Category: Blogs

At least six Palestinians have been killed and 35 injured by Israeli security forces after they launched a major operation in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry says. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s military, police and Shin Bet security service had launched an “extensive and significant” operation to “defeat terrorism” in Jenin. Palestinian media said Israeli military vehicles moved into Jenin and its refugee camp on Tuesday morning following several drone strikes. It comes after a weeks-long operation by Palestinian security forces against armed groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which they see as a challenge to their authority. A statement from Israel’s prime minister said the operation was an “additional step in achieving the objective we have set: bolstering security” in the West Bank. “We are acting methodically and with determination against the Iranian axis wherever it reaches: in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and [the West Bank] – and we are still active,” he added. An Israeli military statement said the operation was called “Iron Wall” and that it would continue “as long as necessary”. Jenin’s governor, Kamal Abu al-Rub, told AFP news agency that “what is happening is an invasion of the camp”. “It came quickly, Apache [helicopters] in the sky and Israeli military vehicles everywhere,” he added. There has been a spike in violence in the West Bank since Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and the ensuing war in Gaza. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed as Israeli forces have intensified their raids, saying they are trying to stem deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis in the West Bank and Israel. Israel has built about 160 settlements housing some 700,000 Jews since it occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this. Source link

AFP Australia’s federal police have said they are investigating whether “overseas actors or individuals” are paying criminals to carry out antisemitic crimes in the country. There has been a spate of such incidents in recent months, the latest of which saw a childcare centre in Sydney set alight and sprayed with anti-Jewish graffiti. No-one was injured. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called a snap cabinet meeting in response, where officials agreed to set up a national database to track antisemitic incidents. Thus far, the federal police taskforce, set up in December to investigate such incidents, received more than 166 reports of antisemitic crimes. “We are looking into whether overseas actors or individuals have paid local criminals in Australia to carry out some of these crimes in our suburbs,” Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Reece Kershaw said, adding that it was possible that cryptocurrency was involved. The digital currency can take longer to identify, Mr Kershaw said. The commissioner said police were also investigating whether young people were carrying out these crimes and whether they had been radicalised online. However, Mr Kershaw cautioned, “intelligence is not the same as evidence” and more charges were expected soon. Last week, a man from Sydney became the first person to be charged by the federal taskforce, dubbed Special Operation Avalite, over alleged death threats he made towards a Jewish organisation. Albanese said Tuesday’s incident at a childcare centre in the eastern Sydney suburb of Maroubra was “as cowardly as it is disgusting” and described it as a “hate crime”. “This was an attack targeted at the Jewish community. And it is a crime that concerns us all because it is also an attack on the nation and society we have built together,” he wrote on social media. Getty Images Melbourne’s Addas Israel synagogue was set alight in December while people were inside The Jewish Council of Australia, which was set up last year in opposition to antisemitism, said that it “strongly condemns” this and all such incidents. “These acts underscore the urgent need for cooperation, education and community dialogue to combat prejudice and promote understanding,” it said in a statement. Most of the recent incidents have taken place in Sydney and have involved antisemitic graffiti, arson and vandalism of buildings including synagogues. New South Wales has set up its own state-level taskforce to address these incidents and 36 people been charged so far with antisemtic related offences. A further 70 arrests have been made for similar crimes in the neighbouring state of Victoria, where a synagogue was set on fire last month. Source link

