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News24 Business | Samsung issues rare apology for poor results in tech 'crisis'

Samsung Electronics issued a rare apology and acknowledged on Tuesday it was facing a "crisis" over its technological competitiveness, reflected in a disappointing profit guidance, despite a global AI boom.




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News24 Business | Nigeria to punish Musk's Starlink for unauthorised price hike

Nigeria began a process to sanction Starlink after the satellite-internet service owned by billionaire Elon Musk increased its prices without approval from the regulator.




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News24 Business | Internet Archive, Wayback Machine hit by 'catastrophic' cyberattack, data breach

The Internet Archive, an online repository of web pages, was offline Thursday after its founder confirmed a major cyberattack that exposed the data of millions of users and left the site defaced.




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News24 Business | Google to use small nuclear reactors for AI-intensive data centres

Google is investing in the development of the next generation of nuclear power, backing a company that’s building small modular reactors and agreeing to purchase energy once the sites start supplying US grids.




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News24 Business | South African AI body calls for LinkedIn probe over alleged local user data violations

The South African Artificial Intelligence Association wants LinkedIn to be investigated, as it claims the social networking platforms new data use practice violates local personal information protection law.




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News24 Business | Investment update | Cybersecurity is a goldmine - top picks for investors

The latest investment insights and market developments.




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News24 Business | TikTok billionaire becomes China's richest person

ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming is China's richest person, with personal wealth of $49.3 billion (R872 billion), an annual rich list showed on Tuesday, although counterparts in real estate and renewables have fared less well.




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News24 Business | PlayStation 5 Pro goes on sale: But will gamers pay hefty prices?

The PlayStation 5 Pro hits shops on Thursday with a price tag that has raised eyebrows among gamers, but growing sticker shocks in the tech industry have yet to deter consumers.




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News24 Business | New R4bn startup fund planned for African tech firms

Tech accelerator Startupbootcamp, British-East African business tycoon Ashish Thakkar’s Mara Group and Blend Financial Services are planning a $250 million (R4.4 billion) fund to invest in new African technology companies.




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News24 Business | 'Edge-of-seat stuff': UKZN engineers get UK funding for 3D-printed rocket engines

The University of KwaZulu-Natal will share R2 million in research funding from the UK government to improve 3D-printing techniques for rocket engine components.




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News24 | Lottoland wins Google battle, Mogale City sewage disaster: Today's top 7 stories in 7 minutes

News24 brings you the top stories of the day, summarised into neat little packages. Read through quickly or listen to the articles via our customised text-to-speech feature.




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News24 | Wednesday's weather: Severe weather predicted in parts of the country with multiple warnings issued

The country is set to experience varied weather conditions, with several impact-based warnings issued across various provinces, according to the South African Weather Service.




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News24 | Public Protector still evaluating 'sexting' complaint against George deputy mayor cleared by DA

While the DA may have found that George Deputy Mayor Raybin Figland had no criminal liability for allegedly sexting a teenage pupil – the Public Protector's office could still probe him for misconduct.




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News24 | 'We already miss him': Brackenfell family looking for missing teen last seen visiting a friend

A family in Brackenfell, Cape Town, is looking for their missing teenage son, whom they last saw on Saturday morning heading to visit a friend in the area.




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News24 | Patients lie on the floor at Uitenhage hospital - some with serious injuries

Patients lie on the floor at Uitenhage Provincial Hospital in Kariega, some with drips in their veins.




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News24 | Ronald Lamola denies ANC is protecting 'its friend Frelimo' ahead of more protests in Mozambique

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola threw diplomacy out the window on Tuesday and responded angrily when he was asked whether South Africa and the ANC were "protecting its friend" Frelimo in troubled Mozambique.




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News24 | SRD R370 grant beneficiaries approved in October still waiting for payment

Nearly three weeks after they were supposed to be paid, a number of SRD grant beneficiaries who had their applications approved in October are still waiting for their payments.




