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OpenAI has simply outshone itself, backed by their biggest creation ChatGPT's latest rollouts. However, OpenAI is now being vehemently challenged by the likes of Llama, Gemini and other LLM models that are backed by top tech companies at Silicon Valley, including the likes of Alphabet and Meta Platforms.

The wildfires that erupted this week across Los Angeles County are far from contained, but they're already expected to be the costliest in U.S. history and among the worst natural disasters

Kolkata Metro has decided to run additional services along the North-South corridor from January 13 on a trial basis, an official statement said. Fourteen additional services (seven up and down each) would be run from Monday to Saturday between Noapara and Kavi Subhash along the Blue Line in peak hours in the morning (9 am to 11 am) and evening (5 pm to 8 pm) on a trial basis. It is expected that this move will benefit the metro commuters, the statement said. Consequentially, commuters will now effectively get metro services at six minutes interval between Dum Dum and Kavi Subhash during the rush hours.

restaurant. «And even that could be avoided by showing up early in the morning.» But those days are a distant memory. Across major metros like Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi, a new wave of experiential dining has emerged, creating a storm of exclusivity and FOMO or the fear of missing out. With limited seating, these restaurants have naturally cultivated a «book early or miss out» culture that appeals to diners craving unique culinary escapades. For many, the challenge of securing a reservation only heightens the allure.

TM Krishna singing Swathi Thirunal’s “Pankaja Lochana” in Raga Kalyani and Perumal Murugan’s freedom song on Christmas morning. It sat rapt listening to Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s “Sri Subramanyaya Namaste” in breathtaking Kambhoji, and Vishakha Hari’s “Andavane” in Shanmukhapriya. The Margazhi festival has been around for almost a century. It began with the founding of the Music Academy in 1928, celebrating, in particular, Carnatic music and Bharatnatyam. But is there a chill in the sabhas — the cultural organisations that are the force behind and the venue of concerts or kutcheris — this season? From insiders to hoteliers, many complain of a drop in the footfall of rasikas or connoisseurs. And yet a few others resist that narrative and say fans are flocking in and the festival is, indeed, on song.

ODI series against England could serve as a dress rehearsal for under-pressure India. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s form under scrutiny, Jasprit Bumrah’s injury and doubts over Mohammed Shami’s return, it is a rare white-ball tournament where India would be considered favourites. The shift in expectations might not be a bad thing for the Indian men’s cricket team in the current circumstances. Before that, India have to make certain decisions regarding their personnel. Here is a role-wise breakdown of the options that the selectors could consider while picking up the squad: OPENERS: ROHIT, GILL, JAISWAL Rohit and Shubman Gill are likely to be the first-choice options going into the tournament. Rohit has been a stellar performer in white-ball cricket. His redball woes notwithstanding, the captain can well rediscover his mojo in the 50-over format. It was his efforts at the 2023 World Cup that helped India get off to flying starts and he will want to do the same in Dubai, where India will play their Champions Trophy matches. Gill, however, needs to be more consistent. While he deserves his place in the starting eleven, he will know that a few bad games could result in Yashasvi Jaiswal getting a look in. In that sense, the Champions Trophy is a big test for Gill as well. Jaiswal is going to be India’s back-up opener to start with. He offers the left-hand option that India miss in the top order.

So, when a statue does strike me as being, well, striking, I'm not only delighted, but also stand for minutes on end to admire such wonderful anomalies in stone. As I did recently when I was staying in the Fort area of Mumbai and chanced upon a figure reading a book on top of a cupola held up by a two-storeyed, many-pillared, intricately carved structure. Even in the busy gol chakkar of P D'Mello Road and Mint Road, with his pedestal crisscrossed by lawless electric lines and tres anar-chic pigeons trying their damndest best to make him look up from his book, the figure — on closer inspection, a boy — is unperturbed, utterly immersed. His right hand holds the book as if it's a Kindle. His left hand to his side is balled up in a fist as if reacting to a particularly riveting, or even disturbing, passage.