Rival fans used to mock Palmeiras’ academy, singing that they had never won the Copa Sao Paulo, Brazil’s premier youth competition. Those times are long gone. Not only have Palmeiras won the ‘Copinha’, as the tournament is affectionately known, twice (2022 and 2023), but they have also established themselves as the hottest talent factory in Brazilian football. Over the past few years, the Sao Paulo-based giants have produced and sold stars such as Chelsea-bound Estevao Willian (£29m), Real Madrid’s Endrick (£28.5m), West Ham’s Luiz Guilherme (£25.5m), Nottingham Forest’s Danilo (£16m), and Shakhtar Donetsk’s Kevin (£8m, all fees including add-ons). They have all helped Palmeiras cement their status as the most successful Brazilian team of the past decade while generating massive revenue. And the next one to come out of their prolific factory is Vitor Reis, who has signed for Manchester City in a £29.6m deal. Palmeiras had hoped for the 19-year-old to stay until this summer’s Club World Cup, but City insisted on bringing him in immediately. City’s incoming director of football, Hugo Viana, played a key role in this deal, making a call to Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira, who is also Portuguese and a great friend of his, to find out more about Reis. Despite making only 22 appearances for Palmeiras since his senior debut in June, he is ready for the Premier League, City believe. It comes as no surprise to the Brazilians. He’s been described within the club as an “ET” – players they consider to be out of this world and way better than the others. “Last year, the players from the ‘Copinha’ who broke into the first team were Estevao and Vitor Reis. But don’t ask me for those ETs again this season, all right? Now we get the normal ones,” Palmeiras’ head of academy Joao Paulo Sampaio joked when asked earlier this month about the next ones in line. Such is Reis’ composure on the pitch that a pundit from the local network SporTV said this week that he seems to have “60 years of experience in football”. “I believe he will have no trouble adapting to the City system because here in the youth teams he was always exposed to playing under risk, having to be involved in the build-up play while also defending efficiently, even in one-on-one situations,” Palmeiras’ under-20 coach Lucas Andrade told BBC Sport. “City work with small squads, so he could gain minutes and be very useful in the season right from the start due to all the maturity and readiness he has to play.” Source link

Komatsu, who became team principal before the 2024 season, said he had wanted to change the race operations team since the early part of last year after spotting weaknesses. Haas’ changes include appointing a new chief race engineer and sporting director, both common positions the low-budget team did not have filled last season. The new chief race engineer is Francesco Nenci, who most recently worked at Audi’s Dakar Rally programme, and has F1 experience with Sauber and Toyota. Mark Lowe, previously Haas’ operations team manager, will be sporting director. “I felt the trackside team was one of the weakest areas last year, and the more the car became competitive that exposed it more,” Komatsu said. “Towards the end of the year we had the fifth-fastest car. But in terms of execution, we should have finished P6 [in the constructors’ championship] but we didn’t. “Part of it was we left too many points on the table from the trackside operation. So really needed a step-up.” Cridelich, from France, follows other female strategy leaders, including Hannah Schmitz, the principal strategy engineer at Red Bull. Ruth Buscombe and Bernie Collins, who previously worked at Sauber and Aston Martin, have both since moved on to broadcasting careers. Haas have a unique structure in that their in-house operations are pared back as much as possible through their partnership with Ferrari. Haas uses Ferrari’s wind tunnel, has their design team in Italy at Maranello and buys virtually all the parts from Ferrari permitted in the rules for their car, designing only the aerodynamic surfaces and chassis. Their headquarters are in Kannapolis, North Carolina, but the race team runs out of a modest factory in Banbury, Oxfordshire. Komatsu said this would be the first year that Haas would have sufficient budget to reach F1’s budget cap. A further change in approach is that they would not be using Ferrari’s latest redesigned front suspension, preferring to stick with last year’s design for consistency of aerodynamic research. Haas finished seventh overall last year, ahead of Racing Bulls, Williams and Sauber, and Komatsu said his sights were “set on consistency”. “In history with Haas across the years, I don’t think we have been competitive across the seasons in a similar manner,” he said. He added that he had ambitions to further improve a team he said was “punching above its weight” for its limited resources. “Who [else] only has 300 people or operates out of this kind of building?” Komatsu said. “If Williams operated to their potential, there is no way we could be beating them. I want to get to a place where we can beat those sorts of people on merit without people screwing up.” Source link

