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My four-year-old son has become fascinated with his new friend, who has endless patience and an answer for everything. She is an artificial intelligence assistant on Doubao, one of China’s most popular AI applications.
My son, obsessed with space, black holes and galaxies, keeps asking Doubao for related videos. When the video is of low quality or inaccurate, I would stop it and explain it may not be reliable. Despite my concerns about AI-generated information, I let him interact with AI within…

A high-profile visit to Washington by Taiwanese Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu reflects a broader US effort to strengthen ties with the island’s main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), according to analysts.
Han’s trip follows visits to the United States by Taichung mayor and KMT member Lu Shiow-yen in March and KMT chairwoman Cheng Li-wun earlier this month.
The succession of arrivals suggested Washington was preparing for political uncertainty after Taiwan’s 2028 leadership election by cultivating…

Indian student shares F-1 student visa rejection experience. An Indian student shared the experience of an F-1 visa denial at the Delhi consulate, at a time when visa officers have become extremely stringent in their approvals. The student, a graduate of 2025, wants to pursue an MS in Computer Science at Columbia University. The interview lasted for only 2-3 minutes and was denied under 214(b) which means the applicant did not sufficiently demonstrate to the consular officer that they qualify for the nonimmigrant visa category they applied for.The student revealed the interview questions and answers and also the red flags that might have resulted in the denial.Q. Why Columbia University?Answer: Columbia has an updated curriculum and a combination of courses across different domains.Q. Who is sponsoring you?The applicant revealed a student loan from an Indian bank of Rs 1.25 crore with parents' support.Q. What is your parents' income?Answer: Rs 12LPA.The applicant was also ask..

Giving evidence yesterday with the assistance of an interpreter, he told Bolton Crown Court (pictured) he felt 'uncontrollably sleepy' at the time of the alleged attack An Afghan migrant has claimed that he was under the influence of 'Satan' when he raped two 14-year-old girls after plying them with vodka at his flat in Bolton. Sultani Bakatash, 29, is currently on trial, facing multiple charges including rape and sexual assault, reports the Daily Mail.Bakatash moved to UK in 2022 seeking asylum. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape and other sexual offences. He stated in court that he had served in the British military for seven years prior to his arrival in the UK and had fled Afghanistan due to the Taliban's presence.During his testimony, Bakatash described feeling “uncontrollably sleepy” on the day of the incidents. He claimed that he had initially invited the girls to his flat after they had requested food. The court heard that he had met one of..

Hong Kong is seizing every opportunity to consolidate its role as a global financial centre, leveraging unique advantages and national strategies. This piece, the second in a miniseries focusing on the city’s financial industry ahead of the handover anniversary, explores the likelihood of an “IPO Connect” that could inject much-needed liquidity into the market and deepen international investors’ access to top-tier China assets.
At every summer’s Lujiazui Forum, attended by China’s top financial…

Venezuela received offers of rescue teams and humanitarian aid from across the Americas on Thursday, including from right-wing governments that had broken off diplomatic relations with Caracas less than two years ago, after two earthquakes killed at least 188 people.
The quakes, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 and 39 seconds apart, struck the north of the country on Wednesday evening and were the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez declared a nationwide…