‘I think it’s the fentanyl’: Philippines’ Marcos hits back at predecessor Duterte

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. struck back on Monday at his firebrand predecessor Rodrigo Duterte who called him a "drug addict", saying the former leader's fentanyl use could have affected his judgment. "I think it's the fentanyl," Marcos told reporters shortly before leaving for Vietnam in response to claims made by Duterte on...

Top UN court stops short of ordering ceasefire in Gaza and demands Israel contain deaths

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP): The United Nations' top court stopped short on Friday (Jan 26) of ordering a ceasefire in Gaza in a case accusing Israel of genocide in the tiny coastal enclave, but demanded that Israel try to limit deaths and damage caused by its military offensive there. South Africa brought the case, which goes...

Western Digital Corp posts wider Q2 loss, sees impact of structural changes

(Reuters) - Data storage products maker Western Digital Corp posted a wider-than-expected quarterly adjusted loss on Thursday, due to the impact of structural changes the company implemented in its flash and HDD businesses. Shares of the company were down about 4% in after-market trading. Last quarter, the company said it would spin off its flash memory business,...

Former ‘Assassin’s Creed’ studio executives face sexual harassment trial in France

Former executives at video-game firm Ubisoft Entertainment SA face a sexual harassment trial in France over allegations they made “crude sexual remarks in public”. The company and its chief executive officer, Yves Guillemot, were named in the complaint plaintiffs lodged in 2021 but will not faced trial in Bobigny, north of Paris. “We are therefore unable...

New Zealand withdraws bill allowing 16-year-olds to vote in local body elections

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - The New Zealand government on Friday withdrew a bill that would have allowed sixteen year olds to vote in local government elections if it had passed. New Zealand's highest court ruled in late 2022 that the country's current voting age of 18 was discriminatory, forcing parliament to discuss whether it should be lowered. The...

Vatican convicts priest accused of abuse at papal altar boys’ school

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A Vatican appeals court on Tuesday convicted a priest of sexually abusing a fellow student while they were both attending a school for papal altar boys. Partially overturning a first instance ruling from 2021, judges sentenced Father Gabriele Martinelli to two and a half years' imprisonment, according to a copy of their...

Morocco foils 75,184 illegal migration attempts to Europe in 2023

RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco stopped 75,184 people from illegally migrating to Europe in 2023, up 6% compared to a year earlier, the interior ministry said on Tuesday. The figures reflected "the resilience of border and coast surveillance apparatus," the ministry said in response to Reuters emailed questions. Morocco and Spain have strengthened their cooperation in addressing illegal...

Startup AiDash raises $50 million for tech using AI, satellites to spot wildfire risk

(Reuters) - A California startup using artificial intelligence (AI) and satellites to spot fire and weather risks on power lines, AiDash, reported on Tuesday it had raised $50 million in new funding, reflecting Silicon Valley efforts to create products that help energy companies adapt to climate change. Power utilities are under pressure to cut risks of...

Video-game market recovery to pick up steam in 2024 on strong console sales – report

(Reuters) - A recovery in the global video-game market is expected to pick up pace this year on the back of strong sales of Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation 5 consoles, according to research firm NewZoo. The market is set to grow 2.8% to $189.3 billion in 2024, after it rose around 0.6% last year and...

Logitech facing delays in getting products to Europe due to Red Sea crisis

ZURICH (Reuters) - Logitech International is facing 30-day delays in getting its products from its factories in Asia to Europe due to the Red Sea crisis, the computer peripheral maker's CEO said on Tuesday. The maker of computer keyboards, mice, speakers and webcams is the latest company to warn of the impact of attacks by Houthi...