Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman said that the Baishakh celebration is an expression of the non-communal spirit of Bengali ethnicity. That's why the celebration faced various setbacks, violence, and militant attacks repeatedly. However, this time there is no fear of militant attack on the occasion of Pahela Baishakh. Keeping all the issues in mind, security measures have been taken by the DMP. He said these to reporters after visiting the venue of Pahela Baishakh at Ramna Park on Saturday (April 13). The DMP commissioner said a plan has been taken to provide extensive security centering the Baishakh, every program in Dhaka will be monitored through CC camera. Watch towers have also been built outside. There will be drones at the venue. Video cameras will be everywhere. He said there will be various programmes at Suhrawardy Udyan, Dhaka University, Ramna Botomul, Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament), Hatirjheel, and Rabindra Sarobar in the capital. The DMP has undertaken extensive security measures regarding the programmes. The Bomb Disposal Unit will conduct their regular rehearsals. For the same reason, traffic will be controlled in Dhaka University and Ramna areas. The DMP commissioner said that all programmes should end by the evening.    all programmes should end by the evening.  

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong issued a stark warning to Southeast Asian leaders this week: the region could face a "devastating" conflict over the South China Sea unless it strengthens its diplomatic and legal safeguards. Wong said the region was already experiencing "destabilising, provocative and coercive actions", in addition to "unsafe conduct" in the air and sea. These were not-quite-so-veiled references to China's recent actions in the South China Sea. Other countries in the region - especially Vietnam and the Philippines - share similar concerns about China's maritime assertions. They question, for instance, what Beijing's rejection of the 2016 South China Sea tribunal ruling might mean for upholding international maritime laws and keeping crucial sea trade routes open. This week, Manila again called out China's "dangerous manoeuvres" in the South China Sea. President Ferdinand Marcos junior vowed not to yield an "inch" to China in the contested waters. Australia and the Philippines recently signed an agreement to deepen maritime co-operation. This may lead to more joint defence exercises and patrols in the South China Sea. But not all regional leaders agree about the potential threat. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim issued a warning of his own at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit this week over the West's "China phobia". If the US and Australia have problems with China, he said, "they should not impose it" on Southeast Asia. There is no doubt the great power competition between the US and China sets the strategic backdrop for Australia's engagement with Southeast Asia. But while maritime co-operation is increasing among regional states, this doesn't mean they all agree on the central issues that affect the stability, safety and security of the region's waters, specifically the South China Sea. Southeast Asian countries have diverse interests, political systems and strategic priorities. And leaders in the region - like those of many other smaller and middle powers around the world - regularly say they do not want to have choose between the US and China. Not all countries are "hedging" to the same degree, but Australia should nevertheless focus its engagement on building genuine partnerships with Southeast Asian countries in their own right - not merely based on perceived external threats - and identifying and addressing shared issues of concern. At this week's ASEAN-Australia summit, for instance, Southeast Asian nations drove the idea of a dedicated maritime forum. While the forum did address security challenges such as "grey zone" activities, plenty of other challenges and opportunities were discussed. These included: the importance of the "blue economy" concept, focused on the sustainable use of maritime resources for development and prosperity improving maritime connectivity by ensuring free and open sea lanes of communication bolstering law enforcement and governance to ensure maritime order across the region better addressing environmental and climate change issues. There was also a strong focus on understanding the local issues facing coastal and Indigenous communities in the region. An estimated 70% of Southeast Asia's population lives by the coast, where they face increasing livability challenges due to climate change, economic uncertainty and the degradation of fishing stocks and natural resources. This is not entirely new: ASEAN countries and Australia have been paying closer attention to shared maritime challenges beyond the sovereignty and maritime disputes in the South China Sea. For example, ASEAN recently released its maritime outlook. In particular, it noted the importance of the region for "global trade, food and energy security and marine biodiversity". It is no surprise maritime security has reached this level of importance on a shared diplomatic agenda. While the concerns over China's activities are real, it's important Australia and its neighbours to the north focus more attention on the vast range of other ocean-based issues that don't get as much attention. These priorities include: protecting open ocean supply chains reducing pollution, in particular plastics, and preventing coral bleaching supporting sustainable, legal and regulated fishing mitigating human, arms and drug trafficking addressing the very real challenges that climate change and rising sea levels present to maritime Asia. These challenges are often less politically sensitive than strategic concerns, which enhances the prospects of co-operation. This is where science, research and development, knowledge sharing and expert networks can contribute to solving knotty problems. And many of these challenges are transnational, meaning they do not affect one state unilaterally, but often require collective responses. The challenges are significant. So, too, are the opportunities for collaboration. Getting maritime co-operation right can support the human rights and livelihoods of millions of people across the region.

