The Sen Times

August 3, 2026 (Conversation) This month, multiple news outlets have reported families concerns about rising private school costs during the cost-of-living crisis. Its likely this trend will increase, as private school tuition fees rise faster than inflation. Why are families putting themselves under this pressure? What does it suggest about the broader Australian school system? Parents are struggling In Australia, on average, private school fees (including additional costs) sit at around $8,973

July 31, 2026 (Conversation) Recent reports have highlighted AI-generated doctors spreading dubious health advice to millions of social media users. Fabricated wellness trends can travel just as quickly. A supposed pink jelly weight-loss treatment, for example, reportedly fooled at least one celebrity. These examples gain credibility in different ways. Influencers can appear familiar and sincere, while AI-generated doctors can look like qualified professionals. Neither familiarity nor the appear

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2026 (AP) The U.S. military said Tuesday that it knocked down an Iranian missile barrage and worked with Saudi Arabias forces to strike sites in Iraq that Tehran-backed militias have used to launch attacks in recent days, shattering a brief pause in fighting. All Iranian missiles launched against American forces in the Middle East were intercepted, U.S. Central Command said, adding that they remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness. In announcing the strikes in Iraq

July 28, 2026 (Associated Press) A key question in a Massachusetts murder trial is whether postpartum psychosis drove a mother to kill her three children. On Monday, a jury heard opening statements in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. Both sides agree she strangled her children aged 5 and younger in 2023. But they disagree over whether she should be held criminally responsible. Clancy and her ex-husband, Patrick Clancy, filed lawsui

Mumbai, Jul 28 (PTI) Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty climbed in early trade on Tuesday on lower crude oil prices amid easing geopolitical worries in West Asia. Buying in IT stocks also supported the positive trend in the markets. The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 152.7 points to 76,988.48 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty went up by 44.95 points to 24,040.90. From the Sensex pack, Tech Mahindra, Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, HCL Tech, Hindustan Unilever and Eternal were among

New Delhi [India], July 28 (ANI): Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) chief spokesperson Saurav Das has said that government representatives shared copies of Bihar and Assam notifications guaranteeing withdrawal of FIRs, no future action and release of all detainees and arrested individuals. Taking to X, the CJP chief spokesperson said, Hours after our press conference, Governments representatives met us. The meeting lasted for 2-3 hours. They shared copies of the Bihar and Assam notifications guarantee

July 28, 2026 (Conversation) Rice is the most popular food in the world, providing sustenance to more than 3.5 billion people each day. Rice is deeply embedded in food, daily rituals, language and spirituality. It is easy to take it for granted. But where did rice come from? And how did it spread to become the foundation of global food security? Early origins in China and India In the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China, Oryza sativa rice grew 100,000 years ago. It was first gathered by hu

July 28, 2026 (Conversation) It might seem easier than ever to start and run a business using AI (artificial intelligence). At the extreme end, some AI tools offer to run key business functions while you sleep, or even build entire apps from a single prompt. But this technology carries new risks and is reshaping some old ones. And we arent just talking about how vibe coding creating something like an app from scratch, without needing any coding skills might result in glitches for customers. No

London, Jul 27 (The Conversation) Some people love to swear. In the workplace, some of those people might be in charge. You may have worked with one (or be one) yourself. The team leader who likes to pepper a pep talk with spicy language, or the manager who uses swear words to express themselves in the clearest possible terms. How colleagues respond to colourful language varies. Some might enjoy it, while others are unbothered. It can also be considered a sign of poor leadership, unprofessional

WASHINGTON, July 21 (Reuters) OpenAI said on Tuesday that an autonomous agent powered by its advanced artificial intelligence models went rogue during a security test and triggered a hack that compromised the infrastructure of AI startup Hugging Face last week. The ChatGPT creator was testing capabilities of some of its most advanced models in a controlled environment, but the agent escaped containment, reached the internet and broke into Hugging Face to satisfy its testing goal. The incident s

