Sri Lanka’s President flees the country after airport mishap

Published

3 years ago

July 13, 2022

Sri Lanka’s president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled the country, following mass protests over the island’s economic crisis

The President had been in hiding since crowds stormed his palace on Saturday.

Earlier, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was blocked from departing Sri Lanka after refusing to join a public queue at the Bandaranaike International Airport in order to have his passport checked by immigration.

His brother, the former Finance Minister, has also left the crisis-hit country.

Rajapaksa is due to formally leave office on Wednesday, after being forced to resign in the wake of months-long protests over the nation’s crippling economic crisis.

Protesters had demanded the president and his prime minister go over the island’s worsening economic crisis.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s younger brother was at first prevented from leaving the country but is now said to be heading to the US.

Sri Lanka defaults

Sri Lanka has defaulted on its debt for the first time in its history.

It comes after a 30-day grace period expired on Wednesday. The nation was forced to come up with 78 million dollars of unpaid debt interest payments.

Sri Lanka is struggling with its worst financial crisis in more than 70 years.

A debt default happens when governments are unable to meet some or all of their debt payments to creditors.

It can damage a country’s reputation with investors, and makes it harder to borrow the money it needs on international markets.

OpenAI and Instacart launch grocery shopping inside ChatGPT

OpenAI partners with Instacart for seamless grocery shopping in ChatGPT; learn about Instant Checkout and future integrations.

Published

5 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Harvey Vargas

OpenAI partners with Instacart for seamless grocery shopping in ChatGPT; learn about Instant Checkout and future integrations.

OpenAI has partnered with Instacart to bring a revolutionary grocery shopping experience directly into ChatGPT. Users can now shop, check out, and pay for groceries seamlessly without leaving the app. This integration is designed to make online shopping faster, smarter, and more convenient than ever.

Karen Sutherland from Uni SC joins us to explain how the Instant Checkout feature works and how users can activate the Instacart app within ChatGPT. We also dive into Stripe’s role in ensuring secure payments and explore how OpenAI is differentiating itself in the growing agentic commerce market.

The discussion also covers user feedback so far, the Agentic Commerce Protocol that powers the app, and what future integrations or features OpenAI might roll out. Learn how this partnership fits into OpenAI’s broader business strategy and the challenges of scaling the service across platforms.

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#OpenAI #ChatGPT #Instacart #GroceryTech #AgenticCommerce #InstantCheckout #FutureOfShopping #TechInnovation

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Australia becomes the first country to ban social media for under-16s

Australia bans social media for children under 16, marking a historic step in youth online safety regulations.

Published

6 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Harvey Vargas

Australia bans social media for children under 16, marking a historic step in youth online safety regulations.

Australia has made history, becoming the first country to ban social media access for children under 16. From midnight, platforms including TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram will be blocked for young users across the nation. The move marks one of the strongest regulatory actions ever taken on youth online safety.

The new law requires ten major digital platforms to comply or face fines of up to A$49.5 million. The decision comes amid growing global concerns about the impact of social media on children’s mental health, with other countries watching closely as they consider similar measures.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the ban is designed to support young Australians and reduce harmful pressures created by constant digital engagement. While platforms are preparing to use age-inference technology to comply, critics warn the ban could isolate vulnerable teens.

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#AustraliaNews #SocialMediaBan #TechRegulation #YouthSafety #DigitalWellbeing #TikTokNews #OnlineSafety #GlobalPolicy

News

U.S. approves Nvidia H200 chip exports to China amid tensions

U.S. approves Nvidia’s H200 AI chip exports to China, balancing security with tech collaboration amid ongoing tensions.

Published

1 day ago

December 9, 2025

Harvey Vargas

U.S. approves Nvidia’s H200 AI chip exports to China, balancing security with tech collaboration amid ongoing tensions.

The U.S. Commerce Department has approved exports of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to China, signaling a cautious compromise in the ongoing technology standoff between the two countries. This decision reflects efforts to balance national security concerns with continued technological collaboration.

Nvidia shares jumped 2% following the announcement, showing investor optimism about the move. Analysts are closely watching how Chinese firms will respond and whether they will aggressively pursue these high-performance AI chips.

Despite the approval, concerns remain about the potential military applications of AI technology. Officials emphasize that the decision aims to protect U.S. interests while navigating complex international tech dynamics.

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#Nvidia #AIChips #ChinaTech #USChina #TechTensions #Semiconductors #H200 #InvestorNews