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7 dead as massive avalanche hits tourist vehicles in northeast India

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At least seven tourists were killed and 16 others rescued after a massive avalanche hit the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim on Tuesday afternoon and buried their vehicles under the snow, a senior official said.

Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Rawat, a Defense Ministry spokesperson based in India’s northeast, said in a statement that at about 11.10 a.m. local time (0810GMT), a massive avalanche hit the Gangtok-Natu La Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg Road, burying approximately 5-6 vehicles with tourists, who were on their way to Natu La, a major tourist destination.

Indian Army troops and members of the Border Roads organization swung into action right away and launched an all-out rescue mission, he said.

At least 23 tourists were rescued until 4 p.m., including six from the deep valley, and were shifted to nearby Indian Army medical facilities, where seven people died.

The army, State Disaster Management Team, and police are searching for the remaining people.

Furthermore, 350 stranded tourists and 80 vehicles were rescued after the road was cleared of snow.

Source: Anadolu Agency



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Germany could ban ChatGPT – data chief

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Germany could “in principle” block access to OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot due to privacy concerns, a spokeswoman for the country’s data protection commissioner told the Handelsblatt newspaper on Monday.

“In principle, a similar procedure is also possible in Germany,” Federal Commissioner for Data Protection Ulrich Kelber’s spokeswoman told the paper, referring to the Italian ban.

Italy’s National Authority for Personal Data Protection ordered ChatGPT temporarily taken offline on Friday, as it investigates a suspected leak of user data by the application last month. The Italian regulator also criticized ChatGPT for not notifying users that it collects and stores their information, and for failing to install any filters to verify user age.

Kelber’s spokeswoman said that there are currently no plans to ban the chatbot in Germany, and that such a decision would fall under the jurisdiction of the country’s individual states.

Launched in November 2022, ChatGPT uses OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 language model to answer users’ questions, solve mathematical problems, and write stories, poems, and even computer code. While OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admits that his technology could “eliminate a lot of current jobs,” critics have warned of the more damaging possibility that the chatbot represents an early step toward artificial intelligence eclipsing human brainpower and escaping human control.

Over 1,100 AI researchers and prominent tech leaders, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, signed an open letter last month demanding a six-month moratorium on “giant AI experiments.”

Source: Russia Today



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Music show: France's Fakear and US's Daddy Long Legs talk about music and identity

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This week’s show straddles the worlds of electronic music and bluesy rock’n’roll with our guests, France’s Fakear and New York’s blues-loving Daddy Long Legs, who are currently on tour. Fakear has just released the new album “Talisman” and Daddy Long legs is just out with “Street Sermons”. Fakear tells us about breaking through his identity crisis while Josh and Brian from Daddy Long Legs explain how being forced off the road by the Covid-19 pandemic made them rethink how they rock out.

Source: France24.com

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Staff at 150 British universities begin striking over pay dispute

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Tens of thousands of staff members across 150 universities in the UK started industrial action on Thursday over pay.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are staging a two-day strike across the country after members rejected the latest pay offer from employers.

Some 80% of members have voted in favor of the strike after the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) had offered 4-5% raises, which is below both the unions’ demand, as well as the inflation rate.

The UCU said that the National Union of Students (NUS) backed the strike decision expected to affect some 2.5 million students.

In a statement on Wednesday, the UCU said university bosses were “in hiding” and needed to engage properly in talks to prevent 15 more days of strikes from going ahead over the next two months.

UCU General Secretary Jo Grady said members were striking for 48 hours this week but are determined to take further action until they get a “fair deal.”

Source: Anadolu Agency



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Türkiye declares 7 days of national mourning in wake of deadly earthquakes

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Türkiye will observe seven days of national mourning after deadly earthquakes hit several southern provinces, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday.

“Due to the earthquakes that took place in our country on Feb. 6, a national mourning period was declared for seven days. Our flag will be hoisted at half-mast until sunset on Sunday, Feb. 12, in all our country and foreign representations,” Erdogan said on Twitter.

At least 1,651 people were killed and 11,119 others injured in 10 provinces due to two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Monday.

