US&nbsp;President Joe Biden met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his former political foe, Abdullah Abdullah, on Friday at the White House where he called on Afghans to decide the future of their country as the last US&nbsp;troops pack up after 20 years of war and government forces struggle to repel Taliban advances. 
 
Biden, seated beside Ghani and Abdullah in the Oval Office, called them 'two old friends' and said US&nbsp;support for Afghanistan was not ending but would be sustained despite the US&nbsp;pullout. 
 
"Afghans are going to have to decide their future, what they want," said Biden, saying the "senseless violence has to stop." 
 
Ghani said Afghan security forces had retaken six districts on Friday. He said he respected Biden's decision and that the partnership between the United States and Afghanistan is entering a new phase. 
 
"We are determined to have unity, coherence," he said. 
 
Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Ghani said the United States' decision to withdraw troops was a sovereign one and it was Kabul's job to 'manage consequences'. 
 
He added that Biden had clearly articulated that the US&nbsp;embassy would continue to operate and security aid would continue and in some cases move on an accelerated schedule. 
 
Abdullah said in an interview after the Biden meeting that stalled intra-Afghan talks on a political settlement to decades of strife should not be abandoned unless the insurgents themselves pull out. 
 
"I think we shouldn’t shut the door unless it’s completely shut by the Taliban," Abdullah said. "We can’t say no to talks despite a lack of progress or in spite of what’s happening on the ground." 
 
The Oval Office meeting could be as valuable to Ghani for its symbolism as for any new US&nbsp;help because it will be seen as affirming Biden's support for the beleaguered Afghan leader as he confronts Taliban gains, bombings and assassinations, a surge in COVID-19 cases and political infighting in Kabul.

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his former political foe, Abdullah Abdullah, on Friday at the White House where he called on Afghans to decide the future of their country as the last US troops pack up after 20 years of war and government forces struggle to repel Taliban advances.

US President Joe Biden met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his former political foe, Abdullah Abdullah, on Friday at the White House where he called on Afghans to decide the future of their country as the last US troops pack up after 20 years of war and government forces struggle to repel Taliban advances. Biden, seated beside Ghani and Abdullah in the Oval Office, called them 'two old friends' and said US support for Afghanistan was not ending but would be sustained despite the US pullout. "Afghans are going to have to decide their future, what they want," said Biden, saying the "senseless violence has to stop." Ghani said Afghan security forces had retaken six districts on Friday. He said he respected Biden's decision and that the partnership between the United States and Afghanistan is entering a new phase. "We are determined to have unity, coherence," he said. Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Ghani said the United States' decision to withdraw troops was a sovereign one and it was Kabul's job to 'manage consequences'. He added that Biden had clearly articulated that the US embassy would continue to operate and security aid would continue and in some cases move on an accelerated schedule. Abdullah said in an interview after the Biden meeting that stalled intra-Afghan talks on a political settlement to decades of strife should not be abandoned unless the insurgents themselves pull out. "I think we shouldn’t shut the door unless it’s completely shut by the Taliban," Abdullah said. "We can’t say no to talks despite a lack of progress or in spite of what’s happening on the ground." The Oval Office meeting could be as valuable to Ghani for its symbolism as for any new US help because it will be seen as affirming Biden's support for the beleaguered Afghan leader as he confronts Taliban gains, bombings and assassinations, a surge in COVID-19 cases and political infighting in Kabul. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden calls on Afghans to 'decide their future' as withdrawal nears end

Each morning, a group of Filipinos rakes up piles of&nbsp;trash&nbsp;on the banks of one of the world's most polluted rivers, filling sacks in an endless pursuit to clean a waterway that is also a major source of ocean plastics.

These "river warriors" are a decade-old group of about 100 people who work to clear the glut of garbage floating or washed up along Manila's notorious Pasig River.

The 27 km (16.8 mile) river cutting through the&nbsp;Philippine&nbsp;capital was once a vital trade route. But urbanisation and poor sewage planning have left the river all but dead.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/deaths-outnumber-births-in-britain-for-the-first-time-since-1976-393790">Also Read |&nbsp;Deaths outnumber births in Britain for the first time since 1976</a>

"There's never a time without garbage here. It's unlimited," said Angelita Imperio, a river warrior for six years.

The warriors wear rubber boots and elbow-length gloves, using rakes and handmade tools to scoop rubbish from stagnant waters in different locations.

The warriors started off as volunteers but now receive a basic income from a local government and operate in small groups at different parts of the river.

Dexter Opiana, another river warrior with six years of service, says she and about 19 others work shifts of about seven hours and collect an average of 80 to 100 sacks a day, more during monsoon season.

Most of it is plastic wrappers, single-use sachets, and packaging materials. Since the pandemic began, surgical face masks are sometimes mixed in among the other floating garbage.

