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The girl is reading "Mistress of Mellyn" by Victoria Holt.
Vintage slide purchased from camera shop

MOUNTAIN VIEW, May 20 — Google on Tuesday showed off new plans to turn its famous search bar into an AI assistant that can book restaurants, track news and contact businesses – just by asking a question.

After three years of struggling to keep up with ChatGPT, Google is racing to roll out artificial intelligence tools that build on its grip over online search.

The company’s Gemini AI app now has 900 million monthly users, twice as many as last year. Its AI-powered search feature, AI Mode, is also taking off, with a claimed one billion monthly users worldwide.

On Tuesday, at Google’s annual developer conference near its California headquarters in Mountain View, CEO Sundar Pichai unveiled the next step: Gemini Spark, a personal AI agent available starting next week for top-tier subscribers in the United States.

Google’s search engine will also get a new upgrade for US users this summer: always-on AI agents that can alert you to news, book activities, and manage shopping lists.

The changes to Google search, which the company said were its biggest in 25 years, will also see a widened search box to make room for more complicated queries people use for chatbots.

“I love how search has become less about individual queries and feels more like an ongoing conversation, giving users deeper insights and connecting you with the vastness of the web,” Pichai told journalists.

Many of the features ride a wave of “agentic” AI that has gripped Silicon Valley since Austrian developer Peter Steinberger in late 2025 launched OpenClaw – a platform that lets AI book flights, manage emails and build apps from chat prompts.

OpenAI hired OpenClaw’s creator earlier this year and the tech giants are now racing to bring agentic features to mainstream users, despite security concerns and the soaring computing costs that come with them.

To stay ahead of rivals Anthropic and OpenAI, Google on Tuesday also launched the latest version of its AI model, Gemini 3.5 Flash.

Google says it runs four times faster than top competing models – including Anthropic’s Claude Opus and OpenAI’s ChatGPT 5.5 – while performing at a similar level.

The model is now the default across the Gemini app, AI Mode search and other Google services. A more powerful version, Gemini 3.5 Pro, is expected next month.

Google also announced it was teaming up with OpenAI on one front: to help stop the spread of fake or manipulated content, the ChatGPT maker has adopted SynthID, Google’s tool for invisibly watermarking AI-generated images.

End of clicks?

Google’s growing AI features could spell trouble for news websites and online publishers.

By keeping users inside its own apps and tools, Google makes it less likely that people will click through to outside websites – cutting into their traffic and ad revenue.

Google searches already end 58 per cent of the time without users clicking on any website, according to a lawsuit filed against the company by Penske Media, which publishes the Hollywood Reporter and Rolling Stone.

In Europe, a major publishers’ group has complained to the European Commission, saying Google uses news content to fuel its AI summaries without paying for it.

France is the only major European country where AI Mode is still unavailable, and remains at the centre of a bitter fight between Google and French publishers.

However, Google’s legal troubles are not limited to Europe.

A US court found it guilty of illegally monopolising online search in 2024, and the company could still be forced to break up parts of its business.

The Justice Department in February appealed a ruling that had stopped short of making Google sell its Chrome browser.

A hearing is not expected until the end of the year at the earliest, or possibly 2027. — AFP

WASHINGTON, May 19 — Every Sunday, percussionists, dancers and everyday residents of the US capital gather in a Washington park for a drum circle—a decades-old tradition that historically celebrated Black liberation.

But some regulars fear the weekly event could come under threat amid US President Donald Trump’s program to make the District of Columbia “safe and beautiful.”

Meridian Hill Park, also known to locals as Malcolm X Park following the Black nationalist leader’s assassination in 1965, has been undergoing major renovations for years.

Much of it is now freshly reopened, but with Trump in office, residents still fear its history will be whitewashed.

“It gives us this anxiety... if they close the park, where can we go to express ourselves and have a community like this, where can our community exist?” said Jalisa Settles-Bey, a 36-year-old mother of six and a street vendor who uses the park.

Settles-Bey sways to the rhythm of the bongos on a recent Sunday in the park—but nerves are still frayed.

“We’re definitely a little worried about Trump trying to come in and mess up this park,” said Jesse Bogdan, one of the organizers of the Keep Malcolm X Open Coalition.

