Headline

OpenAI Sacks ChatGPT Star CEO Sam Altman

Published

2 years ago

November 18, 2023

OpenAI, the company that launched ChatGPT a year ago, said Friday it had dismissed CEO Sam Altman in a shock firing of a central figure in the AI revolution.

Altman became a tech world sensation with the release nearly a year ago of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot with unprecedented capabilities, churning out human-level content like poems or artwork in just seconds.

His dismissal caught the tech world by surprise, with rumors rife on social media as to the cause of the sudden sacking.

A statement about the firing by OpenAI referred to its stated mission of making sure AI benefits everyone, and said that new leadership is needed for the company to move forward.

Fellow OpenAI cofounder Greg Brockman was pushed from the company’s board in the shakeup and put out late in the day that he quit.

“I’m super proud of what we’ve built… but based on today’s news, I quit,” Brockman said in a post at X, formerly known as Twitter.

“I continue to believe in the mission of creating safe AGI (artificial general intelligence)that benefits all of humanity.”

Analysts scrambled to interpret the shakeup, and the sacking of 38-year-old Altman, a Stanford University dropout, entrepreneur and computer coder.

“It sounded as though there were some ethical concerns which pushed the board to do something,” said Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi.

“If he is being ousted because of ethical concerns, that is only going to be good for the company.”

OpenAI’s board said that Altman’s departure followed a thorough review that found “he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.”

“The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI,” it concluded.

In a post on X, Altman said he “loved my time at OpenAI.”

“It was transformative for me personally, and hopefully the world a little bit.”

He promised “more to say about what’s next later.”

The launch of ChatGPT ignited a race in AI — hailed as the next big chapter in technology — with contenders including tech giants Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta.

Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in OpenAI and has woven the company’s technology into its offerings, including search engine Bing.

Altman has testified before US Congress about AI and spoken with heads of state about the technology, as pressure ramps up to regulate against risks such as AI’s potential use in bioweapons, misinformation and other threats.

Altman will be replaced on an interim basis by Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, the statement said.

Microsoft has a long-term agreement with OpenAI and remains “committed to our partnership, and to Mira and the team,” chief executive Satya Nadella said in a post.

“Together, we will continue to deliver the meaningful benefits of this technology to the world.”

– ‘Lots of empathy’ –

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives believed that OpenAI’s momentum is unlikely to be slowed by Altman’s firing.

“Altman out as CEO of OpenAI is a shocker but ultimately Microsoft will just have more control of the situation,” Ives said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“We see little concern going forward with him gone,” Ives added.

OpenAI’s board of directors includes OpenAI cofounder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever.

Altman earlier this month led a major developers’ conference for OpenAI, announcing new products that were largely met positively in Silicon Valley.

The young executive on Thursday told AFP he understood some of the worries over AI and its disruptive powers.

“(I have) lots of empathy for why anyone would feel, however they feel, about this,” he said of the platform that is credited with launching the revolution in generative artificial intelligence.

Altman was speaking on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco where he was swarmed by fans after his appearance, many of whom wanted to take selfies with him.

Headline

Coup: Guinea-Bissau Junta Releases Six Held Opposition Politicians

Published

14 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Editor

Guinea-Bissau’s ruling junta on Tuesday released six members of the political opposition who had been detained since a coup last month.

The six freed opposition members are said to be close associates of Domingos Simoes Pereira, head of the PAIGC party that led the country to independence in 1974.

Pereira has been in custody since the coup.

In a statement by the High Military Command, the junta’s governing body, the releases are described as a sign of good faith and a step towards the return to constitutional normality and respect for international rights.

The army seized power on 26 November after ousting outgoing President Umaro Sissoco Embalo in the wake of a presidential vote.

After taking over, the military suspended the electoral process and announced it would take control of the West African country for a period of one year.

Recall that another opposition candidate, Fernando Dias, took refuge in Nigeria’s embassy, which granted him asylum, while Embalo fled the country after being briefly detained by the military at the time of the coup.

