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Pakistan and Turkiye agreed to explore new avenues for partnership under the Strategic Economic Framework (SEF), focusing on boosting agricultural trade and technology transfer, a statement from the Ministry for National Food Security and Research said on Thursday. In meeting with Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Irfan Neziroglu, Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain highlighted Pakistan’s ability to provide quality agricultural products such as rice, wheat, mangoes, and dry fruits, it added. He expressed Pakistan’s readiness to expand exports to Turkiye and emphasised the mutual benefits of strengthening agricultural trade. Imposition of Agri tax from Jan 2025: Experts urge need to engage rural youth in agri productive activities The two sides also agreed to establish joint ventures in agricultural mechanisation, aquaculture breeding, and advanced irrigation systems. The Turkish side appreciated Pakistan’s high-quality agricultural products and expressed interest in enhancing economic ties in the agriculture and livestock sectors. Rana Tanveer reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to fostering long-term partnerships with Turkiye to unlock the full potential of the agricultural sector, creating economic opportunities for both countries, the ministry statement read.
BUFFALO — The year started with a bang. In January, Gov. Kathy Hochul named UB the home of Empire AI, a new $400 million supercomputing center that will provide UB and partners with breathtakingly powerful resources to harness artificial intelligence for the betterment of society. An avalanche of advancements – all pointing towards UB’s leadership in AI, in New York State and nationwide – followed the governor’s announcement. With interest in AI surging globally, these advancements showcase and build upon UB’s impressive half-century of expertise in AI research and education. They also hint at a brighter future, where AI’s uncanny abilities merge with human ingenuity to tackle society’s greatest challenges. “Traditionally, colleges and universities are at the epicenter of life-changing research and ideas,” said Venu Govindaraju, vice president for research and economic development. “The University at Buffalo is pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence and data science in fields that are critical to the state’s and nation’s future.” As 2024 comes to a close, here’s a look back at what has been a year of AI at UB. January UB researchers have been laying the groundwork for today’s boom in artificial intelligence for decades. This includes pioneering work creating the world’s first autonomous handwriting recognition system, which the U.S. Postal Service and Royal Mail adopted to save billions of dollars. Those innovations explain, in part, why Gov. Kathy Hochul chose UB to be the home of Empire AI, a consortium of public and private universities, and foundations, that will harness AI for the public good while driving economic development. “We want to make sure New York State is the capital of AI development ... but I need a home for this supercomputer that’ll power the innovation all over our state. And I’m proud to announce that the home will be right here at [UB],” Hochul said Jan. 26 at the Center for the Arts. Earlier in the month, during her State of the State address in Albany, the governor spotlighted UB student Holliday Sims for her work using AI to improve the child welfare system. February UB was chosen to join the federal government’s first-ever consortium dedicated to ensuring that AI systems are safe and trustworthy. Announced Feb. 8, the U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC) includes government agencies and top research universities, as well as Microsoft, Apple, Google, OpenAI and other tech companies. AISIC will create standards for AI usage that protect Americans’ privacy; advance equity and civil rights; and promote innovation and competition. Weeks later, UB was among 28 new members to join AI Alliance, an international coalition led by IBM and Meta that is dedicated to promoting open, safe and responsible AI. March On a beautiful spring day, engineering professor Chase Murray and students took to the skies at UB’s Structure for Outdoor Autonomy Research, one of the largest outdoor drone-testing labs among the nation’s colleges and universities. Murray uses AI and other technologies to optimize how autonomous vehicles work together – research that has implications in logistics, search-and-rescue, surveillance and more. Elsewhere, researchers in UB’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science kept tabs on their AI system that aims to improve indoor farming and address food insecurity. And another research group began using AI to make algae fuel production more cost-effective. The projects illustrate UB’s commitment to sustainability and social justice. April April brought Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Sethuraman Panchanathan, director of the National Science Foundation, to campus. The occasion? “Today, we’re here to celebrate something truly amazing: the opening of the new, $20 million, federally funded National AI Institute for Exceptional Education, and it’s going to be housed right here at UB,” said Schumer. Funded by the NSF and Department of Education, the institute will create AI systems that ensure children with speech and language disorders receive timely, effective assistance. The work, which addresses the nationwide shortage of speech-language pathologists, will help ensure that millions of children do not fall behind in their academic and socio-emotional development. May On May 31, UB hosted thought leaders from IBM, M&T Bank, Moog and other institutions for its ongoing chat series on AI and society. “Don’t be an AI user, be an AI value creator,” Dario Gil, IBM senior vice president and director of research, told attendees at the Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences. The event included presentations from UB researchers using AI to make advancements in medicine, medical devices, climate change, materials science, pharmaceutical science and other fields. June An electricity grid that uses AI to identify and fix problems before they cause widespread power outages? It could become reality sooner than you think due to research published June 4 and co-led by Souma Chowdhury, who studies how to apply AI to complex systems. He is among more than 200 researchers at UB using AI to address societal challenges. Also in June, more than 300 scholars from the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, one of the world’s most recognized scientific organizations dedicated to advancing AI research, gathered at UB for a multiday conference. The scholars represented more than a dozen fields – including machine learning, psychology, political science, the humanities and more. July On July 17, SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and state lawmakers visited UB for a roundtable discussion on AI. The attendees learned about UB researchers using AI to identify “forever chemicals,” as well as spinoff companies working on technology to improve treatment for strokes and aneurysms. “We are pioneering AI discoveries that will drive progress in research and economic development, demonstrating UB’s commitment to leveraging technology for societal benefit,” Govindaraju said. August The start of the new semester brought record enrollment to UB’s Master of Science program focusing on AI. Launched in 2020 with five students, the number swelled to 73 students this fall, with an additional 50 expected next semester. The program’s growth “shows that we’re providing students with in-demand skills that they can use for the betterment of society,” said Kemper E. Lewis, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Graduates have taken jobs at Amazon Web Services, NVIDIA, Visa and other companies. September UB was awarded $10 million from the U.S. Department of Education to establish the Center for Early Literacy and Responsible AI. The center will create AI tools to ensure culturally and linguistically diverse learners in grades K-2, including those in Western New York, receive transformative early literacy instruction. “We believe that, with the right