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X Offices Raided in France Amidst Global Scrutiny
The French offices of Elon Musk's social media company, X, were raided by the Paris prosecutor's cyber-crime unit as part of an investigation into suspected offenses, including unlawful data extraction and complicity in the possession of child pornography, according to BBC Technology. The prosecutor's office stated that both Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino had been summoned to appear at hearings in April.
The raid occurred as X faces increasing scrutiny on multiple fronts. In the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) announced a probe into Musk's AI tool, Grok, over its "potential to produce harmful sexualised image and video content," BBC Technology reported. Musk responded to the raid on X, calling it a "political attack." The company issued a statement, the details of which were not provided.
Separately, China has banned hidden door handles on electric vehicles (EVs), a design popularized by Tesla, another of Musk's companies, BBC Technology reported. The ban comes amid growing safety concerns surrounding EVs, particularly after deadly incidents involving Xiaomi EVs in China where power failures were suspected of preventing doors from opening. Under the new regulations, cars must have a mechanical release both inside and outside the doors to be sold, according to state media. These rules are set to take effect on January 1, 2027.
These events unfold against a backdrop of broader global concerns highlighted in a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The Guardian reported that the world is experiencing a "democratic recession," with nearly three-quarters of the global population living under autocratic rulers, levels not seen since the 1980s. The report cites abuses led by figures like former U.S. President Donald Trump, along with growing authoritarianism in countries like Russia and China, as threats to the global rules-based order.
In related international news, a small number of sick and wounded Palestinians were allowed to cross into Egypt through the Rafah border crossing to seek medical treatment, The Guardian reported. This limited reopening, after more than 20 months of closure by Israeli forces, saw only 12 Palestinians re-enter, far fewer than the 150 expected to leave and 50 to enter, according to Egyptian officials. The reopening occurred amidst fragile diplomatic efforts to stabilize the ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, in the UK, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reported that an estimated one million people missed the deadline to file their tax returns, potentially facing penalties, according to BBC Business. Despite extended helplines and webchat services, 27,456 people filed in the final hour before the midnight cut-off for 2024-25 returns. HMRC noted that 475,722 people filed on the final day, out of approximately 11.5 million submissions.
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