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OpenAI President and cofounder Greg Brockman believes the world may have entered the era of artificial general intelligence, following the release of the company’s new GPT-6 Astra model.

Speaking to reporters after OpenAI unveiled Astra, Brockman said he personally viewed the model as a potential turning point in the development of AI systems capable of matching or surpassing human performance across a broad range of tasks.

«It’s not unreasonable to feel that we are now in the AGI era,» Brockman said.

He added that, looking back in several years, people may identify the...

Uzbek citizens will have to obtain a visa before travelling to Thailand from 15 September, losing both the 60-day exemption and the option of receiving a visa on arrival.

The current 60-day visa-free regime will remain available through 14 September, the Uzbek Consulate General in Bangkok confirmed. From the following day, Uzbek citizens travelling for tourism will need to obtain a visa before departure.

Uzbekistan is now seeking to make the procedure less burdensome. «We are negotiating with the Thai side about changing this procedure,» Foreign Ministry spokesperson Omonulla Fayziev told Kursiv Uzbekistan.

Applications must be submitted through Thailand’s...

Gloria Steinem, the American writer, lecturer, activist and organiser who fought for gender equality and women’s civil rights for more than five decades, has died. She was 92.

Her foundation announced the death on Thursday via an Instagram post, confirming that she died on Wednesday.

Recognised for her signature centre-parted hair and aviator glasses, Steinem became a glamorous symbol of the second-wave feminist movement. She considered herself an entrepreneur of social change, famously stating that she learned feminism primarily from Black women and women of colour.

In 2013, then-President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the...

Russian blogger Ksenia Ermokhina is attempting to contact Miley Cyrus‘ team after the singer’s rebrand drew attention to an old X account using the handle @miley.

The Novorossiysk native Ermokhina claimed that the English-speaking users started pressuring her to give up her username to Cyrus after she hadn’t used the account for seven years. The conflict started when the singer started introducing herself online as Miley rather than by her surname.

As she ushers in a new artistic era and promotes her upcoming album, Cyrus has lately gone by a single name across all of her social media platforms.

The Odyssey has emerged as the film to beat in The Hollywood Reporter’s first forecast for the 2027 Oscars, leading its Best Picture and Best Director rankings. But the more interesting calls range from John Malkovich in an offbeat CIA comedy to the directing duo behind Project Hail Mary.

The campaign calendar is set in stone. Best Picture and general entries will close on 12 November, nomination voting will take place between 11 and 15 January next year, and nominees will be announced on 21 January. 

The final voting occurs between 25 February and 4 March...

Madrid’s new Madring circuit is days away from hosting its first Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, but its journey to the calendar has been far from straightforward.

The €83mn project has faced construction concerns, protests and legal challenges from residents, a chaotic Formula 3 test and, most recently, the theft of electrical cables from the circuit. Madrid and regional authorities have nevertheless insisted that the venue will be ready for the September 11-13 race weekend.

Questions over the construction timetable emerged months before the race. In May, work on the circuit was still underway, and the asphalt had not yet...

Tashkent is considering a new joint venture with leading foreign engineering companies to improve management and independent supervision of its $9.5bn nuclear power station currently under construction.

The proposal emerged during President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s review of construction progress at the plant in the Jizzakh region on 2 September.

«To improve project management, strengthen technical control and conduct an independent review of technological solutions, it was proposed to create a joint venture,» the presidential press service said. 

No details have been released about who owns the venture, what its responsibilities are...

Apple is preparing to implement its most drastic design overhaul in nearly a decade with the upcoming iPhone Ultra. Set for an official unveiling on 10 September, the company’s first foldable flagship will abandon the signature pill-shaped cutout and Face ID technology in favour of a single hole-punch display.

Recent leaked images of screen covers for the iPhone Ultra and the iPhone 18 Pro series reveal a dramatic shift in Apple’s design philosophy. Since the introduction of the iPhone X in 2017, the tech giant has relied on complex facial recognition modules that required prominent screen notches. However...

