LONDON — Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok said “lapses in safeguards” led to the generation of sexualised images of minors that it posted to social media site X, formerly Twitter. The Internet Watch Foundation, a nonprofit that identifies child sexual abuse material online, reported a 400% increase in such AI-generated imagery in the first six months of 2025. The service prohibits pornography involving real people’s likenesses and sexual content involving minors, which is illegal to create or distribute. In 2023, researchers found that a massive public dataset used to build popular AI image-generators contained at least 1,008 instances of child sexual abuse material. The Internet Watch Foundation has said that AI-generated imagery of child sexual abuse has progressed at a “frightening” rate, with material becoming more realistic and extreme.

The Chengdu machine used 10,470 longitudinal warp threads controlled by 86 brown "programming" patches, governing more than 9.6 million intersections with the latitudinal weft threads. China addressed this challenge early on through mechanisation, which established it as the world's silk production centre. Each node acted as a command, precisely controlling which warp threads to lift, thereby revealing the predetermined design through the interlacing of warp and weft. Beyond the exquisite patterns it produced, the scientific thinking embedded in the figure loom is even more remarkable. In the 19th century, the punched cards of the automatic figure loom also inspired programming methods for early computers.

Trump says US will 'come to their rescue' if Iran kills protestersListen to this articleThe protests in Iran were prompted by the country's dire economic conditions. (Photo: AFP)PARIS — US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States is "locked and loaded" to respond if Iran kills protesters, prompting Tehran to warn that intervention would destabilise the region. Trump said on his Truth Social platform that "if Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue." "Certain opportunistic and hostile individuals are trying to undermine public security and peace by sowing chaos, disorder and committing murder. The justice system and the police will act with firmness and without any leniency against the rioters and those who undermine public security," he added.

(Photo: Surachai Piragsa)A total of 145 people were killed and 769 injured in road accidents during the first three days of the New Year holiday travel period, with Bangkok recording the highest number of deaths and Phuket topping the list for the number of accidents, authorities said on Friday. Jirapong Thepphitak, deputy permanent secretary for transport, announced the latest figures from the Road Safety Directing Centre during the New Year holiday. "The most dangerous time period was between 12.01pm and 3am, accounting for 25.15% of the accidents. The highest number of casualties were among people between the ages of 20 and 29, representing 22.91%," said Mr Jirapong. Over the first three days of the holiday, there were 798 accidents, 769 injuries and 145 deaths.

Online shopping imports face full taxListen to this articleThailand yesterday began collecting taxes on all imported goods bought online, a move the government says will create "a level playing field" between local and imported cheap products. Deputy government spokeswoman Lalida Persvivatana said the measure ends a long-standing tax exemption on goods valued at under 1,500 baht purchased directly from overseas vendors via e-commerce platforms. "This measure helps create a level playing field, improves transparency, and ensures imported goods comply with Thai laws and standards," Ms Lalida said. Currently, over 97% of imported online goods already have tax automatically calculated and included in their displayed prices on major platforms, meaning buyers can continue to pay once and receive delivery at home without handling tax payments at customs themselves. The Customs Department has coordinated with major e-commerce platforms, including Lazada, Shopee, TikTok, Shien, and Temu, to strengthen the screening of imported goods.

Thai Immigration Bureau rebuffs viral complaintsListen to this articleThe Immigration Bureau (IB) has dismissed viral complaints about crippling queues at Suvarnabhumi airport, saying officers clear passengers within 30 minutes, even during peak holiday traffic. The post has sparked widespread criticism of airport immigration services. From 10am to 5pm, inbound passenger numbers never fell below 4,000 per hour, with more than 85,000 passengers passing through Suvarnabhumi airport over the day. In practice, passenger congestion occurs only at certain peak times, and Suvarnabhumi Immigration generally processes arrivals within 30 minutes, in line with operational standards. He added that long immigration queues are common worldwide during peak seasons.

Hong Kong's new smoking rules just kicked in. Listen to this articleHong Kong's new rules includes a ban on anyone smoking at designated boarding points for public transport when waiting in a queue of two or more people. The new rules that took effect on Thursday included a ban on anyone smoking at designated boarding points for public transport when waiting in a queue of two or more people. The man, a freelance worker who only gave his name as Ray, said he was unaware of the new rules. Under the new rules, smoking is still allowed near rubbish bins unless they are inside non-smoking spaces.

