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‘We no longer study.’ Gaza’s children lose out on school, as Israel’s war disrupts a year of education

Multicolored posters, white streamers and Palestinian flags made of paper decorate a tent in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. School rucksacks stuffed with clothes, small pillows and floral blankets are strewn on the floor.

More than a dozen girls and boys sit cross-legged inside a makeshift classroom along the coastal region. Their eyes dart across a large whiteboard as they recite after their teacher, Oula Al Ghoul, who gently encourages her students. The sound of Israeli drones buzzes overhead – a stark reminder of the fighting that has engulfed the strip for more than 11 months.

“Even the parents come and ask about their children’s progress in writing, asking if they are improving.”

But her initiative is the exception. As children across the Middle East begin the new semester, those in Gaza will be unable to return to school. The Israeli offensive launched after the Hamas-led October 7 attacks has spawned a humanitarian crisis and halted educational services in the besieged enclave.

At least 45,000 first-graders in the Gaza Strip will be unable to start the school year, according to the United Nations’ children’s agency, UNICEF.

“The first graders join 625,000 children who have already been denied an entire school year,” and face the prospect of a second missed year of education, the agency said.

Israel’s bombing campaign has destroyed 123 schools and universities in Gaza, according to the Government Media Office (GMO) there. At least 11,500 students and 750 teachers have been killed, the GMO reported on Monday.

Earlier this year, the UN accused Israeli forces of the “systematic obliteration” of the academic system in Gaza, citing independent experts, and called for the protection of schoolchildren. The IDF has said strikes on schools target Hamas militants and has previously insisted it take steps to minimize harm to civilians. Hamas has denied embedding fighters in civilian infrastructure.

“The war destroyed all my ambitions and there was nothing left.”

Israel launched its military offensive on October 7 after the militant group Hamas, which governs Gaza, attacked southern Israel. At least 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 others abducted, according to Israeli authorities.

‘No schools, no books, nothing’

Dozens of Palestinian boys in dusty shoes carry empty jerry cans at a school which has become an improvised displacement shelter in Deir al-Balah. The sun beats down on their faces as they queue to collect water aid for their families.

There’s no guarantee of safety for those sheltering in schools. At least 70% of schools run by UNRWA have been hit during the war – 95% of which were being used as shelters for displaced people – the agency reported on September 9.

On Wednesday, at least 18 people, including UNRWA staff, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a UN school-turned-shelter in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, according to the Gaza Civil Defense and hospital officials.

The IDF claimed the school “was used by Hamas terrorists to plan and execute terrorist attacks against IDF troops and the state of Israel.” UNRWA said that their employees were teachers. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described Israeli strikes on schools as “dramatic violations of international humanitarian law.”

“The students’ situation is tough; they need to be learning right now… Unfortunately, none of the students can write. There are no schools, no books, nothing,” said Mohammad Masoud, a teacher. “Instead of being in their classes or universities, students are either selling on the streets or trying to help their families by standing in line for water or food.”

Meanwhile, at least 19,000 children have been separated from their parents or caregivers, the UN reported in August.

‘They are literally wading through rubbish’

Further south, in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, children run barefoot through the littered streets, according to a relief worker in the sprawling coastal town.

Some search through mounds of waste  for items they can resell, said Liz Allcock, head of protection at the UK-based NGO Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).

“I’ve seen children with no shoes on, barefoot and amongst rubbish dumps that extend as far as the eye can see. They are literally wading through rubbish, plastic, all sorts of waste. It is a highly hazardous environment.”

Aid agencies say they are unable to offer adequate protection or refuge for children, citing aid restrictions, strikes on Israeli-designated humanitarian zones and repeated evacuation orders. In June, the UN added Israel’s military to a global list of offenders that have committed violations against children. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad were also added to the list, according to a diplomatic source.

“It’s a case of compounding vulnerabilities that are unlike any other place I have worked as a humanitarian,” said Allcock.

“The actions taken by the Israeli military that have resulted in this situation – the denial of adequate aid, the bombardment and airstrikes on civilians and humanitarian zones – is a violation of every kind of possible child right that is enshrined in international law.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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6 killed as heaviest rain in decades hits parts of central and eastern Europe

At least six people have died after some of the heaviest rain in years hit central and eastern Europe, causing flooding and widespread disruption.

A slow-moving low pressure system dubbed Storm Boris dumped a month’s worth of rain onto several of Europe’s historic capitals, including Vienna, Bratislava and Prague. The heavy rainfall continued to pummel the region into Sunday.

It comes after four people died in Romania, where the rainfall left hundreds stranded in flooded areas.

