services

Unprecedented heavy hail hit Nicosia on Monday

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Unprecedented heavy hail hit Nicosia on Monday

Fire crews worked into the early hours of Tuesday after heavy rains and hail struck the island, mainly affecting the municipalities of Tseri, Latsia, Lakatamia, and Strovolos. One basement in Strovolos was covered in a thick layer of hail, requiring an excavator for removal. The heavy hail and rainfall, lasting about 20 to 30 minutes, resulted in a large number of incidents. The services received 78 calls on Monday night, with 20 crews working until 2 am to respond to incidents of flooding and opening of drain pipes. These crews included 13 from the fire service, two from Support Cy, two from the civil defense, two from Etea, and a team from Pavlos. Members of the Nicosia district staff were recalled from leave to assist. Police were notified of issues caused by a large amount of water on Limassol Avenue, including several stuck vehicles and damage.

Apple in talks to let Google, ’s Gemini power iPhone AI features

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Apple in talks to let Google, ’s Gemini power iPhone AI features

Apple is in discussions to integrate Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence engine into the iPhone, as reported by Bloomberg News. These talks are focused on licensing Gemini for new features in iPhone software expected this year, though specific terms, branding, or implementation details have not been finalized. Alphabet’s shares increased by 5% in premarket US trading following the news, while Apple’s shares saw a 0.5% rise. Any potential agreement might not be announced until Apple’s annual developer conference in June. Apple has also engaged in conversations with OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, about utilizing its model. A deal could enable Google to extend its AI services to over 2 billion active Apple devices and might address investor concerns regarding Apple’s AI application rollout pace. Apple and Google have a longstanding partnership, with Google being the default search engine on Apple’s Safari browser. This new AI collaboration could face scrutiny from US regulators due to ongoing antitrust lawsuits against Google. Google has previously partnered with Samsung to incorporate its genAI technology into the Galaxy S24 series. Apple CEO Tim Cook mentioned last month that the company is significantly investing in generative AI, with plans to disclose more about its application later in the year. Apple intends to use its in-house AI models for some features in the upcoming iOS 18 but is looking for a partner to power generative AI capabilities, including image creation and essay writing based on prompts.

Turkey moves against Meta over Threads-Instagram data sharing

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Turkey moves against Meta over Threads-Instagram data sharing

Turkey’s competition authority imposed an interim measure on Meta Platforms Inc to prevent data sharing between Instagram and Threads during an investigation into potential abuse of market dominance. The investigation, launched in December, examines Meta’s linking of Instagram and Threads for possible competition law violations. The interim measure aims to prevent irreparable market damage until a final decision is reached. Additionally, Meta was fined 4.8 million lira (8,000) daily in a separate case for insufficiently transparent user notifications about data sharing between Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The notifications were criticized for not adequately addressing anti-competition concerns.

Ukraine downs 17 out of 22 Russia-launched drones, air force says

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Ukraine downs 17 out of 22 Russia-launched drones, air force says

Ukrainian air defense systems shot down 17 out of 22 Russian drones over nine Ukrainian regions, causing a fire in a residential building in Kryvyi Rih but no casualties were reported. In Kirovohrad region, the attack damaged private industrial facilities and residential buildings without causing injuries. Russia also launched seven missiles at Ukraine, with a missile strike in Kharkiv region injuring one person and damaging a fire station.

Microsoft singles out Google, ’s competitive edge in generative AI

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Microsoft singles out Google, ’s competitive edge in generative AI

Microsoft has informed EU antitrust regulators that Alphabet’s Google has a competitive advantage in generative artificial intelligence due to its extensive data collection and AI-optimized chips. This was part of a response to a European Commission consultation on competition in generative AI. Microsoft highlighted Google’s vertical integration, which includes AI semiconductors and large proprietary data sets from Google Search Index and YouTube, as key to its strength in AI. Microsoft also noted that AI-powered voice assistants like Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri could further entrench their competitive positions. Google responded by emphasizing the openness of Google Cloud and criticized companies for locking in customers. Microsoft defended partnerships with AI start-ups as pro-competitive, mentioning its investment in OpenAI and other companies’ investments in AI start-ups.

