UNGA appoints 40 members to independent int'l scientific panel on AI

UNGA appoints 40 members to independent int'l scientific panel on AI

The UN General Assembly appointed 40 members to the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence on Thursday, reported Xinhua. The members' three-year term will begin on Feb. 12, 2026, and run until Feb. 11, 2029. In a statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the appointment "marks a foundational step toward global scientific understanding of AI." The members were selected from more than 2,600 candidates, after independent review by the International Telecommunication Union, the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies, and UNESCO, he said. The members of the new panel, established within the United Nations, will serve in their personal capacity, according to the statement. The UN chief said the panel is a multidisciplinary group of leading AI experts from across the globe, geographically diverse and gender-balanced, who will provide independent and impartial assessments of AI's opportunities, risks and impacts, including to the new Global Dialogue on AI Governance. "In a world where AI is racing ahead, this Panel will provide what's been missing -- rigorous, independent scientific insight that enables all Member States, regardless of their technological capacity, to engage on an equal footing," he said.

Passenger plane slides on runway at Canadian airport amid winter storm

Passenger plane slides on runway at Canadian airport amid winter storm

A Porter Airlines passenger plane slid on a runway at Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) in eastern Canada on Wednesday night amid a severe winter storm, local media reported Thursday, reported Xinhua. According to CTV News, the flight, arriving from Toronto, had landed without incident at 8:21 p.m. local time. However, the aircraft slid laterally and became disabled in snow as it was exiting the runway onto the taxiway. All 59 passengers and five crew members were safe and unharmed, said the report. In a statement, Porter Airlines confirmed the incident was due to weather conditions and said, "Resources are en route to YHZ to tow the aircraft to facilities on site for inspection and an investigation will be undertaken to determine the circumstances associated with this incident." The runway involved in the incident remains temporarily closed pending the aircraft's removal. The airport's other runway is still operational, but the winter storm has caused widespread delays and cancellations. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it is collecting information and assessing what happened, CTV News reported.

Police revise death toll in British Columbia school shooting

Police revise death toll in British Columbia school shooting

Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Wednesday revised the death toll from a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia province, confirming that nine people died, including the suspect, down from the previously reported 10, reported Xinhua. Police told a news conference that one female victim, initially believed to have died while being transported for medical care, is still alive. She remains in serious condition. The attack left at least 25 others injured. Most of the victims at the school were born in 2012 and 2013, meaning they were between the ages of 12 and 14. The suspect has been identified as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, a former student of the school who had dropped out. Responding officers recovered a long gun and a modified handgun at the scene.

Avaruusasemalle uusi nelikko – tekevät kokeita keuhkokudoksen kasvattamisesta ja mikropainovoimasta

Avaruusasemalle uusi nelikko – tekevät kokeita keuhkokudoksen kasvattamisesta ja mikropainovoimasta

Yhdysvaltain avaruushallinnon Nasan on määrä lähettää tänään kolme astronauttia ja yksi kosmonautti Kansainväliselle avaruusasemalle ISS:lle. Laukaisu tapahtuu Cape Canaveralin avaruuskeskuksesta Floridasta. Aluksena toimii avaruusyhtiö SpaceX:n Dragon. Avaruusasemalla Crew 12 -miehistön on tarkoitus tehdä tieteellisiä kokeita muun muassa mikropainovoiman vaikutuksesta ihmiskehoon ja keuhkokudoksen kasvattamisesta avaruudessa. Asemalle lähtevät Nasan astronautit Jessica Meir ja Jack Hathaway, Euroopan avaruusjärjestön […]

6 killed, 1 injured in shooting in western Ecuador

6 killed, 1 injured in shooting in western Ecuador

At least six people were killed and another injured on Thursday morning in a shooting in a rural area of Ecuador's western province of Manabi, local authorities said, reported Xinhua. The attack occurred in the municipality of Santa Ana, where a group of gunmen broke in a house and fatally shot six residents, according to preliminary investigations. A woman, who was seriously wounded in the assault, has been transferred to a hospital in Portoviejo, the capital of Manabi. The motive for the shooting remains under investigation. Manabi has been under a state of emergency since August, when the government imposed the measure in response to a surge in organized crime linked to drug cartels.

