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DeepSeek set to net over $12b in new fundraising, source says

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DeepSeek set to net over $12b in new fundraising, source says <br> Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is set to raise more than 80 billion yuan ($11.93 billion) in its latest funding round, said ​one person with knowledge of the matter, as the firm &zwnj;builds up a war chest of capital ahead of a domestic IPO. DeepSeek kicked off the fundraising in July targeting a valuation of 500 billion yuan ($74 billion), a month ​after raising about $7.4 billion in its maiden external funding round, ​Reuters reported. The second fundraising has drawn massive interest from existing ⁠and new investors and the capital committed exceeds DeepSeek&#39;s original target of ​50 billion yuan, said the source. DeepSeek is expected to wrap up the ​fundraising in October, said the person and a second source with knowledge of the matter. Both sources declined to be identified as the information was confidential. DeepSeek did not ​immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Bloomber...
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Alien 'phoenix planet' was born from the ashes of a dying star

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Alien 'phoenix planet' was born from the ashes of a dying star <br> In ancient mythology, the phoenix was a miraculous bird with a cyclical pattern of life and death, perishing in flames only to rise again from the ashes. Astronomers have now found a world that rightly can be called a phoenix planet. Researchers said this exoplanet, as planets beyond our solar system are called, appears to have been born from material expelled into space during the death throes of a star a bit bigger than the sun, and now orbits the highly compact stellar remnant that was left behind, called a white dwarf. It is classified as a second-generation planet, meaning it did not form from the swirling disk of material surrounding a newborn star, as Earth and other first-generation planets did, but rather from the leftovers of a doomed star. &quot;This is the first example of a planet forming around a white dwarf,&quot; said Jamie Williams, a doctoral student in astrophysics at th...
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Norway to propose temporary ban on AI glasses in some public places

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Norway to propose temporary ban on AI glasses in some public places <br> Norway&#39;s government said on Monday it plans to propose a temporary ban on the use of ​AI glasses in selected places, saying it is concerned &zwnj;people could be photographed, filmed or audio-recorded without their knowledge. The proposal mirrors a broader global backlash against smart glasses equipped with cameras ​over privacy concerns Ban could apply to places where the public ​regularly gather, such as parks, beaches, museums, shopping ⁠centres and public events, the government said in a ​statement &quot;I am worried that new, powerful technology is being introduced ​where people risk being photographed, filmed or audio-recorded without knowing it,&quot; Digitalisation and Public Governance Minister Torgeir Micaelsen said. Read More: LISA teams up with Meta for exclusive smart glasses collection It could also apply ​to schools, playgrounds and youth clubs and to privacy-sens...
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Instagram turns 16 with 3 billion users under shadow of data privacy, mental health concerns

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Instagram turns 16 with 3 billion users under shadow of data privacy, mental health concerns <br> Instagram is celebrating its 16th anniversary since the social media giant was launched and emerged as a dominant force in the global digital economy, boasting over 3 billion monthly active users, but escalating scrutiny over data privacy and youth mental health casts dark shadows over the platform&rsquo;s success. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launched Instagram as a photo-sharing app on October 6, 2010. The platform was acquired by Meta two years later for around $1 billion, and the social media titan grew even further with the introduction of video sharing and direct messages in 2013 and short-form Reels in 2020. India has the platform&rsquo;s largest user base, accounting for 480 million active users, followed by the US, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, T&uuml;rkiye, Mexico, the UK, Germany, and Argentina, according to Statista&rsquo;s October 2025 data. The pl...
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China Focus: A taste of home in orbit: How China keeps its astronauts well-fed

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China Focus: A taste of home in orbit: How China keeps its astronauts well-fed <br> Although called Tiangong, or &quot;Heavenly Palace,&quot; China&#39;s space station is becoming less distant and more like home, as astronauts bring the comforting tastes into orbit. The Chinese space kitchen now serves nearly 200 food items. Alongside dumplings and mooncakes, home-style dishes such as Kung Pao chicken, mapo tofu and fried rice have made it onto the station&#39;s menu. Videos showing astronauts savoring freshly cooked meat and cakes in orbit have gone viral. Their smiling faces and bright eyes make the aroma almost leap off the screen. Yang Liwei, the country&#39;s first astronaut, joked at a recent press conference that he was envious. He said astronauts can now use air-frying equipment in space and enjoy baked chicken wings in orbit. During his Shenzhou-5 mission in 2003, which lasted less than one day, his diet was limited to packaged instant food th...
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OpenAI safety employee quits, says ‘time for trial and error is over’

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OpenAI safety employee quits, says ‘time for trial and error is over’ <br> A former OpenAI safety employee who recently resigned has criticised the company&rsquo;s approach to AI safety, arguing that a fast-paced culture focused on rapid development increases the risk of failures. Writing in &ldquo;I Quit OpenAI Because Its Culture Is Broken&rdquo;, published by The Atlantic on Saturday, David Robinson said AI companies, including OpenAI, were not being &ldquo;nearly careful enough&rdquo; and should place greater emphasis on safety expertise and research before developing more capable systems. &ldquo;The time for trial and error is over,&rdquo; Robinson wrote, arguing that advanced AI systems require safeguards more akin to those used in industries such as nuclear power and aviation. Robinson said OpenAI relies heavily on what it calls &ldquo;iterative deployment&rdquo;, releasing systems and strengthening safeguards when problems emerg...
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Trump names intelligence chief Clayton as AI czar, to head task force, WSJ reports

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Trump names intelligence chief Clayton as AI czar, to head task force, WSJ reports <br> United States President Donald Trump&nbsp;has appointed Director of National&nbsp;Intelligence Jay Clayton&nbsp;as the administration&#39;s&nbsp;AI&nbsp;czar, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing an interview with&nbsp;Clayton. Clayton, who was appointed&nbsp;intelligence&nbsp;chief&nbsp;in August, will lead a new White House panel&nbsp;tasked with reporting within 120 days on the risks and opportunities posed by&nbsp;AI, the newspaper said. &quot;The president asked that a group be put together,&quot; which the administration refers to as the &quot;Super&nbsp;Intelligence&nbsp;Force,&quot; to ensure the US remains a leader in advanced&nbsp;AI&nbsp;while protecting Americans&#39; interests,&nbsp;Clayton&nbsp;told the Journal, adding that &quot;the risk of not being first is hi...
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