Month: March 2023
The implementation of zero tariffs on coal imports in China
China will extend some preferential tax policies and continue to implement zero tariffs on coal imports until the end of this year. The country’s coal imports in the first two months of this year surged 71% from the same period last year, as utilities stepped up purchases of cheap thermal coal from Indonesia while arrivals
Iranian, Russian universities ties
Iran is among the 15 successful countries in attracting international students and Russia is one of the prioritized countries for scientific and technological relations with Iran. Since 2016, various specialized working groups formed by the two countries in the fields of space, aerospace, cognitive sciences, biotechnology, nanotechnology, university cooperation, mega-science, information technology, energy, and regional
A US firm under investigation in China
Tensions flared in February after the United States shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon, which Beijing insisted was a weather monitoring device. China is investigating a US due diligence firm for “illegal” activities, after the company accused authorities of detaining five local employees and shutting down its Beijing office. The New York-based Mintz Group
BRICS nations to create a multipolar world
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are trying to position themselves as representatives of the Global South, providing “an alternative model to the G7.” The G7 is an “informal forum” of heads of state of the world’s most advanced economies, founded in 1975. Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Canada and the US
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (C) attends the ceremony of the Remembrance Day for the Victims of the NATO Aggression, in Kraljevo, Serbia, March 24, 2022. Bombings of Yugoslavia started on March 24, 1999, without the previous authorization of the United Nations (UN) Security Council. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)’s aggression against Yugoslavia 24 years
Chinese Chip tycoon Zhao Weiguo of corruption
Over the last decade, the state-backed company made a series of acquisitions and emerged as one of China’s leading chipmakers. China’s anti-fraud watchdog has accused chip tycoon Zhao Weiguo of corruption, in the latest sign of trouble faced by the country’s semiconductor industry. Semiconductors, which power everything from mobile phones to military hardware, are at
Google rolling out its AI chatbot Bard
AI chatbots are programmed to answer questions online using natural, human-like language. They can write anything from speeches and marketing copy to computer code and student essays. Google has started rolling out its AI chatbot Bard, but it is only available to certain users and they have to be over the age of 18 but
Bill Gates: Artificial intelligence advancing technology
Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT is an AI chatbot which is programmed to answer questions online using natural, human-like language. The team behind it in January 2023 received a multibillion dollar investment from Microsoft – where Mr Gates still serves as an advisor. But it is not the only AI-powered chatbot available, with Google recently introducing
ChatGPT bug
A ChatGPT glitch allowed some users to see the titles of other users’ conversations, the artificial intelligence chatbot’s boss has said. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company feels “awful”, but the “significant” error had now been fixed. OpenAI’s chief executive tweeted that there would be a “technical postmortem” soon. But the error has drawn
Europe position on space race
Traditionally, the continent has been focussed largely on doing space science such as telescopes, and civil applications like satellite navigation and Earth observation. Its products in these areas are unquestionably world-leading. But to get its astronauts into space, Europe has had to rely either on American or Russian rocket systems. Europe must develop its own