Politics

After his State of the Union address in March, President Joe Biden appeared to allay concerns about his abilities at 81. Speaking firmly, he faced down Republican lawmakers who mocked him. However, one Democratic congressman who had shaken Biden's hand that night was troubled by his appearance, describing him as "frail and weak." Biden’s poor performance in a recent debate with Donald Trump has raised questions. Some Democratic lawmakers, who have watched Biden closely, are now questioning his ability to stay in office. They cite memory lapses and inconsistencies noted during his tenure. A significant team of aides surrounds Biden,…

Did Alicent actually believe that Viserys's final words were about her son, or was she simply interpreting them in a way that suited her own wishes? (And, more critically, should a serious drama base its central conflict on a misunderstanding more suited to a sitcom? Resolving that question at this point may be beyond the scope of this summary.) Rhaenyra's brave secret return to King's Landing, aided by Mysaria, to face her arch-enemy-friend sets the record straight. Alicent is convinced that Viserys means Aegon. Rhaenyra, for her part, truly believes that Alicent holds this belief. But when the Queen Mother…

In recent years, as Chinese athletes have been accused of doping, the Chinese government has mobilized its vast propaganda apparatus, including state-run newspapers, television commentators and social media accounts, to defend the accused and deflect criticism away from its sports system. Yet the recent revelation that 23 elite Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned substance ahead of the 2021 Olympics has been met with an unusual response from China: near silence. While the scandal is hotly debated abroad, including in congressional sessions, Chinese media have largely limited their coverage to scant official statements. Online discussions of the controversy have…

A new chapter in the Premier League's romance with Manchester City and their entire relationship with the financier Fair Play has allayed the concerns of the citizens, a club that finds itself implicated in serious accusations for having apparently ignored the rules set by the organisation when it came to gassing money. On Monday 24 June, a source at The Sun newspaper revealed that the newspaper "had stumbled upon the publication of hundreds of electronic corrections and computer documents by the 'hacker' behind the Football Leaks scandal". Rui Pinto, identified as the hacker who has been part of a text…

Asia-Pacific markets were mostly positive on Thursday, with major Japanese and Taiwanese indices hitting record highs. The Topix rose 0.85%, surpassing its all-time high of 2,886.50 set in December 1989. The Nikkei 225 index rose 0.8%, surpassing its all-time high of 40,888.43 set in March this year. Shares of SoftBank Group hit another all-time high, extending their winning streak to seven days, with a 2.5% gain. Japanese companies have seen their biggest wage increases in three decades this year, according to Japan’s largest labor union. A survey conducted by labor group Rengo since March shows that monthly pay for union-supported…

As the sun sets, a ferry crosses the Golden Horn, with the Suleymaniye Mosque and the city of Istanbul, Turkey in the background. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international organization focused on combating money laundering and illicit financial activities, has decided to remove Turkey from its "gray list" of countries requiring special monitoring. The decision, taken on Friday, represents a significant vote of confidence for Turkey in its economic recovery efforts. In its latest report, the Paris-based FATF acknowledged Turkey’s significant progress in enhancing its anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) measures. The report commended Turkey for…

What does AI sound like? Hollywood has been thinking about this for a long time, and now AI developers are following suit, creating voices for real machines inspired by movie adaptations. OpenAI recently introduced updates to its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, which now boasts the ability to hear, see, and speak in a natural voice. This voice, called Sky, bears a striking resemblance to the operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson in the 2013 film “Her.” With a husky, soothing tone, Sky’s voice was designed to be pleasant and versatile. However, Johansson has expressed concerns about the similarities, having previously declined…

Hurricane Beryl is moving toward Jamaica as a Category 4 storm, after wreaking havoc across the southeastern Caribbean and killing at least four people. Beryl intensified to a Category 5 storm with winds of at least 155 mph, but was downgraded to a Category 4 late Tuesday afternoon, with sustained winds near 165 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. No Atlantic storm has reached Category 5 strength this early in the season, noted Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist at Colorado State University. Major Atlantic hurricanes have sustained winds of 111 mph or more. Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, is in turmoil…

The biggest night in UFC history will take place this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. UFC 300 features an incredible lineup, including two former champions, Deiveson Figueiredo and Cody Garbrandt, in the first fight of the night. The event will also feature a light heavyweight title bout, a women's strawweight title bout, and the BMF belt. In total, 11 current or former champions will compete. Here are some key odds for UFC 300 from DraftKings Sportsbook: Deiveson Figueiredo: -305Cody Garbrandt: +245 Bobby Green: -180Mr. Miller: +150 Jessica Andrade: -135Marina Rodriguez: +114 My Friend Jalin Turner: -230Renato Moicano: +190…