Author: News Room

The South Korean government said on Monday that it had temporarily suspended new downloads of an artificial intelligence chatbot made by DeepSeek, the Chinese company that has sent shock waves through the tech world.On Monday night, the app was not available in the Apple or Google app stores in South Korea, although DeepSeek was still accessible via a web browser. Regulators said the app service would resume after they had ensured it complied with South Korea’s laws on protecting personal information.The Chinese chatbot has topped the charts of most downloaded apps around the world since its release last month. The…

“Paddington 2 is the greatest film ever made,” one user posted on X in 2022.This tweet was not ironic.In the seven years since its release in January 2018, the film about a marmalade-loving bear’s quest to find the perfect gift for his beloved aunt has become an internet phenomenon, spawning memes, think pieces and an endorsement from Nicolas Cage. For a time, it was the best-reviewed film ever on the aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.“A very eclectic group of people respond to it in the way that they do,” David Heyman, a producer on “Paddington 2” and its 2015 predecessor, “Paddington,”…

Nicki Wilson was shocked when her local newspaper reported in March 2023 that the Triplex Theater, an independent four-screen movie house in Great Barrington, Mass., was shutting down after almost three decades in business.The Triplex, the only theater in town, was a much-loved fixture, attracting moviegoers from all around the Berkshires, even on winter nights when not much else was open, Ms. Wilson said.“I couldn’t imagine living in a town without a movie theater,” she said.Ms. Wilson wasn’t the only one who felt this way, and after a communitywide campaign the Triplex reopened in November 2023 in a much different…

President Trump’s policies could threaten many big green energy projects in the coming years, but his election has already dealt a big blow to an ambitious California effort to replace thousands of diesel-fueled trucks with battery-powered semis.The California plan, which has been closely watched by other states and countries, was meant to take a big leap forward last year, with a requirement that some of the more than 30,000 trucks that move cargo in and out of ports start using semis that don’t emit carbon dioxide.But after Mr. Trump was elected, California regulators withdrew their plan, which required a federal…

Journalists from The New York Times, The New Yorker and ProPublica were among the winners of the George Polk Awards, which were announced on Monday.Long Island University, the home of the awards, selected the winners from 493 submissions of work published in 2024, many of which focused on reports from wars and conflict zones and health and medical investigations. The New York Times won three Polk Awards, the most of any publication.“Given the range and depth of exceptional and occasionally remarkable reporting before us, winnowing the list to these 15 meant making some very hard calls,” said John Darnton, the…

In an era of heightened global tax transparency, disclosing offshore income accurately is no longer optional but a critical legal obligation. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has significantly expanded its efforts to identify undisclosed foreign income, leveraging international agreements like the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) to access offshore financial data. For individuals and businesses with overseas assets or income, the Worldwide Disclosure Facility (WDF) offers a structured pathway to resolve historical discrepancies while mitigating penalties. This guide, informed by expertise from offshore tax specialists at Tax Accountant UK, demystifies the WDF process and underscores the importance of proactive compliance. What is the Worldwide Disclosure…

Since their party swept to power, Republicans have entertained visions of an all-inclusive tax cut — one that could permanently lower rates for individuals, shower corporations with new incentives and deliver President Trump’s sprawling suite of campaign promises.If only it were so easy.House Republicans are preparing to adopt a budget plan that puts a $4.5 trillion upper limit on the size of the tax cut. Even such a huge sum is not nearly enough for all of their ideas, and so lawmakers must now decide which policy commitments are essential and which ones they can live without.For a sense of…

After decades of dominating China’s market for high-performance cars with precision engineering, German automakers are losing out to Chinese rivals that have shifted the definition of a high-end car to one that is electric, smart and affordable.Many new Chinese vehicles resemble their German rivals, like the wildly popular Xiaomi SU7, which mimics Porsche’s Taycan. The SU7 rivals the Taycan in power and braking, but it also includes integrated artificial intelligence that can, for instance, help with parking and greet drivers with their favorite song. The cherry on top: It sells for roughly half the price of a Taycan.As a result,…

Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, met on Monday with a group of corporate chieftains, including the entrepreneur Jack Ma, who was sidelined by the government four years ago, in a show of support for private business at an economically precarious time.The heads of the electronics companies Huawei and Xiaomi, the battery maker CATL and the electric vehicle giant BYD were among the business leaders who applauded and took notes as Mr. Xi presided over the meeting, according to a video published by state media. The reports did not describe the nature of the discussions or list everyone who attended.It was…

The Internal Revenue Service is preparing to give a team member working with Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency access to sensitive taxpayer data, people familiar with the matter said.The systems at the I.R.S. contain the private financial data tied to millions of Americans, including their tax returns, Social Security numbers, addresses, banking details and employment information.“Waste, fraud and abuse have been deeply entrenched in our broken system for far too long,” Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman, said. “It takes direct access to the system to identify and fix it.”Mr. Fields added: “DOGE will continue to shine a…