Author: Grace Johnson

In Sengawacho, a quiet suburb of Tokyo, the Ben Thai restaurant has only four bottles of Asahi Super Dry left. Owner Sakaolath Sugizaki hopes for a restock soon, but her supplier is prioritising larger clients. Japan’s biggest brewer, Asahi, was forced to halt production at almost all of its 30 factories after a cyber-attack paralysed its systems and disrupted operations across the country. Breweries Reopen but Digital Systems Stay Frozen Asahi has restarted several factories, including six breweries, but its computer systems remain offline. Employees now handle orders and shipments manually, using pens, paper, and fax machines. The return to…

“This technology is our future threat,” warns Serhiy Beskrestnov as he examines a recently captured Russian drone. Unlike conventional weapons, it uses artificial intelligence to locate and strike targets independently. Beskrestnov, a consultant for Ukraine’s defence forces, has analysed countless drones since the war began. This model stands out. It neither sends nor receives signals, making it impossible to jam or detect. Both Russia and Ukraine are experimenting with AI in combat. They use it to locate enemies, analyse intelligence, and clear mines faster than ever. AI becomes a decisive battlefield tool Artificial intelligence is now vital for Ukraine’s army.…

Elon Musk has reached a settlement in a $128 million lawsuit filed by four former senior executives of Twitter, now rebranded as X. The dispute focused on severance payments the executives said Musk refused to provide after his 2022 takeover. Former executives say they were dismissed unfairly The executives, including former CEO Parag Agrawal, argued that Musk fired them without cause and denied the severance guaranteed in their contracts. In a court filing, their lawyers wrote, “The parties have reached a settlement, and the settlement requires certain conditions to be met in the near term.” The financial terms of the…

Gold has broken through the $4,000 (£2,985) mark for the first time in history. Investors are flooding into the precious metal amid deepening fears over political instability and economic uncertainty. The surge marks gold’s strongest rally since the 1970s. Prices have climbed by almost one-third since April, when US President Donald Trump’s tariffs disrupted global trade and unsettled financial markets. Government shutdown rattles global confidence The ongoing US government shutdown, now in its second week, is shaking investor sentiment worldwide. Analysts say the delay in publishing key economic data has worsened the sense of uncertainty. Gold, long considered a safe…

“Half of my life is on this app and now they expect us to pay for it.” That comment captures the outrage among Snapchat users after the company announced plans to charge for storing old photos and videos. Users accuse the platform of monetizing nostalgia and betraying long-time supporters. Paying to keep digital memories In September, Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, revealed that users with more than five gigabytes of saved Memories will have to pay. For many, these images and videos hold years of personal milestones, friendships, and important moments. The move has sparked accusations of corporate greed.…

The United States has led the global technology market for decades. Now China is determined to shift that balance. The world’s second-largest economy is investing billions in artificial intelligence and robotics. Its central goal is to develop advanced chips capable of competing with the world’s best. Last month, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang warned that China was only “nanoseconds behind” the U.S. in chip development. Beijing is racing to close the gap and reduce its dependence on imported technology. DeepSeek Signals China’s Growing AI Power In 2024, the Chinese startup DeepSeek stunned the tech world by launching a competitor to OpenAI’s…

A plan for global nutrition and sustainability By 2050, every person could have access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food while reducing environmental harm. The 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets From Sustainable Food Systems outlines how a “planetary health diet” could achieve this goal. The report finds that combining this diet with sustainable farming and less food waste could feed 9.6 billion people fairly. Experts from over 35 countries contributed, showing that global food-related emissions could fall by more than half if nations act together. Currently, around 30% of greenhouse gases come from producing, processing, and transporting food. Most of…

Electric car sales in the UK surged to record levels in September, according to new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The figures show electric and hybrid vehicles now dominate new registrations, underscoring the country’s accelerating move toward sustainable transport. Electric and hybrid vehicles fuel market growth Sales of fully electric cars climbed by nearly a third to 72,779 last month. Plug-in hybrid sales grew even faster, lifting the total share of electric and hybrid cars to more than half of all new registrations. The SMMT said attractive discounts, a broader model range, and the government’s…

A new investigation claims TikTok recommends pornography and sexualised clips to children. Researchers created fake child accounts, switched on safety settings, and still saw explicit search prompts. These led to videos of masturbation simulations and pornographic sex. TikTok says it acted quickly once informed and insists it is committed to safe use for young people. Child profiles reveal sexual suggestions In July and August, researchers from Global Witness set up four TikTok accounts. They posed as 13-year-olds by entering false birth dates. The app did not request further identification. Investigators enabled TikTok’s “restricted mode”. The company promotes this feature as…

Elon Musk has become the first person ever to hold a net worth above $500bn. The record was set as Tesla and his other companies surged in value this year. His wealth briefly hit $500.1bn on Wednesday afternoon in New York. It later slipped slightly to just over $499bn, Forbes’ billionaires index showed. Musk’s other ventures, including artificial intelligence startup xAI and rocket company SpaceX, have also seen sharp valuation gains in recent months. Musk keeps top spot among billionaires The achievement secures Musk’s dominance as the world’s richest man. He stands far ahead of his closest rivals in technology.…