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Claude Lorius: The Glaciologist Who Proved Human-Caused Global Warming

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Claude Lorius, a renowned glaciologist known for his contributions to proving human-caused global warming, passed away at the age of 91. Over the course of his lifetime, Lorius led 22 expeditions to Greenland and Antarctica.

During one of his trips to Antarctica in 1965, he made a significant discovery after dropping ice samples into a glass of whiskey. Lorius realized the scientific potential of studying ice cores, which led to his groundbreaking research on air bubbles trapped in ice, providing evidence of global warming caused by human-made pollution.

His research gained international recognition and helped scientists study 160,000 years’ worth of glacial records. In addition to his scientific work, Lorius was an advocate for the environment and served as the inaugural expert of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1988.

He was awarded the CNRS gold medal in 2002, along with his colleague Jean Jouzel, and was the first Frenchman to receive the prestigious Blue Planet Prize.

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Violent clashes in Paris as pension age row rages

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Large numbers of people are taking to the streets in France, on a ninth day of nationwide demonstrations and strikes over pensions reform. The CGT union estimates there are up to 800,000 people protesting on the streets of Paris where clashes with police are being reported

Police have used tear gas in Nantes and water cannon in Rennes at protests over legislation to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

Strikes are disrupting schools and public transport, and some demonstrators are also blockading railway tracks and stations.

Ongoing industrial action at oil refineries is affecting petrol supplies, and also of aircraft fuel.

President Emmanuel Macron’s government forced the legislation through without a vote in the lower house of parliament last week.

Yesterday he defended the changes as “a necessity” in his first public comments on the escalating row.

The vast majority of protests have passed off without violence but some demonstrators dressed in black and known locally as “Black Bloc” radicals have been out on the streets, throwing stones and bottles at police and setting fire to bins.

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IT Services Firm Accenture To Cut 19,000 Jobs, Trims Profit Forecasts

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Accenture Plc, the latest indication that the worsening global economic picture was sapping corporate expenditure on IT services, slashed its annual revenue and profit expectations and announced on Thursday that it will reduce approximately 2.5% of its workforce.

Accenture announced that more than half of the 19,000 employees to be lost will be in its corporate activities that are not billable, which caused its shares to increase by more than 4% before the bell.

Due to a decline in demand brought on by high inflation and rising interest rates, the tech sector has been forced to lay off hundreds of thousands of workers since late last year.

Competitor Cognizant Technology Solutions forecasted quarterly revenue below forecasts and referred last month to “muted” increase in bookings, or the agreements IT services businesses have in the works.

A slowdown in Europe, where the Ukraine war has hurt client spending, has also been noted by IBM Corp. and Tata Consultancy Services, India’s biggest IT services provider.

In contrast to its prior prediction of an increase of 8% to 11%, Accenture now anticipates yearly revenue growth to be between 8% and 10%. As opposed to the previous range of $11.20 to $11.52, the estimated earnings per share are in the range of $10.84 to $11.06.

According to a US-based Enterprise Technology Research poll of more than 1,000 IT decision makers, they intend to slow the growth of their budgets by 2023. Now, 3.4% growth is expected, down from a 5.6% gain recorded in October 2022.

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Boat carrying African migrants sinks off Tunisia, leaving at least five dead and 28 missing in attempt to reach Italy

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A boat carrying African migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy sank off the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, resulting in the deaths of at least five people, with another 28 missing. The Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights reported the incident, and the Tunisian authorities were not immediately available for comment. The southern city of Sfax has become a major point of departure for migrants seeking a better life in Europe, fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East.

This incident coincides with a significant increase in the number of boats departing from the Tunisian coast towards Italy, as well as Tunisian authorities’ campaign to arrest undocumented sub-Saharan African immigrants. Unofficial United Nations data revealed that 12,000 people who reached Italy this year set sail from Tunisia, compared to only 1,300 in the same period of 2022. Prior to this, Libya served as the main launchpad for migrants from the region.

In conclusion, the sinking of the boat carrying African migrants off the coast of Tunisia highlights the risks that desperate people are willing to take in pursuit of a better life. The increase in boats departing from Tunisia, combined with the crackdown on undocumented immigrants, underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive and compassionate response to the ongoing migration crisis.

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Bill Gates: AI is most important tech advance in decades

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The development of artificial intelligence (AI), according to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, is the most significant technological achievement in decades.

He compared it to the development of the microprocessor, personal computer, Internet, and mobile phone in a blog post on Tuesday. According to him, it will alter how people work, learn, travel, access healthcare, and interact with one another.

He was discussing the technology behind programmes like ChatGPT, a chatbot. ChatGPT, an AI chatbot created by OpenAI, is built to respond to internet queries in a manner that is natural and human-like.

Microsoft, where Mr. Gates still serves as an advisor, made a multibillion dollar investment in the project’s team in January 2023. But it is not the only AI-powered chatbot available, with Google recently introducing rival Bard.

Mr. Gates claimed that since 2016, he has met with OpenAI, the group behind the artificial intelligence that drives chatbot ChatGPT.

