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Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US Vice President J D Vance and his Indian-origin wife along with their two young sons on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit here. PM Modi posted images of the Tuesday meeting on X, showing the Vance family including their sons Ewan and Vivek with the PM. The Prime Minister's post read: Had a wonderful meeting with US VP J.D. Vance and his family. We had a great conversation on various subjects. "Delighted to join them in celebrating the joyous birthday of their son, Vivek! Vance also took to social media to thank "gracious and kind" Modi as he referenced gifts the prime minister offered to his kids. "Prime Minister Modi was gracious and kind, and our kids really enjoyed the gifts. I'm grateful to him for the wonderful conversation," he said. Earlier, in a video shared by PMO India, the Prime Minister was seen holding bilateral talks with Vance, while his wife Usha watched on. It came soon after Vance's address at the summit, in which he welcom
The geopolitics of artificial intelligence will be in focus at a major summit in France where world leaders, executives and experts will hammer out pledges on guiding the development of the rapidly advancing technology. It's the latest in a series of global dialogues around AI governance, but one that comes at a fresh inflection point as China's buzzy and budget-friendly DeepSeek chatbot shakes up the industry. US Vice President JD Vance making his first trip abroad since taking office will attend the Paris AI Action Summit starting Feb 10, while China's President Xi Jinping will be sending his special envoy, signalling high stakes for the meeting. Here's a breakdown: Summit basics Heads of state and top government officials, tech bosses and researchers are gathering in Paris for the two-day summit cohosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The event aims to address how to harness artificial intelligence's potential so that it benefits
Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder of France's far-right National Front, has died at 96, Sebastien Chenu, a senior party official, said Tuesday. A polarising figure in French politics, Le Pen was known for his fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism that earned him both staunch supporters and widespread condemnation. His controversial statements, including Holocaust denial, led to multiple convictions and strained his political alliances. Le Pen, who once reached the second round of the 2002 presidential election, was eventually estranged from his daughter, Marine Le Pen. In 2011, she rebranded the party to shed its demonised image and expand its electoral appeal, culminating in her own presidential successes. It is now called the National Rally. Despite his exclusion from the party in 2015, Le Pen's divisive legacy endures, marking decades of French political history and shaping the trajectory of the far-right.
France's highest court has upheld an appeal court decision which had found former President Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of corruption and influence peddling while he was the country's head of state. Sarkozy, 69, faces a year in prison, but is expected to ask to be detained at home with an electronic bracelet as is the case for any sentence of two years or less. He was found guilty of corruption and influence peddling by both a Paris court in 2021 and an appeals court in 2023 for trying to bribe a magistrate in exchange for information about a legal case in which he was implicated. "The convictions and sentences are therefore final, a Court of Cassation statement on Wednesday said. Sarkozy, who was France's president from 2007 to 2012, retired from public life in 2017 though still plays an influential role in French conservative politics. He was among the guests who attended the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral earlier this month. Sarkozy, in a statement posted on X, said I will assum
Notre Dame Cathedral, its air thick with the smell of incense, on Sunday hosted its first Mass since the catastrophic fire of 2019, a moment that transcends religious significance to become a powerful symbol of Paris' resilience. Beneath the glow of traditional chandeliers and modern spotlights, which illuminated its intricately carved stonework, the cathedral emerged reborn, its grandeur restored after more than five years of reconstruction. For Catholics, it marks the revival of the city's spiritual heart, a place where faith has been nurtured for centuries. For the world, it signals the rebirth of one of global heritage's most famous landmarks. The event was both solemn and historic. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich presided over the morning Mass, including the consecration of a new bronze altar. The liturgy, attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, clergy, dignitaries, and guests totalling around 2,500 people, was closed to the general public. Nearly 170 bishops from France and .
As Notre Dame gears up to reopen its doors in December, Paris is on the verge of a remarkable eco-revival, bringing nature back to the forefront of the City of Light. Beyond restoring the cathedral's iconic spire and medieval charm, the city announced plans Tuesday to revamp Notre Dame's surroundings to a tune of 50 million euros ($55 million) into a serene, green oasis. The project echoes a broader, post-Olympics eco-facelift that's reshaping Paris from its historic monuments to its bustling avenues. Among the key elements of this broader transformation are the revitalization of historic spaces like the Champs-Elysees and Place de la Concorde, a redesign aimed at reducing traffic around the Arc de Triomphe, and green promenades connecting the French capital's landmarks. Here's a look at some of the eco plans for Paris in the coming years: Notre Dame Cathedral: a rebirth in green The reopening on Dec 8 promises to be a historic moment for Paris, fulfilling President Emmanuel ..
After four months of deadly unrest in New Caledonia, tensions in the French Pacific territory between the pro-independence Indigenous Kanak people and the white settler communities loyal to Paris are simmering as the vast archipelago east of Australia marks the anniversary of colonization on Tuesday. The communities stand far apart on the territory's future following the Kanaks' revolt in May against President Emmanuel Macron' s voting reform in New Caledonia. The loyalists have called on supporters in the capital, Noumea, to mark the 171st anniversary of the French takeover by honking horns during a radio broadcast of France's national anthem, La Marseillaise. Separately, the National Council of Chiefs of the Kanak people is meeting on the neighbouring Mare Island and is expected to unilaterally declare sovereignty over the Kanak nation on their customary territories. Macron sidelined the controversial voting reform along with the situation in New Caledonia in June after he ...
The amount and proportion of the powerful heat-trapping gas methane that humans spew into the atmosphere is rising, helping to turbocharge climate change, a new study finds. Tuesday's study finds that in 2020, the last year complete data is available, the world put 670 million tons (608 million metric tons) of methane in the air, up nearly 12 per cent from 2000. An even more significant finding in the study in Environmental Research Letters was the source of those emissions: those from humans jumped almost 18 per cent in two decades, while natural emissions, mostly from wetlands, inched up just 2 per cent in the same time. Methane levels in the air are now 2.6 times higher than in pre-industrial times, the study said. Methane levels in the air had plateaued for a while in the early 2000s, but now are soaring. Humans cause methane emissions by burning fossil fuels, engaging in large-scale agriculture and filling up landfills. Methane is a climate menace that the world is ignoring, ..