The use of artificial intelligence (AI) by students for academic purposes is growing rapidly, with schools and universities forced to rethink how they conduct tuition and academic testing. Many students are using AI tools to help with academic work, with some students using it to cheat on assignments and exams. However, educators and students are also cautiously experimenting with the use of generative AI to enhance lessons, and questioning whether it is possible to use AI in education without undercutting the most important features of human learning. One of the major challenges with generative AI is accuracy, including hallucination, the fabrication of facts and the black box effect, which produces false information and creates a vacuum for content to be reframed. There is also evidence that AI-written text can be biased and learned from internet content, including sexism, racism and political partisanship.
The UK government's lack of understanding of housing market economics and cynical attempts to gain voters has led to policy failures and continued crisis. Help to Buy pushed up house prices and ownership is not a viable option for everyone. Doing nothing to increase housing supply and continued high demand will see real rents and house prices continue to rise. Labour has backed building on green belt land and last-time buyers could be offered stamp duty waivers to incentivise downsizing instead of trying to search for last-time accommodation in the current market.
Susan Hart, a 74-year-old grandmother from Bath, who disappeared on holiday in Kalymnos, Greece three weeks ago, was found dead in a remote part of the island. She had been staying on the island with her husband, who went rock climbing while she planned to read. Her husband, Identifying her, is also being comforted by family. A Foreign Office spokesman said consular assistance was being provided to the family. Hart had been showing symptoms of dementia in recent years, but had not yet been diagnosed.
Iran's Foreign Ministry has summoned Switzerland's ambassador and demanded that the country "correct" a tweet condemning the recent execution of three anti-government protesters in Iran. The Swiss embassy had posted a tweet calling on Iran to “‘take steps to reduce” the use of the death penalty. Iran's foreign ministry called the act "unconventional and unprofessional" in a statement, citing the use of the wrong flag in a photo included in the tweet. Switzerland is one of the few countries with diplomatic relations with Iran, which does not recognise Israel, the US or many Western European countries.
Susan Hart, a 74-year-old British grandmother, has been found dead 17 days after going missing on a visit to Telendos, a small Greek island, according to her daughter Ruth Landale. The grandmother-of-four was visiting the island with her husband, a keen rock climber, when she isolated herself from the rest of the party to read. Upon returning to find her missing, her husband searched the island with the help of volunteers and rescue teams. It is understood that Hart may have been showing early signs of dementia.
The United States has continued their perfect record at the ice hockey world championship with a 9-0 victory against France, led by Cutter Gauthier's hat trick. The win puts the US at the top of Group A with six wins from six games. Meanwhile, in Group B, Switzerland beat the Czech Republic 4-2 to take the lead with six victories from six games, and Slovakia defeated Slovenia 1-0 to remain in contention for advancing to the knockout stage.
Susan Hart, aged 74, who had been reported missing on the Greek island of Telendos earlier this month, has been found dead in a remote area. The British grandmother had gone missing on 30 April while staying on the island with her husband Edward. According to her family, Mrs Hart had planned to read while her husband went rock climbing. She was last seen taking a ferry from Kalymnos to Telendos. The family spent more than two weeks on the under-two-square-mile island in their search for the missing woman. Greek authorities have yet to determine the cause of death.
Canadian forward Veleno given 5-game suspension at men's hockey worlds
CBC
23-05-21 19:37
Canadian forward Joe Veleno has been given a five-game suspension for violating Rule No. 49 (kicking) in a game against Switzerland at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Championship. The 21-year-old Red Wings player stomped on the shin of Swiss captain Nino Niederreiter with his right foot, though he was not penalised at the time and Niederreiter was not hurt. The Canadian team said in a statement they "accept and support" the IIHF's decision. The ban would include the quarterfinal, semifinal and final games if the team advances. The disciplinary committee’s ruling came just a day after Belarus was stripped of its co-hosting rights for the tournament, scheduled for May and June.
The recently opened Eiger Express cableway may well become a popular feature of Swiss Alps-based movies and TV shows. Visitors can ride on the heated seats of the tech-savvy cableway, which also has impeccably polished windows along its 6.5km route. The views it provides of cow-clanked pastures, ice-encrusted mountains and cliffs, some almost close enough to touch, would form a striking backdrop on any blockbuster screen. The cableway connects to the train line from Interlaken in the valley below and can cut travel time to the Jungfraujoch by 47 minutes compared with making the whole journey by train.
