Saturday, March 14

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Canada elections chief makes push to crack down on deepfakes – National
Politics

Canada elections chief makes push to crack down on deepfakes – National

Canada’s elections chief wants a ban on the misrepresentation of candidates and other key players in the electoral process through manipulation of their voice or image without consent. The proposed change to the Canada Elections Act is among several measures chief electoral officer Stéphane Perrault is putting forward to address the use of deepfakes and other artificially created content to fool voters.In an interview, Perrault said he is “hoping to convince” MPs to expand an electoral reform bill, currently in a House of Commons committee, to include some new elements.Brazen meddling tactics such as deepfakes have become part of the public conversation in the United States, but they are still “a bit of a shock to the system” in Canada, he said.“We have to acknowledge that there are all ki...
‘We are so back!’: Taylor Swift thanks Canadian fans as Toronto run begins
Entertainment, Movies

‘We are so back!’: Taylor Swift thanks Canadian fans as Toronto run begins

Taylor Swift took her time bringing The Eras Tour to Canada, but after her first night in Toronto, it’s clear that for the Swifties all is forgiven. Dressed in sequins, cowboy hats and outlandish outfits that made obscure references to the pop star’s lyrics, Swift’s fans piled into the Rogers Centre on Thursday to see their wildest dreams come true.And Swift reciprocated their affection with a tireless performance that offered a generous serving of affection from the start.“Oh Toronto, we are so back!” she exclaimed in the first of many pauses she took throughout the night to bask in the overwhelming screams of the nearly 49,000 fans inside the venue.Even Swift appeared stunned by Toronto’s enthusiasm, which has been building to a fever pitch in recent weeks with officials changing transit...
Uncontrolled diabetes can be detrimental for eye, brain health, say experts
Health

Uncontrolled diabetes can be detrimental for eye, brain health, say experts

Diabetes, if not timely controlled and managed, can severely affect the health of your eyes and brain, said experts on Thursday. A new study published in The Lancet revealed that about 212 million people lived with diabetes in India in 2022 -- the highest in the world. Diabetes is a condition with high blood sugar due to a deficiency in the hormone insulin. Uncontrolled blood sugars in patients with diabetes are known to have a wide range of complications involving multiple organ systems. "Uncontrolled diabetes can have a devastating impact on eye health, leading to conditions like diabetic retinopathy," Dr. Ikeda Lal, Senior cornea, Cataract and refractory surgery specialist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Delhi Eye Centre, told IANS. The condition often shows no symptoms in its early ...
India: Fire in neonatal ward kills 10 newborn babies | World News
Business

India: Fire in neonatal ward kills 10 newborn babies | World News

Ten newborn babies have died after a fire swept through a neonatal intensive care unit at a hospital in northern India.The fire, which also injured 17 other babies, spread quickly through the ward in Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi city late on Friday, where 49 infants were being treated, according to state deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak.He said seven of the babies killed had been identified, with the authorities working to identify the remaining three."Seventeen of the injured are receiving treatment in different wings and some private hospitals," Mr Pathak said.He said the cause of the fire was not yet known."We will identify those responsible for this tragedy and take strict action. The government stands with families during this difficult time," he added.Eyewitnesses ...
China’s premier air show wows spectators – but the West won’t have liked seeing Russia’s jets | World News
Business

China’s premier air show wows spectators – but the West won’t have liked seeing Russia’s jets | World News

Outgoing US President Joe Biden is set to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping today for what is likely to be his last time as US president.The two leaders are expected to hold talks on the sidelines of a meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders in the Peruvian capital, Lima. It comes against the backdrop of increasing tension in the US-China relationship with a potential trade war looming under a Trump presidency, several China hawks tapped for US cabinet positions and China's growing status among global south countries as an emerging leader of an alternative world order.This week China was focused on events in the southern city of Zhuhai.First there was a car ramming attack at Zhuhai's sports stadium which left 25 people dead. A shocking event that was heavily censored in China. ...
Ten babies die in fire at Indian hospital’s neonatal unit
World News

Ten babies die in fire at Indian hospital’s neonatal unit

By Saurabh Sharma, Reuters Emergency personnel work at the scene of a fire that killed 10 newborns in Jhansi city, India, on November 15, 2024. Photo: CNN News 18 Warning: This story contains details about the deaths of children. Ten newborn babies died from burns and suffocation after a fire swept through a neonatal intensive care unit in northern India, a government official said on Saturday. The blaze broke out late on Friday at the Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi district about 285km southwest of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state. Emergency responders rescued 38 newborns from the ward, which housed 49 infants at the time of the incident, state Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said. "Seventeen of the injured are receiving treatment in different wings and ...
RFK Jr’s to-do list to make America ‘healthy’ has health experts worried
World News

RFK Jr’s to-do list to make America ‘healthy’ has health experts worried

By Meg Tirrell and Katherine Dillinger, CNN Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at the Libertarian National Convention on May 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. Photo: Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images / AFP President Donald Trump's pick of Robert F. Kennedy Jr for secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services "is an extraordinarily bad choice for the health of the American people", Dr Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, warned Thursday. "I was worried we could go low but not this low," Dr. Carlos del Rio, executive associate dean of the Emory School of Medicine & Grady Health System, wrote of the pick. Although Trump signalled in the runup to the election that he planned to let the vaccine sceptic "go wild" on health, f...
Are these the new Vejas? Prince of Wales’s favourite new sustainable trainers from Islington brand
Life Style

Are these the new Vejas? Prince of Wales’s favourite new sustainable trainers from Islington brand

Verona started the brand, which currently sells four styles — the HEVEA’s, which are tennis-trainer style, are joined by the WALDEN’s, a bulkier ankle sneaker (£130, purified.eco), as well as the ABACA’s, a canvas-looking shoe which come as high tops (£105, purified.eco) and low (£105, purified.eco) — explains “it took a huge amount of time to to get done because it was a case of waiting for the manufacturing side to catch up to the science.” Source link
The case for COPs (even this one)
World News

The case for COPs (even this one)

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (L), Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev (centre) and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) pose for a family photo during COP29, 12 November, 2024. Photo: AFP / Alexander Nemenov Analysis - Every day this week, COP29 has managed to spark international headlines for all the wrong reasons. First, the eight-hour agenda fight over what, actually, diplomats will spend time negotiating this year. Then on Tuesday the President of Azerbaijan, which is hosting COP29 in the capital Baku, called oil and gas a "gift of God" and denounced "fake news" media for reporting on human rights abuses. President Aliyev doubled down the next day, denouncing France's colonial "crimes" in the Pacific, prompting an announcement on Thursday that the Fr...
Xi Jinping calls for fertility policy ramp up in China
World News

Xi Jinping calls for fertility policy ramp up in China

The birth rate in China, which has a population of 1.4 billion, hit a record low last year. Photo: Rodrigo M. Nunes President Xi Jinping is calling for more efforts to maintain China's fertility levels and population size, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday, as the country grapples with the fallout of an ageing population. The legal system overseeing population and reproduction matters should be improved to help strengthen demographics, Xinhua cited Xi as saying in an article to be published in the official journal of the Chinese Communist Party on Saturday. The birth rate in China, which has a population of 1.4 billion, hit a record low last year, and fellow Asian giant India has outpaced it to become the world's most populous nation. China's ageing population is burdening its...