China could close the gap with the US in terms of artificial intelligence (AI) within one or two years, the Global Times writes, thanks to the People's Republic's breakthroughs in the field.

The AI gap between China and the US could soon be closed, a technology expert has said.

Zhou Hongyi, founder and chairman of 360 Security Technology and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the prediction to China's daily English-language newspaper Global Times.

The gap in AI largely lies in "determining the technical direction," according to the businessman.

"Once the direction is determined, Chinese companies' learning capabilities are very fast. Especially when peers release open-source projects or publish papers publicly, it is not a difficult problem for Chinese teams to follow up," Zhou said.

A joint EU statement denouncing Moscow and promising “unwavering”support for Kiev was blocked by Hungary on Friday, two anonymous diplomats told Politico and Bloomberg.

An email from the office of Charles Michel, president of the European Council, said that “in the absence of a consensus” among the member states, the statement would be sent on behalf of Michel, European Parliament president Roberta Metsola, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen instead.

The statement accused Russia of a “full-scale war of aggression” and of “violence, brutality, terror and destruction,” while pledging “strong and unwavering political, military, financial, economic, diplomatic and humanitarian support” to Ukraine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9udBIDj1dM

Megyn Kelly is joined by Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook, hosts of the Ruthless podcast, to discuss new details about President Biden’s dog Commander biting Secret Service agents more than two dozen times, the disrespect to the staff to have a reckless and dangerous pet at the White House, and more.

FREE JULIAN ASSANGE NOW, PLEASE.................

America’s weakness strengthens Trump (AN ARTICLE IN THE SMH, 24/02/2024)

[GUS — IN CAPS: REMIND ME: WHY IS AMERICA WEAK? IS IT BECAUSE THE PRESENT PRESIDENT IS SENILE? IS IT BECAUSE THE PENTAGON IS RUNNING THE SHOW AND OTHER COUNTRIES OUTSIDE THE WESTERN WORLD HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THE PENTAGON SHENANIGANS?

IS IT BECAUSE THE INDUSTRIAL MILITARY COMPLEX IS GEARED TOWARDS MAKING PROFITS WITH MORE COMPLEX WEAPONS THAT ARE FRAGILE AND DEMAND MORE CASH ALL THE TIME — MEANING MORE PROFITS?

IS IT BECAUSE THE AMERICAN POLITICS ARE WORSE THAN THEY LOOK?

Nick Bryant

Esports teams from across the globe will take part in Games of the Future — an experimental tournament blending sports and esports. With a $10m (~£7.94m) overall prize pool and unprecedented political backing, there’s a lot to compete for. There’s just one catch: it’s in Russia.

Taking place from February 19th-March 3rd, Games of the Future is a daring $58m (~£46m) Russian government-funded project fraught with legal uncertainties and geopolitical tension. Little has been reported about the event in Western media. Here’s what we know so far.

Bernard James Tindal Bosanquet (13 October 1877 – 12 October 1936) was an English cricketer best known for inventing the googly, a delivery designed to deceive the batsman. When bowled, it appears to be a leg break, but after pitching the ball turns in the opposite direction to that which is expected, behaving as an off break instead.

Dear Julian, We’re holding you in our hearts. I had a strong dream about you recently. It was clear and simple. You were free; walking in the streets of Melbourne. It was lunchtime on a sunny day. You were happy and relaxed and all passers by were friendly and glad to see you. May this dream come true. I sense that it will.

US President Joe Biden’s recent insulting remarks are proof that it would be better for Russia if he stayed in office, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

Speaking at a fundraiser in California on Wednesday, Biden had called Putin a “crazy son of a b*tch.” Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin asked the Russian president to comment on this. 

“When you asked me our preference for the next US president, I said we would work with any, but for us, for Russia, Biden was better,” Putin replied. “Judging by what he said, I was absolutely right.”

“That’s the appropriate reaction to what I said,” Putin continued. “It’s not like he could say ‘Good job, Volodya, thank you for the helping hand’. We understand what is going on there, in terms of internal politics.”

Community opposition to the AUKUS project finds expression in a Sydney suburb.

Back in March 2023, a public meeting was held in the Town Hall of the Sydney suburb of Marrickville, under the title “Can War be Avoided or Will Our Peace be Shattered?”. That meeting took place just a few days after the AUKUS agreement was finalised in San Diego, California. It was very well-attended, demonstrating strong opposition to the AUKUS project among members of the general public. The location of the meeting (just a stone’s throw from Prime Minister Albanese’s local office) gave it particular resonance.

Boris Johnson wanted $1 million for interview – Tucker Carlson
The former Fox host accused Britain’s ex-prime minister of attempting a “shakedown”

American journalist Tucker Carlson has said former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson would only agree to an interview if he received a $1 million fee. He made the claim following his high-profile interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Speaking to Blaze TV founder Glenn Beck for an interview that aired on Tuesday, Carlson contrasted his experience interviewing Putin with attempts to sit down with Johnson, who has slammed the former Fox host as a “tool of the Kremlin” after Carlson’s lengthy discussion with the Russian president earlier this month.

Monkey with a grenade: Why nukes in EU hands would be a nightmare
Scared of being abandoned by the US under Trump, European officials are floating the idea of the bloc’s own nuclear force

In 2023, US President Biden convened the second so-called “Summit for Democracy” with selected countries. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz took part via video link. He addressed the US President directly: “Thank you very much! Joe, a very special thank you for this important and encouraging initiative. Democracy delivers what it promises to the people and therefore the future belongs to democracy.” At the first summit in 2022, Taiwan had also been present. The Chinese government had reacted sharply. It said that organising the summit was a dangerous attempt to revive the Cold War mentality.

Jamila Eleywa, 66, gathered what little belongings remained to herself and her two surviving granddaughters and packed them into several bags. The elderly woman had decided to return to Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip after she heard that the impending Israeli invasion of Rafah was all but guaranteed, resolving to leave her current refuge to avoid the slaughter she knew would follow.

By Tareq S. Hajjaj / Mondoweiss

The question must be posed: does defending democracy still mean supporting Joe Biden?

And the simplest answer must immediately be proffered: yes, if Joe Biden is the Democratic presidential candidate in November, then defending democracy means vigorously supporting him.

But November is many months away, and a lot can change between now and then. And at the same time, at least one thing has not changed: Biden’s poll numbers are weak, Biden’s candidacy seems extremely vulnerable, and Biden’s advanced age is becoming an increasingly important liability, because of the way opponents have successfully framed it, but also because of his own performance, as an elderly man who lacks the physical and mental vigor that many Americans reasonably associate with the job of President of the United States.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is “too ill” to attend his appeal against the UK's decision to extradite him to the US, his lawyers have said. The US wants him on 17 charges of espionage tied to WikiLeaks’ publication of State Department and Pentagon files in 2010.

Assange, 52, has been held largely in solitary confinement in the Belmarsh maximum security prison in England since 2019, when Ecuador revoked his asylum at American insistence. The Australian-born publisher had requested to appear in court personally, but was unable to do so due to poor health, according to his lawyers.