South Korean actor Lee Jong-suk has withdrawn from his planned starring role in the upcoming romance drama “Iseop’s Romance”. The actor’s agency, ACE Factory, announced the departure on September 3, citing unavoidable scheduling conflicts that arose after the project’s production timeline shifted.

According to the agency’s statement, Lee had been involved with the adaptation since its early planning and development stages. However, unexpected adjustments to the filming schedule made it impossible for him to participate while accommodating his other future commitments.

Following extensive discussions with the production team, both parties agreed he would step down from the male lead...

Uzbekistan has introduced conditional visa-free entry for Indian citizens holding qualifying multiple-entry business or tourist visas. Eligible travellers may stay for up to 30 days.

The measure took effect on 1 September under Presidential Decree PF-180, signed on 29 August, according to the Ministry of Justice’s press release. Travellers must also present a flight ticket to India or a third country.

The decree provides the details behind the 30-day visa-free regime announced following talks between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The leaders also said 14 flights a week were operating between the countries.

Despite returning to the superhero genre to massive acclaim three years ago, Andrew Garfield maintains that his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is over for now.

The actor has firmly stated he will not appear in the upcoming ensemble blockbuster “Avengers: Doomsday” and confessed he has yet to watch the newly released “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”.

During recent interviews, the Oscar-nominated star addressed ongoing speculation about his involvement in Marvel’s expanding multiverse. When asked about a potential cameo alongside Tobey Maguire in the next Avengers instalment, Garfield gave a blunt denial.

Andrew Garfield says...

The US Department of Defense has released comprehensive clinical guidelines enacting a mandatory testosterone screening programme for military personnel. Taking effect immediately, the policy targets active-duty and reserve service members aged 30 and over.

Initiated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following his July directive, the mandate aims to identify hormone deficiencies and optimise combat readiness. The Pentagon’s health guidance describes testosterone levels as a critical biological marker directly impacting physical strength, bone density, aerobic fitness, depressive symptoms and cardiovascular health.

The High-T Department of War. pic.twitter.com/hlAUq3j2cD

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth...

Acer has announced a high-end Windows laptop that’s built so that a dead battery or broken port won’t doom the whole thing. The Vero 16 does away with a screwdriver and lets owners access replaceable parts, and it promises a processor upgrade path of at least two generations.

The laptop, revealed at IFA 2026 in Berlin, features a latch on its bottom panel, as well as an engraved repair guide. Acer says owners can replace the battery and SSD themselves, and detachable hinges and removable covers make damaged ports easier to service.

Acer has steered clear of the stripped-back...

A Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 owner has reported that the corners of their device’s inner display flex inward when lightly pressed. The issue surfaced on the manufacturer’s official European Community forum after the user noticed the screen sinking while cleaning the edges with a soft cloth.

The user questioned whether this yielding sensation was a manufacturing defect or a standard design characteristic. An accompanying Instagram reel has since circulated showing similar screen behaviour on another handset. Despite these visual examples, the phenomenon does not currently appear to be a widespread hardware failure.

Should the screen bend so much...

Sony Pictures Entertainment is preparing to launch the first instalment of the highly anticipated mythological epic “Ramayana” to global audiences on November 6.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, best known for helming India’s highest-grossing release “Dangal”, the two-part film brings an ancient Indian saga to international cinemas. This marks a major push by the studio to introduce South Asian stories to a wider mainstream market. Filmed specifically for Imax formats, the feature is designed to bridge cultural divides and will be distributed in several languages including English.

The plot

The story centres on exiled prince Rama, played by Ranbir Kapoor...

The 83rd Venice International Film Festival opened on Wednesday with Danny Boyle’s Ink, a drama about Rupert Murdoch’s 1969 takeover of The Sun. George Clooney was also due to receive a lifetime-achievement Golden Lion as an 11-day programme of prestige premieres and political documentaries began on the Lido.

Written by James Graham and adapted from his stage play, Ink stars Guy Pearce as Murdoch, Jack O’Connell as Sun editor Larry Lamb and Claire Foy. Its world premiere follows the opening ceremony at the Palazzo del Cinema.

