World News Daily(2024-10-05) : EU Votes to Impose Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles
EU Votes to Impose Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles
The European Union (EU) has voted to impose tariffs of up to 45% on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports. The decision follows a year-long anti-subsidy investigation, which the EU claims reveals unfair Chinese subsidies.
In a recent vote, 10 EU members supported the tariffs, while five opposed and 12 abstained. Germany, the bloc’s largest economy and a major car producer, voted against the measure.
Critics, including BMW’s CEO Oliver Zipse, argue the tariffs could escalate into a trade conflict. Volkswagen echoed this sentiment, calling the tariffs “the wrong approach.”
China, viewed by the EU as both a partner and a competitor, has not yet responded to the decision. In potential retaliation, Beijing has launched probes into EU imports of brandy, dairy, and pork.
The EU’s move is partly driven by China’s surplus EV production capacity, estimated at three million vehicles annually—twice the size of the EU market. With the U.S. and Canada already imposing 100% tariffs, Europe becomes the most viable export destination.
Despite the vote, the EU remains open to negotiations with China, potentially exploring alternative solutions to tariffs.
ScoresPolitics
US Supreme Court to Rule on Mexico's $10 Billion Lawsuit Against US Gun Makers
The US Supreme Court will decide on a $10 billion lawsuit filed by Mexico against US gun manufacturers. Mexico claims these companies' negligent practices fuel violence by supplying drug cartels. The lawsuit names Smith & Wesson, Barrett Firearms, Beretta, Colt, Glock, and Interstate Arms.
Mexico asserts that 70% of trafficked weapons come from the US, contributing to 17,000 homicides in 2019. The damage, they say, equals 1.7-2% of Mexico’s GDP. The firearms industry denies these claims, arguing Mexico’s crime is its own responsibility.
The case has faced multiple court rulings. Initially dismissed, it was revived by a US appeals court. Now, the Supreme Court will review the gunmakers' appeal, who argue their practices are lawful.
Mexico’s lawyers defend their case, stating US gunmakers knowingly sell to “straw buyers” who supply cartels. Smith & Wesson counters that Mexico seeks to bankrupt the US firearms industry with a “novel and far-fetched” claim.
This isn’t the first time US guns have been blamed for destabilizing foreign nations. A UN report estimates half a million weapons have flooded into Haiti since 2020. The US plans a new policing unit to address this issue.
ScoresSociety
Thai-Japanese LGBTQ Activist Plaifah Kyoka Shodladd Recognized for Role in Same-Sex Marriage Legislation
Plaifah Kyoka Shodladd, a 19-year-old Thai-Japanese LGBTQ activist, has been recognized by Time magazine for her role in Thailand's same-sex marriage legislation. Born to a Thai father and a Japanese mother, Plaifah spoke in the Thai parliament, advocating for marriage equality. Thailand is set to become the first Southeast Asian nation to legally recognize same-sex marriages, starting in January. Plaifah hopes this will inspire neighboring countries to reconsider their laws and societal norms. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was also named on Time's list, making history as the youngest premier of Thailand.
ScoresEU Court Rules Against Meta Using Sexual Orientation for Targeted Ads
The EU's highest court ruled that Meta cannot use a user's sexual orientation for targeted ads, even if the user is openly queer. This decision follows a case brought by Max Schrems, an Austrian privacy activist. Schrems argued that Meta violated EU privacy laws by collecting data on his sexual orientation from various online activities, using it to target LGBTQ-specific ads. Meta denies this practice, claiming it treats sexual orientation data as sensitive and does not indiscriminately use it for advertising.
Initially, an Austrian court allowed Meta to target Schrems based on his public statements about being gay. However, the EU court overruled this, stating that public statements do not permit tech companies to target sensitive ads. The court also supported Schrems' claim that Meta gathers data from beyond its social media platforms.
Meta asserts it takes privacy seriously and offers user settings to control data usage. Schrems' lawyer, Katharina Raabe-Stuppnig, emphasized the ruling's impact on Meta's extensive data pool, limiting its use for advertising despite user consent.
