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☆ Desperate families of hostages held in Gaza are losing hope after a cease-fire deal with Hamas was delayed
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Families of hostages held in Gaza say they fear their relatives may not be released, per reports. "We don't know who's going to come out," the aunt of a hostage told The New York Times. AdvertisementThe families of the hostages held by Hamas face an agonizing wait to hear about their potential release after a cease-fire deal with Israel was delayed. AdvertisementThe cease-fire will be extended by one day for every 10 hostages released by Hamas, the Israeli government said in a separate press statement . We don't know who's going to come out," Schem told the outlet.

Persons: Israel, —, Itay Raviv, it's, Keren Schem, Mia Schem, Schem, Yael Engel Lichi Organizations: New York Times, Service, Guardian, Hamas, Business, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, Israel's, Qatar Locations: Gaza, Israel, French

☆ Deal to Free Child Hostages in Gaza Inspires Hope and Anguish
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Isabel Kershner | More About Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

And an infant, now all of 10 months, who has spent about a tenth of his life in captivity. They are among the more than 30 children abducted from their homes and taken to Gaza during the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on Oct. 7. Almost a day after the deal was announced, the families had yet to receive any information from the authorities. Some, but perhaps not all, of the children are expected to be among the first hostages released in the coming days under a deal announced on Wednesday. Islamic Jihad, another armed group in Gaza, released the hostage video of Yagil Yaakov, 12, who was captured along with his brother Or, 16.

Persons: ”, Eylon Keshet, Kfir Bibas, Yarden, Shiri, Ariel, “, Yael Engel Lichi, Ofir Engel, Little, Yocheved Lifshitz, Yagil Yaakov Organizations: Be’eri Locations: Gaza, Israel, Gaza’s

Families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza awoke on Wednesday to news of a deal that brought both hope and agony. Israel has said that about 240 people were taken hostage to Gaza, and it remained unclear which of them would be released under the cease-fire deal announced overnight. Hours after the deal was announced, families said they had received no official information from the Israeli authorities. At least 36 Israeli civilians ages 18 and under are being held in Gaza along with 13 of their mothers. People have been calling to congratulate the family since Tuesday night, Ms. Engel Lichi said on Wednesday morning.

Persons: “, ”, Yael Engel Lichi, Ofir Engel, Yuval Sharabi, Engel Lichi Locations: Gaza, Israel, Jerusalem, Be’eri

☆ Crowds join lawmakers in Paris march against antisemitism
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Political figures, including Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, headed the march, holding a banner with the slogan "For the Republic, against antisemitism". They led several renditions of the French national anthem. Left-wing lawmakers have joined pro-Palestinian protests in recent weeks, including a march in Paris on Saturday. Protests against antisemitism also took place in other French cities on Sunday, including in Marseille where some 7,000 people turned out according to a police estimate. Elsewhere in Europe, concern is running high over antisemitism and other forms of extremism being whipped up.

Persons: Yael Braun, Elisabeth Borne, Gerard Larcher, France Francois Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy, Francois Hollande, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gus Trompiz, Tangi Salaun, Lucien Libert, Marc Leras, Barbara Lewis Organizations: National, . Police, ., Thomson Locations: France, PARIS, Paris, Gaza, Israel, Republic, Sunday's, Marseille, Europe, Britain

☆ A father who said he was relieved when he was told his daughter was killed by Hamas now thinks she's likely alive
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A girl presumed killed in the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7 is likely alive, her father says. Thomas Hand previously said he was "relieved" the eight year old, was dead, rather than a Hamas hostage. But it has now been suggested that she is could be one of more than 240 Hamas hostages in Gaza. The mourning has ended, and now we must do everything to bring her back home," Hand told Israeli outlet Ynet. Her father Tom told CNN how he was relieved when he heard she was murdered, since the alternative is absolute hell.

