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UK to host major AI summit of ‘like-minded’ countries

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:06:05 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Britain will host key players for a summit on artificial intelligence in the fall as Rishi Sunak seeks to position the U.K. as a power broker on the subject.Confirming plans for a conference first reported by POLITICO this week, British officials argued the U.K. would be “well-placed” to convene discussions on the future of AI.They cited Britain’s departure from the EU as allowing the U.K. to act quickly in response to a rapidly changing market. Ministers want to carve a path between strict EU regulations and the lighter touch U.S. approach.Sunak, who is expected to discuss the topic when he meets President Joe Biden Thursday, hailed AI as having “an incredible potential to transform our lives” but stressed “the need to make sure it is developed and used in a way that is safe and secure.”Downing Street did not say which countries or companies would attend the talks but the prime minister’s spokesman said Sunak was seeking to bring together “like-minded” natio...

Sorry, Trump — Rishi Sunak’s too busy to see you

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:06:05 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Rishi Sunak has confirmed he will not meet presidential hopeful Donald Trump during his visit to the U.S. this week.Asked ahead of his arrival if he would be seeing Trump, the British PM indicated he would not, adding: “I’ve got a pretty busy schedule.” “I’m meeting key Congressional leaders from both sides and obviously the president,” he went on. “Those are the key engagements that I have.”While predecessor Boris Johnson enjoyed a close relationship with Trump, Sunak appears more focused on engagement with the Biden administration, as the U.K. and U.S. face a host of looming challenges.Asked about the prospect of a Trump return to the White House in 18 months, Sunak said the leaders he would be speaking to shared “universal values of freedom and democracy and the rule of law.”The British PM held talks Wednesday with figures including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.H...

11-year-old boys in stable condition after being struck by vehicle in Brockton

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:06:05 GMT

Two young boys were in stable condition as of Wednesday afternoon after they were both struck by a vehicle in a crash near a Brockton school on Tuesday, police said. The incident happened shortly after 5 p.m. at the intersection of Market Street and Warren Avenue while police said a 60-year-old driver was driving along Warren Avenue.Police said the boys were both taken to a hospital in Brockton before being transported to a second hospital in Boston. The accident remained under investigation on Wednesday. No charges had been filed against the driver to date.

Search continues for person who police say drove at Boston officer, prompting them to shoot

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:06:05 GMT

A search continued Wednesday for a suspect who police said charged at an officer with their car, prompting the officer to open fire in Jamaica Plain Tuesday night. Investigators were able to find the car after its driver sped off. As of Wednesday evening, though, they were still looking for the driver. Police said the incident started when the officer tried to pull over the rental SUV with Florida license plates near Wachusett Street and Eldridge Road. Police said officers later found the SUV on Weld Hill Street and eventually towed it away. A bullet hole was seen in the front windshield of the SUV after the incident. A day later, longtime neighbors said they were shocked to see such commotion. “It was intense,” said one person, who said he saw law enforcement personnel searching area backyards after Tuesday night’s events. “I’ve probably lived here most of my life and I never seen nothing that wild,” said neighbor Rene Capeles.As their search continues, investig...

Sharing the water with sharks is safe, California study finds

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:06:05 GMT

A new study found it’s safe to swim with the fishes — even the sharks!Researchers from the Shark Lab – based out of California State University – said sharks are getting up close and comfortable with people but aren’t getting violent with swimmers.“Sharks are near us more often than we think, we just don’t see them,” Shark Lab Director Dr. Chris Lowe said.Over two years, researchers flew about 1,500 drones over dozens of beaches along the coast of California observing juvenile white sharks. The sharks were swimming near people 97% of the days studied, but no shark bites were reported.“As long as people aren’t chasing them, sharks aren’t considering people food so they just ignore us,” Lowe said.The same could be said about the beaches here in the Bay State.“Places like Cape Cod, I’m sure there’s sharks swimming right by them and they didn’t even know it,” Lowe said.Researchers still say to be careful how you act around Great Whites.“Right no...