Early Monday morning, a 7.7 earthquake jolted Kahramanmaras and strongly shook several neighboring provinces, including Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis.

Later, at 13.24 p.m. (1024GMT), a 7.6 magnitude quake also centered in Kahramanmaras struck the region.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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Japan to send rescue team, humanitarian aid to quake-hit Türkiye

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Japan is dispatching a rescue and relief team to earthquake-hit Türkiye, the country’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

The team will fly out of Japan on Monday night, local time, it added.

A ministry statement said Japan will also provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Türkiye.

Separately, Taiwan has pledged to donate $200,000 to Türkiye in view of the devastating earthquake that left thousands dead or injured.

Anthony Ho, Taiwan’s top official for West Asian and African sffairs, also conveyed condolences to Türkiye’s representative in Taipei Muhammed Berdibek on behalf of Joseph Wu, foreign minister of the self-ruled island.

A 40-person rescue team from Taiwan is also expected to fly to Türkiye on Monday night, local time.

Over 1,500 people were killed and some 9,700 others injured in 10 provinces after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake jolted southern Türkiye on Monday morning, according to Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

AFAD said the earthquake struck at 4.17 a.m. (0117GMT) and was centered in Türkiye’s southern province of Kahramanmaras and also affected the neighboring provinces of Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis.

Türkiye also issued a level 4 alarm, which includes a call for international aid.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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Manchester City accused of breaching Premier League financial rules

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The English Premier League has accused Manchester City of years of financial rules violations in the space of nine seasons, with the club referred to an independent commission.

The league said in a statement on Monday that in a lengthy investigation, the Sky Blues were found to have broken rules from the 2009-10 season until the 2017-18 campaign.

Alleged offenses include failure to failing to provide “accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position” or gives “full details of manager remuneration in its relevant contracts.”

The league added that Man City also failed to comply with UEFA regulations in 2013-18, league profitability and sustainability rules in 2015-18, and assisting with the Premier League investigation from December 2018 until now.

In 2020, the English club were banned from European events for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons and were fined €30 million ($32 million) due to breaches of UEFA club financial fair play regulations.

But then the court of arbitration for sport (CAS) lifted Manchester City’s Champions League ban but fined the club $10 million.

In a statement Monday, the club said it was “surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules.”

“The Club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent Commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position,” Man City added.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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أقيمت المجموعة الزيتية على القماش هان يوشن في متحف الفن الوطني الصيني

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بكين، 1 فبراير 2023 / PRNewswire / — من 29 أكتوبر/تشرين الأول إلى 9 نونبر/تشرين الثاني 2022، عقد معرض “السعي وراء الأحلام بقلب نقي – المجموعة الزيتية على القماش هان يوشن” في متحف الفن الوطني الصيني.

في حفل افتتاح المعرض الذي أقيم في 3 من نونبر/تشرين الثاني، اجتمعت الدوائر الفنية الصينية الشهيرة للاحتفال بالحدث الكبير.

قدم وو ويشان القرار الذي توصلا إليه لإقامة معرض في متحف الفن الوطني الصيني عندما تم التبرع بأعمال هان لمتحف الفن الوطني الصيني قبل أربع سنوات. في الوقت نفسه، أكد السعي المثالي والمهارات الفنية والمشاعر الإنسانية لأعمال هان في هذا المعرض. قال وو: “أكبر شعور بالتفاعل مع هان هو أنه مخلص للغاية ومليء بشغف الحياة.” تحت فرشاته، تلك الشخصيات التي تشبه الأشخاص الأحياء الذين يمكن التفاعل معهم. يتواصل معهم بالرسم ويمدحهم بجمال الفن وقلبه البسيط.

وصف جين شانجي العلاقة العميقة بين هان والأكاديمية المركزية للفنون الجميلة. في عام 1972، بتوجيه من لي هوا وسو جاولي من الأكاديمية المركزية للفنون الجميلة، بدأ هان في طريق الدراسة الذاتية، وأخيراً دخل المتحف الوطني الصيني ومتحف الفن الوطني الصيني، أعلى قاعتين للفنون في البلاد وحقق حلمه.

