China develops high-tech political propaganda tool

While part of the international community denounces the repression of the Uighur ethnic group in Xinjiang, a region in western China, Uighur "influencers" offer an idyllic vision of their daily life. But a growing number of human rights organisations and the United Nations have documented China’s severe repression of this Muslim ethnic minority.

As chaos engulfs Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, smaller firms and nonprofits want people to ditch the services of Big Tech. But how do you take on the world's tech giants?

RT, the Kremlin-backed international broadcaster, is opening a media center in South Africa and seeking partners on the continent. Russia's disinformation campaign aims for more power in Africa.

The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday sued to block Microsoft's planned $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard, saying it could suppress competitors to Microsoft's Xbox game consoles and its growing games subscription business.

Sebnem Korur Fincanci was handed a nearly three-year jail sentence, but was released as she challenges the verdict. Human rights organizations say the trial is an attempt by the government to quell dissent.

"The bird is freed," tech billionaire Elon Musk wrote upon acquiring Twitter in October of last year. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton shot back: "In Europe, the bird will fly by our rules." That early exchange exposed two starkly different views of social media: a haven of free speech, as Musk would have it; or a place where freedom goes hand in hand with protecting users from illegal content – the EU's approach.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a "Net Zero Industry Act" to boost clean tech. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, she also vowed to support Ukraine "as long as it takes."

You won't see Elon Musk in Davos this year. He says it’s boring on Twitter, which he now owns, and which is still bleeding money. The same big losses are being seen at his electric car maker Tesla. But it would take a lot more for the billionaire to go broke. The truth is that in today's world, tech titans seem unbreakable, even when the likes of Musk face a lawsuit for allegedly manipulating Tesla's share price.

In the last couple of months, tsunamis of layoffs have hit the tech ecosystem. From Twitter to Meta, and then Amazon, the once glittering ecosystem where most young people desire to work is now facing a new threat.

The wave of mass layoffs continues to shake tech companies, from global giants to startups. With growing demand from consumers stuck at home and online, the tech sector went on a hiring spree during the pandemic. But since last year, as inflation rose and profits slowed, hundreds of thousands of workers have lost their jobs.

Is the EU’s clean tech plan enough to keep up with America's green subsidies, outlined in the US Inflation Reduction Act? Kate Moody speaks to Gwenaëlle Avice-Huet, chief strategy and sustainability officer at Schneider Electric - a French multinational firm that specialises in digital automation and energy management.

Leaked data and a search tool have allowed some overseas Uyghurs to gain insights into their family members in China's Xinjiang region. Some say they feel a deep sense of guilt while others are filled with fear.