International

International


States sue to block feds from sharing personal data of millions who receive social service benefits

More than 20 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration on Monday to block it from getting wide access to the personal information of millions of recipients of a benefits program for low-income families. The case is the latest legal action between states and the federal government over the Temporary Assistance for […]

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EU to crack down on AI deepfakes, illicit imagery and hacking with new team in Brussels

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union rolled out a new team on Friday to rein in AI companies across the world, in one of the most aggressive regulations the high-tech sector has so far faced as fears rise over the risks the rapidly advancing technology poses to people, politics and prosperity. Brussels aims to track […]

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Social media companies sued over deaths of four teens as pressure, lawsuits over child safety mount

The families of four teenagers who died by suicide are suing Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube over what they describe as “years of escalating harms” from using their platforms that eventually resulted in their deaths. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the Superior Court of Delaware, is the latest in a flurry of suits filed against […]

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EU lays out $11.4 billion for 7 AI gigafactories as it aims to catch up with US and China

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is offering 10 billion euros ($11.4 billion) in funding for firms to erect seven AI gigafactories as it seeks to close the AI gap with U.S. and China, the 27-nation bloc’s executive said on Thursday. The European Commission said it would like the public financing to draw an additional […]

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Russia accuses Telegram CEO Pavel Durov of aiding terrorism in its latest digital crackdown

Russian authorities said Wednesday they had charged Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, with aiding terrorism, the latest step by the Kremlin to bring the internet and digital communications under its control. The charges against the Russian-born Durov, who lives abroad, came as authorities have sought to restrict the […]

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Telegram’s billionaire founder Pavel Durov has faced legal woes before — in Russia and France

Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, has repeatedly run into trouble with both the Kremlin and Western officials as he cast himself as a champion of free speech. On Wednesday, Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, accused him of aiding what it called terrorist activities. It also said it […]

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New York school pauses plan to deploy humanlike AI robot teacher after backlash

NEW YORK (AP) — A school district in a rural corner of upstate New York is hitting pause on plans to deploy an AI-powered, humanoid robot in the classroom after state education officials, teachers and local residents raised concerns, including the maker’s ties to a company that produces hyper realistic sex bots. The Salamanca City […]

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UNICEF Gaza chief says Israeli destruction, restrictions squandering Canadian aid

The United Nations official left to oversee not just children’s welfare but also water and sanitation in the Gaza Strip is praising Canada’s support for Palestinians — but warns that some of its aid money is being squandered by Israel’s attacks on water facilities and restrictions on aid groups. Jonathan Veitch, the head of UNICEF […]

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CBC won’t disclose Eurovision costs as memo says Ottawa can’t order it to take part

CBC/Radio-Canada won’t disclose how much participating in the Eurovision song contest could cost. A government document, obtained through access to information law, says information about other countries is limited but total costs ranged from about $400,000 for Portugal to $1.5 million for Israel in 2025. The Canadian Heritage document also says that because the Broadcasting […]

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ICC chief prosecutor removed from post over sexual misconduct allegations

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court was removed from office on Friday, nearly two years after sexual misconduct allegations against him first emerged. The ouster of Karim Khan comes at a time when the court is already facing daunting challenges, including a campaign by the United States to “dismantle” […]

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Navy revises what information about sailors can be released, citing internal misinterpretation

WASHINGTON (AP) — Citing an internal misinterpretation of a change in policy, the U.S. Navy is backing away from statements that it would begin to restrict press and public access to sailors’ service histories — information that has been freely offered for decades. “The Navy continues to fulfill service record requests under our longstanding, standard […]

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Vatican defends secrecy in sensitive abuse case involving ex-Jesuit artist Marko Rupnik

ROME (AP) — The Vatican on Wednesday confirmed that a church trial against a famous ex-Jesuit priest accused of spiritual and sexual abuse of women is ongoing and defended the secrecy of the proceedings as necessary to guarantee the process. An Italian blog reported Monday that an acquittal verdict had been reached in the case […]

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