Getty Images The fire is thought to have started in the hotel’s restaurant area A fire at a hotel in the Turkish ski resort of Bolu has left 10 people dead and 32 others injured, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. At least two of the victims died after jumping from the hotel’s windows, Turkish reports said. The fire broke out at the 12-storey Grand Kartal Hotel at 03:27 local time (00:27 GMT) during a busy holiday period when 234 people were staying there, he added. Footage circulating in Turkey showed linen hanging from windows which was used by those trying to escape the burning building. Bolu governor Abdulaziz Aydin said initial reports suggested the fire had broken out in the restaurant section of the hotel’s fourth floor and spread to the floors above. The hotel was investigating whether guests had been trapped in their rooms as the fire spread. The governor told reporters the distance between the hotel, in Kartalkaya, and the centre of Bolu, paired with the freezing weather conditions, meant it took more than an hour for fire engines to arrive. Rescue efforts continued through the morning, and the interior minister said emergency services had deployed 267 people to respond to the fire. By mid-morning the local mayor said they were still trying to reach parts of the hotel. Deadly fire at Turkey ski resort hotel Getty Images The Bolu mountains are popular with skiers from Istanbul and the capital Ankara and the hotel was operating at high occupancy at the start of two-week school holidays. The north-western town is about 170km (105 miles) from Ankara. Although the fire was confined to one hotel, the governor told Turkish media that a neighbouring hotel was evacuated as a precaution. Ski instructor Necmi Kepcetutan told Turkish TV he had managed to escape because he knew the hotel, while guests who did not know it as well as him were not as fortunate. “People were shouting at the windows, ‘Save us,’ because there was intense smoke inside. We pulled 20-25 people out,” he told NTV. The circumstances that led to the fire are not yet clear. Justice minister Yilmaz Tunc said prosecutors had been allocated to investigate the blaze. Source link

Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, pace bowlers Brydon Carse and Saqib Mahmood, as well as leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed are the players to miss out on a place in McCullum’s first XI. Duckett’s promotion means England return to the opening partnership used in the ODI series against Australia in September. Duckett missed the white-ball tour to West Indies in November because of his Test commitments and Salt opened with Surrey batter Will Jacks, who was left out of the squad to tour India. Salt will continue to keep wicket against India with captain Jos Buttler leading from the field. Gus Atkinson has been selected for his first white-ball matches since 2023 on the back of a stellar debut year in Test cricket where he took 52 wickets in 11 matches in 2024. He has previously played three T20s and nine ODIs. Spin-bowling all-rounder Jacob Bethell also retains his place after a breakthrough winter. He impressed in the under-strength England side on his debut tour of West Indies and then scored fifties in each of his first three Tests in New Zealand before Christmas. “All credit to him [Bethell],” Buttler said. “He has done incredibly well coming into international cricket. “He has a good head on his shoulders and has the game for it. “It was fantastic to watch him in New Zealand. He has been playing really well and this is a new challenge for him and one I know he is excited for.” McCullum’s arrival comes as England begin preparations for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan next month. The next T20 World Cup is also in India and Sri Lanka next year. “It is not a new set up because Baz [McCullum] has been around for a while and there are a lot of players in this squad that have been with him the Test set up,” added Buttler. “I am looking forward to building that relationship. It is going to be a great series against a really top side in their own conditions.” India are the current T20 world champions but have named a youthful squad for the T20 series. Experienced fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is injured and will miss the series. Source link

The search is on to find the Gruffalo after police said the character was among nine wooden statues stolen from a park in Greater Manchester. The figures were taken from Clifton Country Park in Salford at some stage overnight between Thursday and Friday. Police have appealed for anyone with CCTV footage from the area to come forward and are also searching for a vehicle described as entering the park’s parking area at about 16:00 GMT on Thursday. Inspired by words from The Gruffalo, officers posted on Facebook: “He has two large, curved horns on the top of his head, his eyes are orange, and his tongue is black, he has a poisonous wart on the end of his nose and bright purple prickles on his back BUT WHERE IS HE?” Source link

