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Facebook Tweet Email Link Hong Kong — A court in Hong Kong adjourned a national security trial hearing of media mogul Jimmy Lai on Friday due to concerns about his health after his defense said he had been experiencing heart palpitations. Lai, a pro-democracy firebrand and founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily, showed up in court visibly thinner on Friday morning for the start of closing arguments of his landmark national security case. The 77-year-old has spent more than 1,600 days in a maximum-security Hong Kong prison, much of it in solitary confinement, staring down the possibility of spending the…
Booking.com has announced the launch of a new credit card.The Booking.com Genius Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card is appealing to travelers with no annual fee and premium perks. The company said in a statement that “only 28 percent of Americans are confident they’re making the most of their credit card perks.” Booking.com has simplified the rewards process by making every dollar in Travel Credits worth a dollar on Booking.com. Rewards are redeemable for accommodations, attractions, rental cars and flights.”In a world where 81 percent of cardholders expect brands to enhance their travel experiences, we saw an opportunity to raise the bar,” said Ben…
Apple usually announces its new hardware in the fall, and this year is likely no different. The event is reported to be on September 9, and Apple is expected to release its iPhone 17 lineup, along with updates for the Apple Watch and AirPods. As always, there are many rumors circulating, including bigger screens and improved cameras for the iPhone 17 models and the introduction of an ultra-thin iPhone Air that could replace the Plus model. iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max The iPhone 17 is expected to get a significant makeover to align more closely with the…
Facebook Tweet Email Link More than 360 people fell ill in Indonesia’s town of Sragen in Central Java after consuming school lunches, an official said on Thursday, in the largest food poisoning case to hit President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free meals program. Since its launch in January, the free school meals program has been marred by mass food poisoning cases across the archipelago, affecting over 1,000 people. Sragen government chief Sigit Pamungkas told Reuters 365 people fell ill and a food sample was being tested in a lab. The government would pay for any medical treatment if needed. Wizdan Ridho…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — For a 3 1/2-year-old, Elmo sure has sung a lot on “Sesame Street” with some of the best musicians in the world. But it wasn’t until Thursday that the friendly red monster made his Grand Ole Opry debut, a country music rite of passage. The squeaky voiced singer’s roots in the genre actually run pretty deep.Elmo helped ring in the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th anniversary this year by co-hosting with his “Sesame Street” pal Abby Cadabby. Elmo, in a little blue cowboy hat and matching shirt, teamed up for a duet alongside Lauren Alaina, while Abby…
Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines has landed in one of Georgia’s most historic and picturesque towns at a tumultuous time.On August 14, Spirit officially began service on its new route from New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Savannah, Georgia (SAV). The budget airline will now operate daily nonstop service on the route all year round. “We’re always looking for new destinations our Guests will love, and the addition of Savannah to Spirit’s network offers a great value for a charming getaway,” said Rana Ghosh, Spirit’s senior vice president and chief commercial officer. “Our new service will also provide Savannah…
As anticipation builds for the Made by Google 2025 event, there’s a buzz around the Pixel 10 series, arriving notably before the iPhone 17. Apple’s hardware event is expected to take place in September. The tech giant has made its intentions clear to grow the Pixel line, likely incorporating more generative AI capabilities with Gemini. Made by Google will be at 10 a.m. PT on August 20. Get ready for a Gemini boost Image Credits:Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket / Getty Images Google already dropped several AI-related updates at its developer conference in May, but the company will likely demonstrate more Gemini…
Cohere on Thursday announced that it had raised an oversubscribed $500 million round, bringing its valuation to $6.8 billion. This is up from the $5.5 billion valuation it landed a little over a year ago when it raised its previous round, also $500 million. Toronto-headquartered Cohere was one of the first breakout LLM model makers, founded in 2019 by co-founder Aidan Gomez, one of the authors of the “Attention Is All You Need” paper that became the foundation of modern AI. But it has been a sleeper entrant in the AI model wars of late, dominated by OpenAI, Anthropic, and…
Facebook Tweet Email Link The writing has been on the wall for a long time: South Korea’s birth rate has dropped throughout much of the past decade, spelling trouble for the military as regional threats and global conflicts simmer. Now, a new report has found that the number of South Korean troops declined by 20% in the past six years, in large part because of the dwindling pool of young men – reflecting the shrinking workforce and swelling elderly population in one of the world’s most rapidly aging countries. The Defense Ministry report attributed the drop to “complex factors” including…
NEW YORK (AP) — The Toronto International Film Festival will screen a documentary on the 2023 Hamas attack, after all, following an uproar over the film’s disinvitation from the upcoming festival. Earlier this week, TIFF withdrew its invitation to the film “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue.” The festival said the decision was based in part on legal clearance for footage used in the documentary. Deadline, which first reported the news, said a sticking point was the identification and legal clearance of Hamas militants’ own livestreaming of the attack.On Thursday evening, TIFF chief executive Cameron Bailey and “The Road…