Jeremy Hunt's recent article condemning the "insidious declinism" of former optimists has been met with criticism from some readers. They argue that the government itself is responsible for the shift in national pessimism, pointing to issues such as housing, immigration, energy, and taxes. Hunt's statement that Conservative governments always make the "tough decisions necessary to put the economy back on track" is challenged by some, who feel that the current socialist government in power has failed in this regard. Readers also suggest that Hunt's own involvement in the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic and his role in the Treasury have contributed to declining optimism, with high taxation and regulatory red tape stifling economic growth. Similarly, Rishi Sunak's comments that people no longer judge others by their bank account to some ring hollow; one reader argues this emphasises how little he understands about poverty in the country. Meanwhile, a group of current students at the University of Oxford declared their support of the invitation to Professor Kathleen Stock, a gender-critical feminist philosopher, to a university event, arguing that free speech is key to the institution's heritage.
Foreign investment in Germany remained steady in 2022 despite the challenging economic situation, according to Germany Trade and Invest. The organisation revealed that 1,783 new settlements were established in 2022 — slightly fewer than 2021 but 101 more than in 2020. GTAI managing director Robert Hermann said the total is a “success” given the “adverse circumstances” and revealed the US was the largest investor with 279 projects. Switzerland took second place with 208 projects, followed by the UK with 170. China, which deployed 141 projects, fell to fourth place, while Turkey rounded out the top five places with a record 139 projects.
UN agency: 2M killed, $4.3 trillion in damages from extreme weather over past half-century
The Toronto Star
23-05-22 10:08
Extreme weather events over the past half-century have killed over 2 million people and caused economic damage of $4.3tn globally, according to the United Nations’ (UN) World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which has published an update to its Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes. The publication, which previously covered events from 1970 to 2019, includes over 12,000 events. Most countries have faced fewer events than in the previous review, but loss of life is still concentrated in the same areas and has risen in some places. The last decade was the deadliest recorded due to events, including Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Cyclone Idai in 2019. Overall, natural disasters have killed 1.3 million people since 2000 and caused $2tn in economic losses. Extreme temperatures caused the most deaths, while flooding caused most of the economic losses. The US faced the largest financial burden, with total losses of $1.7tn, followed by China ($600bn), Japan ($230bn), India ($220bn) and Puerto Rico ($70bn).
Chinese companies that planned to raise funding through London and Zurich listings may abandon their plans after China issued new disclosure laws, banned the use of funds and made issuances liable to national security reviews, according to lawyers and bankers. More than 20 firms, including China Meheco Group and Zhejiang Yongtai Technology, had planned to follow the 18 existing Chinese firms in listing in London or Zurich, but the new rules will likely increase underwriters’ costs and workloads. The regulations have cast doubts on the London Stock Exchange’s plans to attract Chinese listings.
Polish referee Szymon Marciniak has been picked to officiate the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan. Marciniak had previously refereed the World Cup final in December and will now complete a rare feat on June 10 in Istanbul of refereeing the biggest finals in national team and European club soccer in the same season. The first World Cup-Champions League final double was achieved by English referee Howard Webb in 2010. Marciniak handled games with both Champions League finalists in the knockout rounds.
Credit Suisse is disputing the Swiss authorities’ decision to liquidate its additional tier one securities. About 5,000 executives and some bond holders, who were awarded bonuses based on the performance of the AT1 bonds, have cancelled the payouts and are planning to sue regulator Finma. The securities were liquidated so that UBS could acquire Credit Suisse, in a step that cost Switzerland its reputation for financial reliability and will result in long legal disputes, according to the Financial Times. Contingent capital awards were popular with Credit Suisse executives as they appeared to offer more security.
Keir Starmer’s speech about the NHS on Monday was largely devoid of visions for how to improve the service, says Kristian Niemietz in The Critic. Starmer failed to offer any tangible policy measures, instead opting for vague goals that have been voiced time and time again throughout the past few decades. Niemietz argues that both Labour and the Conservatives are failing to address the bigger, structural issues facing the NHS and failing to confront the fact that UK system performs worse than international peers.
The volume of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Germany is expected to drop this year due to the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. Record levels of FDI were seen in Germany in 2021, largely due to a rise in UK companies setting up operations in Europe’s largest economy to retain ties with the EU following Britain’s departure. Last year US, Swiss and UK investors led inward investments as China’s projects declined. The proposed IRA, which is designed to lure investment in clean technology towards the US, could affect investment in Germany and Europe.