Festival director Alberto Barbera said many of this...

The second set of limited banners in Genshin Impact Version 7.0 has brought Flins and Ineffa into the spotlight, giving players from September 1 until September 22 the chance to decide whether either five-star user of the Electro polearm deserves their Primogems.

The two characters share a connection to Lunar-Charged reactions but fill very different roles. Flins is a dedicated on-field damage dealer who takes control of the team’s main damage window, while Ineffa provides off-field Electro damage, shielding and additional utility.

The choice between them ultimately depends on whether you want to build around the Lunar-Charged...

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has renewed his push to replace the 1953 armistice with a permanent peace system, saying his country cannot keep pouring its strength into confrontation with North Korea. 

Lee made the pledge on Wednesday at a gathering of the American branch of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council in Incheon, according to The Korea Times.

«We must change the unfortunate reality in which North and South Korea are using their strength only to confront each other,» Lee said, as quoted by the presidential office. He called for the armistice to give...

Veteran anime director and animator Yuji Yanase has succumbed to a myocardial infarction, MAHO FILM president and CEO Junji Murata confirmed on Wednesday.

Yanase passed away on 22 August, and his family has already held a private funeral for close relatives. The studio expressed deep gratitude for his extensive contributions to their creative output over the years.

At the time of his death, Yanase was simultaneously directing two televisioprogrammes that were broadcastingng in the summer 2026 anime season. These were “The World’s Strongest Rearguard” and “The Insipid Prince’s Furtive Grab for the Throne”.

Tributes and a three-decade...

Two people were lightly injured when an unidentified object exploded near Augsburg Central Station in southern Germany on Wednesday morning. Police later discovered a second suspicious item, sealed the station and suspended all train services.

The explosion occurred in a building passage on Bahnhofstrasse, North Swabia Police said. The two injured people suffered acoustic trauma, and nearby windows were damaged, according to Tagesschau.

Police have not identified the object or established what caused it to explode. Authorities initially sealed off the station building and platform 1 while trains continued to use the...

A speeding car ploughed into a gathering of government and military supporters in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad late Tuesday, killing four people and injuring more than 10 others.

The fatal collision unfolded along Vakilabad Boulevard, a major thoroughfare in the city, where citizens had assembled for an evening rally. The crowd consisted of demonstrators showing solidarity with Iran and its military.

According to the Mehr news agency, this public gathering was part of a recurring series of events held by government loyalists since the war with the United States commenced in late February.

Despite the...

What began as an audacious adventure has developed into a decade-long national campaign. A band of American cowboys have crossed the world to compete for a 2026 World Nomad Games trophy in Kok-boru, a high-impact Central Asian sport played with a 30kg goat carcass or dummy. 

The nine-man US team arrived in the Kyrgyz capital city Bishkek on 25 August before travelling to the resort town of Cholpon-Ata for training. The International Kok-boru Federation financed its trip, according to state news agency Kabar.

Team USA are scheduled to face Kyrgyzstan at the Kok-Boru Arena...

BP has appointed Ian Tyler as its permanent chairman, ending a months-long search for a new leader of the British energy giant’s board.

Tyler, who has served as interim chairman since May, takes over the role permanently following the departure of his predecessor, Albert Manifold.

The appointment comes as BP works to restore investor confidence and advance a strategic reset focused on strengthening its oil and gas business while improving shareholder returns.

Tyler, a former chief executive of British infrastructure group Balfour Beatty, brings extensive experience in corporate leadership and boardroom roles. He has served as a non-executive director...

Google‘s latest software release is rolling out across the Android ecosystem, delivering five major enhancements to applications like Gemini, Find Hub and Google Messages.

Unlike typical operating system upgrades, this September drop deploys primarily through application updates rather than a massive platform overhaul, ensuring wider availability across various smartphone models, including older Pixel and Galaxy devices.

The standout addition transforms how users track everyday, untagged items. A new integration between Gemini and Find Hub allows individuals to log the physical location of objects that do not have digital trackers. Users can verbally instruct the digital assistant to remember where...