Rescue services have been launched in hard-hit counties as authorities warn that they have recorded the heaviest rainfall in 100 years over the past 24 hours.

Rivers have burst their banks in Poland and the Czech Republic. In southwest Poland, 1,600 people were evacuated in Klodzko county as local rivers reached record high water levels and broke their banks. Klodzko, a town of 25,000, was left partially submerged in water on Sunday.

Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk told reporters Sunday: “We have the first confirmed death by drowning, here in the Klodzko County.”

“The situation is still very dramatic in many place,” he added. “Unfortunately, these situations are repeating themselves in many places… but some residents sometimes underestimate the level of threat and refuse to evacuate.”

Significant flooding is expected to continue in the Czech Republic, where authorities have ordered mandatory evacuations for some areas. Footage released by the Czech Republic Fire and Rescue Service showed flooded streets in the southern Benešově nad Černou municipality, where two women who didn’t follow evacuation orders had to be rescued by boat.

In Germany, southern and eastern states in particular are preparing for flooding. Flood warnings have been issued for rivers in the state of Saxony.

In neighboring Austria, heavy rainfall has caused water levels to rise in several rivers and rescue services have been called out to parts of the country. Many municipalities in Lower Austria have declared a state of emergency as heavy rainfall continued into Sunday.

Red alerts, the highest level of warning, have been issued for portions of Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia. This level of alert is associated with “intense meteorological phenomena” and “major damage is likely,” according to Meteoalarm.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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3 Americans in Congo sentenced to death after coup attempt

Three American citizens have been sentenced to death in Congo after being convicted on charges of participating in a coup attempt, with one telling a court that his father — who led the failed effort — ‘had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders.’ 

A lawyer representing 21-year-olds Marcel Malanga and Tyler Thompson Jr. and 36-year-old Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, is now planning to appeal the verdict following the botched attack orchestrated by Malanga’s father, Christian Malanga, in May that targeted the presidential palace and a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi. 

‘We have seen that a military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced a number of defendants, including U.S. citizens, to death for alleged involvement in the May 19th attacks against the government,’ State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Friday. ‘We understand that the legal process in the DRC allows for defendants to appeal the court’s decision. Embassy staff have been attending these proceedings … We’ll continue to attend the proceedings and follow the developments closely.’ 

When asked if he thought the court process was fair, Miller responded, ‘I don’t want to pass judgment on the proceedings so far, because we are still in the middle of the legal process.’ 

Six people were killed during the botched coup attempt, including Christian Malanga, who was fatally shot while resisting arrest soon after live-streaming the attack on his social media, the Congolese army said. 

Marcel Malanga, who is a U.S. citizen, told a court during the case that his father had forced him and his high school friend to take part in the attack, according to The Associated Press. 

‘Dad had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders,’ Marcel Malanga reportedly said. 

Other members of the ragtag militia recounted similar threats from the elder Malanga, and some described being duped into believing they were working for a volunteer organization, the AP adds. Marcel’s mother, Brittney Sawyer, maintains that her son is innocent and was simply following his father, who considered himself president of a shadow government in exile. 

Thompson Jr. flew to Africa from Utah with the younger Malanga for what his family believed was a free vacation, and Zalman-Polun is reported to have known Christian Malanga through a gold mining company. 

Thompson’s family says he had no knowledge of the elder Malanga’s intentions, no plans for political activism and didn’t even plan to enter Congo. He and the Malangas were meant to travel only to South Africa and Eswatini, his stepmother, Miranda Thompson, told the AP. 

‘We urge all who have supported Tyler and the family throughout this process to write to your congressmen and request their assistance in bringing him home,’ their lawyer in Utah, Skye Lazaro, said to the news agency, adding that the family is heartbroken over the verdict. 

Sen. Mike Lee and a spokesperson for Sen. Mitt Romney said they are both engaged with the State Department over the matter. 

In addition to the three Americans, a Briton, a Belgian and a Canadian were sentenced to death after being convicted of participating in the plot, along with 27 others. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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UK government accused of cracking down on free speech: ‘Think before you post’

Britain is facing a free speech crisis as the new left-wing government, overzealous police and courts crackdown on freedom of expression. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the leader of the ruling Labour Party, and his government of barely two months have been accused of rolling back free speech protections on safety grounds and failing to root out selective enforcement of laws.

‘Every Brit fundamentally has the right to free speech, but for several years now, we’ve seen a growing trend,’ Lois McLatchie Miller, Senior Legal Communications Officer for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) U.K., told Fox News Digital. ‘It’s only now becoming widely recognized that certain groups, depending on their beliefs, seem to have their free speech curtailed much more easily than others with different viewpoints.’

