Instagram and Facebook users in Europe will be offered more choices on how they consume Meta Platforms', opens new tab services to comply with the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), the social media company said on Monday. Under the DMA, which all Big Tech firms including Meta must comply with by March 7, companies are obligated to treat their own services and products like they do rivals'. Facebook Messenger users will be able to choose if they want their Facebook account linked to their Messenger account, or have separate accounts for both services, the company said. Meta added that Instagram and Facebook users who have connected both accounts can choose to manage them separately and no longer share information across the two accounts. Users can also choose whether to share information between their Facebook accounts and the platform's Gaming and Marketplace services.

Tencent Holdings' Riot Games plans to lay off 530 employees, or about 11% of its staff globally, the online gaming company said on Monday in a blog that included a letter to employees from CEO Dylan Jadeja. Los Angeles-based Riot, whose popular titles include "League of Legends", said teams outside of core development will see the largest impact from layoffs. Digital games publishers are struggling to grow, as audience hold off on buying expensive titles or stick to fewer games amid high inflation. Riot will stop new game development under "Riot Forge", and drop some staff and features in "Legends of Runeterra". Tencent, which acquired a majority stake in Riot Games in 2011, also holds stake in fellow US video game developer Epic Games.

The New Hampshire presidential primary will be held on Jan. 23, 2024, just 8 days after the Iowa caucuses, marking the first primary in the nominating process. What are polls saying about the New Hampshire primary? New Hampshire has an "open" primary, meaning that voters who are not declared with either party can vote in the primary. How does the New Hampshire primary work? A 55-year-old, Michigan native who moved to New Hampshire a year ago, Paige Leary, said she appreciates how involved New Hampshire voters are in the political scene.

Tik Tok is introducing an exciting feature that will enable more people to create their own songs. Yes, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, users will be able to create songs for their Tik Tok posts. In this feature called AI Song, the user has to give written instructions. Celebrating Air on Tik Tok along with other Creators Awards in PakistanGoogle, Facebook or TikTok, which will be the most popular website in the world in 2023? A company spokesperson said that it is not primarily an AI song generator and the name may be changed.

A Pakistani, Peter Jacob, has won the International Reli­gious Freedom Award on the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the International Religious Freedom Act. The awards given by the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, were a proud moment for Pakistan as Peter Jacob earned the reward for his 35 years of dedication to re­ligious freedom and human rights in Pakistan. He has advo­cated for the rights of religious minorities and has been very significant in bringing up the misuse and weaponisation of the blasphemy laws against minorities in the country. Religious tolerance and freedom are the very essence of Pakistani society. It is, then, peo­ple like Peter Jacob who have kept this ideal alive in their vi­sion and imagination.

Vijayawada: Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan said he was fortunate to have an opportunity to witness the consecration event in Ayodhya. The JS leader told national media after taking part in the ceremony there that India had been waiting for this moment for centuries. He said, “When I was watching the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir, tears rolled down my eyes with an eruption of joy. I became emotional and this was the same experience for all Indians.”He said that as devotees from north India visited Tirumala to take darshan of Lord Venkateswara, it would now be the turn of devotees from south India to visit Ayodhya for darshan of Lord Ram.

The caretaker government on Monday blamed “technical issues” for the recent internet outages across the country, saying that there was no guarantee that such incidents would not occur in the future. However, Solangi said one could wish that internet outages did not take place but there was no guarantee of that. Netblocks, a global internet monitor, had said on X that live metrics showed “a nation-scale disruption to social media platforms across Pakistan, including X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube”. Further, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had said the internet was disrupted due to a “technical fault”. Last week, the interior ministry constituted a five-member joint investigation team (JIT) to “ascertain facts behind a malicious social media campaign” against Supreme Court judges.

