Meta announces new AI model that can generate video with sound
Facebook owner claims Movie Gen can create realistic-seeming video and audio clips that rival competitors’
Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, announced on Friday it had built a new artificial intelligence model called Movie Gen that can create realistic-seeming video and audio clips in response to user prompts, claiming it can rival tools from leading media generation startups like OpenAI and ElevenLabs.
Samples of Movie Gen’s creations provided by Meta showed videos of animals swimming and surfing, as well as clips using people’s real photos to depict them performing actions like painting on a canvas.
Continue reading...Antarctica is ‘greening’ at dramatic rate as climate heats – The Guardian
- Antarctica is ‘greening’ at dramatic rate as climate heats The Guardian
- Sustained greening of the Antarctic Peninsula observed from satellites Nature.com
- Scientists looked at images from space to see how fast Antarctica is turning green. Here’s what they found Yahoo! Voices
- Parts of Antarctica are turning green at an 'astounding' rate New Scientist
- Greening of Antarctica Is Another Sign of Significant Climate Shift on the Frozen Continent InsideClimate News
Royal Navy chief apologises for ‘intolerable’ misogyny in Submarine Service
Ben Key confirms several personnel have been sacked, demoted or disciplined as a result of investigations
The head of the Royal Navy has issued an unreserved apology for “intolerable” misogyny in the Submarine Service, after a series of investigations across the navy exposed sexual harassment, bullying and assault of women within its ranks.
First Sea Lord Adm Sir Ben Key said he was “truly sorry” to the women who had suffered “misogyny, bullying and other unacceptable behaviours” while serving their country. “We must be better than this and do better than we have,” he said.
Senior figures forced juniors to tell them ‘shagging dits’, or personal sexual stories.
“Sniffing”, the practice of following the few women around, was “rife”, with women seen as “legitimate targets”.
“At least” one report of rape.
Those in command forced juniors to show them “sports photos”, compromising pictures of their partners, before allowing them to leave the room.
Women’s underwear going missing.
Continue reading...Elon Musk says he will attend Trump rally at Pennsylvania shooting site
Republican presidential nominee returns to scene of first assassination attempt in July as tech CEO reiterates support
Elon Musk plans to attend Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday at the site in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the former president narrowly avoided assassination in July.
“I will be there to support!” the tech billionaire replied to a post by Trump on Musk’s social media platform, X, saying he was returning to the Butler Farm show grounds.
Continue reading...Iran’s Ali Khamenei vows Hezbollah and Hamas will not back down
In rare public address, supreme leader defends missile attack on Israel and makes appeal for Muslim unity
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has vowed that Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza will re-emerge strongly with new leaders, as an Israeli airstrike cut Lebanon’s main route to Syria.
In a rare public sermon in front of tens of thousands in Tehran on Friday, Khamenei defended the “legal and legitimate” ballistic missile attack on Israel this week that Iran has said was in retaliation for the deaths of the Hezbollah secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, and the Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh.
Continue reading...Retired Bracknell GP found guilty of indecently assaulting female patients
Stephen Cox, 65, to be sentenced on Monday for 12 offences between 1988 and 1997
A retired GP has been found guilty of indecently assaulting female patients on the pretext of carrying out routine procedures.
Stephen Cox, 65, denied 16 charges of indecent assault against seven women while practising in Bracknell, Berkshire, between 1988 and 1997. He was found guilty of 12 of those counts on Friday at Reading crown court after a four-week trial, Thames Valley police said. He will be sentenced on Monday.
Continue reading...WHO approves first mpox test for faster diagnoses
Cabinet set for split over support for England and Wales assisted dying bill
Some senior ministers expected to vote against measure in free vote, while others are still undecided
MPs backing a new bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales hope to secure a Commons vote by Christmas, but cabinet ministers are set for a big split over support for the legislation.
The bill, due to be brought forward by the Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater this month, is to be a free vote but some senior cabinet ministers are expected to vote against – and several, including the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, and the health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting – remain undecided.
