More than 2,000 flights were cancelled in Germany on Friday (February 17) as workers at eight airports in the country went on a strike to demand better pay. Around 295,000 passengers were affected by the cancellation of 2,340 flights at Bremen, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart and&nbsp;Leipzig airports,&nbsp;the German airport association ADV said and called the strikes completely unacceptable. According to a statement, ADV chief Ralph Beisel said that solutions must be found at the negotiating table and not at the expense of passengers, news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

The strike was announced by the Verdi trade union on Wednesday (February 15). Verdi said the walkout was expected to have a strong impact, especially on domestic air traffic, ranging from delays to cancellations and even a partial shutdown. However, it pointed out the nationwide strike would not impact flights delivering aid to earthquake-ravaged Turkey and Syria, or aircraft carrying leaders to the annual Munich Security Conference.

Verdi has been leading negotiations for public sector workers, airport ground crew and aviation security staff, demanding better pay at a time when workers are seeing their incomes eroded by a&nbsp;higher cost of living. The next round of talks has been scheduled for February 22-23.&nbsp;

Defending the strike, Verdi said a combined day of action was less inconvenient for passengers than several strikes on different days. Speaking to Inforadio on Friday, its Deputy Chair Christine Behle said, "If nothing is done about pay now, we will all be in for another chaotic summer."

Earlier, on Wednesday, Lufthansa was forced to cancel or delay flights due to a major IT outage caused by construction work in Frankfurt. And on Thursday, the websites of seven airports in Germany were hit by a suspected cyber attack.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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More than 2,000 flights were cancelled in Germany on Friday (February 17) as workers at eight airports in the country went on a strike to demand better pay. Around 295,000 passengers were affected by the cancellation of 2,340 flights at Bremen, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart and Leipzig airports, the German airport association ADV said and called the strikes completely unacceptable.

More than 2,000 flights were cancelled in Germany on Friday (February 17) as workers at eight airports in the country went on a strike to demand better pay. Around 295,000 passengers were affected by the cancellation of 2,340 flights at Bremen, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart and Leipzig airports, the German airport association ADV said and called the strikes completely unacceptable. According to a statement, ADV chief Ralph Beisel said that solutions must be found at the negotiating table and not at the expense of passengers, news agency AFP reported. The strike was announced by the Verdi trade union on Wednesday (February 15). Verdi said the walkout was expected to have a strong impact, especially on domestic air traffic, ranging from delays to cancellations and even a partial shutdown. However, it pointed out the nationwide strike would not impact flights delivering aid to earthquake-ravaged Turkey and Syria, or aircraft carrying leaders to the annual Munich Security Conference. Verdi has been leading negotiations for public sector workers, airport ground crew and aviation security staff, demanding better pay at a time when workers are seeing their incomes eroded by a higher cost of living. The next round of talks has been scheduled for February 22-23. Defending the strike, Verdi said a combined day of action was less inconvenient for passengers than several strikes on different days. Speaking to Inforadio on Friday, its Deputy Chair Christine Behle said, "If nothing is done about pay now, we will all be in for another chaotic summer." Earlier, on Wednesday, Lufthansa was forced to cancel or delay flights due to a major IT outage caused by construction work in Frankfurt. And on Thursday, the websites of seven airports in Germany were hit by a suspected cyber attack. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Germany: Over 2,000 flights cancelled as staff at eight airports go on strike

Indian-American Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is planning to announce his 2024 presidential bid. Ramaswamy for the time being has embarked on test runs and fact-finding missions in Iowa- where he has been addressing multiple events.

Indian-American Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is planning to announce his 2024 presidential bid. Ramaswamy for the time being has embarked on test runs and fact-finding missions in Iowa- where he has been addressing multiple events. Ramaswamy insisted that his trip to Iowa and other prep work he is doing for a potential run are serious. According to a report by Politico on Monday (February 13), Ramaswamy is exploring a run for president, testing, among other things, whether his warnings about the dangers of 'wokeism' and socially-responsible investing have political currency with Republican politicians, business leaders and farmers. Who is Vivek Ramaswamy? Vivek Ramaswamy, 37, is an entrepreneur and author who has founded multiple enterprises. He has been dubbed by the New Yorker Magazine as the "CEO of Anti-Woke Inc." He was born on August 9, 1985, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His parents immigrated from India. Ramaswamy's father worked as an engineer at General Electric while his mother was a geriatric psychiatrist. Ramaswamy graduated summa cum laude in biology from Harvard in 2007 his career as a biotech investor at a prominent hedge fund. He continued to work as an investor while earning his law degree at Yale. According to his website, Ramaswamy emerged as a prominent national commentator on stakeholder capitalism, free speech, and identity politics in 2020. 'I’ve developed a vision for American national identity' Speaking to Politico, Vivek Ramaswamy said “I believe that I’ve developed a vision for American national identity that I have a deep conviction for and is the product of my own journey of having lived the gifts that this country has afforded me.” Ramaswamy first considered pursuing elected office in 2021, when he weighed making a bid for Senate in Ohio. However, he chose not to. The report said that Ramaswamy's net worth is reportedly in excess of $500 million, which is enough to seed his campaign through the key early states. The 37-year-old has already fashioned a policy platform which includes defeating China economically, reforming the national security apparatus and firing the managerial class of the federal government. Ramaswamy said on Thursday that he is plotting out his potential cabinet too, impressed with the intellect of former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and the likes of Senator Tom Cotton, former governor of Arizona Doug Ducey and governor of Iowa Kim Reynolds. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy planning to run for US President: Report

Israel on Wednesday (local time) approved a law to strip citizenship over "terrorism" offences, reported The Times of Israel. The Knesset approved a law to strip convicted terrorists with Israeli nationality of their citizenship -- provided they receive funding from the Palestinian Authority or an associated organisation. The bill, which passed with 94 votes in favour and 10 against in the Knesset, also paves the way for Israel to expel people from the country or annexed east Jerusalem.