Chloe Kim's three-peat bid falls short at Milan-Cortina

Chloe Kim's three-peat bid falls short at Milan-Cortina

At the Milano Ice Skating Arena, Dutch star Xandra Velzeboer shattered the women's 500m short track world record on Thursday, clocking 41.399 seconds in the semifinals to better her own mark set in 2022. She went on to claim gold in 41.609. While much of the attention was on American star Chloe Kim's attempt at a historic third straight Olympic snowboard halfpipe title, South Korea's Choi Ga-on delivered the shock of the Games. 17-year-old Choi stormed to gold in the women's halfpipe final with a stunning final run, denying Kim a three-peat and securing South Korea's first gold medal of the Games. Snowfall made conditions treacherous, triggering crashes throughout the competition. Choi fell on her first two runs and entered the final attempt largely unnoticed. She then delivered a flawless, high-difficulty ride to score 90.25, the top mark of the final. "Mentally it was so tough," Choi said. "My knees aren't great, but right now I'm the happiest I've ever been." Kim, two-time defending Olympic champion, led after the first run with 88 points but was unable to improve. "I'm so proud of her," Kim said. "That's what this sport is about - inspiring the next generation." Japan's Mitsuki Ono took bronze, while China's Cai Xuetong finished sixth. Austria's Alessandro Haemmerle defended his men's snowboard cross title in dramatic fashion, edging Canada's Eliot Grondin by 0.03 seconds in a photo finish, nearly identical to his victory margin at the Beijing Games. Jakob Dusek of Austria took bronze. Australia's Cooper Woods produced one of the Games' biggest breakthroughs, defeating Canadian moguls legend Mikael Kingsbury on a tiebreak after both scored 83.71 points. Woods earned gold on superior turns, while Japan's Ikuma Horishima took bronze. Host nation Italy celebrated its first alpine skiing gold as Federica Brignone powered to victory in the women's super-G. France's Romane Miradoli won silver and Austria's Cornelia Huetter took bronze, both earning their first Olympic medals. Elsewhere, Italy's Francesca Lollobrigida captured her second Olympic gold medal by edging Merel Conijn of the Netherlands by 0.10 seconds in the women's 5,000m speed skating. Norway's Ragne Wiklund claimed bronze. Sweden's Frida Karlsson claimed her second gold at the Games in the women's cross-country 10km individual event, following her victory in the women's 10km+10km skiathlon, while her teammate Ebba Andersson placed second. Germany took gold in the team relay with a new track record of three minutes 41.672 seconds to wrap up the luge competition. Austria and Italy finished second and third respectively. In skeleton, Britain's Matt Weston surged into the lead after two runs, breaking the track record with a blistering 55.88 seconds and taking a 0.30-second advantage into the final day. Canada sent an early message in men's ice hockey. Macklin Celebrini scored the first goal of the NHL's Olympic return and Jordan Binnington made 26 saves, as Canada routed the Czech Republic 5-0, showcasing the tournament favorite's depth despite most of the roster making its Olympic debut. The United States rolled past Latvia 5-1, while Germany earned a 3-1 victory over Denmark. China's Sun Long rebounded from earlier disappointment to claim silver in the men's 1,000 meters short track speed skating on Thursday, earning the country's first medal of the discipline at Milan-Cortina 2026. The two-time Olympian finished in one minute, 24.565 seconds, just 0.028 behind gold medalist Jens van 'T Wout of the Netherlands. South Korea's Rim Jong-un took bronze in 1:24.611. "I told myself to stay steady and take it round by round," Sun said, fighting back tears. "I wasn't thinking about a specific medal, just keeping a good position and avoiding mistakes." The result came two days after Sun's costly error in the mixed team relay left China in fourth place, a setback he admitted was hard to overcome. "It's not easy to recover in such a short time," he said. "But the team supported me. Once a race is over, you move on and focus on the next one."