UN chief calls for end to ‘vicious circle’ of bloodshed and hate as Gaza conflict escalates

NEW YORK CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for an end to “this vicious circle of bloodshed, hatred and polarization,” as the conflict between Hamas and Israel continued for a third day.

He repeated his condemnation of “the abhorrent attacks by Hamas and others” on Israeli towns and villages, launched from Gaza, which have left more than 800 Israelis dead and more than 2,500 injured since they began on Saturday.

Israel strikes and seals off Gaza after incursion by Hamas, which vows to execute hostages

JERUSALEM: Israel increased airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and sealed it off from food, fuel and other supplies Monday in retaliation for a bloody incursion by Hamas militants, as the war’s death toll rose to nearly 1,600 on both sides. Hamas also escalated the conflict, pledging to kill captured Israelis if attacks targeted civilians without warnings.

Jordan’s King Abdullah hosts visiting delegation from the US Congress

AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah on Monday welcomed a visiting US Congress delegation led by Sen. Joni Ernst.

During their meeting, the king and his American guests discussed the latest developments in the region and ways in which the strategic partnership between Jordan and the US might be bolstered, the Jordan News Agency reported.

Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, Jafar Hassan, the director of the king’s office, and Yael Lempert, the US ambassador to Jordan, were also present at the meeting.

Mikati: Primary focus is safeguarding security and stability in southern Lebanon

BEIRUT: Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Monday emphasized that his government’s primary focus was safeguarding security and stability in southern Lebanon.

He highlighted Lebanon’s position during talks with leaders of various nations, while calling for Israel’s withdrawal from the remaining occupied Lebanese territories.

Concerns have recently intensified in Lebanon about the potential to become embroiled in the ongoing Gaza conflict.

Mikati reaffirmed the commitment of friendly countries to protect Lebanon from Palestinian turmoil.

How Gulf-developed large language models like Jais are bringing Arabic into the AI mainstream

DUBAI: When ChatGPT made its debut last year, the artificial intelligence program caused a global sensation, as users found themselves communicating with a machine that could pass as another human being.

However, the enthusiasm among techies in the Arab world was somewhat diminished by ChatGPT’s limited grasp of Arabic, in part the result of the language’s complexity, diacritical markings, inflection system and regional dialects.