Urgent.News

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The Daily Edition

Monday, 17 August 2026

400 stories across 8 sections

The Takeaway

Seven people lost their lives in a tragic incident at Ashokdham Temple in Bihar, with several others injured. The incident occurred on Monday, according to police reports. In other news, Alibaba Group Holding has agreed to sell its gaming arm, Lingxi Games, for a minimum of US$1.5 billion, as part of the company's shift towards artificial intelligence. This move is expected to boost Alibaba's pivot to AI.

The BSE Sensex closed at 78,009, down 70.71 points, while the Nifty 50 settled at 24,366, falling 29.85 points. Foreign funds have begun investing in China's property sector, with global asset managers PAG injecting capital into Wanda Plazas. Meanwhile, Opendoor Technologies Inc.'s CEO, Kasra Nejatian, purchased 27,625 shares of the company's common stock for $100,000. These developments reflect the cautious end to the week in the market, with investors closely monitoring oil prices and potential market rebounds.

Written by urgent.news from the day's reporting.

AI

AI

Why Southeast Asia doesn’t need to pick a side in the AI race

For most of my career, building a technology company felt like solving a complicated but understandable puzzle. You studied the market, listened to customers, assembled a great team, built the right product, and executed better than everyone else. The journey was never easy, but it was predictable enough that you could create a strategy, adjust […] The post Why Southeast Asia doesn’t need to pick…

Artificial intelligence is evolving at a rapid pace, prompting governments and businesses to reevaluate how they approach data, privacy, and AI governance. The rivalry between the United States and China is intensifying, with each investing heavily in AI, semiconductor manufacturing, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure. While it may be tempting for individuals and companies in Southeast Asia to simply react to this competition, the real opportunity lies in defining a unique role for the region.

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Anthropic Criticized For Adding Watermarks to Text that Claude Generates - or Processes

This week Anthropic announced its Claude chatbot will watermark the text it generates, reports the blog Futurism. "It works by making subtle changes in the AI's word choices across the text it generates, which are supposed to be imperceptible to a human but, in aggregate, form a pattern that is detectable with the tool." Anthropic said it…

  • Anthropic adds watermarks to Claude-generated text to comply with EU AI Act.
  • Watermark alters word choices, detectable with specialized tools.
  • Concerns raised about AI-assisted writing being stigmatized.

Tech

Tech

China’s Unitree unveils ‘Superman’ robot

AgenciesChina’s Unitree unveiled a new high-speed robot it dubbed “Superman” on Monday, days before becoming the first general-purpose robotics company to list on mainland China’s...

Unitree, a leading humanoid-robot manufacturer based in Hangzhou, China, displayed its latest creation, the “Superman” robot, on Monday. The new robot was revealed just days before the company became the first general-purpose robotics firm to list on mainland China’s stock market. Founded by Wang Xingxing, Unitree has seen a surge in popularity following its IPO last week, which raised 6.1 billion yuan ($905 million). The IPO was over 8,000 times oversubscribed, marking a record for Shanghai’s tech-focused STAR Market.

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Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate Beta 6

Apple today provided developers with the sixth beta of macOS Golden Gate , with the update coming a week after Apple seeded the fifth beta. Developers can download ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ by going to System Settings > General > Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is required.

Business

Business

All Malaysia Airlines pilots test negative in mandatory drug screening

KUALA LUMPUR: All Malaysia Airlines pilots have tested negative for drugs following a mandatory screening exercise amid heightened scrutiny over drug abuse and trafficking involving aviation personnel.

All Malaysia Airlines pilots have returned negative results from a mandatory drug screening, according to Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG). The screening of all operationally active pilots was completed on August 15, with no positive results reported. The next phase of the drug screening programme will involve approximately 2,840 cabin crew, with the process set to commence on August 18 and conclude by September 3.

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Avanceon secures $6.3mn in fuel retail orders from Pakistan’s leading OMCs

Avanceon Limited (AVN), a Pakistani technology company headquartered in Lahore, announced on Monday that it had successfully secured $6.3 million worth of orders for its fuel retail business from some of the largest oil marketing companies in Pakistan. The tech company disclosed in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange today.