Widespread riots in the streets of England last month and a heavy-handed approach in response to the social unrest reignited the debate about free speech. 

The U.K. has been grappling with harsh policing of online speech for years. In 2019, ex-police officer Harry Miller was investigated over social media posts deemed transphobic for questioning whether transgender women were real women. Miller’s posts were recorded by the police as a ‘non-crime hate incident,’ prompting him to challenge the designation in court. In 2020, the U.K. court ruled in Miller’s favor but stopped short of changing the guidelines that allow police to pursue people over comments made online.

During a speech to parliament, Reform Party leader Nigel Farage complained of the double standards in applying the law evenly. Farage wrote on X ‘Establishment MPs can heckle me all they like, but the British people are angry that we are living through a two-tier policing and justice system.’

Last month, the government issued a direct reminder of such laws and warned its citizens to be mindful of posting content deemed offensive and threatening with imprisonment. The Crown Prosecution Service posted a warning to social media platform X, which was amplified by the government’s official social media accounts, warning citizens, ‘Think before you post!’

‘Content that incites violence or hatred isn’t just harmful – it can be illegal,’ the agency wrote. ‘The CPS takes online violence seriously and will prosecute when the legal test is met. Remind those close to you to share responsibly or face the consequences.’ The post added: ‘The British government is cracking down on people who share social media posts about the U.K. riots that it judges are ‘likely to start racial hatred.”

The government simultaneously began working on measures to force social media companies to suppress perceived ‘fake news’ and legal content deemed harmful, to avoid fueling social unrest. The new measures would expand the scope of Britain’s Online Safety Act by targeting and making social media companies liable for ‘legal but harmful’ content.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan encouraged the Stammer government to swiftly implement changes to the online safety law, saying that currently, ‘it’s not fit for purpose.’

‘I think very swiftly the government has realized there needs to be amendments to the Online Safety Act,’ Khan said in an interview with the Guardian. ‘I think what the government should do very quickly is check if it is fit for purpose. I think it’s not fit for purpose.’

But concerns over free speech in the U.K. extend beyond online, with double standards applied to different viewpoints and political protests.

‘This isn’t 1984, but 2024.’

Last weekend, two pro-Israel counter-protesters, Mark Birbeck and Niyak Ghorbani, carrying a ‘Hamas is terrorist’ sign, were arrested during the pro-Hamas march in London on suspicion of breach of peace. The counter-protesters’ presence allegedly led to the march being paused, and they were arrested following a struggle with police officers. 

Ghorbani is a well-known anti-Hamas Iranian dissident whom London’s Metropolitan Police tried to ban from attending future anti-Israel protests as part of his bail conditions after he was arrested for opposing the protests. A court rebuked the force and ruled in April that such bail conditions were neither proportionate nor necessary. The moniker ‘Two-tier Kier’ is how some on social media have responded to the new prime minister’s policies. 

‘On one hand, we see groups like environmental protesters, such as Stop Oil activists, or pro-Palestinian, and even in some cases, pro-Hamas protesters being given a wide berth to express their beliefs, sometimes using very violent language,’ Lois said. ‘Yet, when we consider different types of protests, for example, Christians going out to pray near places of worship, they often face much stricter restrictions.’

For example, Dia Moodley, a Christian pastor who occasionally engages in street evangelism, was forced to sue the local police after the force forbade him from ‘passing comments on any other religion or comparing them to Christianity’ and ‘passing comments on beliefs held by Atheists or those who believe in evolution.’ Moodley won in court earlier this year, and the police admitted that the restrictions on free speech imposed on Moodley were ‘disproportionate.’

‘Two-tier Kier’ is how some on social media have responded to the new prime minister’s policies.

Adam Smith-Connor, a Christian military veteran, meanwhile, is set to appear in court next week after being fined and criminally prosecuted over praying silently near an abortion facility. Local authorities alleged that Smith-Connor’s silent prayer violated the so-called ‘buffer zone,’ a designated area where individuals are allowed to express approval or disapproval of abortion.

‘Silent prayer is not, and can never be, a crime. Yet, the prosecution of Adam Smith-Connor – who served in Afghanistan to uphold fundamental freedoms for everyone – shows an authoritarian move towards ‘thought-policing’ in the U.K. This isn’t 1984, but 2024. And yet, the determination of the state to clamp down hard on even silent Christian beliefs – while protecting the free expression of others with different views – is clearly exposed,’ said McLatchie Miller.