The law, an amendment to Israel`s 1952 Citizenship Law, applies to both Israeli citizens and permanent residents incarcerated following a conviction for terror, aiding terror, harming Israeli sovereignty, inciting war, or aiding an enemy during wartime, and enables the interior minister to revoke their status after a hearing, reported The Times of Israel.

The law enables citizenship to be revoked even if the person lacks a second citizenship, provided they have a permanent residence status outside of Israel. Once citizenship is revoked, the person would be denied entry back into Israel.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed it on Twitter as "our answer to terrorism".

Sometimes referred to as "pay for slay," the Palestinian Authority regularly pays stipends to convicted terrorists, and the law also applies to organisations that pay out on the PA`s behalf, reported The Times of Israel.

Amid an ongoing terror wave and two recent, high-profile and security prisoner releases celebrated by Palestinians, proponents touted the bill as a deterrent to terror. It passed against opposition from Arab lawmakers, who labelled the law`s tailoring to carve out Jewish terrorists as "racist."

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Israel on Wednesday (local time) approved a law to strip citizenship over "terrorism" offences, reported The Times of Israel. The Knesset approved a law to strip convicted terrorists with Israeli nationality of their citizenship -- provided they receive funding from the Palestinian Authority or an associated organisation.

Israel on Wednesday (local time) approved a law to strip citizenship over "terrorism" offences, reported The Times of Israel. The Knesset approved a law to strip convicted terrorists with Israeli nationality of their citizenship -- provided they receive funding from the Palestinian Authority or an associated organisation. The bill, which passed with 94 votes in favour and 10 against in the Knesset, also paves the way for Israel to expel people from the country or annexed east Jerusalem. The law, an amendment to Israel`s 1952 Citizenship Law, applies to both Israeli citizens and permanent residents incarcerated following a conviction for terror, aiding terror, harming Israeli sovereignty, inciting war, or aiding an enemy during wartime, and enables the interior minister to revoke their status after a hearing, reported The Times of Israel. The law enables citizenship to be revoked even if the person lacks a second citizenship, provided they have a permanent residence status outside of Israel. Once citizenship is revoked, the person would be denied entry back into Israel.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed it on Twitter as "our answer to terrorism". Sometimes referred to as "pay for slay," the Palestinian Authority regularly pays stipends to convicted terrorists, and the law also applies to organisations that pay out on the PA`s behalf, reported The Times of Israel. Amid an ongoing terror wave and two recent, high-profile and security prisoner releases celebrated by Palestinians, proponents touted the bill as a deterrent to terror. It passed against opposition from Arab lawmakers, who labelled the law`s tailoring to carve out Jewish terrorists as "racist." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Israel passes law to strip 'convicted terrorists' of their citizenship

The latest study on Thursday (February 17) said that protection against Covid from being previously infected lasts at least as long as that offered by vaccination. The study published in the Lancet Journal said that 10 months after getting Covid, people still had an 88 per cent lower risk of re-infection, hospitalisation and death. This made natural immunity at least as durable, if not more so than two doses of Pfizer or Moderna's vaccines against the virus.&nbsp;

"Although protection from re-infection from all variants wanes over time, our analysis of the available data suggests that the level of protection afforded by previous infection is at least as high, if not higher than that provided by two-dose vaccination using high-quality mRNA vaccines," the study, led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) said. The researchers reviewed 65 studies from 19 countries up to September last year, which would mean some studies covered the period when infections of the Omicron variant were seen.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-covid-cases-in-china-decline-country-declares-decisive-win-over-the-virus-562904">As Covid cases in China decline, country declares 'decisive win' over the virus</a>

Omicron proved to be more contagious than previous strains, but less severe.

"Our meta-analyses showed that protection from past infection and any symptomatic disease was high for ancestral, alpha, beta, and delta variants, but was substantially lower for the omicron BA.1 variant," Thursday's study said. Sharing the findings, the study said that pooled effectiveness against re-infection by Omicron BA.1 variant was 45.3 per cent, and 44 per cent against omicron BA.1 symptomatic disease.

It added the mean pooled effectiveness was greater than 78 per cent against severe disease (hospitalisation and death) for all variants including Omicron BA.1. The protection from re-infection from ancestral, alpha and delta variants declined over time but remained at 78.6 per cent at 40 weeks. But the protection against re-infection by Omicron BA.1 declined more rapidly and was estimated at 36.1 per cent at 40 weeks.&nbsp;

Thursday's study also pointed out that protection against severe disease remained high for all variants with 90.2 per cent for ancestral, alpha, and delta variants and 88.9 per cent for Omicron BA.1 at 40 weeks.&nbsp;

Caroline Stein of the IHME, who is a co-author of the study, said in a statement that vaccines continue to be important for everyone to protect high-risk populations such as those who are over 60 years of age and those with comorbidities, news agency AFP reported on Friday.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Cheryl Cohen, an epidemiologist at South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases, said that in the long run, most infections would occur in people with strong protection against severe disease because of previous infection, vaccination, or both. "These results suggest that similar to other human coronaviruses, there might be a low seasonal hospitalisation burden," Cohen added.&nbsp;

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The latest study on Thursday (February 17) said that protection against Covid from being previously infected lasts at least as long as that offered by vaccination.

