Russia, North Korea connect road bridge ahead of summer opening

Google is planning to invest up to $40 billion in Anthropic, the artificial intelligence firm confirmed Friday, expanding a long-standing alliance between the two companies.

The investment builds on a partnership in which Anthropic will use custom Google chips and cloud computing services to power its technology.

An Anthropic representative confirmed to AFP that the agreement sees an initial $10 billion investment from Google. The remaining $30 billion will depend on meeting performance milestones.

The announcement came just days after Amazon revealed plans to boost its collaboration with Anthropic with a new $5 billion investment, and a plan to invest $20 billion more if performance goals are met.

For its part, Anthropic said it has committed to spending more than $100 billion on Amazon Web Services (AWS) technology to power AI in the coming decade.

Anthropic is among AI sector rivals spending tens of billions of dollars on computing infrastructure to lead in the technology.

Anthropic said in early April that it had tripled its annualized revenues quarter-on-quarter to over $30 billion -- outpacing OpenAI for the first time.

Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei visited the White House, where both sides struck a friendly tone, following a dispute over the tech company's refusal to grant the military unconditional use of its AI models.

Earlier this month, Anthropic announced its newest AI model Mythos, withholding it from public release due to its potential cybersecurity risks.

However, Anthropic said this week that it is investigating unauthorized access to Mythos, a powerful model which the company itself worries could be a boon for hackers.

Anthropic said earlier this month it restricted the release of Mythos to 40 major tech firms to give them a head start in fixing cybersecurity vulnerabilities before they could be exploited by attackers.

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The EU is seeking more progress in easing the effects of US steel tariffs, its trade chief Maros Sefcovic said Friday, adding that talks are "going in a positive direction."

The bloc also wants to align approaches with the United States towards third countries when it comes to steel trade, he added.

With US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, "we agreed to accelerate this work at a technical level," Sefcovic told reporters in Washington where he met with American counterparts.

His comments Friday came after discussions with Lutnick and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. During his visit, he also formalized a critical minerals partnership with Washington.

But key issues remain in the transatlantic trade relationship.

While US President Donald Trump's administration recently simplified how its import tariffs on steel are applied, Sefcovic said: "We still have some issues with the remaining products which are listed."

"It would be very important to have positive traction on this," he added.

He noted that the United States benefits from imports of specialized machinery too, as it tries to boost domestic manufacturing.

But such imports can be challenging due to steeper costs and a lack of clarity on which rules apply.

"I'm glad that we reengage," Sefcovic said. "My feeling was that we are going in a positive direction."

Since Trump returned to the White House last year, European manufacturers have been hit by his sharp 50-percent tariff on steel and aluminum imports.

While Brussels and Washington clinched a deal last summer setting US tariffs at 15 percent for most EU goods, steel and aluminum products were not covered.

Sefcovic stressed Friday that the United States and European Union both face an issue of overcapacity in the market, recounting the EU's recent decision to double tariffs on foreign steel to shield its industry from cheap Chinese exports.

"As a next step, we want to launch work with the US on steel ring-fencing, aligning our approaches towards third countries," Sefcovic said.

This would help to build a "defensive mechanism against subsidized steel, against global overcapacities," he added.

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Combative White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Friday she will be going on maternity leave ahead of the birth of her second child but did not name a stand-in.

"On a personal matter, this will likely be my last gaggle for some time. As you can see, I'm about ready to have a baby any minute," the press secretary told a group of reporters at the White House.

"I will see you guys very soon. I know you'll be in very good hands with my team here at the White House. And I know all of you have the president's phone number personally," she joked.

The White House has not named an official replacement, and reportedly senior officials such as Vice President JD Vance may occasionally hold press conferences at the White House in her absence.

The White House has also not confirmed for how long she will be out. 

Leavitt is already the mother of a boy born in July 2024, and at 28, is the youngest person ever appointed to the intense, high-visibility post.

In summer 2024, she returned to work on President Donald Trump's campaign just days after the birth of her first child, a return hastened by the assassination attempt against the Republican candidate on July 13, 2024. 

She is married to Nicholas Riccio, a real estate developer. 

As the face of the Republican president's anti-media offensive, Leavitt is a master of answering journalists' questions with put-downs.

However, the New Hampshire native's poise and her energetic efforts to boost the president have not prevented Trump's approval ratings from sinking on every topic.

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A bomb attack against a military base in the Colombian city of Cali wounded one person on Friday, health authorities said, amid fears of violence ahead of May 31 presidential elections. 

AFP journalists saw a burnt-out bus just meters (yards) from the base. Soldiers were deployed nearby and streets cordoned off as police officers arrived. 

