Author: AFP

Microsoft joins project on ethical artificial intelligence

SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft on Monday announced a $1 billion investment in an OpenAI ethical artificial intelligence project backed by Tesla’s Elon Musk and Amazon. The partnership will be devoted to developing advanced AI models on Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform while adhering to ‘shared principles on ethics and trust,’ the

ECB rate cut in Sept possible: Analysts

FRANKFURT AM MAIN: The European Central Bank is likely to point Thursday to an interest rate cut in September, analysts say, although recent hints towards bucking up sluggish growth and inflation could even mean a move this week. Rare high expectations for the summer gathering follow weeks in which the

Fitch, Moody’s cut Boeing’s debt outlook to ‘negative’

NEW YORK: Fitch Ratings and Moody’s lowered their outlooks for Boeing Co to ‘negative’ from ‘stable’ on Monday, citing delays in its 737 MAX jets’ return to service. The revision, which comes on the heels of Boeing’s nearly $5 billion charge related to the grounding, could potentially increase borrowing costs

Four Indians killed over witchcraft allegations

NEW DELHI: Four members of a family including two women were killed by fellow villagers in central India’s tribal heartland over allegations of witchcraft, authorities said yesterday. Four elders of a tribal family, all aged in their 60s according to local media reports, were attacked by around a dozen stick-wielding

US braces for second day of scorching heat

WASHINGTON: Americans braced for a second — and equally scorching — day of dangerously hot weather yesterday, with daytime temperatures forecast to approach 38 degrees Celsius across a number of major US cities. An oppressive heat wave stretching from the Midwestern plains to the Atlantic coast had nearly 150 million

SOS Mediterranee relaunches missions

PARIS: Humanitarian group SOS Mediterranee said yesterday it has relaunched rescue efforts off Libya, seven months after it abandoned operations using its ship Aquarius and despite a refusal of European ports to accept the migrants. The Norwegian-flagged Ocean Viking will “conduct search and rescue activities in the central Mediterranean” for

India rejects critical US religious freedom report

NEW DELHI: India hit out yesterday at a US report saying religious intolerance was growing under its right-wing government, setting off a new spat ahead of a visit by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. An annual report on international religious freedom released by Pompeo on Friday said Hindu-groups had used

Trump vows new Iran sanctions

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Saturday pledged to hit Iran with “major” new sanctions as Tehran warned Washington that any attack would see its interests across the Middle East go up in flames. The war of words heated up after Trump had pulled back from military action against Iran

US and Taliban to hold more negotiations on ending war

WASHINGTON: The United States and the Taliban will open fresh negotiations next week, the US negotiator said Saturday, as he voiced hope for progress in ending America’s longest war. Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special representative on Afghanistan, said the two sides would start their seventh round of talks on June

US launched cyber attacks on Iran after drone shootdown

WASHINGTON: The United States launched cyber attacks against Iranian missile control systems and a spy network this week after Tehran downed an American surveillance drone, US media reported on Saturday. US President Donald Trump ordered a retaliatory military strike against Iran after the drone shoot down but then called it