Author: News Desk

Italy: OpenAI has successfully resolved issues raised by Italy’s data protection authority, resulting in the restoration of access to the ChatGPT chatbot in Italy. Italian officials and OpenAI have confirmed that the concerns have been addressed or clarified, allowing users to once again utilize the popular language model. Last month, OpenAI, which is supported by Microsoft Corp, took down the ChatGPT chatbot in Italy following a temporary ban by the country’s Data Protection Authority, also known as Garante. The chatbot was being investigated for a suspected violation of privacy regulations, prompting OpenAI to take swift action. The Italian Data Protection…

United Kingdom: A recent analysis by the World Wide Fund (WWF) has stated that the UK government is not meeting its targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farming and land use, which fall short of promises made in its net zero strategy. WWF used data from the government’s carbon budget delivery plan to show that projected emissions reductions for agriculture and land use until 2037 were 58 percent less than the figures underpinning the original net zero strategy. This equates to the entire UK building sector’s emissions. The UK government replaced the EU’s common agricultural policy, which paid land…

Argentina: Argentina’s Vice President, Ms. Cristina Kirchner, has announced that she will not be running for the presidency in the upcoming October election. Ms. Kirchner, who previously served as the country’s leader, has stated that she will not be seeking a return to the highest office. The announcement comes as Argentina prepares for a closely watched election that will determine the future direction of the country. Despite being convicted of overseeing fraudulent public works contracts during her presidency, centre-left politician who led Argentina from 2007-15, was able to avoid imprisonment due to parliamentary immunity. The 70-year-old former leader has been…

Egypt: Amidst ongoing controversy over a Netflix drama-documentary, Egypt’s antiquities ministry has reiterated its stance that Cleopatra had “white skin and Hellenistic characteristics.” This statement affirms the ministry’s position on the depiction of the legendary beauty of antiquity as black in the said show. The release of “Queen Cleopatra”, a Netflix production produced by Jada Pinkett Smith and starring Adele James, is scheduled for 10th May 2023 on the streaming platform. According to promotional material on the Netflix website, “Queen Cleopatra” is a docudrama that depicts the last pharaoh of Egypt’s struggles to safeguard her legacy, family, and throne. The…

Japan: Japan’s prime minister Mr. Fumio Kishida has announced a goal of having nearly one-third of executive positions at top Japanese companies held by women by the end of the decade. The objective appears to be an effort to address the country’s poor track record on gender equality before the G7 leaders’ summit in Hiroshima in May 2023. According to Mr. Kishida, promoting greater boardroom diversity will strengthen Japan’s position as the world’s third-largest economy. “We seek to have the ratio of women among executives at 30 percent or more by 2030 in companies that are listed on the Tokyo…

United States: Amazon has reported impressive financial results for the first quarter, with a profit of $3.2 billion. This marks a significant improvement from the same quarter last year, which saw a loss of $3.8 billion. The e-commerce giant’s earnings have surpassed analysts’ expectations, highlighting the company’s continued success and growth in the market. Amazon’s shift to profitability can be attributed to the implementation of stringent cost-cutting measures in recent times. The e-commerce giant has taken several steps in this direction, including two rounds of layoffs, cancelling certain products, and putting a stop to physical store expansions. These measures have…

Ukraine: NATO’s Secretary General Mr. Jens Stoltenberg has announced that Ukraine has been provided with 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tanks by NATO allies and partner countries, which constitutes over 98 percent of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine during Russia’s invasion and war. The deliveries were made to form units and help Ukraine regain territory from Russian forces. “In total, we have trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian armoured brigades. This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory,” Stoltenberg told a news conference. More than 30,000 troops are estimated to make…

Brazil: The late football legend, Mr. Pelé, has become officially associated with the words “exceptional, incomparable, unique,” due to his legacy and impact on the sport. In its online edition, the Michaelis dictionary, widely used in Brazil, has included “pelé” as a new adjective in Portuguese. The Pelé Foundation launched a campaign to honour the football star, which garnered over 125,000 signatures and included “pelé” as a new adjective in the Portuguese language version of the popular Michaelis dictionary. At the age of 82, Mr. Pelé passed away in December 2022. Having won the World Cup three times, Mr. Pelé…

Uganda: Uganda’s President Mr. Yoweri Museveni, has asked lawmakers to clarify that merely identifying as gay is not a criminal offence under a proposed anti-homosexuality law. This move comes in response to international condemnation of the proposed legislation, which is one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ laws. The bill criminalises a broad range of homosexual activities and carries stiff penalties, including death for aggravated homosexuality. In March 2022, legislators in Uganda overwhelmingly passed the bill, which has been widely criticized by human rights defenders, Western governments, and corporations. In a letter to the parliament’s speaker, Mr. Museveni outlined his reasons…

United States: A Sri Lankan provincial governor who has been accused of involvement in killings during the country’s civil war has been denied a visa by the United States on human rights grounds. The decision signals the US government’s commitment to holding individuals accountable for alleged human rights violations and underscores the importance of upholding international human rights standards. The move comes amid ongoing efforts to promote justice and reconciliation in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the long and bloody conflict. According to a recent investigation in Sri Lanka, former navy chief Mr. Wasantha Karannagoda and others are alleged…