A military source told AFP that two devices were thrown but one did not explode.

The army said dissidents from the disbanded guerrilla group FARC were suspected of being behind the attack.

FARC remnants who rejected a 2016 peace deal with the government have been active in trying to disrupt stalled peace talks with the current president, leftist Gustavo Petro.

Cali, the third biggest city in Colombia, is frequently targeted by armed groups fighting over drug trafficking routes to the Pacific Ocean. Kidnappings and extortion are a common occurence.

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(The Center Square) - Arizona Republicans are seeking to protect the Colorado River as its water supply continues to dwindle.

State Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert; state House Speaker Steve Montenegro, R-Surprise, and other Arizona Republicans recently met with the Trump administration, urging the federal government to use the Colorado River Storage Project Act.

The 1956 law allowed the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to create dams and reservoirs in the Upper Colorado River Basin while also managing its water resources among Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The river also provides water to the lower basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada.

Arizona Senate Republicans asked the Trump administration to release water from the reservoirs to protect hydropower generation and stop low water levels.

According to Montenegro, “Lake Mead and Lake Powell are running dangerously low, at just 25% to 33%, while reservoirs in the Upper Basin are nearly full, between 82% and 97%.”

“It is clearly evident from the dire situation that the water sitting upstream must be released so it can flow downstream to Lake Powell,” he said.

Lake Mead and Lake Powell are the primary water storage sources for Arizona’s water from the Colorado River.  

In addition to a request to release the water, the Senate Republicans laid out a plan that included long-term strategies to stabilize the Colorado River, such as $1 billion annually in federal funds for any future agreement to compensate Colorado River users for voluntary conservation.

The plan also proposes that states relying on the Colorado River and Mexico use a reverse auction format rather than a fixed price per acre-foot to maximize water saved per dollar.

Arizona state Republicans’ plan additionally seeks to dedicate federal funding to building a new dam or a desalination project.

The Republicans’ plan “provides options to help stabilize the Colorado River system over time," Petersen said, answering The Center Square's questions by email.

However, he added the “timeline depends on several factors,” such as “how quickly the federal government can act to release or appropriate resources, and how many Colorado River users are willing to voluntarily conserve water.”

Regarding the potential for Arizona to commit state funds to match the $1 billion annual federal investment proposal, Petersen said a “potential state contribution would be evaluated through the normal budget process in partnership with stakeholders and lawmakers.”

“The immediate priority is securing a meaningful federal commitment because the Colorado River is a regional and national resource," the Senate president said. "Arizona has consistently shown a willingness to invest in long-term water security."

Petersen said Arizona will need both long-term and short-term solutions. In the short term, he said Arizona will need to respond to the “Bureau of Reclamation’s latest 24-month outlook, which shows challenges greater than anything we have seen in the history of the Colorado River.”

The outlook shows that Lake Powell will be stabilized through water-level management to avoid low levels, while Lake Mead remains in a shortage, so the bureau will cut water deliveries to Arizona, Nevada and Colorado.

The 24-month outlook also says the Colorado River is at about 40% of its normal yearly inflow.

In the long term, Petersen said, “Responsible leadership means investing in augmentation and new water supplies, including projects like desalination, so we can support continued growth across the Southwest.”

A day after meeting with Arizona Republicans, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum met with governors from Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming to discuss the Colorado River’s water shortage.

“Interior and Reclamation continue to coordinate with the basin states, tribes, Mexico and basin stakeholders as we make the decisions necessary to operate and protect the system, ” Burgum said.

Assistant Secretary-Water and Science Andrea Travnicek said it is “imperative” for the federal government to take “action quickly to protect a resource that supplies water to 40 million people and supports vital agricultural, hydropower production, tribal, wildlife, and recreational uses across the region.”

“The Department of the Interior and Reclamation remain fully committed to taking the actions necessary to reduce impacts on water deliveries, safeguard critical infrastructure, and preserve as much operational flexibility as possible,” she said.

In February, the states that use the Colorado River for water missed a deadline to reach an agreement on water use. Current guidelines will expire at the end of 2026. 

After months of delay, the UN labour agency has appointed Trump administration official Sheng Li as its deputy director general, despite Washington's failure to pay its dues for two years.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) officially announced this week that Li, a high-level official at the US Department of Labor, would fill the post left vacant eight months ago.

The Geneva-based agency said Li would head the "policy cluster", guiding and overseeing the work of five policy departrments.

The ILO had been without a deputy chief since last September, when Celeste Drake -- also a US national -- left.