The Pantex Plant reopened after being shut down for a day given the threat of fires sweeping the northern Texas region. The fires prompted the Texas governor to issue a disaster declaration in the area. A nuclear weapons facility in the Texas Panhandle said it has reopened for operations on Wednesday, after it shut down for a day as a series of blazes burned in the region. The Texas Panhandle is a region of the US state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. Texas has a total of 254 counties, more than any other US state. Pantex reopens for 'normal' operations The Pantex Plant said the plant “is open for normal day shift operations” and that all personnel were to report for duty according to their assigned schedule. The plant earlier said Tuesday it was monitoring the threat and that there was no fire at the site. "Since 1975, Pantex has been the nation’s primary assembly, disassembly, retrofit, and life-extension center for nuclear weapons," the websitefor the plant says. It assembled the last new atomic bomb in 1991 and has also disassembled thousands. Pantex is about 17 miles (27.36 kilometers) northeast of the northern Texas city of Amarillo and some 320 miles (515 kilometers) northwest of Dallas.  What do we know about the fires? At least five fires were burning in the Texas Panhandle region as of early Wednesday, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. So far, more than 381,000 acres have been burned by the fires, according to the forest service. But 25 out of 31 fires in the state had been brought under control. On Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties as the largest blaze, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, burned nearly 400 square miles (1,040 square kilometers), according to the forest service. That is more than twice its size since the fire sparked Monday. As of Wednesday, the Smokehouse Creek Fire was burning in the Hutchinson County, which includes the city of Canadian, a city about 100 miles northeast of Amarillo. An unknown number of homes and other structures in Hutchinson County have been damaged, officials said, and the air quality in the region has severely dipped.

Chinese developer Redsun Properties is facing a winding-up petition in Hong Kong as creditors demand repayment of defaulted dollar bonds Chairman and major shareholder Zeng Huansha’s personal investment vehicle also faces similar litigation after missing a bond repayment The debt crisis at Redsun Properties Group is going from bad to worse as it has missed payments on several offshore bonds since mid-2022 as China’s housing market struggles to overcome a three-year slump. Some bondholders have now moved to put the developer out of business. The Bank of New York Mellon (London branch) has filed a winding-up petition against the firm for failing to repay at least US$228.5 million, the company said in a Hong Kong stock exchange filing on Friday. The debt is related to a US$200 million two-year junk bond due in September 2023 plus unpaid interest. The petition was filed on February 14 in Hong Kong, according to the filing. The hearing date was not disclosed. Redsun said it is seeking legal advice on the matter. The US bank acts as the trustee of the bond, according to the bond offering document published in 2021. The litigation highlights the swift downfall of the developer based in Nanjing in eastern Jiangsu province, which only listed in Hong Kong less than six years ago. It also shows how some foreign creditors have lost patience with many Chinese builders as home sales have slumped after a liquidity crunch triggered by Beijing’s “three red lines” policy, and were later compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. Source: South China Morning post

Former US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would "encourage" Russia to attack members of NATO who had not met their financial obligations, in remarks that the White House rejected as "appalling and unhinged." Speaking at a campaign rally in South Carolina Saturday, the Republican presidential nomination frontrunner appeared to recount a conversation with a fellow head of state at an unspecified NATO meeting. "One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, 'Well, sir, if we don't pay, and we're attacked by Russia, will you protect us?' I said, 'You didn't pay, you're delinquent?'" "No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills." The NATO treaty contains a provision that assures mutual defense of member states if one is attacked, but it also stipulates that members should spend 2% of their GDP on defense, a target that the majority of states regularly fail to meet.   