EBRD Sees Challenge to Dollar from Russia’s Trade in Yuan
Russia’s rising trade in the yuan in the wake of the war in Ukraine and western sanctions may
1970-01-01 08:00
Former Kuwait hostage says she did not expect to survive captivity
A former member of BA's cabin crew tells her story of being used as a "human shield".
1970-01-01 08:00
Ukraine war: Cannabis in focus for veterans treatment
Ukraine is battling a colossal PTSD crisis and wants to try anything to help - including cannabis.
1970-01-01 08:00
Haitong Securities Considers Taking Hong Kong Unit Private, Sources Say
Haitong Securities Co. is mulling to take private its Hong Kong-listed investment banking unit, people familiar with the
1970-01-01 08:00
Rex Heuermann, accused of killing 3 of the Gilgo Four, is due in court Wednesday
Gilgo Beach killings suspect Rex Heuermann is set to appear in a New York court on Wednesday for a hearing in his case where he has pleaded not guilty to murder in the deaths of three women more than a decade ago.
1970-01-01 08:00
Iranian officials mulling over use of AI to issue fatwas
Officials in Iran are reportedly looking to use artificial intelligence to issue fatwas to speed up the process of Islamic law rulings. Clerics in the city of Qom – Iran’s main hub of Islamic learning – are mulling over the use of AI assistants to help them with religious seminaries, the Financial Times reported. “Robots can’t replace senior clerics, but they can be a trusted assistant that can help them issue a fatwa faster,” Mohammad Ghotbi, who heads a state-linked tech group in Qom, told FT. Iran is home to over 200,000 Shia clergy, of whom nearly half are based in Qom. These officials have been the country’s leading force in protecting its religious values amid growing clashes between tradition and modernity as AI use sees growing interest across the world. Iran particularly sees a growing need to modernise following last year’s nationwide uprising triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police after her arrest for allegedly violating the regime’s mandatory Islamic dress code. Violence launched by the regime against the protest movement also sparked condemnation from international rights groups, including the UN. “It pains me to see what is happening in the country – images of children killed, of women being beaten in the streets,” Volker Turk, UN high commissioner for human rights, said last year. “The old methods and the fortress mentality of those who wield power simply don’t work. In fact, they only aggravate the situation. We are now in a full-fledged human rights crisis,” Mr Turk said. Now, the regime’s clerical establishment seems to view technology – especially the use of AI – as an attempt to modernise. While still in infancy, the move to trial the use of AI to issue fatwas is underway in cities like Qom, whose first AI conference was held in 2020, according to FT. The head of the city’s seminary reportedly shared his views on how AI could advance Islamic studies of senior clergy and speed up their communication with the public. Interest shown by the clerics also appears to be in line with the views of the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said in June that he wants the country to be “at least among the top-10 countries in the world in terms of artificial intelligence”. Read More Iran will keep taking hostages – because no one is willing to stand up to them ChatGPT now has power to ‘see, hear, and speak’ Can a chatbot preach a good sermon? Hundreds attend experimental Lutheran church service to find out Spotify clarifies position on whether it will ban AI-powered music ChatGPT now has power to ‘see, hear, and speak’ ChatGPT can now generate images and create illustrated books
1970-01-01 08:00
Short Sellers Squeezed as Rakuten Bank Surges 30% This Month
Hedge funds betting against Rakuten Bank Ltd. are getting burned after Japan’s newly listed lender soared 30% this
1970-01-01 08:00
China Industrial Profits Jump Sharply as Economy Stabilizes
Chinese industrial profits rose in August for the first time in more than a year, a further sign
1970-01-01 08:00
'Truly a David and Goliath case': Six young people take 32 countries to court in unprecedented case
The European Court of Human Rights will hear an "unprecedented" lawsuit on Wednesday, brought by six young people against 32 European countries accusing them of failing to tackle the human-caused climate crisis.
1970-01-01 08:00
Food Insecurity Remains Elevated After Pandemic-Era Benefits End
High food prices continue to hit consumers and food pantries six months after an expanded government assistance program
1970-01-01 08:00
BlackRock Sees Insurers Betting on Credit, Paring Private Equity
BlackRock Inc. said insurance executives overseeing $29 trillion plan to pour more money into private debt and credit
1970-01-01 08:00
China says aim of its drills near Taiwan is to combat 'arrogance' of separatists
BEIJING (Reuters) -China's recent drills near Taiwan are aimed at combating the "arrogance" of separatist forces, the Chinese government said
1970-01-01 08:00