Adobe forecasts downbeat second-quarter revenue

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Adobe forecasts downbeat second-quarter revenue

Adobe forecasted its second-quarter revenue to be between .25 billion and .30 billion, which is below the analysts’ estimates of .31 billion. The company’s shares fell more than 10% after this announcement. Adobe has been incorporating AI features into its products like Acrobat, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro, and introduced a new AI assistant for Reader and Acrobat last month. However, it faces competition from startups such as Stability AI and Midjourney. For the first quarter, Adobe’s revenue increased by more than 11% to .18 billion, surpassing estimates of .14 billion. Adobe also announced a new billion stock repurchase program. The company expects second-quarter earnings per share to be between .35 and .40 on an adjusted basis. Adobe had to terminate its -billion deal for Figma in December due to regulatory issues, incurring a billion termination fee, which contributed to its first-quarter operating expenses of about .69 billion.

Miracle baby, miracle mother

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Miracle baby, miracle mother

Childbirth complications, including pre-eclampsia and obstructed labour, affect millions of women globally each year, with approximately 810 women dying daily from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO also estimates that for every woman who dies in childbirth, about 20 more suffer severe complications, leading to long-term health issues or disabilities. Baiba Deiko, a 33-year-old woman from Latvia residing in Cyprus, experienced a severe childbirth complication leading to an emergency cesarean section at 31 weeks due to a ruptured placenta, a 1cm perforation in the posterior wall of her stomach, and subsequent life-threatening conditions including sepsis and a complete blockage of the pylorus. Her son, Noah, was taken to Makarios hospital’s ICU, the only one in the country that can house babies under 32 weeks. Baiba’s condition required her to be transported via an ambulance plane to Rafael hospital in Israel for specialized treatment, facilitated by ILMedicare, a private medical service in Limassol, Cyprus. After her final surgery, Baiba returned to Cyprus two weeks later and was reunited with her son after a month of separation.

Ukraine attacks Russian city and refinery on second day of presidential election

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Ukraine attacks Russian city and refinery on second day of presidential election

– A Ukrainian missile attack killed two people in western Russia.
– A separate drone strike set an oil refinery ablaze in Russia.
– The incidents occurred during the second day of a presidential election in Russia.
– President Vladimir Putin accused Kyiv of trying to disrupt the election.
– The governor of the Belgorod region reported the deaths of a man and a woman due to the missile attack.
– The Syzran refinery in the Samara region was reported to be on fire due to a drone strike.
– Russia’s Defence Ministry reported repelling attempts by Ukrainian forces to cross into the Belgorod region.
– Schools in much of the Belgorod region and shopping centers in Belgorod city were closed due to the situation.
– Russia conducted a missile attack on Odesa, Ukraine, killing at least 20 people and wounding more than 70.
– President Putin is expected to win the presidential election, extending his time in office.
– Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition politician, died in an Arctic penal colony, with his death certificate stating natural causes as the cause of death.
– The election turnout was over 40% by the afternoon of the second day, with high turnout in the Belgorod region and Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine.
– United Russia reported a denial of service cyberattack on its services.
– A senior telecoms official attributed the cyberattacks against Russia to Ukraine and Western countries.
– Protests and reported cyber attacks occurred during the voting process.

President favours a single fiduciary regulator

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President favours a single fiduciary regulator

Cyprus’ reputation has been negatively affected for over seven years due to the Jho Low scandal, where the Malaysian criminal obtained a Cypriot passport through real estate investments and donations to the Church of Cyprus. The late archbishop admitted to assisting Jho Low in obtaining citizenship, claiming ignorance of his past. The 2021 OCCRP report highlighted Jho Low as the face of the 1MDB embezzlement scandal, stealing billions from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund. The Cypriot “golden passport” program, officially known as Citizenship by Investment, aimed to attract wealthy foreigners but was criticized for facilitating access for kleptocrats and criminals to the EU. The program was lucrative for lawyers and financial service providers in Cyprus. The new president of Cyprus has committed to reforming these practices to restore the country’s reputation as a legitimate investment and financial services destination. A proposal suggests assigning regulatory responsibilities to the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) to ensure independence and effectiveness in supervision, despite opposition from the Cyprus Bar Association. CySEC, under the leadership of Chairman George Theocharides, acknowledges the need for additional resources and expertise to take on this challenge. Demetra Kalogerou, former CySEC chair, supports the government’s decision for a single regulator, criticizing the lack of independence in the current system where professional associations regulate their own members.

Moving? How to change your car registration address like a pro

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Moving? How to change your car registration address like a pro

Kotak General Insurance provides a comprehensive guide on how to change a vehicle registration address, emphasizing the importance of starting early, checking state requirements, gathering necessary documents, updating the driver’s license first, researching online options, completing necessary forms, paying any required fees, notifying Kotak General Insurance, updating the vehicle title if necessary, and confirming the completion of the address update.