Skip to main content

Iranian police say 139 foreigners arrested over unrest in Yazd province

Iranian police said 139 foreign nationals have so far been arrested in the central province of Yazd for their participation in recent protests, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday, without specifying their nationalities. Yazd, a predominantly desert province with a relatively small population above 1 million, was one of many provinces affected by nationwide protests in January. The protests, which started in December over economic hardships and quickly turned political, were repressed in the most violent crackdown since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The official death toll stands at 3,117, although rights groups say many more people have been killed. US-based rights group HRANA has said that nearly 50,000 people have so far been arrested. Authorities blame Israel and the United States for fomenting the violence. "These (foreign) individuals played an active role in organising, inciting, and directing riotous actions, and in some cases were in contact with netwo...
Post a Comment

Google faces DoJ antitrust probe over Character.AI deal: report

Alphabet Inc.'s Google is under investigation by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) for a potential antitrust violation concerning its partnership with AI startup Character.AI, according to a Bloomberg Law report. The DOJ is examining whether Google structured the deal to circumvent formal merger scrutiny, a move that could have significant implications for the tech industry's regulatory landscape. In 2024, Google entered into an agreement with Character.AI, granting the tech giant a non-exclusive license to use the startup's advanced chatbot technology. As part of the deal, Character.AI's co-founders, Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, along with other team members, rejoined Google. While Google maintains that Character.AI remains an independent entity with no ownership stake from Google, regulators are scrutinising the arrangement to determine if it effectively constitutes an acquisition designed to bypass antitrust review processes. This investigation adds to a series of legal challenges facing Google. The Justice Department is probing whether Google violated antitrust law with an agreement to use the AI technology of a popular chatbot maker https://t.co/ePBihVMb9a — Bloomberg (@business) May 22, 2025 Earlier this year, a federal judge ruled that Google had illegally monopolised the online search and advertising markets, leading the DOJ to propose remedies that could include forcing Google to divest its Chrome browser and Android operating system. The DOJ is also considering measures to ensure competitive fairness in the rapidly evolving AI sector. https://ift.tt/OxdJXWy The Character.AI deal has drawn comparisons to similar arrangements by other tech giants. For instance, Microsoft's $650 million agreement with Inflection AI and Amazon's acquisition of AI talent from Adept have also attracted regulatory attention. These deals are being examined to assess whether they provide established companies with an unfair advantage over emerging competitors in the AI field. 🔥✌️More Insights from the Google vs. DOJ Antitrust trial about user data👇 pic.twitter.com/huOFDIPong — ✌️Oᒪᗩᖴ KOá‘­á‘­ 🔥 (@Olaf_Kopp) May 23, 2025 As the DOJ's investigation progresses, the outcome could reshape how future AI partnerships and acquisitions are evaluated under antitrust laws, potentially leading to stricter oversight of Big Tech's expansion into the AI market.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/Wum5Swy
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...
Post a Comment
Read more

US, Philippines kick off joint military drills in South China Sea with 16,000 troops

Some 16,000 US and Philippine troops kicked off the annual joint military drills on Monday in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), local media reported. WPS is the official designation by Philippines to the parts of the South China Sea that are included in the country's exclusive economic zone. The 19-day exercises, dubbed "Balikatan 2024," will involve around 5,000 Philippine and 11,000 US troops, making it the largest joint military drills between the two allies conducted in decades, local English daily Manila Times reported citing the military. A total of 14 nations, including Japan and India, will take part in the drills as observers amid mounting maritime tensions in the South China Sea. Contingents from the Australian Defence Force and the French Navy will also join the exercise as participants. Read also: China urges US to stop using Philippines as a pawn to destabilise South China Sea France will join the group sail but will only navigate on the edge of the Philippine E...
Post a Comment
Read more

US, Chinese defence chiefs hold first talks since 2022

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke via video teleconference Tuesday with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun in their first engagement in more than a year, the Pentagon said. They discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and global security issues, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters. "During the discussion, Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of continuing to open lines of military-to-military communication between the US and the People's Republic of China. "He also underscored the importance of respect for high seas freedom of navigation guaranteed under international law, especially in the South China Sea, and reiterated that the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate safely and responsibly wherever international law allows," Ryder added. Read also: US, China need 'tough' conversations, Yellen tells Chinese premier Austin reiterated that the US remains committed to its One China Policy, which is guide...
Post a Comment
Read more