Briefly

SOMALIA

Cargo vessel hijacked, agency reports

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, or UKMTO, said late on Sunday that a cargo vessel had been hijacked off Somalia's northeastern coast near Garacad. The UKMTO said the latest incident points to an increased threat from organized pirate activity in Somali waters.

UNITED STATES

Stage set for Musk's court battle with OpenAI

Elon Musk's lawsuit accusing the high-profile artificial intelligence company OpenAI of betraying its nonprofit mission heads for trial on Monday, with jury selection. The legal clash in a courtroom across the bay from San Francisco pits the world's richest person against a startup Musk once backed and now competes with in the booming AI sector. OpenAI's ChatGPT is a formidable rival to the chatbot Grok, made by Musk's xAI. While Musk's lawsuit is part of a feud between him and OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman, it spotlights a debate over whether AI should ultimately serve to benefit a privileged few or society as a whole. Musk is seeking $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft, one of its largest investors, according to a person involved in the case.

MALI

Defense minister killed in major assault

Mali Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed in an attack on his residence, the government said on Sunday, a high-profile fatality during coordinated assaults staged the previous day by insurgents, including al-Qaida affiliated militants. A car laden with explosives driven by a suicide attacker drove into Camara's residence in the town of Kati. Mali is observing two days of mourning.

Agencies - Xinhua