Mr. Gates stated in his blog that he issued the OpenAI team a challenge to develop an AI that can pass an Advanced Placement (AP) Biology exam in 2022, which is roughly equivalent to an A-level exam. The challenge came with the strict requirement that the AI could not be specifically programmed to respond to questions in biology. A few months later, the findings were made public. According to him, the score was nearly perfect, with only one mark out of fifty being missed.

Mr. Gates claimed that after the test, he instructed the AI to compose a letter to a father of a sick child.

Mr Gates, who co-chairs the charitable Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, called on governments to work with industry to “limit the risks” of AI, but said the technology could be used to save lives.

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French reforms: Macron refuses to give way as pension protests escalate

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In the face of nationwide protests and two no-confidence votes, French President Emmanuel Macron has defended his decision to push through an increase in the pension age with a resolute attitude.

Radical transformation is a need, he stressed, not a luxury or a pleasure. The government’s use of constitutional authority to drive through reforms without a vote in the National Assembly has emboldened protesters.

On Thursday, there will be a ninth round of nationwide strikes and demonstrations. Several locations have seen hundreds of arrests over the course of six nights of protests.

Bins that were left overflowing by garbage collectors have been set on fire, and 13% of gas stations are out of gasoline as a result of blockades at oil refineries. Nearly half of the pumps in the southern Bouches-du-Rhône region have stopped working.

The upcoming trip to France by King Charles has also been clouded by the demonstrations. Sandrine Rousseau, a Green Party lawmaker, demanded that the trip be cancelled: “Is welcoming Charles III to Versailles truly the top priority? French society is going through something, so it’s important to go and talk to the society that is rising up.”

Mr. Macron made his first public comments on the mounting pensions debate in an interview that was broadcast on two of the major French television networks under pressure to defuse the situation.

He allegedly informed party representatives at the Elysée Palace prior to his appearance that there would be no change in course. He ruled out any drastic action, including a change in the makeup of the government or the dissolution of the legislature.

It was “always a good thing if you want to be respectful to our institutions,” Mr. Macron told his colleagues, adding that he had no regrets about pushing through the reforms.

He and the prime minister have maintained that 175 hours of parliamentary debate had been spent on the measures. Mr. Macron emphasised that several parties had supported the change during its passage through the legislature but then sponsored a motion of no confidence that narrowly failed.

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Ukraine says Russian missiles destroyed in Crimea

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Russian missiles that were being delivered by rail in the north of the annexation of Crimea were destroyed, according to the Ukrainian defence ministry. The city of Dzhankoi’s newly-installed Russian mayor claimed drones had targeted the neighbourhood.

Ukraine reported the blasts but, as is customary, did not specifically claim responsibility for the attack. If true, it would be a very infrequent military incursion by Ukraine into Crimea, which has been annexed since 2014.

In the past, Russia has been attacked in Crimea, but most of the time, Ukraine has refused to take credit or has attributed the attacks to political sabotage. If this strike was real, it would indicate that the Ukrainian air force’s ability to use drones has improved.

Up until today, it has appeared that Ukrainian rockets cannot reach Crimea. Nonetheless, this attack shows that drones are at least capable of penetrating Russian defences farther than previously believed.

Russian Kalibr-NK cruise missiles meant for the Russian Black Sea Fleet were destroyed by the “strange” explosions, according to Ukrainian defence intelligence. In recent months, strikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure have frequently used Kailbr missiles.

According to an unconfirmed account from a local resident that was mentioned on Ukrainian TV, there were “booms” that lasted for 30 minutes and left some of Dzhankoi without electricity. The explosions “continue Russia’s demilitarisation process and set up the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea for deoccupation,” according to the military ministry.

Russian forces have utilised Dzhankoi as a rail hub connecting Crimea with other regions of seized Ukraine. According to Russian TV reports, there was no damage to the rail infrastructure as a result of the strike on Tuesday.

According to preliminary results, a residential building and a store were damaged, according to Russia’s investigation body. It stated that all of the targets were civilian.

The Russian-installed administrator, Ihor Ivin, reported that a 33-year-old male was rushed to the hospital for treatment after being injured by shrapnel from a downed drone. He said nothing about any military objectives being hurt.

According to Mr. Ivin, the electricity grid was destroyed and a number of structures caught fire. According to a different Russian-appointed official, a drone was struck above a technical institute in the middle of an instruction area and a student residence. Separately, officials in southern Russia said that Ukrainian military had used a drone to attack an oil pipeline pumping station north of the Ukrainian border. There were none, according to the governor of the Bryansk region.

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Rare Computer Mouse That Inspired Steve Jobs Auctioned Off For 147,000 Pounds

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According to Metro, a computer mouse that served as one of Steve Jobs’ primary sources of inspiration recently sold for a staggering 147,000 pounds (Rs 1,48,89,174). Douglas Engelbart’s rare three-button mouse and coding keyset were sold at a Boston-based auction for about 12 times their original estimate of £12,000.


Importantly, the late Apple CEO’s initial rollerball-controlled mouse was modelled after Mr. Engelbart’s invention.

