Hamas rejects 'new' Gaza truce conditions as Biden says deal closer than ever — 18 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 49 media reports (LINK)

— An informed source told AFP that the conditions Hamas objected to included keeping Israeli troops inside Gaza along the territory's border with Egypt, veto rights for Israel on the Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged for Israeli hostages, and the ability to deport some prisoners rather than send them back to Gaza. The Israeli military on Friday issued new evacuation orders for parts of Deir Al Balah, in central Gaza, and Khan Yunis in the south.

Three UNIFIL peacekeepers lightly injured in south Lebanon landmine explosion — 18 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 35 media reports (LINK)

Cholera outbreak in Sudan has killed at least 22 people, health minister says — 18 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 86 media reports (LINK)

Kyiv blows up second bridge in Kursk as Putin hits back with missiles attack — 18 August 2024 (LINK)

— The International Atomic Energy Agency warned of "deteriorating safety" at Europe's largest nuclear power facility in Ukraine, which was seized by Moscow in the early days of its full-scale invasion. The warning by IAEA director general Rafael Grossi came after a drone strike hit the road surrounding the plant, landing close to the essential cooling water sprinkler ponds and the only remaining 750 kilovolt power line supplying the plant.

Libya's central bank suspends operations after kidnapping of head of information technology by an unidentified group and that other executives had been threatened. It comes a week after gunmen lay seige to the bank's HQ — 18 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 39 media reports (LINK)

U.S. COVID update: More than 1,000 new deaths, the highest since March, with nearly 170,000 new cases — 18 August 2024 (LINK)

PassBlue: The Enduring Influence of Kofi Annan: new book by his director of strategic planning from 2001 to 2006 — 18 August 2024 (LINK)

— Abiodun Williams provides an inventory of Annan's accomplishments during the key moments of his term. They range from averting conflict between Cameroon and Nigeria, to enabling East Timor's progression to independence, to shining a global spotlight on the HIV/AIDS crisis, to creating the Millennium Development Goals, to helping redefine sovereignty as responsibility and to lasting institutional reforms, such as the creation of the Human Rights Council and Peacebuilding Commission. For his efforts, Annan, jointly with the UN, was awarded the centenary Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.

Phil Donahue, the U.S. TV talk show host who just died at 88, pioneered an approach was unique for its time, often inviting audience participation and focusing on controversial or taboo subjects. He was an unsung LGBTQ+ ally, who talked about being gay — and AIDS — when no one else would — 18 August 2024 (LINK)

French film giant Alain Delon dies aged 88 — 18 August 2024 (LINK)

— "He passed away peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family," a statement released to AFP news agency said. Delon had been in poor health in recent years and became a virtual recluse.

— Le monde (LINK)

UN Secretary-General urges 'polio pause' for vaccinations in Israeli War on Gaza as first case reported in 25 years — 17 August 2024 (LINK)

15 killed in Israeli strike on central Gaza — Al Jazeera — 17 August 2024 (LINK /German) — ground.news: 12 media reports (LINK)

India to hold first assembly elections in disputed Kashmir in 10 years — 17 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 26 media reports (LINK)

Thailand ex-PM Thaksin gets royal pardon, lawyer says — 17 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 27 media reports (LINK)

— "This pardoning is part of a royal initiative for 7,500 prisoners with good conduct due to His Majesty the King's recent birthday."

Venezuelans in Caracas and across the world demonstrate to defend opposition's victory claim — 17 August 2024 (LINK)

Bangladesh unrest killed more than 600 people, UN report says — 17 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 14 media reports (LINK)

Elon Musk's X shuts down Brazil operation X in Musk's censorship feud with Supreme Court judge — 17 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 70 media reports (LINK)

— Musk says Brazil is trying to censor X posts. Judge says the platform is a haven for hate speech.

Trump and Melania reveal how much cash they make from MAGA — 17 August 2024 (LINK)

— The 167-page filing shows the president made $300,000 in royalties from a special edition of the Lee Greenwood Bible, which sells for $59.99. Melania also cashed in with $237,500 for a speaking gig in Mar-a-Lago she did for the Log Cabin Republicans, in April. She was also paid another $220,000 for a speaking gig in at the 2022 Log Cabin Republican gala. Trump and his wife made a combined $7.4 million on his NFT "Collect Trump Cards" trading cards.

— Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort itself made $56.9 million in revenues, up $4.6 million from last year's report — although costs were not reported, so how profitable to club is is unknown.

— His golf courses also brought in nine figures for the former president. Trump's National Doral golf resort brought in $160.1 million alone.