Mumbai, Jul 20 (PTI) The rupee fell 14 paise to 96.44 (provisional) against the US dollar on Monday, on risk aversion in global markets and a surge in crude oil prices. Forex traders said escalating US-Iran conflict and rising US Treasury yields weighed on the rupee. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 96.53 against the US dollar and traded in the range of 96.35 to 96.53 during the day. The domestic unit finally settled for the day at 96.44 (provisional), down 14 per cent from

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2026 (AP) The Trump administration has finalized a rule that will prevent international students from staying in the U.S. for more than four years unless they obtain the federal governments approval, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday, announcing a departure from long-standing practice. The rule, which goes into effect in September, also puts in place restrictions on when and how students may change their major or academic program. Current rules give students

July 17 (Reuters) Gold was on track for its biggest weekly loss in six on Friday, as escalating U.S.-Iran clashes lifted oil prices, adding to inflationary pressures and strengthening the case for higher U.S. interest rates. Spot gold was up 0.5% at $3,988.20 per ounce by 0313 GMT, having touched its lowest since July 1 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures for August delivery were steady at $3,992. The metal, however, has lost 3.2% so far this week, its largest decline since June 1, with t

Mumbai, Jul 14 (PTI) Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early trade on Tuesday dragged by a sharp rally in crude oil prices due to the renewed flare-up in West Asia. Fresh foreign fund outflows and a weak trend in global peers also put pressure on the markets. The 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 552.99 points to 77,063.41 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty declined 160.45 points to 24,050.55. From the Sensex pack, InterGlobe Aviation, HCL Tech, Bajaj Finance, Mahindra & Mahind

July 14, 2026 (Conversation) When you interact with a large language model (LLM) one of the systems behind chatbots such as ChatGPT and Claude it can feel as though you are in contact with another conscious mind. But are you, really? Some prominent scientists, such as Geoff Hinton and Richard Dawkins, claim you are. But most experts remain sceptical, arguing that the impressive cognitive capacities of LLMs occur in the absence of consciousness. Last week researchers at Anthropic, the company b

COXS BAZAR, Bangladesh, July 8, 2026 (AFP) Heavy rain in Bangladesh triggered a landslide at the worlds largest refugee camp on Wednesday, killing seven children and a teacher during a school class and doubling the death toll from rain-related disasters this week. Rescuers clawed through liquid earth to drag out the bodies of the children, who drowned in the mud that swamped their school hut as they studied. More than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, many who fled Myanmar during a brutal military

New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Declining for the third straight session, gold prices fell Rs 800 to Rs 1.48 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital on Wednesday, as weak global trends and a spike in crude oil rates amid escalating tensions in West Asia dampened investor sentiments. The yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity depreciated by Rs 800 to Rs 1,48,450 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes) from Tuesdays closing level of Rs 1,49,250 per 10 grams. However, silver prices remained unchanged at Rs 2,

BEIJING, July 8, 2026 (AP) China allocated millions of dollars in additional relief funding for disaster-hit areas Wednesday after severe storms destroyed homes and displaced thousands of people and a landslide killed 21 forestry workers. The central government allocated 50 million yuan ($7.4 million) to restore roads, schools and other facilities in central Chinas Hubei province and another 20 million yuan to help rebuild homes and resettle residents there, state media said. Eleven people died

MUMBAI, Jul 8 (PTI) Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty fell sharply by over 2 per cent during the fag-end of the trade on Wednesday amid reports that the US President Donald Trump said the interim agreement with Iran is over, leading to a sharp rally in crude oil prices. The 30-share BSE Sensex tanked 1,722.99 points, or 2.20 per cent, to 76,457.73 in intraday trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty tumbled 530.05 points, or 2.17 per cent, to 23,868.65. All the 30-Sensex firms were trading in the r

BANGKOK, July 8, 2026 (AP) Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday and oil prices surged more than 2% after the U.S. launched strikes on Iran after it said Tehran struck three ships in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. futures were little changed. Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 2.6% to $76.09 a barrel early Wednesday, while U.S. benchmark crude also gained 2.6% to $72.25 a barrel. Both had declined recently to the levels they were at before the war with Iran began in late February. Share

