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Palestinian employee of German development agency ‘abused’ in Israeli jail

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 10:49
Baraa Odeh has told her lawyer from prison that she has been repeatedly strip-searched and physically assaulted.

Palestinian journalists in Gaza awarded World Press Freedom prize

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 10:35
All Palestinian journalists covering Israel’s war on Gaza have been awarded UNESCO’s World Press Freedom prize.

Iran’s unravelling carpet sales

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 10:21
Sanctions and a hobbled economy pull the rug out from under Iran's traditional carpet weavers.

Kenya, Tanzania brace for Cyclone Hidaya as flood death toll rises

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 10:01
Kenyan government orders mandatory evacuations for residents near 178 dams and water reservoirs in 33 counties.

I spent 43 days in Gaza’s now-destroyed hospitals. My mind is still there.

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 09:47
Now thousands of miles away, I think of my patients in Gaza and wonder: Are they still alive?

Jewish professor banned from US campus after arrest

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 08:49
A Jewish professor was filmed being violently arrested during an anti-Gaza war protest at Dartmouth College.

Palestinian journalists covering Gaza war win UNESCO press freedom prize

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 08:46
UN agency's chief calls award a tribute to courage of journalists facing 'difficult and dangerous' conditions in Gaza.

Rains, mudslides kill 29 in southern Brazil’s ‘worst disaster’

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 07:52
Torrential rains wreak havoc with toll expected to rise as search continues for dozens of people reported missing.

World Press Freedom Day: Gaza conflict deadliest for journalists

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 06:57
As the war in Gaza becomes the deadliest conflict for journalists, Al Jazeera looks at press freedom in the past year.

Wall Street Journal cuts Hong Kong staff, shifts focus to Singapore

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 06:44
Company-wide memo says the newspaper is shifting its 'center of gravity in the region' to Southeast Asian hub.

Orangutan seen treating wound with medicinal plant in world first

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 06:19
Sumatran orangutan named Rakus was seen using a plant to treat a facial wound possibly sustained during a fight.

School stabbings prompt safety review across Wales

Education - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 06:12
Head teachers urged to check emergency procedures are up to date after two teachers were stabbed.

Biden labels Japan and India ‘xenophobic’ along with China and Russia

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 06:03
Comments met with surprise since US president has sought to deepen ties with key ally Japan, as well as India.

Meat-free Mondays may be on menu for Surrey schools

Education - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 05:59
Motion before county council proposes a plant-based menu at schools once a week to improve health.

Why are Pakistan’s wheat farmers protesting against the government?

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 05:47
Farmers say recent wheat import policies have caused their financial woes.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 799

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 05:14
As the war enters its 799th day, these are the main developments.

‘Vote jihad’: As Modi raises anti-Muslim India election pitch, what’s next?

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 05:07
As the campaign targeting of Muslims becomes more direct and shrill, experts fear Modi’s words could encourage violence.

KFC Malaysia temporarily closes outlets amid Gaza boycott

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 04:12
Franchise operator cites 'challenging economic conditions' amid local reports linking closures to boycotts of Israel.

Israeli firms sold invasive surveillance tech to Indonesia: Report

Around The Globe - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 03:55
Investigation by Amnesty, Haaretz, Tempo and others finds links between official bodies and agencies from at least 2017.

Ukraine unveils AI-generated foreign ministry spokesperson

Technology - Fri, 05/03/2024 - 03:22
Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukraine has an AI-generated spokesperson called Victoria who will make official statements on behalf of its foreign ministry. The ministry said on Wednesday that it would "for the first time in history" use a digital spokesperson to read its statements, which will still be written by humans. Dressed in a dark suit, the spokesperson introduced herself as Victoria Shi, a "digital person," in a presentation posted on social media. The figure gesticulates with her hands and moves her head as she speaks. The foreign ministry's press service told AFP that the statements given by Shi would not be generated by AI but "written and verified by real people." "It's only the visual part that the AI helps us to generate," it said. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the new spokesperson was a "technological leap that no diplomatic service in the world has yet made." The main reason for creating her was "saving time and resources" for diplomats, he said. Shi's creators are a team called The Game Changers who have also made virtual reality content related to the war in Ukraine. The spokesperson's name is based on the word victory and the Ukrainian for artificial intelligence: shtuchniy intelekt. Shi's appearance and voice are modeled on a real person: Rosalie Nombre, a singer and former contestant on Ukraine's version of The Bachelor reality show. Nombre was born in the now Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. She has 54,000 followers on her Instagram account, which she uses to discuss stereotypes about mixed-race Ukrainians and those who grew up as Russian speakers. The ministry said that Nombre took part free of charge. It stressed that Shi and Nombre "are two different people" and that only the AI figure gives official statements. To avoid fakes, these will be accompanied by a QR code linking them to text versions on the ministry's website. Shi will comment on consular services, currently a controversial topic. Ukraine last week suspended such services for men of fighting age living abroad, making it necessary for them to return to their country for administrative procedures and potentially face the draft. 

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