The ruling is significant, especially for LGBTQ+ individuals in countries where homosexuality is illegal. Targeted ads could out them, posing safety risks. While tech companies may profit from deducing sexual orientation, they cannot jeopardize users' safety for financial gain.
ScoresHaitian Gang Massacre Leaves 70 Dead and 6,000 Fleeing
In the early hours of November 3, the Gran Grif gang, led by Luckson Elan, launched a brutal attack on Pont-Sonde, a rural area in Haiti's Artibonite region. The assault resulted in at least 70 deaths and forced over 6,000 residents to flee their homes. The gang claimed the massacre was retaliation for local passivity during police and militia operations that killed their members.
The United Nations migration agency reported that most displaced individuals sought refuge in nearby towns like Saint-Marc, while others found temporary shelter in makeshift camps. The Haitian government confirmed that the gang not only killed indiscriminately but also set fire to numerous homes and vehicles, marking one of the worst attacks in recent years.
Prime Minister Garry Conille condemned the violence, calling it an attack on the entire Haitian people. Security forces have since bolstered defenses in the area. The National Police replaced the local police chief and deployed additional forces to stabilize the situation.
Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, and its surrounding areas are largely controlled by armed gangs, leading to widespread hunger and homelessness. Despite international pledges, aid remains insufficient. Neighboring countries like the Dominican Republic and the United States continue to repatriate migrants, exacerbating the crisis.
Witnesses described the gang's methodical rampage, shooting residents and setting fires as they moved through the community. The RNDDH human rights organization warned that the death toll could be higher, as some families were entirely wiped out.
Pont-Sonde has long been a hotspot for violence, with residents pleading for enhanced protection. The Gran Grif gang, known for kidnappings, rapes, murders, and forced evictions, has frequently terrorized the area. Elan was recently added to the UN sanctions list.
The UN refugee agency cautioned that gang activity is obstructing humanitarian aid, leading to potential catastrophic shortages of food and medical supplies. Haiti has received only a fraction of the promised international support, with just over 400 officers deployed.
ScoresEconomy
Biden: Israel Considers Alternatives to Iran Counterstrike
Biden states Israel hasn't decided on a counterstrike against Iran's missile attack.
He emphasized no immediate decision will be made.
Biden suggested Israel considers alternatives to striking Iranian oil facilities.
His comments led to a rise in oil futures, reflecting market concerns.
The Middle East situation could impact the US election, influencing gas prices and voter sentiment.
ScoresOpenAI Secures $66 Billion in Funding, Faces Internal and External Challenges
OpenAI secures $66 billion in fresh funding, valuing the AI giant at $1570 billion. Thrive Capital leads the round, with Microsoft, Nvidia, and others joining in. The infusion aims to bolster OpenAI's research and expand its user base, which now exceeds 2.5 billion weekly.
The funding comes with conditions: conversion to equity hinges on OpenAI transitioning to a for-profit entity, shedding its non-profit board's control. This shift could also grant CEO Sam Altman equity for the first time. Current investors face a 100x profit cap, but this may change.
Thrive Capital gains a unique deal: if OpenAI meets revenue targets, Thrive can invest an additional $10 billion next year at the same valuation.
OpenAI reportedly pressures investors to shun competitors like Anthropic, xAI, and SSI. Elon Musk criticizes this move on Twitter.
OpenAI's recent exodus of key personnel, including CTO Mira Murati, fuels speculation about internal turmoil. Despite this, Altman insists the departures are unrelated to the restructuring.
In essence, OpenAI's bold moves reflect the high stakes and rapid evolution in the AI sector. The company's trajectory will be closely watched as it navigates these complex waters.
ScoresFusion Energy Startups Attract Over $100M in Investments
Fusion power, once a distant dream, is now drawing serious investment. Startups are racing to harness nuclear reactions, similar to those in the sun, to generate nearly limitless energy. Key advances in computer chips, AI, and high-temperature superconducting magnets are driving this surge.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) leads with a $1.8 billion Series B. Their Sparc reactor, using a tokamak design, aims for commercial relevance by the early 2030s.