Yet, there is a growing backlash against the government’s anti-free speech stance, particularly the decision to pause the implementation and potentially scrap entirely the free speech law in higher education over safety concerns. 

Over 600 academics and intellectuals, including seven Nobel laureates, signed a letter urging the government to reconsider the decision to shelve the law, the Times of London reported. The law was a flagship policy passed by the previous Conservative government to protect students’ and academics’ free speech rights on campus.

‘The decision to halt [the act] appears to reflect the view, widespread among opponents, that there is no ‘free speech problem’ in U.K. universities. Nothing could be more false. Hundreds of academics and students have been hounded, censured, silenced or even sacked over the last 20 years for the expression of legal opinions,’ the letter read.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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Critics pan Kamala Harris’ TV interview, bewildering answers: ‘Talk is cheap’

The backlash continued to mount following Vice President Kamala Harris’ televised interview Friday, with critics calling out her unwillingness to give clear and specific answers.

In her first solo sit-down TV interview since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Harris seemed to filibuster to avoid direct answers. One example came when the interviewer, Brian Taff of the Philadelphia ABC affiliate, asked for her ‘specific’ plans to bring down prices for Americans.

‘Well, I’ll start with this. I grew up a middle-class kid,’ Harris responded. ‘My mother raised my sister and me. She worked very hard. She was able to finally save up enough money to buy our first house when I was a teenager. 

‘I grew up in a community of hard-working people, you know, construction workers and nurses and teachers. And I try to explain to some people who may not have had the same experience. You know, a lot of people will relate to this.’ 

Critics have slammed Harris on social media, saying she gave confusing answers to a number of questions. 

‘Kamala Harris did her first local sit down interview after prepping for 53 days and it was a nightmare[.] She couldn’t even name 1-2 things she would do to bring down inflation,’ Karoline Leavitt, Donald Trump’s press secretary, wrote in post on X following the interview. 

California state Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones told Fox News Digital if Harris becomes president, the entire nation would suffer.

‘Kamala Harris has spent decades in public office, with a track record defined by rising costs and inflation. During her tenure in California, prices soared, and the affordability crisis has only worsened since she became Vice President,’ Jones said. ‘Talk is cheap, and while she promises to lower costs, her actions have repeatedly resulted in the opposite. 

‘Californians struggled under her leadership, and now the entire nation is bearing the brunt. America simply can’t afford a Harris presidency.’

Conservative podcaster Benny Johnson added that Harris’s answers made no sense.

‘Kamala Harris: ‘My focus is very much about what we need to do over the next 10-20 years to catch up to the 21st century around, again, capacity, but also challenges.’ What does this even mean?’ Johnson wrote in a post. on X. 

Harris’ answer resembled the response she gave during the ABC News presidential debate against former President Trump Tuesday, when she was asked by moderator David Muir whether Americans are economically ‘better off than they were four years ago.’

‘So, I was raised as a middle-class kid,’ Harris told Muir. ‘And I am actually the only person on this stage who has a plan that is about lifting up the middle class and working people of America. I believe in the ambition, the aspirations, the dreams of the American people, and that is why I imagine and have actually a plan to build what I call an opportunity economy.’ 

Although Harris drew praise from pundits for her debate performance, her sometimes unresponsive answers there foreshadowed Friday’s sit-down, particularly on economic matters. In the debate, Harris went on to tout the same proposals without answering whether Americans are better off now than they were four years ago. 

‘Kamala Harris was very clearly and directly asked: Are the American people better off now than they were 4 years ago? She could not say yes because the answer is no — the American people are worse off today because of Kamala Harris and Joe Biden’s policies,’ former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard posted on X following Tuesday night’s debate. 

Harris and running mate Tim Walz have only done 10 unscripted interviews for the Democratic presidential ticket thus far, while Republican presidential nominee Trump and vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, have sat down for at least 49 interviews. 

Harris still has not held a formal press conference since replacing President Biden as the Democratic nominee. Trump took questions at a news conference on Friday in California, his third extended presser in recent weeks.

USA Today Washington bureau chief Susan Page said she believes Americans deserve to hear both candidates answer tough questions. 

‘I think part of the job description of being president is answering questions, not because reporters have a right to ask them, but because Americans have a right to hear them,’ Page told Fox News Digital. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment. 

Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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​Tech 5: OpenAI Releases “Reasoning” AI Model, Google Goes to Court in Antitrust Case

Tech stocks rallied this week on the back of interest rate cut expectations in the US.

Meanwhile, OpenAI released a new artificial intelligence (AI) model that’s rumored to be capable of advanced reasoning skills, and Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) unveiling of its latest products failed to drum up investor enthusiasm.