support, all students — regardless of their backgrounds — can succeed in literacy,” says project leader X. Christine Wang, a professor of learning and instruction in the Graduate School of Education. Later in the month, Rep. Tim Kennedy announced UB would receive $475,000 to equip its wind tunnel with equipment that allows it to leverage the power of AI, among other technologies. UB uses the facility to study and improve the nation’s response to hurricanes, wildfires and other extreme weather. October On Oct. 11, roughly nine months after it was announced, Empire AI went live. Gov. Kathy Hochul flipped the switch on a stack of powerful new computer servers at Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences. The servers represent a fraction of the eventual power of Empire AI, which will be located at a new building on North Campus. On the same day, UB President Satish K. Tripathi delivered his annual State of the University address. “While today, only the private sector has the computing power needed to seriously advance AI research, Empire AI will put New York State at the epicenter of artificial intelligence innovation. This game-changing initiative will enable us to tap the full power of AI to solve complex issues facing our state, nation and world.” November From fake celebrity endorsements to manipulated videos of politicians, the 2024 election was rife with misleading information. Debunking much of this content was the DeepFake-o-Meter, a publicly available tool used by journalists, law enforcement and others. The tool was created by UB computer scientist Siwei Lyu and students. With AI being added to medical devices, the Food and Drug Administration wants to ensure these products meet public health standards. The agency called upon experts, including UB’s Peter Elkin, for insight at a public meeting. Elkin, professor and chair of the Department of Bioinformatics, said the FDA should allow these devices to learn and therefore improve. “AI-enabled devices are no longer just tools; now they are partners in care,” he said. Back on campus, UB hosted the latest in a series of “AI at UB” forums on Nov. 21. Organizers updated faculty and staff on how UB is implementing AI in its classrooms and labs. Presenters also discussed how AI can be a tool to foster collaboration and enhance learning outcomes. December In early December, UB officials detailed plans to create a new academic department focused on AI and its impact on society. The department aligns with the mission of UB and SUNY, both of which are committed to responsibly harnessing the power of AI for social good. Around the same time, UB computer scientist Nalini Ratha published a series of research papers focused on machine learning and encrypted data. One of the papers suggests a new technique for safeguarding personal medical data as it travels from third-party cloud service providers back to patients and their doctors. The work points to a future where medical diagnostics are quicker and more accurate, and patient medical records remain confidential.Friends at an exclusive co-living space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Hawaii where the 26-year-old Mangione once lived widely considered him a “great guy,” and pictures on his social media accounts show a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties. Now, investigators in New York and Pennsylvania are working to piece together why Mangione may have diverged from this path to make the violent and radical decision to gun down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen attack on a Manhattan street. The killing sparked widespread discussions about corporate greed, unfairness in the medical insurance industry and even inspired folk-hero sentiment toward his killer. But Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sharply refuted that perception after Mangione's arrest on Monday when a customer at a McDonald's restaurant in Pennsylvania spotted Mangione eating and noticed he resembled the shooting suspect in security-camera photos released by New York police. “In some dark corners, this killer is being hailed as a hero. Hear me on this, he is no hero,” Shapiro said. “The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this morning.” Mangione's family and upbringing Mangione comes from a prominent Maryland family. His grandfather, Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. The Mangione family also purchased Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore in 1986. On Monday, Baltimore County police officers blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to Luigi Mangione’s parents. Reporters and photographers gathered outside the entrance. The father of 10 children, Nick Mangione prepared his five sons — including Luigi Mangione’s father, Louis Mangione — to help manage the family business, according to a 2003 Washington Post report. Nick Mangione had 37 grandchildren, including Luigi, according to the grandfather's obituary. Luigi Mangione’s grandparents donated to charities through the Mangione Family Foundation, according to a statement from Loyola University commemorating Nick Mangione’s wife’s death in 2023. They donated to various causes, including Catholic organizations, colleges and the arts. One of Luigi Mangione’s cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione, a spokesman for the lawmaker’s office confirmed. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media by Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” Mangione's education and work history Mangione, who was valedictorian of his elite Maryland prep school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a university spokesman told The Associated Press. He learned to code in high school and helped start a club at Penn for people interested in gaming and game design, according to a 2018 story in Penn Today, a campus publication. His social media posts suggest he belonged to the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. They also show him taking part in a 2019 program at Stanford University, and in photos with family and friends at the Jersey Shore and in Hawaii, San Diego, Puerto Rico, and other destinations. The Gilman School, from which Mangione graduated in 2016, is one of Baltimore’s elite prep schools. The children of some of the city’s wealthiest and most prominent residents, including Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., have attended the school. Its alumni include sportswriter Frank Deford and former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington. In his valedictory speech, Luigi Mangione described his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things.” Mangione took a software programming internship after high school at Maryland-based video game studio Firaxis, where he fixed bugs on the hit strategy game Civilization 6, according to a LinkedIn profile. Firaxis' parent company, Take-Two Interactive, said it would not comment on former employees. He more recently worked at the car-buying website TrueCar, but has not worked there since 2023, the head of the Santa Monica, California-based company confirmed to the AP. Time in Hawaii and reports of back pain From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. “There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, including surfing, Ryan said. “He went surfing with R.J. once but it didn’t work out because of his back,” Ryan said, but noted that Mangione and Martin often went together to a rock-climbing gym. Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. An image posted to a social media account linked to Mangione showed what appeared to be an X-ray of a metal rod and multiple screws inserted into someone's lower spine. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. An X account linked to Mangione includes recent posts about the negative impact of smartphones on children; healthy eating and exercise habits; psychological theories; and a quote from Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti about the dangers of becoming “well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” Police report a darker turn Mangione likely was motivated by his anger at what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by AP. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s handwritten notes and social media posts. He appeared to view the targeted killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as a symbolic takedown, asserting in his note that he is the “first to face it with such brutal honesty,” the bulletin said. Mangione called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski a “political revolutionary” and may have found inspiration from the man who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology, the document said. Associated Press reporters Lea Skene in Baltimore; Jen Kelleher in Honolulu; Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; and Michael Kunzelman in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
