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Troubled Brussels train station to get its own police station amid drugs boom

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:00 GMT

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo wants a police station built at Brussels’ Midi station, he announced Thursday, as part of an action plan to tackle a surging drug problem. “A police station will be built at the Brussels Midi train station. This is one of 22 measures taken. It was requested by local and regional authorities” as well as by Belgium’s National Railway Company (SNCB), De Croo said on X (formerly Twitter) and during a press conference Thursday. The action plan — which contains a mixture of social and security measures — aims to “significantly improve life for passengers and local residents,” De Croo added. Midi is Belgium’s main domestic and international railway hub. He presented the details of the action plan Thursday morning during a joint press meeting with Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet, Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden and the minister-president of the Brussels region, Rudi Vervoort. Midi station — which...

Sanna Marin joins Tony Blair Institute

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:00 GMT

Former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin is joining the Tony Blair Institute as a strategic counselor.Marin announced the news during a press conference Thursday, saying she was excited about the new role. “This is a great honor. I am excited to step into this new role. I believe that this will also benefit the whole of Finland,” Marin said, as reported by local media.In a statement released Thursday, the institute said it was “pleased” to welcome Marin in her new position, where she will work closely with multiple teams across countries and advise political leaders on their reform programs.“Our mission is to help political leaders worldwide deliver change for their people — and Sanna Marin knows exactly how to do that,” said former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, head of the eponymous institute, in a statement.In order to assume the new role, Marin has asked to resign as a Finnish member of parliament. But she said she is still a Social Democrat and d...

G7 countries commit to AI code of conduct

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:00 GMT

Officials from the G7 group of leading democratic countries agreed Thursday to create an international code of conduct for artificial intelligence as politicians from Brussels to Washington seek greater control over this emerging technology.As part of the voluntary guidelines, policymakers said countries would work together on specific principles that would oversee the likes of generative AI and other advanced forms of the technology. This attempt at creating a unified, but nonbinding, international rulebook would then be presented to G7 leaders as early as November.The code of conduct is expected to include commitments from companies to take steps to stop potential societal harm created by their AI systems; to invest in tough cybersecurity controls over how the technology is developed; and to create risk management systems to curb the potential misuse of the technology. It comes as the European Union seeks to complete its own AI legislation by the end of the year, and the United St...

Your car wants to know about your sex life

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:00 GMT

Car manufacturers are collecting troves of data on drivers and passengers — some even tracking drivers’ sexual activity — according to a new report. In a review of 25 car brands and 15 car companies published by Mozilla Foundation on Wednesday, researchers found that Japanese car manufacturer Nissan said it could sell information about drivers and passengers’ sexual activity, intelligence and health diagnosis to data brokers, law enforcement agencies and other companies. German manufacturer Volkswagen said it could record drivers’ voices to profile them for targeted ads.“The amount of data that these car companies blatantly said that they could collect was shocking,” said Jen Caltrider, lead researcher at Mozilla Foundation, the nonprofit owner of the company running the Firefox Browser. “It’s like nobody’s ever challenged them or asked them questions about privacy, and so they just include everything.”Europeans are — in principle — more protected against abus...

Police investigating after 19-year-old woman fatally shot in Lawrence

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:00 GMT

An investigation is underway in Lawrence after a 19-year-old woman was fatally shot overnight, officials said.The woman was shot around 9:30 p.m. on Howard Street, according to the Essex District Attorney’s Office.No arrests have been made.No additional information was immediately available.https://twitter.com/scooperon7/status/1699759820683747697This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Orioles magic numbers: How close is Baltimore to clinching a playoff spot and an AL East title?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:00 GMT

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AI that alters voice, images in political ads will require prominent disclosure on Google, YouTube

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:00 GMT

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN (AP Business Writer)Google will soon require that political ads using artificial intelligence be accompanied by a prominent disclosure if imagery or sounds have been synthetically altered.Starting in November, just under a year before the U.S. presidential election, Google said in an update to its political content policy affecting YouTube and other services that disclosure of AI to alter images must be clear and conspicuous and be located somewhere that users are likely to notice it.Though fake images, videos or audio clips are not new to political advertising, generative AI tools are making it easier to do, and more realistic. Some presidential campaigns in the 2024 race — including that of Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis — already are using the technology.The Republican National Committee in April released an entirely AI-generated ad meant to show the future of the United States if President Joe Biden is reelected. It employed fake but realistic phot...

Mexican border town celebrates legacy of 'El Mariachi'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:00 GMT

CIUDAD ACUÑA, Mexico (Border Report) – It’s been 28 years since Cheech Marin tended bar and Antonio Banderas shot a bunch of bad guys inside the place. Still, visitors keep coming to the Corona Club to have a drink, look at pictures on the wall and celebrate the legacy the films “El Mariachi” (1992) and “Desperado” (1995) left on their city.Those movies “have great significance for Acuña and for the bar,” said Gerardo Garza, owner of the iconic business on Calle Hidalgo, where the gunfight scenes for both productions were shot. “As it is, Acuña has always had tourists – from Texas (military) bases, the colleges in Austin, Texas A&M, San Marcos, San Angelo, Houston, and others looking for a good time. They also come because this is the birthplace of 'El Mariachi.'"Acuña is across the border from Del Rio, Texas.The "Mariachi" is a Mexican protagonist concocted by Garza’s uncle, Carlos Gallardo, and University of Texas graduate Robert Rodriguez. A roving musician taking on a Mexica...

Japan’s Kishida says China seafood ban contrasts with wide support for Fukushima water release

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:00 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s prime minister said that China’s blanket ban on Japanese seafood in reaction to the release of treated radioactive water from a tsunami-ravaged nuclear power plant contrasts starkly with broad understanding shown by many other members of the international community.The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Japan’s northeastern coast started releasing treated and diluted radioactive wastewater in late August into the Pacific Ocean. The release has been opposed by the Japanese fishing community, which is worried about the reputation of the fish it catches. China immediately banned all Japanese seafood.Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters Wednesday in Jakarta, Indonesia, after a session attended by leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as South Korea and China, that the treated water release is conducted under international safety standards and with the help of the International Atomic Energy Agency. He said Japan has bro...

Stock market today: Big Tech stocks drag Wall Street down again

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is sinking again on worries that a too-warm economy will push the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates higher for longer. The S&P 500 fell 0.7% early Thursday, on track for a third straight loss. Big Tech stocks were particularly weak, and the Nasdaq composite was down 1.5%. The Dow was holding up better than the rest of the market, rising 0.2%, because it has less of an emphasis on tech. Stocks were feeling pressure from the bond market, where yields rose a day before due to a report showing growth for services industries accelerated more than economists expected last month. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street is pointing toward a third straight day of losses and global markets are falling as well with more signs of an economic slowdown in China despite efforts by Beijing to turn it around. Futures for the S&P 500 slipped 0.4%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.1%. Nasdaq futures are off 0.8%...