The latest study on Thursday (February 17) said that protection against Covid from being previously infected lasts at least as long as that offered by vaccination. The study published in the Lancet Journal said that 10 months after getting Covid, people still had an 88 per cent lower risk of re-infection, hospitalisation and death. This made natural immunity at least as durable, if not more so than two doses of Pfizer or Moderna's vaccines against the virus. "Although protection from re-infection from all variants wanes over time, our analysis of the available data suggests that the level of protection afforded by previous infection is at least as high, if not higher than that provided by two-dose vaccination using high-quality mRNA vaccines," the study, led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) said. The researchers reviewed 65 studies from 19 countries up to September last year, which would mean some studies covered the period when infections of the Omicron variant were seen. ALSO READ | As Covid cases in China decline, country declares 'decisive win' over the virus Omicron proved to be more contagious than previous strains, but less severe. "Our meta-analyses showed that protection from past infection and any symptomatic disease was high for ancestral, alpha, beta, and delta variants, but was substantially lower for the omicron BA.1 variant," Thursday's study said. Sharing the findings, the study said that pooled effectiveness against re-infection by Omicron BA.1 variant was 45.3 per cent, and 44 per cent against omicron BA.1 symptomatic disease. It added the mean pooled effectiveness was greater than 78 per cent against severe disease (hospitalisation and death) for all variants including Omicron BA.1. The protection from re-infection from ancestral, alpha and delta variants declined over time but remained at 78.6 per cent at 40 weeks. But the protection against re-infection by Omicron BA.1 declined more rapidly and was estimated at 36.1 per cent at 40 weeks. Thursday's study also pointed out that protection against severe disease remained high for all variants with 90.2 per cent for ancestral, alpha, and delta variants and 88.9 per cent for Omicron BA.1 at 40 weeks. Caroline Stein of the IHME, who is a co-author of the study, said in a statement that vaccines continue to be important for everyone to protect high-risk populations such as those who are over 60 years of age and those with comorbidities, news agency AFP reported on Friday. Meanwhile, Cheryl Cohen, an epidemiologist at South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases, said that in the long run, most infections would occur in people with strong protection against severe disease because of previous infection, vaccination, or both. "These results suggest that similar to other human coronaviruses, there might be a low seasonal hospitalisation burden," Cohen added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Study says natural immunity from Covid offers same protection as vaccination

Bao Fan, a high-profile tech banker in China, has gone missing, sending chills down the country's finance industry. On Thursday (February 16), Bao's company China Renaissance Holdings Ltd said that it had lost touch with him, the news agency Bloomberg reported.

Bao Fan, a high-profile tech banker in China, has gone missing, sending chills down the country's finance industry. On Thursday (February 16), Bao's company China Renaissance Holdings Ltd said that it had lost touch with him, the news agency Bloomberg reported. A person familiar with developments said Bao Fan was out of contact with the company for two days, adding his family was told that he was assisting in an investigation. The person, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the former president of China Renaissance Cong Lin had been involved in an investigation by authorities since September last year. Cong has held various positions at the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd, and he left China Renaissance last year. China Renaissance stock slides by 50% On Friday (February 17), China Renaissance's stock slid by 50% in early Hong Kong trading to hit a low of $0.64 (around HK$5), wiping off $356.7 million (HK$2.8 billion) in market value, a report by news agency Reuters said. It regained ground to be off by 28%. The report added that so far, 19.04 million China Renaissance shares changed hands, the highest on record. Disappearance of top Chinese executives not uncommon It is not uncommon for top executives in China to disappear when they are involved in any government investigation. In late 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched a broad anti-corruption investigation targeting the country's $60 trillion financial sector. The probe has implicated the investment banking community, ensnaring bankers from brokerages including Everbright Securities Co. and Guotai Junan Securities Co, Bloomberg reported. Bao Fan has been described as one of China's best-connected bankers and his disappearance has fuelled speculations of a fresh clampdown on the finance industry. A former banker at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse Group AG, Fan became popular for being able to broker difficult mergers and acquisitions, including those that led to the formation of Didi Global Inc. and Meituan. He started China Renaissance Holdings Ltd in 2005 and listed it in Hong Kong in 2018 after raising $346 million. The company is an active investor, backing many tech companies which grew to giants including NIO Inc. and WuXi AppTec Co. According to China Renaissance's most recent interim report, the company had $7.1 billion ( 48.6 billion yuan) under its investment manager at the end of June last year. Before Fan, property developer Seazen Group Ltd reported that it was unable to reach or contact its vice-chairman Qu Dejun. According to a report by Mingtiandi on Monday (February 13), Dejun was cooperating with authorities concerning an investigation into the Dalian Wanda Group, where he had previously worked. (With inputs form agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Top Chinese banker Bao Fan goes missing, sending chills down nation's finance industry: Reports