JERUSALEM — Israel approved a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah militants on Tuesday that would end nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the war in the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire, starting at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday, would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza , where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. Hours before the ceasefire with Hezbollah was to take effect, Israel carried out the most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs since the start of the conflict and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 42 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities. Another huge airstrike shook Beirut shortly after the ceasefire was announced. Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. There appeared to be lingering disagreement over whether Israel would have the right to strike Hezbollah if it believed the militants had violated the agreement, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted was part of the deal but which Lebanese and Hezbollah officials have rejected. Israel's security Cabinet approved the U.S.-France-brokered ceasefire agreement after Netanyahu presented it, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Biden administration spent much of this year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza but the talks repeatedly sputtered to a halt . President-elect Donald Trump vowed to bring peace to the Middle East without saying how. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. In this screen grab image from video provide by the Israeli Government Press Office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a televised statement Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Jerusalem, Israel. Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” The ceasefire deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor compliance. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal "was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” A police bomb squad officer inspects the site where a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in a backyard in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel, Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024. Netanyahu’s office said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but “reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire and described it as a crucial step toward stability and the return of displaced people. Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state," he said, referring to Israel's demand for freedom of action. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Rescuers and residents search for victims Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building in Beirut, Lebanon. Even as ceasefire efforts gained momentum in recent days, Israel continued to strike what it called Hezbollah targets across Lebanon while the militants fired rockets, missiles and drones across the border. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in central Beirut — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously were not targeted. The warnings sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, with mattresses tied to some cars. Dozens of people, some wearing pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed overhead. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said peacekeepers will not evacuate. Israeli soldiers inspect the site Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024, where a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in a backyard in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel. The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few miles from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 20 miles north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have exchanged barrages ever since. Israeli security officers and army soldiers inspect the site Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024, where a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in a backyard in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel. Israel escalated its bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon. Chehayeb and Mroue reported from Beirut and Federman from Jerusalem. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Davina McCall's partner, Michael Douglas, has shared insights on when the television presenter and Masked Singer judge is expected to return to her screen duties following her recent brain surgery. Davina recently underwent a six-hour procedure to excise a 14mm non-malignant brain tumour, discovered during a scan a few months earlier whilst she was speaking at a menopause-related event. In the aftermath of her operation, Davina posted a video update the first since undergoing surgery acknowledging the difficulties she's faced, notably stating that it has been "bad" but expressing relief at being home, with both Michael and her stepmother providing care. Despite grappling with short-term memory issues post-surgery, Davina remains optimistic about improvement, believing she can "work on it". During an Instagram Live session, Michael, who has been in a relationship with Davina since 2019, revealed her recovery timeline and when fans might expect her back. Get all the latest TV and showbiz news and gossip from Chronicle Live with our free newsletter Michael shared: "She's quite tired at the moment. She sleeps really well at night and goes to bed at ten and has nap in the morning, and sleeps for two or three hours in the afternoon." Delving deeper, he noted: "It's the way your brain heals is by resting. Her body is naturally forcing her to rest... She's off till mid January. She's got a lot of time to relax and recuperate. It's been a very very emotional and quite an incredible experience. We're definitely out of the woods.", reports the Mirror . The Masked Singer judge was taken aback by her diagnosis, confessing that she had gone for a health scan expecting to "ace it". Davina shared the startling news earlier this month, revealing: "I was offered a health scan which I thought i was going to ace but it turned out i had benign brain tumour," and acknowledged its rarity. "I'm going to be in hospital for about nine days, and then I'm going to be going home, but I'm going to be off my phone for a while," she disclosed. Michael stepped in to manage her social media accounts to keep her followers informed about her condition. Having recently returned to her online platform, she expressed gratitude towards her supporters, saying: "It's just really nice to be back home. I'm on the other side. My short term memory is a bit remiss. But that is something that I can work on so I'm really happy about that. I'm writing everything I'm doing to keep myself feeling safe." She also mentioned the support she's receiving at home: "I'm being brilliantly looked after by Michael and my mum. I'd quickly like to say big up the stepmums - I don't really say thank you to Gabby [McCall] enough. She's been an amazing rock my whole life. I have a massive dose of vitamin G. When something like this happens I just feel so grateful. I've always been grateful, I've always been lucky in my life." Concluding her update, she added: "I feel unbelievably grateful in my life right now, so thanks for everything. I'm on the mend, I'm resting, I'm sleeping loads and I feel really good. I just feel very lucky." ChronicleLive is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our communities. We have a number of communities to join, so you can choose which one you want to be part of and we'll send you the latest news direct to your phone. You could even join them all! To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is choose which community you want to join, click on the link and press 'join community'. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice . Join the ChronicleLive Breaking News and Top Stories community Join our Court & Crime community Join the Things to do in Newcastle and the North East community Join our Northumberland community Join our County Durham community Join our Sunderland community Join our NUFC community Join our SAFC community Join our Great North Run communityFISI stock hits 52-week high at $28.14 amid robust annual growth
