Shares of Apple Inc. plummeted for the second consecutive day on Thursday following reports of China’s ban on the usage of iPhones by central government employees. According to Bloomberg, the ban might also be extended to workers at state-owned companies and government-backed agencies, apart from central government agency officials. In the last two days, $200 billion of Apple’s market value has been wiped out, with its stock market valuation reduced by more than 6%.
In a report released on Thursday, Microsoft researchers said they found a network of Chinese-controlled social media accounts seeking to influence US voters by using artificial intelligence. The report said the social media accounts were part of a suspected Chinese information operation. Responding to the allegations, the Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington remarked that the accusations were “full of prejudice and malicious speculation.” The spokesperson said that China advocates for the safe use of AI.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the White House expects meaningful progress on GE jet engines and civil nuclear technology in the upcoming bilateral talks between US President Joe Biden and Indian PM Narendra Modi. Biden will meet Modi during his visit to India ahead of the G20 Summit in New Delhi.
On Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov asserted that the US supply of depleted uranium weapons was “a criminal act,” a state media outlet reported. Earlier this week, the Pentagon announced a new security package of $175 million for Ukraine, which included depleted uranium ammunition for US Abrams tanks.
Mali’s military junta reported that al Qaeda-linked insurgents killed 49 civilians and 15 government soldiers on Thursday in two attacks in the country’s north. According to a statement by the junta, a passenger boat near the city of Timbuktu on the Niger River and a Malian military position in Bamba further down the Gao region were targeted.
North Korea announced on Friday that it has named a supposed nuclear attack submarine that it has been developing for years. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said this was a crucial step in his efforts to build a nuclear-armed navy to fight the US and its Asian allies. The Korean Central News Agency of the North reported that the “Hero Kim Kun Ok” vessel was developed to fire tactical nuclear weapons from below the water.