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  • Al Jazeera launches new integrative AI model, ‘The Core’ | Media News

    Al Jazeera launches new integrative AI model, ‘The Core’ | Media News

    Al Jazeera Media Network says initiative will shift role of AI ‘from passive tool to active partner in journalism’.

    Published On 21 Dec 2025

    Al Jazeera Media Network is launching a new integrative artificial intelligence (AI) model in collaboration with Google Cloud.

    Al Jazeera said on Sunday that it was expanding its collaboration with Google Cloud on the network’s new initiative, dubbed “The Core”, that will integrate AI into its news operations.

    “The Core” aims to shift the role of AI “from a passive tool to an active partner in journalism”, Al Jazeera said.

    Relying on six pillars, the initiative will integrate AI systems to help Al Jazeera journalists process complex data, produce immersive content, gain access to analytical context and automate internal workflows, among other things.

    “Al Jazeera is committed to establishing a global technological ecosystem that cements our leadership in the AI era,” said Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal Al Thani, director general of Al Jazeera Media Network.

    “‘The Core’ is the embodiment of this vision – an integrated model where human expertise and artificial intelligence work in tandem to modernize journalism,” Al Thani said.

    “Google Cloud’s proven expertise in AI make it the ideal partner to help us execute this ambitious transformation, ensuring our journalism remains agile, accurate, and deeply engaging for our global audience.”

    Alex Rutter, AI managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Google Cloud, welcomed Al Jazeera’s decision to build “The Core” platform as a “pivotal step in developing the next generation of intelligent media”.

    “This transformational program leverages our advanced AI tools to reshape how journalists report and create news, and how audiences consume it. Together, Google Cloud and Al Jazeera are setting a new future direction for digital journalism,” Rutter said.

    Ahmad Al-Fahad, executive director of technology and network operations at Al Jazeera, added: “Al Jazeera is committed to keeping pace with the technological advances shaping the media industry. We consistently strive to integrate the latest tools and best practices into content production across our channels and platforms.”

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  • Elon Musk becomes world’s first $700 billion person after court restores Tesla pay deal

    Elon Musk becomes world’s first $700 billion person after court restores Tesla pay deal

    By Reuters  &nbspDecember 20, 2025 | 09:28 pm PT

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk boards Air Force One with U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) as they depart for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, U.S., March 22, 2025. Photo by Reuters


    Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s net worth surged to $749 billion late Friday after the Delaware Supreme Court reinstated Tesla stock options worth $139 billion that were voided last year, according to Forbes’ billionaires index.

    Musk’s 2018 pay package, once worth $56 billion, was restored by the Delaware Supreme Court on Friday, two years after a lower court struck down the compensation deal as “unfathomable.”

    The Supreme Court said that a 2024 ruling that rescinded the pay package had been improper and inequitable to Musk.

    Earlier this week, Musk became the first person ever to surpass $600 billion in net worth on the heels of reports that his aerospace startup SpaceX was likely to go public.

    In November, Tesla shareholders separately approved a $1 trillion pay plan for Musk, the largest corporate pay package in history, as investors endorsed his vision of morphing the EV maker into an AI and robotics juggernaut.

    Musk’s fortune now exceeds that of Google co-founder Larry Page, the world’s second-richest person, by nearly $500 billion, according to Forbes’ billionaires list.



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  • What is WhatsApp ghost pairing? The new silent way scammers use to secretly access your messages and photos

    What is WhatsApp ghost pairing? The new silent way scammers use to secretly access your messages and photos

    A new WhatsApp threat, ‘ghost pairing,’ is silently compromising user privacy. Scammers trick individuals into linking their accounts via fake verification codes or QR scans. This allows attackers to view conversations in real-time without the victim’s knowledge. Users must remain vigilant, regularly check linked devices, and never share sensitive codes to prevent data misuse and privacy breaches.

    WhatsApp has become like our companion, next ‘click’ that helps us communicate in personal and professional settings. The green white interface integrated with various features and generative Meta AI is probably also one of the most recognised by children who use the app for chatting with friends and be connected in school groups.But with the platform’s growing popularity every day, the methods used by cybercriminals exploit trust and familiarity. One such emerging threat is WhatsApp ghost pairing. It is not something that becomes immediately obvious. Instead, it works quietly in the background, often going unnoticed until real damage is done.The problem has become pretty alarming as the victims may unknowingly continue using WhatsApp normally. They might remain unaware that someone else is watching their conversations in real time. Unlike traditional hacking, this does not always involve stealing passwords or breaking security systems directly.