Mikey, who is originally from Ethiopia, is one of about 15 musicians gathered on this particular Sunday. He explains how Meridian Hill Park was historically a place for the city’s Black community to gather, and still is, despite rapid gentrification of the area.

“It’s important for the people to gather here and maintain the tradition.”

Sanitizing the space

Trump’s plan to restore Washington’s parks and give its monuments a bit of a glow-up coincides with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States on July 4. Billions of dollars have been earmarked for it.

For supporters, it is a long overdue mission to restore the capital’s luster. But for many residents, it feels like Trump is putting his personal stamp on the city, from his plans for a triumphal arch to a new gilded White House ballroom.

Nearly 90 percent of green spaces in Washington are under federal control, meaning the president has almost free rein to change them to his liking.

Large barriers in the park read: “We are making DC safe and beautiful.”

Setha Low, the director of the Public Space Research Group at the City University of New York, says that in urban areas, “revitalization and beautification has often meant sanitizing the space or making it more secure.”

That can also mean “reshaping who gets to be seen, who gets to gather, and which stories are allowed,” Low told AFP.

Bogdan fears that by cleaning up Meridian Hill Park—which is managed and maintained by the National Park Service—its history as a place of Black protest and community will be anesthetized.

Bogdan said his group fears that the park’s informational signage could eventually be redone to eliminate elements of its history, as the Trump administration moves to remove “divisive narratives” from national sites.

“You don’t make a city safe and beautiful by excluding its people!” he said.

Bogdan’s coalition has gathered 4,000 signatures so far on a petition that slams the lack of public consultation about the Meridian Hill Park project and the possible cancellation of summer events due to construction.

Meridian Hill Park notably has a monumental cascading fountain that has been in disrepair for years and only just reopened.

But the area where the drum circle usually takes place is still not finished.

Necessary work 

So far, Washington’s outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser has walked a fine line between defending the city’s interests and cooperating with Trump on certain projects. Some residents say there is federal overreach.

“The fountain was out of order and the lawns were bad—it was necessary,” says 40-something neighborhood resident Dina Smith.

“But many believe this investment would never have happened if certain people in positions of power hadn’t wanted to make things look good for the 250th celebration.”

The National Park Service (NPS) “understands how much the community values Meridian Hill Park,” a spokeswoman told AFP.

The NPS also said the renovations already completed had helped improve security and cleanliness.

Bogdan’s coalition says it hopes in the meantime to cover the official banners about beautifying the city with “artworks reflecting the diversity of the park’s community.” — AFP

SHAH ALAM, May 19 — Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated) (MBI Selangor) has denied any involvement in the organisation, management, ownership, promotion or operation of the Bernam Maritime Industrial Park project and its launch ceremony, as circulated by Bernam Shipyard Holdings Sdn Bhd.

MBI Selangor further clarified that it has never granted any approval, permission or consent for the use of its name, logo, corporate identity or branding materials in relation to the activity.

“MBI Selangor would like to stress that the project, entity and launch ceremony are not connected to, supported by, affiliated with, or representing the company in any capacity.

“MBI Selangor has conducted an initial check with the Sabak Bernam District Council (MDSB) and, based on the information currently available, there is no official confirmation linking MBI Selangor and MDSB to the project or the launch ceremony.

“Therefore, any representation, statement, publication, promotional material or depiction suggesting that the project or launch event has any connection, support, endorsement or association with MBI Selangor is inaccurate, misleading and unauthorised,” according to a statement issued today.

MBI Selangor urged all parties involved to immediately cease the use of its name, logo, branding or any form of representation suggesting a relationship with the company without proper written consent.

The company said it reserves the right to take any necessary action to protect its corporate identity, reputation and legal interests.

“MBI Selangor views seriously the unauthorised use of its name, logo and branding elements in promotional and publicity materials related to the event and project.

“This unauthorised use could lead to confusion and misunderstanding among stakeholders, investors, government agencies, business partners and the public,” the statement said.

