Taipei, Taiwan – As Google finds itself embroiled in an anti-“woke” backlash over AI model Gemini’s reluctance to depict white people, the tech giant is facing further criticism over the chatbot’s handling of sensitive topics in China. Gemini users reported this week that the update to Google Bard failed to generate representative images when asked to produce depictions of events such as the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and...

EXPLAINER As attacks continue in the besieged enclave, Gaza’s population of 2.3 million faces acute hunger and a humanitarian crisis. Here’s how things stand on Friday, February 23, 2024: Fighting and humanitarian crisis A series of Israeli attacks on central Gaza on Thursday has killed 40 people and injured more than 100, authorities in the besieged enclave said. Meanwhile, as Israel’s assault on Nasser Hospital in the city...

Abidjan, Ivory Coast – Since Niger’s July 30 coup, fissures within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have become bigger. In September, Niger along with fellow ECOWAS members Burkina Faso and Mali formed a military alliance called the Association of Sahel States (AES). Four months later, the trio announced their withdrawal from the larger bloc for “illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible sanctions” it imposed on them...