Pasig's&nbsp;trash&nbsp;isn't just a&nbsp;Philippine&nbsp;problem.

A 2021 report by Oxford University's Our World in Data estimated 81% of global ocean plastic comes from Asian rivers and the&nbsp;Philippines alone contributes a third of that total.

The Pasig River alone provides up to 6.43% of ocean plastic originating from rivers, the report said.

Despite the&nbsp;warriors'&nbsp;Sisyphean task, they are optimistic of better days ahead.&nbsp;

"This has been our advocacy, to have the river cleaned for the sake of our children, our parents, our nation and mother nature," Imperio said.

Joan Lagunda, assistant secretary at the environment department, said authorities were coordinating with local governments to establish proper waste segregation practices and want informal settlers on the riverbanks to be moved.&nbsp;

Marian Ledesma, a campaigner with Greenpeace&nbsp;Philippines, said the government should reduce single-use plastics and strengthen law enforcement on waste disposal and sewage.

"I've seen it done in other cities, in other countries, so I don't think it's impossible to revive and clean up Pasig River," she said.

"It will need a collective action."&nbsp;

Each morning, a group of Filipinos rakes up piles of trash on the banks of one of the world's most polluted rivers, filling sacks in an endless pursuit to clean a waterway that is also a major source of ocean plastics.

Each morning, a group of Filipinos rakes up piles of trash on the banks of one of the world's most polluted rivers, filling sacks in an endless pursuit to clean a waterway that is also a major source of ocean plastics. These "river warriors" are a decade-old group of about 100 people who work to clear the glut of garbage floating or washed up along Manila's notorious Pasig River. The 27 km (16.8 mile) river cutting through the Philippine capital was once a vital trade route. But urbanisation and poor sewage planning have left the river all but dead. Also Read | Deaths outnumber births in Britain for the first time since 1976 "There's never a time without garbage here. It's unlimited," said Angelita Imperio, a river warrior for six years. The warriors wear rubber boots and elbow-length gloves, using rakes and handmade tools to scoop rubbish from stagnant waters in different locations. The warriors started off as volunteers but now receive a basic income from a local government and operate in small groups at different parts of the river. Dexter Opiana, another river warrior with six years of service, says she and about 19 others work shifts of about seven hours and collect an average of 80 to 100 sacks a day, more during monsoon season. Most of it is plastic wrappers, single-use sachets, and packaging materials. Since the pandemic began, surgical face masks are sometimes mixed in among the other floating garbage. Pasig's trash isn't just a Philippine problem. A 2021 report by Oxford University's Our World in Data estimated 81% of global ocean plastic comes from Asian rivers and the Philippines alone contributes a third of that total. The Pasig River alone provides up to 6.43% of ocean plastic originating from rivers, the report said. Despite the warriors' Sisyphean task, they are optimistic of better days ahead. "This has been our advocacy, to have the river cleaned for the sake of our children, our parents, our nation and mother nature," Imperio said. Joan Lagunda, assistant secretary at the environment department, said authorities were coordinating with local governments to establish proper waste segregation practices and want informal settlers on the riverbanks to be moved. Marian Ledesma, a campaigner with Greenpeace Philippines, said the government should reduce single-use plastics and strengthen law enforcement on waste disposal and sewage. "I've seen it done in other cities, in other countries, so I don't think it's impossible to revive and clean up Pasig River," she said. "It will need a collective action."

Philippine 'river warriors' fight tide of trash for cleaner future

Google’s annual developer conference saw the unveiling of&nbsp;Android 12, providing an in-depth look at the next generation of the Android operating system.

It has an entirely new design based on a system called “Material You,” featuring big, bubbly buttons, shifting colours, and smoother animations. It is “the biggest design change in Android’s history,” according to Sameer Samat, VP of product management, Android and Google Play.&nbsp;

"To make your phone even more helpful, we are working with car manufacturers to develop a new digital car key in Android 12. With this feature, you`ll be able to lock, unlock and even start your car from your phone," the company said.

Android 12 brings personalisable colour palettes, updated notifications and faster, battery-saving performance. Everything from the lock screen to the home screen and system settings have been revamped.

Now that Google has fully announced Android 12 and launched the public beta, it's clear that this update is anything but minor.

The &nbsp;I/O in Google I/O stands for input/output, as well as the slogan "Innovation in the Open". The event's format is similar to Google Developer Day.

(With inputs from agencies)

Google’s annual developer conference saw the unveiling of Android 12, providing an in-depth look at the next generation of the Android operating system. It has an entirely new design based on a system called “Material You,” featuring big, bubbly buttons, shifting colours, and smoother animations.

