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Naftali Bennett, the Prime Minister of Israel towards the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, says the West “blocked” a ceasefire he was helping to broker early in the war. Bennett, who was prime minister and then alternate prime minister in Israel during a confusing period of coalition politics prior to the return of Benjamin Netanyahu as head of government in December, said that “there was a good chance of reaching a ceasefire” before the Western powers “curbed” negotiations in a wide-ranging interview uploaded to YouTube. Israel is one of a number of states traditionally seen as being aligned with the West, along with the likes of India and Turkey , which have played little or no part in efforts to support Ukraine militarily or engage in the sanctions war with Russia, with Bennett explaining that while “the Americans expect… that we all rally for Ukraine” this would not necessarily have been in Israel’s interests. By way of example, Bennett … [Read more...] about Western Powers ‘Blocked’ Ceasefire Early in Ukraine War: Israeli Ex-PM

Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Expectant parents may want to consider moving to Scandinavia, as a new report has revealed Denmark, Sweden and Norway top the list of best countries in the world for raising a child. The findings are according to the annual Best Countries Report, conducted by US News & World Report and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, which point to the Scandinavian countries’ “generous paternal and maternal leave” and free preschool. “These countries tend to have generous paternal leave and maternal leave, offer free preschool, and have good overall public education systems,” Deidre McPhillips, senior data editor at US News & World report, told CNN . Rounding out the top five countries on this year's list are Canada and the Netherlands, in fourth … [Read more...] about The best countries in the world to raise a child, ranked

USRowing rejected fairness for female rowers of all ages and levels with the release of its updated Gender Identity Policy on December 1. We are a group of former Olympic rowers, and we are enraged that USRowing would adopt a policy that so blatantly discriminates against female athletes in rowing. The updated policy permits males, with or without testosterone suppression, to compete in girls' and women's events. Only at the collegiate and elite level has USRowing allowed any restrictions. At that level, male rowers competing in the women's category must comply with World Rowing's policy , which requires 12 months of continuous testosterone suppression at no greater than 5 nmol/L, twice the high end of the normal range for females. Science has unequivocally proven that testosterone suppression— even for years —does not erase the physiologic advantages that males have over females. Every cell has a sex which influences all aspects of the body's development. It is not … [Read more...] about USRowing Denies Fairness for Female Athletes

Here’s something odd: We’re getting worse at construction. Think of the technology we have today that we didn’t in the 1970s. The new generations of power tools and computer modeling and teleconferencing and advanced machinery and prefab materials and global shipping. You’d think we could build much more, much faster, for less money, than in the past. But we can’t. Or, at least, we don’t. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, productivity in the construction sector — how much more could be done given the same number of workers and machines and land — grew faster than productivity in the rest of the economy. Then, around 1970, it began to fall, even as economywide productivity kept rising. Today, the divergence is truly wild. A construction worker in 2020 produced less than a construction worker in 1970, at least according to the official statistics. Contrast that with the economy overall, where labor productivity rose by 290 percent between 1950 and 2020, or to the manufacturing sector, … [Read more...] about The Story Construction Tells About America’s Economy Is Disturbing

A World Cup final for the ages delivered a crowning glory for soccer icon Lionel Messi on Sunday as Argentina beat reigning men's champion France on penalty kicks. One of the most dramatic major sporting events in history had the teams tied 3-3 after extra time, with the French ultimately missing twice in the shootout before Gonzalo Montiel converted to seal an exhausting and emotional victory. Argentina had dominated the bulk of the match, leading 2-0 with just about 10 minutes to go, but France burst into life with star forward Kylian Mbappé scoring twice in as many minutes. Both sides traded missed chances and then late goals again in the 30 minutes of extra time before the tension of penalty kicks. The game capped a month of sporting drama and geopolitical controversy in Qatar. The tournament featured surprise results and fairy-tale runs , but the final had two giants of the game compete for the title — headlined by a pair of stars. The speedy and skillful Mbappé … [Read more...] about Argentina wins World Cup on penalty kicks over France