General Fusion, founded in 2002, uses magnetized target fusion (MTF). Their reactor compresses plasma with pistons, heating liquid metal to generate steam.
Helion, aiming for 2028, plans to power Microsoft. Their field-reversed configuration reactor spins plasma into doughnuts, colliding them to induce fusion.
TAE, founded in 1998, uses a modified field-reversed configuration, bombarding plasma with particle beams for stability.
Zap Energy bypasses magnets, using electric currents to generate magnetic fields, compressing plasma for ignition.
Tokamak Energy innovates with a compact, spherical tokamak design, reducing magnet requirements.
First Light employs inertial confinement without lasers, using a projectile gun to compress fuel pellets.
Marvel Fusion and Xcimer both use inertial confinement, with Marvel focusing on silicon nanostructures and Xcimer aiming for a 10-megajoule laser system.
These startups, backed by billions, are pushing the boundaries of science and engineering, aiming to revolutionize energy production.
ScoresTechnology
Google tests "Verified" search result labels to enhance user trust.
Google is testing a "Verified" blue badge in search results to help users identify genuine and trustworthy business websites. The badge is based on multiple factors, including website verification, Merchant Center data, and manual reviews. This initiative aims to enhance the reliability of search results and reduce the risk of users encountering fake websites.
Term Explanations:
- Website Verification: The process of confirming the identity and legitimacy of a website.
- Merchant Center Data: Data provided by Google's Merchant platform to verify business information.
- Manual Review: The process of manually checking to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of information.
Meta Unveils Advanced AI Model for High-Definition Video Generation
Meta has unveiled Movie Gen, a sophisticated AI model capable of generating high-definition videos from text prompts. It supports 1080p resolution, 16-second clips at 16 frames per second, and can create personalized videos from user-uploaded images. The model also generates synchronized audio and offers precise video editing features.
Key Innovations:
- Transformer Architecture: Replaces diffusion models with a Transformer backbone and Flow Matching for training, enhancing efficiency and detail.
- Temporal AutoEncoder (TAE): Compresses video data into a compact latent space, improving processing speed.
- Flow Matching: Directly learns the transformation speed from noise to target data, reducing computational cost and improving temporal consistency.
Technical Highlights:
- Factorized Positional Embedding: Adapts to various video dimensions and lengths.
- Linear-Quadratic T-Schedule: Accelerates inference with fewer steps.
- Temporal Tiling: Divides videos into segments for efficient processing and seamless stitching.
Meta has also released benchmark datasets to facilitate further research. The model's release comes amid a flurry of activity in AI video generation, with key figures from OpenAI's Sora project moving to Google DeepMind. This shift suggests a competitive landscape, with Meta's advancements potentially pressuring OpenAI to accelerate its own developments.
Insight: The rapid evolution of AI video generation tools is reshaping creative possibilities. As these technologies mature, they will likely redefine how content is produced and consumed, much like how digital photography revolutionized visual storytelling.
ScoresFudan team develops next-generation brain-spinal interface device, offering hope for paralyzed patients to regain walking ability.
The team led by Professor Jia Fumin at Fudan University has developed a new generation of implantable brain-spine interface devices, offering hope for spinal cord injury patients to regain the ability to walk. The device establishes a "neural bypass" by implanting electrode chips in both the brain and spinal cord, enabling paralyzed patients to autonomously control their muscles and restore lower limb function.
The key to this technology lies in precisely stimulating the spinal nerve roots to reconstruct the walking gait. The team utilized a 3T MRI scanner to construct personalized spinal nerve root models and open-sourced the relevant data to support neurorehabilitation research. Additionally, the team employed multimodal technology to monitor gait in real-time, ensuring the optimization of stimulation parameters.
The Jia Fumin team also proposed a "three-in-one" system design, integrating brain signal acquisition with spinal stimulation devices, reducing incisions, enhancing signal acquisition stability and decoding speed, and making patients' walking more natural and fluid.