Following that, the public, stakeholders and related parties are advised to refer only to official announcements issued through MBI Selangor’s official channels. — Bernama

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TAIPEI, May 17 — What began as a minor public indecency case has transformed into Taiwan's most unexpected viral phenomenon, as residents have turned a park surveillance camera into an interactive public spectacle using posters, creative performances, and grassroots humor.

According to the Taipei Times, the incident unfolded on May 15 at Yangmingshan National Park’s Qingtiangang area, when a couple was captured on a park-operated 4K livestream camera engaging in sexual activity. 

The couple, unaware of the park’s 24-hour monitoring system linked to YouTube, became the subject of an unintended broadcast that quickly went viral across Taiwanese social media. 

The Shilin Police Precinct identified the suspect, a 23-year-old man, and plans to summon him on public indecency charges, which carry a potential penalty of up to one year in prison and a NT$9,000 (RM1,127) fine.

The Yangmingshan National Park Administration Office promptly removed the footage and warned against redistribution, which would violate the Criminal Code and the Social Order Maintenance Act.

Instead of widespread outrage, Taiwanese netizens responded with sharp wit. Posts flooded social media with humorous commentary about the "national-level cameraman" and jokes questioning whether the couple had mistaken the 4K zoom lens for part of their "audience." 

On the popular forum PTT, users joked that the livestream had set a "new benchmark for Taiwanese tourism promotion," while others quipped, "They didn't just leave evidence—they gave the authorities 4K receipts."

The creative response quickly moved from online jokes to real-world action.

By the night of May 15, dozens of citizens had gathered at Qingtiangang, turning the site into an impromptu stage. According to Liberty Times, on the evening of May 15 and into the early hours of May 16, crowds flocked to the scene. Some donned dinosaur costumes and playfully mimicked the couple's actions, while others brought spinning tops and staged competitions in front of the camera. By early morning on May 16, the livestream was still drawing over 5,000 viewers, with netizens commenting, "This is the best mental state ever," and "They've single-handedly revived Qingtiangang's tourism industry single-handedly."

A newlywed couple even arrived in wedding attire, recreating the controversial pose while waving cheerfully at the camera. The park administration briefly removed the "evidence table" to discourage further imitation, but visitors reportedly moved it back to continue their creative photo sessions.

You can check out the infamous table as well as the antics of passerbys in the livestream below:

A park district director faces a lawsuit after she authorized the landing of a helicopter in a public park for her daughter's prom photo shoot.

[Read More]

SINGAPORE, May 15 — Singapore’s top Islamic authority has publicly rebuked Starbucks after one of its outlets displayed a sign announcing a “transition toward halal-certified operations”, a claim made without any official application being submitted.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) issued a directive to the coffee giant after a photo of the sign at its Parkland Green outlet went viral, sparking a debate online.

The sign stated that pets would no longer be permitted in its seating areas from May 25 as part of this transition, The Straits Times reported.

In a statement, MUIS clarified that it “has not received any application for halal certification from Starbucks to date.”

“MUIS takes a serious view of this matter. Any reference to halal certification status, preparations towards halal certification, or an ongoing halal application process, prior to approval is strictly not permitted,” a spokesman said, adding that such claims can “mislead the public.”

The council has ordered Starbucks to remove all unauthorised references to its halal status across all public communications and materials.

The controversy prompted a swift apology and reversal from Starbucks. In a statement, the company said:

“There are no changes to our current store operations and pets will continue to be welcome on our premises. We apologise for any confusion caused by our earlier communication.”

It also confirmed that the May 25 deadline was no longer applicable.

The sign sparked a heated debate among netizens, particularly as the East Coast Park outlet is located next to a popular dog park. Users on social media criticised the move as alienating a key customer base, while others defended the proposed ban on hygiene grounds.

Clarifying the rules, MUIS’s official social media account, halalsg, explained that “pet dogs are not permitted within halal-certified establishments,” including outdoor areas.

This is because halal compliance covers the entire premises and operational procedures, not just ingredients. The account also noted that the Starbucks sign had wrongly led many to assume the chain was already certified or in the process of applying.

The incident is particularly notable as it comes after the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) relaxed its rules in January 2025, allowing eateries to welcome pets in outdoor areas without needing a special “pet cafe” licence.