FAKE NEWS
What is it?
Completely made-up stories presented as news and made to go viral, often for politically motivated reasons or commercial gain stories are 70 percent more likely to be retweeted because they are usually more eye-catching than the truth. Some people spread fake news deliberately while others do it without realising. The Internet is awash with information that cannot be trusted. The smartphone generation is bombarded with such information practically on a daily basis and they're growing up alarmingly misinformed.
How do you know what you're reading is accurate?
Don't take a story at face value-step back and ask yourself these questions:
Does the story come from a reputable source? Has this website always shown a clear commitment to newsworthy stories based on fact? Alternatively, is this an article put out knowingly by an organisation that has an agenda - an agenda to manipulate the media because of a political or commercial motive?
Does the photo or video look normal? If it looks slightly odd, it may have been tampered with to distort the truth and mislead people into believing something that never actually happened.
Is this story likely to be true? There are different ways in which a story can be inaccurate or misleading. Start from your gut feeling, trust your instincts - does it sound believable? American woman adopts alien baby is clearly fake news. But how about the lottery winner? Would he really carry 5 million euros in cash on a bus? Then there's the story of a person bursting into flames. Unbelievable, right? Not exactly - you can check the accuracy of this story by searching online where you find out that fires in operating theatres are remarkably common! In fact, the third story is the only true story.
(Adapt from English Discovery 12)

Trump wins the White House
Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, making a historic comeback after his loss four years ago. This return is especially remarkable given his refusal to accept defeat in 2020, his role in the Capitol insurrection, and his survival of two assassination attempts. Trump won after securing Wisconsin, which pushed him past the 270 electoral votes needed for the presidency.
Trump’s victory highlights his aggressive, direct style. Throughout his campaign, he often attacked his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, with personal, sometimes harsh and racially charged remarks. He painted a dark picture of the country, saying it was threatened by violent migrants and unsafe communities. His bold, hypermasculine image appealed to a large group of frustrated voters—particularly men—showing just how divided the nation remains.
In Florida, Trump addressed his cheering supporters, saying, “I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president.” His supporters celebrated, even as the final results were still coming in.
In state after state, Trump performed better than he did in 2020, while Harris couldn’t recreate the strong support Joe Biden had four years earlier. When Trump takes office, he’ll have a Republican-controlled Senate behind him, though the House of Representatives’ control is still uncertain. With this political setup, Trump’s return to the White House could bring a new, unfiltered approach to governance in an America that remains deeply divided.
( Adapted from https://apnews.com/article/election-day-trump-harris-white-house.)

CHAT GPT
The next online revolution began with the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT on November 30th. ChatGPT is unique because it allows users to have a conversation with AI, responding in clear, well-structured sentences to nearly any question or request. For instance, if you want a 300-word description of a movie star in Shakespearean style, ChatGPT can deliver it. The chatbot spread rapidly across social media, with analysts calling it a “game changer” in online interactions. Shortly after, on February 6th, Google launched its own AI chatbot, Bard, sparking a competition between Google and Microsoft to lead the future of search technology.
The sudden popularity of these chatbots has led to important questions about their effects on education and work. Educators worry that traditional homework may become obsolete, as students now have tools like chatbots to instantly produce well-written essays and responses. Many workers are also concerned, fearing that AI could replace roles across industries, from customer service to content creation. When Microsoft added ChatGPT to its Bing search engine, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella described this shift as “a new day in search.”
Meanwhile, Google has been trying to calm people’s fears about AI’s potential threats, emphasizing its benefits. The company stated that AI can help users better understand information and access the core of what they’re looking for with greater efficiency. Google sees AI as a way to make finding information faster and easier, enabling people to accomplish tasks more effectively.
As the Google-Microsoft rivalry unfolds, these AI-driven tools are expected to reshape online search and interactions, marking the start of a new era in the digital world. This revolution could redefine how we search, learn, and work, bringing both excitement and uncertainty about the future of AI technology in everyday life.
(https://breakingnewsenglish.com/)