Elsewhere Bitcoin passed US$60,000, and Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is heading back to court, this time to defend itself from accusations that it used its power to dominate the ad tech space.

1. Wall Street ends week on a high note

Wall Street was quiet on Monday (September 9) after Friday’s (September 13) employment report left investors wondering if the US Federal Reserve will issue aggressive rate cuts when it meets from September 17 to 18.

The Nasdaq Composite (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC) opened a modest 0.88 percent ahead of Friday’s close. The S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) also opened higher, 0.62 percent ahead of Friday’s close.

The indexes saw gains of 0.29 and 0.53 by the day’s end, respectively.

Markets were equally subdued on Tuesday (September 10) as traders awaited the midweek release of US inflation data for August, as well as the debate between presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. All indexes dipped in midday trading, with the Nasdaq Composite falling the most, 1.32 percent below its opening price; it closed flat.

Wednesday’s US consumer price index (CPI) report shows the index for all items excluding food and energy increased 0.3 percent in August compared to 0.2 percent in July, an indication that inflation is increasing.

However, for the 12 months ended in August, the all-items index rose by 2.5 percent, its smallest increase since February 2021, suggesting that prices are rising at a slower pace. The mixed message led to a brief dip across the board, but a rally in tech stocks, led by a 7 percent rally in NVIDIA’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) share price.

NVIDIA performance, September 9 to 13, 2024.

Chart via Google Finance.

Thursday’s (September 12) release of the August producer price index (PPI) shows wholesale prices rose 0.2 percent for the month, in line with Dow Jones estimates. The core rate — the producing price of everything other than food and energy — followed the CPI core rate, rising 0.3 percent, slightly more than the 0.2 percent forecast.

Initial unemployment claims were also ahead of estimates at 230,000 for the week ended on September 7.

With the final inflation report before the Fed’s meeting next week in the books, all major indexes experienced notable gains. The Nasdaq Composite advanced by 1 percent, while the S&P 500 saw growth of 0.75 percent. The Russell 2000 was the winner of the day, advancing by 1.22 percent at the closing bell.

The market surged further on Friday after reports from the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal fueled optimism that the Fed may implement a rate cut of 50 basis points after it meets next week.

Leading the charge was the Russell 2000, which ended the day 2.49 percent higher.

2. Bitcoin price ends week above US$60,000

Bitcoin was stable over the weekend, holding steady in the US$54,000 to US$55,000 range.

As the trading week commenced, the cryptocurrency was pushed higher by events like the CPI reading and the presidential debate. It peaked on Monday at US$57,635 at around 6:00 p.m. EDT.

Broker Bernstein said in a Monday market report that a Trump victory could result in Bitcoin’s price reaching a US$90,000 valuation, compared to a price range of between US$30,000 and US$40,000 if Harris wins.

Ahead of Tuesday’s debate, Bitcoin advanced 1.59 percent during market hours, only to see a retreat to US$56,247 overnight after neither candidate mentioned cryptocurrencies. Blockchain betting site Polymarket had assigned a 19 percent chance that Trump would talk about Bitcoin, compared to a 9 percent chance that Harris would.

A poll conducted by CNN shows 63 percent of viewers believe that Harris outperformed Trump — a shift from when Trump faced off against President Joe Biden. With a Trump victory looking less solid and the future regulatory environment still uncertain, Bitcoin’s price retreated further to US$55,901 on Wednesday (September 11) morning.

Since Wednesday’s PPI data release, Bitcoin has experienced volatility, but maintained an upward trajectory, breaking above US$58,200 for the first time since September 1 in the hours before midnight on Thursday. It went on to trade between US$57,600 and US$58,300 during market hours and held steady overnight.

Bitcoin rallied alongside the stock market on Friday, breaking above US$60,000 for the first time since August 29. At the time of this writing, it was trading for US$60,557.20, marking a 4.3 percent increase from its price 24 hours ago and a 13.7 percent rise over the past seven days.

3. OpenAI launches rumored ‘Strawberry’ model

It was a busy week for OpenAI, the world’s most valuable startup. On Tuesday, the Information reported that sources working with the company’s newest AI model, nicknamed Strawberry, said it would be released in two weeks.

Reuters first reported on the model, which was designed to deliver advanced reasoning capabilities, in July.

Two days later, OpenAI announced a preview of OpenAI o1, the first in a series of AI models that will “spend more time thinking before they respond.” These models will be able to solve more complex problems in math, science and coding.

In a press release, the company compared OpenAI o1 to its most recently released AI model, GPT-4o.

