Month: May 2023
China and USA AI race
Concerns about AI’s harmful impact coincide with the US’ attempts to restrict China’s access to crucial technology. For now, the US seems to be ahead in the AI race. And there is already the possibility that current restrictions on semiconductor exports to China could hamper Beijing’s technological progress. The US’ biggest advantage is Silicon Valley,
China “hacks” US Guam military post
A key US military outpost, Guam’s ports and air bases would be crucial to any Western response to a conflict in Asia. Chinese hackers used “stealthy” malware to attack critical infrastructure on American military bases in Guam, say Microsoft and Western spy agencies. Microsoft, which flagged the breach, says the malicious code was installed to
ChatGPT might exit the European Union
International cooperation is vital to regulating AI, according to EU industry chief Thierry Breton, who met with Google chief executive Sundar Pichai in Brussels. The EU’s planned legislation could be the first to specifically regulate AI. And it could require generative AI companies to reveal which copyrighted material had been used to train their systems
Russia expels Swedish diplomats
Ties with Western countries have come under unprecedented pressure after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022 and the West introduced unprecedented sanctions against Moscow. Moscow said Thursday it was expelling five Swedish diplomats and closing Russia’s general consulate in Gothenburg and Sweden’s diplomatic mission in Saint Petersburg. Is the Multipolar
Russia’s Wagner mercenary group withdrawal from Bakhmut
Russia’s Wagner mercenary group has started moving its forces out of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Thursday. Prigozhin announced the capture of Bakhmut on Saturday after the longest and bloodiest battle of the war. He said his fighters would pull out by June 1 and regular Russian troops would
Marijuana contributing to depression among youths
The global attitude towards cannabis has been changing, drifting more towards exploring its potential medicinal uses and legalizing it. Marijuana is also one of the most used substances among teenagers around the world. In the US, more 2.5 million teens casually use cannabis, Increasing evidence is linking cannabis use in teens with depression, but whether
Dangote’s new Africa’s Biggest Oil Refinery
Nigeria currently imports more than 80% of its refined petroleum products. The country is the largest importer of refined petroleum products in Africa. Nigeria’s new Dangote petroleum refinery is Africa’s biggest – it will produce 650,000 barrels a day, giving it the potential to address the country’s energy supply crisis. Owned by Nigerian industrialist and
European Union failure to agree on new military aid to Ukraine
after Tuesday’s EU defense ministers’ meeting, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the overwhelming majority of member states had backed a proposal to increase the European Peace Facility budget by 3.5 billion euros (3.77 billion U.S. dollars), although he stressed that not all of it will be used to assist Ukraine. Borrell
TikTok sues state of Montana after it bans
Montana became the first US state to block the video-sharing app, when Republican governor Greg Gianforte signed a bill into law on Wednesday. The new rule prohibits app stores from offering the video-sharing app from January 1, 2024 and prevents TikTok from operating as a business in the state.Five TikTok creators who live in the
Fighting around Bakhmut has eased
Ukraine has been fending off the full-scale Russian invasion for almost 15 months. On Saturday, Russia declared the heavily contested city of Bakhmut completely captured. The largely destroyed city in the Donetsk region had over 70,000 inhabitants before the war. Fighting in and around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has eased, according to Ukrainian