Author: OMN AI

A major Swedish study found that using AI in breast cancer screening reduced later cancer diagnoses by 12%.Researchers analysed 100,000 women in Sweden who underwent routine mammography.Participants received either AI-supported screening or standard double readings by radiologists.The AI system flagged high-risk scans and streamlined low-risk cases.Results, published in The Lancet, showed higher early detection with AI support.Early-stage cancers accounted for 81% of cases in the AI group, compared with 74% without AI.Aggressive cancer subtypes were also 27% lower in the AI group.Scientists say AI could ease radiologist workloads but must not replace human experts.

Donald Trump warned that doing business with China posed serious risks for the UK as Sir Keir Starmer arrived in Shanghai. The prime minister reached the city on the third day of his official visit to China. Trump reacted to agreements aimed at boosting trade and investment between Britain and China. Officials announced those deals after Sir Keir met President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Trump made the comments while attending a documentary premiere about his wife, Melania, on Thursday. He described Xi as a friend and said he knew the Chinese president very well. Trump offered no further explanation of…

Panama’s Supreme Court has struck down a concession that allowed Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison to operate ports at both ends of the Panama Canal, following an audit that alleged irregularities in a 25-year extension granted in 2021. The ruling has drawn sharp criticism from Hong Kong and added a new layer of complexity to international trade and geopolitical relations. Hong Kong Voices Strong Objection On Friday, Hong Kong’s government issued a statement condemning the court’s decision, calling it “unjust” and harmful to the interests of Hong Kong companies operating overseas. Officials emphasized that they oppose any foreign government using coercive…

Google DeepMind launched AlphaGenome, an AI tool that predicts how genetic mutations drive disease.The system analyses up to one million DNA letters at once.AlphaGenome shows how mutations alter gene regulation across different tissues.Many inherited diseases and cancers stem from regulatory genetic changes.Researchers trained the model on large human and mouse genetics databases.Scientists say the tool could speed cancer research and enable new gene therapies.

Postal Loopholes Aid Sanctions Evasion An investigation by German media reveals that Russia is bypassing European Union sanctions by routing banned goods through a logistics hub near Berlin. Shipments, some equipped with GPS trackers and containing restricted items, moved through Berlin Brandenburg Airport and continued via Poland and Belarus to Moscow without detection. The operation reportedly uses shipping labels from Uzbekistan’s state postal service, even though Germany does not authorize the service to operate locally. International mail faces lighter scrutiny than regular exports, allowing high volumes of goods to move quickly under simplified customs procedures. The system is believed to…

Economic Growth Remains Solid The US Federal Reserve opted Wednesday to keep its key interest rate at roughly 3.6%, pausing after three reductions last year. Officials cited a stabilizing job market and described growth as “solid,” an upgrade from last month’s “modest” rating. With hiring remaining strong and no signs of slowing, the Fed sees little urgency to cut rates further right now. Inflation Concerns and Policy Debate Most policymakers still anticipate lowering borrowing costs later this year, but they want clearer signs that inflation is moving closer to the Fed’s 2% target. In November, the central bank’s preferred inflation…

Amazon revealed a new round of global job cuts through an internal email sent in error.Workers at Amazon Web Services received a cancelled meeting invite containing a draft message about layoffs.The email wrongly claimed affected staff in the US, Canada, and Costa Rica had already been informed.Colleen Aubrey signed the message, which referred to the layoffs as “Project Dawn”.Amazon cut 14,000 corporate roles in October and continues efforts to reduce pandemic-era hiring.Chief executive Andy Jassy has warned that AI may replace some white-collar roles.

Lawmakers Call for Clear Rules and Investment MEPs from the European People’s Party are urging the EU to take nuclear fusion seriously as a near-future energy source. On Tuesday, they issued a declaration pushing the European Commission to establish a clear and predictable regulatory framework that can attract private investment, given the enormous costs involved in developing fusion technology. “Fusion has reached a turning point. European industrial capability and private investments are converging toward deployment,” the declaration reads. Lawmakers stressed that Europe has a chance to turn its scientific expertise into industrial strength while securing a clean, reliable, and competitive…

Scientists launched DinoTracker, an AI app that identifies dinosaurs by analysing fossil footprints.Researchers from University of Edinburgh and Helmholtz-Zentrum trained the system using 2,000 unlabelled footprint silhouettes.The AI compares shapes using eight features, including toe spread and heel position.It matches human expert classifications about 90% of the time.The app lets users upload footprints and explore similar examples interactively.The findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, support earlier theories about birdlike dinosaur tracks.However, researchers caution the prints likely came from birdlike meat-eating dinosaurs, not early birds.

A landmark trial over alleged social media addiction begins Tuesday in California. Senior executives from major technology companies are expected to testify. The case could reshape how courts assign responsibility to digital platforms. The plaintiff is a 19-year-old woman identified as KGM. She claims platform algorithms caused addiction and harmed her mental health. She says design choices encouraged compulsive use during her teenage years. The defendants include Meta, owner of Instagram and Facebook, TikTok owner ByteDance, and YouTube parent Google. Snapchat reached a settlement with the plaintiff last week. The remaining companies now face court. The trial will be held…