MAGA star Donald Trump wants to Make America Greater Again. In sq kms, that is. We all know of the US annexing nearly 13 lakh sq km of Mexican territory after winning the war with Mexico in 1848; buying 76,800 sq km in present day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico — the area known as Gadsden Purchase — from Mexico in 1854; buying Alaska from Russia in 1867; annexing independent Hawaii in 1898; procuring 117 sq km of Guantanamo Bay to set up a US detention camp in 1903, which the Cuban communist government has considered illegal since it came to power in 1959. There's, of course, the United States of America itself, carved out of lands not 'owned' by anyone when it was occupied by Native Americans, then turned into a British colony, and ultimately an independent nation state in 1776 according to Westphalian sovereignty norms invented in 17th century Europe. But less well known is America's territorial losses. The Panama Canal Zone, which it acquired in 1904 from private and public Panamanian owners, was returned to Panama in 1979, formally ceding its control in 1999. In Oceania, Japan-occupied Marshall Islands, which the US occupied after WW2, got its independence in 1979. The same 'transition' model was followed with Federated States of Micronesia and Palau, both of which officially gained independence from US 'trusteeship' in 1990 and 1994, respectively.

Frequent travellers who swear by “never checking a bag” are not chuffed to be travelling lighter. Gautam Sinha, founder and creative director of artisanal leather brand Nappa Dori that also makes travel luggage, flies frequently within India and to Dubai, London, and Sri Lanka to manage his many stores. He is concerned that it will be a major disadvantage to travellers, and says, “It has been proven by the experience of similar structures in European and American budget airlines that the consumer ends up paying a lot more for a basic flight.” One thing he is sure of: “It will definitely make people think more before they pack now.”

It isn’t only Pranos that is bringing in the excitement of nuclear fusion to India. At least two more Indian startups are taking baby steps in the sector. Anubal Fusion, headquartered in Hyderabad, was the first Indian startup to throw the hat into the ring. It has raised a pre-seed round from VC firm Speciale Invest. Hyderabad-based Hylenr has, meanwhile, received a patent for its version of a low-energy reactor which, in theory, could have applications in specific low energy use cases like aboard satellites. The three startups, all at an early stage, are taking different routes to solving the challenges in sustaining fusion.

homebuyers and businesses who were counting on sharply lower interest rates to lower the cost of buying everything from refrigerators to homes, AP reported. Employers added 256,000 jobs last month, up from 212,000 in November, the Labor Department reported Friday. Unemployment, which was expected to hover around 4.2 per cent, fell to 4.1 per cent last month. Health care companies added 46,000 jobs, retailers 43,000 and government agencies at the federal, state and local levels 33,000.

Macondo doesn't exist. With the 2024 OTT TV series adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 1967 novel One Hundred Years of Solitude capturing audiences globally, the hunt is on once more though. Even though the novel came to the author like a fever dream spent in seclusion in Mexico, Garcia Marquez hails from the (real) Colombian town of Aracataca. The locals are convinced that Macondo is based on it, even though much to their chagrin, none of them were cast in the Colombian production. The OTT platform company spent days in the town looking for inspiration and scouting potential. Aracataca doesn't feature in the series. Neither does any other known town. It's all fiction. A few years ago, we headed to our 'Macondo' — the river-facing Colombian town of Santa Cruz de Mompox. On a Garcia Marquez-inspired journey, we had taken the night bus from Bucaramanga reaching Mompox in the morning. We found the town asleep. The intense mugginess hit us almost immediately as we exited the airconditioned bus. And so did the town's infamous mosquitoes.