Getty Images Pauline Quirke’s husband said she now “just wants to spend time with her family” Pauline Quirke, famous for starring in TV sitcom Birds of a Feather, has retired from acting following a dementia diagnosis, her husband has said. “It is with a heavy heart that I announce my wife Pauline’s decision to step back from all professional and commercial duties due to her diagnosis of dementia in 2021,” Steve Sheen said. Her diagnosis was not made public at the time. “Pauline has been an inspiration through her work in the film and TV industry, her charity endeavours and as the founder of the very successful Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA),” Mr Sheen added. Birds of a Feather: Pauline Quirke as Sharon Theodopolopodous, Lesley Joseph as Dorien Green and Linda Robson as Tracey Stubbs Mr Sheen praised his wife’s “talent, dedication, and vision”. He said her drama academy had “touched countless lives and will continue to do so through the legacy of her work and through PQA where her vision and guidance has facilitated many young peoples’ progression and interest in the arts and enhanced their self-confidence”. Quirke was best-known as an actress for her role as Sharon Theodopolopodous on the long-running sitcom Birds of a Feather, winning a British Comedy Award in 1990 for the role. It ran from 1989 to 1998 on BBC One, and then on ITV from 2014 to 2020. The series followed the lives of sisters Tracey and Sharon, played by Linda Robson and Quirke, who have to fend for themselves after their husbands are arrested for armed robbery. Quirke and Robson met as children at drama school in north London. The pair first worked together in BBC comedy drama Shine On Harvey Moon, set in London’s post-war East End, from 1982 to 1985. In 1997, Quirke was nominated for a Bafta award for playing convicted murderer Olive Martin in BBC drama The Sculptress, based on Minette Walters’ psychological thriller novel. She also received four National Television Awards nominations – three for Birds of a Feather and one for BBC drama series Down to Earth in 2002. Quirke also starred in BBC detective drama Maisie Raine from 1998 to 1999, appeared in ITV’s Broadchurch, and played Hazel Rhodes in Emmerdale from 2010 to 2012. PA Media Quirke received her MBE from the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle in 2023 In 2022, Quirke was made an MBE for services to the entertainment industry, young people, and charities. PQA has about 250 academies and more than 15,000 students across the UK, and will “continue to operate as normal in accordance with Pauline’s ideology”, Mr Sheen said. He requested privacy and understanding for his wife and her family, saying they would not be making further statements. “Pauline just wants to spend time with her family, children and grandchildren,” he added. Alzheimer’s Research UK/PA Media Pauline Quirke with her husband Steve Sheen have pledged future support for Alzheimer’s Research UK Quirke and Mr Sheen married in 1996, and they have “pledged future support” for Alzheimer’s Research UK to help raise funds for research and awareness, the charity said. Hilary Evans-Newton, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said they were “saddened” to hear about the actress’s diagnosis. “The family should be praised for making the brave decision to make her diagnosis public, which will not only provide more freedom for them, but also raise such vital awareness of the condition,” she said. Dementia UK CEO and Chief Admiral Nurse Dr Hilda Hayo added: “By choosing to speak publicly about her condition, Pauline will raise vital awareness for young onset dementia. “We hope this will encourage others to seek support if they are concerned about their brain health.” Mr Sheen also praised late actress Dame Barbara Windsor’s husband Scott Mitchell for his work with the charity following her dementia diagnosis. Source link

By KIM BELLARD Gosh, who knew that Jan 13 would be an AI day, with at least three major announcements about “blueprints” for its development going forward? Of course, these days every day is an AI day; trying to take in all AI-related news can be overwhelming. But before some other AI news drowns them out, I wanted to at least outline today’s announcements. The three I’m referring to are the Biden Administration’s Interim Final Rule on Artificial Intelligence Diffusion, OpenAI’s Economic Blueprint, and the UK’s AI-driven Plan for Change.   The Biden Administration’s rules aim to preserve America’s lead in AI, stating: “it is essential that we do not offshore this critical technology and that the world’s AI runs on American rails.” It establishes who advanced chips can be sold to and how they can be used in other countries, with no restrictions on 18 key allies and partners. It also sets limits on model weights for AI models, seeking to constrain non-preferred entities’ ability to train advanced AI models. “The U.S. leads the world in AI now, both AI development and AI chip design, and it’s critical that we keep it that way,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a briefing with reporters ahead of Monday’s announcement Not everyone is happy. The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation blasted the rule, claiming it would hamper America’s competitiveness.  