“In a qualifying exam for the International Mathematics Olympiad, GPT-4o correctly solved only 13 percent of problems, while the reasoning model (OpenAI o1) scored 83 percent,’ OpenAI said.

While testing its coding abilities, the company also claimed that the software reached the 89th percentile in the Codeforces competition. Detailed reports of trials are posted on OpenAI’s website.

While OpenAI o1 demonstrates AI reasoning capabilities, the software’s inability to browse the web for information limits its utility for consumers compared to ChatGPT. “But for complex reasoning tasks this is a significant advancement and represents a new level of AI capability,” the company explained.

Also this week, Bloomberg reported that OpenAI is looking to raise US$6.5 billion via a new fundraising endeavor that would increase its value to US$150 billion if successful.

4. Google faces off against DOJ in antitrust trial

Google’s second antitrust trial in the US this year kicked off in Virginia on Monday.

This trial relates to charges filed by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) accusing the company of “anticompetitive and exclusionary conduct” to control advertising tech tools in January 2023.

Prosecutors said Google used its influence to control competitors and customers, and dominate the online advertising ecosystem. “Google’s isn’t here because they are big,” DOJ lawyer Julia Tarver Wood said in opening statements Monday, according to the Wall Street Journal. “They are here because they use that size to crush competition.”

Google is arguing that the DOJ’s case is based on a narrow view of advertising on the internet, and says it has contended with competition for ad tech space from companies such as Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Walmart (NYSE:WMT), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) and Disney (NYSE:DIS).

Shares of Google were down 2.86 percent before noon on Monday.

The case will likely not be resolved for several months, but if the presiding judge sides with the DOJ, the company may be forced to sell off Google Ad Manager. Google advertising earned the company US$64.62 million in Q2.

5. Apple fans underwhelmed by iPhone 16

Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event was held on Monday at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.

The firm unveiled its newest lineup of iPhones: the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, all powered by an Apple A18 chip, which was developed with Softbank Group (TSE:9984) subsidiary Arm’s V9 chip design.

The company also introduced its newest Apple Watch Series 10, along with updates to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and a new lineup of AirPods. In addition, it added features to its AirPods Pro 2 series, including hearing protection and hearing aid software, the first over-the-counter hearing aid to be authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration.

The product launch itself was largely thought to be “underwhelming,” with few changes made to the iPhone’s hardware apart from a new Camera Control button that enables users to control more features in the camera app. Critics also complained about the limited access to Apple Intelligence, which will only become available in beta to US iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max or 16 users — as well as select iPad and Mac models — in October.

Hours after the ‘It’s Glowtime’ event, Apple was forced to contend with the release of Huawei Technologies’ newest phone, the Mate XT tri-foldable, which comes with an AI assistant, hours after Apple’s event. Strict data privacy restrictions in China prevent Apple from rolling out Apple Intelligence in Mainland China.

Apple was dealt another blow on Tuesday, when the European Court of Justice ruled that it must pay 13 billion euros in back taxes to Ireland, concluding a 10 year court battle that began when the European Commission accused Ireland of giving Apple illegal tax benefits and ordered to country to collect.

Despite the ups and downs, Apple shares ended the week up 0.71 percent at US$222.50.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Boeing factory workers strike after overwhelmingly rejecting contract

Boeing’s factory workers walked off the job early Friday, halting production of the company’s best-selling airplanes after staff overwhelmingly rejected a new labor contract.

It’s a costly development for the manufacturer that has struggled to ramp up production and restore its reputation following safety crises.

Workers in the Seattle area and in Oregon voted 94.6% against a tentative agreement that Boeing and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers unveiled Sunday. The workers voted 96% in favor of a strike, far more than the two-thirds vote required for a work stoppage.

“We strike at midnight,” said IAM District 751 President Jon Holden at a press conference where he announced the vote’s results. He characterized it as an “unfair labor practice strike,” alleging that factory workers had experienced “discriminatory conduct, coercive questioning, unlawful surveillance and we had unlawful promise of benefits.”

He said Boeing needs to bargain in good faith.

Boeing didn’t comment on his claims.

“The message was clear that the tentative agreement we reached with IAM leadership was not acceptable to the members,” the company said in a statement. “We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our employees and the union, and we are ready to get back to the table to reach a new agreement.”

Stephanie Pope, CEO of Boeing’s commercial airplane unit, told machinists earlier this week the tentative deal was the “best contract we’ve ever presented.”

“In past negotiations, the thinking was we should hold something back so we can ratify the contract on a second vote,” she said. “We talked about that strategy this time, but we deliberately chose a new path.”

