Yangon, April 2: A 26-year-old hotel staff member was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed hotel building in Myanmar’s Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday, five days after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the country, according to the State Administration Council’s information team.

Two people were trapped under the debris, and rescue teams from the Myanmar Fire Services Department and Turkey successfully pulled one survivor to safety, the information team said.

The operation at the hotel began at around 3:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, and the man was rescued by approximately 00:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, it said.

Efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining trapped individuals, media reported.

The death toll from the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar has risen to 2,719, with approximately 4,521 people injured and 441 others still missing, said the country’s Prime Minister Min Aung Hlaing.

Meanwhile, Aung Hlaing, head of Myanmar’s junta, rejected ceasefire proposals from Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs) and declared a continuation of military operations.

This move directly affects humanitarian efforts as the casualties from the devastating earthquake escalate.

“Some ethnic armed groups may not be actively engaging in battles right now, but they are gathering and training in preparation for attacks. Since this is a form of aggression, the military will continue necessary defence operations,” Hlaing said during a fundraising event in Naypyidaw on Tuesday.

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake, followed by a 6.4 magnitude aftershock minutes later, struck Myanmar’s Mandalay region on Friday, causing massive casualties and damage.

Myanmar announced on Monday a week-long mourning period following the earthquake that struck the nation and wrought widespread destruction.

As the earthquake left entire communities in ruins, reports suggest that concerns have arisen about the potential for Myanmar’s military junta to direct humanitarian funds to affected areas. It is stated that supplies are driven to the areas the junta favours rather than those most in need of help.

The United Nations and international aid organisations are struggling to respond to the devastating earthquake, which destroyed several cities such as Mandalay, Sagaing, and Naypyitaw, and displaced tens of thousands of people. The hospitals are trying to cope with the high influx of patients.

However, the United Nations, the US, India, the European Union, and several other nations and international organisations have sent aid and rescue efforts for earthquake victims in Myanmar.

The Indian Army and Navy mobilised their resources with unwavering resolve, providing both immediate rescue support and long-term aid to the affected communities.

San Francisco, Feb 15: Sam Altman-run OpenAI on Saturday rejected billionaire Elon Musk’s offer to buy the nonprofit company for $97.4 billion.

In a statement on X social media platform, Bret Taylor, Board Chair of OpenAI, called Musk’s bid “an attempt to disrupt his competition.”

“OpenAI is not for sale, and the board has unanimously rejected Mr. Musk’s latest attempt to disrupt his competition,” Taylor posted.

“Any potential reorganisation of OpenAI will strengthen our nonprofit and its mission to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity,” said Taylor on behalf of the OpenAI Board of Directors.

According to reports, OpenAI has also sent a letter to Musk’s lawyer, saying that the bid was not in the best interests of its mission.

Earlier this week, Musk’s AI company, xAI, and a group of investors offered to buy OpenAI’s nonprofit for $97.4 billion.

Altman and the company’s board of directors dismissed the unsolicited proposal.

In a statement, Andy Nussbaum, the counsel representing OpenAI’s board, said Musk’s bid “doesn’t set a value for OpenAI’s nonprofit” and the nonprofit is “not for sale.”

Musk was an OpenAI co-founder and brought a lawsuit against the company and Altman, alleging that OpenAI engaged in anticompetitive behaviour and fraud, among other offences.

In October last year, Musk filed for a preliminary injunction against OpenAI for alleged anti-competitive behaviour.

The motion for an injunction accused OpenAI, its CEO Altman, President Greg Brockman, Microsoft, LinkedIn co-founder and former OpenAI board member Reid Hoffman, and former OpenAI board member and Microsoft VP Dee Templeton of “various illicit activities and seeks to halt them”.

The allegations also included converting OpenAI’s governance structure to a for-profit and “transferring any material assets, including intellectual property owned, held, or controlled by OpenAI, Inc., its subsidiaries, or affiliates.”

OpenAI said in a statement that “Elon’s fourth attempt, which again recycles the same baseless complaints, continues to be utterly without merit.”

The AI company had earlier called the lawsuit “blusterous” and baseless.

Bengaluru, Feb 12: The Adani Defence and Aerospace stall, showcasing futuristic technology, has been one of the main attractions at Asia’s largest five-day air show and the 15th edition of the country’s premier aerospace exhibition ‘Aero India 2025’ in Bengaluru.

Focusing on cutting-edge technology, the spacious stall features state-of-the-art weaponry. The highlight of the display is the ‘Vehicle-Mounted Counter-Drone System’, developed in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The stall presents futuristic weaponry across four layers of defence, covering protection, detection, neutralization, and the use of artificial intelligence in safeguarding national borders.

Speaking to media, Ashish Raghuvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence and Aerospace, stated, “All the capabilities we are working on are on display at the show. From drones to small arms, ammunition, missiles, surface-guided missiles, and most importantly, artificial intelligence and advanced machinery, Adani has been working closely with the defence sector.”

Ashok Wadhwan, Head of Land Systems, said, “We aim to become strategic partners of the defence forces. Our focus is on futuristic technology, developing products that go beyond their expectations. If they can imagine a capability, we want to turn it into reality and build those advanced systems in India.”

Providing details about the display, Wadhwan elaborated, “We have structured our technology into four layers. The first layer focuses on protection, which includes unmanned vehicles and unmanned underwater systems designed for initial surveillance and threat detection.”

He continued, “The second layer is detection, which includes aircraft converted into aerial surveillance platforms — our ‘eyes in the sky’. We are focusing on detection across land, air, and underwater domains. The third layer is neutralization, which includes loitering objects, missiles, and other ammunition. The final layer comprises advanced weaponry, including firearms.”

“In addition, we are showcasing artificial intelligence-powered solutions designed to protect forces. Our capabilities are built to detect, neutralize, and safeguard borders,” he said.

“Our primary focus is on the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, though exports are also part of our strategy. However, our priority remains our national defence forces,” Wadhwan underlined.

“We are collaborating with Defence Public Sector Units (DPSUs) rather than competing with them. Our aim is to partner with them to enhance national defence capabilities,” he added.

Discussing the partnership with DRDO, he explained, “We work closely with DRDO as a Development cum Production Partner (DcPP) for missiles and counter-drone systems. We have localized these technologies and successfully delivered them to the armed forces.”

Highlighting the significance of the Vehicle-Mounted Counter-Drone System, Ashish Raghuvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence and Aerospace stated, “Electronic warfare is a crucial aspect of future air defence. Drones pose significant threats to both civil and military establishments. The system displayed here can detect drones of all sizes and offers users multiple options for neutralization.”

“Operators can choose between a soft-kill jammer or a hard-kill laser. This innovation is a major advancement for the country, developed under a public-private partnership. We will continue to innovate and improve these solutions,” he added.

Emphasizing the importance of detection in electronic warfare, Raghuvanshi noted, “Detection is a critical component of electronic warfare. Our modular and effective solution can distinguish between a friend and a foe, enhancing operational security.”

On the benefits of partnering with DRDO, he said, “For example, DRDO’s Centre of Excellence for missiles is among the best in the world. Strengthening public-private partnerships will help elevate these technologies to the next level, ensuring India remains at the forefront of defence innovation.”