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Record-breaking heat wave grips western United States

A record early heat wave striking the western United States on Friday is a one-in-500-year event and almost certainly the result of human-caused climate change, experts say. The heat has been toppling records this week and is set to continue into the weekend across western cities while expanding eastward. Four locations in the desert area near the California-Arizona border registered 44.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, a US national record for March. The readings were recorded near Yuma and Martinez Lake in Arizona, and around Winterhaven and Ogilby in California. Read: Intense heatwave grips US, triggering record-breaking temperatures Already, 65 cities have recorded new March highs, ranging from Arizona and California to Idaho, Weather.com reported. Death Valley reached 40°C on Thursday, while typically cool and foggy San Francisco tied its historic March record at 29°C. In Colorado, skiers were seen hitting the slopes shirtless. The National Weather Service issued extreme heat warni...
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Google faces DoJ antitrust probe over Character.AI deal: report

Alphabet Inc.'s Google is under investigation by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) for a potential antitrust violation concerning its partnership with AI startup Character.AI, according to a Bloomberg Law report. The DOJ is examining whether Google structured the deal to circumvent formal merger scrutiny, a move that could have significant implications for the tech industry's regulatory landscape. In 2024, Google entered into an agreement with Character.AI, granting the tech giant a non-exclusive license to use the startup's advanced chatbot technology. As part of the deal, Character.AI's co-founders, Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, along with other team members, rejoined Google. While Google maintains that Character.AI remains an independent entity with no ownership stake from Google, regulators are scrutinising the arrangement to determine if it effectively constitutes an acquisition designed to bypass antitrust review processes. This investigation adds to a series of legal challenges facing Google. The Justice Department is probing whether Google violated antitrust law with an agreement to use the AI technology of a popular chatbot maker https://t.co/ePBihVMb9a — Bloomberg (@business) May 22, 2025 Earlier this year, a federal judge ruled that Google had illegally monopolised the online search and advertising markets, leading the DOJ to propose remedies that could include forcing Google to divest its Chrome browser and Android operating system. The DOJ is also considering measures to ensure competitive fairness in the rapidly evolving AI sector. https://ift.tt/OxdJXWy The Character.AI deal has drawn comparisons to similar arrangements by other tech giants. For instance, Microsoft's $650 million agreement with Inflection AI and Amazon's acquisition of AI talent from Adept have also attracted regulatory attention. These deals are being examined to assess whether they provide established companies with an unfair advantage over emerging competitors in the AI field. 🔥✌️More Insights from the Google vs. DOJ Antitrust trial about user data👇 pic.twitter.com/huOFDIPong — ✌️Oᒪᗩᖴ KOá‘­á‘­ 🔥 (@Olaf_Kopp) May 23, 2025 As the DOJ's investigation progresses, the outcome could reshape how future AI partnerships and acquisitions are evaluated under antitrust laws, potentially leading to stricter oversight of Big Tech's expansion into the AI market.

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At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

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US, Philippines kick off joint military drills in South China Sea with 16,000 troops

Some 16,000 US and Philippine troops kicked off the annual joint military drills on Monday in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), local media reported. WPS is the official designation by Philippines to the parts of the South China Sea that are included in the country's exclusive economic zone. The 19-day exercises, dubbed "Balikatan 2024," will involve around 5,000 Philippine and 11,000 US troops, making it the largest joint military drills between the two allies conducted in decades, local English daily Manila Times reported citing the military. A total of 14 nations, including Japan and India, will take part in the drills as observers amid mounting maritime tensions in the South China Sea. Contingents from the Australian Defence Force and the French Navy will also join the exercise as participants. Read also: China urges US to stop using Philippines as a pawn to destabilise South China Sea France will join the group sail but will only navigate on the edge of the Philippine E...
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Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

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