Jury deliberations continue in weapons trial against Adam Montgomery

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:06:05 GMT

Jury deliberations in the Adam Montgomery weapons case began Wednesday. Montgomery will stand trial again in November in a separate case connected to the death of his 5-year-old daughter Harmony Montgomery.Montgomery is accused of stealing an assault rifle and a shotgun from a friend’s home in 2019.Montgomery’s estranged wife Kayla Montgomery took the stand Monday. She accepted a plea deal in exchange for her testimony. She told the jury that Adam admitted to her that he stole multiple guns from their friends.Montgomery is facing one charge of second-degree murder in November. Harmony was last seen in 2019, and her body hasn’t been found.

Photos: Canadian wildfires bring smoke, low air quality to eastern US

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:06:05 GMT

The ongoing wildfires in Canada continue to fill a large swath of the eastern United States with smoke and poor air quality.In New York City, a cough-inducing, yellow-orange haze has created hazardous air-quality conditions caused by smoke that’s been blown southward from the hundreds of wildfires. Outdoor activities at public schools, along with planned concerts, sporting events and other happenings across the city were canceled Wednesday.Here are some of the scenes across the eastern U.S:An aerial view of a boat on the ocean enveloped in a dense haze caused by wildfires in Canada on June 7, 2023 in Point Lookout, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)Smoke from Canada’s wildfires casts a haze over the Philadelphia skyline, as seen from Camden, New Jersey on June 7, 2023. An orange-tinged smog caused by Canada’s wildfires shrouded New York on June 7, 2023, obscuring skyscrapers and causing residents to don face masks, as cities along the U.S. East Coast issued air q...

Poor performances from Mets’ role players contributing to rough stretch

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:06:05 GMT

ATLANTA — The Mets are in a tough spot with struggling role players they might have relied on a little too heavily.Daniel Vogelbach isn’t giving the Mets much of anything at the designated hitter spot right now. Drew Smith hasn’t shown that he has what it takes to be a high-leverage reliever on a consistent basis. The good news is that the club may have an internal option for a high-leverage, seventh-inning arm. The DH spot might not be as easy to figure out.The Mets have continued to roll with Vogelbach, the left-handed hitting slugger acquired before the All-Star break last season, as the primary DH against right-handed hitters. Mark Vientos and Tommy Pham have platooned with Vogelbach, but the results haven’t been great for anyone: The Mets have received only four home runs at the DH spot this season, the second-fewest amount in baseball, and the team’s .309 slugging percentage is the fourth-worst.Coming into Wednesday, Vogelbach was slashing .209/.3...

5 remaining questions for Giants spring offseason program

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:06:05 GMT

The Giants’ spring program is nearing its conclusion.Thursday’s final open OTA practice precedes a mandatory minicamp next week. Then coaches and players will take vacations as they rest up for the start of training camp in late July.Before the Giants hit the beach, however, there are five questions to consider about how Brian Daboll’s second offseason will wrap and set the table for the 2023 season:WILL THEY GET SAQUON DONE?Saquon Barkley is scheduled to host a kids football camp on Sunday in Jersey City. It’ll be interesting to see what Barkley has to say about his contract situation and the possibilities of either holding out, landing a new deal or playing on the franchise tag in 2023.Barkley, who hasn’t signed his franchise tag tender, is expected to continue staying away from the team through next week’s mandatory minicamp (he is not eligible to report until he signs it). So the saga is likely to drag on toward the July 17 deadline for him an...

‘I can taste the air’: Hazardous smoke from wildfires hangs over millions in Canada, US

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:06:05 GMT

By JENNIFER PELTZ and ROB GILLIES (Associated Press)NEW YORK (AP) — Smoke from Canadian wildfires poured into the U.S. East Coast and Midwest on Wednesday, covering the capitals of both nations in an unhealthy haze, holding up flights at major airports, postponing Major League Baseball games and prompting people to fish out pandemic-era face masks.While Canadian officials asked other countries for additional help fighting more than 400 blazes nationwide that already have displaced 20,000 people, air quality with what the U.S. rates as hazardous levels of pollution extended into central New York, northeastern Pennsylvania and, later, the New York metropolitan area. Massive tongues of unhealthy air extended as far as North Carolina and Indiana, affecting millions of people.“I can taste the air,” Dr. Ken Strumpf said in a Facebook post from Syracuse, New York, which was enveloped in an amber pall. The smoke, he later said by phone, even made him a bit dizzy. In Baltim...