Author: HeraldStar

Global stock markets and commodity prices surged on Tuesday following the announcement of significant stimulus measures by China to support its economy. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) Governor, Pan Gongsheng, outlined plans to lower borrowing costs, inject liquidity, and ease household mortgage repayments, boosting investor confidence. As a result, the yuan hit a 16-month high against the U.S. dollar, and copper prices reached their strongest level in over 10 weeks. Pan Gongsheng also revealed that China would introduce structural monetary policy tools aimed at stabilizing capital markets. The news propelled gains in global stock indices, with MSCI’s gauge of…

Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, is set to announce partnerships with well-known actors, including Judi Dench, Kristen Bell, John Cena, Awkwafina, and Keegan-Michael Key, to voice its Meta AI chatbot, according to a source familiar with the matter. The new voice feature, which will offer users the option to choose from a selection of celebrity voices, will be revealed during Meta’s annual Connect conference starting this Wednesday. The chatbot will be accessible across Meta’s apps, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Meta’s move comes as the company races to dominate the generative AI space, competing with the likes of OpenAI…

Stability AI, an artificial intelligence startup, announced on Tuesday that renowned filmmaker James Cameron, director of blockbuster hits such as Titanic and The Terminator, has joined the company’s board. Cameron’s appointment signals a deeper interest in the potential of AI-driven tools in the film industry, especially as Hollywood grapples with soaring production costs and the rapid rise of generative AI. The partnership comes at a time when generative AI technologies are gaining significant traction in the entertainment sector. Earlier this year, OpenAI’s text-to-video tool, Sora, made headlines with its ability to create high-quality videos, prompting interest from Hollywood executives. Industry…

The European Union, alongside 12 partner countries, convened in Brussels on Tuesday to assess the impact of Western sanctions on Russia and explore ways to bolster the G7’s price cap on Russian oil. The meeting, led by EU sanctions envoy David O’Sullivan, focused on reinforcing the economic measures imposed to limit Moscow’s ability to finance its ongoing war in Ukraine. In late 2022, the Group of Seven (G7) nations, in collaboration with the EU, introduced a price cap on Russian oil. This cap restricts access to Western shipping services and insurance for oil purchased above $60 per barrel. The goal…

India has confirmed its first case of a new strain of mpox, known as clade 1b, which has prompted a public health emergency alert from the World Health Organization (WHO). The highly transmissible variant has been linked to recent outbreaks in Africa and is raising concerns among health officials both domestically and globally. The case involves a 38-year-old man from the southern state of Kerala who recently returned from Dubai. According to reports, the patient has been hospitalized and is currently receiving treatment, while health authorities work to trace and monitor those who may have come into contact with him.…

A massive ice sheet in Antarctica, roughly the size of Great Britain, could be largely lost by the 23rd century due to rising global temperatures, scientists warn. The Thwaites Glacier, one of the world’s largest and fastest-moving glaciers, is undergoing rapid deterioration, sparking serious concerns about its potential impact on global sea levels. Located in the Amundsen Sea Embayment in West Antarctica, the Thwaites Glacier has earned the nickname “Doomsday Glacier” due to its significant contribution to global sea level rise. Along with the surrounding area, this glacier currently accounts for 8% of the annual increase in sea levels, contributing…

U.S. President Joe Biden is set to announce the donation of 1 million mpox vaccine doses and at least $500 million to support African countries in combating the ongoing mpox outbreak. The announcement, scheduled for Tuesday during Biden’s participation in the United Nations General Assembly in New York, will include a call for other nations to join in the global response, according to a senior U.S. administration official. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency in August, following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has since spread to neighboring countries and as…

The City of Liverpool in northwest England has become the world’s first ‘Accelerator City’ for climate action, under UN Climate Change’s Entertainment and Culture for Climate Action (ECCA) programme.The title comes in recognition of Liverpool’s impressive commitment to innovation and smart regulation to rapidly decarbonise the live music and TV/Film production sectors – both vital parts of the city’s economy – following several years of developmental work by ACT 1.5, an artist-led research and action effort, and climate scientists from the  Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. To mark the launch of this initiative, the following key events and plans were also announced…

Israeli military airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday claimed the lives of at least 22 Palestinians, according to local medical sources, as Israeli forces engaged in fierce battles with Hamas-led fighters near the city of Rafah, close to the border with Egypt. The escalation in Gaza occurred alongside increasing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, across Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, heightening fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East. Israeli tanks reportedly advanced into northern and western areas of Rafah, facing resistance from fighters belonging to both Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Palestinian militant groups…

In a landmark decision, world leaders on Sunday adopted the Pact for the Future, a comprehensive declaration that pledges concrete actions aimed at building a safer, more peaceful, sustainable, and inclusive world for future generations. The Pact, along with two key annexes—the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations—was adopted by consensus during a United Nations (UN) General Assembly session. Despite a last-minute amendment proposed by Russia, Iran, North Korea (DPRK), and Syria, which called for the primacy of national sovereignty and reduced the role of civil society and private sector interests, the 193-member Assembly rejected the proposal…