How easy is it to make a deepfake video? Deepfakes, which are fake videos and images created using computers and machine learning, can be maliciously used to spread disinformation. Good deepfakes can be difficult to detect, posing a risk to companies, employees and consumers alike. CNBC’s Grace Shao reports from Singapore.

U.S. stock index futures were slightly higher Friday morning as investors digest growth data out of China. ET, Dow futures rose 42 points, indicating a positive open of more than 31 points. Futures on the S&P and Nasdaq were also higher. U.S. stocks rose to fresh highs on Thursday amid stronger-than-expected results from Morgan Stanley. On Friday morning, new data out of China indicated that the economy grew at a pace of 6.1% in 2019, in line with expectations.

U.S. government debt prices were lower Friday morning, as investors await a fresh batch of economic data. ET, the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to price, was higher at around 1.8285%, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was also higher at around 2.2972%. Industrial production figures for December, capacity utilization data for December, a preliminary reading of consumer sentiment for January and job vacancies data for November will all follow slightly later in t

Countries and regions with lower per capita GDP levels are generally more exposed to climate change, according to McKinsey Global Institute’s newest climate risk report. In some regions, crop yields may increase, while in others environmental conditions could cause some crops to fail entirely, according to McKinsey. Jonathan Woetzel, director of the McKinsey Global Institute, told CNBC in an email that adaption is essential to help manage risks. According to McKinsey, since the 1880s, the averag

Several U.S. service members were treated for concussions after Iran launched ballistic missiles earlier this month in Iraq in retaliation for the U.S. killing of a top Iranian commander, the Pentagon said Thursday. “While no U.S. service members were killed in the Jan. 8 Iranian attack … several were treated for concussion symptoms from the blast and are still being assessed,” Capt. In the days after the attack, 11 service members have been transported to two hospitals, in Germany and Kuwait,

Lev Parnas, the indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani, claimed in an interview that aired Thursday that President Donald Trump fired, or believed he fired, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine several times before her recall was publicly announced in April. “He fired her probably, at least — to my knowledge — at least four, five times,” Parnas said in the second part of an interview on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show,” according to a transcript. “I don’t know how many times at that dinner, once or twice

The narrow Taiwan Strait which separates the island from China is a frequent source of tension. The U.S. Navy said the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh had completed a transit of the Taiwan Strait, without giving details. Meeting the de facto British ambassador to Taiwan later on Friday, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said that the island would ensure peace in the Taiwan Strait. “As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to dedicate itself to

The European Union will take “a different approach” than the U.S. when it comes to managing the trade relationship with China, the EU ambassador to China told CNBC on Friday. Ambassador Nicolas Chapuis emphasized, however, that the EU is “in the same boat” as the U.S. despite the divergence. Nicolas Chapuis EU ambassador to ChinaEU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said on Thursday that the EU will be closely monitoring the newly signed “phase one” trade deal between Washington and Beijing, to ensur

Still, China’s GDP growth last year was the slowest since 1990, according to Reuters records. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected China’s economy to have grown 6.1% in 2019, compared with 6.6% in 2018. China said Friday its economy grew by 6.1% in 2019, meeting expectations even amid a trade dispute with the U.S.China’s GDP grew 6.0% on-year in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Analysts polled by Reuters forecast China’s economy to have grown 6.0% in

The latest division in Hong Kong isn’t driven by posters and protests — it’s driven by consumers’ wallets as people vote with their money. The grass roots movement distinguishes businesses as yellow if they are vocal about the demonstrations, or assumed to be promoting the pro-democracy protests. Blue, on the other hand, is used for businesses perceived to be either against the protesters and/or are backing the government and police. One Instagram account, for instance, has amassed more than 190

U.S. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping during the G-20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. A unilateral world of “great power rivalries” is likely to threaten an urgent need for action on key global priorities, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). The group’s warning comes as policymakers, business leaders and investors prepare to travel to Davos, Switzerland for the forum’s annual conference. The January get-together kicks of

China will likely do its part to uphold commitments in the “phase one” trade deal with the U.S., according to a report by London-based consultancy TS Lombard. In particular, Olcott said China “is willing and able to stick to” boosting imports from the U.S. and keeping the Chinese yuan stable. She added that this will ensure the deal holds until the U.S. presidential election in November. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He signed the partial deal on Wednesday in Washingto

BERLIN, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 07: German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the course of a special faction meeting, on February 07, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. Thousands of politicians and business leaders will address this question as they attend this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. In the words of Davos attendee and the former Prime Minister of Finland, Alexander Stubb, there’s a “new world disorder” that needs to be addressed. “Right now, the U.S. has left power vacuums, on trade

The CFA franc is the most used currency in some African countries of West and Central Africa in the CFA franc zone, as here in Mali. “At best, ceteris paribus, borrowing costs for eco countries will remain unchanged. Most WAEMU countries will be able to attain these metrics or will be able to adopt the new currency progressively as and when they can fulfill them. Stocker suggested that problems may arise with financial data reporting and reserve pooling at the Central Bank of West African States

European stocks advanced on Friday after China’s GDP (gross domestic product) numbers grew in line with expectations, lifting global markets. The pan-European Stoxx 600 added 0.7% in early trade to reach a fresh record high, basic resources jumping 1.2% to lead gains as all sectors and major bourses traded in positive territory. Markets in Asia rose on Friday in response to the figures, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index adding 0.5% to lead gains. A strong handover from Wall Street, which saw the

A staggering gender pay gap at one of the U.S.’s top Wall Street banks has prompted the company to readjust the salaries of some of its female employees. Citigroup recorded a 27% shortfall in the average pay of its female employees compared to their male peers for 2019, the bank revealed Thursday. The figure, which is based on “raw” data and does not take into account seniority, title or location, marks a slight reduction on the previous year, when its gender pay gap stood at 29%. The pay gap fo

Home prices in China have been growing at a slower pace — but a portfolio manager at J.P. Morgan Asset Management said it’s time for investors to be more excited about the Chinese property sector. “I actually think that now is the time to get more excited about China property,” he told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” on Thursday. Wang’s comments came as China’s Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday that new home prices grew at their weakest pace in 17 months in December, Reuters reported. Such a slow

Markets in Asia are set to trade higher on Friday, as traders wait for the release of China’s gross domestic product (GDP) numbers. Futures pointed to a higher open for Japan’s Nikkei 225 as compared with the index’s last close. All eyes will be on the release of China’s GDP data for the fourth quarter on Friday. Data earlier this week also showed that the country’s exports rose for the first time in five months in December, and its imports beat estimates. The offshore yuan traded at 6.8765, as

If the artist has chosen to make the track available to download, you’ll normally see a ‘Free download’ link just above the comment box. Before you download music from SoundCloud, bear in mind that many artists use the platform to monetize their work, and rely on it for a portion of their income. Only download tracks from SoundCloud if the artist is happy for you to do so, and never redistribute downloaded tracks without permission. (Image credit: LemRoid Inc)Download music from SoundCloudOne of

The Mandalorian season 2 fast factsThe Mandalorian season 2 release date: Fall 2020Fall 2020 The Mandalorian season 2 cast: Pedro Pascal, Carl WeathersPedro Pascal, Carl Weathers The Mandalorian season 2 directors: Jon Favreau, Carl Weathers(Image credit: Lucasfilm)The Mandalorian season 2 release date is set for the Fall 2020 window. https://t.co/SWw6Z3RllRJanuary 6, 2020The Mandalorian season 2 photos(Image credit: Jon Favreau)Just a solitary Mandalorian season 2 photo has emerged so far. But