The UN adopted a ceasefire resolution backed by the United States
As the United States sought to pressure Hamas and Israel to accept a ceasefire in Gaza, the UN Security Council voted to adopt a resolution, introduced by the United States, calling for an immediate truce. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel yesterday for talks.
Blinken met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. That same day, he held talks in Cairo with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, whose government has helped mediate the talks.
More than two weeks have passed since Israel proposed the deal to Hamas. But the Israeli government has not formally accepted it and there has been no official response from Hamas. Netanyahu, who is facing pressure from far-right members of his government, has said the attack must continue until Hamas’s military and governance capabilities are destroyed.
The UN vote: Fourteen of the 15 council members voted in favor and Russia, which has veto power, abstained. By approving the resolution, the council marked a diplomatic victory for the United States, which had vetoed three previous ceasefire resolutions.
Whats Next: Blinken will also visit Qatar, another mediator between Israel and Hamas.
Israel’s hostage mission: Gazans described intense shelling during the raid that led to the rescue of four Israeli hostages and the deaths of dozens of Palestinians. “The entire hospital became one giant emergency room,” said one Gaza doctor.
The center remains in Europe, despite the victories of the right
Europe’s main conservatives, the European People’s Party, performed well and finished first in the European Parliament elections, even adding some seats, according to provisional results. Although the right did well in the 27 EU countries, the center held on.
It was a sign that the party’s strategy of integrating more right-wing policies to prevent voters from shifting to more right-wing rivals was working. These are the biggest trends emerging from the election.
The Greens: They were the biggest losers. They performed well in 2019 and emerged as a major progressive power in Parliament, but lost a quarter of their seats.
AfD: Germany’s far-right party scored a record result, despite its two main candidates being banned from campaigning after a series of public scandals.
France: Analysts are still analyzing President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to call early elections after a resounding defeat. The decision could be a way to prevent his opposition from organizing and present voters with a stark choice between him and the far right.
Apple launches into the fight for AI
Apple made a push to enter the generative AI race with plans to bring the technology to more than one billion iPhone users around the world. It introduced new features and also emphasized how it planned to integrate the technology into its products with privacy in mind.
Yesterday, the company revealed that it would use generative AI to power what it calls Apple Intelligence. The system will prioritize messages and notifications and offer writing tools that can correct text and offer suggestions. It will also result in a major improvement for Siri, which the company has left to languish.
Apple has reached an agreement with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, to support some of its artificial intelligence capabilities.
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The United States once considered modular construction as an efficient way to build many homes quickly. The idea had little impact in the United States, which still barely builds enough housing to maintain the status quo. But the idea radically influenced countries like Japan and Sweden, which are now leaders in industrialized housing construction.
In this video, Times contributor Francesca Mari breaks down the process of building a house in 30 minutes with a tour of the Lindbäcks factory.
25 years ago, ‘Hannibal’ was a new kind of blockbuster book
“The Silence of the Lambs,” published in 1988, introduced millions of readers to the psychiatrist and sweet-toothed murderer. Hannibal Lecter. Three years later, the book was turned into a film. And fans were desperate for a sequel.
But Thomas Harris, the author, practically disappeared in his slow, methodical writing. Finally, in 1999 he published “Hannibal.” The release set off a frenzy in the book business: Fans cleaned out their calendars, retailers prepared their shelves, and critics sharpened their knives.
It was also one of the first big publications of the hyper-speed, hyper-obstinate Internet era. The hype fanned the flames and helped immortalize the character.