Desire-

Rory McIlroy has resigned from the PGA Tour's Policy Board with the American circuit embroiled in high level negotiations over how to fund its future. McIlroy's shock decision was revealed in a memo to the tour's players issued by commissioner Jay Monahan, who thanked the golfer "for his dedication and commitment to the tour". At a time of unprecedented rancour and uncertainty in the men's professional game, McIlroy had been a steadfast critic of the Saudi Arabia funded breakaway LIV tour and was regarded as an arch PGA Tour loyalist. But McIlroy revealed he felt like "a sacrificial lamb" after a secret framework agreement between the main US and European tours and the Saudi Public Investment Fund was announced in June this year. Since then, the Northern Irishman has been more reluctant to comment on the ongoing negotiations to settle the game's future. Meetings took place earlier this week to discuss potential funding from new investment partners. McIlroy told reporters on Tuesday: "No one on the outside has any details. Loose lips sink ships, so we are trying to keep it tight and within walls. I'm sure when there's news to tell, it will be told." But he gave gave no indication that he was about to step down from the Policy Board. Monahan's memo later the same day confirmed the four-time major champion's departure from one of the most influential positions in the game. "Rory's resignation letter, which he sent to the full board, clearly stated that the difficult decision was made due to professional and personal commitments," Monahan wrote. McIlroy had served on the tour's Player Advisory Council between 2019 and 2021, acting as chairman for the final year of that spell. He then became a player director on the board. "During his tenure, Rory's insight has been instrumental in helping shape the success of the tour, and his willingness to thoughtfully voice his opinions has been especially impactful," Monahan added. "Given the extraordinary time and effort that Rory - and all his fellow player directors - have invested in this unprecedented, transformational period in our history, we certainly understand and respect his decision to step down in order to focus on his game and his family." Masters champion Jon Rahm immediately ruled himself out as a candidate to replace McIlroy on the board. "You won't see me there," the Spaniard said. "Absolutely no chance. I've been asked a couple times if I have any interest, and I'm not going to spend, I don't know how many meetings they have, but they are six, seven, hour plus long. "As regards to Rory, he's obviously been put in a situation where a lot has been expected of him, and I don't know the exact reason why he left the board. "But I certainly wouldn't blame somebody like him to just want to focus a bit more on his game and his family and enjoy the bit of time he's truly earned. Again, it's a big commitment for somebody to be part of it." McIlroy's management declined to comment on his resignation when approached by BBC Sport. Link