Google’s annual developer conference saw the unveiling of Android 12, providing an in-depth look at the next generation of the Android operating system. It has an entirely new design based on a system called “Material You,” featuring big, bubbly buttons, shifting colours, and smoother animations. It is “the biggest design change in Android’s history,” according to Sameer Samat, VP of product management, Android and Google Play. "To make your phone even more helpful, we are working with car manufacturers to develop a new digital car key in Android 12. With this feature, you`ll be able to lock, unlock and even start your car from your phone," the company said. Android 12 brings personalisable colour palettes, updated notifications and faster, battery-saving performance. Everything from the lock screen to the home screen and system settings have been revamped. Now that Google has fully announced Android 12 and launched the public beta, it's clear that this update is anything but minor. The I/O in Google I/O stands for input/output, as well as the slogan "Innovation in the Open". The event's format is similar to Google Developer Day. (With inputs from agencies)

Android 12: The biggest design change in Android operating system's history

The 2021 instalment of the annual Google I/O conference had the distinction of focusing on software announcements, with hardware launches being conspicuously absent.

Google and Samsung are unifying their smartwatch OS’s - Google Wear OS and Samsung Tizen OS to bring “Wear" to deliver faster and improved performance.

As Wear OS wages a longshot battle against Apple's watchOS, Google says teaming with Samsung will produce smartwatches with 'faster performance, longer battery life and more of the apps you love.'

For performance, Samsung and Google teams collaborated and made apps start up to 30 per cent faster on the latest chipsets with smooth user interface animations and motion. 
 
&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

"To achieve longer battery life, we`ve worked to optimize the lower layers of the operating system? taking advantage of low-power hardware cores to enable better battery life," said Bjorn Kilburn, Director of Product Management, Wear during the Google I/O conference on Tuesday.

This includes handy optimizations like the ability to run the heart rate sensor continuously during the day, track your sleep overnight and still have a battery for the next day.

"Finally, our unified platform will make it easier for developers to build great apps for the watch," Kilburn added.

All device makers will be able to add a customized user experience on top of the platform, and developers will be able to use the Android tools to build for one platform and ecosystem.

Now, from anywhere in the watch, you can access shortcuts to important functions, like switching to your previous app.

The smartwatch users can easily choose what information they want at a glance, and which actions they want to have just a swipe away.

"Google Maps and Google Assistant are being redesigned and improved. Google Pay will also be redesigned and add support for 26 new countries, beyond the 11 countries currently available. YouTube Music will also arrive on Wear later this year, equipped with features like smart downloads for subscribers to enjoy music while on the go," the company informed.

With the latest Wear update, Google has introduced Fitbit features like tracking health progress throughout the day and on-wrist goal celebrations.

(With inputs from agencies)

The 2021 instalment of the annual Google I/O conference had the distinction of focusing on software announcements, with hardware launches being conspicuously absent.

The 2021 instalment of the annual Google I/O conference had the distinction of focusing on software announcements, with hardware launches being conspicuously absent. Google and Samsung are unifying their smartwatch OS’s - Google Wear OS and Samsung Tizen OS to bring “Wear" to deliver faster and improved performance. As Wear OS wages a longshot battle against Apple's watchOS, Google says teaming with Samsung will produce smartwatches with 'faster performance, longer battery life and more of the apps you love.' For performance, Samsung and Google teams collaborated and made apps start up to 30 per cent faster on the latest chipsets with smooth user interface animations and motion. × "To achieve longer battery life, we`ve worked to optimize the lower layers of the operating system? taking advantage of low-power hardware cores to enable better battery life," said Bjorn Kilburn, Director of Product Management, Wear during the Google I/O conference on Tuesday. This includes handy optimizations like the ability to run the heart rate sensor continuously during the day, track your sleep overnight and still have a battery for the next day. "Finally, our unified platform will make it easier for developers to build great apps for the watch," Kilburn added. All device makers will be able to add a customized user experience on top of the platform, and developers will be able to use the Android tools to build for one platform and ecosystem. Now, from anywhere in the watch, you can access shortcuts to important functions, like switching to your previous app. The smartwatch users can easily choose what information they want at a glance, and which actions they want to have just a swipe away. "Google Maps and Google Assistant are being redesigned and improved. Google Pay will also be redesigned and add support for 26 new countries, beyond the 11 countries currently available. YouTube Music will also arrive on Wear later this year, equipped with features like smart downloads for subscribers to enjoy music while on the go," the company informed. With the latest Wear update, Google has introduced Fitbit features like tracking health progress throughout the day and on-wrist goal celebrations. (With inputs from agencies)

With a dose of Fitbit, Google and Samsung unite to reboot Android smart watches

At virtual I/O 2021, Google announced a host of new features for its various products and services, including Maps, Photos, Search, WearOS and Workspaces, among others.&nbsp;

The pseudo-video chat technology, known as Project Starline, would allow users to "see another person, life-size and in three dimensions," Google said.

In the keynote address by Alphabet Inc CEO Sundar Pichai, it was revealed that Project Starline is a technology project that combines advances in hardware and software to help people feel like they're together, even when they're apart. 
 
