Venezuelan oil exports drop sharply after U.S. tanker seizure
Venezuela’s oil shipments have plunged following the United States’ seizure of a tanker earlier this week....
Alibaba is now offering free, open-source access to its latest generative AI models capable of producing highly realistic videos and images from text and image inputs. The move, which sees the company releasing four variants of its Wan 2.1 series, is expected to boost innovation among researchers, a
The open-source models—named T2V-1.3B, T2V-14B, I2V-14B-720P, and I2V-14B-480P—are available for download and modification via Alibaba Cloud’s ModelScope platform and Hugging Face. Notably, the “14B” designation indicates that these models can process 14 billion parameters, highlighting their advanced capabilities in generating highly detailed and lifelike content.
This initiative follows in the footsteps of recent moves by other Chinese tech companies. Last month, DeepSeek made headlines by releasing its R1 reasoning model for free, intensifying the global clamor for more open-source AI technologies. DeepSeek’s commitment to the open-source community, which includes plans to release five new code repositories, has added momentum to the broader trend of accessible AI innovation.
Alibaba’s foray into open-source generative AI comes as part of its long-term commitment to advancing the technology landscape, a journey that began with the emergence of OpenAI’s ChatGPT two years ago. In a related development, Alibaba Group’s Chairman, Joe Tsai, recently announced that the company’s generative AI technology would power AI features for iPhones sold in the Chinese market—an initiative driven by local regulatory requirements that prevent Apple from using its own AI tech in China.
By providing free access to its state-of-the-art models, Alibaba aims to spur creative applications and research breakthroughs across multiple sectors. This bold step not only reinforces the company’s position as a leading innovator in generative AI but also contributes to the growing global ecosystem of open-source AI tools designed to democratize access to advanced digital technologies.
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
Iran is preparing to host a multilateral regional meeting next week in a bid to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Kyiv has escalated its naval campaign against Moscow’s economic lifelines, claiming a successful strike on a vessel suspected of skirting international sanctions within the Black Sea.
An extratropical cyclone has caused widespread disruption across Brazil’s São Paulo state, with powerful winds toppling trees and power lines, blocking streets and leaving large parts of the region without electricity.
Time Magazine has chosen the creators behind artificial intelligence as its 2025 Person of the Year, highlighting the technology’s sweeping impact on global business, politics and daily life.
Children are forming new patterns of trust and attachment with artificial intelligence (AI) companions, entering a world where digital partners shape their play, their confidence and the conversations they no longer share with adults.
The International Robot Exhibition (IREX) opened in Tokyo on 3 December, bringing together visitors to explore robotics applications for industry, healthcare, logistics, and everyday life.
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, including prominent Republican China hawk Tom Cotton, introduced the SAFE CHIPS Act on Thursday, aiming to prevent the Trump administration from easing restrictions on China’s access to advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips for a period of 2.5 years.
A former Apple engineer has unveiled a new Chinese chip designed to compete directly with Apple’s Vision Pro headset.
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