    WhatsApp ghost pairing

    WhatsApp ghost pairing: What does this mean and how to protect yourself from the scam

    How WhatsApp ghost pairing works

    WhatsApp ghost pairing uses the “Linked Devices” feature. A scammer tricks a user into sharing a verification code or scanning a QR code, mostly through fake messages pretending to be support or known contacts. Once linked, the attacker’s device silently syncs with the victim’s WhatsApp. The victim continues chatting as usual, unaware that messages, media, and sometimes even contacts are being mirrored in some other unwanted device.

    Why is it hard to detect

    Ghost pairing is dangerous because it leaves very few visible signs. There is no sudden logout or app crash. Notifications and chats work normally, which never let’s theuser doubt what malicious is going on behind their suspicion. Many users rarely check their linked devices, allowing attackers prolonged access. Since the pairing uses a legitimate WhatsApp feature, victims often realise something is wrong only after data misuse, fraud, or leaked private conversations.

    Representative Image

    Representative Image

    What are some common tactics used by scammers

    Scammers depend mostly on human psychology, posting situations of utmost urgency. They create a necessity by claiming account verification issues, job offers, or urgent requests from “friends.” Some hackers might even impersonate WhatsApp officials or company HR teams. The goal is to make users act instantly without giving them much time for deliberation. Then, once the user trusts the scenario and scans the code, the devices get synced.

    How to stay safe from ghost pairing

    Prevention starts with just being aware. Never share WhatsApp verification codes or scan QR codes sent by others. Regularly check the “Linked Devices” section and remove devices that might look fishy and problematic. Enable two-step verification for increased protection. Most importantly, it is necessary to rethink when messages create panic or urgency. A few seconds of verification and cross-checking can prevent weeks of damage and loss of privacy.

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  • Chinese stocks cool on weak economic data

    Chinese stocks cool on weak economic data

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    A steep rally in Chinese stock markets has cooled in the past three months, as weak economic data and profit-taking bring this year’s steep rally to an end.

    The MSCI China index has fallen 7.4 per cent since September, its worst three-month performance in an otherwise strong year for the country’s equities, with gains fuelled by optimism over Chinese technological innovation and government support for markets.

    The index is still up 28.7 per cent in the year to date, with several investors and strategists attributing this quarter’s pullback to profit-taking. “Hong Kong and China have been up two years in a row,” said Nicholas Chui, a portfolio manager at Franklin Templeton. “Profit-taking is a very natural reaction.”

    But recent weak economic data from China has contributed to cooling sentiment, highlighting the country’s structural challenges of low consumer confidence and deflation. Beijing’s crackdown on industrial overcapacity has led to a steep decline in investment that has not been offset by greater consumption.

    “Recently released macro data is affecting sentiment,” said Wei Li, head of multi-asset investments for China at BNP Paribas.

    November data showed falling fixed asset investment and consumer goods sales, as well as money supply, which together indicate cooling economic activity.

    Chinese stocks have underperformed other Asian markets in the final three months of the year. South Korea’s Kospi has gained over 17 per cent, Japan’s Topix is up 7.8 per cent, and Taiwan’s Taiex has risen 7.3 per cent. India’s Nifty 50 index is up 5.8 per cent.

    Tai Hui, chief Asia market strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management, said the decline was likely due to profit-taking as well as uncertainty over China’s growth prospects.

    “Some of the macro numbers have been on the softer side,” he said.

    Hui said investors were concerned that the weak growth would hit corporate earnings, which on average are still lower than when the MSCI China index peaked in 2021.

    “Lots of the rally we’ve seen onshore and offshore China is valuation re-rating,” Hui said. “The risk is they will not be immediately rewarded with stronger earnings.”

    Line chart of MSCI China index showing Chinese equities are still up more than 25% for the year

    In Hong Kong, falling levels of southbound investment from mainland China, which surged to record highs earlier this year and helped revive the territory’s capital markets, have also hit the market’s performance.

