Congo registers around 43.9 million voters for December general election
KINSHASA Congo's electoral commission has registered around 43.9 million voters for general elections in December compared to 40.4
2023-05-23 04:20
This viral AI image of an 'explosion' near the Pentagon never happened
The dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) spreading harmful misinformation were made clear once again on Monday, when local fire service officials were forced to confirm there had not been an ‘explosion’ at the Pentagon in Virginia – despite an AI-generated image appearing to suggest there had been. The main image, shared by several fake accounts with blue tick ‘verification’, depicts black smoke billowing close to the Pentagon building, with another showing a distant photo of smoke next to the US defence department headquarters. Stating that the reports are unfounded, the Arlington Fire and Emergency Medical Services Twitter account wrote: “[The Pentagon Force Protection Agency] and the ACFD [Arlington County Fire Department] are aware of a social media report circulating online about an explosion near the Pentagon. “There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazards to the public.” Fortunately, while paid-for blue tick accounts have been promised greater promotion on Twitter, a search for ‘Pentagon’ on the social media network brings up a string of tweets from ‘unverified’ accounts debunking the AI image: Stocks reportedly tanked following the fake image, and it isn’t the first time that’s happened, either. The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly saw a sudden drop last year when an imposter tweeted “insulin is free”. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter And if tricksters aren’t targeting the Pentagon with AI-generated imagery, then they’re using the software to create pictures of the Pope in a puffer jacket and former US President Donald Trump being arrested. In fact, it was only last month that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York representative, warned of “major potential harm” at the hands of fake AI images. “Jokes aside, this is setting the stage for major potential harm when a natural disaster hits and no one knows what agencies, reporters, or outlets are real. “Not long ago we had major flash floods. We had to mobilize trusted info fast to save lives. Today just made that harder,” she said. It seems we’re there already… Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-05-23 03:28
Air strikes hit Khartoum ahead of seven-day ceasefire
By Khalid Abdelaziz and Mohamed Nureldin KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Sudan's army conducted air strikes in the capital Khartoum on Monday, residents
2023-05-23 03:17
Nebraska governor signs bill that bans most abortions at 12 weeks, gender-affirming care for those under 19
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, signed a bill into law on Monday that bans most abortions after 12 weeks with exceptions for sexual assault, incest and medical emergencies.
2023-05-23 02:29
Madeleine McCann disappearance: A timeline
Parents Kate and Gerry McCann have spent 16 years searching for answers over their missing daughter.
2023-05-23 00:55
Poland in talks to buy Swedish early warning aircraft, minister says
WARSAW Poland is in advanced talks to buy Swedish early warning planes and hopes negotiations will be finalised
2023-05-23 00:22
Tim Scott: Republican senator is running for president
The Republican from South Carolina enters the race with more campaign cash than any of his rivals.
2023-05-23 00:17
Longtime Democratic Sen. Tom Carper says he will not seek reelection
Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware said Monday he will not seek reelection in 2024.
2023-05-22 23:54
UN envoy to Sudan warns of 'ethnicisation' of conflict, impact on region
CAIRO The United Nations envoy to Sudan warned on Monday of the growing "ethnicisation" of the military conflict
2023-05-22 22:47
Greek vote shows public mellowing from crisis-era anger
By Michele Kambas and Renee Maltezou ATHENS A resounding defeat of radical parties in Greece's election on Sunday
2023-05-22 22:22
Get up to speed on the US debt drama
House Republicans are insisting on spending cuts before they will agree to raise the nation's debt ceiling past $31 trillion.
2023-05-22 19:54
Ron DeSantis 2024 – live: NAACP advises against travel to Florida as governor prepares for presidential bid
Ron DeSantis is expected to officially enter the 2024 presidential race this week following months of speculation. The Florida governor is tipped to file formal paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Thursday 25 May, coinciding his candidacy declaration with a donor meeting in Miami, Reuters reported last week. This comes just days after the NAACP issued an advisory warning travelers that Florida is “openly hostile” towards Black people, people of colour and LGBT+ people following a series of laws implemented by the governor in recent months. Mr DeSantis, 44, is eyed as Donald Trump’s biggest rival for the Republican vote and has been expected to throw his hat into the ring for some time. Following the GOP party’s disappoining midterms – where the “red wave” failed to appear and Mr Trump-endorsed candidates fell flat – several Republican lawmakers and right-wing media have rallied behind Mr DeSantis as their candidate of choice. However, latest polls show Mr DeSantis trailing Mr Trump, with the RealClearPolitics polling average giving the former president a 36-point lead. Mr DeSantis will join an already crowded race, with Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Larry Elder and Tim Scott already announcing bids. Read More NAACP advises against traveling to Florida: ‘Openly hostile toward African Americans’ DeSantis meets New Hampshire lawmakers, greets voters ahead of expected 2024 announcement DeSantis super PAC tackles tricky task of organizing support for him in Iowa without the candidate
2023-05-22 18:27