Vice President Daniel Castro warned: “By pressuring other nations to choose between the United States and China, the administration risks alienating key partners and inadvertently strengthening China’s position in the global AI ecosystem.” Similarly, Nvidia, which makes most of those advanced AI chips, expressed its opposition in a statement from Ned Finkle, vice president of government affairs, claiming the rule “threatens to derail innovation and economic growth worldwide.” He explicitly contrasts how the first Trump Administration (and, one assumes, the next Trump Administration) sought to foster “an environment where U.S. industry could compete and win on merit without compromising national security.”   Not to be outdone, Ken Glueck, Executive Vice President, Oracle, says the rule “will go down as one of the most destructive to ever hit the U.S. technology industry,” and “we are likely handing most of the global AI and GPU market to our Chinese competitors.” It will be interesting to see what the Trump Administration does with the Rule. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s economic blueprint believes “America needs to act now to maximize the technology’s possibilities while minimizing its harms…to ensure that AI’s benefits are shared responsibly and equitably.” Its goals are to: Continue the country’s global leadership in innovation while protecting national security Make sure we get it right in AI access and benefits from the start Maximize the economic opportunity of AI for communities across the country. It sees “infrastructure as destiny,” with investment in AI infrastructure “an unmissable opportunity to catalyze a reindustrialization of the US.” It wants to ensure that “an estimated $175 billion sitting in global funds awaiting investment in AI projects” get invested here rather than in China. OpenAI does want “common-sense rules” that promote “free and fair competition” while allowing “developers and users to work with and direct our tools as they see fit” under those rules. And, of course, all this while “Preventing government use of AI tools to amass power and control their citizens, or to threaten or coerce other states.” It particularly wants to avoid a “patchwork of state-by-state regulations” The company is planning an event in Washington D.C. on January 30 with CEO Sam Altman “to preview the state of AI advancement and how it can drive economic growth.”  I’ll bet Mr. Altman is hoping he gets plenty of Trump Administration officials, although probably not Elon Musk. Last but not least, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has endorsed an ambitious set of AI recommendations, wanting to turbocharge the economy by turning the UK into an AI superpower. Mr. Starmer vowed: But the AI industry needs a government that is on their side, one that won’t sit back and let opportunities slip through its fingers. And in a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand by. We must move fast and take action to win the global race. Our plan will make Britain the world leader. It will give the industry the foundation it needs and will turbocharge the Plan for Change. That means more jobs and investment in the UK, more money in people’s pockets, and transformed public services. There are three key elements: First, “laying the foundations for AI to flourish in the UK,” including AI Economic Growth Zones and  a new supercomputer. Second, “boosting adoption across public and private sectors,” such as through a new digital government center that “will revolutionise how AI is used in the public sector to improve citizens lives and make government more efficient.” Third, “keeping us ahead of the pack,” with a new team that “will use the heft of the state to make the UK the best place for business.” It will do so while also charting its own course on regulation. “I know there are different approaches (to AI regulation) around the world but we are now in control of our regulatory regime so we will go our own way on this,” the PM said. “We will test and understand AI before we regulate it to make sure that when we do it, it’s proportionate and grounded.” Chris Lehane, Chief Global Affairs Officer at OpenAI, praised the plan: “The government’s AI action plan – led by the Prime Minister and Secretary Peter Kyle – recognises where AI development is headed and sets the UK on the right path to benefit from its growth:” All nice words, but lots left unsaid. As Gaia Marcus of the Ada Lovelace Institute pointed out: “Just as the government is investing heavily in realising the opportunities presented by AI, it must also invest in responding to AI’s negative impacts now and in the future.” ———– These things are true: AI is going to play a major role

