Liz Benz still believes the distressed caller’s voice was her son’s — the tone, enunciation and cadence all matched her 16-year-old. But it was an AI clone, making the mother yet another victim of a growing wave of impersonation scams in the United States. Rapidly evolving artificial intelligence technology has demolished the boundaries between reality and fiction, handing cybercriminals strikingly convincing voice cloning tools to steal from people by mimicking loved ones. Benz, who’s located in Buffalo, a city in New York, was jolted from her couch by a call from an unknown number. On the line was someone sounding…
Author: News Agencies
Oil prices have fallen sharply on hopes of a deal that could bring an end to the US-Israel war with Iran. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiators had a “pretty solid thing on the table” and an agreement to end the conflict might be reached on Monday. On Monday morning, global oil benchmark Brent fell 5.5% to $97.90 a barrel, and remained around $97.70 a barrel in the afternoon. US President Donald Trump said the negotiations were “proceeding nicely” but added it would either be “a great deal for all or no deal at all”. While Iran says…
Kenya is facing growing economic pressure from the ongoing Middle East conflict, with goods worth an estimated $1.27 billion in annual exports now under threat as shipping disruptions, higher freight charges and rising oil prices hit trade flows. The Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry noted that the worsening geopolitical tensions have increased transit times for cargo by 10 to 20 days, while airfreight delays of up to 48 hours are affecting perishable goods such as flowers, fruits and vegetables. Emerging instability in the Gulf region poses a threat to one of Kenya’s fastest-growing export markets, which hit a record…
Anticipation is building across Kenya’s agricultural export sector as China prepares to implement a zero-tariff policy on a wide range of African products from May 1. For many, this is an unprecedented move that exporters say could redefine trade flows between the continent and the world’s second-largest economy. It is not just about lower costs, it is about access to a vast and evolving consumer base. “With zero tariffs and a population of 1.4 billion, this is very attractive and presents an important opportunity,” said Joel Mwiti Kobia, managing director of Nutri Nuts and Fruits. On March 23, Kenya flagged…
For the first time, more than 500 humanoid robots from five continents competed in their own global games. Under the slogan “Racing Toward a Shared Intelligent Future”, the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games (WHRG), held from Aug 14 to 17 in Beijing, brought together around 280 teams from 16 countries to compete in 26 events. According to the official WHRG website, the four-day games drew moderate inspiration from human sports competitions, including track and field events and gymnastics, to showcase the latest advancements in robot technology. Each running, jumping, and competing humanoid robot represented a vivid display of human ingenuity…
The well-manicured, lush vegetation at Hassan Yussuf’s land in Garissa Township stands in stark contrast with the neighboring area in one of Kenya’s arid lands. Compared with the cracked, dry soil left by months without rain, the mix of orchard, fodder and vegetable crops on his 6-hectare farm in Galbet ward — just 7 kilometers from northern Kenya’s main town — offers a refreshing oasis under the scorching sun. Through solar-powered irrigation, the farm on the banks of the River Tana has transformed harsh climatic challenges into an opportunity, boosting food security for the marginalized community. “Garissa is a gold…
When Zhuo Qiang first visited Kenya’s scenic plains of Maasai Mara in 2004 to see the lions, a lasting conservation seed was planted that has seen him work tirelessly to protect lions and other wild animals. Eight years later, the Chinese national was back in Kenya, this time not as a tourist but as a conservationist with plans to protect the lions that had made an impression on him. Since then, Zhuo, a former government employee from Southwest China’s Chongqing municipality, has dedicated his life to working with the local Maasai community to protect wildlife and reduce conflict between humans…
New reports suggest that hundreds of CEOs and top-level executives are increasingly worried about artificial intelligence (AI) taking their jobs. Year by year, AI has become ever more sophisticated, even taking up creative tasks that were perceived to be uniquely human in nature. It is estimated that by 2030, nearly 80 percent of project management tasks will become automated, replacing traditional project management and senior level functions with AI. At first glance, this may seem a tall order, given that a CEO or person in authority will influence entire organizational policies and oversee a team’s performance. It takes years of…
BY ROBYN SMITH Jeanette Nobantu Kenya Malgas sits on her sister’s bed, a strange mix of pride and sadness in her eyes as she scans the room. “She had gathered her children around her to pray that evening, she was sitting here, just like I am. They prayed together but by the time they said Amen, she didn’t come back from the prayer.” Malgas’ 51-year-old sister, Ntombekhaya “Ntosh” Nyama-Plati kicked the bucket on November 21, 2022, just two days before her birthday, having suffered a heart attack during the family’s nightly prayer session. It was a huge blow not only…
China-made full driverless sweepers are grabbing attention across the world, as the country uses its technological expertise to unleash new quality productive forces in the field of sanitation. “We specialize in autonomous sweepers. Demand has surged in recent years and we have started to export our products,” said Tang Yanye, vice-president of product and operations, and partner at Autowise.ai, a Shanghai-based high-tech company that is among many “little giant” firms in the city. The company has received the world’s first road testing license for autonomous sweepers and is the first in China to achieve commercialization of autonomous sweepers overseas. “I…
