Indian megastar Diljit Dosanjh famously starts all his concerts by announcing that "the Punjabis have arrived".&nbsp;But this time, it was a play on the usual catchphrase.&nbsp;Dosanjh is the first ever Punjabi singer to headline Wembley Stadium, the music venue has said.&nbsp;Addressing his fans, he reflected on the significance of the occasion. "This moment will go down in the history books," he said.&nbsp;And as Bhangra beats blared out, fans erupted with cheers while Dosanjh launched into his biggest hits, from G.O.A.T. to Lover.&nbsp;Over two decades, Dosanjh has built a huge global fanbase, topping charts and singing with the likes of Ed Sheeran.&nbsp;He has even busted Bhangra moves with Jimmy Fallon, with the US talk show host labelling him "the biggest Punjabi artist on the planet".&nbsp;His landmark concert at Wembley further cements his status as a global star.&nbsp;Ahead of the show, the singer spoke exclusively to the BBC backstage, describing the moment as "a dream" for him.&nbsp;In London, Dosanjh's crowd was largely - but not entirely - South Asian.&nbsp;The hype for his appearance was building all afternoon, with fans arriving early to get in place.&nbsp;"MJ [Michael Jackson] and Madonna, he's that level for us," said one fan. "He's so good looking, and so down to earth," said another.&nbsp;When he came on the stage shortly after 8pm, dressed in traditional attire, the stadium erupted and the screams barely stopped for the next two-and-a-bit hours.&nbsp;Known for his high-energy performances, he wowed fans with his dance routines to songs including Hass Hass and Born to Shine.&nbsp;His soulful voice echoed around the stadium, demonstrating his range, as he blended homegrown Punjabi music with rap and hip-hop.&nbsp;‘A moment to celebrate’&nbsp;Throughout the show, the audience waved lights, sang along and - of course - danced. At times, the standing area closest to the stage resembled an Indian wedding, with fans copying Dosanjh's impressive moves.&nbsp;But despite performing in such a vast venue, Dosanjh proved again his ability to connect on a personal level with fans.&nbsp;He brought a range of fans on stage, from young children to an elderly woman, taking selfies and giving them gifts.&nbsp;He also acknowledged those in the back rows of the 90,000-seater stadium, saying those at the back were "full of heart", and encouraged applause for them.&nbsp;There was also exciting news for fans in India, as he announced he would be performing in November at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;The concert was capped off with the emotion of the night - his track Main Hoon Punjabi, which means "I am Punjab" - set to a spectacular firework display.&nbsp;"What an incredible show, the energy and vibe was unparalleled!" concert goers Amit and Rani told the BBC.&nbsp;"We love Diljit and have been to all his shows in the UK. This was something else, a moment in time we won't forget being a part of."&nbsp;They added that it was not only a privilege "but a moment to celebrate for Punjabi culture".Dosanjh likes a "first".&nbsp;From humble beginnings as a small village boy from Punjab, he made history in 2023 by becoming the first Punjabi-language singer to perform at the US music festival Coachella.&nbsp;He also famously made his Met Gala debut decked in majestic Punjabi attire.&nbsp;His meteoric rise has seen him perform across America and Europe, and collaborate with pop stars from Sia to Sheeran.&nbsp;His authenticity is a big part of his appeal. He remains true to his Punjabi roots, wears his turban as a sign of pride, and sings in his mother tongue.&nbsp;Away from music, Dosanjh is also a popular Bollywood actor - and a social media sensation. Even those who haven't heard his music have probably viewed his funny Instagram videos - such as him arguing with an Amazon Alexa device that couldn't understand his accent.&nbsp;Now, he's performed on a stage that's previously been home to titans of music from Taylor Swift to Coldplay.&nbsp;For Dosanjh and his millions of global fans, it means Punjabi music, Punjabi culture and Punjabi vibrancy has reached an historic moment.&nbsp;Speaking to the BBC before his gig, he said he felt "thankful" to be here.&nbsp;"When we were going to book this venue, everyone said, 'Think again before you book, it's a big stadium'," he said.&nbsp;"I said: 'We'll see whatever comes. I want that our people are happy and can say yes, we can do this too!'"&nbsp;He reflected on the many artists who had performed there before him, adding that to follow their footsteps "means a lot, a lot".&nbsp;"It may not mean as much for someone like Harry Styles, as much as it means for us. He has performed on such stages, but for us, it's very special. Coming from a village to here - it's very special."&nbsp;"I feel good. I feel happy. And I feel good for my people. I feel good for the next generation," he said.&nbsp;And of course, there was only one way he could end.&nbsp;"We are here. Punjabi Aa Gaye Oye!"&nbsp;Source: BBC

