Suella Braverman objects to increasing visas for Indians
After expressing "reservations" about the trade agreement between Britain and India because it might lead to an increase in immigration to the UK, Suella Braverman once more ran the risk of upsetting No. 10, according to The Guardian.
Liz Truss said she wants to sign a trade agreement with India by Diwali at the end of this month. The Indian government is demanding an increase in work and study visas for Indian nationals and earlier this year Boris Johnson said the agreement would lead to increased immigration.
In an interview with the Spectator, UK Home Secretary Braverman said Indian migrants make up the largest number of visa overstayers in the UK. The home secretary also criticised a deal with India, signed by her predecessor Priti Patel, to increase the number of illegal migrants and overstayers returned to the country, saying the agreement "has not necessarily worked very well".
Braverman told the Spectator: "I have concerns about having an open borders migration policy with India because I don`t think that`s what people voted for with Brexit."
Asked whether she would support a deal if it only involved greater flexibility for students and entrepreneurs, she said: "But I do have some reservations. Look at migration in this country -- the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants.
"We even reached an agreement with the Indian government last year to encourage and facilitate better cooperation in this regard. It has not necessarily worked very well."
###Optimus – Tesla’s humanoid robot
The most recent version of Optimus, a humanoid robot created by the American business with headquarters in Texas, was recently unveiled by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Key facts
- The prototype of Optimus was showcased during the annual Tesla AI [artificial intelligence] Day presentation.
- The humanoid robot demonstrated the ability to perform simple tasks like watering plants, carrying boxes and lifting metal bars.
- Its purpose is to replace a human tasks with a machine.
- This robot shares some of the artificial intelligence software and sensors with the Tesla cars’ autopilot driver assistance features.
- The mass production of these robots will cost less than 20,000 USD.
- The design of the robot mimics the human anatomy, with five independently moving fingers capable of grasping adaptively with high precision. This enables it to use tools in an accurate manner.
- This robot has a uniquely designed actuators – a complex set of gears, motors, sensors and controls that act like human muscles. There are a total of 6 actuators, which minimizes the cost, eases the manufacturing process, speed, torque, mass and efficiency.
- Since it is powered by AI software, it has high cognitive ability of perceiving, planning and navigating the world. This is significant since other humanoid robot do not have this capacity.
- It was developed within a year, while other similar robots were developed after more than 10 years of efforts. This feat was achieved by integrating the technology used for self-driving cars into a humanoid body.
- It is using the same AI technology behind Tesla’s FSD technology (a driver assistance software requiring comparatively less driver input) to guide the robot.
- The robot will be trained by a custom data centre technology called Dojo, which is under development by Tesla. Dojo is a supercomputer that provides video training using video data obtained from Tesla vehicles.
###Nobel Peace Prize 2022
Human rights defender Ales Bialiatski of Belarus, the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties, and the Russian Memorial organisation have each been awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.
Key facts
- With the Nobel Peace Prize being conferred to individuals or organizations from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, implicit message is being sent about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- These awardees have advocated for human rights, democracy and peaceful coexistence in the three neighbouring countries.
- They have, for years, supported the right to criticize the political power and sought to safeguard the fundamental rights of citizens.
- In addition, they played a major role in recording cases of human rights abuses, war crimes, and abuse of power.
- Together, they have demonstrated the importance of civil society in safeguarding peace and democracy.
Who is Ales Bialiatski?
- Ales Bialiatski instigated the democratic movement in Belarus in the mid-1980s. He founded the organization Viasna (Spring) in 1996 to oppose the controversial constitutional changes that gave Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko dictatorial powers. Over the years, this organization started recording and protesting against the government’s use of torture against political prisoners. Bialiatski was incarcerated recently for starting large-scale protest against the Lukashenko government in 2020 and still remains imprisoned without trail. In 2020, he received the Right Livelihood Award (Alternative Nobel) from Swedish Right Livelihood Foundation.
About Russian human rights organization Memorial
- The Memorial was established in 1987 by human rights activitists of former USSR to commemorate the victims of the former communist regime’s oppression. As the largest human rights organization in Russia, it was involved in recording data on the political oppression and human right violations in the country. It is currently shut down and has been liquidated by the Russian Supreme Court.
About Center for Civil Liberties
- Founded in 2007, the Center for Civil Liberties is working towards boosting democracy and human rights in Ukraine. It advocates for civic activism, public opinion, public policies and promotion of human rights. Following the Russian invasion, it is involved in the identification and documentation of Russian war crimes against civilians in war-hit Ukraine.