Paramount Requests $1.88 Billion Bond to Pay for Ticking Fees, Other Costs in WB Legal Battle

The move comes as its litigation with 12 state attorneys general and the WGA is headed to trial in March The post Paramount Requests $1.88 Billion Bond to Pay for Ticking Fees, Other Costs in WB Legal Battle appeared first on TheWrap .

  • Paramount seeks $1.88B bond to cover legal battle costs
  • $1.3B expected in ticking fees by trial's end
  • Delay could void regulatory clearances obtained

Finance & Markets

Finance & Markets

Canada CPI expected to show rising inflation in July

Canada’s July Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures will be the focus of attention when published on Monday.

Canada's July Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures will be closely monitored by markets, as they provide an update on price pressures following the Bank of Canada's July 15 gathering where officials kept the interest rate steady at 2.25%, in line with analyst consensus. Economists expect the headline CPI to rise by 2.9% for the year in July, up from June's 2.8% annual increase.

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World

World

Why Trump wants to cut US military drills with South Korea over Iran

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States would reduce joint military exercises with South Korea due to South Korea's lack of participation in the "denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran." The US President also claimed that North Korea had been "unthreatening and respectful" to him. North Korea had previously criticized the exercises, calling them a provocation that escalates tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

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Science

Science

Ancient clash with 'Kraken' galaxy 12 billion years ago helped form Milky Way

A new study suggests one of the most significant clashes in the history of the Milky Way, dubbed the "Low-energy-Kraken-Heracles" merger, happened 12 billion years ago.

Astronomers have uncovered evidence that the Milky Way collided with another galaxy, dubbed Low-energy-Kraken-Heracles, around 12 billion years ago. This galactic merger occurred between the formation of the Milky Way and its subsequent collision with Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus. Newer telescopes will aid in uncovering more of the Milky Way's history, but for now, the galaxy is on course to collide with another entity.

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Israeli birdwatcher finds 30 migrating white storks dead under utility poles in Jordan Valley

“The nearby utility poles serve as places for them to perch and rest,” Bashan said. “The danger is primarily created by poles with exposed electrical components.”

  • Israeli birdwatcher Yotam Bashan discovers 30 dead white storks under Jordan Valley power poles
  • White storks attracted to Tovlan waste site during annual migration
  • SPNI and Jordan Valley Regional Council demand immediate action from Israel Electric Corporation

The Next Energy Crisis Could Be a Water Crisis

Strategic shortfalls? Maybe in getting cobalt out of the Congo or rare earth powders from China or natural gas from Russia or oil from the Persian Gulf? Or maybe something closer to home. Thanks to climate change (yes, just say it and hope the big boss doesn’t hear you), temperatures have risen, and rainfall patterns have changed…

  • Climate change causes water scarcity and temperature rise
  • Colorado River flow decreases, Lake Mead levels fall
  • Power plants face water shortage challenges

Health & Medicine

Health & Medicine

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo becomes deadliest in country's history

KINSHASA: The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 2,325 people, government data showed on Sunday, surpassing the toll from the 2018-2020 outbreak to become the deadliest in the country’s history.

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed 2,325 lives, according to government data released on Sunday. This toll surpasses the death count from the 2018-2020 outbreak, making it the deadliest in the country's history. Congo's public health institute reported an increase in confirmed cases to 4,945, with 101 new cases identified in the last 24 hours.

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Ebola outbreak now DR Congo's deadliest ever

KINSHASA, Congo — A fast-spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now the country's deadliest ever after killing more than 2,300 people in three months, government figures showed on Monday.

Culture

Culture

'Both ice princesses gone': Hayden Panettiere's death at 36 sparks fan grief, remembering her best roles

Fans across social media are reeling from the news that Hayden Panettiere has died at 36, with many describing themselves as being in shock, absolutely crushed, and struggling to process the loss of an actress who shaped so much of their childhood and teenage years. "I genuinely can't believe I'm reading this," one fan wrote. "Devastated doesn't even cover it." Others echoed similar sentiments,…

Fans on social media are in shock following the death of Hayden Panettiere at the age of 36. Many are struggling to accept the loss of an actress who was a significant influence during their formative years. The news has been described as gutting and impossible to process, with some fans having to read the headline multiple times to confirm its validity.

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