New “Hamas” attacks on Israel from Lebanon
The launches on Monday, although muted in their impact, highlighted Hamas’s continuing ability to threaten Israel with rocket fire despite more than 200 days of a devastating Israeli air and ground offensive that has decimated the group’s military capabilities in Gaza. Though Hamas is based in Gaza, many of its leaders are exiled in Lebanon,
Israel’s new ceasefire offer
Israel launched a military campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the group’s cross-border attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 253 others were taken hostage. More than 34,480 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. The Israeli government
The cost of Getting out of Gaza
Until October 7th, Palestinians who wanted to leave Gaza had in theory two choices: a few could use the Erez crossing, in the north of the strip, monitored by Israel, or they could try the southern one at Rafah, overseen by Egypt. Erez is now closed to those leaving Gaza. The cost of getting through
Young Generation investing in Gold in China
Young people don’t have much spare cash. The youth-unemployment rate in cities is about 15%. Many companies are cutting salaries. So youngsters are hoping to make the most of what little savings they have. But traditional investments aren’t doing well. The stockmarket is slumping and house prices have fallen for ten months in a row.
Artificial Intelligence research: Fingerprints may not be Unique as traditionally claimed
AI tools are typically trained on vast amounts of data and many more fingerprints would be required to develop this technology further. Additionally, all the fingerprints used to develop the model were complete prints and of good quality, whereas often in the real world partial or poor prints are more likely to be found. Fingerprints
‘paralysis’ on Gaza
Opening the two-day meeting, which featured US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Brazil’s top diplomat, Mauro Vieira, said the explosion of global conflicts shows international institutions like the United Nations are not working. The Security Council has failed to act on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, held in check by
Philanthropy in America
The 400 richest Americans have given away just 6% of their combined fortunes. At the last count in 2022, almost $1.2trn was sitting in American private foundations and $230bn in donor-advised funds, a sort of savings account for philanthropists. Plenty of money is being earmarked for do-goodery. But it is not getting to worthy causes
The declining industries in Germany
The funding is key, because sustaining the Ruhr has required lots of public money over a long period of time.A new push envisages the Ruhr as a testing ground for Germany’s ambitious plans to replace hydrocarbons with clean hydrogen.Last year its economy shrank by 0.3%, the worst result in the g7 group of rich countries. Deutsche Bank,
The dark mood in the West as Russia advances
That counteroffensive failed, and the reshuffle of Ukraine’s top brass in which the architect of the failed summer push, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, was replaced by his top deputy Oleksandr Syrsky comes at both the worst and best time, depending on who you are talking to. The animosity between Zelensky and his military chief had become
Review of Gaza ceasefire proposal
Hamas said Saturday that it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza, as Egypt intensified efforts to broker a deal to end the months-long war and stave off a planned Israeli ground offensive into the southern city of Rafah.The Hamas statements came hours after a high-level Egyptian delegation wrapped up a