Diplomatic relations between the United States and China further worsened on Wednesday (February 15) after Beijing accused Washington of flowing high-altitude balloons over the Xinjiang and Tibet regions. In New Zealand, the death toll in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle climbed to five on Thursday and there are fears that the number of deaths could climb further. And in the US, a shooting was reported in a mall in El Paso Texas which left one person dead and three others injured.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Click on the headlines to read more

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-charges-us-of-flowing-balloons-over-xinjiang-tibet-says-will-adopt-countermeasures-562500">China accuses US of flying balloons over Xinjiang, Tibet, says will take countermeasures</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/02/16/332727-untitled-design-53.png?imwidth=1920" />

diplomatic friction between China and the United States worsened after Beijing charged the latter with flowing high-altitude balloons over the Xinjiang and Tibet regions and threatened to take measures against the US entities which have undermined the sovereignty of China.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-five-dead-in-aftermath-of-cyclone-gabrielle-over-10000-people-displaced-562519">New Zealand: Five dead in aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle; over 10,000 people displaced</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/02/16/332732-000339a7zv.jpg?imwidth=1920" />

The death toll in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand has climbed to five and there are fears that the number of deaths could climb further. A total of 10,500 people have so far been displaced with 9,000 made homeless in New Zealand's eastern regions alone.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/el-paso-texas-mall-shooting-leaves-one-dead-injures-three-others-562502">El Paso, Texas, mall shooting leaves one dead, injures three others</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/02/16/332725-untitled-design-2023-02-16t082905071.png?imwidth=1920" />

The El Paso mall shooting was reported on Wednesday at around 5 pm. The police has arrested one suspect but not revealed any details about him. The scene of the shooting is believed to be clear now.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-buffalo-shooting-grieving-family-member-lunges-at-gunman-as-he-gets-sentenced-to-life-562514">Buffalo shooting: Grieving family member lunges at gunman, as he gets sentenced to life</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/02/16/332729-untitled-design-54.png?imwidth=1920" />

The court sentenced gunman Payton Gendron, who killed 10 Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, to life imprisonment as family members expressed their agony at the loss.&nbsp;

WATCH | 'Islamic State terror threat remains high, threat increasing in conflict zones,' says UN

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Diplomatic relations between the United States and China further worsened on Wednesday (February 15) after Beijing accused Washington of flowing high-altitude balloons over the Xinjiang and Tibet regions.

Diplomatic relations between the United States and China further worsened on Wednesday (February 15) after Beijing accused Washington of flowing high-altitude balloons over the Xinjiang and Tibet regions. In New Zealand, the death toll in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle climbed to five on Thursday and there are fears that the number of deaths could climb further. And in the US, a shooting was reported in a mall in El Paso Texas which left one person dead and three others injured. Click on the headlines to read more China accuses US of flying balloons over Xinjiang, Tibet, says will take countermeasures diplomatic friction between China and the United States worsened after Beijing charged the latter with flowing high-altitude balloons over the Xinjiang and Tibet regions and threatened to take measures against the US entities which have undermined the sovereignty of China. New Zealand: Five dead in aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle; over 10,000 people displaced The death toll in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand has climbed to five and there are fears that the number of deaths could climb further. A total of 10,500 people have so far been displaced with 9,000 made homeless in New Zealand's eastern regions alone. El Paso, Texas, mall shooting leaves one dead, injures three others The El Paso mall shooting was reported on Wednesday at around 5 pm. The police has arrested one suspect but not revealed any details about him. The scene of the shooting is believed to be clear now. Buffalo shooting: Grieving family member lunges at gunman, as he gets sentenced to life The court sentenced gunman Payton Gendron, who killed 10 Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, to life imprisonment as family members expressed their agony at the loss. WATCH | 'Islamic State terror threat remains high, threat increasing in conflict zones,' says UN ×

Morning brief: China accuses US of flying balloons over Xinjiang, Tibet; Cyclone Gabrielle updates & more

The death toll in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand has climbed to five and there are fears that the number of deaths could climb further. The police said on Thursday (February 16) that a person is believed to have died after being caught in flood water in the Gisborne region.

The death toll in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand has climbed to five and there are fears that the number of deaths could climb further. The police said on Thursday (February 16) that a person is believed to have died after being caught in flood water in the Gisborne region. Four other deaths have already been confirmed and the police expressed grave concerns about missing people. A report by the news agency AFP on Thursday said that more heavy rain was forecast for the badly-hit eastern areas of New Zealand- where the disaster has severed roads, collapsed houses and cut power. Government officials estimate 10,500 people have so far been displaced with 9,000 made homeless in eastern regions alone. ALSO READ | More than 58,000 left without power as Cyclone Gabrielle batters New Zealand New Zealand is currently under a state of national emergency after Cyclone Gabrielle bore down on its northern coast last Sunday (February 12). The cyclone has faded into the Pacific but the MetService warned of further downpours on Thursday of up to 40 millimetres per hour in the eastern regions that are already flooded, the report said. Naval vessels, helicopters deployed for rescue ops Two large naval vessels and a C-130 Hercules transport plane have been deployed to deliver thousands of litres of water along with personnel and several mobile water treatment plants to hard-hit areas. On the other hand, NH90 helicopters have brought in supplies and rescued hundreds of people stranded on their rooftops. The east-coast city of Napier was cut-off again on Thursday after experts detected damage to the last useable bridge linking its residents with the rest of New Zealand. Isolated residents had been told not to leave their houses unless "absolutely essential" and to restrict water use. This is a traumatic event: New Zealand PM On Thursday, New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Hipkins warned citizens of a long, gruelling recovery ahead. "This is a traumatic event. It's a very big challenge to restore infrastructure as fast as we can, but we have to acknowledge that we are in for a bumpy ride," Hipkins said, AFP reported. He added, "There are no overnight fixes. We could have the bulldozers working 24/7 and it would still take time to re-establish road links." The Prime Minister also said on Thursday that his government was accepting offers of international assistance after such offers from the United States and other countries were initially set aside. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

