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☆ A year after ChatGPT’s release, the AI revolution is just beginning
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Seemingly overnight, the user-friendly generative AI technology enraptured the globe. It also promised to revolutionize the future of white-collar work — so long as it didn’t cause an AI apocalypse in the process. ‘The world woke up to the AI revolution’And one year since ChatGPT’s public release, the fervor around AI is still at a fever pitch. And AI’s long-prophesied impacts to the labor market is also beginning to emerge, both inside and outside the tech industry. “Many, many, many jobs that are currently done by humans, AI will be able to do,” said Clune, the AI researcher at the University of British Columbia.

Persons: New York CNN —, Sam Altman, ChatGPT, ” Jeff Clune, hasn’t, ” Clune, ”, OpenAI’s, Jakub Porzycki, Suresh Venkatasubramanian, ” Venkatasubramanian, “ It’s, it’s, Venkatasubramanian, Clune, we’re, ChatGPT’s, OpenAI, David Paul Morris, “, CNN’s Kara Swisher, Altman, —, ” Altman Organizations: New, New York CNN, Big Tech, Tech, University of British, CNN, ChatGPT’s, Brown University, Economic Cooperation, Bloomberg, Getty, Microsoft — Locations: New York, University of British Columbia, Krakow, Poland, OpenAI, Asia, San Francisco , California

☆ Hit by floods and drought, quarter of Somali people at risk of 'crisis-level' hunger - WFP
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

GENEVA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - A quarter of Somalia's population is forecast to face "crisis-level hunger or worse" this year due to drought and floods caused by climate change, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday. "Livelihoods and lives are at risk, 4.3 million people – a quarter of the population – are forecast to face crisis-level hunger or worse by the end of this year," said Petroc Wilton, WFP spokesperson for Somalia. "This bombardment of climate shocks, from drought to floods, will prolong the hunger crisis in Somalia. In Somalia's Dolow district, homes are abandoned and roads have turned into rivers. Farxhan Ali Abdulle, a shop owner in the town of Dolow on the border with Ethiopia, said no supplies were coming in.

Persons: Petroc Wilton, Farxhan Ali Abdulle, Feisal Omar, Timaade Hussein Abdi, Wilton, Muhidin Abdullahi, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Bhargav, Nick Macfie, Alex Richardson Organizations: Food Programme, United Nations, REUTERS, Humanitarian Affairs, Reuters, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Somalia, East Africa, Dolow, Ethiopia, Juba, Gedo, Jubaland State, Luuq

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Afghans fleeing Pakistan to avoid arrest and deportation are sleeping in the open, without proper shelter, food, drinking water and toilets once they cross the border to their homeland, aid agencies said Sunday. Pakistan set Oct.31 as a deadline to leave the country or else they'd be arrested as part of a new anti-migrant crackdown. Afghans leave Pakistan from two main border crossings, Torkham and Chaman. The Taliban say they have committees working “around the clock” to help Afghans by distributing food, water and blankets. Concerns have risen among the humanitarian community about the impoverished country being unable to support or integrate those currently forced to leave Pakistan.

Persons: Torkham, Kayal Mohammad, Hawa, ”, “, ” Thamindri Da Silva, Arshad Malik, ” Malik, Pope Francis Organizations: Associated Press, “ Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Peshawar

☆ Once homeless, Peter Mutabazi opens his home to kids as a single foster dad
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Mutabazi is not married and belongs to a rare group – federal data shows that only about 3% of foster parents are single men. After playing outside, Peter Mutabazi serves his foster kids ice cream in their Charlotte, North Carolina, home. Sean Mcinnis/The Charlotte Observer/ZumaHe blurs the faces of his foster kids to maintain their privacy. Mutabazi says it’s not easy being a single dad and relies on a community of other foster parents to help. At the same time, foster kids also need space to process feelings that they’re not ready to share, Fleisher says.

Persons: Peter Mutabazi’s, Mutabazi, “, …, ”, Anthony, Peter, ’ ” Mutabazi, ‘, ’ ” Anthony, who’d, Isabella, Luke, Peter Mutabazi, Sean Mcinnis, Isabella’s, it’s, he’d, Young Peter, he’s, White, ’ ”, ’, Anthony a, Peter Mutabazi Mutabazi, they’ve, Angelina Jolie, Madonna, who’ve, “ It’s, who’s, –, Charlotte, Zuma, “ Foster, Fleisher, they’re, You’re, He’s, Simba peed, Simba, It’s Organizations: CNN, Department of Health, Human Services, Charlotte Observer, Makerere University, Oak Hill College, Master’s University, Compassion International, Costco, Boston Child Study Locations: Kampala, Uganda, Charlotte , North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, East Africa, India, Worth, London, Santa Clarita , California, White, Los Angeles

REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 12 (Reuters) - High levels of inflation and increased costs of living are contributing to worldwide hunger, according to a survey of 16 countries commissioned by the humanitarian group World Vision International. It also found that 37% of parents said their children fail to receive proper nutrition each day and 21% said their children have gone hungry in the last month. The percentage of children going to bed hungry rises to 38% in low-income countries. Among respondents who said their children went to sleep hungry, 46% cited inflation and the cost of living as the main reason. Persistently high inflation was the biggest economic concern of economists this year, according to Reuters polls.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Andrew Morely, Ipsos, Daniel Trotta, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: La Colaborativa, REUTERS, World Vision, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Chelsea , Massachusetts, U.S, United States, Ukraine, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Malawi

☆ Herat, Afghanistan earthquake: Aid group warns devastation 'worse than we imagined'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck on Saturday 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Herat city in the western Herat province – the third largest in Afghanistan. The world must not look away now.”A badly destroyed house, one of thousands across Herat province in western Afghanistan. UNICEF teams on the ground are calling for more urgent action and aid for families devastated by the latest earthquake. UNICEF“We will make every effort to bring quick relief to those affected,” said Fran Equiza, its representative in Afghanistan. International aid groups have said their ability to respond to calls during major disasters was heavily hampered by the Taliban’s takeover and called for more urgent global aid but only a handful of countries have publicly offered support.

Persons: ”, Thamindri de Silva, de Silva, ” “, ” de Silva, Mark Calder, “, MUHAMMAD BALABULUKI, Stéphane Dujarric, ” Dujarric, António Guterres, UNICEF “, Fran Equiza, Zabihullah Mujahid Organizations: CNN — International, World, CNN, Getty Images UN, UN, UNICEF, Sunday, Bank Locations: Afghanistan, Herat, Herat province –, Kabul, ”, AFP, Washington, Khost, Pakistan, Neighboring China

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A senior Taliban delegation was visiting western Afghanistan’s Herat province on Monday in the aftermath of the powerful earthquake that killed at least 2,000 people over the weekend and flattened entire villages, a statement said. Aid agencies and nongovernmental groups have appealed for the international community to come forward but only a handful of countries have publicly offered support, including neighboring China and Pakistan. “CARE is deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake that struck the western province of Herat," said Reshma Azmi, the group's deputy director for Afghanistan. "This comes less than seven months after another powerful earthquake hit the country, leaving thousands homeless and displaced.”Azimi was referring to the magnitude 6.5 earthquake in March that struck much of Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan. In neighboring Pakistan, the government held a special session to review aid for Afghanistan, including relief teams, food items and medicines, as well as tents and blankets.

Persons: —, Abdul Ghani Baradar, Reshma Azmi, Azimi, “, ”, Thamindri de Silva, Irfanullah Organizations: Taliban, Geological Survey, Aid, CARE USA, CARE International, CARE, Afghan Red Crescent Society Locations: ISLAMABAD, Herat, Kabul, The U.S, Afghanistan, Israel, Gaza, China, Pakistan

☆ Priest: My conversion on LGBTQ rights tells an important story
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Opinion Michael Coren | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Some background and context: Until 2013 I was a Roman Catholic, and as a journalist and broadcaster with a fairly high profile, spoke and wrote frequently in support of Catholic sexual teachings. And according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered” and “contrary to the natural law.” Pope Francis has made some soothing and compromising comments but, at heart, very little has changed. As a result, I was roundly attacked by Christian conservatives, Catholic as well as Protestant. I made a public apology in my syndicated newspaper column for harm caused to the LGBTQ+ community by my writing and broadcasting. I’m now a priest, spend my time trying to preach the genuine song of the Gospels, and write books and columns doing the same.

Persons: Michael Coren, I’ve, –, ” Pope Francis, Pope Francis, ”, Canada’s, John Baird, Baird, I’d, “ Tolle, Augustine, wasn’t, Ezekiel, Samuel, it’s, Jesus doesn’t, Paul’s, It’s, Jesus, Will Jesus, David, Jonathan, We’re, Matthew, Luke, I’m Organizations: Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, CNN, Roman Catholic, Catholic Church, Associated Press, Catholic, Twitter Locations: Canada, Roman, St, Northern Ireland, I’m

