A botched tumbler promotion on the anniversary of a pro-democracy massacre unleashed a boycott, police investigation and political firestorm It was a PR nightmare: customers smashing Starbucks branded tumblers and mugs as fans deleted loyalty apps and cashed out prepaid balances. Amid the uproar, government ministries cut ties with the ...
Month: June 2026
Predator or prey? The confounding case of the missing sea eaglePredator or prey? The confounding case of the missing sea eagle
The UK’s biggest bird of prey has been compared to a flying barn door. So how can one fitted with a satellite tracker disappear in prime grouse-shooting country? The six police officers arrived at the Snilesworth estate in two pickup trucks last week, according to one account. They asked to ...
US and Iran exchange strikes in Gulf in latest test of ceasefireUS and Iran exchange strikes in Gulf in latest test of ceasefire
The US military says it struck Iranian drones and radar sites. Tehran responds by targeting US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. ...
Downing Street hits out at ‘people seeking to stir division’ after Vance’s Nowak postDowning Street hits out at ‘people seeking to stir division’ after Vance’s Nowak post
The US vice-president wrote the “only response is righteous anger” when referring to Henry Nowak’s death on X. ...
Kalshi asks paid influencers to delete posts sowing doubts over LA mayoral electionKalshi asks paid influencers to delete posts sowing doubts over LA mayoral election
The Scoop Kalshi on Friday asked some of its paid political influencers to remove X posts that sowed doubt about the integrity of the Los Angeles mayoral election while promoting Kalshi odds, a spokesperson told Semafor. Earlier this week X user Gunther Eagleman, a MAGA influencer with 1.7 million followers, ...
Treasury advances immigration crackdownTreasury advances immigration crackdown
The Treasury Department took its first step this morning toward implementing an executive order that drafted banks to help crack down on undocumented immigrants. The department’s illicit finance arm joined with other regulators to direct financial institutions to flag certain suspicious activity like identity theft and payroll fraud — as ...
US says Iran radar sites struck and drones intercepted, in latest threat to fragile ceasefireUS says Iran radar sites struck and drones intercepted, in latest threat to fragile ceasefire
Iran and the US have exchanged a series of attacks near the strait of Hormuz, imperilling efforts to reach a peace deal The US military said it shot down four Iranian drones that were launched toward the strait of Hormuz and struck coastal surveillance radar sites in response. “The attack ...
Putin says there is ‘no point’ meeting Zelensky over ending Ukraine warPutin says there is ‘no point’ meeting Zelensky over ending Ukraine war
The Russian president’s refusal comes after his Ukrainian counterpart wrote an open letter calling for face-to-face talks. ...
AI customer service is not ready for prime timeAI customer service is not ready for prime time
Voice capabilities are the future of AI, but customer service is still proving a difficult test case. That’s not because the voices don’t work, but because the broader experience often doesn’t. I went to an ElevenLabs pop-up in New York, where a robot powered by the company’s voice models took ...
Companies struggle to measure AI’s ROICompanies struggle to measure AI’s ROI
Echoing throughout New York Tech Week this year were conversations from business leaders about AI’s ROI, as companies begin cutting back on token spending. CEOs are trying to prove to their boards that the cost is worthwhile during a time of “massive over-investment” industry-wide, IBM Vice Chairman Gary Cohn said ...