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OpenAI unveils 'Operator' agent that handles web tasks

OpenAI on Thursday introduced an artificial intelligence program called "Operator" that can tend to online tasks such as ordering items or filling out forms.

Shoppers unaware as Roman tower lurks under French supermarket

Few grocery shoppers in a regular central Strasbourg supermarket have any idea that below their feet is a third-century tower that once helped defend the Roman empire.

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Secret UK women's codecracking army gets belated recognition for WWII work

During World War II, dozens of women Cambridge University students worked around the clock in complete secrecy to crack Nazi codes, but only now are the unsung heroes getting recognition.

NASA's Voyager 1 phones home after months

NASA's Voyager 1 probe -- the most distant man-made object in the universe -- is returning usable information to ground control following months of spouting gibberish, the US space agency announced Monday.

The Ukrainian drones taking on Russia's Black Sea fleet

Standing on the shores of a lake with a remote control, a Ukrainian soldier trained his eyes on a small and seemingly innocuous grey vessel as he guided it over the water's surface.

Portugal poised to celebrate 50 years of democracy

Portugal on Thursday marks 50 years since the Carnation Revolution, a military coup that ended its colonial wars in Africa and ushered in a democracy that has recently had a brush with the far right.

Microsoft teases lifelike avatar AI tech but gives no release date

Researchers at Microsoft have revealed a new artificial tool that can create deeply realistic human avatars -- but offered no timetable to make it available to the public, citing concerns about facilitating deep fake content.

WHO clarifies terminology for air-transmitted pathogens

The World Health Organization on Thursday announced a new, catch-all terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air, erasing a distinction that caused dangerous confusion during the Covid pandemic.

X working with Pakistan govt to 'understand concerns' over ban

Social media platform X said Thursday it would work with Pakistan's government "to understand its concerns" after authorities insisted an ongoing two-month ban was based on security grounds.

Court orders Pakistan to restore social media site X: lawyer

A Pakistan High Court ordered the government on Wednesday to restore access to social media platform X within a week, a lawyer said, after more than two months of disruptions.

Fire at Copenhagen landmark 'under control'

Danish rescue services said Tuesday that the fire that engulfed Copenhagen's 17th-century former stock exchange, ravaging the building and toppling its iconic spire, was "under control."

Astronomers discover largest black hole in Milky Way: study

Astronomers identified the largest stellar black hole yet discovered in the Milky Way, with a mass 33 times that of the Sun, according to a study published on Tuesday.

NASA confirms space station debris hit Florida man's home

An object that crashed from the sky into an American man's home was a hunk of debris ejected from the International Space Station, NASA confirmed Monday.

NASA seeks faster, cheaper way to bring Mars rocks to Earth

NASA said Monday it was looking for ways to bring Martian rocks collected by the Perseverance rover back to Earth earlier and at a lower cost than planned after facing criticism for going massively over budget.

Gaza's historic treasures saved by 'irony of history'

Gaza's ancient Greek site of Anthedon has been bombed, its "Napoleon's Palace" destroyed and the only private museum burned down: the war has taken a terrible toll on the rich heritage of the Palestinian territory.

Bad boys: Study finds aggressive bonobo males attract more mates

Humankind's two closest primate relatives are often said to embody contrasting sides of our nature: peace-loving bonobos versus violence-prone chimpanzees.

Ex-Resistance Olympic torch-bearer still wants to 'change the world'

At the age of 102, Melanie Berger-Volle will carry the Olympic torch as high as she can, despite her fragile shoulder, to champion the values of friendship between peoples that she defended during her time with the French Resistance in the Second World War.

NASA unveils probe bound for Jupiter's possibly life-sustaining moon

US space scientists on Thursday unveiled the interplanetary probe NASA plans to send to one of Jupiter's icy moons as part of humanity's hunt for extra-terrestrial life.

Microsoft to invest $2.9 bn in Japan AI push

Microsoft on Tuesday announced a $2.9 billion investment over the next two years in Japan to bolster the country's push into artificial intelligence and strengthen its cyber defences in the face of threats from China and Russia.

Peter Higgs: physicist who predicted 'God particle'

Nobel laureate Peter Higgs gave his name to one of the great scientific discoveries of the last century, earning a place alongside Albert Einstein and Max Planck in physics textbooks.

Nobel-winning 'God particle' physicist Higgs dies aged 94

British physicist Peter Higgs, whose theory of a mass-giving particle -- the so-called Higgs boson -- jointly earned him the Nobel Prize for Physics, has died aged 94, the University of Edinburgh announced on Tuesday.

'I cried a little': from Texas to Canada, the awe and beauty of solar eclipse

The day died and was reborn a few minutes later Monday in the southern United States. There were hugs, tears and gasping as people watched the Moon fully eclipse the Sun and briefly plunge the world into darkness.

Totality insanity: Eclipse mania grips North America

Eclipse mania gripped North America on Monday as a breathtaking celestial spectacle set to be witnessed by tens of millions of people offered a rare convergence of commercial and scientific opportunities -- and an excuse to party.

S. Korea says second spy satellite placed in orbit

South Korea put its second domestically made spy satellite into orbit, Seoul's defence ministry said Monday, after it launched from an American space centre on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Microsoft says China using AI to sow division in US

China is ramping up use of AI-generated content and fake social media accounts to inflame division in the United States and elsewhere, according to the latest report from Microsoft's threat center.

Meta to start labeling AI-generated content in May

Facebook and Instagram giant Meta on Friday said it will begin labeling AI-generated media beginning in May, as it tries to reassure users and governments over the risks of deepfakes.

Milei reignites debate on Argentine dictatorship, military

President Javier Milei's government has rekindled debate over Argentina's military dictatorship by questioning the number of its victims, while also seeking a greater role for the armed forces in tackling ongoing security issues.

The universe's accelerated expansion might be slowing down

The universe is still expanding at an accelerating rate, but it may have slowed down recently compared to a few billion years ago, early results from the most precise measurement of its evolution yet suggested Thursday.

Three companies in the running for NASA's next Moon rover

Three companies are in the running to provide NASA's next Moon rover for crewed missions planned later this decade, the space agency said Wednesday.

NASA collects 'space debris' that crashed into Florida man's home

NASA said Tuesday it was analyzing an object that crashed from the sky into a Florida man's home -- which could well be a piece of debris jettisoned from the International Space Station.

World's most powerful MRI scans first images of human brain

The world's most powerful MRI scanner has delivered its first images of human brains, reaching a new level of precision that is hoped will shed more light on our mysterious minds -- and the illnesses that haunt them.

Totality ready: US braces for April 8 solar eclipse frenzy

US communities along the path of the April 8 total solar eclipse are preparing for the year's biggest astronomic event, with millions of visitors expected to brighten local economies -- and snarl up logistics.

German football to change controversial kit number

The German Football Association (DFB) said Monday it would change the typeface used on its shirts after one of the kit numbers drew comparisons to a Nazi symbol.

Romania centre explores world's most powerful laser

"Ready? Signal sent!"

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