New Zealand: Five dead in aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle; over 10,000 people displaced

The police in Australia launched a manhunt for three men who are being probed for a suspected drug trafficking ring, two weeks after they were rescued off the coast of Western Australia on February 1.

The police in Australia launched a manhunt for three men who are being probed for a suspected drug trafficking ring, two weeks after they were rescued off the coast of Western Australia on February 1. The trio were found clinging to an esky cool box and claimed they were fishing when their boat capsized. However, authorities later found 365kg of cocaine and described it as one of the largest cocaine busts in Western Australia in the last two decades. On Wednesday (February 15), one of the three men was arrested and police continued their search for the two men who are believed to be in Western Australia. What happened on February 1? Three men, Aristides Avlontis, Mate Stipinovich and Karl Whitburn ran into trouble after their boat capsized in waters near Eclipse Island, some 17 kilometres south of Albany. According to a report by ABC News on Tuesday (February 14), the three men had claimed they were fishing when the mishap occurred, and they set off their EPIRB during the emergency. The men were rescued and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) praised them for having life-saving equipment. However, there was more to this incident. Six days later, a package washed ashore Six days after Avlontis, Stipnovich and Whitburn were rescued from their capsized boat, a black plastic-wrapped package washed ashore in Western Australia's tourist town of Denmark. And the next day, an overturned cabin cruiser was discovered which had eight such packages. The ABC News report on Tuesday said that each of these packages had 40 kilogrammes (kg) of cocaine and a total of 365kg was seized. UPDATED: Police have arrested a man, 36, who was found at a home in rural Darwin. He is expected to appear in court tomorrow. We'd like to thank Northern Territory Police (@ntpfes) for their work and assistance. https://t.co/Z1SxCCfN9P — AFP (@AusFedPolice) February 15, 2023 × The cops believed the drugs were collected from the ocean and then loaded onto the boat. But how and when this activity occurred was still under probe, the report added. On Tuesday, the police said that they were searching for the three men who were rescued on February 1. Arrest warrants were issued and the police said they needed assistance to find the trio. The report added that Mate Stipinovich, 49, and Karl Whitburn, 45, are residents of Perth and Aristides Avlontis, 36, is believed to be from the Northern Territory. They have been suspected of being involved in an international drug shipment. Police urge the trio to contact them With this massive drug seizure in Australia making headlines, the Australian Federal Police's (AFP) Acting Commander Graeme Marshall urged Avlontis, Stipnovich and Whitburn to contact cops. Marshall said the interception of this huge amount of drugs (365kg of cocaine) "would be a significant blow to a well-resourced syndicate, and prevents millions of dollars of drug profit from flowing back into the group to fund their next criminal venture or lavish lifestyles." ALSO READ | Cocaine worth $300 million with batman stickers found floating in New Zealand “The AFP estimates this seizure has saved the community more than $235 million in drug-related harm, including associated crime, healthcare and loss of productivity," Marshall added. The top police official pointed out that there was a perception by some people in the community that cocaine was safe, and then said, "Let me be clear — it is not." Meanwhile, Shaun Senior from the Australian Border Force (ABF) said that officers were monitoring a range of vessels across Australia, adding the ABF would continue to make the Australian border a hostile environment for criminals trying to import illicit drugs. First arrest made, hunt for two others on On Wednesday, Aristides Avlontis was arrested with the AFP saying that the 36-year-old faces a charge of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, according to a report by the BBC. However, Mate Stipinovich and Karl Whitburn have still not been apprehended and the hunt for them is on. Why the cocaine seizure in Western Australia is a big deal for the country? Australia has strict and complex drug laws. As earlier mentioned, the AFP said the seizure of 365kg of cocaine would prevent over $235 million in drug-related harm and would be a significant blow to a well-resourced syndicate. What are the drug laws in Western Australia? According to the Western Australia Police Force, it is illegal to possess, use, manufacture, cultivate or supply an illicit drug in the state. Possession of an illicit drug has a maximum fine of $1,382 (around 2,000 AUD) and/or two years in prison while the supply of any illicit drug has a maximum fine of $69,120 (100,000 AUD) and/or 25 years in prison. The police force says, "Any person convicted of a drug offence will receive a criminal record and this can lead to difficulties in getting a job, credit or visas for overseas travel." It adds that cops can issue a Cannabis Intervention Requirement (CIR) or a Drug Diversion Notice when small quantities of a drug are detected. Has there been any other major drug bust in Australia? In August last year, the police seized almost two tonnes of methamphetamine — the biggest drug haul in Australia's history. A report by the BBC said the 1,800kg of methamphetamine was concealed in marble and had a street value of more than $1.1 billion. Three men were charged in this case and authorities said they were part of a broader syndicate with international links. The report also said that Australia has the highest reported methamphetamine use per capita globally, with 6% of Australians have used it. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explained: Why the recent cocaine haul in Australia is becoming a big deal