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News24 | Two people arrested over murder of ‘Noem My Skollie’ actor, insurance fraud suspected

Cape Town police have arrested two suspects in connection with the murder of Noem My Skollie actor David Manuel and his friend, Alfonso Fisher, in Gugulethu last month.




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News24 | SA Jewish Board of Deputies approaches Equality Court with social media hate speech complaint

The Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies has asked the Equality Court in Cape Town to declare politician Mehmet Vefa Dag's social media posts about about Jewish people hate speech.




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News24 | WASTE LAND | Mogale City sewage disaster sees faeces-laden river water testing 100 times above legal limit

Scientific tests confirm rivers and dams have been poisoned by the raw sewage dumped by the municipality in the Bloubankspruit and Crocodile Rivers, killing aquatic life and destroying businesses and livelihoods.




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News24 | Budget constraints force Gauteng education department to delay teacher promotions until April

The Gauteng education department has postponed the appointment of new office-based staff as well as teachers who applied to be promoted as heads of department, deputy principals and principals until April because of budget constraints.




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News24 | Fraser's Phala Phala claims something from a movie, but baseless, says Ramaphosa's lawyer

President Cyril Ramaphosa's lawyers say former spy boss Arthur Fraser's claims about the Phala Phala break-in are like something from a movie - but are founded on nothing more than baseless speculation.




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News24 | Heat attack: 2024 is world's hottest year, and likely to leave South Africans sweating this summer

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has raised the alarm over climate change, reporting 2024 is the world's hottest year yet.




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News24 | Higher education minister clashes with NSFAS head over 'unexplained' suspension of 2 officials

A formal disciplinary process, or lack thereof, around the suspensions of two high-ranking officials at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has pitted Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Pamela Nkabane against NSFAS administrator Freeman Nomvalo.




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News24 | Do you have any complaints or feedback about News24's content? Here's how to get in touch

Any complaints, queries or suggestions about content on News24 may be sent to our public editor George Claassen.




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News24 | 'Explainer-in-chief': Rasool aims to amplify SA's voice globally in second stint as ambassador in US

When Ebrahim Rasool returns to Washington in December as South Africa's ambassador, one of his primary goals is to reposition Pretoria as a "moral superpower"




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News24 | Inside Gauteng legislature's shadowy deal with employees accused of fraud during Covid-19 spree

Gauteng legislature secretary Linda Mwale has signed a sweetheart agreement with Nehawu to let 32 employees accused of defrauding the institution off the hook.




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News24 | Senzo Meyiwa murder accused removed from C-Max centre

It was out of fear for his mental health and to avoid the perpetuation of an ongoing wrong that a judge ordered that one of the five men charged with the murder of soccer star Senzo Meyiwa be removed from solitary confinement.




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News24 | Wenzeni uGupta? Hlophe asks what crimes Guptas are accused of, disparages Batohi

The MK Party continued its campaign against accountability for corruption, with its deputy leader, John Hlophe, suggesting National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi was "misleading the nation" about the Guptas' extradition.




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News24 | WATCH | KZN cops to conduct probe after police assault video goes viral

KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has ordered an "immediate investigation" after a video went viral on social media of a police officer slapping and pulling around a man.




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Farahat’s Arabic Book Review in Mekka Newspaper

Mekka Newspaper, Mecca, Saudi Arabia: Oct. 28, 2022 It was my distinct honor to Arabic receive a wonderful review by Mecca Newspaper, one of the oldest newspapers in the Middle East. I am deeply grateful and humbled to be part of the historic reformation and renaissance taking place in the Middle East. When Mecca newspaper […]




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Newsroom: US mortgage debt to surpass $14 trillion in 2022

January 12, 2022 (New York, NY) – The total value of residential mortgage debt in the US will continue to experience solid growth into 2022 and 2023. In our inaugural […]




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Newsroom: TikTok surpassed YouTube as the third-most-popular influencer platform among US marketers in 2021

TikTok will have more US users than Snapchat and Pinterest in 2022   January 24, 2022 (New York, NY) – YouTube is the “OG” of influencer marketing platforms, and it’s […]




