Author: News Desk

United States: Entertainment giant Walt Disney Co. recently announced the release dates for the highly anticipated film series, Avatar. The release of Avatar 3 has been delayed by a year, extending its arrival from December 2024 to December 2025. Avatar 4 is now scheduled for December 2029, while Avatar 5 is slated for its cinematic debut in December 2031. The updates in release dates have sparked curiosity and anticipation among movie enthusiasts, who eagerly await the next captivating chapters of the Avatar saga. Director James Cameron, who initiated the Avatar series in 2009, has hinted that he may not direct…

China: A new report has stated that the number of marriages in China last year dropped to 6.83 million, the lowest since records began in 1986. Data released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed the number of couples tying the knot in 2022 fell by about 800,000 compared with 2021, beating that year’s record low. China’s marriage rate has declined rapidly over the past 10 years, since peaking in 2013 when nearly 13.5 million couples wed, nearly double 2022’s count. Policymakers in China are increasingly worried about the stubborn downward trend in marriage and birth rates. In 2022, China’s…

Germany: NATO has started the largest-ever air force deployment exercise in the Western military alliance’s history, a drill being presented as a display of unity among members and partners of the bloc as tensions with Russia have escalated following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. According to the German Air Force, the “Air Defender 23” exercises, led by the German Air Force, involve approximately 250 military aircraft from 25 NATO and partner countries, including Japan and NATO applicant Sweden. Up to 10,000 service members are participating in the drills, which run until June 23 and are designed to…

United Kingdom: A new study has stated that most women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer can expect to become long-term survivors, with some having a risk of death within five years as low as 0.2 percent. The research, funded by Cancer Research UK, brings reassuring news to women battling breast cancer. Led by academics at the University of Oxford, the study tracked survival rates among half a million women diagnosed with breast cancer in England from 1993 to 2015, focusing on cases where cancer had not spread beyond the breast. The researchers assessed the risk of death five years after…

London, UK: United Nations Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres has expressed his concerns regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to propagate disinformation and hate speech. Mr. Guterres, while unveiling a new policy on disinformation, emphasized that although technological advancements have brought about positive changes, the potential risks associated with AI pose significant threats to democracy and human rights. In support of this sentiment, Mr. Guterres endorsed a proposal put forth by certain AI executives, suggesting the establishment of an international watchdog organization akin to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The rise of generative AI technology, demonstrated by the public…

United States: Regulators in the US have sought a court injunction to halt Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the publisher of popular video game franchise Call of Duty. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) expressed concerns that the deal, which would be the largest in the history of the gaming industry, could significantly reduce competition in the sector. While the European Commission approved the acquisition, the UK blocked it earlier due to competition concerns. A trial in the US is scheduled to begin in August, during which the FTC will evaluate whether the proposed acquisition violates antitrust laws.…

Thailand: Mr. Pita Limjaroenrat, Thailand’s leading prime ministerial candidate, is facing an investigation into his eligibility to run in the recent election, according to a senior official. Mr. Pita, the 42-year-old leader of the progressive Move Forward Party, surprised Thailand’s military-backed establishment with his election victory. Several complaints have been filed against him by rivals, but the election body dismissed three of them for being submitted late, while four others against the party were rejected. However, the Election Commission is now examining whether Pita was aware that he was ineligible to register as a parliamentary candidate due to his ownership…

United States: The new CEO of social media firm Twitter, Ms. Linda Yaccarino, has outlined her plans for “Twitter 2.0” after taking over from Mr. Elon Musk a week ago. The new CEO says the company is “on a mission to become the world’s most accurate real-time information source.” Since Mr. Musk bought Twitter last year, it has faced criticism over its approach to tackling disinformation. In May, the company lost its head of trust and safety and pulled out of the EU’s disinformation code. In a series of tweets that were also emailed to employees, Ms. Yaccarino echoed Mr.…

India: A cyclone named Biparjoy has intensified off India’s western coast and is expected to make landfall between Mandvi in Gujarat, India, and Karachi in Pakistan, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The cyclone has maximum sustained winds of 125-135 kmph (78-84 mph), with gusts up to 150 kmph (93 mph). The IMD has issued advisories for fishing communities to suspend operations and for the evacuation of people from coastal areas in Gujarat’s Saurashtra and Kutch regions. The potential impact of the cyclone has led to the suspension of operations at major ports like Mundra and Kandla, as well…

United Kingdom: The United Kingdom Prime Minister Mr. RishiSunak has stated that artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to provide “personalised learning” to children at school. Mr. Rishi Sunak noted that education was one of the public services he was most excited about AI’s potential to transform, adding it could “reduce teachers’ workloads” by assisting with lesson planning and marking. According to the UK, the potential for the technology to provide “personalised learning for each individual” was “so powerful”, comparing it to the impact of having a tutor. Mr. Sunak is keen to harness the potential of AI, saying it…