Black holes are the source of dark energy, the mysterious force behind the accelerating expansion of the universe, says a new study. This claim comes from an international team that compared growth rates of black holes in different galaxies. The team concluded that the spread of the masses observed could be explained by black holes bearing cores of ‘dark energy’, a report by the Guardian said.&nbsp;

Seventeen researchers in nine countries shared&nbsp;their findings in two papers published in The Astrophysical Journal and The Astrophysical Journal Letters. One of the researchers, Duncan Farrah from the University of Hawaii, said, "We propose that black holes are the source for dark energy." Farrah added that this dark energy is produced when the normal matter is compressed during the death and collapse of large stars, the Guardian report added.&nbsp;

The researchers said the findings could be explained if black holes grow as the universe expands. They said that observations found black holes expanding 10 orders of magnitude in mass across most of cosmic history.&nbsp;

"The Kerr black hole solution is, however, provisional as its behaviour at infinity is incompatible with an expanding universe. Black hole models with realistic behaviour at infinity predict that the gravitating mass of a black hole can increase with the expansion of the universe independently of accretion or mergers, in a manner that depends on the black hole's interior solution," the research published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters said.&nbsp;

The researchers compared black hole masses in young galaxies with black hole masses in giant but dormant galaxies. In the younger galaxies, black holes can grow by swallowing nearby stars and other material. However, in the older ones, there is little left for them to suck in. They also found that black holes in dormant galaxies were seven to 20 times more massive than expected,&nbsp;a finding they say points to another process by which the black holes are growing.

“The importance of this work is that it’s taken the theories about black holes with dark energy cores and linked them for the first time to tangible observations of the universe,” said Chris Pearson, a co-author of the study who is also the Astronomy Group Leader at STFC RAL Space in Oxfordshire.&nbsp;

However, the claim that black holes are the source of dark energy was met with disapproval from some experts. Vitor Cardoso, a professor of physics at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, said, there are many&nbsp;counter-arguments and facts that needed to be understood if this claim was going to live more than a few months. “What this study could also say is something as simple as black holes evolve differently today than they did billions of years ago,” Cardoso said, adding it was too early to think black holes are related to dark energy in any way.&nbsp;

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Black holes are the source of dark energy, the mysterious force behind the accelerating expansion of the universe, says a new study. This claim comes from an international team that compared growth rates of black holes in different galaxies.

Black holes are the source of dark energy, the mysterious force behind the accelerating expansion of the universe, says a new study. This claim comes from an international team that compared growth rates of black holes in different galaxies. The team concluded that the spread of the masses observed could be explained by black holes bearing cores of ‘dark energy’, a report by the Guardian said. Seventeen researchers in nine countries shared their findings in two papers published in The Astrophysical Journal and The Astrophysical Journal Letters. One of the researchers, Duncan Farrah from the University of Hawaii, said, "We propose that black holes are the source for dark energy." Farrah added that this dark energy is produced when the normal matter is compressed during the death and collapse of large stars, the Guardian report added. The researchers said the findings could be explained if black holes grow as the universe expands. They said that observations found black holes expanding 10 orders of magnitude in mass across most of cosmic history. "The Kerr black hole solution is, however, provisional as its behaviour at infinity is incompatible with an expanding universe. Black hole models with realistic behaviour at infinity predict that the gravitating mass of a black hole can increase with the expansion of the universe independently of accretion or mergers, in a manner that depends on the black hole's interior solution," the research published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters said. The researchers compared black hole masses in young galaxies with black hole masses in giant but dormant galaxies. In the younger galaxies, black holes can grow by swallowing nearby stars and other material. However, in the older ones, there is little left for them to suck in. They also found that black holes in dormant galaxies were seven to 20 times more massive than expected, a finding they say points to another process by which the black holes are growing. “The importance of this work is that it’s taken the theories about black holes with dark energy cores and linked them for the first time to tangible observations of the universe,” said Chris Pearson, a co-author of the study who is also the Astronomy Group Leader at STFC RAL Space in Oxfordshire. However, the claim that black holes are the source of dark energy was met with disapproval from some experts. Vitor Cardoso, a professor of physics at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, said, there are many counter-arguments and facts that needed to be understood if this claim was going to live more than a few months. “What this study could also say is something as simple as black holes evolve differently today than they did billions of years ago,” Cardoso said, adding it was too early to think black holes are related to dark energy in any way. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Black holes are the source of dark energy that is causing expansion of the universe, study says

American software giant Microsoft's Bing chatbot can at times deny obvious facts and chide users, as per the exchanges shared online by developers testing the artificial intelligence (AI) creation. The Bing chatbot was designed by Microsoft and the start-up OpenAI- which launched ChatGPT in November last year that gained prominence for its detailed responses and articulate answers.&nbsp;

On Reddit, a forum devoted to the AI-enhanced version of Bing shared the experiences of users on Wednesday (February 15), where they said the chatbot, scolded, lied and was confused, news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

Posts shared in the Reddit forum included screenshots of exchanges with Bing and told of stumbles such as insisting that the current year is 2022 and telling someone they have "not been a good user" for challenging its veracity. Others told of the Chatbot advising on hacking a Facebook account, plagiarising an essay and also telling a racist joke.&nbsp;

Speaking to AFP, a spokesperson from Microsoft said, "The new Bing tries to keep answers fun and factual, but given this is an early preview, it can sometimes show unexpected or inaccurate answers for different reasons, for example, the length or context of the conversation." The spokesperson added that as the company continues to learn from these interactions, it is adjusting its responses to create coherent, relevant and positive answers.&nbsp;

The above stumbles of Microsoft echoed the difficulties which were seen by Google's chatbot Bard last week, where it made a mistake in an advertisement. The AFP report said that the error led to &nbsp;Google's share price spiralling down by more than seven per cent on the announcement date.