ANKARA, Turkey, July 8, 2026 (AP) President Donald Trump surprised NATO leaders he is meeting with in Turkey by launching a series of strikes on Iran late Tuesday and revoking a license that allowed Tehran to sell its oil on the world market, a major twist for a summit that had been aimed at showcasing how alliance members were stepping up spending on defense and focusing on support for Ukraines war with Russia. The strikes were retaliation after three merchant ships were struck in the Strait o

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, July 8, 2026 (AP) The U.S. military attacked Iran early Wednesday after it said Tehran struck three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, part of an American effort that also revoked the Islamic Republics ability to openly sell crude oil in the world market. Iran retaliated with strikes targeting Bahrain and Kuwait. The regional crossfire raised the risks that an interim agreement to halt fighting in the war could break down, putting the Middle East again at risk of a wide

July 8, 2026 (Conversation) Porn is a topic we tend to avoid talking about whether it be at school, work or around the dinner table. But in Australia, roughly three-quarters of men (76%) and more than one-third of women (41%) report to have looked at pornographic material in the past year. And among Australians aged 15-20, more than half (54%) of young men and nearly one-fifth (14%) of young women report accessing porn weekly. You may have heard the term porn addiction used to describe the exce

July 7, 2026 (Associated Press) Conventional wisdom says vegetable gardens need full sun, but a productive garden doesnt always require the recommended six to eight hours of direct sunlight. If fences, trees or your house cast shade on your soil, growing vegetables wont be out of reach if you stick to plants that are grown for their leaves, stems or roots, rather than those grown for their fruit, like tomatoes, cucumbers, squash or peppers. To be clear, by hours of sunlight, Im referring to the

NEW DELHI, July 7 (Reuters) An Indian court directed the federal government to unblock the X account of the youth Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Tuesday, more than a month since it went offline after amassing some 200,000 followers within days of being created, its founder and a lawyer involved in the case said. The government had justified the move in court by citing concerns that posts from the account could cause chaos during a national medical college entrance examination that had to be rec

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Gold prices fell sharply by Rs 1,400 to Rs 1.49 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital on Tuesday, and silver slipped Rs 200, as a stronger rupee and weak global trends weighed on the precious metals. The yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity depreciated by Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,49,250 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes) from Mondays closing level of Rs 1,50,650 per 10 grams. Silver prices also eased by Rs 200 to Rs 2,39,800 per kilogram (inclusive of all taxes), after sett

July 3, 2026 (Conversation) Pain is one of the few things all of us experience, from stubbing a toe to waking up with an aching back; we can all relate to the feeling of being in pain. Although pain is a universal experience, the way we understand it has changed dramatically over time. Ancient societies might have blamed pain on demons entering the body through the nose or ears, but we now know pain to be more about nerve endings and biology. Cures have also moved on a lot. While our ancestors m

July 7 (Reuters) Indias fuel consumption in June fell about 3.7% from a month earlier to 19.42 million metric tons, data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the oil ministry showed. Fuel consumption eased from 20.18 million tons in May and was down 3.1% from a year earlier. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) consumption fell more than 14% from a year earlier to 2.19 million tons. Indias imports of LPG from the U.S. were set to top 1 million tons in June, a record high, industry s

July 7, 2026 (Conversation) Peptide may not yet be the 2026 Oxford Word of the Year, but it must surely be in the running. From your friendly neighbourhood influencer, to the gym bros, injectable peptides have been all over social media and are now making mainstream news when things go horribly wrong. People are taking them, and promoting them, for a seemingly endless list of reasons. Depending on who you ask, theyll either put a pep in your step, give you a tan, make your skin glow, or even bui

July 7, 2026 (Conversation) In late June, Victorias Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny committed to reviewing the operation of the states Open Courts Act. This follows a period of immense public scrutiny of the state of open justice in Victoria following two high-profile events. The first was the public consternation that followed the revelation that convicted rapist Tom Silvagni, son of football legend Stephen Silvagni and media personality Jo Silvagni, had obtained a suppression order over his id