تحدث شو لي عن المناسبة الكبرى عندما أقام هان معرضا عن التبت في المتحف الوطني الصيني قبل خمس سنوات، وأشار إلى أن هذا المعرض سيجذب بالتأكيد المزيد من الناس إلى المعرض. يتمتع الأصدقاء في عالم الفن، وكذلك الجمهور العام، بفهم شامل للروح القتالية للفنان الذي لم ينس نيته الأصلية لعقود.

أوضح شانغ هوي بشكل منهجي أسلوب اللغة والتقنيات والتعبير العاطفي لأعمال هان في خطابه. وذلك للتمسك بمفهوم العودة إلى جوهر الرسم.

عندما ألقى هان خطابه، روى عاطفيا 50 عاما من سعيه دون مقابل للفن ورحلة طويلة وصعبة لتحقيق حلمه في أن يكون رساما؛ الصعوبات التي واجهتها عند الرسم في شينجيانغ وأماكن أخرى؛ ووصف استكشافه المستمر لألوان الرسم والعملية الإبداعية للمحاولات الجريئة للتعبير عن الأعمال.

الصورة – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1992747/image_5026221_20054595.jpg

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Turkish culture show held ahead of NBA game

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NBA watchers enjoyed a Turkish folk dance performance Sunday ahead of a Cleveland Cavaliers vs. LA Clippers game in the Midwestern US state of Ohio.

A folk dance troupe affiliated with the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry performed a three-minute show on the court to spotlight Turkish culture on the NBA’s global stage organized by the Yunus Emre Institute, which promotes Turkish language and culture worldwide, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Turkish Heritage Night was held shortly before the game at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, where Turkish basketball player Cedi Osman’s team the Cavaliers faced the Clippers.

The institute said the dance show’s aim was to introduce “the rich culture of Anatolia” to the global stage, urging Americans to visit Türkiye to have a chance to enjoy Turkish culture even more.

Hasan Murat Mercan, Türkiye’s ambassador to the US, said before the show that it would have a “lasting impact” in promoting Turkish culture.

“People will have good memories of Türkiye in their minds,” he said.

Sports has “so much connectivity” and the ability to “bring so many people together,” said Cavaliers CEO Nic Barlage.

“It’s really an honor and privilege for us to be able to have Turkish heritage right here,” he said.

He added that Cleveland’s Turkish player Cedi Osman could be an “ambassador” to showcase the “power of the NBA” not just in America but also in Türkiye.

A ‘very special night’

Osman told Anadolu that the Turkish performance at the game was a “very special night” for him.

Noting that there are currently four Turkish players in the NBA, he said: “It’s important for us to see such a night organized.”

Gokhan Coskun, who heads the Yunus Emre Institute’s operations in the US, said during a reception ahead of the dance performance that basketball is a “powerful vehicle to bring the global community together, open dialogue, and expose the values we share to people around the world.”

“The partnership offers great opportunities that have been received and leverages relations through business and communities through cognitive diversity such as fostering innovation, supporting different markets, and expanding access,” he added.

The event came after the Yunus Emre Institute signed a deal with the Cavaliers in 2020 to promote Turkish culture, language, history, and art on the NBA’s global stage.

With the partnership, the institute said it aims to create a bridge between Türkiye and the US and to increase the number of people who forge bonds with and are friendly to Türkiye in the US and all around the world.

Under the partnership, the Cavaliers are also promoting Turkish tourist attractions on social media. The campaign will provide two people with a trip to Türkiye.

In addition to Ambassador Mercan, Coskun, and Cavaliers CEO Barlage, the reception ahead of the show was attended by Ebubekir Sahin, the head of Türkiye’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK), and members of the Turkish American community.

Many Americans also attended the reception, during which they had the chance to sample Turkish cuisine.

Fans at the NBA game also enjoyed the Taste of Türkiye hall, which offered a “tour of Türkiye” with photos from the country’s various regions.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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