    “The Hong Kong stock market is very sensitive to liquidity,” said BNP Paribas’s Wei. “If we look at the southbound flow in recent months, it actually dropped quite a lot.”

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    Despite the weak end to the year, many investors in Chinese equities remain optimistic.

    “I think this is one of those times where you have a very natural and healthy correction,” Chui said. “It sets us up for a decent start to 2026.”

    Looking ahead, some investors expect Beijing to step in and support economic growth, providing a backstop for sentiment and earnings, while enthusiasm over innovative Chinese technology companies remains strong.

    “The recent central government conferences released very positive policies to support the market as well,” Wei said. “On one side is government support. The other side is technological innovation.”

    Not everyone agrees that recent government announcements have been reassuring for investors worried about signs of China’s slowing economic growth.

    “Policy commitment to bring growth on a higher trajectory is not super strong,” JPMorgan’s Hui said.

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  • Europe’s battery plants need local content rules to stay competitive, bosses say

    Europe’s battery plants need local content rules to stay competitive, bosses say

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    Two executives behind Europe’s newest battery plants have voiced support for a plan by Brussels to boost local content levels for car products as the continent seeks to weaken China’s grip on technologies critical to the electric transition.

    Some carmakers have panned the “made in Europe” proposal as “very dangerous” and said it could slow the shift to electric vehicles. But the chief executive of Seat-Cupra said such rules for car parts were necessary for Europe to remain competitive as the carmaker opened its battery assembly plant in Barcelona last week.

    “I think having a minimum amount of parts and also materials to be sourced from Europe for Europe is the natural answer,” said Markus Haupt, who heads the Spanish mass-market brand that is part of Volkswagen group. “It’s also the basis that we need to create to allow Europeans to stay competitive in Europe.” 

    Europe’s ambitions to build a homegrown battery industry took a hit with the collapse of Sweden’s Northvolt in March. Other battery projects have moved ahead elsewhere in Europe but face stiff competition from Asian competitors who lead the field.

    Proponents of the rules say having locally sourced materials will help to boost European competitiveness and jobs by reducing the continent’s reliance on China. European manufacturers remain particularly dependent on China for the manufacturing of battery cells as well as the battery metals supply chain.

    The opening of Seat-Cupra’s battery assembly plant in Barcelona is a key pillar of Volkswagen’s broader strategy to establish its independent supply chains for EVs © Ferran Nadeu

    The EU’s local sourcing targets for parts in products such as cars and solar panels are part of a set of proposals to be presented in late January aimed at strengthening the EU’s flagging industrial base.

    Echoing Seat-Cupra, which is part of the Volkswagen group, French battery maker Verkor also called for strict local content rules to boost the nascent European battery sector, as the company inaugurated its first gigafactory in Dunkirk last week.

    Benoit Lemaignan, chief executive and founder of the start-up Verkor, said that in order to protect the nascent battery sector, “made in Europe” rules were essential. Having a minimum capacity of European-made components would not only protect “industrial activity in Europe and France”, but also avoid Europe being excessively reliant on Chinese imports.

    The French government is leading calls for the content rules and at the Dunkirk event, industry minister Sébastien Martin said that Europe should follow the US and China in insisting on locally made content in vehicles. “In Europe, we need an extremely significant level of locally made content in our vehicles — 75 per cent — to save our industry.”

    Lemaignan is focusing the newly inaugurated Dunkirk facility on a single client and a single vehicle: the A390 SUV developed by Renault brand Alpine. He said this was a similar approach to that taken by China’s CATL and South Korea’s LG in earlier stages of development.

    In Spain, the opening of Seat-Cupra’s battery assembly plant in Barcelona is a key pillar of Volkswagen’s broader strategy to establish its independent supply chains for EVs. At maximum capacity, the facility will be able to assemble 300,000 battery systems per year and roughly half of its battery cells will be sourced from VW’s battery division. 

    An employee in protective gear operates machinery at Verkor's electric vehicle battery gigafactory during a press visit.
    French battery maker Verkor is focusing its new Dunkirk facility on a single vehicle © Francois Lo Presti/AFP via Getty Images

    Volkswagen earlier this month began the increase of production at its flagship battery plant in Salzgitter, close to its German headquarters.

