Breaking AI & Tech News Analyzed

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has convened a critical meeting in Yaounde, Cameroon, against a backdrop of global economic turmoil and rising protectionism. The organization is facing the threat of a 'disorderly collapse' if it fails to strike a new deal on global trade rules.WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala warned that the old 'world order' is not returning, following a year of turmoil marked by US President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies, including sweeping tariffs.“We will not get it back … We must look to the future,” Okonjo-Iweala said, emphasizing the need for a new approach. The global trading system is experiencing the 'worst disruptions in the past 80 years'.The US Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, defended Trump's policies, stating that they were a 'corrective response' to a trading system that had overseen 'severe and sustained imbalances'. Greer argued that the 'new world order' would involve agreements between smaller groups, rather than waiting for consensus on a 'lowest common denominator'.The US is critical of the WTO's 'most-favoured nation' (MFN) principle, which governs 72 percent of global trade. China, however, defended the system, warning that abandoning MFN would open a 'Pandora's box'.The European Union signaled its desire to rethink MFN, citing concerns about China. UK Trade Minister Chris Bryant warned of potential fragmentation if no deal is reached on reforms, stating that ministers must 'get this week right' to avoid a 'disorderly collapse of the WTO'.

When Hurricane Beryl devastated Union Island in St Vincent and the Grenadines in July 2024, 61-year-old Tedica Alexander found refuge at the Ashton community center, which her grandchildren called 'Final Destination.' As the storm intensified, the shelter quickly filled to capacity with 47 children and 147 adults, including three people using wheelchairs, while windows shattered and floodwaters rose above ankle height. Alexander's experience mirrors a broader pattern revealed across the Caribbean: women often take on caretaker roles during natural disasters, yet studies show this responsibility can make their experiences more difficult. UN Women reported in 2022 that pre-existing social and cultural demands on women as primary caregivers increase their vulnerability during disasters, with gendered roles making women and girls more likely to be killed in such events. While emergency shelters provide critical protection from storms, they often fail to address gender-based violence risks. A 2021 systematic review published in BMJ Global Health found that post-disaster environments frequently heighten risks for women and girls, with inadequate shelter infrastructure—such as lack of doors, walls, and locks—contributing to increased violence in Haiti, Japan, and Nepal. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has been working to address these challenges, according to Loyce Pace, the organization's Americas regional director. The federation publishes manuals providing guidance to agencies working during natural disasters, focusing on ensuring governments understand their roles in emergencies and have access to necessary resources. Despite these efforts, significant challenges remain. In the Bahamas, emergency shelter capacity accommodates only 3% of the population, according to Aarone Sargent, managing director of the Disaster Risk Management Authority. During Hurricane Melissa in 2025, approximately 1,800 people from the southern islands were evacuated to New Providence and accommodated in six or seven shelters. The recovery phase presents particular difficulties for women. As Pace notes, while immediate response has improved attention to vulnerable populations, the recovery period often proves more challenging, especially for single women seeking loans or rebuilding businesses. Alexander, whose home and livelihood were destroyed in Hurricane Beryl, continues to live without electricity or water, struggling to regain stability months after the disaster. As the Caribbean region faces increasingly frequent and intense storms, experts emphasize the need for gender-responsive disaster planning and adequate shelter infrastructure that addresses the specific vulnerabilities women and girls face before, during, and after natural disasters.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has stopped short of fully backing Steve Borthwick as England's head coach for the upcoming Nations Championship fixtures. However, RFU CEO Bill Sweeney emphasized that their primary focus is on supporting the existing coaching team.Sweeney's comments suggest that Borthwick is likely to lead England in their summer Test matches against South Africa, Fiji, and Argentina, pending the outcome of a formal review into their disappointing Six Nations campaign. The review aims to identify areas for improvement and provide additional support to the coaching team.A key point of interest is the absence of discussions with Andy Farrell, the Ireland head coach, whose contract expires after the 2027 World Cup. Farrell has a strong track record, having led Ireland to two Six Nations titles and a successful Lions tour. Sweeney confirmed that there are 'no approaches' to Farrell and that their focus remains on supporting Borthwick.The RFU's review process is expected to conclude by the end of April. Potential changes or additions to Borthwick's backroom team are being considered, including the possibility of creating a new general manager role similar to that of Rassie Erasmus with South Africa.England's upcoming fixtures pose significant challenges, particularly against South Africa in Johannesburg. The team will also face logistical hurdles with matches against Fiji and Argentina, including a long travel schedule.