Persons: Thomas Hand, —, Emily, Hand, Emily Hand, Beeri, Tom, Q8I39Mr43j — Yael Bar tur Organizations: Service, CNN, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Be'eri, Israel, Irish

☆ TikTok Pushes Back Against Claims It Fuels Antisemitism
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Sapna Maheshwari | More About Sapna Maheshwari | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

TikTok pushed back on Thursday against growing claims in recent weeks that it had failed to to protect Jewish users and had pushed pro-Palestinian content in the United States. Many social networks have come under criticism for spreading misinformation and hate speech during the Israel-Hamas war. TikTok has the added scrutiny of being owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. While Beijing has pitched itself as a neutral broker in the dispute, a surge of antisemitism and anti-Israeli sentiment is proliferating across the Chinese internet and state media. The company said it started offering such data to academic researchers and will include other groups in the future.

Persons: TikTok, Jeff Morris Jr, Israel hashtags, Israel, “, Marco Rubio, Rubio, Morris’s, ” TikTok, standwithisrael, Morris didn’t, Amy Schumer, Michael Rapaport, Debra Messing, Yaël, Eisenstat Organizations: Twitter, Jewish, Defamation, Defamation League Locations: United States, Israel, Beijing, Florida, China

☆ Oscar winner Yeoh joins IOC along with seven new members
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Michelle Yeoh poses. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMUMBAI, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian actress to win an Oscar, joined the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday after being voted in as a member at a ceremony in Mumbai. She was one of eight new proposed members to join the Olympic body at its session in the Indian financial capital. A former Malaysian junior squash champion, Yeoh won the Oscar for best lead actress earlier this year for her role in the film, "Everything Everywhere All at Once". Mehrez Boussayene, President of the Tunisian Olympic Committee, also joined.

Persons: Michelle Yeoh, Sarah Meyssonnier, Oscar, Yeoh, Pierce Brosnan, Jean Todt, Yael Arad, Israel's, Balasz Furjes, Cecilia Roxana Tait Villacorta, Michael Mronz, Furjes, Sweden's Petra Soerling, South Korean Kim Jae, Mehrez Boussayene, Karolos Grohmann, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Cannes, Rights, International Olympic Committee, Hollywood, United Nations Goodwill, FIA, IOC, Tennis Federation, South, International Skating Union, Tunisian Olympic Committee, Thomson Locations: Cannes, France, Rights MUMBAI, Mumbai, Malaysian, Chinese, Hungarian, Olympic, Peru, Hungary, Germany, South Korean

☆ Half of Israel's Hotel Rooms Filled With Gaza War Evacuees
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Steven ScheerJERUSALEM (Reuters) - Half of Israeli hotel rooms are being used to house families evacuated from communities near the Gaza Strip, where an Oct. 7 rampage by Hamas gunmen triggered a cross-border war, the head of the Israel Hotel Association said on Monday. Israel has 56,000 hotel rooms and 28,000 are being provided to evacuees with the state footing the bill, said association chief executive Yael Danieli. She told a parliamentary panel debating compensation for residents impacted by the war that an additional 27,000 from border towns near Lebanon were expected. The Israeli-Lebanon border has seen an increase in hostilities as the Gaza war rages. Yogev Gardos, Israel's budget director, said the country's initial response was to finance the military's needs and now it would turn to the economy as a whole.

Persons: Steven Scheer JERUSALEM, Yael Danieli, Danieli, Isrotel, Yogev, Steven Scheer, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Israel Hotel Association Locations: Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Herzliya, Red, Eilat

☆ Half of Israel's hotel rooms filled with Gaza war evacuees
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People walk into Jerusalem's Old City via Jaffa Gate, as the conflict wreaks havoc across the tourism sector October 11, 2023. REUTERS/Sinan Abu Mayzer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Half of Israeli hotel rooms are being used to house families evacuated from communities near the Gaza Strip, where an Oct. 7 rampage by Hamas gunmen triggered a cross-border war, the head of the Israel Hotel Association said on Monday. Israel has 56,000 hotel rooms and 28,000 are being provided to evacuees with the state footing the bill, said association chief executive Yael Danieli. She told a parliamentary panel debating compensation for residents impacted by the war that an additional 27,000 from border towns near Lebanon were expected. The Israeli-Lebanon border has seen an increase in hostilities as the Gaza war rages.

