Microsoft's new Copilot key is seen on a Dell computer, next to the alt key. Photo via APMicrosoft has made a change to the Windows PC keyboard for the first time in 30 years. Computers can now include a “Copilot key” – between the alt key and the left arrow key – that will open Microsoft’s artificial intelligence tools. The new key marks the first change to the PC keyboard since the introduction of the Windows key in 1994. Many upcoming computers will integrate the Copilot key, Microsoft said.

Willis Gibson (13) advanced so far in Tetris that the game froze. Photograph: David Macdonald via The New York TimesA 13-year-old American is the first person to beat Tetris, forcing the more than three-decade-old classic Nintendo video game into a “kill screen”. “I can’t feel my fingers.”READ MOREWillis had just become the first person to advance so far in the original Nintendo version of the puzzle game Tetris that the game froze, achieving a feat previously credited only to artificial intelligence. Released on the original Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989, Tetris is among the most enduring and celebrated video games ever. Willis got to Level 157, reaching Tetris’s “kill screen,” the point where a video game becomes unplayable because of limitations in its coding.

The bench has given the Authority seven days’ time to respond in a second case, barring which it will face another fine for a similar delay. The Colva Civic and Consumer Forum (CCCF) was the petitioner, and the same NGT bench heard both the cases. But when it came to GCZMA, the Authority’s legal counsel was not present, but its office bearer appeared to inform of the counsel’s unavailability. The NGT Bench pointed out that they had asked GCZMA’s legal counsel to appear before them in person and disclose the reasons, but the counsel had not responded. Almeida had appeared via video conferencing and argued at length, but without GCZMA’s reply, there could be no progress in the case, NGT said.

Minister for Finance Michael McGrath said there would be a further “modest increase” in corporate tax to around 24.5 billion euro this year but around 11 billion euro of that would be “potentially windfall in nature”. There was an Exchequer surplus of 1.2 billion euro at the end of 2023, down from 5 billion euro recorded in 2022. The drop is due in part to 4 billion euro being transferred from the Exchequer to the national reserve fund. “But certainly based on the assumptions that we have made, it is our view cost-of-living crisis will progressively ease across 2024.”On corporation tax receipts, he said: “Of course, the most notable feature of the 2023 tax performance was corporation tax receipts of 23.8 billion, or 1.2 billion euro up on 2022. He also said that a global plan to increase corporate tax receipts to 15% would not be felt by Ireland until 2026.

Image courtesy of Ingimage.comNumber of new electric car registrations increases by over 30%The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) has released their official new vehicle registrations statistics for 2023, revealing that the number of new electric car registrations increased by 30.47% in Offaly in 2023. Total new car registrations for 2023, finished at 121,850 +16% on 2022 (105,398) and up 4% on 2019 (117,109). SIMI Director General, Brian Cooke, said:“2023 was a year of progress for the Irish Motor Industry, both in terms of new vehicle registrations and electric vehicle sales. New car registrations finished at 121,850 units, up 16% on last year and 4% ahead of pre-COVID 2019. Petrol continues to remain the most popular engine type for 2023, while Electric, Hybrid, and Plug-in Hybrid account for 45.5% of the market.

Glasgow Kelvin College’s student-led project, Fighting Fast Fashion, was recently honoured with a coveted Green Gown Award. The prestigious awards recognise real initiatives undertaken by universities and colleges across the UK and Ireland to help push sustainability higher up the educational agenda. Scotland’s colleges are ready to play their part in building these sustainable industries. Scotland’s colleges have the appetite to action real and meaningful impact, but they need support and investment to deliver. There is no "greenwashing" in Scotland’s colleges.

Irish NewsRevealed: top five NCT failure hotspots as nearly half of 1.5 million cars failed full NCT test in Ireland last year

It is expected that temperatures could hit 5 to 8 degrees during the day before decreasing to -2 to 3 degrees overnight. A cold night tomorrow will see a few showers and frost spread before a bright and sunny day on Saturday. Overnight temperatures on Saturday will hit -3 to 0 degrees as frost, ice and “pockets of freezing fog” develops. Highest temperatures of 2 to 5 degrees are expected during the day before dropping to -3 to 2 degrees overnight. Dry and cold weather will continue into Monday, when the odd light shower will be possible as a cloudy, cold day is forecast.

Wages, services and other items -- rather than food and energy -- appear to be driving the uptick in December inflation. Photo: PAAnnual inflation in Ireland went on the rise again in December, ticking up to 3.2pc, according to a flash estimate. Prices rose 0.4pc between November and December, when measured using the EU’s Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices. Core inflation, which excludes unprocessed food and energy costs, increased by 4.3pc since December 2022, well ahead of headline inflation. French inflation also inched higher in December on the back of higher services prices and energy costs, as the government pared back supports for households.

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Britney Spears will "never" record new music. They keep saying I’m turning to random people to do a new album … I will never return to the music industry !!! "When I write, I write for fun or I write for other people !!! “She is one of the biggest stars of the 21st Century so there is pressure for the music to be great. Charli has a great track record when it comes to writing clever pop songs.

Deadly air strikes have hit residential buildings in Ukraine and the Russian border region of the last number of days. Furthermore, Ukraine is thought to have assured allies that it will not use western-supplied munitions to strike military sites in Russia itself. “In just a few days between December 29th and now, Russia has used about 300 missiles and over 200 ‘Shahed’ drones against Ukraine,” said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy. It is not clear when they would be delivered or if any would be earmarked for Ukraine. The EU has imposed sanctions on Russian firm Alrosa, the world’s biggest diamond producer, and its chief executive Pavel Marinychev.

Jamie Gonoud, Westmeath, in action against Kildare's Eoghan Lawless in the O'Byrne Cup. Busy season beckons for Westmeath’s flagship teamsCan it really be two decades since the late, great Páidí Ó Sé arrived from Ventry to mastermind Westmeath’s historic Delaney Cup win? Páidí’s reign started with a memorable O’Byrne Cup campaign, his appointment ensuing record crowds in Cusack Park up to and including the final against Meath. Fortune will hope to be competitive against three of the small ball’s top teams, before finishing off with two slightly less daunting challenges. January 4 (Thursday), Walsh Cup, away v Dublin.

The five leaders in the newest season of Operation Transformation. Operation Transformation has returned for the 17th season, introducing five new leaders who will look to change their lifestyles throughout the show. Hosted by Kathryn Thomas, five people from across the country have been selected to lead the challenge and work with experts. Anne said was prompted to become a leader and change her lifestyle due to her osteoarthritis and her recent hip replacement. Operation Transformation airs Wednesdays 9:35pm on RTÉ One & RTÉ Player

The Bellini Navy sofa from EZ Living Furniture. Ireland’s largest furniture retailer launches massive winter saleEZ Living Furniture’s winter sale is now on and features huge discounts across all ranges of furniture and home accessories. With the help of an expert team of designers and visual merchandisers at EZ Living Furniture, they’ve compiled a list of trends you can expect to see in every home in the New Year. If you want to reflect those trends for less in your home, take advantage of those incredible discounts now in every EZ Living Furniture store across Ireland including Tullamore and online here. EZ Living Furniture’s Winter Sale is now on and extends across all ranges of furniture and accessories.