WhatsApp has introduced private chats with its AI chatbot which not even the tech company will be able to read in a new “incognito” mode. It means neither the user nor the AI’s responses will be monitored if the feature is activated, and past conversations will disappear from the chat for the user. Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, said he felt people wanted to have private conversations with AI on sensitive subjects including health, relationships and finances and didn’t want them to be accessible. But a cyber security expert has told the BBC this could lead to a lack…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina resigned following a political crisis over Russia-bound Ukrainian drones straying into Latvian territory. She had fired her Defence Minister Andris Spruds last week after two drones crashed down in eastern Latvia, criticising his response and appointing a replacement. In protest, Spruds’s Progressives party pulled their support for Silina’s governing coalition, causing it to collapse months before a planned general election in October. “Seeing a strong candidate for the post of defence minister… political windbags have chosen a crisis,” Silina said on Thursday. “I am resigning but I am not giving up.” The political fallout was…
Madonna, Shakira and K-pop boy band BTS will co-headline the Super Bowl-style half-time show at this summer’s World Cup final. The tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, concludes with the final in New Jersey on 19 July. The BBC understands the show will be 11 minutes long. Pre-match performances at showpiece occasions such as the Champions League final have become commonplace, but this will be the first half-time show at a World Cup final. Colombian pop star Shakira is releasing her official World Cup song Dai Dai – an Italian phrase meaning “let’s go”…
For Washington State homeowners evaluating vinyl coated vs. galvanized chain link fence in salt air Pacific Northwest conditions, the answer is clear: vinyl-coated chain link is the better long-term investment in Puget Sound’s coastal environment — but the gap between the two options is more nuanced than most product comparisons admit. Standard galvanized chain link in a salt-air zone within one mile of Puget Sound can show visible rust in as few as 5–7 years. The same galvanized fence installed inland near Bellevue or Redmond typically holds for 15–20 years before corrosion becomes visible. Vinyl-coated chain link, by contrast, adds…
Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes Geoffrey Ruku has sharply criticized former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over remarks directed at President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron during the Africa Forward Summit, terming the statements disrespectful to both leaders and other Heads of State who attended the high-level forum. Speaking during a Special Programmes outreach in Mavindini Ward, Makueni County, Ruku said Gachagua’s remarks were unfortunate and portrayed disregard for diplomatic engagement among world leaders. “The former Deputy President’s remarks are unfortunate and create the impression that he believes he is wiser than all…
AI image tools have moved from novelty to workflow infrastructure, but one problem still annoys creators: starting from a blank prompt rarely gives enough control. A product shot loses its shape, a portrait drifts away from the original face, and a style experiment becomes hard to repeat. That is why Image to Image feels worth watching now. It starts from a source image, then lets the user describe how that image should be transformed, rather than asking the model to imagine everything from zero. From a practical user perspective, this changes the creative rhythm. Instead of writing a long prompt…
A survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse has told how the late sex offender sexually abused her while he was under house arrest for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Roza, who was recruited from Uzbekistan as a teenager by Epstein’s associate and modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, spoke publicly for the first time alongside a number of victims in a field hearing that was organised by House Democrats. She told the session that she was introduced to Epstein by Brunel in July 2009, was offered work by Epstein “to help me with my financial troubles”, and he later subjected her to rape…
A Chinese national who allegedly led a multi-million dollar hacking ring that targeted a member of the K-pop super group BTS, among others, has been extradited to South Korea. Seoul’s justice ministry had accused the 40-year-old suspect of stealing 38 billion won ($25.4m; £18.8m) from various victims by hacking into the websites of government agencies and public figures. The scam ring allegedly got hold of a securities account belonging to BTS vocalist Jungkook’s name and tried to transfer 8.4 billion won worth of shares that Jungkook held of the group’s management company Hybe. The transaction was blocked after the entertainment…
More than 1,000 passengers are being held on a UK-operated cruise ship in France after 49 people fell ill from gastrointestinal sickness. Local health authorities in Bordeaux said three passengers had been isolated in their cabins on the Ambition, while other passengers will not be able to disembark in the port. They added that there was “no reason” to link the outbreak to the hantavirus outbreak on a separate cruise ship. Ambassador Cruise Line told the BBC a 92-year-old man had passed away onboard on Sunday, but he did not report any related symptoms and his cause of death is…
The Philippine Senate is in lockdown with military personnel seen entering the building where a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court had sought refuge. Rounds of gunfire have been heard – it’s not clear who fired the shots. Officials say there have been no casualties. Senator Ronald Dela Rosa said earlier he believed his arrest was imminent and urged Filipinos to prevent it. His whereabouts are currently unclear. He is accused by the ICC of killing dozens of people when he was police chief during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, in which thousands of alleged dealers were…
US President Donald Trump descended the steps of Air Force One in Beijing on Wednesday evening, greeted with pomp and pageantry ahead of a high-stakes meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. During his two-day visit, the global superpowers are expected to discuss tariffs, competition over tech, the Iran war and the US’s relationship with Taiwan. Trump returns to a more assertive China since his last visit in 2017, as he faces growing scrutiny of his military campaign in the Middle East. Trump was originally scheduled to make the trip in March, but it was delayed because of the US…
Claims that France is secretly establishing a military base in Kenya have continued to circulate online and in political debates following the ratification of a new Kenya-France Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) and a recent French naval visit to Mombasa. However, publicly available documents, parliamentary records and official statements reviewed so far do not show any agreement establishing a permanent French military base in Kenya. The speculation intensified after Kenya ratified the bilateral defence pact with France in April 2026, alongside the docking of French naval vessels in Mombasa in March and heightened diplomatic engagements during the Africa-France Summit held in…
South Africa’s highest court has ruled that foreign nationals cannot reapply for asylum once their application has been rejected. The Constitutional Court said that allowing unlimited repeat applications without proper legislation in place could create a “never-ending cycle”, preventing deportations and causing administrative chaos. Leon Schreiber, the minister of home affairs in South Africa’s coalition government, welcomed the ruling as a “major victory” against the “abuse” of the refugee system. The ruling ends a long-running case that was brought by two nationals from Burundi, who reapplied for asylum in 2018 after their applications were rejected in 2014. The two argued…
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke has died at the age of 29, the NBA team has confirmed. The Canada-born player was a first-round draft pick in 2019 and had played only two games this season because of injuries. The Grizzlies said they are “heartbroken” by the loss. A cause of death has not yet been revealed. “Brandon was an outstanding team-mate and an even better person whose impact on the organisation and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten,” the team said in a statement. Clarke played 309 NBA games, including 50 starts, and scored an average of 10.2…
An independent, Israeli investigation has published harrowing details of “systematic, widespread” sexual violence by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups during the attacks on 7 October 2023, and against hostages. The 300-page report concludes that rapes, sexual assault and sexual torture were intended “to maximize pain and suffering”. While the UN and others have published reports on sexual violence during the attacks – in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage – this is the most comprehensive. It draws on 430 filmed interviews with survivors and witnesses, more than 10,000 photographs and videos filmed by attackers, and…