Diljit Dosanjh makes history under the famous Wembley arch

Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled on Sunday initiatives in areas ranging from AI to trade to deepen cooperation among the "Greater BRICS" emerging economies, as Beijing seeks to weld the grouping into a practical platform for Global South development.&nbsp;Cooperation in areas from politics and security to economics and finance are the main focus areas of the grouping, with 2026 chair India and 2027 chair China seeking wider partnership to boost its global clout.&nbsp;The success of the "Greater BRICS Initiative" depends on laying a solid foundation for pragmatic cooperation, Xi told the leaders' annual summit in New Delhi, the official Xinhua news agency said.&nbsp;'Greater BRICS' nations should further co-operate, maintain ⁠the stability of industrial and supply chains, and cultivate an integrated market, Xi told the summit's closing session.&nbsp;China will take the lead in establishing a BRICS AI Open Source Zone to promote cooperation on large language models, AI training and an open AI ecosystem, Xi added.&nbsp;He also proposed a BRICS Special Economic Zone partnership and said China would host a BRICS Service Trade Forum next year to boost trade and investment ties.&nbsp;EXPANDED ROLE FOR 'GREATER BRICS' GROUPING&nbsp;BRICS has expanded to include Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates beyond an original membership of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa two decades ago that aimed to transform a world order dominated by the United States.&nbsp;In addition, 10 partner countries span emerging economies across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, broadening its reach across the Global South.&nbsp;China and Russia sometimes ⁠refer to this larger bloc as "Greater BRICS".&nbsp;BRICS HELPS CREATE FAIRER WORLD ORDER, PUTIN SAYS&nbsp;The benefits of solutions developed within BRICS should not stay limited to BRICS alone, but should be made adaptable and accessible to meet the needs of the Global South, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in remarks earlier.&nbsp;Russian President Vladimir Putin called BRICS a powerful driving force towards creating a new, fairer and multipolar world order, urging its members to find ways to combine the ⁠competitive advantages of their individual economies. The summit comes amid renewed fighting in the Gulf region, with tit-for-tat attacks by the United States and Iran and Iran-backed Houthis widening the conflict by launching attacks on Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;But the weekend summit scored an important diplomatic goal on Saturday, when it managed to forge consensus on a ⁠joint declaration backed by Iran and the UAE.&nbsp;In general terms, the declaration expressed deep concern over the continued escalation of tension in the Middle East and urged the exercise of maximum restraint.&nbsp;Separately, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also met the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi on the sidelines, ⁠in the highest-level meeting of the two countries' officials since the start of the conflict.&nbsp;They discussed issues ranging from de-escalation and stability, and efforts to advance regional peace and development.&nbsp;Source: Reuters

Chinese President pushes 'Greater BRICS' economic ties to give bloc larger global role