☆ Exclusive: Brazil aims to pass offshore wind, green hydrogen laws by year-end, energy minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Catarina Demony | Thomson Reuters | Portugal-Based Multimedia Correspondent Reporting On Politics | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LISBON, June 27 (Reuters) - Brazil aims to pass a regulatory framework for offshore wind and green hydrogen by the end of this year, the country's energy minister told Reuters on Tuesday, as Latin America's largest nation seeks to unlock new sectors to power its energy transition. With a floor of 16 billion reais, the auction could unlock 200 billion reais ($41.79 billion) in investments, he said. Currently, Brazil has no legislation in place to regulate offshore wind and green hydrogen. In early January, Brazil's government issued a decree that opened space for the development of offshore wind power generation in the country. "Green hydrogen is a real possibility for us to greatly expand our position in clean and renewable energy," he said.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Jair Bolsonaro, Lula, Alexandre Silveira, Brazil's, Silveira, Lula's, Catarina Demony, Miguel Pereira, Gabriel Stargardter, David Evans Organizations: Leftist, Energy, Shell, Petrobras, Reuters, Thomson Locations: LISBON, Brazil, Foz de Amazonas, Angra, Lisbon

☆ Can the U.S. See the Truth About China?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

Photo illustration by Bráulio Amado Talk Can the U.S. See the Truth About China? To see China solely as trying to displace the United States is only going to stoke more fears. The Chinese people believe that a substantially weakened Russia might not be in the interest of China, because if there were the sense that the United States needed to seek out an opponent, China would be next. And then also, the United States thinks that China wants to displace it. The industrial espionage stems from a lack of appreciation from the start of intellectual property, and the United States, by pushing China to do more intellectual-property protection, is actually good for China.

☆ U.N. halts some programs in Afghanistan after ban on women aid workers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 28 (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Wednesday that some "time-critical" programs in Afghanistan have temporarily stopped and warned many other activities will also likely need to be paused because of a ban by the Taliban-led administration on women aid workers. "Banning women from humanitarian work has immediate life-threatening consequences for all Afghans. But we foresee that many activities will need to be paused as we cannot deliver principled humanitarian assistance without female aid workers." The ban on female aid workers was announced by the Islamist Taliban-led administration on Saturday. Four major global groups, whose humanitarian aid has reached millions of Afghans, said on Sunday that they were suspending operations because they were unable to run their programs without female staff.

☆ 'Kenan & Kel' actor Kel Mitchell on the upcoming 'Good Burger' sequel, mentoring new child stars as 'Uncle Kel,' and the controversial producer Dan Schneider
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( William Antonelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Nickelodeon legend Kel Mitchell spoke to Insider this week about his career and the upcoming sequel to "Good Burger." The two also co-starred in "Good Burger," a 1997 comedy film that's become a cult classic among millennials and Gen Zers. Scholastic/PBS; Titmouse/Disney Television AnimationSpeaking of animated work, last year, Brian Robbins [director of "Good Burger" and Paramount Pictures CEO] said that he wanted to create a "Good Burger" animated series. I met a couple that said that [seeing "Good Burger"] was their first date, and then they got married, and now every anniversary they go and see "Good Burger" because it's part of their life, so it's so deep to me. Ex-Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider (top-left) posing for a photo with Kel Mitchell and the cast of the show "Game Shakers."

☆ Gates Foundation pledges $7 billion for Africa as Ukraine war diverts donor cash
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said on Thursday it was committing $7 billion to Africa over the next four years, as Bill Gates warned that the Ukraine crisis was reducing the amount of aid flowing to the continent. Humanitarian groups in Africa are grappling with the diversion of funding away towards Ukraine, and as Russia’s invasion increases goods prices globally, impacting aid operations. Drought, compounded by conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic, has pushed more than 10 million people in the region “to the very brink of a hunger crisis”, the U.S.-based Christian relief group World Vision said this week. Following a meeting with Kenyan President William Ruto, Gates said on Wednesday that the Foundation would establish a regional office in Nairobi. The Foundation in 2021 gave charitable support of $6.7 billion and last week pledged $1.4 billion to help the world’s smallholder farmers cope with climate change.

☆ Child labor, malnutrition, and education restrictions have put the future of Afghanistan's youth in peril: 'This is not the right moment to forget the people of Afghanistan'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Surrounded by the country's economic collapse and lack of resources, the children of Afghanistan are suffering. A humanitarian aid director said that with forced labor, malnutrition, and education restrictions on the rise, the children are in need of support. With forced labor, malnutrition, and education restrictions dampening the population, Asuntha Charles, a humanitarian aid worker, told Insider that Afghan children are in urgent need of support. Charles has been working with World Vision for about two years and has lived in Afghanistan for roughly 20 years. Because the future generation is really losing lot of opportunities because of so many factors," Charles told Insider.

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