    The new facility at the Martorell plant is also part of the German group’s €10bn investment into Spain’s electric transition. The VW group plans to take on Chinese rivals with a series of affordable electric vehicles produced in Spain and has spent about a third of its budget to transform Martorell into a production hub for EVs, hybrids and combustion engine vehicles.

    The battery systems will be used in Cupra’s sporty small EV Raval and Volkswagen’s ID. Polo, which will both go on sale next year starting at €25,000.

    “We think this segment could be the game changer for us,” Haupt said. “We strongly believe that we can be very competitive with this Cupra Raval.” 

    Jordi Hereu, Spain’s industry minister, welcomed the opening of the facility as “one step forward towards ensuring strategic autonomy starting here in Europe”.

    Europe’s local sourcing proposal has divided the industry and EU’s member states. It has faced opposition from carmakers who source many parts from outside the bloc. 

    Verkor has been backed by the French state to develop its gigafactory, with €650mn of French subsidies as part of a more than €2bn fundraise in 2023. 

    France has led efforts to develop the battery industry in Europe, with the Dunkirk region serving as a home not just to Verkor’s factory but also to Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz-backed battery maker ACC, Taiwanese developer Prologium and AESC, the Sino-Japanese battery maker whose cells are used in Renault’s R5 cars made at the nearby Douai plant. 

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  • Revolut clashes with former staff over tax on share awards

    Revolut clashes with former staff over tax on share awards

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    Revolut has clashed with dozens of former senior staff facing unexpectedly large tax bills from selling shares in the company, following incorrect information from the fintech.

    The London-headquartered neobank informed ex-employees this month that they would have to pay national insurance contributions and income taxes on profits made from selling part of their stakes in Revolut, according to people familiar with the matter and internal correspondence reviewed by the Financial Times. 

    This came as a shock to the former staff, who were previously told by Revolut that their company share option plans (CSOPs) had been extended, and so would only be subject to capital gains tax, according to people familiar with the matter. The former employees have petitioned the company, the people added. 

    As capital gains tax is levied at 24 per cent, while the combination of the highest rate of income tax and national insurance contribution is 47%, the difference in earnings could be significant.

    The row was ignited this month after former staff were invited to sell their shares back to the company in a share buyback round, which would value the fintech at $52bn, the Financial Times previously reported.

    The share buyback was an attempt to help former employees cash in on the enormous increase in the valuation of Revolut, which was founded in 2015 and has since become Europe’s most valuable start up.

    Revolut had initially told staff that they would have to participate in this round or their options would lapse. Revolut has since rowed back and reminded them that the buyback round is voluntary, one person close to the company said.

    The disagreement centres on information that Revolut had previously given former staff about how long they would have to exercise their Company Share Option Plans (CSOPs).

    Revolut has accepted that this information was incorrect, according to a person familiar with the bank’s position. Staff were told to seek independent tax advice, the person added.

    CSOPs are options with generous tax benefits and are used by companies to retain staff. They typically allow staff the chance to buy company shares and only pay CGT, rather than national insurance and income tax, when selling the company shares.

    Employees can generally start exercising their options three years after they have been granted, with the option lapsing after ten years. Employees who leave in good standing are given a brief window of time, usually a couple of months, to exercise these options. 

    However, Revolut incorrectly told some people who held these options that it had extended this “exercise window” from 60 days to ten years.

    One lawyer who advises on CSOPs said that an extension of this scale sounded “implausible”. The solicitor added that it would not make commercial sense for a company to grant the same CSOP tax benefits to current and ex-employees, as it would provide no incentive to stay at the firm.

    Revolut realised its information was wrong following an internal review, according to correspondence reviewed by the FT. It informed affected former staff members that the ten-year extension would be considered a “disqualifying event” by the UK’s tax authority, HM Revenue & Customs, and that any profits realised would be subject to both income tax and NIC.

    Aside from the group of individuals affected, Revolut’s documentation generally referred to options lapsing after 60 days from leaving the company, according to one person familiar with the bank’s position.