Azerbaijani and US officials believe a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the deadly crash of an Azerbaijani passenger jet, media reports and a US official said Thursday, as the Kremlin cautioned against "hypotheses" over the disaster. The Azerbaijan Airlines jet crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau, an oil and gas hub, on Wednesday after going off course for undetermined reasons. Thirty-eight of the 67 people on board died. The Embraer 190 aircraft was supposed to fly northwest from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to the city of Grozny in Chechnya, southern Russia, but instead diverted far off course across the Caspian Sea. An investigation is underway, with pro-government Azerbaijani website Caliber citing unnamed officials as saying they believed a Russian missile fired from a Pantsir-S air defence system downed the plane. The claim was also reported by The New York Times, broadcaster Euronews and the Turkish news agency Anadolu. Some aviation and military experts said the plane might have been accidentally shot by Russian air defence systems because it was flying in an area where Ukrainian drone activity had been reported. A former expert at France's BEA air accident investigation agency said there appeared to be "a lot of shrapnel" damage on the wreckage. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said the damage was "reminiscent" of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was downed with a surface-to-air missile by Russia-backed rebels over eastern Ukraine in 2014. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "It would be wrong to make any hypotheses before the investigation's conclusions." Euronews cited Azerbaijani government sources as saying that "shrapnel hit the passengers and cabin crew as it exploded next to the aircraft mid-flight". A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said early indications suggested a Russian anti-aircraft system struck the plane. Kazakhstan news agency Kazinform cited a regional prosecutor as saying that two black-box flight recorders had been recovered. Azerbaijan Airlines initially said the plane flew through a flock of birds, before withdrawing the statement. Kazakh officials said 38 people had been killed and there were 29 survivors, including three children. Jalil Aliyev, the father of flight attendant Hokume Aliyeva, told AFP that this was supposed to have been her last flight before starting a job as a lawyer for the airline. "Why did her young life have to end so tragically?" the man said in a trembling voice before hanging up the phone. Eleven of the injured are in intensive care, the Kazakh health ministry said. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared Thursday a day of mourning and cancelled a planned visit to Russia for an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a grouping of former Soviet nations. "I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the crash... and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," Aliyev said in a social media post Wednesday. The Flight Radar website showed the plane deviating from its normal route, crossing the Caspian Sea and then circling over the area where it eventually crashed near Aktau, on the eastern shore of the sea. Kazakhstan said the plane was carrying 37 Azerbaijani passengers, six Kazakhs, three Kyrgyz and 16 Russians. A Kazakh woman told the local branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) she was near where the plane crashed and rushed to the site to help survivors. "They were covered in blood. They were crying. They were calling for help," said the woman, who gave her name as Elmira. She said they saved some teenagers. "I'll never forget their look, full of pain and despair," said Elmira. "A girl pleaded: 'Save my mother, my mother is back there'." Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with Aliyev and "expressed his condolences in connection with the crash", Peskov told a news conference. bur/rlp/jsDear Eric: My daughter and her boyfriend got an apartment together about four years ago. They’ve been dating about eight years. They seem committed and happy and in love, but they split their living expenses like they are two roommates 50/50. My daughter makes about half of what her boyfriend does. I know she does more of the cleaning, shopping, pet care while her boyfriend spends his money on frivolous purchases. I am protective of my daughter and want to make sure she knows that, generally, when couples are in love and living together and committed, they co-mingle their funds and don’t worry about keeping score. Is that still true in this day and age? I also know that my daughter is sometimes reluctant to stick up for herself or expect more. Should I talk to my daughter and explain that generally committed loving partners support each other emotionally, psychologically, spiritually and ... financially? Or perhaps I should talk to her boyfriend, man to man, and explain that, if he loves my daughter, he wouldn’t want her to stress about money. Another part of me says that they are both adults and can make their own decisions and I should keep quiet. – Unmarried Daughter’s Pop Dear Pop: Your concern is understandable, but you’ll want to make sure that any action you take doesn’t undermine your daughter or the decisions she’s made for herself. Many couples combine finances, but many others don’t, and it works just fine for them. The way we spend our money reflects our values. So, if you want to talk to your daughter, start with a conversation about financial goals and motivations for spending and saving. Listening to how she sees her financial landscape may offer insight into why she’s chosen to organize her household finances like this. Then ask if she’s open to advice (and heed the answer). If you feel that there’s a better way for the two of them to plan for their future, share that. Is the boyfriend contributing a portion of his income to a joint savings account or stock portfolio, perhaps? She may or may not take your advice, and that’s OK. I’d hold off on criticizing the boyfriend’s frivolous spending, though. That’s not really your concern and will muddy the waters. The chance that you’re offering is one from which we all could benefit: someone more experienced helping us to make smart financial decisions. Read more Asking Eric Asking Eric: We’re visiting family overseas for the holidays, but they didn’t include us in their plans Asking Eric: My neighbor and I enjoy going for walks, but three is a crowd Asking Eric: Is it rude to move another person’s belongings? Asking Eric: My husband politely holds the door open for others, but there’s a problem Asking Eric: How do I find a good therapist? ( Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com .)
Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI’s strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. “We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones during this difficult time,” said a statement from OpenAI. Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said “appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation.” The city’s chief medical examiner’s office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide. His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a “happy, smart and brave young man” who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends. Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT. “Suchir’s contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn’t have succeeded without him,” said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what made him such an exceptional engineer and scientist was his attention to detail and ability to notice subtle bugs or logical errors. “He had a knack for finding simple solutions and writing elegant code that worked,” Schulman wrote. “He’d think through the details of things carefully and rigorously.” Balaji later shifted to organizing the huge datasets of online writings and other media used to train GPT-4, the fourth generation of OpenAI’s flagship large language model and a basis for the company’s famous chatbot. It was that work that eventually caused Balaji to question the technology he helped build, especially after newspapers, novelists and others began suing OpenAI and other AI companies for copyright infringement. He first raised his concerns with The New York Times, which reported them in an October profile of Balaji . He later told The Associated Press he would “try to testify” in the strongest copyright infringement cases and considered a lawsuit brought by The New York Times last year to be the “most serious.” Times lawyers named him in a Nov. 18 court filing as someone who might have “unique and relevant documents” supporting allegations of OpenAI’s willful copyright infringement. His records were also sought by lawyers in a separate case brought by book authors including the comedian Sarah Silverman, according to a court filing. “It doesn’t feel right to be training on people’s data and then competing with them in the marketplace,” Balaji told the AP in late October. “I don’t think you should be able to do that. I don’t think you are able to do that legally.” He told the AP that he gradually grew more disillusioned with OpenAI, especially after the internal turmoil that led its board of directors to fire and then rehire CEO Sam Altman last year. Balaji said he was broadly concerned about how its commercial products were rolling out, including their propensity for spouting false information known as hallucinations. But of the “bag of issues” he was concerned about, he said he was focusing on copyright as the one it was “actually possible to do something about.” He acknowledged that it was an unpopular opinion within the AI research community, which is accustomed to pulling data from the internet, but said “they will have to change and it’s a matter of time.” He had not been deposed and it’s unclear to what extent his revelations will be admitted as evidence in any legal cases after his death. He also published a personal blog post with his opinions about the topic. Schulman, who resigned from OpenAI in August, said he and Balaji coincidentally left on the same day and celebrated with fellow colleagues that night with dinner and drinks at a San Francisco bar. Another of Balaji’s mentors, co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, had left OpenAI several months earlier , which Balaji saw as another impetus to leave. Schulman said Balaji had told him earlier this year of his plans to leave OpenAI and that Balaji didn’t think that better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence “was right around the corner, like the rest of the company seemed to believe.” The younger engineer expressed interest in getting a doctorate and exploring “some more off-the-beaten path ideas about how to build intelligence,” Schulman said. Balaji’s family said a memorial is being planned for later this month at the India Community Center in Milpitas, California, not far from his hometown of Cupertino. —————- EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. —————– The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives. More articles from the BDNEx-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died
I know. There’s a lot out there to make price-sensitive wine lovers shiver, not least of all inflation and the Trump administration’s looming threat of tariffs. Yet, when I thumbed through my tasting books for 2024, I was once again surprised by how many wines are still relative bargains: succulent, savory reds; crisp, elegant whites; juicy rosés; and even sophisticated sparklers are among the 4,223 wines from 20 countries I sampled this year. I ferreted out some on international trips, others at big importer portfolio tastings or meetings with producers in New York, still others during daily tastings in my home office in Connecticut. Out of these I culled this year’s 50 good buys. As always, I’ve favored wines that are new or from producers I haven’t recommended before. That meant not including many labels that reliably offer excellent value in this price range, such as Massican, Matthiasson and Tablas Creek in California, Champagnes such as Lanson Le Black, Piper Heidsieck and Drappier Carte d’Or, and many, many more. Most difficult is finding Champagne at this price point. The good news is that the holiday season is prime time for discounts on even top fizz names; the last quarter of the year is when sales spike. So, stock up, in case tariffs do become a reality in 2025. Where to look for other bargains? The story is the same as it’s been for several years. Italy is at the top for me, with good values in almost every region. France is a close second. Look in Alsace, Macon, the Loire Valley, Muscadet and the Languedoc, and don’t forget lesser names in Bordeaux, where producers I’ve recommended before, like Château Siran, Cantemerle, Tour Saint Christophe and Bellefont Belcier, haven’t raised prices even though their wines just keep getting better. Fair warning: Some regions that used to be the source of cheap quaffing vino, like Beaujolais, are now taken seriously, which means prices go up. Portugal is a growing source of super dry table wines, especially from fascinating grapes people are just learning about. Sauvignon blancs from New Zealand, Chile and elsewhere, which I’ve written about this year, are still buys, and two other whites—albariño and vermentino—are gaining traction. Finally, shop around and compare prices. That’s what wine-searcher.com is for. The Fun Fizz Top sparkling wines, including pét-nats, come from every continent but Antarctica. NV Bohigas Brut Reserva Cava ($19)A lot of Spanish cava is uninspiring, but this snappy light-bodied one is a top choice of many sommeliers. It features zingy green-apple notes and has the satisfying bright acidity to go brilliantly with oysters. 2022 Martin Texier Petite Nature Pétillant Naturel ($25)Texier is an accomplished DJ, the son of a famous organic winemaker and part of a new wave of young vignerons focusing on lesser-known local varieties in the Rhone Valley. This dry, floral-and-ginger scented natural sparkling white with honeyed notes and a gentle fizz is made from the offbeat muscat a petits grains grape. NV Pierre Sparr Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé ($27) Crémants are top alternatives to Champagne and made by the same traditional method. This salmon-pink, fruity all-pinot-noir cuvée from Alsace is smooth and round, with scents of strawberries. It’s a fine party drink, especially with salty snacks and barbecued anything. 2022 BiancaVigna Prosecco Superiore Rive di Soligo Conegliano Valdobbiadene Extra Brut ($29)Forget basic prosecco and go for the best, which are still bargains. This pale gold, very dry example from a steep hillside vineyard has lemon and mineral flavors and tiny bubbles and is an easy to sip aperitif. NV Chandon Reserve Blanc de Blancs, By the Bay ($36) This award-winning sparkling ode to chardonnay comes from Napa’s cool Carneros region and made its debut in 2020. It’s a big step up from the winery’s basic brut. Cool breezes from San Pablo Bay give it energy, flinty, citrusy scents, and subtle flavors of green apples. When Only Champagne Will Do Nonvintage blends from little-known growers still offer the best values. Entry-level cuvées from larger brands are getting better and better, but it’s still difficult to find one that costs $50 or less—except during the holidays when discounts reign. Pommery Brut Royal ($47) Sleek and seductive define this blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier, which is a terrific aperitif. NV Stephane Coquillette Brut Carte d’Or ($48) Organically farmed and richly textured this top grower’s fizz rivals many grand cru champagnes. Its aromas and flavors remind me of lemon verbena, warm brioche and toasted hazelnuts. NV Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve ($50)Charming, delicate, vivacious, this