Study: Elon Musk’s misleading election posts viewed 1.2 billion times

False or misleading US election claims posted on X by Elon Musk have amassed nearly 1.2 billion views this year, a watchdog reported Aug 8, highlighting the billionaire’s potential influence on the highly polarised White House race. Ahead of the November election, researchers have raised alarm that X, formerly Twitter, is a hotbed of political misinformation. They...

India’s struggles with high rape cases, low conviction rates

NEW DELHI: The rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata last week has brought women onto the streets across India, furious at persistently high levels of sexual violence despite legal reforms and promised crackdowns. The government brought in sweeping changes to the criminal justice system, including tougher sentences, after the gang-rape and murder of...

Severe typhoon Ampil approaching Japan disrupts flights, trains

TOKYO: Typhoon Ampil edged closer to Japan’s main island of Honshu on Friday (Aug 16), forcing major Japanese airlines to cancel flights and the government to issue a warning against possible landslides and flooding. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways cancelled some 90 international flights, impacting more than 15,000 passengers. The two carriers also scrapped about 560...

Social media selfie hunters harming flora and fauna, scientists warn

Throngs of selfie-mad daytrippers have already prompted protests by residents and the introduction of tourism taxes by local authorities in regions from Austria to Greece and Indonesia. But it's not just Alpine village vistas or historic town plazas that are being overwhelmed by the growing number of phone-wielding posers seeking content for their social media feeds. "The...

Woman’s head strikes pole after she leans out of moving Thai train

BANGKOK: A woman in southern Thailand got away with no serious injuries after her head struck a pole while she was leaning out of a moving train. In a video circulating on social media, the woman is seen from inside a train carriage, leaning out of an open door. She then moves onto a step outside...

MACC , Azam Baki , Dr Mahathir Mohamad , Sons , Declare assets , Mirzan , Mokhzani , Extension

SINGAPORE: A man with mild intellectual disability was sentenced to 15 months’ jail and two strokes of the cane for molesting children in public, including a victim as young as nine years old. District Judge Kelly Ho, who handed Ong Kian Peng his sentence on Wedesday (Aug 14), said Ong knew what he did was wrong,...

US utilities poised to ride data center demand wave in second half

(Reuters) - U.S. electric utilities sounded bullish on demand from data centers powering the artificial intelligence boom after striking several supply deals during the second quarter, reinforcing market expectations of sales growth through the year. Top utilities, including American Electric Power and NextEra Energy, signed contracts in the recently concluded quarter while others highlighted interest from...

Polish billionaire plans to sue Meta over fake advertisements

WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish billionaire Rafal Brzoska and his wife plan to sue Meta over fake advertisements on Facebook and Instagram that feature his face and false information regarding her circulating on the social media platforms. Their move would be another in a series of quests initiated globally to hold the internet giant accountable for ads...

Google says it is deactivating Russia-based AdSense accounts

(Reuters) - Alphabet's Google is deactivating AdSense accounts in Russia, saying on Monday that it would no longer be able to make payments to users of its advertising service in the country. AdSense allows website and content owners, including on YouTube, to make money from the placement of advertisements managed by Google. "Due to ongoing developments in...