'Appalling and unhinged' Trump has long expressed skepticism about the 31-nation military alliance. On being asked about Trump's statement White House spokesperson Andrew Bates, said: "Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged — and it endangers American national security, global stability and our economy at home." Trump looks set to run again as the Republican candidate for the White House in this year's presidential election. Trump's comments came after Senate Republicans on Wednesday rejected a bipartisan bill that would have included crucially needed new funding for Ukraine, and aid for ally Israel, along with reforms to deal with the US-Mexico border crisis. The Senate bill's death highlighted Trump's tight hold on the Republican Party, as its lawmakers acceded to the former president's calls to shoot down any deal in order to deny Biden a win on immigration ahead of November's election. Trump's relationship with NATO In his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump shocked Western allies by cautioning that under his leadership the US might abandon its NATO treaty commitments and only come to the defense of those nations that meet the bloc's military funding guidelines. During his presidency, Trump eventually endorsed NATO's Article 5 mutual defense clause, which says that an armed attack against one or more of its members shall be considered an attack against all members. But he often portrayed NATO allies as leeches on the American military and cast aspersions on the value of the military alliance that has been a cornerstone for US foreign policy for decades. As Trump leads President Joe Biden in some polls, European allies are concerned that the US commitment to the alliance could be in jeopardy if Trump wins the November electoral race.  However, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in January that he did not think a second Trump presidency would threaten US membership.

The root causes of poverty are complex, but witchcraft is usually not tabled as one. However in East Africa, attacks on senior citizens accused of bringing misfortune on their communities through magic are on the rise. Just days before Christmas, 78-year-old Eliza Supuni was bludgeoned to death near the town of Mulanje in the Southern Region of Malawi. Her motionless, bloodied body was rushed to a local health center just as she took her final breath. Supuni was pronounced dead on arrival. The perpetrators of the brutal killing were her three grandsons, who reportedly attacked the elderly woman with metal bars and stones, according to local eyewitnesses. "A post-mortem established the cause of death as internal bleeding as a result of fractured ribs on her right side of the body, secondary to assault," Innocent Moses, the police liaison officer for the district, told DW. Moses said that the three suspects then tried to flee to neighboring Mozambique, but added that they have been arrested in the month since the gruesome crime. He stressed that on the day of the crime, they allegedly injured two other elderly persons. "Their age range is between 19 and 23. They will be charged with murder," Moses added, highlighting that the maximum sentence they face is life imprisonment. But what made the three men murder their own grandmother? 'Witchcraft' as excuse for social ills There had been a series allegations saying that Supuni had been engaging in witchcraft — especially since one of her sisters had died earlier in the year during the delivery of her baby through Cesarean section. Health authorities described the death of Supuni's sister as a "natural death" — but this did not convince some of the locals in a country were cases of mob killings targeting senior citizens accused of witchcraft are still widespread. Elderly women and people with albinism are particularly at risk of facing such accusations. According to Malawian law, raising accusations of witchcraft is a crime punishable by law — however, that law is hard to enforce in what is one of the poorest nations of the world. World Bank data from last year shows that 72% of Malawians now have to survive on less than €2 ($2.16) a day — up from just under 70% in 2019. Many locals meanwhile associate this growing state of poverty directly with witchcraft: A 2022 Afrobarometer survey found that 74% of Malawians associate witchcraft with  suffering misfortune in life, including illness, poverty