— In total, Trump listed $635 million in assets. However, the former president, notably, is still on the hook for a $83.3 million following E. Jean Carroll's sexual abuse and defamation cases against him and then another $454 million to New York state for his civil fraud judgement.

— Trump's nine figure assets easily surpass Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff's $450,380 income in 2024 and assets of around $10 million.

Swiss tech firm FinalSpark launches AI made of human brain cells (organoids) rental service for $500 a month: The organoids only live about 100 days, and then, ostensibly, the AI dies — 17 August 2024 (LINK)

— The purpose of these biocomputers, according to FinalSpark, is to develop a highly efficient, low-energy solution to the ballooning costs associated with developing artificial intelligence models. The company says it could be as much as 100,000 times more efficient to use computers made of organic material to train AI than it is to use traditional silicon-based technology. The technology can be viewed live online.

The Matterhorn machine: Zermatt drives tourism like a high-powered engine, with AI — 17 August 2024 (LINK)

— Artificial intelligence at the Monte Rosa hut at an altitude of almost 2,900monte uses the expected number of guests, the battery level and the weather forecast to calculate in advance whether and how much heating, electricity or hot water is required. Thanks to his experience, hut warden Kilian Emmenegger could assess all of this himself. But unlike the AI, he doesn't recalculate every 15 minutes. The software has reduced the hut's energy consumption by 7%.

— The new building was estimated to cost three to four times as much as a normal hut would have cost. After just two years, more solar panels had to be installed because more visitors came than expected. The guests want to charge their cellphones and take a hot shower. There is 5G reception on the glacier. The Monte Rosa hut is profitable — the amenities have paid off. "For 120 guests per night, burning wood for fuel is not enough." says Emmenegger.

The rising use of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing Hong Kong conservation efforts as it offers more accurate population estimates of some species and monitors their habitats more efficiently, experts and a start-up have said — 18 August 2024 (LINK)

Switzerland offers cash prize to get munitions out of lakes — 17 August 2024 (LINK)

Sweden confirms first case of mpox strain outside Africa — 16 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 220 media reports (LINK)

— The Swedish Public Health Agency stated the patient contracted mpox during a stay in an African region experiencing a major outbreak.

UN officials issue warning about massive 'disinformation campaign' peddled by fossil fuel industry: 'Ordinary people are having to pay the price' — 16 August 2024 (LINK)

— The world's largest climate survey has found that 80% of people worldwide want their government to do more about climate change; 72% of people wanted a "quick transition" away from fossil fuels.

US official says Mideast mediators are preparing to implement cease-fire deal before final agreement — 16 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 107 media reports (LINK)

OpenAI blocks Iranian group's ChatGPT accounts for targeting US election — 16 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 30 media reports (LINK)

Gold rallies to record high on softer dollar, rate-cut expectations — 16 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 36 media reports (LINK)

Meta denies allegations over half of crypto ads on Facebook are scams — 16 August 2024 (LINK)

AP: Trump blends falsehoods and exaggerations at rambling NJ press conference — 16 August 2024 (LINK)

Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu presented with Olympic bronze medal first awarded to American Jordan Chiles — 16 August 2024 (LINK)

Olympic athlete overweight by 3 ounces disqualified from gold medal match: 'Forgive me' — 16 August 2024 (LINK)

— Wrestler Vinesh Phogat of India was set to compete for a gold medal at the Paris Olympics when she was disqualified for weighing about 3 ounces more than the limit. The athlete appealed to get a shared silver medal, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed her request on 14 August.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) condemned an online petition calling for an investigation into Raygun's selection for the Paris Olympics, saying it contained falsehoods aimed at inciting hatred against her — 16 August 2024 (LINK)

— AOC chief executive Matt Carroll said the petition had "stirred up public hatred without any factual basis", adding that it was "vexatious, misleading and bullying".

What National Public Data's 2.7 billion-record breach means for U.S. banks — 16 August 2024 (LINK)

Parliament elects Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra as Thailand's prime minister — 16 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 85 media reports (LINK)

Five arrests made in death of actor Matthew Perry, California police say: personal assistant and two doctors among those indicted after Friends star died last year of 'acute effects of ketamine' — 16 August 2024 (LINK)

ChatGPT is truly awful at diagnosing medical conditions — 16 August 2024 (LINK)

— Previous research showed that the chatbot could scrape a pass in the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) — a finding hailed by its authors as "a notable milestone in AI maturation." But in the new study, published on 31 July in the journal PLOS ONE, scientists cautioned against relying on the chatbot for complex medical cases that require human discernment. Scientists asked the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to assess 150 case studies from the medical website Medscape and found that GPT 3.5 (which powered ChatGPT when it launched in 2022) only gave a correct diagnosis 49% of the time.