close Video 'You're Just a Troll': Tucker Takes on Satanist Fox News Insider Members of The Satanic Temple plan to oppose a proposed Idaho bill that would prohibit sex-change surgery and drugs for minors by holding a "gender affirmation ritual" on the grounds of the state Capitol. A bill titled the " Vulnerable Child Protection Act " was introduced by Republican state Rep. Bruce Skaug last week and would render offering puberty blockers or transgender surgery for minors a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The bill aims to protect "children from harmful pharmaceutical and surgical interventions for the purpose of changing the appearance of a child's sex," but would not apply to those who require treatment because of medically necessary treatments, according to a fact sheet released by the Idaho Family Policy Center. CHRISTIAN ‘PRAYER WARRIORS’ RAISE ALARM OVER BOSTON'S SATANCON 2023: ‘USING THE SUPERNATURAL’ … [Read more...] about Idaho Satanists plan ‘gender affirmation ritual’ to protest ban on surgeries for children: ‘I praise myself’

Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov will be replaced by the chief of military intelligence ahead of an expected Russian offensive and following corruption scandals, a senior lawmaker said Sunday. “We are preparing decisions and negotiations that should strengthen our soldiers, give Ukraine more international support and more weapons," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address without elaborating. Zelensky said this week he wanted talks on Ukraine’s membership in the EU to begin this year, stepping up the fight against corruption. A senior lawmaker close to Zelensky said later Sunday that 56-year-old Reznikov, one of the best-known faces of the country’s war effort, would be replaced. “Kyrylo Budanov will head the defence ministry, which is absolutely logical in wartime," said lawmaker David Arakhamia, referring to the 37-year-old chief of the military intelligence. Holding the rank of major general, Budanov has headed the military intelligence since … [Read more...] about Ukraine Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov Loses Job Following Corruption Allegations

Agence France-Presse (The Jakarta Post) PREMIUM Paris   ● Mon, February 6 2023 Stan Wawrinka took Switzerland to the Davis Cup Finals group stage on Saturday, winning a rollercoaster deciding clash against Germany, just weeks shy of his 38 th birthday. Three-time Grand Slam title winner Wawrinka, who helped the Swiss to the Davis Cup title alongside Roger Federer in 2014, defeated Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 as his country triumphed 3-2 in its qualifying tie. Former world number three Wawrinka, now down at 135 after a long spell rebuilding his career following two foot surgeries, was playing in the tournament for the first time in eight years, having made his debut in 2004. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept … [Read more...] about Wawrinka seals win for Swiss in Davis Cup qualifiers

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter A new Earth-sized rocky planet discovered about 31 light years away may be a “promising target” to search for signs of extraterrestrial life , according to a new study. The research, published recently in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, describes a planet orbiting its home star – the red dwarf Wolf 1069 – in the habitable zone that may be conducive for liquid water to exist on the planet’s surface. Researchers, including those from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, say the planet is a rocky planet with an Earth-like mass that may also have an atmosphere. These features, they say, make the planet one of few “promising targets” to look for signs of life-friendly conditions as well as life signature molecules. To put the new discovery into perspective, scientists explain that only a dozen of the over … [Read more...] about Newly discovered Earth-sized planet may be ‘promising target’ to look for alien life, study says

Russia began amassing troops along the Ukrainian border a little more than a year ago while simultaneously conducting military drills with neighboring ally Belarus. This time a year ago the Winter Olympics were being held in Beijing. A few days after the Olympics ended, Russia began its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The war will hit its one-year mark on February 24, and the amount of Russian losses keep mounting at a rapid rate. The Ukraine Defense Ministry stated Saturday that 720 Russian soldiers died the previous day, bringing the total to 130,590 dead Russian soldiers on the war's 346th day. This is an increase of more than 5,000 Russian deaths since last Saturday , and more than 10,500 over the last 14 days. Russian deaths could possibly hit 140,000 by the one-year mark of war this month, according to Ukraine's average of recent daily numbers. In addition Saturday, Russia lost three tanks, 11 more artillery vehicles, four drones and 13 more vehicle and fuel tanks the … [Read more...] about Russian death toll soars past 130,000 as war nears 1-year mark: Ukraine