and untimely death. Attacks and killings not limited to Malawi As poverty rates continue to rise, so do the numbers of killings linked to accusations of witchcraft and magic. Records from Malawi's Ministry of Gender, Social Welfare and Community Development show that the number of witchcraft-related attacks and killings targeting elderly persons went up by a quarter from a total of 21 cases in 2022 to 29 in 2023. But the issue isn't exclusive to Malawi. Neighboring countries including Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania also have their fare share of violent attacks on the elderly linked to allegations of witchcraft, as do nations in West Africa. "In Tanzania, the elderly continue to be accused of witchcraft, and constitute the majority of victims of killings over witchcraft suspicions. Elderly persons — especially those with red eyes — are repeatedly accused of witchcraft simply because of their age, which is a form of discrimination," says Anna Henga, Executive Director for the Legal and Human Rights Centre, one of the leading human rights bodies in the East African nation. Henga further says that African countries must do more and take deliberate measures to protect the elderly while also raising awareness about misconceptions. Felistas Phiri, projects officer at HelpAge Zimbabwe, agrees with Henga's assessment, saying that many people in her country do not understand how certain illnesses that primarily affect the elderly — such as dementia — work, and that they tend to interpret the signs and symptoms of such conditions as signs of witchcraft. "The older persons that were once seen as caretakers, as fountains of wisdom and knowledge are unfortunately now seen as wizards. They are stripped off of their dignity and importance. This is why we must continue to promote sustainable livelihoods for all older people," Phiri told DW. A 2015 report by the parent charity of HelpAge Zimbabwe, HelpAge International, ranked Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania as the 10 worst countries to grow old in, having measured issues like income security, social connections and the physical safety of the elderly.   No dignity for Malawi's elderly The Malawi Network of Older Persons' Organizations (MANEPO) recommends that social  security schemes, including a universal old persons' pension, should be introduced in the impoverished county. This would not only provide those having to live under the poverty line with somewhat of a lifeline but would also help proactively to deescalate this rate of killings, as income safety and stability — especially for senior citizens — would shield them from being accused of engaging in witchcraft to induce misfortune on others for their own alleged benefit. MANEPO says that accusations of witchcraft go as far as implicating innocent senior citizens of causing droughts and deluges. "Lack of appropriate social protection schemes to address poverty in old age, fractured social support systems at family and community levels, and the loss of personal dignity due to poverty make the elderly vulnerable to witchcraft-related accusations," MANEPO notes. 'Legalizing witchcraft' There are other approaches also being tabled to address Malawi's escalating witch-hunt: In 2022, a Special Law Commission actually made a surprising recommendation after reviewing Malawi's Witchcraft Act — which is a piece of colonial-era legislation dating back to 1911, still being applied in such cases today. The committee said the country should begin to recognize witchcraft as something that exists — in order to allow the law to be the stage to address such accusations rather than allowing for mob justice to take over. "People's beliefs cannot be suppressed by legislation," said retired Supreme Court Judge Robert Chinangwa, who headed the commission, emphasizing how deeply many communities believe in the existence of witchcraft and sorcery. Meanwhile, Michael Kaiyatsa, Executive Director for the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), said that continuing to criminalize witchcraft should help curb such attacks, adding that recognizing it as a real phenomenon, as was recommended by the Special Law Commission, would make the issue of delivering the burden of proof in a court of law problematic. "It is the good practice of law that for someone to be convicted, the prosecution might have [to deliver] proof beyond reasonable doubt. How is that going to be in witchcraft cases, as we know this is [meant to involve] supernatural powers?" Kaiyatsa said.  