Persons: Sinan Abu Mayzer, Yael Danieli, Danieli, Isrotel, Yogev, Steven Scheer, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Israel Hotel Association, Thomson Locations: City, Jaffa, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Herzliya, Red, Eilat

A day after Britain's fast pace of price growth unexpectedly slowed, the BoE's Monetary Policy Committee voted by the narrowest margin of 5-4 to keep Bank Rate at 5.25%. But rate futures suggested they still saw a 50% chance of Bank Rate rising to 5.5% by the end of this year. Britain's economy, hit hard by Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and the surge in gas prices triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has been struggling with the highest inflation rate in the Group of Seven. But growth remains fragile, heightening the risk that the BoE's 14 back-to-back rate hikes will push the economy into a recession. Last week, the European Central Bank raised rates but suggested its move might be the last for now.

Persons: Andrew Bailey, Jon Cunliffe, Megan Greene, Jonathan Haskel, Catherine Mann, BoE, Reuters Graphics Sterling, Bailey, Rishi Sunak, Peter Nicholls, Frances Haque, Reuters Graphics Bailey, Yael Selfin, Hugh Gimber, William Schomberg, Catherine Evans Organizations: Bank of England, Reuters Graphics, U.S ., MPC, REUTERS, Santander UK, IF, U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, KPMG, Investors, Bank of, Morgan Asset Management, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, London, Britain

Investors put a nearly 50-50 chance on the BoE keeping rates on hold on Thursday after 14 back-to-back increases stretching back to December 2021. Investors had been overwhelmingly expecting the BoE to raise interest rates for the 15th time in a row on Thursday, taking Bank Rate to 5.5% from 5.25%. "The inflation figures may not sway the Bank of England away from raising interest rates tomorrow," Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG UK, said. Britain's inflation rate remains high - topped only by Austria and Iceland among Western European countries in August. But core inflation - which strips out volatile food and energy prices - fell by more than the headline rate to 6.2% from 6.9% in July.

Persons: Hunt, BoE, Yael Selfin, Price, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, William James, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Reuters, Bank of England, Sterling, U.S, Investors, National Statistics, KPMG, Labour Party, Thomson Locations: July's, British, Austria, Iceland, Western, Britain

☆ Get the Baby to the Doctor
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Yael Goldstein-Love | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I wheeled us right, then left, then left again. I raced it back to our street with the row of brownstones, their gracious stairs. I wasn’t strong enough to maneuver a baby in a stroller up 10 steps. And if I took him out of the stroller, the risk was high that he would lose his mind. But when my body settled, something deep inside me settled, too.

Persons: Mommy, ”, I’d Organizations: nab Locations: California

☆ Michelle Yeoh: Oscar winner set to become International Olympic Committee member
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Michelle Yeoh could soon become a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after the Oscar winner was among eight candidates nominated by the organization’s executive board. Her proposed membership is set to be ratified at an IOC session in Mumbai, India, next month. In March, Yeoh won best actress at the 95th Academy Awards for her acclaimed performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” becoming the first woman of Asian descent to win the award. She was also the first Malaysian-born performer to be honored with a best actress Oscar. She made her name in Hong Kong action movies of the 1980s and 90s, before her breakthrough international role in 1997 opposite Pierce Brosnan in the James Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies.”

Persons: CNN — Michelle Yeoh, Yeoh, ”, Oscar . Yeoh, Yael Arad, Balázs Furjes, Cecilia Roxana Tait Villacorta, Michael Mronz, Thomas Bach, Marvel, Rich Asians ”, Pierce Brosnan, James Bond Organizations: CNN, International Olympic Committee, IOC, Rich Asians Locations: Mumbai, India, Malaysian, Hungarian, Peruvian, Hong Kong

☆ Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh up for Olympic committee membership
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian actress to win an Oscar, is set to become a member of the International Olympic Committee after being included on a list of eight new proposed members on Friday. Yeoh won the Oscar for best lead actress earlier this year for her role in the movie "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and her proposed IOC membership will be ratified at its session in Mumbai next month. Mehrez Boussayene, President of the Tunisian Olympic Committee, is also up for election as an ex-officio member. The IOC is the guardian of the Olympic Games and the leader of the Olympic movement, according to its website. "Thevision of the International Olympic Committee is to Build a Better World through Sport," it says.

