What is the current zodiac year? Where did Beyoncé perform her first concert in four years? And what caused Pakistan’s nationwide power outage? (12 questions)

For her first full concert since 2018, Beyoncé performed for invited journalists and influencers at the new Atlantis – The Royal Resort in Dubai on Jan. 21, 2023. The set included 19 songs and a duet with her oldest daughter, 11-year-old Blue Ivy, “Brown Skin Girl.” There were similar live debuts for songs from “The Lion King” soundtrack album, but no songs from her Grammy-nominated “Renaissance” album from 2022.

The Chinese zodiac names each year after one of its 12 signs; this year is the Rabbit year. Despite being China’s biggest annual holiday, Lunar New Year celebrations have been muted for the past three years due to the pandemic. Jan. 22, 2023, marked the first time in three years that people could finally get back to their hometowns to see their families after the Chinese government lifted its strict “zero-COVID” policy.

As a government energy-saving measure backfired, Pakistan went without power for several hours on Jan. 23, 2023. During low usage hours overnight, the government turned off electricity to conserve fuel. As a result, schools, hospitals, factories, and shops were out of power or water during the brutal winter weather. Activist group NetBlocks.org says the power outage has also significantly reduced Pakistan’s internet access.

According to a New York Times Jan. 20, 2023, article, the founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin have re-engaged with the company to help with its AI strategy. Google has been worried about ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, as it could potentially disrupt its search business. According to a slide presentation reviewed by the New York Times, the search giant plans to debut more than 20 new AI products and showcase a version of its search engine with chatbot features in 2023.

Are layoffs part of Google’s strategy for 2023?

Alphabet (Google’s parent company) cut 12,000 jobs in Jan. 2023. In a memo on Jan. 20, 2023, Sundar Pichai, Alphabet’s CEO, said that the layoffs ensure that “our people and roles are aligned with our highest priorities.”

While TikTok is owned by the Chinese parent company, ByteDance, Shou Zi Chew, the CEO, is a Singapore-based tech finance executive.

Why does it matter?

Concerns about the app’s ties to China and potential harm to kids have led to calls for a ban in the United States and Europe. The company defended itself against critics in 2020 by pointing out it had an “American CEO,” Kevin Mayer, a Disney exec. By pointing out that a Singaporean CEO leads TikTok, TikTok once again distanced itself from ByteDance in a letter to US lawmakers in June 2022.

In a coordinated effort by the West to help Kyiv break combat deadlocks as Russia’s invasion reaches its 12th month, Germany and the United States are sending battle tanks to Ukraine. France, the UK, the US, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden agreed on Jan. 25, 2023, to continue military support for Ukraine.

How many tanks is the West sending to Ukraine?

Despite previous persistent arguments from Washington that the tanks were too hard for Ukrainian troops to operate and maintain, the US will send 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine. The Germans have agreed to send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from their stocks. Other European allies have agreed to provide enough tanks to equip two Ukrainian battalions with 62 tanks. Eight M88 recovery vehicles are also included in the $400 million package. There’s no word on when the tanks will arrive in Ukraine or when they’ll hit the battlefield.

M&M announced on Jan. 23, 2023, that they would take “an indefinite pause” from their “spokescandies” as they felt they were too divisive for a polarized country. Maya Rudolph is the new spokesperson for the brand.

How are the cartoon candies divisive?

Recently, M&M changed its characters’ shoes, replacing their green M&M heels with flats and swapping their brown M&M stilettos for smaller, more comfortable ones. Mars Wrigley also introduced a purple M&M in Sept. 2022, “celebrating women across the country who are flipping the status quo,” and figures on the right criticized it as “Woke M&M’s.”

The antisemitic comments Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, made could lead to him being denied a visa to Australia. On Jan. 24, 2023, Australia’s Education Minister Jason Clare said Ye would have to go through the same process as others who’ve expressed antisemitic views. A decision on whether Ye gets an Australian visa will come from Immigration Minister Andrew Giles. Opposition leader Peter Dutton said he’d bar Ye on character grounds.

Why Would Ye want to enter Australia?

In January 2023, Ye married Australian Yeezy employee Bianca Censori less than two months after finalizing the divorce from Kim Kardashian. In February, the newlyweds plan to visit her family in Melbourne.

Paris Hilton and her husband, Carter Reum, have welcomed a baby boy via surrogate. The newborn is Hilton’s first child, while Reum shares a 10-year-old daughter with reality star Laura Bellizzi. The announcement surprised many fans, as Hilton did not appear pregnant when she starred in a Miley Cyrus New Year’s Eve special on NBC at the end of 2022. In December 2022, Hilton told E! News that she and Reum had wanted to enjoy their first year of marriage and “were always planning on 2023” to expand their family.

How did Paris Hilton announce her first baby?

On Jan. 25, 2023, Paris Hilton posted a photo on Instagram of her holding her baby boy’s tiny hand with the caption, “You are already loved beyond words,” and a blue heart emoji. She did not say when her baby was born or provide further details, including a name.

“Air” is Ben Affleck’s 2023 directorial effort about Nike’s partnership with Michael Jordan and the birth of the Air Jordan brand. Ben Affleck plays Nike co-founder Phil Knight in the movie, which hits the theaters on April 5, 2023, before heading to Prime Video. The movie is a collaboration between Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, and Mandalay Pictures.

30,000 Swarovski crystals and red body paint adorned Doja Cat’s head-to-toe look at Schiaparelli’s Couture Spring-Summer 2023 runway show in Paris on Jan. 23, 2023. The show was inspired by Dante’s “Inferno” and the nine circles of hell. It took almost five hours to complete this look.

The lion head gown Kylie Jenner wore at Schiaparelli Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2023 in Paris was custom-designed by the fashion house’s creative director, Daniel Roseberry. Naomi Campbell and Irina Shayk walked the runway in similar animal head gowns. Schiaparelli said on Instagram that the gown was made of foam, wool, and faux silk fur and hand-painted to look as life-like as possible. In addition, the brand said, “NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED.”