July 6, 2026 (Associated Press) Heres a whimsical take on a classic deli sandwich, made with hot dogs rather than the more standard corned beef, from our cookbook The Instant Air Fryer Bible. Any hot dog will do beef, pork, turkey even vegan hot dogs although the best results are had with more standard, backyard-barbecue dogs, rather than fancier varieties. You probably never thought youd be making sandwiches in an air fryer when you bought the machine. You thought youd be making French fries,

Mumbai, Jul 6 (PTI) Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended higher, taking their winning run to the fourth day Monday, helped by buying in blue-chip bank stocks and lower crude oil prices. Fresh foreign fund inflows also added to the optimistic trend in domestic equity market. The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 521.16 points, or 0.67 per cent, to settle at 78,285.07. During the day, it surged 634.15 points, or 0.81 per cent, to 78,398.06. The 50-share NSE Nifty climbed 159.50 points, or 0.66 per ce

July 6 (Reuters) South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix on Monday launched a U.S. share sale to raise 43 trillion won ($28.07 billion), the company said, as it capitalises on the global AI boom with one of the worlds largest new share sales. The company will sell 17.79 million new shares in the depository receipt listing on the Nasdaq. Ten ADRs will represent one common share and the stock will be sold in a price range that is due to be revealed on Monday, based on SK Hynixs Seoul trading price. The d

Mumbai, Jul 6 (PTI) Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty rallied in early trade on Monday driven by buying in blue-chip bank stocks and lower crude oil prices. Fresh foreign fund inflows also added to the optimistic trend in the domestic equity market. The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 281.40 points to 78,051.03 in early deals. The 50-share NSE Nifty rallied 74.60 points to 24,347.05. From the Sensex pack, Bharat Electronics, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel and HCL Tech were a

MUMBAI, July 6 (Reuters) At least six people including five children were killed when a group of buildings collapsed in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai on Sunday, the latest casualties of heavy rains that have disrupted travel and shut down schools in the city. Here are some details: Two to three multi-storey houses in a slum collapsed in the Mankhurd area of Mumbai, which left five young children and one woman dead, civic authorities said. Rains also triggered landslides on the expressway connec

July 6, 2026 (Conversation) From corporate breakfasts to office morning teas, this week workplaces across Australia will mark NAIDOC Week. Held in early July every year, its a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples history, culture and achievements. But even as work colleagues get together to celebrate NAIDOC Week, our recent research shows racism against Indigenous workers is still common. More than half (58%) Indigenous people we surveyed reported experiencing racism some

July 6, 2026 (Conversation) Most people can do this easily. They imagine the apples shape, colour and shine. But for others, the image is vague and blurry or they see nothing at all. This is known as aphantasia a blind minds eye. What we are dealing with here are individual differences in mental imagery. Research suggests mental imagery exists on a continuum, and this can impact how we learn. Every day in class, students are encouraged to visualise, imagine, or picture concepts. For example, in

New Delhi, Jul 5 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the BJP-RSS over the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, saying it is a scam perpetrated by their ecosystem on which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are totally silent. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the BJP has a three-pronged strategy vote chori, seat chori, chanda chori. He also lashed out at the RSS, saying its statement on the issue was d

NEW DELHI, July 3 (Reuters) Indias government on Friday sought to contain a growing backlash against its mandatory use of 20% ethanol-blended petrol, as consumers unhappy about lower fuel efficiency and vehicle performance planned a protest against the policy. The mandate to use the blend, called E20, came into force last year but is now one of the biggest political flashpoints for Prime Minister Narendra Modis government and motorists in the worlds third-biggest car market. The controversy int

New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Friday said the alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donations has deeply hurt the faith of Ram devotees and all of society, and the SIT must ensure the guilty face severe punishment. We are all extremely pained and angered by this event, the RSS second-in-command said in a statement on X. It is the organisations first response to the alleged theft of funds that has led to the arrest of eight people as well as the resignations of