Persons: Michelle Yeoh, Yeoh, Oscar, Pierce Brosnan, Israel's, Yael Arad, Balasz Furjes, Cecilia Roxana Tait Villacorta, Michael Mronz, Sweden's Petra Soerling, South Korean Kim Jae, Mehrez Boussayene, Thomas Bach, Karolos Grohmann, Nick Macfie Organizations: International Olympic Committee, Hollywood, Olympic, IOC, Tennis Federation, South, International Skating Union, Tunisian Olympic Committee, Olympic Games, International Olympic, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, Malaysian, Chinese, Hungarian, Peru, South Korean

☆ An American Energy Giant Sees Israel as a Springboard to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Stanley Reed | More About Stanley Reed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There are also signs of unease within Israel over moving from one fossil fuel to another. Environmentalists say that the dominance of gas in powering the Israeli economy and the influence of the petroleum industry mean that insufficient resources are going into developing clean energy. “We are hostages in a way,” said Elad Hochman, executive director of Green Course, an advocacy group. As for Chevron, though it does not disclose financial results from its Israeli operations, its executives say it is a profitable business that can be a springboard for expansion. “It is a very nice, attractive position,” Mr. Neff, the Chevron president, said, adding that the company has the opportunity “to grow our business substantially in the next few years.”Gabby Sobelman contributed reporting.

Persons: ”, Yael Cohen Paran, Elad Hochman, ” Mr, Neff, ” Gabby Sobelman Organizations: Green, Chevron Locations: Israel

☆ UK inflation slows to lowest level in more than a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —UK inflation eased more than expected in June, slowing to its lowest annual rate since March 2022, official data showed Wednesday. Consumer prices rose 7.9% last month compared with a year ago, down from 8.7% in May, the Office for National Statistics said. “Inflation slowed substantially … driven by drops for motor fuels,” ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said in a statement. “While the Bank of England will welcome the fall in inflation, it is unlikely to substantially change its hawkish policy stance,” said KPMG chief economist Yael Selfin. “The main story today is that inflation is lower than expected, fueling a narrative that we are through the worst,” said Kitty Ussher, chief economist at the Institute of Directors.

Persons: Grant Fitzner, ”, Yael Selfin, Paul Dales, Selfin, “, Kitty Ussher, … Organizations: London CNN —, National Statistics, Reuters, Bank of England, ONS, “, KPMG, Capital Economics, ”, Institute of Directors

☆ France stabbing: Four children wounded in Annecy knife attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] French soldiers secure the area after several children and an adult have been injured in a knife attack in Annecy, in the French Alps, France, June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Denis BalibouseANNECY, France, June 8 (Reuters) - A Syrian national wounded four young children and an adult in a knife attack in a park in the southeastern French town of Annecy on Thursday, police said, and some of the victims were in critical condition. The wounded children were aged between 22 months and 3 years, they said. Witnesses said at least one of the children wounded in the attack was in a stroller. "Nothing more abominable than to attack children," National Assembly speaker Yael Braun-Pivet said on Twitter.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Gerald Darmanin, Emmanuel Macron, Witnesses, Ferdinand, BFM, George, Yohan, Macron, Yael Braun, Pivet, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Geert De Clercq, Juliette Jabkhiro, Silvia Aloisi, Toby Chopra, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Denis Balibouse ANNECY, Syrian, Reuters, Twitter, Lake, Thomson Locations: Annecy, French, France, Syrian, Lake Annecy, Reims

Inflation, which hit a 41-year high of 11.1% in October, continued to eat into the spending power of workers whose pay is rising by less. Britain's headline inflation rate is now the highest in western Europe and compares with an average of 6.9% in the euro zone and 5.0% in the United States. Austria recorded a higher inflation rate than Britain in February. Reuters GraphicsPOLITICAL PRESSUREHigh inflation is a problem for Britain's government as well as the BoE, which forecast in February that inflation would be below 4% by the end of the year. Producer price inflation - which measures changes in prices charged and paid by manufacturers and often leads changes in CPI - tumbled in March due to lower oil prices.