entry level fizz comes from a small grand marque house that’s less known than it should be. Expect a creamier texture and more complexity and depth than you find in most nonvintage cuvées. NV Delamotte Brut ($50) Crisp lemony freshness, aromas of freshly baked bread, and refined elegance are the hallmarks of this basic brut. It’s ideal for toasting or sipping anytime. NV Gamet Rive Droite Blanc de Noirs Brut ($50) This grower-producer was a new name to me, but I quickly became a fan of the food-friendly cuvée with floral and red-fruit notes. Meunier, a grape that used to be viewed as merely a blending partner to more prized pinot noir and chardonnay, has the starring role. NV R.H. Coutier Cuvée Tradition Grand Cru Brut ($50)A grower in grand cru village Ambonnay crafts this versatile fizz blend of intense, rich pinot noir and crisp chardonnay. Its personality is all about citrus, almond and floral aromas, gentle minerality and a creamy texture. Whites From light, bright aperitifs to refrigerator sipping to elegant, rich wines for a grand dinner: 2023 Dolly Wines California Chardonnay ($15) Don’t laugh. Country music celeb Dolly Parton’s new foray into the world of wine is better than you’d expect, and the price is right. With notes of pear, lemon zest and pineapple, it’s for cozy sipping while listening to Dolly classics. 2021 Forge Cellars Dry Riesling Classique ($18)I say this every year: People should drink more riesling! This Finger Lakes example is from the visionary New York project of Rhone Valley winemaker Louis Barruol. It’s a bright, refreshing stunner with depth, complexity and ripe apple notes. 2023 Mendes + Symington Contacto Alvarinho ($19) This new partnership between a family known for port and well-known winemaker Anselmo Mendes aims to highlight the quality of alvarinho (aka albariño) in vinho verde’s Monçao e Melgaço region. Aromatic, floral and elegant, it shows surprising complexity for the price. 2023 Oberon Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($20) Napa sauvignon blancs are hitting $50 and up, so this fresh, layered, fruity example with a screw cap stands out as a bargain. 2020 David & Nadia Aristargos ($32)This brilliant white blend from South Africa includes nine grape varieties, which feels like some kind of record. Deep, mineral chenin blanc is the main one, and the wine has the kind of complexity and balance for serious aging. 2023 Fowles Ladies Who Shoot their Lunch Riesling ($32)A winner. The name and label captured me, but the wine inside did, too, showing the appeal of Aussie rieslings. Picture minty, wintergreen aromas and a very dry, clear, rich flavors ideal with sausages. 2020 Garofoli Podium Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore ($32)There’s so much going on in this zesty white: smoky, herbal aromas, tastes of minerals and salt, stones and spice, refreshing acidity and structure, too. 2023 Aperture Cellars Chenin Blanc ($35)The grape is, happily, making a comeback in California. Jesse Katz, who crafted Justin Timberlake’s wedding wine, is the owner-winemaker behind this deep, vibrant, mineral-toned version from old vines in Sonoma. 2022 Los Vascos Primo Semillon ($40) I’m a huge fan of the whites made from Semillon grapes. This just-launched example is from the Los Vascos winery in the Apalta region of Chile, owned by the Rothschild family of Château Lafite fame. The vines date back to 1930. Subtle and harmonious, it entices with white flower and orange peel aromas and lingering notes of grapefruit. 2022 Bella Union Bianco ($45)This gorgeous, ambitious winery just opened in Napa this year. White blends are on the rise in the valley, and this unique mix of six white grapes is Italian in style. It’s light, soft, mouthwatering, minerally and so easy to drink you could have it for breakfast—or better, with sautéed flounder. 2022 New Chapter Grüner Veltliner ($45)Most grüner is sold in the German-speaking world, and this new Austrian example made by two renowned winemakers aims for a wider audience with a rounder style, softer peppery flavors, and more richness. It overdelivers. 2022 Wine & Soul Guru Branco ($48)Crisp yet full-bodied, this white is a field blend of four native Portuguese varieties and doesn’t resemble any other wine I’ve ever tried. It’s pure and subtle and complex with lots of intensity, tension and energy. And it was fantastic with a rich codfish stew. 2022 Knights Bridge Pont de Chevalier Chardonnay ($50)Golden in color, this citrus-toned, richly textured white is from the coldest site on this excellent, and a bit under-the-radar estate in Sonoma’s Knight’s Valley. This is their second-tier quality level; their entry-level KB wines are also super buys, as is their Pont de Chevalier sauvignon blanc. 2021 Mazzei Tenuta Belguardo V Maremma Toscana Vermentino Superiore ($50)This tangy, creamy-textured, terroir-driven Italian white with a salty lick of lime zest is a serious wine built to age. It’s the first vintage of this prestige vermentino to sport the superiore status, newly official in coastal Tuscany. Is vermentino the new sauvignon blanc? Rosé for all Seasons Dry pink wines are an all-year drink, as an aperitif or party sipper, or with food. 2023 Lapostolle Le Rosé ($16)The best Provence rosés are getting pricier, so look to other countries for bargains. This very pale Chilean pink blend of cinsault, syrah, mourvedre and grenache has subtle elegance, refreshing acidity, and notes of rose petals. 2023 Montes Cherub Rosé of Syrah ($18) OK, I love the label, which has just the right insouciance for a gulpable pink wine. From another top Chilean producer, it has charm, a bright fruit taste and intense pomegranate aromas. 2023 Domaine de L’Ile Poquerolles Rosé ($42)Ever since the family behind luxury house Chanel bought this island estate off the coast of Provence with certified organic vineyards, the wines have been getting better and better. The latest vintage is the best yet, super elegant, savory and sophisticated enough to serve on a high-powered yacht. Reds to Pair With Pizza and Steak From light and lively to big and bold: 2022 Tenuta di Capezzana Barco Reale Carmignano ($18)Talk about an ideal house red! Think tangy dark cherry and savory tobacco leaf flavors, the right amount of bright acidity for all kinds of food and a round texture. The sangiovese-cabernet sauvignon blend comes from less-well-known Tuscan region Carmignano. 2021 Bodega Garzón Reserva Marselan ($19) Look to Uruguayan winery Garzón for well-made, satisfying bargains, including this red. The marselan grape is a mainstay in, of all places, China. Garzón’s medium-bodied version is all about crunchy red fruit laced with mint and a soft texture. 2021 Clos de los Siete by Michel Rolland ($20)Though nearly a million bottles of this bold, smooth, satisfying red merlot and malbec blend from Argentina are sold every year, it offers quality at a low price. The current vintage seems lighter and fresher than those in the past, with bright, rich fruit flavors, and is perfect with burgers. 2021 Kir-Yianni Naoussa Cuvée Villages ($20)Recently a reader wrote asking for recommendations for Greek wines. This deep, earthy red with an iron tang is made from xinomavro in the northern Greece region of Naoussa by a pioneering winemaker I visited some 15 years ago. The wine will age, too. 2021 Delille Cellars Metier Cabernet Sauvignon ($22) Washington State is an excellent source of good value cabernet, and this gold-medal-winning plush, bold, dark-fruited red is a prime example. Metier is a new label from the well-known DeLille Cellars. 2021 Pedro Parra y Familia Imaginador Cinsault ($24) I drank this juicy, tangy, gulpable certified organic red with a fish lunch in Chile’s lake country and was struck by its compelling flavors, from savory cherries to an earth and mineral finish. Parra, famous internationally as a soil consultant, makes it from old cinsault vines in the Itata Valley. 2022 Paringa Estate Peninsula Pinot Noir ($25)Good pinot gets more and more expensive, but this spice-scented Australian example with rich red fruit flavors offers amazing appeal for the money. Fresh and energetic, it’s from the beachy paradise of Mornington Peninsula south of Melbourne. Serve with a slight chill. 