Your spot-on horoscope for work, money and relationship from Guru by the Bangkok Post's famously accurate fortune teller. What you want and what’s real may clash hard. Expect tension around shared money or inheritance. ♑ CapricornDec 22 – Jan 19(⏰) Brace yourself for unfair workloads and a teammate or supervisor who promises the moon but delivers almost nothing. Focus on what’s real, not what’s ideal.

Spending under the scheme reached 84.18 billion baht, contributing to an estimated 0.2% boost to economic growth, said the Finance Ministry. The first part was public spending at 42.81 billion baht, including 41.25 billion baht at general stores and 1.56 billion baht via food delivery platforms. The second part was the government co-payment at 41.38 billion baht, with 39.90 billion baht spent at general stores and 1.48 billion baht through food delivery platforms. As of Dec 31, the scheme had 999,350 registered merchants nationwide, including 89,799 food and beverage outlets accepting payments via delivery platforms, he said. The injection of about 84.19 billion baht into the economy helped lift economic growth by an estimated 0.2% in 2025 compared with a scenario without the programme.

Referendum date officially set for same election dayListen to this articlePeople use privacy-protecting cubicles to mark their ballots in the 2022 gubernatorial elections, at a polling station on Phahon Yothin Road. Thai nationals will vote in the general election and charter referendum on Feb 8. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)The referendum day on the Constitution will officially be held on the same day as the general election, which is on Feb 8. The caretaker administration informed the Election Commission of the referendum date but it will not be official until the issue was officially announced in the Gazette. Advance voting day for the general election will take place on Feb 1 in and outside the country.

Thai Immigration Bureau dismisses complaintsThe Immigration Bureau (IB) has dismissed viral complaints about long queues at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, saying officers clear passengers within 30 minutes, even during peak holiday traffic. A Japanese tourist complained on socal media about long queues at immigration arrival counters, with a sarcastic caption describing the experience as "amazing". The post sparked widespread criticism of Bangkok airport immigration services. From 10am to 5pm, inbound passenger numbers never fell below 4,000 per hour, with more than 85,000 passengers passing through Suvarnabhumi International Airport during the day. In practice, passenger congestion occurs only at certain peak times, and Suvarnabhumi Immigration generally processes arrivals within 30 minutes, the official added.

Festive Hat Yai bounces back from floodsListen to this articleLocals and tourists celebrate the New Year in Hat Yai, Songkhla. More than 5,000 people gathered at the Odean junction for the "Hat Yai New Year 2026" countdown, an event jointly organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Hat Yai City Municipality and local partners to mark the start of 2026. Hat Yai mayor Narongporn Na Phatthalung joined TAT officials and provincial leaders in presiding over the festivities. TAT said Hat Yai has welcomed more than 100,000 visitors over the New Year period, generating at least 300 million baht in tourism revenue. Narongporn said the strong numbers highlighted Hat Yai's readiness to rebound as a regional tourism centre.

Data 'offers clues to good ageing' vibeListen to this articleOnly four tambons in Thailand have more than eight residents above the age of 85 per 100 people, according to the latest demographics analysis by the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda). Using civil registration data from 2025, Gistda analysed 7,256 tambons (sub-districts) nationwide to determine the rate of residents above the age of 85. Gistda says the findings also offer insights into the quality of life, social structures and overall well-being of each area. For historic cities such as Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Nong Khai and Nakhon Si Thammarat, extended families and slower-paced lifestyles were found to support mental well-being. The data suggests that living a long and healthy life is not a matter of chance, but healthy ageing is closely linked to supportive environments, Gistda stated.

What to look out for in the Premier League transfer windowListen to this articleLiverpool's Alexander Isak is sidelined by a broken leg. (Photo: AFP)MANCHESTER - The transfer window for Premier League clubs is open with sides ready to splash out to win the title, secure a place in next season's Champions League or just survive in the lucrative English top flight. The Ghana forward has also attracted interest from Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham after scoring nine times in the Premier League this season. Jeremy Doku, Savinho, Oscar Bobb and Omar Marmoush have just one Premier League goal between them so far this season. West Ham's rescue missionWest Ham are starring down the barrel of dropping out of the Premier League for the first time in 14 years.

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