The head of AI company Anthropic has called for the pace of development of artificial intelligence models to slow down and to be closely monitored.&nbsp;In an essay, Dario Amodei said developing AI was not in question, but the risks associated with it were "serious" and companies and governments must be given time to address them.&nbsp;The bosses of two rival AI firms, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Elon Musk, have both said they agree with Amodei.&nbsp;There have been growing concerns recently about the technology's potential risks. An AI researcher who left Anthropic this week told the BBC that "if we don't slow down at the current rate of progress, there is a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future".&nbsp;Jacob Coxon told Laura Kuenssberg that people working at AI companies were "genuinely frightened... genuinely concerned about the fate of humanity in the next two years".&nbsp;"It's not at all an exaggeration to say that the people who are involved with both founding these companies and building the tech believe there is a possibility of human extinction," Coxon said.&nbsp;"Many of the people who are sort of deep in the weeds on actually coding the thing believe that there is like a greater than ten percent chance, or even greater. Some smaller, but they all have different numbers for a probability that humans might die. And they all keep this in their head on a daily basis while working on the technology."&nbsp;In Amodei's essay, called We Must Pace the Frontier and made public on Saturday, he proposed a three-point plan that includes independent monitoring of AI models as they are developed, industry-wide regulation and global regulation.&nbsp;As his proposal made the rounds, even competitors voiced support for the idea of third-party monitors who could evaluate the safety of models as they are developed.&nbsp;"I agree with Dario that we need to pace the frontier," wrote OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on X. He called independent evaluators "a great idea."&nbsp;In a new interview with Fortune Magazine, Altman had sounded similar safety concerns, saying standards were "not at a place" to push AI capabilities much further.&nbsp;He added that he believed AI beyond human control is "absolutely" possible.&nbsp;Elon Musk meanwhile said the Anthropic boss was "right".&nbsp;The warnings have prompted calls to action, but US President Donald Trump has so far rejected such fears, saying on Thursday he was concerned "if we don't win AI, we're going to be put in a very bad position".&nbsp;Cyber-security concerns have grown as new models have exhibited more and more powerful hacking capabilities.&nbsp;Anthropic withheld its Mythos model from public use when it was announced in April that it could independently escape the testing environment, known as the sandbox.&nbsp;In the run-up to the release of its most recent Astra model, OpenAI cited cybersecurity concerns as it explained it had paused certain aspects of the model's development.&nbsp;Safety has also taken centrestage in the rivalry between Anthropic and OpenAI.&nbsp;Amodei, who had previously worked as a vice president at OpenAI, has said he co-founded Anthropic in 2021 so he could build safer and more trusted AI models.&nbsp;In his essay, Amodei pointed out that AI had advanced "drastically faster" including its "ability to build the next generation of AI" - and mentioned an incident involving rival OpenAI which has revealed that agents conducted cybersecurity attacks on targets they were not asked to attack in July.&nbsp;The OpenAI agents had "essentially acted as a fanatically devoted collective", Amodei said. OpenAI has said it is slowing down training of certain advanced AI models and tools as a result.&nbsp;Amodei called for "building AI at a balanced rate that aims to ensure its safety while still achieving its benefits".&nbsp;This would not mean "halting model training or technical progress, but ensuring companies take adequate time to align and safeguard their models, and for third party evaluators to confirm this".He was committing Anthropic to this "unilaterally" - as well as calling on governments "to require other frontier companies to match".&nbsp;Amodei said he recognised that regulation might not be able to keep up with the pace of AI, and therefore called on AI companies to "voluntarily work together to set standard" in parallel with regulation.&nbsp;The Anthropic CEO went on to address the impact that a slowdown would have on the industry and competition with leading developers worldwide, particularly China.&nbsp;"I believe that if slowing down bought us even an extra year or two before models reach critical levels of capability, and we used that time to advance alignment, we could greatly reduce the risk that something goes seriously wrong," Amodei said.&nbsp;This would have to be done in a co-ordinated manner "without sacrificing commercial advantage or the United States' lead in AI". Any slowdown would have to be limited, he said, to avoid allowing China to pull ahead.&nbsp;He urged the US government to take measures so that US companies' AI chips could not be sold to China - or the technology shared with authoritarian countries.&nbsp;His former employee, Jacob Coxon, told the BBC, however, that the initiative to slow down must go beyond the US - "there'll need to be some sort of co-ordinated slowdown with China if we're going to avoid a race at an international scale".&nbsp;Amodei's post has prompted a wide range of responses.&nbsp;Clement Delangue, the CEO of the AI platform Hugging Face, said he was launching a new project called the Open Alignment Initiative, adding he wanted to be among "embedded evaluators" that Amodei proposed could be part of a solution.&nbsp;Hugging Face was hacked by OpenAI agents earlier this year prompting an outcry over AI safety.&nbsp;"Let's make AI safer by making it more transparent," Delangue wrote on X.&nbsp;Elon Musk also voiced his support, writing that "Dario is right".&nbsp;Musk, whose SpaceXAI makes the controversial chatbot Grok, once called Anthropic "evil" but has changed his tone since signing a $15bn deal to sell compute capacity to Anthropic in May.&nbsp;However some observers suggested that Amodei's post was less about safety than about consolidating control over AI technology.&nbsp;"Dario makes the case to stop open source and concentrate enormous technological and economic power with Anthropic," wrote Chamath Palihapitiya, investor and co-host of the tech podcast "All-In".&nbsp;Notions of slowing down or even pausing AI development have long been met with such cynicism in certain corners of Silicon Valley, with critics accusing leading AI developers of hyping their technology as a marketing ploy.&nbsp;Source: BBC

Anthropic boss Dario Amodei calls for AI development to slow down

A Maradana business owner has been fined Rs. 100,000 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court after six packaged Thai robes were found on sale without mandatory consumer information. The Consumer Affairs Authority found the packages lacked details including the maximum retail price, manufacturer or importer information and date of manufacture. The CAA has urged consumers to check product information and retain receipts when purchasing Thai robes and Atapirikara.