”The rare, early three-button computer mouse designed by Engelbart, measuring approximately 4″ x 2.75″ x 2.5″, utilizes two metal discs (corresponding to the X-axis and Y-axis) on the bottom to locate the position of the cursor, rather than a ball or optical light that came to be used later,” a description of the product on the auction page reads.

The coding keyset has five keys, allowing for 31 possible key presses when typing and entering commands. Using this hardware setup, a user could point and click with the mouse in their right hand while typing commands with their left hand on the keypad.

Steve Jobs had the opportunity to see the mouse and the graphical user interface (GUI) in action in 1979 while touring a research centre. Steve made the decision to streamline and include these simple functions in Apple’s computers after being quite impressed by their use.

Jobs was determined to create a single-button model that costs only 12 pounds because the 245 pound Xerox mice did not roll smoothly. Apple then paid around 33,000 pounds to licence Mr. Engelbart’s mouse patent and contracted IDEO to design the mouse. Engelbart’s idea would, in part, alter the trajectory of modern existence, according to Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction. This device played a crucial role in the evolution of computer history.”

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EU Agrees 2 Billion Euros Ammunition Plan For Ukraine

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The foreign ministers of the European Union decided on a two billion euro plan on Monday to raid their own stockpiles and buy Ukraine the critical artillery ammunition it needs.
At a meeting in Brussels, the ministers supported a multifaceted plan that will be approved by EU leaders at a summit this week and intends to supply Ukraine with one million shells over the course of the following year while also restocking EU inventories. As Russia’s year-long invasion has devolved into a gruelling attrition war, Kiev has complained that its forces are being forced to limit weapons.

In order to help its soldiers fend off Moscow’s assault and enable them to launch new counteroffensives later in the year, Ukraine has informed the EU that it needs 350,000 shells every month.

Catherine Colonna, France’s foreign minister, stated, “We have to help Ukraine more, quicker, and now.”

The first component of the proposal pledges an additional one billion euros ($1.06 billion) in shared spending in an effort to persuade EU member states to use their already limited stockpiles of readily deployable ammunition.

In the second phase, the EU would spend an additional one billion euros to purchase 155 mm shells for Ukraine as part of a large joint procurement effort designed to encourage EU defence companies to increase output.

A significant new step for the EU, which has seen ongoing efforts to cooperate more cooperatively on defence advanced by Russia’s war, is purchasing weapons on this scale collectively.

The EU’s defence agency or the member states should negotiate the orders, and countries have been arguing over whether they should exclusively purchase from European suppliers.

According to diplomats, the plan aims to sign the joint contracts by the beginning of September and send the first billion euros’ worth of shells to Ukraine by the end of May.

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Credit Suisse bank: UBS is in talks to take over its troubled rival

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UBS, the largest bank in Switzerland, is in advanced negotiations to acquire all or a portion of its ailing rival Credit Suisse. The second-largest Swiss bank, Credit Suisse, is experiencing a crisis of confidence, and its shares have dropped precipitously recently, worrisome the markets.

The Financial Times reports that UBS is prepared to offer up to $1 billion (£820 million) to acquire Credit Suisse. Before the markets open again on Monday, regulators are attempting to broker a solution.

The stability of the global financial system has been called into question as a result of the problems at Credit Suisse and the bankruptcy of two smaller US banks over the past two weeks.

One of the roughly 30 banks considered too big to fail due to its significance to the banking system is Credit Suisse.

Yet, the 167-year-old organisation is in the red and has encountered numerous issues lately, including accusations of money laundering.

The Swiss National Bank’s emergency $54 billion (£44.5 billion) lifeline on Wednesday failed to calm the markets, and Credit Suisse shares fell 24%, sparking a larger sell-off on European markets.

The FT, which broke the news that regulators and the Swiss National Bank were aiding discussions between the two Swiss banking goliaths, said a deal might be reached as soon as Sunday night.

Credit Suisse shares would be valued at less than a sixth of their Friday price under the offer that is currently thought to be on the table. The FT, however, stated that an agreement has not yet been signed and that the terms could alter. The FT reports that the Swiss authorities are preparing to amend the country’s regulations to forgo a shareholder vote on the transaction, which would ordinarily give UBS shareholders six weeks to review a deal of this magnitude.

While regulators and management contemplate the future of Credit Suisse, Bank of England officials have acknowledged they are in frequent contact with their counterparts at the Swiss National Bank. The situation is also being watched by the UK Treasury.

Credit Suisse warned it does not expect to be profitable until 2024 after reporting a loss of 7.3 billion Swiss francs ($7.9 billion; £6.5 billion) in 2022, the company’s worst year since the 2008 financial crisis.

UBS, however, generated a $7.6 billion profit in 2022. Any agreement may also lead to massive employment losses.

Credit Suisse handles the assets of wealthy clients in addition to being a domestic bank with 95 locations. It also operates a global investment banking operation.

By the end of last year Credit Suisse had a global headcount of 50,480, including 16,700 in Switzerland, albeit 9,000 jobs were to be eliminated, the Swiss broadcaster SRF reports.

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