Encircled by geopolitical risks, Armenia builds a lively tech startup scene
Ex-Soviet state is betting on a growing tech eco-system to drive its economy in region rife with geopolitical tensions.
Canadian media companies sue OpenAI in case potentially worth billions
Litigants say AI company used their articles to train its popular ChatGPT software without authorization
Canada’s major news organizations have sued tech firm OpenAI for potentially billions of dollars, alleging the company is “strip-mining journalism” and unjustly enriching itself by using news articles to train its popular ChatGPT software.
The suit, filed on Friday in Ontario’s superior court of justice, calls for punitive damages, a share of profits made by OpenAI from using the news organizations’ articles, and an injunction barring the San Francisco-based company from using any of the news articles in the future.
Continue reading...Met accidentally reveals names of alleged Westminster ‘honeytrap’ victims
Police officer inadvertently disclosed identities and contact details in email update to alleged victims
The Metropolitan police revealed the names of alleged victims of the Westminster “honeytrap” scandal in an accidentally sent email, it has emerged.
A police officer emailed some alleged victims updating them on the case, which is due to be heard in court, but inadvertently revealed their names and contact details to each other.
Continue reading...Top Ukrainian MP to Merkel: Enough already – POLITICO Europe
- Top Ukrainian MP to Merkel: Enough already POLITICO Europe
- Angela Merkel recounts being the first and only in new memoir NPR
- Germany’s former chancellor sets out to restore her reputation The Economist
- Merkel, Mescal and the madness of the modern press tour Financial Times
- ‘We miss her so much’: fans welcome Angela Merkel’s return to stage The Guardian
Syrian rebels enter Aleppo for first time in eight years during shock offensive – CNN
- Syrian rebels enter Aleppo for first time in eight years during shock offensive CNN
- Russian Military Says Bombing 'Extremist' Anti-government Forces In Syria Barron's
- Rebel groups launch attacks on Syria’s Aleppo city Al Jazeera English
- Russia and Syria bomb Syrian Islamist rebels after surprise incursion Fox News
- Rebels in Syria Reach Outskirts of Aleppo, in Biggest Advance in Years, Monitor Says The New York Times
MPs back landmark bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales
Terminally ill adults with less than six months to live will be given right to die under proposed legislation
MPs have taken a historic step toward legalising assisted dying in England and Wales by backing a bill that would give some terminally ill people the right to end their own lives.
Campaigners in favour of the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill said it was a significant move towards giving people more choice over the way they die, after the Commons backed the bill by 330 votes for to 275 against.
Continue reading...British lawmakers push forward a divisive bill to legalize assisted dying – NPR
- British lawmakers push forward a divisive bill to legalize assisted dying NPR
- UK Lawmakers Vote to Legalize Assisted Dying After Emotional Debate The New York Times
- Assisted dying bill: Terminally ill people react after MPs vote BBC.com
- Good palliative care can alleviate the pain of dying – this bill means Labour must fund it The Guardian
- Tears and relief as MPs back assisted dying: 'I can die in peace now' Sky News
UAE Official Flies to Israel to Comfort Family of Rabbi Kogan – COLlive
- UAE Official Flies to Israel to Comfort Family of Rabbi Kogan COLlive
- Senior UAE official flies to Israel to attend shiva for slain Chabad Rabbi Zvi Kogan The Times of Israel
- Turkey reportedly arrested suspects in Israeli-Moldovan rabbi's killing in UAE as they left airport The Associated Press
- U.A.E. Arrests 3 Uzbeks Linked to Murder of Israeli Rabbi The New York Times
- NYT changes headline about murdered Dubai rabbi following public outcry: 'Call it for what it is' Fox News
Muslim charities face discrimination as Palestinians are desperate for aid
Muslim charities are getting kicked off payment platforms by mainstream financial firms for no discernible reason.
Band Aid 40 fails to reach UK Top 40 in opening week
All-star version of Do They Know It’s Christmas?, spliced together from previous versions, falls short of the No 1 success of those earlier hits
The 40th anniversary version of Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? has failed to enter this week’s Top 40, reaching No 45.
The new version of the song was made up of performances spliced together from three previous versions, in an arrangement by producer Trevor Horn. But despite featuring the unusual A-list juxtaposition of George Michael, Sinead O’Connor, Chris Martin, One Direction and more, the new version has not yet matched the success of its predecessors, which each went straight to No 1 in 1984, 2004 and 2014.