2021 Château Grand Village Bordeaux Superieur ($26)Bordeaux is a hotbed of bargains under $50, and this plush, spice-and-cocoa red is one of them. Mostly merlot, it’s made by the team behind cult Pomerol Château Lafleur. Last year I recommended the white, this year, it’s the red. 2022 Istine Chianti Classico ($28)The reds in this historic Tuscan region have never been better, and prices are still modest. This entry-level bottling from rising star Angela Fronti at Istine is all high-energy, charm, and sour cherry and herb flavors, which make it an excellent all-around food partner. 2020 Dorli Muhr Prellenkirchen – Samt & Seide Blaufränkisch ($32)Too few people know the virtues of Austrian grape blaufränkisch! This one from a specialist in the grape offers the taste of wild berries and red currants. 2020 Familia Zuccardi Poligonos San Pablo Cabernet Franc ($31)Wines from this award-winning Argentinian winery all deliver superb quality for the price. This fresh, lush, vivid red with notes of dried herbs and tobacco shows the country is a top spot for this increasingly popular grape. 2022 Frog’s Leap Flycatcher ($35) A long-time organic Napa producer makes this deliciously drinkable, soft-textured red blend (zinfandel, petite sirah, merlot, syrah) that goes with everything from steak to pizza. 2021 Ar Pe Pe Rosso di Valtellina ($37) Alpine wines are having a moment in America, and this one, made from Nebbiolo grapes in Valtellina, hits all the right notes: rose petal aromas, flavors that recall lush cherries and fine tannins. 2022 Inman Family G & T ($42)This brand-new cedary, plummy, earthy blend of grenache and tempranillo (G & T, get it?) from Lake County north of Napa slips down so easy. 2019 Domaine Guillot-Broux Macon-Cruzille Beaumont ($43) Macon, the southern tip of Burgundy, is known for white wines, but this red from gamay grapes grabbed me with its seductive savory fruit and the kind of juiciness you also find in the best Beaujolais. No-Alcohol Vino The latest trend in wine with more good-drinking choices than ever: NV Missing Thorn Rosé ($25) Made by acclaimed Napa winemaker Aaron Pott, this light, lively pink wine from barbera grapes is one of the excellent wines in his no-alcohol project with vintner Stephanie Honig. Oddbird GSM ($25)This Swedish brand founded over a decade ago went nationwide in the US this year. This rich, smooth red nonalcoholic blend from southern France is deservedly popular. Drink it until the next shipment of my favorite, their bold spicy tempranillo made from organic Spanish grapes labeled Addiction, arrives next year. Best served slightly chilled. NV French Bloom Le Rosé ($44) LVMH recently invested in French Bloom, whose three NA fizz cuvées are crafted by a Champagne maker and poured at many European Michelin-starred restaurants. The rosé is all about fresh berry and peach aromas and flavors. NV Kally X Single Thread Pear Verbena ($49)Citrusy-tart, this sophisticated drink based on verjus, the pressed juice of unfermented grapes, has wine-like polish and a silky texture. It’s a zero-proof collaboration between wine alternatives company Kally and the chef at Sonoma’s three Michelin-starred restaurant, SingleThread. And for Dessert Sweet wines for sipping: 2018 Royal Tokaji Late Harvest (500ml, $20)This isn’t as rich and complex as versions labeled Aszu, but it’s deliciously spicy and honeyed, with notes of apricot and a silky-smooth texture. Serve with poached apricots in a rich syrup or pear and ginger tart. NV Warre’s Otima 10 Year Tawny Port (500ml, $26)This ready-to-drink port in a lighter, more refreshing style is made for people who think they don’t like port. It’s rich, soft and satisfying and loaded with dried fig and honey flavors. Serve with cheese or sip by the fire after dinner. 2014 Château Rieussec Sauternes (half-bottle, $46)This is an amazing price for a 10-year-old sweet wine from a Bordeaux château owned by the Rothschild family. ___ ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire after nearly 14 months of fighting
Pope brings Holy Year and prayers for better future to Rome prison, a 'cathedral of pain and hope'Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. “We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones during this difficult time,” said a statement from OpenAI. Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said “appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation.” The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide. His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a “happy, smart and brave young man” who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends. Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT. “Suchir’s contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn’t have succeeded without him,” said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what made him such an exceptional engineer and scientist was his attention to detail and ability to notice subtle bugs or logical errors. “He had a knack for finding simple solutions and writing elegant code that worked,” Schulman wrote. “He’d think through the details of things carefully and rigorously.” Balaji later shifted to organizing the huge datasets of online writings and other media used to train GPT-4, the fourth generation of OpenAI's flagship large language model and a basis for the company's famous chatbot. It was that work that eventually caused Balaji to question the technology he helped build, especially after newspapers, novelists and others began suing OpenAI and other AI companies for copyright infringement. He first raised his concerns with The New York Times, which reported them in an October profile of Balaji . He later told The Associated Press he would “try to testify” in the strongest copyright infringement cases and considered a lawsuit brought by The New York Times last year to be the “most serious.” Times lawyers named him in a Nov. 18 court filing as someone who might have “unique and relevant documents” supporting allegations of OpenAI's willful copyright infringement. His records were also sought by lawyers in a separate case brought by book authors including the comedian Sarah Silverman, according to a court filing. “It doesn’t feel right to be training on people’s data and then competing with them in the marketplace,” Balaji told the AP in late October. “I don’t think you should be able to do that. I don’t think you are able to do that legally.” He told the AP that he gradually grew more disillusioned with OpenAI, especially after the internal turmoil that led its board of directors to fire and then rehire CEO Sam Altman last year. Balaji said he was broadly concerned about how its commercial products were rolling out, including their propensity for spouting false information known as hallucinations. But of the “bag of issues” he was concerned about, he said he was focusing on copyright as the one it was “actually possible to do something about.” He acknowledged that it was an unpopular opinion within the AI research community, which is accustomed to pulling data from the internet, but said “they will have to change and it’s a matter of time.” He had not been deposed and it’s unclear to what extent his revelations will be admitted as evidence in any legal cases after his death. He also published a personal blog post with his opinions about the topic. Schulman, who resigned from OpenAI in August, said he and Balaji coincidentally left on the same day and celebrated with fellow colleagues that night with dinner and drinks at a San Francisco bar. Another of Balaji’s mentors, co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, had left OpenAI several months earlier , which Balaji saw as another impetus to leave. Schulman said Balaji had told him earlier this year of his plans to leave OpenAI and that Balaji didn't think that better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence “was right around the corner, like the rest of the company seemed to believe.” The younger engineer expressed interest in getting a doctorate and exploring “some more off-the-beaten path ideas about how to build intelligence,” Schulman said. Balaji's family said a memorial is being planned for later this month at the India Community Center in Milpitas, California, not far from his hometown of Cupertino. —————- EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. —————-- The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.
Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement U Soe Kyi received Ms Elena Ajmone Sessera, Resident Representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Myanmar, and her team yesterday afternoon at the ministry’s reception hall. During the meeting, they discussed humanitarian assistance initiatives implemented by the ministry, disaster risk management, education on the risk of landmine, rehabilitation support for landmine victims, and ICRC’s prosthetic and orthotic services for people with disabilities caused by landmines. They also explored collaborative efforts between the ministry and ICRC. Director-General of the Disaster Management Department, other relevant officials, and representatives from the ICRC also joined the meeting. — MNA/KZL
Wyden legislation would mandate FCC cybersecurity rules for telecomsIn a “People’s Town Hall” that attracted more than 300 attendees from 25 cities and towns across the region, state Sen. Jo Comerford reminded her “bosses” — the people — that they are the force behind democracy and to make their voices heard as the country heads into another term under President-elect Donald Trump. “In our view about government, you are the most powerful, and we’re going to need that power as we go into this next two years; it is going to be a hard two years,” Comerford said. During the virtual event last Thursday, the senator — who will wrap up her third term representing the Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester District at the end of the year — gave an overview of her biggest achievements for the western half of the state, specifically in disaster relief, climate mitigation and health care. She then outlined a direction for her fourth term, which involves defending and protecting the rights established in the state, continuing to build momentum from past work and finding innovative solutions to existing challenges. “This session, going forward, I’m inviting you to be organizers with me,” Comerford told those who attended the town hall. “This is going to be really important for the things that we want to accomplish.” While Comerford touched on nine priorities for the state, three rose to the top of the list: housing, increasing education funding to rural communities, and protecting natural and working lands. Many residents asked Comerford about the security of reproductive rights and immigrants under Trump’s incoming administration, and while Comerford acknowledged that neither she, nor anyone on Beacon Hill, can be certain of what will happen, the state is committed to protecting and upholding these rights. “I got into state service in the second two years of the Trump administration,” said Comerford, referring to her first term that started in January 2019. “Why I wanted to run was I believe states can do great things. I’ll show you what we’ve done in these last years to make our commonwealth more equitable, safer, more secure for the greatest possible diversity of people.” Article continues after... Cross|Word Flipart Typeshift SpellTower Really Bad Chess Comerford began the town hall with a progress report. Over the past term, she has filed 71 bills, 19 of which were signed into law and implemented by Gov. Maura Healey’s administration. Some of these bills include establishing a permanent disaster relief resiliency fund in the wake of devastating floods to many farms in the communities she represents; creating a gender “X” option on all state documents; and requiring solar siting to look at the built environment or disturbed land before installing solar on forested and agricultural lands. “I’m proud of these, right?” Comerford said. “I’m proud of, for example, in 2022 we passed legislation to protect providers offering and individuals seeking reproductive health care and gender-affirming care.” In addition, two bond bills were passed during the term, including a housing bond bill and the recent $4 billion economic development bond bill, the latter of which was signed into law late last week. In terms of state funding, Comerford helped secure more than $2.36 million in budget earmarks and more than $44 million in bonding earmarks, but she admits that there is no way to track how much of that funding goes to western Massachusetts. She filed a bill to require the state government to publish how much state funding is distributed to each town and region, so legislators can ensure equitable funding. “I want to see it every which way, because I want to make sure that we’re getting a fair shake of public tax dollars,” Comerford said. Piggybacking on equitable funding, Comerford said public education money is among her top priorities, especially for districts with very small or declining enrollments. Along with state Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Deerfield, Comerford filed “An Act to Provide a Sustainable Future for Rural Schools” to help drive funding to smaller districts. However, the real problem, Comerford said, won’t be solved with legislation because the issue lies in education funding formulas. Neither the state education formula or the municipal local aid formula have been reviewed in at least 10 years, which is why she promises to push hard for such a review. “We must open these formulas. They are not working for us. We can make them work, and it will be game-changers for our communities,” she said. An additional legislative priority, Comerford said, is the formation of an independent state municipal and public safety building authority, which would provide financial support for cities and towns to update aging infrastructure. Attendees at the virtual hearing pointed to Northfield as an example, as the rural town still needs a new fire station after voters rejected plans for a $13.5 million public safety complex last year . Comerford said that municipalities not only need space to operate, but buildings to establish public safety and community. “We’ve met with the Legislature on this, we’ve met with the lieutenant governor on this and we are going to push it. It’s a priority bill of the Massachusetts Municipal Association,” Comerford said. Many attendees tuned into the town hall to learn more about the state’s position on federal policies that Trump has endorsed, including the mass deportation of immigrants and the dissolution of the U.S. Department of Education. “The Department of Education was an act of Congress, so as much as Mr. Trump may think that he can abolish it very quickly, there are many people who would tell him differently,” Comerford said. Currently, the state has codified the right of both providers and residents to supply and seek gender-affirming and reproductive health care, Comerford said. The Safer Communities Act, which would prohibit local police cooperation with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, is coming back to the Legislature this session, and she encourages residents to write to their representatives to support the bill. Yet even with the state taking a stand to protect these rights, Comerford said she’s proactively organizing and listening to grassroots organizations that lead advocacy for these social services, such as Reproductive Equity Now, ACLU, the MIRA Coalition and the Truth School. She’s planning a “know-your-rights” event for education constituents outlining their state civil rights. “We have demonstrated a willingness, both a financial and a policy willingness, to protect and defend and care for our people,” she said. Taking care of Massachusetts residents also applies to the land that Comerford’s constituents live on. “I think we want the green revolution here,” she said. “I just don’t think we want to be steamrolled by multinational corporations, and I don’t think we want to cut trees or take natural or working lands when we don’t have to.” Both the Massachusetts Municipal Association and Comerford previously raised concerns about municipalities losing control over solar siting under the provisions of the climate bill Healey signed into law on Nov. 21. However, Comerford pointed out some aspects of the law that empower municipalities, such as funding for local governments to intervene on state solar siting and permitting processes. Rural towns with populations under 7,500 receive this funding automatically. Solar siting has been streamlined into one application, but feedback from every municipal government department is included on the single permit. “Our communities are stewarding this land, and it’s beautiful and we’re proud of it, but it means they can’t develop this land,” she said. “Some are worried about how they’re going to pay a firefighter or a teacher, so we have to really transition and change the PILOT formula, and we need to codify this, the value of this land.” In addition to funneling millions of dollars into climate mitigation and public transit, the state continued to fund housing development with the housing bond bill. Comerford said she met with Housing Secretary Edward Augustus about the upcoming five-year housing plan and the available funds for building housing in western Massachusetts. While Comerford said she would not overstep municipal jurisdiction on housing, she is working to provide local governments with the tools and resources to build a mixture of market-rate and affordable units. At the end of every question, Comerford rattled off local and statewide organizations that are advocating for these causes. She finished the virtual event by asking attendees to attend hearings on Beacon Hill, in person or virtually, and get western Massachusetts voices heard. Comerford has observed how testimony from her constituents creates change, and how Boston is beginning to listen. “I love this job, I love doing it, I love the people I represent, I am in awe of you every day,” Comerford said. “Our democracy is really fragile right now, and we need you to believe in our government and make us work.”