Raghav Hari Subhas, a self-titled soft skills trainer and career consultant, found himself infamous on Reddit after one of his LinkedIn posts, berating a dead couple for spending more they earned, went viral on the subReddit LinkedIn Lunatics. Taking to LinkedIn, Subhas shared the news of a Bengaluru-based couple who killed their two kids and committed suicide after failing to cope with financial woes and lamented how due to a lack of thrift and living beyond their means. “Another heartbreaking incident. Financial Burden ?? No, not financial burden. It is due to «spending more than your income» for your lavish lifestyle. We have never noticed or heard any Garment Company employee drawing a 20K salary kill his family. Someone can manage with 20K; the other can't manage with 4 Lacs per month. Learn financial discipline and save a part of your income on a monthly basis. Life is precious!" read his post.

A Hamilton teen says the accolades he’s received since rushing into a burning tent to help a man who was trapped inside have overwhelmed him.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Jørgen Boassen, a 50-year-old bricklayer and Trump admirer, was at the airport in Greenland’s capital Nuuk this week wearing a MAGA hat to cheer the arrival of Trump Force One. But Boassen, who helped organize the visit from Donald Trump, Jr., says he has no interest in President-elect Donald Trump’s entreaties to buy the icebound island.

As New Orleans seeks to recover from the deadly, Islamic State-inspired truck attack, law enforcement and community leaders are confronting an existential question as old as the city's famed entertainment district: Can Bourbon Street be protected in a ...

Wang Yi made a surprise visit to the Maldives, during which he held talks with President Mohamed Muizzu and discussed the state of bilateral relations, amid Male's recent warming up to India. Wang, who is also a member of the powerful Political Bureau of the Communist Party, met Muizzu during his stopover in Male on Friday while on his way back from a tour, official media reported. This was the first major visit by a Chinese official to Maldives after Muizzu visited China in January last year, months after his election. During Muizzu's visit, the two countries elevated the bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and signed some key agreements.

Avenue Supermarts, which operates the retail chain of DMart, on Saturday announced that its standalone Q3 revenue jumped 17.5% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 15,565 crore while profit rose 6.5% YoY to Rs 785 crore. The retailer's EBITDA margin fell to 7.9% in Q3FY25 as compared to 8.5% in Q3FY24 while the PAT margin also decreased to 5% vs 5.5% on a YoY basis.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Iran has shipped nearly 3 million barrels of oil from a storage site in China, people familiar with the matter said, in a bid to raise funds that could be used to shore up Iran’s allied militia groups in the Middle East. The oil is from a stockpile of at least 25 million barrels that Iran sent to China in late 2018, when it feared the imposition of new sanctions by the first Trump administration would prevent the country from exporting oil, those people said.

Z-Morh tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district which is likely to be thrown open by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 13, officials said on Saturday. The prime minister is likely to address a public rally after the inauguration of the tunnel in Gagangir in the Sonamarg area of the central Kashmir district, they said. The security has also been strengthened in many areas of the valley, including Srinagar. «Security has been tightened near the Z-Morh tunnel. Multi-layered security arrangements have been put in place and the PM's security team, comprising SPG personnel, has taken over the venue,» the officials said.

Arjun Sen, a marketing professional was at the peak of his career when his life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 32. What began as a routine day at work quickly spiralled into a life-altering event when he started vomiting blood during a meeting. His medical reports revealed a grim reality, with doctors giving him only 100 days to live. From a life of promotions and achievements, he was suddenly faced with a devastating challenge. In an interview with Humans of Bombay, he revealed that he was determined to fight against all odds and chose not to give up. He shared that breaking the news to his family and friends was one of the hardest parts, especially since he was living in the USA and had to rely on phone calls to share his condition. The reactions ranged from tears to sympathy, which added to the emotional toll. There were moments when he felt too overwhelmed to even talk to people. A pivotal moment came during a conversation with his young daughter, who asked, “Dad, are you dying?’ ‘Will you be there at my wedding?.. These questions reignited his determination. He began focusing on healthier habits, adhered strictly to his medical regime and invested all his resources into treatment. Encouragement from his medical team and friends, who referred to him as a “future cancer survivor”, kept his spirits high. As his health gradually improved, he started channelling his energy into writing, connecting with people, and cherishing time with his loved ones.