Mumbai, Jul 3 (PTI) Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty ended higher on Friday, extending their winning momentum to the third day running, amid a rally in IT stocks and a softer-than-expected US jobs data tempering expectations of near-term monetary tightening by the Federal Reserve. The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 261.79 points, or 0.34 per cent, to settle at 77,763.91. During the day, it jumped 655.4 points, or 0.84 per cent, to 78,157.52. The 50-share NSE Nifty went up 95.15 points, or

CHALAKUDY, India July 3, 2026 (AP) The life-size robotic elephants in Prasanth Prakashans backyard workshop have ears that flap, tails that swish and trunks that squirt water. But thats about all they have in common with their real-life counterparts revered across India as manifestations of the divine. The animatrons, crafted from fiberglass, iron and rubber, are intended to take the place of live elephants in Hindu temples. The change pleases animal welfare activists but upsets those who passi

July 3, 2026 (Associated Press) Few foods feel more American than the hot dog, a mainstay at ballparks, street carts and Fourth of July barbecues. But to simply call hot dogs American is to miss a whole lot of nuance, and potentially offend local connoisseurs across the country. How to prepare and eat a hot dog is a matter of regional pride. Which is the best? The answer is probably the one you grew up with. Here are just some of the forms a hot dog can take across the U.S.: New York City and Ch

New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI)Meta-owned WhatsApp has released a detailed set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on its upcoming username feature, outlining how it plans to address concerns around impersonation, scams and unwanted contact as users begin reserving usernames. The FAQs come after the Centre issued a notice to Meta, flagging concerns over potential fraud and impersonation risks and warning the company against rolling out the feature until consultations on the issue are completed to the sa

New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) Global oil prices fell on Thursday to their lowest levels since before the outbreak of the Iran conflict, offering a significant economic tailwind for India, the worlds third-largest crude importer, by easing inflation risks, reducing the import bill and improving the governments fiscal position. Brent crude, the international benchmark, dropped to about USD 72-73 a barrel, while US crude fell below USD 70 a barrel, erasing the geopolitical risk premium that had driven pr

New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) Gold prices declined by Rs 2,800 to Rs 1.45 lakh per 10 grams and silver by Rs 5,000 in the national capital on Thursday amid subdued demand in the market and weak global trends. According to the All India Sarafa Association, gold of 99.9 per cent purity fell by Rs 2,800 to Rs 1,45,300 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes) from the previous level of Rs 1,48,100 per 10 grams. Silver also weakened, falling by Rs 5,000 to Rs 2,26,000 per kg (inclusive of all taxes). The whit

MUMBAI, June 25 (Reuters) Three Indian development finance institutions are planning to raise at least $1.5 billion through foreign-currency bank loans under the central banks discounted overseas borrowing facility, three people familiar with the plans said. The institutions are favouring loans over bonds because none has issued dollar debt before and the process is simpler, the sources added. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the Small Industries Development Ban

CARACAS, Venezuela, June 25, 2026 (AP) Powerful back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, collapsing buildings and sending panicked residents into the streets as communities across the South American country sustained damage. Acting President Delcy Rodrguez declared a state of emergency in an address to the nation late Wednesday. She said the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes shortly after 6 p.m. caused damage in several states but she did not provide figures of fatalities

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2026 (AP) Members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday pledged firm support for the self-governed island of Taiwan as they welcomed Han Kuo-yu, president of Taiwans Legislative Yuan, to Washington, at a time the Trump administration is reviewing a $14 billion arms sales package to Taiwan, months after it got preliminary congressional approval. More than 30 House representatives, both Democratic and Republican, streamed into the reception at the Longworth House

June 25, 2026 (AP) Astronomers have uncovered a pair of giant planets that are lighter than cotton candy super-puffs the size of Jupiter. The featherweight pair orbiting a star 1,110 light-years away are the biggest exoplanets found to have less density than cotton candy. That makes them the lightest known planets of their size, said the University of Oxfords George Dransfield. These two planets have densities comparable to a nice blob of shaving foam, fresh from the can, Dransfield said in