Author: News Desk

United States: US artificial intelligence leaders, including OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and Anthropic, are launching a Forum. It aims to focus on “frontier AI models” that exceed the capabilities present in the most advanced existing models, minimise AI risks, and support industry standards. The models are highly capable of taking AI to the next level and could have dangerous capabilities that pose severe risks to public safety. The companies are committed to exchanging best practices among themselves, lawmakers, and researchers. Generative AI models, like ChatGPT, project large amounts of data at high speed to share responses in the form of texts,…

Cambodia: Mr. Hun Sen, a Cambodian politician and former military commander who has been the prime minister of the country for 38 years, has said he will resign and hand over the power to his son next month. This announcement came after Mr. Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party again won all seats in a recent election. Mr. Hun Manet, the eldest son of Mr. Sen, will reportedly be the next Cambodian Prime Minister. Mr. Manet was the commander of the Royal Cambodian Army. The commander also won a seat representing the capital, Phnom Penh, in the election. The Cambodian politician stated…

United States: A new study has stated that children with allergic conditions, such as eczema and hay fever, may be prone to developing other allergic conditions in the future. The study, published in the journal Paediatrics, analysed the electronic medical records of nearly 220,000 children in the US who were screened between 1999 and 2020. The results provide evidence for a recognised trend called the allergic march, a natural progression of allergy-related diseases from infancy through childhood, at the largest scale yet. “If a child is diagnosed with one form of allergy, their likelihood of developing a second form is…

London, UK: A new study suggests that doing planks and wall squats is the best way to reduce blood pressure. The study was conducted by researchers from Canterbury Christ Church and Leicester universities. The researchers have compared the efficacy of different forms of exercise in reducing blood pressure. The study involved 16,000 people, and they found that all exercises, including those involving muscle engagement without significant movement, such as wall sits and planks, lowered high blood pressure. Wall squats and planking resulted in greater reductions in blood pressure compared to aerobic exercises. These isometric exercises are specifically designed to enhance…

Tonga: Mr. Antony Blinken, the United States secretary of state, has promised to support Pacific nations and reiterated a warning regarding the risks posed by “predatory” Chinese investments as he dedicated a new embassy in the island nation of Tonga. Mr. Blinken’s visit to Nuku’alofa makes him the first US Secretary of State to pay an official visit to Tonga and comes as part of US efforts to counter China’s growing influence in the region. “We are a Pacific nation. We very much see the future in the Indo-Pacific region,” Mr. Blinken commented while pledging support for projects important to…

Taiwan: Taiwan has cancelled Han Kuang military drills due to the imminent threat of the most powerful typhoon in nearly four years. Typhoon Doksuri, barreling across the Pacific Ocean and heading towards the region between Taiwan and the Philippines, has turned into a super typhoon with powerful winds of 240 kilometers per hour. The Han Kuang exercises, the largest annual exercises in Taiwan that are meant as a display of its military strength against China, were disrupted shortly after their commencement. The Ministry of National Defence (MND) noted that the drills at the civilian Taitung Fengnian Airport were cancelled because…

London, UK: Digital music service Spotify has raised prices for its 200 million ad-free subscribers across countries, including the US, UK, and Australia. Prices will rise in the UK by $1.28 (£1) a month, to $14.11 (£10.99) for an individual plan, $19.24 (£14.99) for a premium duo plan, and $23.09 (£17.99) for a family plan. The price of the student plan stays the same at $7.69 (£5.99). In a US plan, the price will rise by $1 a month, with the premium single now starting at $10.99, the duo at $14.99, the family at $16.99, and the student plan at…

China: TikTok, a Chinese-owned video streaming app, has announced that it will offer text-only posts as competition between social media giants escalates. The social media platform noted that the new feature will give users “another way to express themselves.” TikTok users will now be offered three options on the app, including whether to post photos, videos, or text. In addition, the users will be able to customise posts by adding sound, location, or Duets, which are video reactions to posts by other TikTok users. “These features make it so your text posts are just as dynamic and interactive as any…

United States: A new scientific study has reported that the heatwaves in Europe and the US in July 2023 are likely to have been caused by human-created climate change. According to a rapid attribution analysis from the World Weather Attribution initiative, the “heat hell” searing parts of the United States and southern Europe would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change. Global warming resulting from the burning of fossil fuels has been identified as a significant factor that has increased the possibility of the heatwave affecting parts of China. The WWA, a group of international scientists who assess the role…

Pakistan: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the former Prime Minister Mr. Imran Khan. The politician has been facing more than 150 cases, including terrorism, since he was removed as Prime Minister in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022. The warrant said Mr. Khan was in contempt of the Election Commission’s proceedings and had failed to appear before the commission despite earlier notices and bailable warrants. “The Election Commission of Pakistan’s notice was received at the residence of Chairman Tehreek-e-Insaaf. The notice was received by Rai Muhammad Ali Advocate, a member…