In what may come as another setback in the already strained relationship between Canada and China, the Canadian government has published a list of 85 Chinese research institutions that “may pose” a threat to sensitive research and national security. Besides the 85 Chinese institutions, the list also includes six Russian and twelve Iranian organizations alleged to have some connections to “military, national defense or state security entities.” Global News reported that the list was published on the afternoon of January 17.  According to the Ottawa administration, the listing is part of an effort to protect Canadian research and development against economic espionage and theft in critical industrial sectors, such as advanced weapons, aerospace and space technology, and quantum science and technology.     François-Philippe Champagne, the federal industry minister, in a statement that “While its excellence and collaborative nature defines Canadian-led research, its openness can make it a target for foreign influence, increasing the potential risks for research and development efforts to be misappropriated to the detriment of national security.” The Federal government, however, stopped short of giving more specific information. Intriguingly, the federal authorities claimed during a technical briefing the same day that they were unsure of the extent to which Canadian research involved participants from overseas institutions. Speaking anonymously, one source informed reporters that “in defining the list, there would be an understanding of risk factors and how they relate to Canadian institutions but also to international institutions.” Additionally, officials could not estimate the cost of the new regulations for Canadian research institutes. But they did point out that there was a price for sensitive research being “exfiltrated” by outside parties without making a specific reference to China.   Champagne stated to a House of Commons committee in November last year that the government would not target any particular nation or business regarding the listing. However, it is evident from the list’s high concentration of Chinese groups that Canadian intelligence services regard to be the biggest threat. For instance, many organizations, such as the National University of Defence Technology, People’s Public Security University of China, and Rocket Force Command College, are directly affiliated with the Chinese military.     The development came when the bilateral relationship between the two countries spiraled, with sporadic incidents of military confrontations in the Indo-Pacific. Most of 2023 saw diplomatic tussles exacerbated by Canada’s accusations that China was meddling with its elections. The list was published just days after the two sides affirmed that they wished to maintain consistent communication to support what Beijing referred to as the “current difficult situation” in their bilateral relations.    China’s foreign ministry quoted Wang Yi last week saying, “The fundamental reason why China-Canada relations have fallen to a low point in recent years is that there has been a serious deviation in Canada’s perception of China.” Wang Yi was reportedly speaking to Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.    Several Countries In The West Are Wary Of China Given the widening rift between China and its rivals in the west led by the United States, such instances are hardly uncommon. Last June, when the Dutch government announced that it was contemplating screening foreign students planning to study in technical fields for possible security risks, it was seen as an attempt at restricting Chinese students.   At the time, the Dutch government clarified that the measure would apply to all students in the European Union and not just Chinese academics. However, the decision followed a Dutch intelligence assessment that Dutch universities had become an “attractive target” for spying, with China being the most significant threat. In a more recent incident, a report in the German publication Der Spiegel noted that security officials in Bavaria were advised to be wary of the large influx of Chinese students. The officials were most concerned about the grants from the China Scholarship Council (CSC), a state-run organization. Under the initiative, over 5,000 Chinese undergraduate and graduate students have been sent to Germany. Last year, the education minister of Germany demanded that student exchange policies with China be revised, noting the heightened risk of scientific espionage posed by Chinese students receiving full state scholarships and coming to study in Germany.   “China is becoming more and more competitive and is a systemic rival in the domain of science and research,” Bettina Stark-Watzinger said in an interview at the time. Western officials and analysts have frequently mentioned a secret service statute implemented in China in 2017 as a cause of concern. The statute allegedly mandated that “any organization or citizen shall support, assist, and cooperate with state intelligence work, according to the law.”   It gives the Chinese government the power to order any citizen or company operating in China to cooperate with the intelligence services. Essentially, it is an unrestrained license to spy. Western officials have maintained that several Chinese expats, visiting scholars, students, and businesses contribute to the Chinese espionage network by transmitting information back to their country of origin. China’s principal adversary and rival, the United States, was among the first to address these concerns. In September 2020, more than 1,000 Chinese citizens had their visas revoked by the US under a presidential order that barred admission to researchers and students judged security threats.   The acting head of the US Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, said that Washington was blocking visas “for certain Chinese graduate students and researchers with ties to China’s military fusion strategy to prevent them from stealing and otherwise appropriating sensitive research.” On every such occasion that has occurred over the last few years, China has decried these decisions as an unwarranted targeting of its citizens and a violation of their human rights. The Canadian list, thus, could intensify the already escalating tensions between Beijing and Ottawa.  

