Apple beats forecasts as AI costs weigh on margins

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) -- Apple exceeded analysts' expectations for its latest results on Monday when the iPhone-maker said it notched a "revenue record" for the July-September quarter, driven by iPhone sales and services revenue, but increased costs related to AI will drag down margins. "We’re closing the year with our most ambitious lineup yet," CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook in September, said in a statement before speaking on a call with analysts Monday afternoon. Ternus hinted at

2026-11-03 11:20:56:00

North Korea displays drones, missiles as Kim Jong-un urges AI weapons push

North Korea has test-fired attack drones, missiles and a multiple rocket launcher at a weapons demonstration, state media reported Friday, as leader Kim Jong-un called for faster development of drone and AI technology for military use. The event came a day after Seoul said Pyongyang had fired 'around a dozen' short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, though it was not immediately clear whether the launches were linked to the demonstration. At the event, Kim stressed the "aim to seize th

2026-10-30 08:58:19:00

Carney reshapes Canada’s alliances as US ties strain

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will try to secure unprecedentedly close ties with the EU when he hosts the bloc's leaders this week, with the possibility of a special "associate member" status even being raised. But for Carney, who has assured Canadians they could trust him in a crisis, forging new agreements with Europe is just one piece of a plan to reposition Canada's place in the world in response to attacks from US President Donald Trump. "America is trying to

2026-10-28 10:51:33:00

Microsoft offers voluntary exit packages to 60,000 staff

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) -- Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees, the company said Monday, roughly a quarter of its workforce, as the tech giant seeks to cut costs while pouring money into artificial intelligence. Staff on select teams in the United States, Canada, India and Britain at vice president level and below will be eligible, a Microsoft spokesperson said, while some groups of employees, including some working on data centers, sales and marketing, are excluded. "T

2026-10-27 11:43:43:00

Anthropic points to AI dangers, soaring sales in IPO filing

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Anthropic, one of the world's leading artificial intelligence companies, on Monday made public its plans to sell shares on the stock market, revealing soaring sales but also potentially dire safety risks in a major test of whether the AI boom can deliver profits. Its filing warns investors of dangers ranging from its conflict with the Trump administration to AI systems acting on their own, alongside huge spending commitments on computing power. The listing would be the first

2026-10-27 11:36:53:00

Prince Harry, Meghan make first joint public appearance since UK return

NOTTINGHAM, United Kingdom (AFP) -- Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan on Thursday carried out their first joint engagement since their surprise move back to the UK in August. King Charles III's 42-year-old younger son and Meghan, 45 -- who left Britain and quit royal duties in 2020 amid a bitter royal family feud -- were greeted with cheers before they chatted and joked with well-wishers in the central English city of Nottingham. The royal-style visit puts the pair at odds with Buckingh

2026-10-15 20:58:46:00

TSMC's net profit hits record in third quarter

TAIPEI (AFP) -- Taiwanese chip giant TSMC said Thursday that net profit soared to another record high in the third quarter, buoyed by massive global demand for AI hardware. The result marked the sixth straight record quarterly net profit for the company, the world's biggest contract maker of microchips, including those used in Nvidia AI data center processors. But with the AI boom only growing, analysts warned that chipmakers and other tech firms reporting bumper financial results risk being "ju

2026-10-15 19:19:16:00

'I felt embarrassed': Japan eSports whizz-kid, 11, wins Games gold

Japan's 11-year-old eSports prodigy Yuki Kurihara said he was "embarrassed" after winning Asian Games gold on Saturday by thrashing a series of opponents up to three times his age. The bespectacled primary school student, believed to be the youngest competitor at the Games in Aichi-Nagoya, won the Puyo Puyo Champions final 10-2. He is the youngest athlete in host country Japan's Asian Games history. Puyo Puyo Champions is a puzzle game where players try to clear their screen of coloured blobs by

2026-09-26 14:23:03:00

ChatGPT becomes first AI chatbot to face tougher EU rules

BRUSSELS (AFP) -- ChatGPT will have to comply with tougher safety rules after the EU added it Monday to a list of digital services subject to greater legal scrutiny, a first for an AI chatbot. Brussels also designated Reddit and Roblox as "very large" online platforms, a label that comes with additional obligations and oversight. "ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will now be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and accountability in the European Union, in line with their large impact on our citizens

2026-08-31 20:31:25:00

South Korea sends first container ship through Arctic route

South Korea sent its first trial container ship through the Arctic on Saturday, as the Middle East war rattles global shipping, while environmental groups warned the route could accelerate polar ice melt. The Middle East conflict, sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, has roiled global shipping, sending governments and shipping firms scrambling to seek alternative routes. Sailing from Busan New Port, the "PanStar Acro" container ship is to sail to Europe via the Arctic, testing whet

2026-08-23 09:35:08:00