Author: Onu Akter

Air Canada is set to suspend most of its flights over the next three days after failing to reach an agreement with its flight attendants’ union. The Canadian Union of Public Employees issued a strike notice after rejecting the airline’s wage and compensation offers, as well as a proposal to continue negotiations through arbitration. The airline announced a phased wind-down of operations to reduce disruption but warned that tens of thousands of travelers could still be stranded. Air Canada and its subsidiary Air Canada Rouge carry about 130,000 passengers daily, including 25,000 Canadians returning home from international trips. The suspension…

The number of data centres across the United Kingdom is set to increase by almost a fifth, according to new planning analysis. These vast facilities, housing powerful servers for services like online banking, streaming, and artificial intelligence, are expected to grow in number from the current 477 to nearly 100 more within the next five years. The expansion reflects a surge in processing power needs as AI adoption accelerates. More than half of the new facilities will be located in London and surrounding counties. Significant projects are also planned in Wales, Scotland, Greater Manchester, and other parts of the country.…

A remarkable paleontological discovery in Australia has revealed a prehistoric whale unlike any seen before, offering new insights into the evolution of Earth’s largest marine mammals. Scientists have officially identified a new species, Janjucetus dullardi, a small but fearsome whale ancestor that lived around 25 million years ago. The find, published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, comes from a partial skull discovered along the fossil-rich coastline of Victoria, Australia, and has been hailed as a rare and important addition to the whale family tree. Unlike modern whales, Janjucetus dullardi was a compact predator, likely measuring just three…

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Friday in Alaska for a high-risk summit aimed at resolving the ongoing war in Ukraine. The talks will take place at Elmendorf Air Force Base, the largest US military installation in the state, which once served as a key Cold War monitoring post. This marks Putin’s first visit to Western soil since ordering the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives, with recent months showing no slowdown in Russia’s military actions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow sees the event…

Perplexity AI has made a surprising $34.5 billion all-cash offer to acquire Google’s Chrome browser. The bid, revealed on August 12, far exceeds the startup’s own valuation, highlighting its ambition to access Chrome’s billions of users and strengthen its position in the AI search market. Founded by Aravind Srinivas, Perplexity AI has gained attention with bold acquisition attempts. Earlier this year, it proposed merging with TikTok’s U.S. operations to address concerns over Chinese ownership. Other companies, including OpenAI, Yahoo, and private equity firm Apollo Global Management, have also expressed interest in Chrome. Their moves come as regulatory scrutiny increases, pressuring…

China is rapidly shifting its AI chip market as it seeks to reduce dependence on foreign technology and build a self-reliant domestic industry. This change is reshaping the competitive landscape for major U.S. chipmakers, such as Nvidia and AMD. The move is driven by geopolitical tensions, U.S. export controls, and China’s push for industrial independence, highlighting the growing link between technology and national security. China aims to increase the share of locally made AI chips to 55% by 2027, up from just 17% in 2023. This surge comes as U.S. export restrictions limit China’s access to advanced chips such as…

Nvidia and AMD will pay the US government 15 percent of their revenue from AI chip sales to China to secure export licenses, a US official confirmed. This move comes as both companies aim to resume chip sales to China after a recent pause. Nvidia’s H20 chips and AMD’s MI308 chips are subject to this unusual arrangement. The US government set this rule to control advanced chip exports while maintaining market access for American companies. In April, the Trump administration imposed restrictions on Nvidia’s H20 and AMD’s MI308 chips, effectively blocking sales to China. However, last month both companies announced…

The United States has raised its average import tariffs to the highest level in more than 100 years, marking a dramatic escalation in President Donald Trump’s trade strategy. The new rates, ranging from 10% to 50%, took effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Thursday. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency began collecting the duties after weeks of tense negotiations and uncertainty over Trump’s final decisions. Major economies such as Switzerland, Brazil, and India are now scrambling to secure concessions. Some have won reduced rates, while others face steep penalties. Eight key trading partners, representing about 40% of U.S. trade,…

The future of Donald Trump’s presidency may hinge on a fierce political showdown in Texas. In the coming weeks, lawmakers in the state will decide whether to approve a new congressional map that could secure Republican control of the U.S. House through the 2026 midterms. For Democrats, the redistricting fight offers an opening to flip the House and effectively cripple Trump’s presidency in its final two years. For Republicans, it is a chance to preserve their narrow majority and keep Trump’s agenda on track. Texas Republicans have proposed a rare mid-decade redistricting plan that could give the GOP five additional…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent statement that Israel aims to take full control of the Gaza Strip marks a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict. The move defies multiple international warnings but has drawn little objection from the United States. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said it was “pretty much up to Israel” whether to occupy Gaza completely. When pressed the following day about giving Israel a “green light,” he shifted the conversation to US strikes on Iran earlier this year. Washington’s Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, reinforced the hands-off approach, saying the decision rested entirely with Israel. “It’s…