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Newsroom: Carvana Now Among Top 10 US Retailers by Ecommerce Sales

Carvana is America’s fastest-growing e-tailer   February 23, 2022 (New York, NY) – Americans have taken to buying cars online, so much so that ecommerce car dealer Carvana is now […]




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Newsroom: Amazon Music Overtakes Pandora as No. 2 in the US

Spotify still No. 1 by wide margin February 24, 2022 (New York, NY) – Pandora, once the dominant player in terms of digital music streaming, will be eclipsed by Amazon […]




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Newsroom: Insider Intelligence Slashes Ad Spending Forecast for Russia and Eastern Europe Amid Conflict

Total media ad spend in Russia to drop nearly 50%   March 30, 2022 (New York, NY) – Insider Intelligence expects the ongoing war in Ukraine to have a significant […]




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Newsroom: TikTok Ad Revenues to Surpass Twitter and Snapchat Combined

Worldwide revenues will triple in 2022   April 11, 2022 (New York, NY) – TikTok’s worldwide ad revenues will triple this year and surpass that of two competitors combined, according […]




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Newsroom: 34 Million US Adults Own Cryptocurrency

3.6 million will pay with crypto in US; payment value to spike 70% in 2022   April 20, 2022 (New York, NY) – Cryptocurrency usage will continue its meteoric rise, […]




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Newsroom: Twitter MAUs Set to Grow Just 1.5% This Year

May 10, 2022 (New York, NY) – Elon Musk has his work cut out for him as he takes the reigns at Twitter. Worldwide user growth will be essentially flat […]




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Newsroom: US Ecommerce Will Cross $1 Trillion in 2022

Amazon’s share declines for first time; Apple surpasses eBay in online sales June 14, 2022 (New York, NY) – This year will mark a major US retail milestone, as ecommerce […]




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Newsroom: Buy Now Pay Later Transactions Will Surpass $100 billion by 2024

June 22, 2022 (New York, NY) – Will Apple’s entry into the buy now, pay later (BNPL) space upend the already competitive industry? That’s the question many are trying to […]




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Why a more inward-looking China is bad news for the world economy

Why a more inward-looking China is bad news for the world economy Expert comment LToremark 16 October 2022

The increased role of geopolitics and ideology in Beijing’s economic decision-making is bad news not just for China but for the world.

We should adhere to self-reliance, put the development of the country and nation on the basis of our own strength, and firmly seize the initiative in development. To build a great modern socialist country in an all-round way and achieve the second Centenary Goal, we must take the road of independent innovation.

President Xi Jinping, August 2022

This quote by President Xi clearly outlines the inward tilt of Chinese economic policymaking that is now becoming increasingly obvious to the rest of the world. But it actually has deep roots. Ever since the 2008 global financial crisis, when the West’s reliability as a trading partner was thrown into question, self-reliance has become a more decisive organizing principle for Chinese officials.

As a result, the export-dependent growth model on which China built its economic rise in recent decades has been fraying. Exports as a share of China’s GDP peaked at 35 per cent in 2007 but had fallen to around 20 per cent by last year, a level not seen since before China’s accession to the WTO in 2001. This shows that net exports no longer make any meaningful contribution to Chinese GDP growth.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has provided another geopolitical impetus to China’s pursuit of self-reliance.

Although China’s inward tilt may have started out as a response to purely economic phenomena – the post-crisis global recession, belt-tightening in the West, the eurozone crisis, and a general softening of global trade growth in the post-crisis years – geopolitical considerations are now dominant in shaping this shift toward self-reliance.

The role of geopolitics in pushing China towards a more inward-looking development path became clear in China’s response to the aggressive tariffs and export controls introduced by the Trump administration in the US. Because of these new constraints on China’s access to international markets and technology, Beijing sought to limit its dependence on the rest of the world.   

The most obvious result of this was the introduction of the ‘dual circulation’ strategy in May 2020, which sets out a rebalancing of China’s economy away from a reliance on external demand as a stimulus to growth (‘international circulation’) towards increased self-dependence (‘domestic circulation’). 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has provided another geopolitical impetus to China’s pursuit of self-reliance. Since it is not far-fetched to think that China, like Russia, might one day also face coordinated sanctions, Chinese authorities must be thinking hard about how to respond to such a risk. 

