Daily round-up: Oct. 29, 2024

1. Did you know that suicide risk is highest on Mondays around the globe? A research study led by Yoonhee Kim, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo, has connected the beginning of the workweek to an increase in cases.

15-18% of worldwide suicides have been recorded on a Monday — a pattern observed in many countries across North America, Asia, and Europe.

The analysis, which examined data from 740 locations in 26 countries over nearly 50 years, reveals that weekends generally have lower suicide rates in most regions.

However, in Central and South America, Finland, and South Africa, the chances of suicide increase over the weekend, indicating the cultural and societal factors that influence mental health trends across the globe.

2. Google is developing an AI technology called “Project Jarvis” that can control computers and do tasks like research and shopping through a web browser, particularly Chrome.

It will carry out online tasks by interpreting screenshots and interacting with web pages.

The AI will be publically shared in December along with the Gemini language model, but this timeline isn’t certain. Google may first test Jarvis with a small group to fix any issues.

3. According to Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi, about 45,000 to 50,000 passport applications are being received by the ministry on daily — a number that exceeds the production capacity and is consequently creating a backlog.

The Machine Readable Passport (MRP) system was established in 2004 for 30 regional offices and 10 missions abroad, which has not been upgraded despite the number of offices increasing to 223 and missions to 93.

Now, the production facility can only manage 20,000 to 22,000 applications per day, which has caused long delays. To tackle the issue, the government has made the production facility operational 24/7 in three shifts.

The move has been made after reports of citizens facing delays of up to two months, affecting patients in need of urgent medical treatment, students applying to foreign universities, and those seeking work visas.

4. Pakistan’s opener, Fakhar Zaman, is reportedly considering retirement after being dropped from the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) central contract, according to Urdupoint.

The batter has been asked to undergo another fitness test in January, revealing double standards. Usman Khan stopped during the third round of the 2-kilometre run but not only received a contract but also made it into the squad.

5. People in Karachi have recently been actively protesting various issues. This week began with a Climate March, where participants carried placards and banners against climate change, highlighting anti-environmental policies.

Participants also held the Palestinian flag.

Speakers at the Friar Hall Climate March addressed issues such as deforestation, rising sea levels, and melting glaciers in a heatwave-wrapped world.

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