(With inputs from agencies)

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American software giant Microsoft's Bing chatbot can at times deny obvious facts and chide users, as per the exchanges shared online by developers testing the artificial intelligence (AI) creation.

American software giant Microsoft's Bing chatbot can at times deny obvious facts and chide users, as per the exchanges shared online by developers testing the artificial intelligence (AI) creation. The Bing chatbot was designed by Microsoft and the start-up OpenAI- which launched ChatGPT in November last year that gained prominence for its detailed responses and articulate answers. On Reddit, a forum devoted to the AI-enhanced version of Bing shared the experiences of users on Wednesday (February 15), where they said the chatbot, scolded, lied and was confused, news agency AFP reported. Posts shared in the Reddit forum included screenshots of exchanges with Bing and told of stumbles such as insisting that the current year is 2022 and telling someone they have "not been a good user" for challenging its veracity. Others told of the Chatbot advising on hacking a Facebook account, plagiarising an essay and also telling a racist joke. Speaking to AFP, a spokesperson from Microsoft said, "The new Bing tries to keep answers fun and factual, but given this is an early preview, it can sometimes show unexpected or inaccurate answers for different reasons, for example, the length or context of the conversation." The spokesperson added that as the company continues to learn from these interactions, it is adjusting its responses to create coherent, relevant and positive answers. The above stumbles of Microsoft echoed the difficulties which were seen by Google's chatbot Bard last week, where it made a mistake in an advertisement. The AFP report said that the error led to Google's share price spiralling down by more than seven per cent on the announcement date. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Microsoft's Bing chatbot denying obvious facts, scolding users

Nigeria's President&nbsp;Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday (February 16) defended the currency swap that sparked unrest in the country, but ordered&nbsp;old, small denomination 200 naira notes to remain in circulation to ease the scarcity of cash. Addressing citizens, Buhari described the naira policy&nbsp;a "positive departure from the past" and said it represented a "bold legacy step" towards free and fair elections by helping to curb vote buying, the news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

However, Buhari said he was moved by the hardships and pains that people faced over the cash crunch.&nbsp;"To further ease the supply pressures, particularly to our citizens, I have given approval to the CBN that the old 200 bank notes be released back into circulation," The president added.&nbsp;

The naira policy&nbsp;introduced redesigned 200, 500 and 1,000 naira notes. Now, the&nbsp;old 200 naira notes will circulate as legal tender till April 10 along with new notes. Buhari also told citizens on Thursday that the old&nbsp;500 and 1,000 naira notes should be deposited with the central bank.&nbsp;

Tensions flare in Nigeria amid cash crunch.&nbsp;

Violent protests erupted in Nigeria over the scarcity of cash since the central bank started to swap old bills of the local naira currency for new ones, which caused a shortfall of banknotes. On Wednesday, protesters attacked Automated Teller Machines (ATM) and blocked roads in three cities.&nbsp;

At present, banks in the country have limited access to cash and ATM withdrawals due to the scarcity of new notes. The AFP report said that some businesses are refusing to accept the old notes causing huge queues, angering customers and disrupting businesses.

In Delta State, the police said that unguided youths in the name of protests set two banks and two vehicles on fire. Taking to Twitter, state police spokesperson Bright Edafe that the cops have arrested nine suspects so far. On Twitter, the Channels news station shared a video of men burning tyres in the streets on the outskirts of the city of Warri.&nbsp;

In Edo State, governor spokesperson Crusoe Osagie said on Wednesday that protests broke out in Benin City after police stopped "hoodlums" from attacking a local office of the central bank. "The hoodlums then started attacking and vandalising banks. They also blocked roads and forced businesses to close," Osagie said.&nbsp;

This unrest in Nigeria comes days before the country holds elections on February 25 to decide on a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, Crusoe Osagie blamed the violent protests on politically motivated actions by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). "Although the people are dissatisfied with the naira scarcity, the APC capitalized on the discontentment and instigated hoodlums and thugs to cause violence in the city," he said, AFP reported. The APC and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have repeatedly traded accusations over cash shortages during campaigning for the upcoming election.&nbsp;