&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

Google had been working on Project Starline in secret for several years according to CEO Sundar Pichai. Think of it as an amalgamation of VR and teleconferencing to create realistic 3D depictions of people.

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Imagine a magic window, and through that window you see another person, life-size and in three dimensions. 
 
Project Starline is a technology project that combines advances in hardware and software to help people feel like they're together, even when they're apart. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoogleIO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoogleIO</a> <a href="https://t.co/2yNJrXoQcx">pic.twitter.com/2yNJrXoQcx</a>
— Google (@Google) <a href="https://twitter.com/Google/status/1394727290551083009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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It's an experimental hardware-software system leveraging computer science wizardry alongside high-resolution cameras and depth sensors to create a real-time 3D model of people for immersive video conferencing.

Google hosts its annual I/O developer conference every spring, its most significant event of the year. This year's event takes place virtually and runs till Thursday.

(With inputs from agencies)

At virtual I/O 2021, Google announced a host of new features for its various products and services, including Maps, Photos, Search, WearOS and Workspaces, among others.

At virtual I/O 2021, Google announced a host of new features for its various products and services, including Maps, Photos, Search, WearOS and Workspaces, among others. The pseudo-video chat technology, known as Project Starline, would allow users to "see another person, life-size and in three dimensions," Google said. In the keynote address by Alphabet Inc CEO Sundar Pichai, it was revealed that Project Starline is a technology project that combines advances in hardware and software to help people feel like they're together, even when they're apart. × Google had been working on Project Starline in secret for several years according to CEO Sundar Pichai. Think of it as an amalgamation of VR and teleconferencing to create realistic 3D depictions of people. Imagine a magic window, and through that window you see another person, life-size and in three dimensions. Project Starline is a technology project that combines advances in hardware and software to help people feel like they're together, even when they're apart. #GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/2yNJrXoQcx — Google (@Google) May 18, 2021 × It's an experimental hardware-software system leveraging computer science wizardry alongside high-resolution cameras and depth sensors to create a real-time 3D model of people for immersive video conferencing. Google hosts its annual I/O developer conference every spring, its most significant event of the year. This year's event takes place virtually and runs till Thursday. (With inputs from agencies)

Google l/O 2021: A magic window for 3D video calls

Google looks to share a glimpse of future

British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, on his Chinese microblog Weibo account, praised the lead singer of China&#39;s most popular boy band for asking about life beyond Earth.

Wang Junkai, leader singer of the wildly popular TFBOYS, posted a video of himself on his Weibo account on Friday asking the author of &quot;A Brief History of Time&quot; how humanity should prepare for interstellar migration in years to come.

Hawking recently warned that the human race must evacuate Earth in 600 years before soaring energy consumption turns the planet into a &quot;ball of fire&quot;.

Earlier this month, Hawking made a video appearance at a science summit organised by Tencent Holdings and pleaded for investors to support his idea of travelling to the closest star outside our solar system in the hope of finding an inhabitable planet.

The 75-year old physicist said in a video posting on his Weibo account that Wang asked &quot;an excellent question&quot;, which gave him insight into Chinese millennnials and their &quot;curiosities&quot; regarding the future.

Wang and his two other band mates each have more than 30 million followers on their Twitter-like Weibo microblog accounts.

Owned by Weibo Corp, Weibo is China&#39;s biggest social media platform with more than 200 million active users.

Hawking, who opened his Weibo account last year, has 4.3 million followers, while British Prime Minister Theresa May has more than 900,000, having inherited her account from David Cameron.

Wang Junkai asked Hawking how humanity should prepare for interstellar migration in years to come

British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, on his Chinese microblog Weibo account, praised the lead singer of China's most popular boy band for asking about life beyond Earth. Wang Junkai, leader singer of the wildly popular TFBOYS, posted a video of himself on his Weibo account on Friday asking the author of "A Brief History of Time" how humanity should prepare for interstellar migration in years to come. Hawking recently warned that the human race must evacuate Earth in 600 years before soaring energy consumption turns the planet into a "ball of fire". Earlier this month, Hawking made a video appearance at a science summit organised by Tencent Holdings and pleaded for investors to support his idea of travelling to the closest star outside our solar system in the hope of finding an inhabitable planet. The 75-year old physicist said in a video posting on his Weibo account that Wang asked "an excellent question", which gave him insight into Chinese millennnials and their "curiosities" regarding the future. Wang and his two other band mates each have more than 30 million followers on their Twitter-like Weibo microblog accounts. Owned by Weibo Corp, Weibo is China's biggest social media platform with more than 200 million active users. Hawking, who opened his Weibo account last year, has 4.3 million followers, while British Prime Minister Theresa May has more than 900,000, having inherited her account from David Cameron.

Stephen Hawking lauds Chinese pop star for space migration question

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