What’s at stake in Indonesia as the world’s third-largest democracy elects a new president?

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy, will open its polls on Wednesday to nearly 205 million eligible voters in presidential and legislative elections, the fifth since Southeast Asia’s largest economy began democratic reforms in 1998. The sprawling archipelago of 17,000 islands and more than 270 million people from about 1,300 ethnic groups is … Read more

‘World’s biggest casino’ app exposed customers’ personal data

The startup that develops the phone app for casino resort giant WinStar has secured an exposed database that was spilling customers’ private information to the open web. Oklahoma-based WinStar bills itself as the “world’s biggest casino” by square footage. The casino and hotel resort also offers an app, My WinStar, in which guests can access … Read more

Meet the Pranksters Behind Goody-2, the World’s ‘Most Responsible’ AI Chatbot

Goody-2 also highlights how although corporate talk of responsible AI and deflection by chatbots have become more common, serious safety problems with large language models and generative AI systems remain unsolved. The recent outbreak of Taylor Swift deepfakes on Twitter turned out to stem from an image generator released by Microsoft, which was one of … Read more

‘World’s Coolest Dictator’ Nayib Bukele Claims Presidential Reelection in El Salvador

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — Voters in El Salvador appeared to give Nayib Bukele a second term as president, putting him well on his way to a landslide victory in an election that for many hinged on the tradeoff of curtailed civil liberties for security in a country once terrorized by gangs. The Supreme Electoral … Read more

El Salvador votes in presidential election that the ‘world’s coolest dictator’ has clear path to win

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — Salvadorans are headed out to vote Sunday in a presidential and legislative elections that’s largely about the tradeoff between security and democracy. With soaring approval ratings and virtually no competition, Nayib Bukele is almost certainly headed for a second term as president. El Salvador’s constitution prohibits reelection. Nonetheless, about eight … Read more

World’s No. 1 shipper pleads with Congress to help end Houthi ‘chaos’

A cargo ship crosses the Suez Canal, one of the most critical human-made waterways, in Ismailia, Egypt on December 29, 2023.  Fareed Kotb | Anadolu | Getty Images The world’s largest shipping company, MSC, and several retail and trade experts warned Congress on Tuesday that if the Red Sea chaos caused by Houthi rebel attacks … Read more

World’s largest sovereign wealth fund posts record $213 billion profit

The Norges Bank, Norway’s central bank, in Oslo, Norway, on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Norway’s giant sovereign wealth fund on Tuesday reported record profit of 2.22 trillion kroner ($213 billion) in 2023, supported by robust returns on its investments in technology stocks. The so-called Government Pension Fund Global, one … Read more

World’s largest cruise ship sets sail from Miami

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, heads to the dock during its first arrival into PortMiami on Jan. 10, 2024. Pedro Portal | Tribune News Service | Getty Images The world’s largest cruise ship set sail from Miami, Florida over the weekend, embarking on a seven-day island-hopping trip through the … Read more

How Guyana’s big oil boom turned it into the world’s fastest-growing economy

Guyana, a tiny South American nation home to more than 800,000 people, made big headlines in December. The reason? Its neighboring country, Venezuela. Venezuela’s autocratic leader Nicolás Maduro called for a referendum in the first week of December 2023 to seek approval to annex Essequibo, which makes up two-thirds of Guyana’s land. Venezuelans approved it … Read more

World’s largest hedge funds record bumper year of profits

Signage for Citadel Investment Group LLC hangs outside their office in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Bloomberg | Getty Images The world’s top hedge funds raked in record profits last year amid a resurgence in stock markets, new analysis showed. The 20 leading funds made $67 billion in investor profits in 2023, up from the $65 billion … Read more