Meta revealed on Thursday that it had taken down numerous Facebook accounts from China, purportedly impersonating Americans and engaging in discussions on contentious issues such as abortion and healthcare, CNN reported. The tech giant issued a warning about “foreign threat actors attempting to reach audiences” in anticipation of the 2024 US election. The fabricated accounts replicated social media posts verbatim from both Republicans, including presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, and Democrats like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. While Meta did not attribute the network to a specific entity in China, it does reflect a broader trend of increased Chinese propaganda targeting American audiences. This development comes amid growing concerns about potential foreign influence in the 2024 presidential election, according to CNN. Furthermore, the report noted that US national security officials suspended their efforts to flag foreign influence operations on social media platforms due to a legal challenge. Meta executives confirmed that government agencies hadn’t shared information related to foreign election interference since July, with the US Supreme Court set to address the case. Before the court case, “there are a number of times when a tip from government has enabled us to take action … quickly” against covert foreign influence operations, Nathaniel Gleicher, Meta’s head of security policy, told reporters. Importantly, Meta took down the Chinese network before it gained any engagement from real users on its apps. “This is the most notable change in the threat landscape compared with 2020,” Ben Nimmo, Meta’s global threat intelligence lead, told reporters on Wednesday, referring to an increase in Chinese online influence operations in the last year aimed at audience around the world. The company highlighted the evolving threat landscape, emphasising a significant change compared to 2020, with a notable increase in Chinese online influence operations on a global scale. While Russia’s interference in the 2016 US elections showcased the use of trolls and bots to amplify divisions, China traditionally avoided such direct tactics. However, recent incidents, including the use of AI-generated images and a substantial online disinformation operation, suggest a shift in China’s approach. According to a recent CNN review of court documents and public disclosures by social media companies, the Chinese government has amassed the world’s largest known online disinformation operation. This operation is reportedly employed to harass US residents, politicians, and businesses, occasionally resorting to threats of violence against its targets. Despite these findings, China consistently denies allegations that troll farms operate from its soil. Despite Meta’s efforts to protect elections, concerns persist about the company’s direction. This includes reported layoffs in the team countering misinformation and Meta’s decision to allow political ads questioning the outcome of the 2020 presidential election on its platforms.   Source: The Print

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Tuesday said that all religions are equal in India and no religion is under any threat in the country where cultures and religions that have co-existed in harmony for centuries. “India continues to play its role as a refuge for heterodox ideas with infinite capacity to absorb dissent. No religion is under any threat,” Doval said during an event at the India Islamic Cultural Centre in the national capital. Muslim World League secretary-general Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, who is on a six-day India visit, also addressed the gathering. “As a proud civilizational state, India believes in promoting tolerance, dialogue and cooperation to deal with the challenges of our time. It was no coincidence that despite having around 200 million Muslims, the involvement of Indian citizens in global terrorism has been incredibly low,” Doval said. “India, the world’s largest democracy and the mother of democracies, is a land of incredible diversity. It is a melting pot of cultures, religions, and languages that coexist in harmony. As an inclusive democracy, India has successfully managed to provide space for all its citizens, regardless of their religious, ethnic or cultural backgrounds,” Doval added. NSA also said that among India’s numerous religious groups, Islam occupies a unique and significant position of pride, with India being home to the second-largest Muslim population in the world. “To give an idea of the scale we are talking about, India’s Muslim population is almost equal to the combined population of over 33 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),” Doval added. “The philosophy of cooperation and dialogue in Islam has over the centuries merged seamlessly with the ancient Hindu civilizational tradition of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World is One Family’,” the National Security Advisor said. “It was only by being open to accommodating various worldviews and ideas, interactions and assimilations of various cultures, beliefs, and practices that India emerged as a sanctuary for persecuted people of all faiths from across the world since times immemorial,” Doval highlighted how India has always accepted people from all religion and ethnicity. Recalling events from the history Doval said, “India welcomed Arab exiles (in the court of Raja Dahir of Sindh), Jews, Tibetans, Parsis, Shias, Bangladeshis, Afghans and many others with open arms. This enduring tradition of accommodation is a testament to India being a deeply rooted multiethnic, multi-religious, and multilingual society.” Doval also said that India’s culture has not only enriched art, literature, architecture, cuisine, technology, etc. but more importantly created a syncretic consciousness that permeated through common people. The edifice of modern India is built on the principles of equal rights, equal opportunities