Reports show new Indonesian industrial park on Borneo, feted as 'green,'' will be powered by coal
An industrial park being built in Indonesia on the tropical island of Borneo that has attracted billions of dollars in foreign and domestic investment is damaging the environment in an area where endangered species live and migrate
2023-09-14 13:59
Ukraine-Russia war – live: Russian ship in Black Sea ‘targeted in sea drone attack’
Ukraine has targeted a Russian navy ship in the Black Sea using a barrage of sea drones, according to Russia. Another 11 drones were shot down by Russian air defences over Crimea, Moscow said. If confirmed it would mean a second day of major operations by Ukraine against Russian military targets in occupied Crimea. Russia suspended traffic on Thursday morning on the bridge connecting the Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland, a move it has typically taken in the past due to incoming attacks by Ukraine. Yesterday Ukraine launched its largest attack on the Crimean port city of Sevastopol since the start of the war, with military sources saying British Storm Shadow cruise missiles were used. A Russian submarine and landing ship were hit in the attack, a Ukrainian spy agency official said, without comments on “the means (used) for the strike”. Read More What is a Storm Shadow cruise missile? North Korea fires two missiles into the sea as Kim Jong Un travels in Russia for meeting with Putin ‘My body was burning’: Russian journalist’s horror journey in grips of suspected poisoning Putin’s main Black Sea shipyard up in flames as Ukraine and Russia exchange air strikes
2023-09-14 13:55
Israel's finance minister now governs the West Bank. Critics see steps toward permanent control
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has quietly taken steps toward cementing Israel's control of the West Bank with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich leading the way
2023-09-14 13:16
Rogue Russian pilot tried to shoot down RAF aircraft in 2022
The pilot fired two missiles - the first missed rather than malfunctioned, as was claimed at the time.
2023-09-14 13:16
Biden impeachment saga creates a wild new political twist in an unprecedented election
By opening an impeachment investigation into President Joe Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy unleashed an unpredictable and treacherous new political force into what is already the most abnormal election of modern times.
2023-09-14 12:54
Elon Musk warns of ‘civilisational risk’ posed by AI at historic gathering of tech giant chiefs
Tesla titan and multi-billionaire Elon Musk has reportedly warned US senators at a private meeting that unregulated artificial intelligence technology poses a “civilisational risk” to society. Senate majority leader Chuch Schumer convened a meeting of the most prominent tech executives in the US to help pass a bipartisan legislation encouraging both the rapid development of AI technology and also mitigating its biggest risks. The closed-door meeting was attended by some of the tech industry’s biggest names, including Tesla and SpaceX boss Mr Musk, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, former Microsoft chief Bill Gates, Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, as well as OpenAI founder Sam Altman. As Mr Musk left the Capitol building following several hours of the meeting, he told reporters that “we have to be proactive rather than reactive” in regulating AI as its consequences of going wrong are “severe”. “The question is really one of civilizational risk. It’s not like … one group of humans versus another. It’s like, hey, this is something that’s potentially risky for all humans everywhere,” he said, according to NBC News. Mr Musk also reportedly called for a government AI agency, similar to the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Federal Aviation Administration to oversee developments in the sector and ensure safety. Leaders in the tech industry also called for a balanced approach towards regulating AI. In his prepared remarks, Mr Zuckerberg said the two defining issues for AI are “safety and access”, adding that the US Congress should “engage with AI to support innovation and safeguards”. “New technology often brings new challenges, and it’s on companies to make sure we build and deploy products responsibly,” the Meta chief said. “This is an emerging technology, there are important equities to balance here, and the government is ultimately responsible for that,” he added. The Facebook founder called for policymakers, academics, civil society and industry to work together to minimise the potential risks of AI, but also to maximise its potential benefits. Some of the measures he suggested for building safeguards into AI systems included “selecting the data to train with, extensively red-teaming internally and externally to identify and fix issues, fine-tuning the models for alignment, and partnering with safety-minded cloud providers to add additional filters to the systems we release”. As lawmakers at the US Capitol Hill interacted with tech giant chiefs about potential AI regulations, companies including Microsoft, OpenAI, Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon were also being probed on the conditions of the workers behind tools like ChatGPT, Bing, and Bard. Lawmakers are reportedly probing the working conditions of data labelers who are tasked by companies, often at outsourced firms, to label data used to train AI and for rating chatbot responses. “Despite the essential nature of this work, millions of data workers around the world perform these stressful tasks under constant surveillance, with low wages and no benefits,” lawmakers, including Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, said in a letter to tech executives. “These conditions not only harm the workers, they also risk the quality of the AI systems –potentially undermining accuracy, introducing bias, and jeopardizing data protection,” they said. Read More Elon Musk was on brink of death after catching malaria on South African safari, book claims Fatherhood, rows with Amber Heard and ‘the woke mind virus’: 6 big revelations from Elon Musk’s biography Putin praises Musk as ‘outstanding person’ days after report Tesla boss stopped Ukrainian attack Long-form video content is here to stay, says YouTube UK boss Cybertruck sparked Tesla revolt that saw secret design plan, Musk biography reveals Everything Apple killed off at iPhone 15 event
2023-09-14 12:45
North Korea Says Putin May Visit After ‘Epoch-Making’ Talks With Kim
Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted an invitation from Kim Jong Un to visit North Korea after the two
2023-09-14 12:29
Braxton Garrett works 6 strong innings as the Marlins beat the Brewers 2-0
Braxton Garrett pitched six innings of four-hit ball and the Miami Marlins beat the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers 2-0
2023-09-14 12:25
Libyan rivals 'co-ordinating over flood disaster'
More than 5,300 people died after dam bursts brought devastating floods to the eastern city of Derna.
2023-09-14 12:22
Putin and Kim meet in Russia, but what are the main takeaways?
Covering a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un might best be described as a caption contest: The two held what the Kremlin called "very substantive" discussions on Wednesday, but beyond a few photo opportunities, we still have very little idea what went on behind closed doors.
2023-09-14 12:21
Defense set to begin in impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
Lawyers for impeached Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton are set to start their defense Thursday in the trial to determine whether the Republican should be removed from office
2023-09-14 12:20
Biden rules on clean cars face crucial test as Republican-led challenges go to appeals court
Efforts by the Biden administration to limit tailpipe pollution from automobiles — a major source of planet-warming emissions — face a crucial test as legal challenges brought by Republican-led states head to a federal appeals court
2023-09-14 12:20