Author: AFP

How a Google algorithm tweak cost livelihoods

PARIS: Google made major changes to its search algorithm and spam filters earlier this year to get rid of low-quality content — but the effects have proved devastating to some smaller websites. Online businesses have been left considering layoffs and even site closures after Google’s massive upgrade in March and

AI makes writing easier, but stories sound alike

WASHINGTON: Books and movies of the future could all start to feel the same if creative industries embrace artificial intelligence to help write stories, a study published on Friday warned. The research, which drew on hundreds of volunteers and was published in Science Advances, comes amid rising fears over the

US producer inflation higher than predicted in June

WASHINGTON: US wholesale prices picked up more than expected in June due to service costs, the government reported Friday. The producer price index (PPI) rose by 0.2 per cent last month, while an initially-reported decline in May was revised upwards, said the Labour Department. The figures come after a cooler

63 missing after landslide sweeps two buses into river

KATHMANDU: At least 63 people were missing in Nepal on Friday after a landslide triggered by heavy monsoon rains swept two buses off a highway and into a river, authorities said. Dozens of search and rescue personnel were combing the site for survivors of the accident in the central district

Apple warns iPhone owners of spyware attacks

SAN FRANCISCO: Owners of iPhones in dozens of countries have been warned by Apple Inc about mercenary spyware attacks, the German news agency (dpa) reported. Apple recently issued a global warning to iPhone users in 98 countries about potential spyware threats. This is the second time this year the company

Beryl heads for Texas after hitting Mexico

TULUM (Mexico): Beryl weakened to a tropical storm Friday after hitting Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane, with fierce winds causing material damage but no injuries along the tourist-rich Yucatan Peninsula. Now headed for the Gulf of Mexico, Beryl is expected to intensify as it moves toward northeastern Mexico and

Israel strikes southern Gaza after ordering evacuations

GAZA STRIP: Israel carried out fresh strikes in southern Gaza on Tuesday, forcing hundreds of Palestinians to flee after the army once again ordered the evacuation of certain densely populated areas. Witnesses reported multiple strikes in and around the city of Khan Yunis, where eight people were killed and more

US manufacturing contraction deepens in June

WASHINGTON: US manufacturing activity edged lower in June, deepening a recent slump on continued weak demand, according to industry survey data published Monday. The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing index came in at 48.5 per cent last month, down 0.2 percentage points from May. The June data came in

Israel faces global outcry over Rafah strike

RAFAH (Palestinian Territories): Israel faced a wave of international condemnation Monday over a strike that Gaza officials said killed 45 people when it set off a fire that ripped through a tent city for displaced Palestinians. Israel said it was looking into the “tragic accident” and its impact on civilians

More survivors unlikely from PNG landslide

PORT MORESBY: It is “very unlikely” more survivors of Papua New Guinea’s deadly landslide will be found, a UN agency warned Tuesday, as thousands of residents at risk from further slips were warned to evacuate. Some 2,000 people are feared buried by a massive landslide that entombed a remote highland