Professor Jia Fumin, who has been involved in the development of China's first generation of implantable neurostimulation equipment, understands the challenges of transforming research into clinical applications. He anticipates that it will take a decade for brain-spine interface technology to transition from research to clinical use and is prepared for the long haul.
The technology is expected to begin its first clinical trial by the end of the year. If successful, it will bring revolutionary changes to spinal cord injury patients.
ScoresVideo Game
Nintendo Opens Interactive Museum in Uji, Japan
Nintendo opened a museum in Uji, near Kyoto, showcasing its history and interactive games. The 10,000-square-meter space features exhibits from Nintendo’s past, including traditional Japanese card games and baby strollers. Visitors can play classic games like Super Mario using large controllers in pairs.
Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario and Zelda, emphasized the museum’s purpose: to highlight Nintendo’s unique approach to game development. He noted that Nintendo’s strategy is to release products at the right time, aligning with a medium- to long-term vision.
The museum uses a coin system for interactive exhibits, aiming to manage visitor flow and offer diverse experiences. Miyamoto hopes to attract 1,500 to 2,000 visitors daily.
Miyamoto also discussed the museum’s role in revitalizing Uji, a city with an aging population. He drew parallels to Kyoto’s historical significance, emphasizing the need for constant innovation, akin to a river’s flow.
ScoresNHK World Japan to Air Documentary on 'Final Fantasy' Series Origins
NHK World Japan will air "Chronicles of Legendary Games," a documentary on the birth of Japanese game series, starting with "Final Fantasy" (FF) on October 11-12, 2024. Key creators like Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu share insights into the series' origins, challenges, and success. The show promises rare, unreleased materials, showcasing the passion behind game creation.
Broadcast Dates (Japan Time):
- October 11, 2024: 11:30-11:58 / 16:30-16:58 / 22:30-22:58
- October 12, 2024: 4:30-4:58
Diablo IV: The Wrath of the Necromancer receives an IGN score of 8 and a Metacritic score of 86.
Diablo IV: The Wrath of the Berserker received an 8/10 from IGN and an 86/100 from Metacritic. This expansion introduces captivating exploration zones, customizable characters, and dungeon activities. Although the campaign and story are somewhat lackluster, and there are some bugs, its metadata improvements, enhanced progression systems, and the addition of NPC companions have been well-received. PCGamesN, PC Gamer, and Destructoid all awarded it 9/10, praising the expansion for inheriting and modernizing the series' essence, bringing Diablo IV to its best state.
ScoresEntertainment
National Day holiday sees continued museum boom, with many museums packed to capacity.
During the National Day holiday, the museum boom continued, with many museums packed to capacity. The Shanghai Museum's "Summit of the Pyramids: The Great Exhibition of Ancient Egyptian Civilization" showcased 788 ancient Egyptian artifacts and extended its hours to accommodate the crowds. The Palace Museum launched the "The Path of Virtue: Special Exhibition on Confucian Culture" to commemorate the 2,575th anniversary of Confucius' birth. The Sanxingdui Museum's "In Search of Sanxingdui: Excavation Site of Sacrificial Pits" VR experience attracted numerous visitors. The Archaeological Park of the Han Dynasty Haihunhou Kingdom in Jiangxi Province closed its online ticketing channel and implemented crowd control measures due to reaching the maximum booking limit.
Brief Analysis: The museum craze reflects the public's growing interest in history and culture. Exhibitions combined with technology, such as VR experiences, enhance interactivity. Crowd control measures ensure the quality of visits but require advance planning.
ScoresAmazon hints at renewal of 'The Lord of the Rings' Season 3, with Season 2 performance being outstanding.
Amazon has not officially announced, but has invited the main cast of "The Lord of the Rings" to a London event, hinting at a renewal for Season 3.
Season 2 attracted 55 million viewers and received higher ratings than Season 1. The company paid $250 million for the rights and plans to produce five seasons with a total budget of $7 billion.