In recent months, the rumoured looming appointment to the post of Nels Nordquist, a former top economic advisor to President Donald Trump, sparked outrage at the ILO, which had faced a barrage of criticism from the US administration.

In a memo published last August, the administration described the ILO as an organisation that "works to unionise foreign workers and punish US corporate interests abroad" -- although those words and a decision to cancel $107 million in funding to the agency later mysteriously vanished from the text.

- US arrears -

The ILO's deputy director post is usually held by a US national, but the agency's staff union has raised questions about following that tradition at a time when Washington -- traditionally the agency's biggest donor -- has failed to pay its 2024 and 2025 dues.

"We are still awaiting clarification regarding the reasons for this decision, particularly in light of certain unanswered questions concerning US contributions," union chief Severine Deboos told AFP.

The United States, which in recent years has covered 22 percent of ILO's funding, had as of April 24 accumulated arrears amounting to more than 173 million Swiss francs ($220 million) for the past two years, according to data on the agency website.

And it will also this year need to pay its 2026 contribution, amounting to 84 million francs.

"The US remains in arrears, as are many other member states who have yet to fulfil their financial commitments for the current biennium's regular budget," the ILO told AFP in an email Friday.

"These arrears have impacted the ILO's cash flow, and we are actively engaging with the concerned countries to encourage the earliest possible settlement," it added.

Like other UN organisations, the ILO is currently facing significant financial pressure and is undergoing major reforms as it strives to tighten its budget.

Reform plans that still need to be validated call for the slashing of around 120 positions by 2029 -- a number that could be expanded by several hundreds more if further savings are required, ILO documents show.

Already last May, ILO chief Gilbert Houngbo said the closure of some 50 US-funded projects had forced the agency to lay off around 200 staff members out of a total of around 3,500 globally.

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(The Center Square) – An enlisted soldier at Fort Bragg was granted $250,000 bond release on Friday and will have his charges of using classified information to win $400,000 in a prediction market continued Tuesday in New York.

Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, member of the Special Forces team helping capture Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro, is charged with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain; theft of nonpublic government information; commodities fraud; wire fraud; and making an unlawful monetary transaction.

The 38-year-old, if convicted, stands to lose any potential retirement pay and spend years in prison.

Van Dyke appeared Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian S. Meyers in the Eastern District of North Carolina in Raleigh.

On social media, FBI Director Kash Patel wrote, “This involved a U.S. soldier who allegedly took advantage of his position to profit off of a righteous military operation.”

Prosecutors say as part of the operation to capture Maduro, he signed a nondisclosure agreement specific to not releasing classified or sensitive information. He used what he knew to make bets on Polymarket that Maduro would be out of power by Jan. 31.

Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the entity overseeing Polymarket and other prediction markets, on Thursday filed a complaint against Van Dyke. The commission says he moved $35,000 from his personal bank account to cryptocurrency exchange on Dec. 26.

The commission says between Dec. 30 and Jan. 2, he bet $32,500 in a series of bets. Most were made Jan. 2. He made $404,000 on Maduro bets, and another $5,000 on other bets involving Venezuela, said the commission complaint.

Operation Absolute Resolve, as the capture of Maduro was named, was executed Jan. 3 in Caracas, Venezuela. He was brought to New York City and faced charges of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.

Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as interim president two days later. She was formerly the vice president to Maduro.

The Trump Justice Department said Friday it is seeking to expand the use of the death penalty in federal capital cases and add the firing squad, electrocution and gas to lethal injection as methods of execution.

"The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

Under President Donald Trump, "the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims," Blanche said in a statement.

The Republican president ended a 17-year pause in federal executions in 2020, during his first term in office.

There were 13 executions by lethal injection during Trump's final six months in power, more than under any US leader in 120 years.

Before leaving the White House in January 2025, Democratic president Joe Biden, an opponent of the death penalty, commuted the death sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on federal death row.

Trump, on his first day in the White House for his second term, called for an expansion of the use of the death penalty "for the vilest crimes."

The death penalty is normally carried out at the state level in the United States but the federal government can also seek execution for a limited set of crimes.

Five US states currently authorize the firing squad for executions but only one -- South Carolina -- has used the method in recent years.

Nine states allow electrocution but this method has not been used since 2020.

Two states have executed inmates recently by nitrogen hypoxia, which involves pumping nitrogen gas into a face mask, causing the prisoner to suffocate.

The use of nitrogen gas as a method of capital punishment has been denounced by United Nations experts as cruel and inhumane.

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others -- California, Oregon and Pennsylvania -- have moratoriums in place.

The three men whose death sentences were not commuted by Biden were one of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombers, a gunman who murdered 11 Jewish worshippers in 2018 and a white supremacist who killed nine Black churchgoers in 2015.