There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries during Wednesday's unrest. However, last week, two people were killed in clashes.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday (February 16) defended the currency swap that sparked unrest in the country, but ordered old, small denomination 200 naira notes to remain in circulation to ease the scarcity of cash.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday (February 16) defended the currency swap that sparked unrest in the country, but ordered old, small denomination 200 naira notes to remain in circulation to ease the scarcity of cash. Addressing citizens, Buhari described the naira policy a "positive departure from the past" and said it represented a "bold legacy step" towards free and fair elections by helping to curb vote buying, the news agency AFP reported. However, Buhari said he was moved by the hardships and pains that people faced over the cash crunch. "To further ease the supply pressures, particularly to our citizens, I have given approval to the CBN that the old 200 bank notes be released back into circulation," The president added. The naira policy introduced redesigned 200, 500 and 1,000 naira notes. Now, the old 200 naira notes will circulate as legal tender till April 10 along with new notes. Buhari also told citizens on Thursday that the old 500 and 1,000 naira notes should be deposited with the central bank. Tensions flare in Nigeria amid cash crunch. Violent protests erupted in Nigeria over the scarcity of cash since the central bank started to swap old bills of the local naira currency for new ones, which caused a shortfall of banknotes. On Wednesday, protesters attacked Automated Teller Machines (ATM) and blocked roads in three cities. At present, banks in the country have limited access to cash and ATM withdrawals due to the scarcity of new notes. The AFP report said that some businesses are refusing to accept the old notes causing huge queues, angering customers and disrupting businesses. In Delta State, the police said that unguided youths in the name of protests set two banks and two vehicles on fire. Taking to Twitter, state police spokesperson Bright Edafe that the cops have arrested nine suspects so far. On Twitter, the Channels news station shared a video of men burning tyres in the streets on the outskirts of the city of Warri. In Edo State, governor spokesperson Crusoe Osagie said on Wednesday that protests broke out in Benin City after police stopped "hoodlums" from attacking a local office of the central bank. "The hoodlums then started attacking and vandalising banks. They also blocked roads and forced businesses to close," Osagie said. This unrest in Nigeria comes days before the country holds elections on February 25 to decide on a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari. On Wednesday, Crusoe Osagie blamed the violent protests on politically motivated actions by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). "Although the people are dissatisfied with the naira scarcity, the APC capitalized on the discontentment and instigated hoodlums and thugs to cause violence in the city," he said, AFP reported. The APC and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have repeatedly traded accusations over cash shortages during campaigning for the upcoming election. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries during Wednesday's unrest. However, last week, two people were killed in clashes. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Nigeria president defends currency swap but orders old notes to remain in circulation

Mark Zuckerberg's security allowance is reported to have been hiked to $14 million by Facebook owner Meta amid a spell of layoffs. Social media giants owned by Meta - including Facebook and Instagram - have also recently witnessed retrenchment in what Zuckerberg defined as a "Year of Efficiency". Facebook and other American firms have been downsizing staff strength in the midst of what analysts have termed as an unspoken recession.&nbsp;

In a filing cited by news agency Reuters, Meta - on increasing Zuckerberg's security allowance by $4 million - said: "This increased allowance, together with the costs of Zuckerberg's existing overall security programme, are appropriate and necessary under the circumstances."&nbsp;

Meta has been cutting costs recently. It has also reportedly also delayed setting team budgets months after dismissing nearly 13 per cent of its global workforce. For 2023, the firm has lowered its estimates between the range of &nbsp;$89 billion- $95 billion, which were earlier in $94 billion-$100 billion range. &nbsp;

“Our management theme for 2023 is the ‘Year of Efficiency’ and we’re focused on becoming a stronger and more nimble organization,” Zuckerberg said as part of the release of Meta’s fourth-quarter earnings report.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/mark-zuckerberg-loses-more-than-118-million-followers-on-facebook-heres-why-524865">Mark Zuckerberg 'loses' more than 118 million followers on Facebook - Here's why</a>

On the drop in revenues, he said: “The first 18 years I think we grew it 20 per cent, 30 per cent compound or a lot more every year, And then obviously that changed dramatically in 2022, where our revenue was negative for growth, for the first time in the company’s history.”

(With agency inputs)&nbsp; 
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Mark Zuckerberg's security allowance is reported to have been hiked to $14 million by Facebook owner Meta amid a spell of layoffs. Social media giants owned by Meta - including Facebook and Instagram - have also recently witnessed retrenchment in what Zuckerberg defined as a "Year of Efficiency".

Mark Zuckerberg's security allowance is reported to have been hiked to $14 million by Facebook owner Meta amid a spell of layoffs. Social media giants owned by Meta - including Facebook and Instagram - have also recently witnessed retrenchment in what Zuckerberg defined as a "Year of Efficiency". Facebook and other American firms have been downsizing staff strength in the midst of what analysts have termed as an unspoken recession. In a filing cited by news agency Reuters, Meta - on increasing Zuckerberg's security allowance by $4 million - said: "This increased allowance, together with the costs of Zuckerberg's existing overall security programme, are appropriate and necessary under the circumstances." Meta has been cutting costs recently. It has also reportedly also delayed setting team budgets months after dismissing nearly 13 per cent of its global workforce. For 2023, the firm has lowered its estimates between the range of $89 billion- $95 billion, which were earlier in $94 billion-$100 billion range. “Our management theme for 2023 is the ‘Year of Efficiency’ and we’re focused on becoming a stronger and more nimble organization,” Zuckerberg said as part of the release of Meta’s fourth-quarter earnings report. Also read: Mark Zuckerberg 'loses' more than 118 million followers on Facebook - Here's why On the drop in revenues, he said: “The first 18 years I think we grew it 20 per cent, 30 per cent compound or a lot more every year, And then obviously that changed dramatically in 2022, where our revenue was negative for growth, for the first time in the company’s history.” (With agency inputs) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Zuckerberg security allowance hiked to $14 million amid layoffs: A lowdown

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