Fears of economic strain are mounting across Europe as the United States-Israel conflict with Iran approaches its one-month anniversary. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has described the situation as an economic 'catastrophe' for global economies, with impacts already becoming evident.Speaking during a meeting with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, Pistorius emphasized Germany's willingness to contribute to peace efforts. He stated that Germany is 'ready to secure any peace' and would discuss operations to secure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz if a ceasefire were implemented.The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has further exacerbated concerns by revising global growth projections. The international body cut its 2026 forecast for British economic growth by half a percentage point to just 0.7 percent, while downgrading the eurozone by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, the US received a 0.3 percentage point upgrade to its growth forecast.Addressing reporters in Canberra, Pistorius criticized the lack of consultation with Germany before the commencement of hostilities. 'Nobody asked us before. It's not our war, and therefore we don't want to get sucked into that war,' he stated, adding that there is no clear strategy, objective, or exit plan from the conflict.The economic repercussions are particularly severe in energy markets. Natural gas prices in the European Union have surged by more than 30 percent since the conflict began, with prices spiking following Israel's attack on Iran's critical South Pars gasfield and subsequent Iranian retaliation against Qatar's Ras Laffan facility.European leaders are increasingly vocal about the economic dangers. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen has called for negotiations with Iran and an end to hostilities, while urging member states to accelerate preparations for meeting winter gas storage targets. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has described the situation as 'far worse' than the 2003 Iraq invasion, warning of broader and deeper potential impacts.The economic consequences extend beyond Europe, with the OECD noting that the global economy, previously on a path toward growth, has now veered from that trajectory. Planned fiscal tightening and higher energy prices are expected to keep growth subdued in the United Kingdom, though somewhat mitigated by lower policy rates anticipated for the following year.

The United Nations has taken a significant step towards acknowledging the atrocities of transatlantic slavery, adopting a resolution that labels it as the 'gravest crime against humanity'. The resolution, proposed by Ghana, was passed with 123 countries in favor, 3 opposed, and 52 abstaining.The resolution is not legally binding but carries substantial political weight. It calls for reparations and urges member states to engage in dialogue on the issue, including issuing formal apologies, returning stolen artifacts, providing financial compensation, and ensuring guarantees of non-repetition.Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama, a key architect of the resolution, hailed its adoption as 'a route to healing and reparative justice'. The resolution's passage is seen as a crucial step towards addressing the ongoing impacts of slavery, which saw at least 12.5 million Africans abducted and sold between the 15th and 19th centuries.Despite the progress, there is growing backlash from Western leaders who oppose discussing reparations, arguing that today's states and institutions should not be held responsible for historical wrongs. The EU and the US expressed concerns that the resolution could imply a hierarchy among crimes against humanity.The Netherlands remains the only European country to have issued a formal apology for its role in slavery. The resolution comes after the African Union set out to create a 'unified vision' among its 55 member states about what reparations for slavery may look like.

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves is facing pressure to raise taxes on businesses generating 'windfall' profits linked to the US-Israel war on Iran to fund emergency cost of living support for UK households.A group of leading charities, campaigners, and trade unions, including Greenpeace UK, the National Education Union, and Tax Justice UK, have written an open letter to Keir Starmer and Reeves, urging the government to strengthen its existing North Sea energy windfall tax and introduce new levies for firms in other sectors that stand to financially benefit from the conflict.The letter highlights that energy companies, banks, agricultural commodities businesses, defence companies, and tech firms are likely to profit from the economic fallout of the war. The group argues that the extra revenue generated from taxing these 'excess profits' could be used to support households struggling with the cost of living and invest in the UK's future energy security.R Reeves has signalled that the government is ready to provide targeted help for households grappling with the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict, amid a surge in energy prices since the onset of the war. The chancellor has also warned companies that she will not tolerate corporates profiteering from the crisis, telling bosses that the Competition and Markets Authority has been put on notice to detect and crack down on price gouging.The UK already has a windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas firms, the energy profits levy, which is due to run until 2030. However, Reeves had been planning to ease the tax before the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.