Continue reading...Satellite images show dozens of Iranian missiles struck near Israeli air base – NPR
- Satellite images show dozens of Iranian missiles struck near Israeli air base NPR
- How 2 Offhand Remarks by Biden Caused Waves in the Markets and the Middle East The New York Times
- After nixing nuclear sites, Biden recommends Israel consider alternatives to targeting Iranian oil fields The Times of Israel
- Iranian missiles hit Israeli military sites, visuals show The Washington Post
- Video: Map shows possible Israeli targets in Iran CNN
Gender, nationality ‘sufficient’ to grant Afghan women asylum: Top EU court
Widening Mideast Conflict Exposes Limits of US Leverage With Israel – Bloomberg
- Widening Mideast Conflict Exposes Limits of US Leverage With Israel Bloomberg
- Opinion | Biden Sought Peace but Facilitated War The New York Times
- How American diplomacy can stabilize Lebanon—and the Middle East Atlantic Council
- How Joe Biden lost his grip on Israel’s war for ‘total victory’ in Gaza The Washington Post
- Biden Sidelined as Israel Reshapes Middle East The Wall Street Journal
Hezbollah launches 100 rockets into Israel, IDF soldiers killed in drone attack – The Jerusalem Post
- Hezbollah launches 100 rockets into Israel, IDF soldiers killed in drone attack The Jerusalem Post
- Updates: New strikes on Beirut, Hezbollah says Israeli troops killed Al Jazeera English
- Firefighters working to put out blazes in north caused by Lebanon rockets The Times of Israel
- Netanyahu rushed to shelter after missiles reach Keisarya residence Al Mayadeen English
- Hezbollah says targeted Israeli troops with explosives Al Arabiya English
Iran Refuses To Back Down As Its Proxies Endure Unprecedented Attacks – Forbes
- Iran Refuses To Back Down As Its Proxies Endure Unprecedented Attacks Forbes
- Khamenei says Iran ‘won’t back down, Israel won’t last long’; hails Hamas Oct. 7 massacre The Times of Israel
- Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei defends strikes on Israel in Tehran speech BBC.com
- Iranian supreme leader praises missile attack on Israel, saying Iran will do it again if necessary The Associated Press
- Iran's supreme leader makes new threats against Israel NBC News
Iranian FM pledges ‘stronger’ retaliation if Israel strikes Iran – Al Jazeera English
- Iranian FM pledges ‘stronger’ retaliation if Israel strikes Iran Al Jazeera English
- Iranian FM Abbas Araqchi announces support for a ceasefire in Lebanon amid Beirut visit The Jerusalem Post
- Iranian foreign minister visits Beirut as Gulf states declare neutrality Middle East Eye
- Iran FM says backs efforts for simultaneous Gaza-Lebanon ceasefire The Times of Israel
- Live Updates: Iran’s FM in Lebanon as Israel deepens its assault on Beirut's southern suburbs Al-Monitor
Iranian FM pledges ‘stronger’ retaliation if Israel strikes Iran
More than 100 people missing after being forced off boats in Djibouti
Nearly 50 people dead and 108 unaccounted for after smugglers apparently force passengers into the water
More than 100 people are still missing after smugglers apparently forced migrants to leave their boats and swim in the Red Sea off the coast of Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration has said.
Forty-eight people have so far been confirmed dead after the incident on Monday, which involved two boats that had left Yemen for Djibouti with a total of 310 people onboard, said Frantz Celestin, a regional director at the UN agency. “Unfortunately, we have yet to account for about 108 of the migrants,” he said.
Continue reading...Israel cuts off main Lebanon-Syria road
Dutch feminists campaign for national monument to ‘witches’
Thousands have been raised for site to commemorate victims of Satanic panic in 15th to 17th centuries
Three feminist campaigners in the Netherlands want to reclaim the insult “witch” and recognise the innocent victims of Dutch witch-hunts from the 15th to the 17th centuries with a national monument.
Susan Smit, Bregje Hofstede and Manja Bedner, the chair and board members of the National Witches Monument foundation, have raised €35,000 (£29,000) for an official site of memory for about 70,000 people who died during a Satanic panic that swept Europe and the Americas.
Continue reading...Gisèle Pelicot: Judge rules public can view French mass rape trial video evidence – BBC.com
- Gisèle Pelicot: Judge rules public can view French mass rape trial video evidence BBC.com
- Not All Men, but Any Man The Atlantic
- A harrowing rape trial in France has revived debate about consent The Economist
- 'Monster of Avignon' Rape Scandal: Is It France's #MeToo Moment? Newsweek
- French mass rape trial: Public and press allowed to see video evidence Le Monde