The tentative proposal included 25% wage increases and other improvements to health care and retirement benefits, though the union had sought raises of about 40%. Workers had complained about the agreement, saying that it didn’t cover the increased cost of living.

The vote is a blow to CEO Kelly Ortberg, who has been in the top job for five weeks. A day before the vote, he had urged workers to accept the contract and not to strike, saying that it would jeopardize the company’s recovery.

Under the tentative agreement, Boeing had promised to build its next commercial jet in the Seattle area, a bid to win over workers after the company moved the 787 Dreamliner production to a nonunion factory in South Carolina.

The agreement, if approved, would have been the first fully negotiated contract for Boeing machinists in 16 years. Boeing workers went on strike in 2008 for nearly two months.

The ultimate financial impact of this strike will depend on how long it lasts. Boeing shares fell 4% in premarket trading Friday.

Jefferies aerospace analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu estimated a 30-day cash impact from a strike could be a $1.5 billion hit for Boeing and said it “could destabilize suppliers and supply chains.” She forecast the tentative agreement would have had an annual impact of $900 million if passed.

Boeing has burned through about $8 billion so far this year and has mounting debt. Production has fallen short of expectations as the company works to stamp out manufacturing flaws and faces other industry-wide problems such as supply and labor shortages.

A blowout of a nearly new Boeing 737 Max 9 at the start of the year has brought additional federal scrutiny of Boeing’s production lines. 

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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Adekunle Gold on sickle cell advocacy: ‘It’s time to learn my voice – people are dying’

Award-winning Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold rose to international fame when his debut album “Gold” reached number seven on the Billboard World Charts. Since then, the 37-year-old has released four more albums, amassing hundreds of millions of streams worldwide.

Behind the scenes, however, he has been quietly battling sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that leads to abnormally shaped red blood cells, causing severe pain, anemia, and potentially life-threatening complications. It affects children who inherit two copies of the sickle cell gene, one from each parent.

The disease is most prevalent in Africa, which accounts for 66% of cases worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Nigeria bears the highest burden, where as many as 150,000 babies are born with sickle cell disease annually – the most of any country.

Adekunle Gold first wrote of his woes with sickle cell disease in 2022 in his song “5 Star.” Now, he is readying himself for a long-term commitment to advocacy, announcing the establishment of the Adekunle Gold Foundation, which will focus on addressing the needs of children battling sickle cell disease on the African continent.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Larry Madowo: Why are you speaking up about sickle cell disease now and especially being very aggressive about this awareness?

Adekunle Gold: I just really got the courage to come out and speak about it. You know, a lot of people can’t share their stories like I can. I was writing the song “5 Star” and reflecting on my life, the journey, and how I’m a miracle. I was reflecting on that song, and I thought, maybe it’s time to learn my voice. People are dying, people are going through it. People can’t afford basic things that they need to sustain their health, and if the international organizations are not doing anything about it, it’s time to force their hands to do it.

Larry Madowo: What challenges have you had to overcome while living with sickle cell?

Adekunle Gold: I constantly put myself in situations that made me sick as a child. For example, doing strenuous activities as a child that I was not supposed to do and there were always consequences, you know? But I always knew that I didn’t want this thing to define me. So, if it means that I need to exercise more, take my drugs, eat well, rest well, and take more water, then I need to do that always.

Larry Madowo: Are there any memorable things that you’ve come through during your advocacy work when people are not even aware of what they’re facing?

Adekunle Gold: Just speaking up about it on social, I realized that a lot of people are ignorant about it. This is something that I inherited, and you’re trolling me for it. So, you realize people don’t even know these things. I just need more people to be aware.

Larry Madowo: What are some of the barriers to receiving proper care for sickle cell patients in West Africa? In Nigeria?

Adekunle Gold: Listen, people don’t have money, bro. The last outreach I did people came to Lagos to take drugs, to check their BP (blood pressure), to check their children all the way from Ilorin [300 kilometers away from Lagos]. And I’m like, this is insane. We don’t have facilities where you can just be in your place.Other countries like the UK and Canada have policies for sickle cell. Where it affects us the most, we don’t have (accessible care). People can’t afford to buy folic acid and folic acid is the smallest of things that you should be able to get.

Ilorin is approximately 300 kilometers from Lagos, Nigeria

Larry Madowo: What do you hope to achieve by adding your voice to this, by speaking up publicly?

Adekunle Gold: I want everybody to, first of all, be aware of it and know how to treat people that have it.  I also want people to understand that it is important to check your genotype.