Within China itself, a new emphasis on the role of the state is increasingly apparent – and seemingly rooted in ideology. 

The only credible strategy that China can adopt is to reduce its economic dependence on the West by creating, in effect, a kind of economic fortress, as its dependence on imported technology, food, and fossil fuels in particular, has created a substantial strategic vulnerability.

Over the next few years, Chinese policymakers will likely attempt to build up the country’s ability to supply its own semi-conductors, food, and green energy sources.

This new approach to economic policymaking isn’t just about China’s relationship with the rest of the world. Within China itself, a new emphasis on the role of the state is increasingly apparent – and seemingly rooted in ideology. 

The previous National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), in October 2017, made a push for ‘stronger, better, and bigger’ state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and the past five years have indeed seen a measurable rise in the role that SOEs play in the Chinese economy. These firms now account for more fixed investment in the economy than private firms, for the first time since 2005.




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Imagine a World Without Fake News

Imagine a World Without Fake News Explainer Video NCapeling 25 February 2021

Harriet Moynihan and Mathieu Boulegue explain how we can avoid drowning in an ocean of fake news and information manipulation.

The flow of fake news is vast and unlikely to go away. What’s more, imagining a world where fake news is eradicated completely has implications for freedom of expression.

But what if, instead of wishing fake news away, we can adapt and become immune to it? 

Chatham House is built on big ideas. Help us imagine a better world.

Our researchers develop positive solutions to global challenges, working with governments, charities, businesses and society to build a better future.

SNF CoLab is our project supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to share our ideas in experimental, collaborative ways – and to learn about designing a better future, overcoming challenges such as fake news, COVID-19, food security, and conflict.




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Trump says he will nominate anti-'woke' Fox News host Pete Hegseth for defense secretary




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Apple to announce AI wall tablet as soon as March, Bloomberg News reports




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The online media changing African news

The online media changing African news The World Today mhiggins.drupal 2 August 2022

Africa’s news sites are gripping audiences with digital innovation and bold directions. Helen Fitzwilliam talks to editors at three platforms.

Lydia Namubiru
News editor of ‘The Continent’ (South Africa)

At the start of the pandemic, we realized a lot of fake news was being shared on WhatsApp. So, The Continent chose to launch on that platform to insert some real journalism in a way that could easily be shared. We now have about 100,000 readers across Africa and the rest of the world, but we had to dramatically change the way we write and edit stories: to compete with the likes of Twitter and Instagram, we try to keep stories tight at 300 words. 

There’s a real variety. We can run an investigation into corruption in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a week after a front page on the fashion designer who dresses Africa’s ‘big men’ [powerful leaders]. We cover feminist issues, the backlash against LGBT people in Ghana; we’ve had the Namibian first lady talking to us about misogyny. These are not the sort of topics a typical African newspaper is going to lead with.

There are refugees in camps doing data operations being paid a pittance to help create multimillion-dollar systems for US companies – that’s a future issue


With a story such as Ukraine, the war’s impact on the cost of living has been the most obvious angle for us. It has driven countries such as Malawi into crisis, forcing a devaluation of the currency.
 
As for the future, we see two issues looming. Workers’ economic rights and their treatment by multinationals will be a big story. There are refugees in camps in Kenya working in data operations and being paid a pittance to help create huge, potentially multimillion-dollar systems for US companies. 

Second, Africa has the world’s youngest population and the oldest leaders, so this will likely lead to activism and protests. The young are exposed to the global village, so they want different things and have different values. They speak a completely different language their leaders do not understand. It will be an interesting conflict, but could lead to real violence. 


John Githongo
Editor of ‘The Elephant’ (Kenya)

We set up this platform four years ago. Due to political and commercial pressures, mainstream media wasn’t doing much critical reporting. We have between 30,000 and 80,000 readers a week, the majority of them in Africa. 