Continue reading...Romania: The specter of a hard-right majority looms large – DW (English)
- Romania: The specter of a hard-right majority looms large DW (English)
- Belgium’s Romanians poised to propel the far right into power POLITICO Europe
- Romania’s parliamentary vote risks being overshadowed by presidential race chaos The Associated Press
- Romania Court Orders a Recount After Surprise Election Result The New York Times
- Romanian Election Body To Recount Ballots From First Round Of Presidential Vote Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
UK ministers support bill to crack down on puppy smuggling
Bill aims to strengthen animal welfare by closing legal loopholes around imports of dogs, cats and ferrets
The government has thrown its weight behind a bill to crack down on puppy smuggling as part of a commitment to strengthening animal welfare.
Ministers announced on Friday that they were supporting a private member’s bill sponsored by Danny Chambers, a Liberal Democrat MP and veterinary surgeon, to crack down on the pet-smuggling trade.
Continue reading...Girl, two, who drowned in bin in London was failed by council, coroner finds
Social workers declined to provide short-term foster care for Mazeedat Adeoye whose mother had overstayed visa
A two-year-old girl who drowned in a bin containing 9cm of water in a back garden in east London was a victim of “gross failures” largely by social workers, a coroner has concluded at an inquest.
At the time of her death, Mazeedat Adeoye was being cared for in Dagenham by an acquaintance of her mother, Balikis Adeoye, who had to stay in hospital with Mazeedat’s baby brother when he required urgent heart surgery.
Continue reading...Israeli attack kills Kamal Adwan Hospital’s ICU director
An Israeli drone killed Dr. Ahmed Al-Kahlout, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
UK intelligence chief accuses Russia of ‘staggeringly reckless’ sabotage campaign – The Associated Press
- UK intelligence chief accuses Russia of ‘staggeringly reckless’ sabotage campaign The Associated Press
- Russia-Ukraine war: Moscow behind ‘staggeringly reckless’ sabotage in Europe, MI6 chief says – as it happened The Guardian
- UK spy chief says Russia behind 'staggeringly reckless' sabotage in Europe Reuters
- Ukraine war latest: Make unoccupied Ukraine part of NATO to stop 'hot phase' of war, Zelenskyy says Sky News
- Abandoning Ukraine means ‘infinitely higher’ long-term security costs, MI6 chief says The Guardian
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem declares victory against Israel in televised speech – The Jerusalem Post
- Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem declares victory against Israel in televised speech The Jerusalem Post
- Hezbollah chief says terror group ready to help build Lebanese Army’s capabilities The Times of Israel
- Hizbollah chief vows to implement ceasefire with Israel in group’s heartland Financial Times
- Hezbollah chief pledges to coordinate with army to implement truce Reuters
- Hezbollah Says To Help Army Build Lebanon's Defensive Capacities Barron's
Irish election exit poll predicts even split between three main parties
Sinn Féin and Fine Gael both scored 21% in the poll, slightly ahead of Fianna Fáil on 19%
An exit poll in Ireland suggests a dead heat between Sinn Féin and the taoiseach’s party Fine Gael in the general election, with Fianna Fáil only slightly behind.
The survey of first preference votes is the first real indication of how Ireland voted after three weeks of canvassing in the snap election called by Simon Harris.
Continue reading...Husband decorates entire street for wife’s Christmas joy
John Reichart transforms his street into a winter wonderland for his wife Joan, who has Alzheimer’s.
Russia Moves to Cut Off Ukraine’s Nuclear Power Plants – The New York Times
- Russia Moves to Cut Off Ukraine’s Nuclear Power Plants The New York Times
- Videos appear to show latest Russian aerial assault on Ukraine CNN
- Biden reiterates US support for Ukraine after ‘horrific’ Russian attack The Hill
- Russia rains missiles on Ukraine after Trump names new envoy to conflict The Washington Post
- In pictures: Energy workers battling to keep the lights on in Ukraine Reuters
Romanian court defers decision on annulling presidential vote
Court has ordered recount of vote won by far-right candidate and will decide whether it needs to be rerun
Romania’s constitutional court has deferred a decision on whether to annul the first-round vote in the country’s presidential election until Monday, a day after parliamentary elections in which far-right parties are forecast to post major gains.
The court, which had already ordered a recount, considered for two hours on Friday a request to annul the 24 November vote, which was won by Călin Georgescu, a far-right, Moscow-friendly independent who had previously been polling at barely 5%.
Continue reading...