Brands and subprime car lender Tricolor acted as a trigger for nervous chatter in September.
Lemurs keep evolving new species, even after 50 million years
'Something special is happening on Madagascar.' Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Lemurs first arrived on the island of Madagascar 53.2 million years ago, probably hitching a ride on a vegetation raft from mainland Africa. The island was predator free, and the lemurs evolved into an abundance of species to thrive in its various habitats--an expansion that hasn't stopped since. Scientists typically expect such rapid species growth to eventually slow down. However, in a study recently published in the journal a team of researchers presents evidence that lemurs defy this evolutionary principle.
How scarecrows went from ancient magic to fall horror fodder
Scarecrows do a much better job scaring humans than they do scaring birds. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. For most Americans, scarecrows are synonymous with autumn. They pop up in corn mazes and crop fields at harvest festivals, on hay bales in grocery store displays, and as set dressing or (increasingly) as villains in fall-flavored horror films . But for all their ubiquity, agricultural scientist Rebecca Brown reflects, "I don't think I've ever seen a commercial farm that used a scarecrow with the intent of scaring birds. If they've got one, it's as seasonal decoration."
OpenAI temporarily stops AI deepfakes of Martin Luther King Jr
OpenAI has temporarily stopped its artificial intelligence (AI) app Sora creating deepfake videos portraying Dr Martin Luther King Jr, following a request from his estate. It said disrespectful content had been generated about the civil rights campaigner. Sora has become popular in the US for making hyper-realistic AI-generated videos, which has led to people sharing clips of deceased celebrities and historical figures in outlandish and often offensive scenarios. OpenAI said it would pause images of Dr King as it strengthens guardrails for historical figures - but it continues to allow people to make clips of others. The firm has faced controversy over this stance, as videos featuring notable figures such as President John F. Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth II and Professor Stephen Hawking have been shared widely online.
Clean air is the new frontier of global cooperation
As the Group of 20 leaders gather in Cape Town, clean air features on the agenda as a standalone priority for the first time in the forum's history. The reality, however, is stark. Outdoor air pollution claims 5.7 million lives each year, and a report released last week highlights the lack of international development finance for clean air. Only $3.7bn was spent globally in 2023, representing barely 1 percent of aid, with only a fraction reaching Africa. As the minister chairing the G20's environment workstream this year, I am proud to have worked with member countries and international organisations to place air pollution firmly on the agenda.
Open AI breaks ranks with Tech Council of Australia over heated copyright issue
Chief global affairs officer of company behind ChatGPT tells Sydney audience'we are going to be in Australia, one way or the other' Fri 17 Oct 2025 03.33 EDTLast modified on Fri 17 Oct 2025 03.35 EDT "No we are going to be in Australia, one way or the other." And now the internet claims many people don't even care. What is going on?! | First Dog on the Moon "We will engage in either country - we will find ways to work with those who want to build up big frontier models and have robust ecosystems, or those who just want to have much more narrowly defined AI," he said. "We will work with them under either scenario, regardless." "This is the nature of how technology works. Innovations come along, and then societies adapt to those innovations," he said.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,331
Can Ukraine restore its pre-war borders? Why are Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine a'red line' for Russia? Is Russia testing NATO with aerial incursions in Europe? Russian war correspondent Ivan Zuyev has been killed by a Ukrainian drone strike while on assignment on the front line of the war in southern Ukraine's Zaporizhia region, his publication, state news agency RIA said. Zuyev's colleague, Yuri Voitkevich, was seriously wounded in the attack.