Larry Madowo: You’re the embodiment that you can live with sickle cell and have a full, healthy, and powerful life. Will you keep talking about this in your music and your public appearances with your shows?

Adekunle Gold: I started the foundation, so you know it’s real. It’s game time from now on. So, I am constantly learning my voice, constantly doing outreach, and constantly fighting for it. I want the international community to pay attention just like they do to other diseases. Sickle cell is a big one. It affects my people the most, and I want the world to do something about it.

Watch Larry Madowo’s full interview with Adekunle Gold on African Voices Changemakers.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Hamas leader sends letters from hiding after almost a year of silence

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has written a rare letter to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, according to the Lebanese militant group, in which he reaffirms his commitment to fighting Israel and supporting the Iran-backed alliance of regional militants known as the “Axis of Resistance.”

Sinwar, Hamas’ political leader who is believed to be hiding underground in Gaza, told Nasrallah that the group is committed to the path of resistance taken by his slain predecessor Ismail Haniyeh and to the “unity of the Ummah (Islamic nation), at the heart of which is the Axis of Resistance, in the face of the Zionist project.”

The letter, shared by Hezbollah’s Telegram channel, was written to show gratitude for Hezbollah’s ongoing fight against Israel, which began on October 8, just a day after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel that triggered a devastating Israeli assault on Gaza.

Sinwar was named political leader of Hamas after Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran in July. He is seen as more hardline than his predecessor in dealings with Israel and favors cooperation and closer ties with Iran and allied Islamist groups such as Hezbollah.

He vowed to continue defending Islamic holy sites, particularly Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque “until the expulsion and eradication of the occupation from our land, and the establishment of our independent state with full sovereignty and its capital Jerusalem.”

The October 7 attack, he said, was “one of the most honorable battles in the history of our Palestinian people.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Pro-Russian posters appear on billboards across Italy

Hundreds of posters have appeared on billboards across Italy this summer, bearing the slogan: “Russia is not our enemy” and depicting a handshake in the colors of the Italian and Russian flags.

Some, including those that appeared in Rome this week, also feature the words, “Enough money for weapons for Ukraine and Israel. We want peace. We reject war.”

The posters, which first appeared in northern Italy in June and have been seen in Verona, Modena, Parma, Pisa and several cities in the southern region of Calabria, were paid for by associations that were formed to protest the country’s Covid-19 lockdowns, according to Sovranita Popolare, the group organizing the billboard campaign in Rome.

Ukraine’s embassy in Rome was unhappy about the development. “We are deeply concerned by the arrogance of Russian propaganda in the Eternal City,” it posted on X, adding: “We ask @comuneroma to reconsider granting permits for such posters that have a clear purpose of rehabilitating the image of the aggressor state.”

Official reaction to the posters has varied from region to region. In some places, the posters were removed by local officials, while in others they have been allowed to remain until the expiry of their payment.

In Rome, the posters drew ire from the mayor’s office because they featured both the city’s name and its official symbol. In a decree to local police and the advertising company that owns the billboards in Rome, it ordered the removal of all posters.

Group cites Italian constitution

On Friday, Sovranita Popolare posted a lengthy article on its website, taking responsibility for the campaign and quoting Article 11 of the Italian constitution, which reads: “Italy rejects war as an instrument of aggression against the freedom of other peoples and as a means for the settlement of international disputes.

“Italy agrees, on conditions of equality with other States, to the limitations of sovereignty that may be necessary to a world order ensuring peace and justice among the Nations. Italy promotes and encourages international organisations furthering such ends,” the constitution continues.

It goes on to say, “For two years, Italian warmongers have been fueling Russophobia, a feeling of hatred towards Russian people, culture and art.”

Officially, the Italian government under Giorgia Meloni backs the country’s continued military support to Ukraine, under a resolution agreed by the European Union. Meloni and Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, have met several times in Rome. Earlier this month, they met at the European House’s Ambrosetti Forum in Cernobbio, northern Italy.

But several members of Meloni’s ruling coalition have privately shown sympathy for Russia, including the late former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi – whose close friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin was well documented – and her deputy prime minister and transport minister, Matteo Salvini, who was famously photographed wearing a Putin T-shirt in Moscow’s Red Square, before the war began.

A survey carried out in May for the European Council of Foreign Relations think tank showed that the majority of those polled in Italy, along with Greece and Bulgaria, opposed increasing aid to Ukraine.

The Russian propaganda posters have not caused notable outcry among the Italian public, in part because they started appearing during the summer months, when most Italians take their vacations.

Most of the comments on the Ukrainian embassy’s post on X argue that Italy should not be subject to censorship, and that free speech should be allowed.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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