and equal responsibilities. This equality is guaranteed by our Constitution and Law. Speaking of terrorism, Doval said that the challenge of extremism and global terrorism compels India not to lower its guard. “To preserve the security and stability within our borders and also rise to the security challenges beyond, India has been leading the fight–the fight against individuals and organizations – who are promoting extremism, narcotics and terrorism,” he added. Expressing the government’s absolute no tolerance policy against terrorism Doval said, “India is an extremely responsible power but when the need for a hot pursuit against terrorist havens was felt, we have gone all out to destroy terrorism in our national interest.” “In the past, nations might have fought with each other to resolve their differences. But, as our Prime Minister says, this is no more the age of war. Future battles for the good of humanity will have to be fought against hunger, poverty, ignorance and want,” Doval said adding that wars need to be avoided in today’s times. “In today’s world, with complex geopolitical challenges confronting us, religion has to become a beckoning light for the humanity to usher into an era of peace and harmony. Our differences will have to take a backseat if we wish to realize the true human potential and make this world a better place to live for our coming generations,” he added. Before Doval’s remarks, Saudi leader al-Issa who is the current Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL), an organisation based in Saudi Arabia and representing Muslims worldwide, delivered his address. The visiting Saudi delegate had said that his organisation is working across the world to promote religious awareness. “There is this pessimist theory in the world that says that the clash between civilizations is unavoidable, and thus such a clash depends on two factors. There are religions and also civilizations. That’s why the United Nations has been aware of such theories, and they have established an organization, an organ within the United Nations called the Alliance of Civilizations,” al-Issa said. Source : The Statesman

Sam Altman sparked criticism after accusing the European Union of "overregulating" artificial intelligence platforms. Having warned that ChatGPT may pull out of Europe, Altman now says his firm has "no plans to leave." OpenAI — the company behind the popular artificial intelligence (AI) platform ChatGPT — has no plans to leave Europe, CEO Sam Altman said on Friday, reversing a threat made earlier this week. "We are excited to continue to operate here and of course have no plans to leave," Altman said in a tweet. The remark is a U-turn from comments made to journalists on Wednesday where he accused the European Union's proposed AI Act of potentially "overregulating" platforms like his. "The current draft of the EU AI Act would be overregulating, but we have heard it's going to get pulled back," Altman told Reuters. "They are still talking about it." Altman was cited by the Financial Times as saying that the draft EU rules were causing him "a lot of concern" but that OpenAI would indeed try to comply with them. "But if we can't comply with them, we will cease operations [in Europe]." During an event at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) on Wednesday, Altman said that he thinks typically, regulators should take a wait-and-see approach, but noted how AI regulation is an area "where we should be proactive." Brussels says AI rules 'cannot be bargained' Altman's initial threat was met with a strong response from Brussels, with European Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton insisting that Europe's AI rules are not up for negotiation. Breton said there was no point making speculative threats and claiming Europe was holding up the rollout of generative AI, referring to the type of AI that can create text, images and other content. "Let's be clear, our rules are put in place for the security and well-being of our citizens and this cannot be bargained," Breton told Reuters. "Europe has been ahead of the curve designing a solid and balanced regulatory framework for AI which tackles risks related to fundamental rights or safety, but also enables innovation for Europe to become a frontrunner in trustworthy AI," he said. Microsoft's President Brad Smith said during an event in the United States on Thursday that he was optimistic "reason will prevail" and that the final AI Act would be an acceptable compromise.  What is ChatGPT and why is it so controversial? ChatGPT is an AI platform that is able to write emails, essays and software code with minimal human guidance. It can also give detailed answers on a wide range of topics. Microsoft has invested nearly $10 billion in Open AI, the laboratory behind ChatGPT, while Google and Chinese tech giant Alibaba have rushed out their own versions. The arrival of such chatbots has surprised many policymakers and business leaders, who hadn't expected AI technology to advance so quickly. Concerns are now rising that AI may grow too powerful, cause hundreds of millions of job losses and be used for nefarious purposes. Critics say it will decimate entire industries, lead to a flood of misinformation and copyright infringements, and entrench race, gender and political biases. AI's supporters claim that the technology will improve lives by doing menial tasks better and revolutionize human interaction with machines.   When will the European AI Act be passed? The EU is in the final stages of approval of its regulations to cover generative AI tools, such as OpenAI's Chat GPT. After being sent back to the drawing board by the arrival of ChatGPT,  EU lawmakers reached common ground on the draft of the act earlier this month. EU lawmakers and EU national governments are expected to thrash out the details of the rules in the coming months before they become legislation that may become the global standard for the technology. The final law isn't expected to take effect until 2025.