Heather Cox Richardson: 'Weird' Republicanism — 16 August 2024 (LINK)

EVs are losing up to 50 percent of their value in one year i the U.K. — 16 August 2024 (LINK)

High-stakes Gaza ceasefire and hostage release talks resume in Doha — 15 August 2024 (LINK)

More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the territory's Health Ministry says — 15 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 172 media reports (LINK)

Taliban have deliberately deprived 1.4 million Afghan girls of schooling through bans, says UNESCO — 15 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 54 media reports (LINK)

What National Public Data's 2.7 billion-record breach means for U.S. banks — 16 August 2024 (LINK)

Glacier decline is speeding up in the French Alps — 15 August 2024 (LINK)

Russian court convicts former ballet dancer to 12 years in prison over €46 donation to Ukraine — 15 August 2024 (LINK)

Five arrests made in death of actor Matthew Perry, California police say: personal assistant and two doctors among those indicted after Friends star died last year of 'acute effects of ketamine' — 16 August 2024 (LINK)

An asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs, not a comet, new study finds — 15 August 2024 (LINK)

Malcolm McDowell rules in newly remastered Caligula: The Ultimate Cut: Along with Helen Mirren and Peter O'Toole, the actor rises above the material in this elaborate new edit of the infamously smutty epic scripted by Gore Vidal — 15 August 2024 (LINK)

WHO declares mpox outbreak a global health emergency for second time in two years — 14 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 7 media reports (LINK)

Ukraine: Kyiv to create 'buffer zone' in Kursk — 14 August 2024 (LINK)

Sudan ceasefire talks start despite army no-show — 14 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 18 media reports (LINK)

In surprise announcement, Japan PM Kishida says he won't run in LDP presidential election, Kyodo reports — 14 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 55 media reports (LINK)

— Kishida, stung by his party's corruption scandals, has suffered dwindling support ratings that have dipped below 20%. Local election losses earlier in the year eroded his clout, and LDP lawmakers have voiced the need for a fresh face ahead of the next general election.

Thai court removes PM Srettha Thavisin from office over cabinet appointment of Cabinet member previously imprisoned for an alleged bribery attempt. — 14 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 92 media reports (LINK)

Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling named in French harassment lawsuit by newly crowned Olympic champion and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif: maybe also Donald Trump — 14 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 30 media reports (LINK)

Tropical Storm Ernesto pummels northeast Caribbean and leaves hundreds of thousands in the dark — 14 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 109 media reports (LINK)

— Tropical storm warnings were discontinued for Puerto Rico and its outlying islands of Vieques and Culebra and for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. An island-wide blackout was reported in St. John and St. Croix.

Jamaica declares southern state of emergency after Sunday night killings — 14 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 10 media reports (LINK)

— Eight people, including a seven-year-old boy, were killed in separate gun attacks on Cherry Tree Lane in Clarendon on Sunday, local media reported. Several arrests have been made, according to the reports.

Columbia University president quits, months after handling of Gaza war protests — 14 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 156 media reports (LINK)

Text-to-speech brain implant restores ALS patient's voice — 14 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 13 media reports (LINK)

New Zealand food bank unknowingly distributed candy made from a potentially lethal amount of methamphetamine — 14 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 35 media reports (LINK)

Thousands of Australians reportedly sign petition to hold Raygun accountable for "unethical conduct" — 14 August 2024 (LINK)

— In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee, Raygun (aka Rachel Gunn) is accused by critics of manipulating the Olympic selection process to her "own advantage" by setting up her "own governing body for breakdancing" and overlooking other qualified breakdancers.

— Raygun defended her performance during a press conference on 10 August, saying, "I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best—their power moves. What I bring is creativity. All of my moves are original. Creativity is really important to me. I go out there, and I show my artistry. Sometimes it speaks to the judges, and sometimes it doesn't. I do my thing, and it represents art. That is what it is about."

Handicap International announces completion of Broken Chair restoration 8 July–7 August — 13 August 2024 (LINK)

Lithuania abandons Cluster Munition Ban during restoration of monument: 25 July 2024 — (LINK)

— Daniel Suda-Lang, Director of Handicap Internaitonal Suisse:"The arguments put forward by Lithuania — that we are living in exceptional times, that cluster munitions can provide an effective deterrent against a potential enemy and that they have great military utility — are inadmissible.*

— HI Advocacy Director Anne Héry: "We are dismayed." Lithuania began considering withdrawal from the Convention last year after the United States started supplying Ukraine with cluster munitions in July 2023. The withdrawal of Lithuania will take effect 6 months after notifying it to all other States Parties to the Convention and the UN Security Council.