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Slain Hollywood director Rob Reiner's son Jake paid an emotional tribute Friday to his parents, allegedly slain by his brother Nick, calling it "almost too impossible to process."

"We lost more than half of our family that night in the most violent way imaginable," Nick Reiner wrote in his first detailed public remarks about the gruesome killings. 

His brother Nick faces two counts of first-degree murder over the double killing that sent shockwaves through Hollywood days before Christmas.

"Any loss of a parent is devastating, but nothing compares to losing both of them at the same time and, on top of that, having your brother be at the center of it," Jake wrote in a Substack post titled "Mom and Dad."

Nick Reiner was arrested on December 14 after the bodies of his filmmaker father and his mother, photographer Michele Singer Reiner, were discovered at their home in the upmarket Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Prosecutors said 79-year-old Rob Reiner -- who helmed huge hits including "When Harry Met Sally" and "A Few Good Men" -- and his wife, 70, were stabbed to death.

Nick Reiner, who remains in jail and has not been granted bail, was ordered to return to court on April 29.

If convicted as charged, Nick Reiner could face life in prison without parole, or the death penalty, although California does not routinely carry out capital punishment. 

Nick Reiner, who lived in a guest house on his parents' property, had attended a party at the home of comedian Conan O'Brien on December 13 with his parents, where some attendees reportedly said he had behaved erratically.

Rob Reiner, the son of legendary comedian Carl Reiner, started his showbiz career in acting.

He won fame as the oafish son-in-law Michael "Meathead" Stivic on groundbreaking 1970s sitcom "All in the Family," before transitioning to directing. 

As a director, his output included classic films like 1984's rock music mockumentary "This is Spinal Tap," fantasy gem "The Princess Bride" from 1987, and seminal coming-of-age movie "Stand By Me."

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Elon Musk and Sam Altman bonded over artificial intelligence in a project that became OpenAI, but a clash of visions will see the polarizing figures face off in court in a trial that opens next week.

Silicon Valley lore traces their first meeting back to 2012, in an encounter prompted by investor Geoff Ralston.

Nearly 14 years younger than Musk, who was born in June of 1971, Altman was said to be impressed by the Tesla chief's powers of persuasion.

While yet to reach the age of 30, Altman already had a tech world reputation as a brilliant dealmaker.

Altman's unassuming, friendly demeanor contrasted sharply with Musk's abrasive style, but they shared an entrepreneurial spirit and a penchant for risk-taking.

Libertarian Musk and the apolitical Altman found common ground in a shared belief about the future of AI.

Musk saw Google, and its subsidiary DeepMind, as out to create AI that thinks sharper than people do with little regard for controlling it.

Just months before OpenAI was officially founded in early 2015, Altman published a blog post calling for measures to "limit the threat" posed by AI, complete with concrete proposals.

This philosophy was set as the guiding principle at OpenAI: born a non-profit organization dedicated to the responsible advancement of AI and boasting a commitment to making its research and source code freely accessible to the public.

Altman successfully pitched the OpenAI concept to Musk, who went on to invest at least $38 million to get the nascent entity established.

- Altruistic AI? -

In February of 2018, the South Africa-born entrepreneur behind Tesla, SpaceX and other companies resigned from OpenAI's board to ostensibly focus on his other commercial endeavors.

Behind the scenes, however, Musk and Altman were clashing over a proposed shift of OpenAI to a for-profit business that could attract investors in the capital-intensive AI race.

OpenAI completed that transformation in 2025, some three years after its ChatGPT digital assistant made AI and those who build it all the rage in the tech world.

After years as a champion of an approach in which AI serves society rather than corporate coffers, Musk muddied his message by launching a private xAI startup in July of 2023.

The mission statements for xAI and its chatbot Grok give scant mention to dangers of the technology even though Musk once called it an "existential threat" to humanity.

The rift between Altman and Musk widened as the world's richest man moved to Texas and became an ally of US President Donald Trump while OpenAI stayed in San Francisco and focused on improving its technology.

Musk has used his social media platform X to go on the offensive with posts that include likening Altman to a "Game of Thrones" character seen as a master manipulator.

Musk, 54, even filed a lawsuit seeking to oust 41-year-old Altman as OpenAI chief executive. Selection of jurors in a trial for that case is set for Monday.

Altman has fired back on social media, contending Musk's agenda is to rule over the most powerful AI.

"The current struggle between the two billionaires is shaped by their egos and belief that the winner will control a new technology," contended Darryl Cunningham, author of a book about Musk.

"It seems doubtful to me that either can control AI."

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