Category: World News

Up until recently, owning a cat while housed on government property in Singapore was illegal. Around 80% of the country’s 3.6 million inhabitants live in government housing, so this is no small change.

Singapore lifting its 30-year ban on cat ownership in government housing is a step towards balancing the pet ownership regulations, as dogs were never banned. Many citizens have long felt that the ban on cats was unfair, especially considering the positive traits of cats as quieter and less disruptive pets compared to dogs.

A 30-year-old Singaporean, Sunny, who secretly owns a cat named Mooncake and lives in a government-built high rise, shared her thoughts on the matter with Taipei Times. “Cats are so much quieter than dogs. If they allow dogs, I don’t understand why not cats,” Sunny told the Times.

Despite the ban not being strictly enforced, the illegality of cats in government housing has posed challenges for owners like Sunny, who cannot obtain pet insurance or access certain veterinary procedures. Additionally, the inability to prove ownership makes it difficult in the event that a cat is picked up by animal control.

The decision to lift the ban on cats comes after a recent survey among government housing occupants, in which 9 out of 10 respondents said cats make good, non-disruptive pets. This shift in public opinion likely played a role in the government’s decision to change the law.

In a bold move, England and Wales’s 1,000-year-old legal system has taken a cautious step into the realm of artificial intelligence. The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary recently granted judges permission to use AI in the process of crafting opinions. However, they have emphasized the need to tread carefully, as AI technology can sometimes produce inaccurate or misleading information.

Master of the Rolls Geoffrey Vos, the second-highest ranking judge in England and Wales, stated, “Judges do not need to shun the careful use of AI. But they must ensure that they protect confidence and take full personal responsibility for everything they produce.”

This approach comes at a time when the legal profession is grappling with the potential impact of AI on their field, including the possibility of AI replacing lawyers, assisting in jury selection, or even making judgments. The judiciary’s approach is a measured one, aiming to strike a balance between embracing technological advancements and maintaining the integrity of the legal system.

Legal experts like Ryan Abbott, a law professor at the University of Surrey and author of “The Reasonable Robot: Artificial Intelligence and the Law,” have welcomed the move and believe it will serve as a model for other countries grappling with the role of AI in the legal system.

While the U.S. Supreme Court has acknowledged the benefits and drawbacks of AI, no federal guidelines have been established. Individual courts and judges at the federal and local levels have set their own rules.

The English and Welsh judiciary’s guidance comes with numerous warnings about the limitations of AI and potential pitfalls if users are not aware of how it works. For example, it should not be used for research or legal analyses, as it can fabricate information and provide misleading, inaccurate, and biased information.

Judges were also warned about the potential risks of disclosing confidential information to AI systems and the fact that much of the legal material used to train AI comes from the internet and is often based on U.S. law.

While the thought of AI in law is a bit nerve wracking. It could be that the cautious integration of AI in the English and Welsh legal system will create a proactive and measured approach to AI adoption. That way the technology is used responsibly and ethically.

This reminds me of when that Manhattan judge got mad at some lawyers that used chatGPT for court case research. Poor guys didn’t realize that AI can just make stuff up. 😅

Discover a variety of global Christmas traditions—from religious and secular to sweet and slightly menacing. Whether you’re into the festivity or using a Christmas demon to keep kids in line, there’s a tradition on this list for everyone.

Austria
St. Nicholas and his sinister companion, Krampus, visit children on December 5th to reward good behavior with treats and punish bad behavior. Krampus is often depicted as a half-human, half-goat creature with hooves, horns, and a long tongue. He carries a basket or bag, chains, bells, and birch branches for various menacing purposes.

In addition to this tradition, children in Austria submit their Christmas wish lists to Christkind (Baby Jesus) by burning them in the fireplace. Alongside these folklore elements, Austrians also engage in festive activities such as decorating Christmas trees, singing carols, baking cookies, and enjoying Christmas markets.

Philippines
San Fernando, dubbed the Christmas Capital of the Philippines, lives up to its name with a year-round Christmas-themed park and the famous Giant Lantern Festival (Ligligan Parul Sampernandu). The festival, which began in 1931, has gained immense popularity, featuring a competition among 11 villages to craft the most stunning star-shaped lanterns.

Originally, lanterns were made with paper on bamboo frames using rice paste. However, the modern versions are technicolor marvels, constructed with welded steel frames, plastic materials (replacing paper), and adorned with thousands of tiny lights.

Japan
Since a strategic 1974 ad campaign by KFC Japan, fried chicken has become a popular Christmas meal, with many families still following this tradition today. Due to high demand, pre-ordering is necessary, and some may even wait in long lines on Christmas Day for a bucket of boneless wings. In Japan, Christmas is mainly a secular novelty holiday, marked by dazzling Christmas light displays in Tokyo and the exchange of gifts among families.

Germany
In Germany, St. Nicholas travels on a donkey to deliver treats to children on Nikolaus Tag (December 6th), leaving goodies in their shoes. His devilish counterpart, Farmhand Rupert, accompanies him, wearing dark clothing with bells and carrying a stick for naughty children. Germany is home to renowned Christmas markets with billions of lights, gift shopping, live entertainment, and glühwein (hot mulled wine) for adults.