☆ UK economy shows no growth in February as strikes weigh
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Economic output was flat in month-on-month terms in February, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Thursday. A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to growth of 0.1%. The ONS revised up January's monthly growth rate in the overall economy to 0.4% from a previous estimate of 0.3%. "A combination of upward revisions in GDP data and an improvement in global economic conditions could help the UK economy avoid a recession this year," Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG UK, said. "While this will provide relief for policymakers, the outlook for growth in the medium-term remains relatively weak by historical standards."

☆ Amazon gave 'small business' and 'Black-owned business' badges to companies that were neither, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon reportedly gave some sellers "Small Business" badges even though they were large companies, The Information reports. "Black-Owned Small Business" badges were also reportedly given to companies that aren't Black-owned. Amazon gave "Small Business" badges to sellers that are "multinational corporations with thousands of employees," The Information reported. Likewise, Amazon reportedly also gave "Black-Owned Small Business" badges to companies that were not actually Black-owned, The Information reported. And products from grass-fed beef jerky firm Chomps were given the Black-owned business badge even though its founders Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali are not Black.

☆ ‘Yellowjackets’ Is TV’s Scariest Show About Female Friendship
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Yael Kohen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ West Bank settlers 'sing and dance' after outpost recognized
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Emily Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] An aerial view shows mobile homes in the Jewish settlement of Givat Haroeh in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunJERUSALEM, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Drama therapist Yael Drori left bustling Jerusalem 16 years ago to live in an unrecognised outpost in the Israeli occupied West Bank. She moved to the West Bank out of ideology, but what she found was a sense of community. Along with Gaza and East Jerusalem, the Palestinians seek the occupied West Bank for a state. Israel disputes that and cites biblical, historical and political links to the West Bank, as well as security interests.

☆ Israeli West Bank settlers 'sing and dance' after outpost recognised
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Emily Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] An aerial view shows mobile homes in the Jewish settlement of Givat Haroeh in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunJERUSALEM, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Drama therapist Yael Drori left bustling Jerusalem 16 years ago to live in an unrecognised outpost in the Israeli occupied West Bank. As a youth, she was active in the Israeli settler movement supporting new communities in the West Bank and protesting against Israeli disengagement from Jewish communities in Gaza. She moved to the West Bank out of ideology, but what she found was a sense of community. Israel disputes that and cites biblical, historical and political links to the West Bank, as well as security interests.

☆ 'Stalin' said he disagreed with Putin's invasion of Ukraine. We 'spoke' to dead historical figures using a new AI chatbot that experts are sounding the alarm over.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Bethany Dawson | Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Insider "spoke" to bots acting as Princess Diana, Heinrich Himmler, Joseph Stalin, and Fred Trump. AI 'Fred Trump,' Donald Trump's father, isn't impressed with his son's politics. But AI Fred Trump "said" that he's "very proud" of his son, describing him as a "successful businessperson" and an "amazing father." An AI chatbot acting as Fred Trump, Donald Trump's father. AI Stalin called for the two countries to "find a peaceful solution."

☆ AI bot that lets you chat with Jesus, Hitler is latest GPT-3 controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

But this week, it sparked viral controversy online over its inclusion of Hitler, his Nazi lieutenants and other dictators from the past. Historical Figures, which also uses GPT-3, launched the first week of January, and as of Wednesday, it had about 9,000 signups, app creator Sidhant Chadda said in a phone interview. “People expect these historical figures to be truthful, but in reality, people are not always 100% honest,” he said. Asking a question costs one coin, and the app charges extra to get access to high-profile historical figures. The possibility of digitally re-animating historical figures has been gaining ground ever since, from the “The Simpsons” to holograms of dead idols such as Buddy Holly and Whitney Houston.

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