Prem Rugby is set to introduce a significant change to its financial structure by implementing a minimum salary floor of £5.4m for each club next season. This move is part of a broader strategy to enhance competitiveness within the league. The decision was made by the Rugby Football Union Council last month, which also included the decision to ringfence the existing 10-team Prem until the 2029-30 season.The introduction of the salary floor is a key component of Prem Rugby's growth plan, which includes expansion windows every four years. This means that up to two new clubs could join the league, provided they meet the required minimum financial and sporting standards. The first tender process for new clubs is slated for 2027, with potential new members possibly joining Champ Rugby the following season and moving up to Prem Rugby in 2028-29 if they reach the playoffs.Prem Rugby's chief executive, Simon Massie-Taylor, emphasized that the league's vision is to become the best league in the world. However, this does not mean exceeding the financial capabilities of other leagues and creating wage inflation. The new salary floor is £1m lower than the current cap, which will remain unchanged for next season. Massie-Taylor highlighted that any future increases to the salary cap will be based on a formula as part of financial control measures.As part of its growth strategy, Prem Rugby also aims to host several 'Big Games' to appeal to a wider fanbase. The ambition is to have 10 Big Games by 2030, including the final and potential neutral playoffs. One example of this initiative is England's game against Fiji at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool this summer, which could set a precedent for future events.

The creator of the AI actor Tilly Norwood, Eline van der Velden, has revealed that she received death threats following a global backlash against her project. Van der Velden developed Tilly Norwood to spark conversation about the role of AI in the entertainment industry.Van der Velden's AI creation, Tilly Norwood, gained significant attention last year when she announced that talent agents were interested in signing the AI actor. This led to widespread condemnation from prominent actors and acting unions, including Melissa Barrera, Mara Wilson, and Ralph Ineson, as well as Sag-Aftra and Equity.In an interview with the Guardian, Van der Velden expressed her surprise at the intensity of the backlash, stating, “The death threats and the hate … my goodness, loads,” she said. Despite the negative reaction, Van der Velden remains committed to her vision of integrating AI into the entertainment industry.Van der Velden founded Particle6 and its AI arm, Xicoia, and debuted Norwood in a short comedy sketch called AI Commissioner last autumn. Norwood has gained a significant following, with 141,000 followers on Instagram.Van der Velden believes that AI actors like Norwood could be beneficial for some performers, allowing them to maintain anonymity while still engaging in acting. She noted, “I think it’s great for some actors, it might actually be a blessing that they can have a digital twin,” emphasizing that fame can be burdensome.Van der Velden continues to advocate for the use of AI in entertainment, highlighting its potential to offer actors more creative freedom. She has now featured Norwood in a new music video, with lyrics written by an AI chatbot, and controls Norwood’s avatar using motion capture techniques.

OpenAI has announced the shutdown of its social media app Sora, which allowed users to share short-form videos generated by artificial intelligence. The decision comes amid growing concerns over the potential for deepfakes and nonconsensual content.The app, launched in September, aimed to capture the attention and advertising dollars of short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram. However, advocacy groups, academics, and experts raised alarms about the dangers of AI-generated videos, leading to proliferation of realistic deepfakes and "AI slop".OpenAI was forced to crack down on AI creations of public figures, including Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr, and Mister Rogers, doing outlandish things, after an outcry from family estates and an actors' union.The shutdown affects a $1 billion deal between OpenAI and Disney, which was announced three months ago. The deal included Disney investing $1 billion in OpenAI and lending over 200 of its iconic characters for use in short, AI-generated videos. However, the transaction never closed, and no money changed hands.Disney stated that it respects OpenAI's decision to exit the video generation business and shift priorities elsewhere. The abrupt cancellation of Sora illustrates the messy process of streamlining as OpenAI prepares for a potential stock market debut later this year.