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Google’s most expensive AI model seems to have crossed a major milestone: Beating a 29-year-old video game. Last night, Google CEO Sundar Pichai posted triumphantly on X, “What a finish! Gemini 2.5 Pro just completed Pokémon Blue!” To be clear, the Gemini Plays Pokemon livestream was created by (in his own words) “a 30 year old software engineer unaffiliated with Google” who goes by Joel Z. But Google executives have been cheering the effort on. For example, Logan Kilpatrick, the product lead for Google AI Studio, posted last month that Gemini was “making great progress at completing Pokémon” and had…

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas will implement a $1 billion school voucher program, one of the largest in the country, that uses public dollars to fund private school tuition under a bill Gov. Greg Abbott signed Saturday, capping off a yearslong effort by Republicans.School voucher supporters have long targeted the state, where past efforts buckled for decades against resistance from Democrats and rural Republicans. Last month President Donald Trump called lawmakers before a key vote needed to finally get the bill to Abbott’s desk. Texas joins more than 30 other states that have implemented a similar program, of which about…

A total of five teams will vie for the title of the National Women’s T20 Tournament 2025 beginning on May 7 at two venues in Karachi, the National Stadium and HPC Oval Ground, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Saturday. Last month, Pakistan finished the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Qualifiers unbeaten at the top of the table with a domineering victory over Bangladesh by seven wickets in Lahore to win the tournament. Pakistan had already booked their spot for the World Cup to be held later this year on April 17, courtesy of their bowlers, who had once again…

This week, President Donald Trump announced he won’t recognize Indigenous Peoples Day and will bring Columbus Day “back from the ashes” — another sign some Native leaders say that advocacy for Indigenous representation must continue during Trump’s second term in the White House.Columbus Day, celebrated annually in October, venerates the accomplishments of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.Native Americans have been lobbying local and federal governments for decades to replace celebrations of Columbus with a holiday that recognizes the contributions of Indigenous peoples. For many, the goal was to not only create a celebration of the beauty of Indigenous cultures and experiences…

Tokio Marine HCC International, the international subsidiary of global specialty insurance group Tokio Marine HCC, has announced the promotion of Thibaud Hervy to chief executive officer (CEO) and Simon Button to chief underwriting officer (CUO).These appointments are effective immediately, subject to regulatory approval.Hervy steps into the CEO role after serving as CUO – Specialty Lines. He joined the business in 1999 as an underwriter within HCC Global’s Financial Lines team and has held several senior roles, including managing director of HCC Global and CUO of TMHCCI since 2014.His leadership has been instrumental in shaping the company’s underwriting and distribution strategies…

Cuts will reportedly take place over several years and be accomplished through reduced hiring as opposed to layoffs.United States President Donald Trump’s administration is planning significant personnel cuts at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and other major US spy units, according to The Washington Post, in a move seen as part of his bid to downsize key government agencies. The CIA plans to cut 1,200 positions, along with thousands more from other parts of the US intelligence community, the newspaper reported on Friday. Members of Congress have reportedly been told about the planned cuts, which will take place over several…

Government says 100km-long Texas National Defense Area runs east from the Texas-New Mexico border in El Paso.The United States military has created a second military zone along the border with Mexico, adding an area in Texas where troops can temporarily detain migrants or trespassers, following another zone newly designated in New Mexico last month. The announcement of a new military encampment comes as President Donald Trump has launched an aggressive anti-immigration crackdown since taking office, increasing troops at the southern border and pledging to deport millions of people from the US. Some of the people the Trump administration deported have…

HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — Sachi Schmidt-Hori has never played Assassin’s Creed Shadows, but facing an onslaught of online harassment from its fans, she quickly developed her own gameplay style: confronting hate with kindness.Schmidt-Hori, an associate professor of Japanese literature and culture at Dartmouth College, worked as a narrative consultant on the latest installment in the popular Ubisoft video game franchise. The game launched March 20, but the vitriol directed at Schmidt-Hori began in May 2024 with the release of a promotional trailer.“Once I realized that I was by myself — nobody was defending me — I just decided to do…

LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi ensured their pursuit for the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) playoffs stayed alive as debutant Maaz Sadaqat and skipper Babar Azam starred in a low-scoring encounter to give their team a six-wicket win over Islamabad United here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday night. Zalmi are placed fifth in the standings — with two points separating them from Karachi Kings — but mathematically still in it with three games to go. United, however safe at the top, have lost their second match in a row after winning five on the trot. They were poor with the bat…

CASPER Ruud of Norway serves to Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo during their Madrid Open semi-final at the Caja Magica on Friday.—AFP MADRID: Casper Ruud squeezed into the 25th tour-level final of his career with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo at the Madrid Open on Friday. The Norwegian saved a whopping 15 of 18 break points faced during the one-hour 54-minute clash to reach a third Masters 1000 final, and first since Monte Carlo last year. Overcoming early chest discomfort and in the face of a rowdy pro-Argentinian crowd, Ruud was proud of how he handled the adversity to…