    The neobank has offered employees who did not participate in the buyback — and whose shares have technically lapsed — replacement shares on a one-for-one basis, according to one person familiar with the situation. However, these still do not have the tax benefits of CSOPs when exercised correctly. The person added that Revolut also clarified that it would not be forcing option holders to participate in the current buyback round.

    Revolut declined to comment.

    Former staff previously complained that the buyback was valued at a sharp discount to the company’s most recent fundraising efforts. Revolut concluded a fundraising round in September that valued the company at $75bn.

    Revolut has also enticed staff with lucrative equity options. The neobank’s chief executive and co-founder Nik Storonsky said last week in a Russian-language interview that many of its staff were “dollar multimillionaires”.

    Additional Reporting Emma Agyemang

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  • Public Notice: Notice of Data Incident | News List

    Notice of Data Incident

     

    December 20, 2025 – On or around March 30, 2024, Hernando County Board of County Commissioners (“Hernando County”) became aware of unusual activity on our network. Upon discovery, we took immediate steps to secure the network and remediate the incident. We also notified law enforcement and engaged third-party specialists to investigate. The investigation determined that limited information maintained on our network may have been acquired by an unauthorized actor between March 18, 2024, to March 30, 2024.

    Therefore, we initiated a comprehensive review of the information potentially involved to determine the type(s) of data contained within and to whom that information pertained. The information likely varies by individual but may include name, Social Security number, driver’s license/other state identification number, and passport number.

    We are also providing potentially impacted individuals with access to credit monitoring and identity protection services. If you have questions about this incident or would like to enroll in the credit monitoring and identity protection services, please call 833-792-0486 between the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM ET (excluding major U.S. holidays). You may also write to us at 20 N. Main Suite #460, Brooksville, FL 34601.

    In general, we encourage potentially impacted individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing credit reports/account statements and explanation of benefits forms for suspicious activity and to detect errors. Under U.S. law, individuals are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

    Individuals have the right to place an initial or extended fraud alert on a credit file at no cost. If individuals are a victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert lasting seven years. As an alternative to a fraud alert, they have the right to place a credit freeze on a credit report. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved without consent. Pursuant to federal law, individuals cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report.

    Should you wish to place a fraud alert or credit freeze, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

     TransUnion  Experian  Equifax
     1-800-680-7289  1-888-397-3742  1-888-298-0045
     www.transunion.com  www.experian.com   www.equifax.com

      
      
     

    Individuals can further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps to protect their personal information by contacting the credit reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), or their state Attorney General. The FTC also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. The FTC may be reached at 600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement, the state Attorney General, and the FTC.

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  • Chinese researchers achieve progress in clinical trial of brain-computer interface-Xinhua

    BEIJING, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) — A patient suffering from tetraplegia steered a smart wheelchair through the neighborhood with only his thoughts and directed a robotic dog to fetch a food delivery. These scenes were achieved during a recent clinical trial of a brain-computer interface conducted by a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

    This shattered the conventional boundaries of rehabilitation, carrying the brain’s command from a two-dimensional cursor on a screen into full-bodied, three-dimensional interaction with the physical world.

    Brain-computer interfaces are designed to create a direct communication channel between the brain and external devices. Around the world, research groups have already demonstrated the laboratory feats, including “mind typing” and robotic-arm control. The enduring challenge is to make those systems reliable enough to vanish into a patient’s daily life.

    The patient became quadriplegic in 2022 due to a spinal-cord injury and received the brain-computer-interface system, developed by the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology under the CAS, in June 2025. Within weeks of training, he can reliably control a computer cursor and a tablet.

    The researchers employed a high-throughput wireless invasive brain-computer interface system to enable the patient to stably control a smart wheelchair and a robotic dog using neural signals, achieving autonomous mobility and object retrieval in real-world settings.

    It signifies that China’s research in the field is shifting from merely restoring basic interaction to expanding the real-life horizons of paralyzed patients.

    The team also creatively fused two distinct decoding strategies to distill meaningful commands from noisy neural activities and boost the overall brain-control performance by more than 15 percent.

    Moreover, the researchers squeezed the system’s end-to-end latency, from neural pickup to command execution, under 100 milliseconds which is below the body’s own reaction time, giving the patient control that feels fluid and natural. ■

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