TV makers tout AI upgrades at CES, as smartphone threat looms

AFP|Published

TVs are facing fierce competition from smartphones as manufacturers unveil AI-enhanced models at CES, showcasing massive screens and richer imagery.

The big obstacles to Trump’s plan for a Venezuelan oil windfall

Washington Post|Published

President Trump’s strategy to revitalise Venezuela’s oil industry echoes past ambitions in Iraq, but what are the real obstacles that could thwart this plan?

'Tuna King' pays record $3.2m for bluefin at Tokyo auction

AFP|Published

A Japanese sushi entrepreneur, known as the 'Tuna King,' set a new record by paying $3.2 million for a giant bluefin tuna at Tokyo's prestigious new year auction, ...

AI, chips boom sent South Korea exports soaring in 2025

AFP|Published

Total exports last year were valued at over $700 billion, according to data from Seoul's industry ministry, up 3.8 percent from the previous year.

TSMC says started mass production of 'most advanced' 2nm chips

AFP|Published

Taiwanese tech titan TSMC has started mass producing its cutting-edge 2-nanometre semiconductor chips, the company said in a statement.

Bulgaria readies to adopt the euro, nearly 20 years after joining EU

AFP|Published

Bulgaria will wave goodbye to both 2025 and its lev currency, which has been in use since the late 19th century.

World bids farewell to 2025, a year of Trump, truces and turmoil

AFP|Published

It was one of the warmest years on record, the stifling heat stoking wildfires in Europe, droughts in Africa and deadly rains across Southeast Asia.

Tehran shopkeepers shut stores over economic conditions

AFP|Published

Price fluctuations are paralysing the sales of some imported goods, with both sellers and buyers preferring to postpone transactions until the outlook becomes clearer, ...

South Korea's ex-first lady accused of taking over $200,000 in bribes

AFP|Published

Kim Keon Hee, the wife of disgraced ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol, was arrested in August and is under investigation for alleged stock manipulation and receiving gifts ...

Chilean firms partner to form giant company to exploit lithium

AFP|Published

The partnership between the firms will allow them to jointly ramp up the exploitation of lithium in the Atacama salt flat region of northern Chile.

Beyonce declared a billionaire by Forbes magazine

AFP|Published

The 44-year-old entertainer joins a select club that includes her husband, rapper Jay-Z, as well as Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen and Rihanna, according to the ...

Nvidia expands AI empire with Groq talent grab

AFP|Published

Under the agreement, Groq founder Jonathan Ross and president Sunny Madra, along with other team members, will join Nvidia to help develop and scale the Groq's technology. ...

China sanctions 20 US firms over Taiwan arms sales

AFP|Published

The United States has long been Taiwan's biggest arms supplier despite China viewing the democratic island as part of its territory and refusing to rule out using ...

Upstart gangsters shake Japan's yakuza

AFP|Published

Yakuza have long occupied a particular place in Japanese society. Technically not illegal, each group even has its own official headquarters.

'Happy milestone': Pakistan's historic brewery cheers export licence

AFP|Published

Murree, founded in 1860 to quench the thirst of British soldiers and the colonial community during the Raj, has survived Islamist opposition and strict regulations ...

From predator to plate: Japan bear crisis sparks culinary craze

AFP|Published

Although far from an everyday dish, bear has long been eaten in mountainous villages across Japan.

Pets, pedis and peppermints: When the diva is a donkey

AFP|Published

The donkey pulls the colorful cart of Parpignol, who peddles toys to children in the spectacular street market scene that also literally features a horse-drawn carriage. ...

Judge upholds Trump's $100k fee to process US tech visas

AFP|Published

The $100,000 application fee announced in September gave companies just 36 hours notice before it went into effect, triggering chaos and confusion over how it would ...

'We are ghosts': Britain's migrant night workers

AFP|Published

In the last decade, Britain's nine-million-strong nighttime workforce has become increasingly reliant on migrants like Cristovao, as the number of UK-born workers ...

Amazon says blocked 1,800 North Koreans from applying for jobs

AFP|Published

The North Koreans typically use " laptop farms" - a computer in the United States operated remotely from outside the country, Amazon's Chief Security Officer said. ...