The digital space reaches a completely different demographic. When The Elephant started, it was 80 per cent male and over 40, but we have gained more younger people and more women. Now it is 60 per cent men, 40 per cent women and that is something we have been working at. 

Our editorial approach is that as long as a piece has a strong argument and fits into our pan-African brief, we will publish it – even if we don’t agree with it.

The conflicts in Ethiopia and parts of the Sahel make the war in Ukraine pale in comparison. So many people have died in Ethiopia or been displaced and now we have the onset of a famine after four years of failed rain. During the 1960s and 1970s, when the Cold War found its way on to African soil, millions of people died – so there is caution about getting involved in a European fight.

Ahead of the election, we are exposing those trying to change the level of debate with reputation-laundering


There is always a lot of fake news around during elections. But people are beginning to be more sceptical. We go after those who attempt to change the level of debate with reputation-laundering and try to expose their actions. 
 
The future of democracy is going to be a big issue. When Africans were watching the attack on the US Capitol last year, they were hoping it was not a Black Lives Matter protest, which could have resulted in a ‘blackbath’. As soon as they saw the white guys wearing horns, people laughed with relief. 

There is an ongoing recalibration of Africa’s geopolitical relations with the rest of the world. A poll released in June showed China has overtaken the United States as the foreign power having the biggest positive influence in Africa in the eyes of young people across the continent. The younger generation is writing its own narrative. 


Wale Lawal
Editor of ‘The Republic’ (Nigeria)

Nigerian audiences are increasingly online and tend to read both local and international publications. They also know that the issues they care about are either under-reported or reported at lower quality levels. 

At The Republic, we provide political journalism that tends to require high levels of expertise. Yet online audiences also prioritize engagement: it is not enough for an issue to be important, it also needs to be interesting.

Some topics we have covered that Western media tend not to include how people experience blackness in different parts of the world; the waves of mostly female-led and youth-led movements rising up against autocratic governments across Africa; and relationships between countries within Africa itself. In the early days of the pandemic, we launched a Covid-19 and Africa series, having noticed a glaring lack of African expert voices in global media.
 
We also cover Africa’s evolving relations with Russia. Whenever we encounter a story like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the first thing we always ask ourselves is what missing voice can we add to the current discussion? All we were reading about after the invasion was how neighbouring countries were opening their borders and their homes to Ukrainians. Most people saw only that. 

We knew that around 15,000 Africans were studying in Ukraine when Russia invaded, but their voices were missing from the discussion


But we knew that around 15,000 Africans were studying in Ukraine, that Africans routinely face harsh treatment at international borders, and that clearly their voices were missing from the discussion.

With fake news and information gaps on social media, our usual approach is to develop expert-led columns and circulate these as widely as possible.

Our next mission is to think about the role that independent media can play in supporting democracies, such as by increasing voter turnout. During the last election in Nigeria, less than 35 per cent of those who registered to vote eventually did so.




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President-elect Trump picks Fox News host, Army veteran to lead Pentagon

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday night announced his nomination of Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to head the Department of Defense.




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The Real Reason Fake News Travels Faster Than The Truth

“Nothing travels faster than the speed of light, with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws.” ― Douglas Adams, Mostly Harmless




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Break the bad news bubble (Part 1) | Angus Hervey

We're stuck in a bad news bubble, says Angus Hervey, founder of Fix the News, an independent publication that reports stories of global progress. He shares some of the compelling stories too often left out of our daily news — from a decline in AIDS deaths to decreased deforestation in the Amazon to more effective school feeding programs and greater acceptance of LGBTQ people in many countries. (This conversation with TED's Whitney Pennington Rodgers was recorded on September 5, 2024.)




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The SJDM newsletter is ready for download

SOCIETY FOR JUDGMENT AND DECISION MAKING NEWSLETTER The quarterly Society for Judgment and Decision Making newsletter is available for download from the SJDM site. This one has the conference program in it. Very exciting! http://sjdm.org/newsletters/ Enjoy! Dan Goldstein SJDM newsletter editor