Pakistan and China held on Monday the fourth meeting of the CPEC Joint Working Group International Cooperation and Coordination (JWG-ICC). The two countries agreed to enhance focus on high-quality advancements in industry, agriculture, information technology, and science and technology, ensuring tangible socio-economic benefits for the people. 2️⃣2️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣Fourth Meeting of CPEC Joint Working Group on International Cooperation and Coordination🔗⬇️ https://t.co/E2tyf6XK0J pic.twitter.com/lenmyBsQrT — Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) January 21, 2024The meeting, which was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi and Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of China Sun Weidong, also underscored CPEC's pioneering role in strengthening international and regional connectivity while appreciating the open and inclusive nature of this flagship project. Noting that the two countries were all-weather strategic partners, the foreign secretary reaffirmed the importance of CPEC in promoting cooperation and sustainable development. Islamabad and Beijing also agreed on sharing best practices and generating an intellectual knowledge pool of CPEC and BRI development through enhanced international communication and cooperation.

Vijayawada: Fuming over the Andhra Pradesh government's crackdown on Anganwadi workers protesting for 42 days, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan on Monday demanded Chief Minister Y.S. Kalyan slammed the arrests and termination threats against the workers, terming it "undemocratic" and an attempt to silence their legitimate demands. He pointed out their peaceful intent to submit a one-crore-signature petition to Jagan, highlighting their long-standing issues. He reminded Jagan of his pre-election promise (made during his padayatra) to increase Anganwadi worker wages by Rs 1,000 above neighbouring states and implement a gratuity scheme as per the Supreme Court verdict. Urging Jagan to view their demands "positively," Kalyan appealed for a swift and amicable resolution.

Former chief selector of the national team Inzamam-ul-Haq says that the last 6 and a half months have not been good for national cricket. Speaking on Geo News program Naya Pakistan, former chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said that no one should be appointed for 3 or 6 months, the last 6 and a half months have not been good for national cricket. Leave millions of leagues for Pakistan’s domestic cricket, but what have I got? Omar AkmalOn the other hand, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) interim management committee member Mustafa Ramde said that Zaka Ashraf sidelined the management committee during his tenure, and no decision was shared with the committee. Mustafa Ramde added that PCB has been running on an ad hoc basis for 10 months and a one-man show is also running on an ad hoc basis.

After months of circulating rumours about tension in their relationship, Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and former Indian tennis player Sania Mirza have formally ended their marriage. The unexpected revelation came to light when Malik announced his marriage to Pakistani actor Sana Javed on Saturday. The public has been abuzz with curiosity about the reasons behind the breakup of this high-profile cross-border celebrity couple. Fan speculationsAmidst speculation about Malik's fidelity, various clips from old interviews and guest appearances on TV of the sportsman have resurfaced, adding fuel to the fire. During one game, Javed can be seen intently focused on winning while Malik playfully urges her to give up.

SCREENGRABCaretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, and Parliamentary Affairs, Murtaza Solangi, on Monday pledged to take action against those involved in a malicious campaign against the superior judiciary. He emphasised that the press conference aimed to caution such elements against running a malicious campaign. In response to questions about the source of the campaign against the judiciary, Solangi stated that it originated both within the country and abroad, and action would be taken against those specifically involved in maligning judges. The minister reassured the public regarding the security situation, citing past successful general elections in 2008 and 2013 amid serious security problems. Solangi called on the people to trust the capabilities of security agencies, affirming that the general elections would proceed as scheduled on February 8.

North Andover, MA (01845)TodayCloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..TonightPeriods of light snow. Winds light and variable. Snowfall around one inch.

1/21: Face The Nation This week on "Face the Nation," Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says that the "agenda" that her administration has accomplished "is the same set of values that President Biden has and will continue to fight for these things." Plus, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders talks about her endorsement of former President Donald Trump and 2024 Republican hopeful Nikki Haley joins.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and China on Sunday agreed to enhance focus on high-quality advancements in industry, agriculture, information technology, science and technology to ensure tangible socio-economic benefits for the people through the evolution of CPEC. The agreement was reached during the 4th meeting of CPEC Joint Working Group on Interna­tional Cooperation and Coordination (JWG-ICC) held here. The meeting, which was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi and Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of China, Sun Weidong, exemplified the commitment of both countries to foster international cooperation and coordination. Noting that Pakistan and China were All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partners and Iron Brothers, the Foreign Secretary reaffirmed the importance of CPEC in promoting win-win cooperation and sus­tainable development. The two sides rejected the disinformation campaigns and dis­torted reporting on CPEC and stressed the need to counter fallacious narratives and misinformation.