“The greater part of human pain is unnecessary. It is self-created as long as the unobserved mind runs your life.” ~Eckhart Tolle “Holy shirtballs!” I yelped and leapt out of the ice-cold water stream, gasping for air. There I was in an Argentina hotel at 5:30 a.m., bleary-eyed and sleep-deprived, with no chances of hot water and a back that felt like the surface of the sun. I had gotten the worst sunburn of my LIFE the day before from laying on my belly, deeply absorbed in my first self-help book. I couldn’t believe that other people out there were like me, had huge ambitions, and wanted to develop themselves beyond societal boxes, too. I was so absorbed, in fact, that I forgot to put on ANY sunscreen. (Lesson learned!) When I packed my bags and left Argentina with a newfound sense of confidence and thrill—plus a killer tan—I vowed that I would use what I learned from that first book to change my life into exactly what I wanted. An epic relationship with a man who cherished me, freedom to start my own business, and finally getting in shape. And then, I touched down in my hometown, Buffalo. I was in college at the time, studying to be a Spanish teacher. Giving my family a squeeze, answering the good-natured questions they peppered, and looking out at the cold winter scene, I thought, “What was I thinking? Only uber-successful people can live that kind of life and set those kinds of goals. I’m just a girl from a small town with a successful future as a Spanish teacher. I already have so much. I can’t ask for more.” And thus began my years of self-torment, in which I lived a good life on paper but sabotaged the crap out of myself when I dared to dream bigger. When brave action was required to get in shape, push forward my career, or meet someone new, I found myself watching endless TV, shying away from the job posting, or saying no to a second date with a perfectly reasonable guy—all while my confidence and self-trust swirled down the drain. If you’ve also been there, shopping more after setting a goal to spend less money or ordering a pizza in week two of your new fitness plan, then you know that self-sabotage can be a frustrating habit that we may feel we’ll never kick. But there’s good news! Self-sabotage is actually the last action in a chain of predictable events. And these events happen to everyone. We can easily catch these precursors to self-sabotage ahead of time and deepen the richness of our pursuit towards our goals with the following three steps. 1. See imposter syndrome as EXCITING! Before we begin to dive into self-sabotage, we need to change our mindset around its precursors—the predictable events that lead up to self-sabotage. These precursors include: imposter syndrome overwhelm self-doubt analysis paralysis worry believing we’re not good enough These precursory experiences drive the behavior we take when we are acting from a place of “I can’t.” The new fitness plan, the next step in the relationship, or the promotion seem outside of our realm of control, and our brains immediately default to “I can’t handle this, so I can’t do this.” When we’re on the precipice of taking inspired action to lead our most fulfilling lives, we are taking a huge step outside of our comfort zones. Our brains, which have no evidence of success in this new arena and thus can’t adjust their blueprint to encompass it, will purposefully create these precursory thought patterns in order to get us to stop moving ahead. It sees anything outside of the comfort zone—including growth and fulfillment beyond where we are—as a psychological danger that it can’t account for. While we can’t stop our brains from trying to implement these safety measures, we can stop ourselves from buying into them. The change in mindset comes when we stop seeing the presence of these precursors as a bad sign or something to fix and instead see them as something EXCITING. I know you may be thinking, I HATE feeling overwhelmed or like I’m not good enough. It sucks! I don’t disagree that these are uncomfortable experiences. But I will say that these feelings are also evidence that you’re moving in the right direction. If you’re experiencing overwhelm, imposter syndrome, or self-doubt, it’s because the thing you’re considering doing is outside of your brain’s comfort zone. And because our purpose in life is to grow and evolve, and all growth and evolution takes place outside of our comfort zone… These behaviors only crop up when you’re about to do something BRAVE! Feeling like you’re not good enough is no longer evidence that you’re not good enough. It’s just evidence that you’re making a bold decision for yourself to truly live and grow instead of letting your brain stop you. You will likely always feel some precursor like overwhelm, self-doubt, feelings of not being good enough, comparisonitis, or imposter syndrome when you’re about to make a brave decision. When you can detach from the volatility of these precursors and come to understand that they are natural markers of exciting progress—not the end of the road but just a stop sign along the way—you can pivot from nervous self-sabotage to determined advancement. 2. Feel your feelings. All of us are guilty of modulating our emotions in ways we know don’t serve us. Maybe for you it’s scrolling through social media or going out with friends. It could be a glass of wine or an extra piece of chocolate cake. I always find myself drawn toward a Netflix comedy special when I’m overwhelmed. Or I just watch TV in general to take my mind off of what’s coming up. I want to stress that there’s nothing wrong with these behaviors in moderation. In fact, these pleasures are meant for us to enjoy in our time here on earth. But if we’re