Yemen's Houthis seized UN rights office in Sanaa, UN official says — 13 August 2024 (LINK)

IDF uses Gazan civilians as human shields to inspect potentially booby-trapped tunnels — 13 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 23 media reports (LINK)

Global debt hits a new high of $315 trillion — 13 August 2024 (LINK)

— Since the onset of the pandemic, debt has surged by 21%, adding $54.1 trillion to the global total. The largest share of debt is held by non-financial corporations, at $94.1 trillion, while government borrowings follow closely behind at $91.4 trillion. Meanwhile, the financial sector holds $70.4 trillion in debt and households carry $59.1 trillion.

Study finds 94% of business spreadsheets have critical errors — 13 August 2024 (LINK)

— The research team reviewed studies from the past 35.5 years for journal articles and 10.5 years for conference papers, focusing on spreadsheet quality and related techniques across different fields.The study found that most research focuses on testing and fixing spreadsheets after they are created, rather than on early development stages like planning and design.

— The study suggests that adopting a life cycle approach to spreadsheet quality can help reduce errors. Addressing quality from the beginning can help businesses lower risks and improve the reliability of their decision-making tools.

Ex-Twitter staffer wins $600K over Musk's click-yes-or-resign ultimatum — 13 August 2024 (LINK)

Elon Musk said Donald Trump interview suffered a 'DDoS attack' — X / Twitter employees say he's lying: Trump and Musk are both misrepresenting viewership numbers for their interview on X too — 13 August 2024 (LINK)

— "Combined views of the conversation with @realDonaldTrump and subsequent discussion by other accounts now ~1 billion," Musk said on X, calculating the total of all post views or impressions about the Space chat. As of publishing time, the X Space between Trump and Musk has roughly 24 million views, which includes the live viewership numbers as well as replays. The post itself, however, claims 183 million views or impressions.

UAW files charges against Trump and Musk over strike remarks in X-Twitter interview — 13 August 2024 (LINK)

Former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters in Colorado has been convicted of tampering with 2020 voting machines in a scheme to transfer voting data to Trump allies — 13 August 2024 (LINK)

Sakana AI releases AI Scientist which Writes Scientific Papers for $15: To ensure the quality of its work, the system runs a simulated review process for evaluation, mimicking the human scientific community's peer-review process — 13 August 2024 (LINK)

Coral AI will help you summarize and research faster than ever before — 13 August 2024 (LINK)

— For every question asked, Coral AI provides a reference to a clickable page number.

Paramount begins shedding 15 percent of U.S. workforce after merging with Skydance Media and closes TV studio, as traditional tv market slumps — 13 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 27 media reports (LINK)

Russia evacuates second border region as Ukrainian invasion escalates — 12 August 2024 (LINK)

— The governor of Russia's Belgorod region announced on Monday that residents of Krasnaya Yaruga district, located on the frontier with Ukraine, would be evacuated due to Ukrainian military activity in the area.

Sierra Leone's president Julius Maada Bio uses UN Security Council presidency to urge more seats for Africa, advocating for two permanent spots with veto power — 12 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 11 media reports (LINK)

— Bio's presence put an exclamation point on the issue ahead of a U.N. "Summit of the Future" and the annual General Assembly gathering of presidents, prime ministers and monarchs. Both gatherings are scheduled next month.

Heat caused nearly 50,000 deaths in Europe last year, study finds — 12 August 2024 (LINK)

CERN experiment achieves groundbreaking first observations of high-energy neutrino interactions in a particle collide — 12 August 2024 (LINK)

— Despite their abundance in the universe, neutrinos are sometimes called "ghost particles" given that they seldom interact with matter, making them difficult to detect.

The Geneva Conventions — the world's rules of war — are 75 years old and ignored nearly everywhere — 12 August 2024 (LINK)

Colombian villagers release more than 60 soldiers who had been held captive for 3 days — 12 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 8 media reports (LINK)

An 18-year-old Turkish teen wearing Nazi paraphernalia stabbed at least five people outside the Tepebasi Mosque in Eskisehir, livestreaming the attack on social media — 12 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 26 media reports (LINK)

— The daily Cumhuriyet claimed he was "influenced by war games" without going into details.

Heather Cox Richardson: What's happening in the Republican camp — 12 August 2024 (LINK)

Horses are smarter than previously thought, researchers say — 12 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 5 media reports (LINK)