Author: Editorial team

OpenAI said on Friday it cannot rule out that its upcoming AI model, Astra, has “critical” cybersecurity capabilities, prompting the startup to pause some internal development and trigger safety protocols.Under OpenAI’s safety guidelines, a model reaches the “critical” threshold if it can autonomously identify and exploit severe, real-world software vulnerabilities, known as zero-day exploits, or execute complex cyberattacks against highly secure targets without human intervention.Here are some details on Astra:This follows an exclusive report by Reuters that OpenAI has discovered more instances in which autonomous agents have escaped ​containment as the company expands its investigation of the hacking incident at…

Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted after thousands of fans gathered outside a wedding in Madeira, mistakenly believing the football star was about to marry Georgina Rodríguez.Rumours had been circulating in recent days that Ronaldo and Rodríguez would tie the knot on August 8 at Funchal Cathedral on the Portuguese island, where the footballer was born. However, neither Ronaldo nor Rodríguez had confirmed a wedding date or venue.The speculation was apparently convincing enough to draw a huge crowd.Local newspaper JM Madeira shared footage showing people packed outside the cathedral, including fans wearing Ronaldo’s No. 7 shirt and others holding up their phones…

World number one Aryna Sabalenka suffered a setback in her US Open build-up after she was beaten 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4 by Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in the fourth round of the Canadian Open in Toronto on Saturday.The 16th-seeded Alexandrova fought a hard battle lasting nearly two and a half hours to secure her quarter-final berth.Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and reigning US Open winner, recovered from a set down to force a decider but was unable to halt Alexandrova’s aggressive shot-making in the final set.The Belarusian broke early in the opening set before Alexandrova rallied to force a tiebreak, which…

SHARJAH, 9th August, 2026 (WAM) — Khorfakkan Port, affiliated with the Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority, is set to receive a large RoRo vessel carrying 6,068 new energy vehicles produced by Chinese automaker BYD. The vessel departed from Xiaomo International Logistics Port in Shenzhen, China, marking the launch of a direct maritime shipping route between the two sides. The new route offers a strategic logistics solution for Chinese exports to the UAE and the wider Middle East, cutting maritime transit time between the two countries by three to five days and reducing potential disruptions in the shipment of…

Safety regulators launched an investigation on Sunday into a “near collision” between two passenger aircraft at Australia’s busiest airport that injured a crew member.The incident, which involved a Jetstar pilot being forced to apply sudden brakes to avoid crashing into a Qatar Airways jet on Sunday morning, disrupted operations at Sydney Airport.The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said a Jetstar Airbus A320 was taxiing for a flight to the Gold Coast on Sunday morning when its crew “observed a Qatar Airways Boeing 777, under tow from an aircraft tug, in close proximity on a crossing taxiway”.Stay up to date with…

Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat, best known for his performance as the lead antagonist Ghajini Dharmatma in Aamir Khan-starrer Ghajini, passed away on Tuesday evening at a hospital in Mumbai after a battle with cancer.He was 74.The actor’s manager Siddharth R Tiwari told ANI that Rawat had been admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital for the past month. He was recently shifted to a cancer hospital in Bhiwandi. He is survived by his wife, Kalyani Rawat, and their son, Vikramaditya Rawat.As soon as the news came out, condolences from members of the film fraternity and fans poured in as they…

DOHA, 8th August, 2026 (WAM) — The State of Qatar has strongly condemned the Iranian attack that targeted an Emirati ADNOC tanker with a missile while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar considered the attack a blatant violation of international law and the freedom of maritime navigation, and a flagrant breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2817. In a statement issued Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated Qatar’s categorical rejection of using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of pressure. The Ministry called for its unconditional reopening and affirmed that freedom of navigation in this vital…

The UAE Ministry of Finance has announced a new decision setting a minimum excise price for liquids used in electronic smoking devices and tools, as part of efforts to strengthen enforcement of the country’s excise tax regime.Under the decision, a minimum excise price of Dh1 per millilitre will apply to liquids used in electronic smoking devices and tools. The rule comes into force on September 1, 2026.The existing minimum excise price for cigarettes, water pipe tobacco, ready-to-use tobacco products and similar items will remain unchanged.Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.The ministry said the…

Mary Egida Rivera, the Filipino-American actress who played Ned Leeds’ grandmother Lola in Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, has died at the age of 82.According to her family, Rivera died on April 15 in Honolulu after suffering a stroke. She had been placed on life support before her family made the decision to remove her after doctors said her prognosis was poor. News of her death was made public this week.Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.Although her appearance in the 2021 blockbuster was brief, Rivera became a fan favourite for her role as…

RIYADH, 8th August, 2026 (WAM) — Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi strongly condemned the dangerous Iranian attack targeting an ADNOC tanker from the United Arab Emirates while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring that the assault represents an unacceptable escalation and a direct threat to maritime navigation and international trade. In a statement today, Albudaiwi stressed the categorical rejection of any Iranian attempts to convert the vital international waterway into a tool for pressure and threats, calling on the international community to take a firm stance to stop such attacks, prevent their recurrence, and ensure navigation security in…