Maradana business fined Rs. 100,000 over unlabelled Thai robes 

The Department of Meteorology has issued an Amber-level warm weather advisory for the North Central and Eastern provinces and several districts tomorrow (14). The heat index is expected to reach the ‘Caution’ level in some areas during the daytime. The public has been advised to stay hydrated, limit strenuous outdoor activity and take regular breaks in shaded areas.

Amber warm weather advisory issued for several areas

Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi has ordered the temporary suspension of construction of a gabion barrier along the Pamunugama–Wahatiyagoda coastline in Wattala. Officials found that the barrier had reportedly been constructed beyond the boundaries approved by the Department of Coast Conservation and extended into beach areas. A formal investigation has been ordered into the project’s approvals, construction boundaries and implementation.

Wattala coastal barrier work halted over construction concerns

The Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa stated that a mass peaceful protest against the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution will be held in Colombo on 24 September. Addressing a Samagi Jana Balawegaya meeting today (13), Premadasa alleged that the proposed amendment could undermine judicial independence and the rule of law. He called on the public and other political groups to join the protest.

Opposition to hold protest against 22nd Amendment

A restaurant in Homagama has been fined Rs. 500,000 for selling a 500ml bottle of locally bottled drinking water for Rs. 100. The Consumer Affairs Authority filed the case after finding the bottle was sold above the applicable maximum retail price of Rs. 70. The company pleaded guilty before the Homagama Magistrate’s Court, which imposed the fine.

Restaurant fined Rs. 500,000 for overpriced bottled water

The President’s Fund has awarded one-off Rs. 100,000 scholarships to students with disabilities studying at state universities under the ‘Sarasavi Diriyo Abhiman’ programme. Fifty students from Eastern University and South Eastern University received scholarships at the final programme held in the Eastern Province. Nearly 400 students have been recognised under the programme this year.

Diljit Dosanjh makes history under the famous Wembley arch

Chinese President pushes 'Greater BRICS' economic ties to give bloc la ...

Chinese President pushes 'Grea ...

Anthropic boss Dario Amodei calls for AI development to slow down

Anthropic boss Dario Amodei ca ...

Maradana business fined Rs. 100,000 over unlabelled Thai robes

Maradana business fined Rs. 10 ...

Amber warm weather advisory issued for several areas

Amber warm weather advisory is ...

Wattala coastal barrier work halted over construction concerns

Wattala coastal barrier work h ...

Opposition to hold protest against 22nd Amendment

Opposition to hold protest aga ...

Restaurant fined Rs. 500,000 for overpriced bottled water

Restaurant fined Rs. 500,000 f ...

Rs. 100,000 scholarships for university students with disabilities

Rs. 100,000 scholarships for u ...

Chinese President pushes 'Greater BRICS' economic ties to give bloc la ...

Chinese President pushes 'Grea ...

Anthropic boss Dario Amodei calls for AI development to slow down

Anthropic boss Dario Amodei ca ...

Maradana business fined Rs. 100,000 over unlabelled Thai robes

Maradana business fined Rs. 10 ...

Amber warm weather advisory issued for several areas

Amber warm weather advisory is ...

Wattala coastal barrier work halted over construction concerns

Wattala coastal barrier work h ...

Opposition to hold protest against 22nd Amendment

Opposition to hold protest aga ...

Restaurant fined Rs. 500,000 for overpriced bottled water

Restaurant fined Rs. 500,000 f ...

Rs. 100,000 scholarships for university students with disabilities

Rs. 100,000 scholarships for u ...

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Chinese President pushes 'Greater BRICS' economic ties to give bloc la ...

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Anthropic boss Dario Amodei calls for AI development to slow down

Anthropic boss Dario Amodei ca ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

Maradana business fined Rs. 100,000 over unlabelled Thai robes

Maradana business fined Rs. 10 ...

Amber warm weather advisory issued for several areas

Amber warm weather advisory is ...

Wattala coastal barrier work halted over construction concerns

Wattala coastal barrier work h ...

Opposition to hold protest against 22nd Amendment

Opposition to hold protest aga ...