Author: News Desk

United States: Microsoft has announced that the company is updating its search products with more artificial intelligence, using the technology behind the wildly popular ChatGPT, as part of taking advantage of increasingly powerful AI tools. Microsoft CEO Mr. Satya Nadella unveiled the latest version of Bing and an updated version of its Edge web browser at an event held at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington, headquarters. In the new Bing, users will see standard web links on the left and AI-powered answers on the right that are specifically modified to address the question. Mr. Nadella remarked that “this is a new day…

Pakistan: Pakistan has lifted the ban on Wikipedia two days after it was imposed due to alleged blasphemous content. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the country’s telecom regulator to restore the online encyclopaedia with “immediate effect”. “Blocking the site in its entirety was not a suitable measure to restrict access to some objectionable content,” a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office remarked. “The unintended consequences of this blanket ban, therefore, outweigh its benefits,” the statement added. Information Minister Ms. Marriyum Aurangzeb posted on Twitter that a committee has been constituted by the government “to review the decision to ban…

United Kingdom: The Treasury and the Bank of England have revealed that a state-backed digital pound as an alternative to cash is likely to be launched later this decade. According to the report, the government is speeding up its response to the rise of privately issued cryptocurrencies and stable coins with a four-month public consultation process on a “Britcoin.” After the volatility of cryptocurrencies and the collapse of the crypto exchange FTX, the Bank and the Treasury will seek to reassure the public that a state-backed digital currency would be as safe as cash. Furthermore, the officials will explore the…

United States: The head of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, has warned that further escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict could mean the world is heading towards a “wider war.” Mr. Guterres decried the Russian invasion of Ukraine in a speech to the 193-member UN General Assembly presenting his 2023 priorities, stating that the war was “inflicting untold suffering on the Ukrainian people with profound global implications.” The Secretary General’s priorities were focused on Russia’s invasion, the climate crisis, and extreme poverty. “We have started 2023 staring down the barrel of a confluence of challenges unlike any in our lifetimes,”…

United Kingdom: A new study has found that people who cohabit with a partner have lower blood sugar levels, even if they do not get along with them. The study further warned that social isolation may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. According to the study published in the British Medical Journal’s diabetes journal, living with someone is an important source of social support for adults in mid- to late-life. The researchers further remarked that the effects were the same regardless of whether the relationship was harmonious or acrimonious. The lead author, Ms. Katherine Ford, formerly of the University…

London, UK: The Premier League referred Manchester City to an independent commission over potential financial rule violations, the English top division declared. The alleged violations are believed to have occurred between the 2009–10 season and the 2017–18 season. The defending champions are accused of breaking league rules that provide for the transmission of “accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position” in “the utmost good faith.” The accurate financial information needed, according to the Premier League, was related to “revenue (including sponsorship revenue), its related parties, and its operating costs.” The second list of…

United States: Pop icon Beyonce set the record for most career victories at the Grammy Awards, but she was defeated once more by British singer Harry Styles in the prestigious album of the year category. Beyonce acquired four more Grammys, raising her overall total to 32, surpassing the late conductor of classical music, Georg Solti. This year, she received nine nominations for prizes. Despite years of success, the 41-year-old “Break My Soul” singer has never won the best album award despite receiving four nominations. Styles received that award for “Harry’s House.” “I’ve been so inspired by every artist in this…

Hong Kong: Hong Kong’s largest national security trial has started, involving 47 of the city’s most high-profile democracy advocates in a hearing that is widely considered a trial of the territory’s pro-democracy movement itself. A group of former politicians, activists, campaigners, and community workers are accused of “conspiracy to commit subversion” over the holding of unofficial pre-election primaries in July 2020. The case is at the centre of the Hong Kong and Beijing governments’ crackdown on opposition and dissent in the city after the mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. The accused people include legal academic Mr. Benny Tai, former lawmakers…

Ukraine: Mr. David Arakhamia, chief of the Ukranian President’s Servant of the People parliamentary bloc, has announced that the country’s Defence Minister, under pressure from a corruption scandal, will be removed from his position as Russian forces close in on Bakhmut amid heavy fighting. The position of Mr. Oleksii Reznikov, one of Ukraine’s better-known figures internationally, has been under threat after it emerged the defence ministry paid twice or three times the supermarket price of food to supply troops on the frontline. Mr. Arakhamia stated that the defence ministry would be headed up by Mr, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s…

Syria: Turkey and Syria were slammed by a strong 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed numerous people, destroyed homes while people were still sleeping, and caused vibrations to be felt as far away as the island of Cyprus. Although the initial death toll in Turkey was put at 53, it threatened to rise significantly higher because it struck while the majority of people were still asleep at home. According to official media, at least 42 individuals also perished in northern Syria’s areas under government control. https://twitter.com/USGS_Quakes/status/1622424153184948225?s=20&t=gTL8WDRraTSmRX9-OQeL1w The United States agency reported that, the earthquake occurred at 04:17 local time (0117 GMT) at…