Author: Press Room

Washington — President Trump’s dismantling of the government-funded Voice of America will pave the way for America’s adversaries to have greater influence abroad, predicted the agency’s director Michael Abramowitz. After Mr. Trump signed an executive order that seeks to make sweeping cuts at the nation’s largest international broadcaster, about 1,300 employees, including Abramowitz, learned over the weekend they had been placed on administrative leave, and another 500 contractors were terminated. Mr. Trump accused the news agency, which began broadcasting during World War II, of spreading “radical propaganda.” In an interview with CBS News Monday, Abramowitz called VOA “an incredibly important soft power…

Penrith have been told to brace for a vengeful Melbourne side in their grand-final rematch, with Ivan Cleary claiming it’s only human for the Storm to want retribution.The Panthers will enter Thursday night’s clash at AAMI Park as rank outsiders, after being shocked by an understrength Sydney Roosters last week.But while Penrith have attempted to move on from conceding 38 points in that match, they are well aware of the challenge that awaits in a fresh Melbourne side.Panthers players have long spoken about how their 2020 grand final loss to the Storm helped shaped their dynasty, turning them into four-time…

You may have trouble catching your breath from laughing so hard during the first act of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s sophomore Broadway outing, “Purpose,” which opened Monday at the Helen Hayes Theater. Deeply imagined and grave beneath its yucks, it unspools like a brilliant sitcom.Then, also like a sitcom, it jumps the shark.Ah well, mixed emotions go with the territory. If “Purpose” is primarily a merciless dissection of hypocrisy in an important religious-political Black American family — the Jesse Jackson dynasty comes to mind — it is also a grudging love letter to them in all their God-praising, backroom-dealing, self-promotional glory. The…

Hollywood actors, directors and other creatives are pushing back on the loosening of AI regulations, with more than 420 entertainment industry insiders signing an open letter urging the government to uphold copyright laws that apply to artificial intelligence. The group, led by actress Natasha Lyonne, also includes Bette Midler, Aubrey Plaza, Ava DuVernay, Paul Simon, Mark Ruffalo and hundreds of others.The letter states that OpenAI and Google have recently recommended the government remove “all legal protections and existing guardrails surrounding copyright law protections for the training of Artificial Intelligence.” The group believes loosening copyright laws to help AI learn would come…

ZHEJIANG, CHINA – MARCH 16 2023: A view of the logo of ERNIE Bot, an AI chatbot service developed by Chinese search engine Baidu, March 16, 2023.Long Wei | Future Publishing | Getty ImagesShares of Chinese tech giant Baidu were trading up 10.7% in Asia on Tuesday, as investors appeared to react positively to the release of two new AI models over the weekend.  Baidu released two new artificial intelligence models on Sunday, including the latest version of its foundational “Ernie” model and a new reasoning model that it said rivaled DeepSeek’s R1 model. CNBC is not able to verify these claims.A…

Help may at last be on the way for the Nepali Sherpas who carry heavy loads for foreign climbers through treacherous sections of the world’s tallest peak.When the main climbing season begins next month on Mount Everest, expedition companies will test drones that can ferry loads as heavy as 35 pounds in the high altitudes, bring back ladders used to set the climbing routes, and remove waste that is typically left behind.Goods that would normally take seven hours to be transported by foot from Everest’s base camp to Camp I can be airlifted within 15 minutes. By lightening the Sherpas’…

President Trump moved on Monday to stack the boards overseeing U.S. military service academies with conservative activists and political allies, including Michael T. Flynn and Walt Nauta, who were charged in connection to earlier investigations of Mr. Trump and his presidential campaign.Mr. Nauta, a military aide working as a White House valet while Mr. Trump was president, was appointed to the board overseeing the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Mr. Nauta was charged with aiding Mr. Trump in obstructing the government’s efforts to retrieve a trove of highly sensitive documents that Mr. Trump kept after he left office —…

Crews began removing dozens of flood-damaged vehicles on Monday from a New Westminster parkade that was swamped by a major water main break more than a month ago. “My baby is getting towed out,” said Brian Schock as he said goodbye to the vintage 1970 Mercury Cougar he bought when he was just 16 years old.“I’m sure it is a write-off,” he said, estimating the car could be worth as much as $100,000. “It’s full of mud. This is a custom car… I’ve owned it for 44 years, so I’ve put in a lot of work.” 2:16 Residents share frustrations…

CHINA’S GROWING DURIAN MARKET Indonesia has set its sights on China’s massive appetite for durians, with imports of the pungent fruit valued at nearly US$7 billion last year. It believes this will pave the way for other lucrative export destinations, where more durian lovers can explore its range of variants of the fruit.  Parigi Moutong, a regency in Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province, is well-known for its Monthong durians. Monthong durians are originally from Thailand, but are now also widely cultivated in Indonesia and Vietnam. This durian variant is large, usually weighing about 3kg to 5kg. It has a creamy texture…

Two NASA astronauts are expected to soon be on their way back to Earth after spending nine months stranded in space. Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are scheduled to leave the International Space Station (ISS) early on Tuesday morning and are expected to splash down off the coast of Florida in the evening. Boeing’s Starliner, their original return spacecraft, was deemed unsafe for the journey home, forcing the astronauts to stay in space much longer than planned. Here’s all you need to know about their extended stay and long-awaited return: Who are the two astronauts who are stuck in space?…