In the final episode of Season 2, the confrontation between Sauron and Calimac was not done with CGI but was filmed practically. Calimac's fall from the cliff was performed by the actor using a wire.
Calimac has a complicated relationship with Halbrand, who is actually Sauron in disguise. Sauron has acquired the nine human rings, hinting at the advancement of the One Ring plan in the next season.
Calimac will team up with Elrond and Gil-galad to confront the Dark Lord, with Gandalf joining the group.
ScoresHealth
New COVID-19 Vaccines Target Omicron KP.2 Subvariant
New COVID-19 vaccines, targeting the Omicron KP.2 subvariant, are rolling out at pharmacies. These mRNA vaccines, from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, aim to reduce infection risk and severity. While they won't stop transmission entirely, they are crucial for high-risk groups: seniors, immunocompromised individuals, and those with limited healthcare access.
Vaccine fatigue and misinformation have hindered uptake. Yet, all adults should consider the updated shot, especially given the virus's persistent spread. The vaccines are available to everyone six months and older, including those previously vaccinated or unvaccinated.
COVID-19 remains a concern, with indicators stable but elevated. Health officials emphasize staying home when sick, masking, and covering coughs. The virus is endemic, meaning annual shots for COVID and flu are likely.
Experts stress the importance of tailored messaging to address vaccine hesitancy and protect vulnerable populations. The goal is to prevent transmission to high-risk individuals and preserve healthcare capacity.
In summary, the new vaccines offer enhanced protection against current variants. Uptake is vital, especially for those at higher risk. The virus isn't going away; our future involves adapting to its presence.
ScoresNew Drug Combo Extends Lung Cancer Survival
Doctors are celebrating a new drug combo that slows lung cancer progression by 40% longer than standard treatment. Lung cancer kills 1.8 million people yearly. Advanced cases fare worse.
In a global trial, patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and an EGFR mutation—common in women and light smokers—lived 23.7 months without disease progression on amivantamab and lazertinib. Standard treatment, osimertinib, offered 16.6 months.
Amivantamab is a monoclonal antibody; lazertinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Both target cancer cells. Combining them improved survival rates. The FDA approved the combo in August. UK availability hinges on NHS endorsement.
Side effects included rashes, infections, and blood clots. Precision medicine, tailoring treatments to genetic profiles, drives these advances.
Paula Chadwick of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation calls new treatments "rocket fuel for hope." Anna Kinsella of Cancer Research UK sees a "golden age" of cancer research, improving lives and reducing fear.
ScoresFood
Global Interest in Authentic Japanese Cuisine Drives Foreign Restaurateurs to Japan
TOKYO — Foreign chefs and restaurateurs are flocking to Japan to learn authentic Japanese cuisine. Sushi, ramen, and yakitori are in high demand.
David Ann, an Australian, spent 528,000 yen ($3,650) on a 7-Day Ramen Master Course. He aims to open a ramen restaurant. The course teaches clear chintan broth, a key ramen component.
Shigekatsu Akimoto, president of Shoku No Dojo, founded the school in 2013. Over 300 international students have graduated. Demand has surged, leading to instructor shortages.
In Kagawa prefecture, famous for udon, Yamato Manufacturing runs a noodle school. 14% of students are from overseas. A five-day udon course costs 220,000 yen.
Christopher Gunson, an American in Dubai, opened Maru Udon in 2020. His authentic udon has three locations.
Frontier Zipang in Yokohama offers izakaya cooking classes. A weeklong group class costs around $2,900. Demand is high for yakitori and izakaya dishes.
Daiya Yoshikawa, Frontier Zipang’s director, aims to preserve Japanese culinary heritage. Courses are held in real restaurant settings.
Professional chefs like Luz Sahamara Cadeno Marquez, a Mexican head chef, also enroll.
The influx of foreign restaurateurs reflects a global hunger for authentic Japanese flavors. These courses offer not just culinary skills but business insights, crucial for success abroad.
Scores