Meanwhile, Senegal’s Foreign Minister, Cheikh Niang, led a delegation to Guinea-Bissau, where he met with detained opponents and requested their release.

Headline

7 Territories Still Under Colonial Rule

Published

14 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Editor

Even though most nations became independent in the last century, some territories are still ruled by other nations.

Contents
1. Western Sahara
2. Guam
3. American Samoa
4. United States Virgin Islands
5. Falkland Islands / Malvinas
6. Gibraltar
7. Bermuda

Many of them remain on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories, meaning they have not completed the process of decolonization. These places usually depend on bigger countries for laws, passports, defence, or political control.

In this article, Nigerian Tribune highlights 7 territories still under colonial rule:

1. Western Sahara

Western Sahara remains one of the world’s biggest unresolved colonial issues. Morocco controls most of the territory, but the Polisario Front wants independence for the Sahrawi people. The UN is still trying to help both sides agree on a peaceful solution.

2. Guam

Guam is an important US territory in the Pacific, used heavily for American military operations. The US oversees its defence and foreign relations.

People living there are US citizens, but they cannot vote in presidential elections and do not have full representation in Congress.

3. American Samoa

American Samoa has more local control than Guam, but the United States still decides immigration, defence, and foreign affairs.

Residents are considered US nationals and must apply if they want full citizenship.

4. United States Virgin Islands

The US Virgin Islands have their own legislature, but the United States makes major constitutional and political decisions. The territory depends heavily on US federal support.

5. Falkland Islands / Malvinas

The Falkland Islands remain controlled by the United Kingdom (UK), but Argentina has long disputed this claim, having been in control of the Islands for a few years before 1833.

The people living there voted strongly to stay British, yet the sovereignty dispute continues to appear in the UN.

6. Gibraltar

Gibraltar sits at the Southern tip of Spain. The United Kingdom controls it, but Spain insists the territory belongs to them.

Gibraltarians have repeatedly voted in favour of remaining British, but the dispute is still discussed within the UN Decolonisation Committee.

7. Bermuda

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory situated in the North Atlantic Ocean. Although it manages most of its own internal affairs and enjoys a strong economy with modern facilities, the United Kingdom still handles its defence and represents it in global matters.

Headline

Russia-Ukraine War: Pope Leo Calls For Global Christmas Truce

Published

14 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Editor

Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday renewed his call for a global truce on Christmas Day, saying he felt “great sadness” after Russia “apparently rejected a request” for a pause in fighting.

Speaking to reporters at his residence in Castel Gandolfo near Rome, the Pope urged all sides involved in conflict to observe at least one day of peace.

“I am renewing my request to all people of goodwill to respect a day of peace — at least on the feast of the birth of our Saviour,” Leo said.

Recall that Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has repeatedly turned down calls for a ceasefire, arguing that any pause would give Ukraine a military advantage.

“Among the things that cause me great sadness is the fact that Russia has apparently rejected a request for a truce,” the pope said.

Referring to conflicts worldwide, Leo added, “I hope they will listen and there will be 24 hours of peace in the whole world.”

The appeal came as fighting continued in eastern Ukraine. On Tuesday, Ukrainian forces withdrew from a town after heavy battles with Russian troops. Russian strikes killed three civilians and left thousands without power during winter temperatures.

There was no indication of progress toward ending the war after separate meetings last weekend in Miami between the United States officials and negotiators from Russia and Ukraine. The conflict is nearing four years with no settlement in sight.

Earlier this month, Pope Leo met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. When asked whether he would accept Zelensky’s invitation to visit Ukraine, the pope said, “I hope so,” while noting that it was not possible to say when such a visit could happen.

Leo also warned that efforts to secure peace without European diplomatic involvement were “unrealistic”, expressing optimism that President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan could bring a “huge change” to the transatlantic alliance.