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U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks with reporters before entering the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 13, 2025. — Reuters
WASHINGTON: The United States announced on Friday the removal of extensive economic sanctions on Syria, representing a significant shift in policy following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. This decision paves the way for new investments in the war-torn nation.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, “Syria must continue on the path toward peace and stability. Today’s actions aim to steer the country towards a bright, prosperous, and stable future.”
This move formalizes a decision that President Donald Trump proclaimed last week.
While on a tour of the Middle East, Trump made a surprising announcement regarding the removal of what he termed the “brutal and crippling” sanctions from Assad’s era, responding to requests from Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Under this sanctions relief, Syria’s new government must meet specific conditions, including refraining from providing safe havens for terrorist groups and ensuring the safety of religious and ethnic minorities, according to the Treasury.
In parallel, the State Department issued a waiver allowing foreign partners and allies to engage in Syria’s reconstruction, thus permitting businesses to operate within the country.
This authorization covers new investments, financial services, and transactions involving Syrian oil products. It also allows interactions with Syria’s new government and some previously restricted entities.
The U.S. had previously enforced strict financial transaction limits on Syria throughout the country’s 14-year civil war, making it clear that sanctions would remain against anyone involved in reconstruction efforts as long as Assad was in power.
Following the Islamist-led campaign that ousted Assad last year, Syria’s new administration is eager to rebuild its relations with Western countries and lift the harsh sanctions.
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The inevitable change away from Google Assistant has been announced. Google confirmed that users will transition to Gemini as their primary AI assistant on devices in the upcoming months, meaning Google Assistant will no longer be accessible.
Currently, users can still set Google Assistant as the default assistant on Android phones, even on newer models that launch with Gemini pre-installed. This transition will also encompass smartwatches, Android Auto, tablets, smart home technology, TVs, and audio devices.
“We’re also introducing a revamped experience powered by Gemini for home devices such as speakers, displays, and televisions,” says Google. However, they have not specified when this transition will fully take place. Following the switch, Google Assistant will be phased out from various devices and removed from app stores.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
Gemini can already interact with numerous Google apps and several third-party applications. Users can request tasks across different services without having to navigate through individual apps. Beyond Google’s offerings like Docs, Drive, and Gmail, Gemini can also operate tasks in applications like WhatsApp and Spotify, as well as a number of Samsung apps.
Which devices are transitioning to Gemini?
Gemini will support most features that users currently enjoy with Google Assistant. Core functions like managing smart home devices, accessing the assistant from the lock screen, setting routines, song identification, and messaging will also be available with Gemini.
Digital Trends
Many of these features have been refined in Gemini to deliver an upgraded experience. For instance, it excels in handling reminders, managing events, and processing inquiries related to Google Maps, Google Drive, and YouTube videos, while also being aware of on-screen context.
Here’s a general list of device compatibility for those set to upgrade to Gemini in the coming months:
Devices with a minimum of 2 GB RAM.
Android version 10 or higher.
iPhones running iOS 16 or newer.
The virtual assistant on your headphones will align with the version installed on your phone, except for budget-friendly Android Go devices, which provide a simplified Google experience. Since no new Android Go phones have been released recently, it’s understandable that Gemini will not be moving forward with these models.
What changes come with Gemini?
Starting with the activation word, there’s no need for concern; the familiar “Hey Google” prompt will continue to serve as the hotword to evoke Gemini, just like it did for Google Assistant. For devices not yet upgraded, using “Hey Google” will still summon Google Assistant without any limitations.
To make the transition as smooth as possible, especially regarding familiarity, Google will carry over certain user data from Google Assistant to Gemini. Assuming all necessary on-device permissions have been granted, Gemini will automatically have access to user information related to calls and messages.
“We will utilize some preferences and history from Google Assistant when we transition your device to Gemini,” states Google in a support document. Thankfully, users will not encounter any functional limitations. In the upcoming months, Gemini will also review your search history to provide more personalized responses. Eventually, it will be able to engage with Photos as well.
What makes this a superior option?
Gemini is a substantial upgrade over Google Assistant in terms of technological foundation. Whereas Google Assistant was primarily an AI built on natural language understanding, Gemini is designed as a natural language chatbot capable of sophisticated reasoning and comprehension.
Unlike Google Assistant, Gemini operates more like a knowledge repository trained on a vast range of information, allowing it to function offline for many tasks. It can engage in free-flowing conversations across multiple languages, but its true strength lies in its ability to interpret various input forms.
For instance, by uploading a PDF, Gemini can analyze and summarize the content for you. It can process images, text, audio, and even live video in a technically defined process known as multimodal processing. Furthermore, Gemini has capabilities for generating images.
In terms of problem-solving abilities, Gemini can tackle complex questions related to science, mathematics, and coding—areas where Google Assistant falls short. In the forthcoming months, with the introduction of Project Astra, Gemini will be able to interpret the real world through camera input in real time.
Beyond these features, there are several other capabilities that far exceed those of Google Assistant. For example, the newly available Deep Research tool can conduct extensive web research and generate comprehensive reports in just minutes, a task that typically demands hours of searching and compiling information.
Additionally, there are Gems, custom user-created versions of the Gemini assistant tailored for specific tasks. Anyone can create these Gems without needing coding skills, using only natural language instructions. Previously restricted to paying users, these features have been made freely available to all users as of March this year.
Another significant advantage of Gemini is its diverse format options, each suited for specific capabilities. Unlike Google Assistant's more rigid approach, Gemini allows users to select models based on the nature of the tasks they wish to complete.
For instance, if a user needs assistance with tasks based on a lengthy book they've uploaded, the “Pro” model is ideal. Alternatively, the “Flash” model offers quick and efficient responses for everyday assistant tasks.
In summary, Gemini represents a monumental leap forward from Google Assistant, both in versatility and functionality. If you own an advanced smartphone capable of running the Gemini Nano model, the assistant will manage tasks such as real-time translation without requiring an internet connection.