ooths, a high-end supermarket chain in northern England, has announced it is removing self-checkouts in the majority of its stores. The retailer said it was not a fan of the machines and prided itself on great customer service “and you can’t do that through a robot”. It is believed to be the first supermarket chain in the UK to return to fully-staffed tills, so the Guardian asked people for their views about self-checkouts. Here, four of them share their experiences of the machines and the effect they have on their supermarket shop. ‘A chat at the checkout may be the only social interaction for older people’ Self-checkouts are one of the things that rile me – if they’re my only choice in a shop I feel really aggravated. When I’m using them I need to find my glasses and there’s always something that fails to scan. I also feel strongly about the social connection that comes with shopping. Many older people live on their own and for some, a chat at the checkout may be their only social interaction. I appreciate it too and a chatty, happy cashier can make a difference to my day. It’s not like our products are getting cheaper because they’re employing fewer people. I don’t think self-checkouts should be banned as that doesn’t make sense. Some people clearly like them and the anonymity. Maybe they’re quicker for some things but I never find that’s the case. Wendy Richardson, 58, runs a micro-bakery, Forres ‘The main worry is self-checkouts takes people’s jobs away’ I shop in most supermarkets and there aren’t many staffed cashiers, especially in the evening. Where’s the choice? The only thing you seem to be able to do is march with your feet and shop elsewhere. It can also be stress inducing to use self-checkouts, which adds pressure to my food shopping, and they don’t always work when you try to scan things. There’s also the feeling that we’re doing the supermarket’s work for them physically. The main worry is that it takes jobs away from people. It seems to be about profit and reducing the customer’s experience. If I had a choice I would want self-checkouts to be reduced to a minimum or even stopped altogether. Domenik Vilia, 52, community mental health nurse, Huddersfield ‘They’re straightforward, completely functional and efficien I love self-checkouts and don’t feel the need to have a natter with anyone when I go into a shop, any more than when I’m with a hairdresser. I get that people who don’t see anybody all day might crave human interaction, but that’s not the case for me. I don’t want to make small talk but I also don’t want to ignore someone – I would rather have no interaction than a worthless one. Self-checkouts are straightforward, completely functional and efficient. There’s a slight annoyance about having your ID checked for alcohol but in the scheme of things you know it’s going to happen, and you just wave your arm to get someone’s attention. It’s like anything to do with technology – it’s about getting used to it. I try and embrace all things technological because it’s not going anywhere. I never get an “unexpected item in the bagging area” message because I always check I can hear the beep when scanning. Or if it’s a light item I always press it down a little bit and make sure it’s registered as being there. My father-in-law, who is 84, may be one of the people who led to Booths scrapping their self-checkouts. He actively avoids supermarkets that have them and believes they’re an invitation to theft. He shops in Booths, Penrith and is delighted and thinks it’s a victory. Richard Want, 61, social care worker, Kirkby Stephen ‘For neurodivergent people a self-checkout is the only way to feel comfortable’ I have autism and a big part of that is anxiety, particularly of people I don’t know. For neurodivergent people like me a self-checkout is the only way I feel comfortable using a shop. It can be difficult for me knowing I might have to speak to someone face-to-face and the anxiety feels a lot like nausea and manifests in a way that makes me want to avoid the situation. The reality is that I probably wouldn’t use a shop with no self-checkouts. Online shopping is definitely my preference but sometimes you need something quicker and it’s good to have the choice. I wouldn’t want to just see self-checkouts [and no staffed tills] – I’d want to see a mixture so people can use what’s best for them. Lily-Rose, 25, works in real estate, Rochester, Kent Link

Red alerts have been issued for almost 3,000 towns and cities across Brazil, which have been experiencing an unprecedented heatwave. Rio de Janeiro recorded 42.5C on Sunday - a record for November - and high humidity on Tuesday meant that it felt like 58.5C, municipal authorities said. More than a hundred million people have been affected by the heat, which is expected to last until at least Friday. Officials have attributed it to the El Niño phenomenon and climate change. The city of São Paulo saw average temperatures of 37.3C on Tuesday afternoon, the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) reported. "I'm exhausted, it's hard," Riquelme da Silva, 22, told AFP news agency on the streets there. "When I get home, it's cold water, otherwise I can't even get up because I'm so tired. It's even hard to sleep." Dora, a 60-year-old street vendor, described the heat as "unbearable" for those who worked outside. Inmet has issued red alerts for a large part of the country. These indicate that temperatures may be 5C above average for longer than five days and could pose a serious danger to health. The heatwave, which comes more than a month before the beginning of summer in the southern hemisphere, has seen Brazil's energy consumption soar to record levels as people try to keep themselves cool. Inmet research released last week showed that the average temperature in the country had been above the historical average from July to October. Extreme weather is becoming more frequent and more intense in many places around the world because of climate change. According to scientists, heatwaves are becoming longer and more intense in many places and this is expected to continue whilst humans keep releasing planet-warming greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, the Earth is currently in an El Niño weather phase, during which time global temperatures typically increase. Link

The problem has been resolved

Music title: Lil Durk - Smurk Carter Signer:Lil Durk Release date:Nov 10, 2023 Official YouTube link: Informations about the signer:- Your opinion about the track (music video):-

Nick movie: Rebel Moon Time: December 15, 2023 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: Netflix Duration of the movie: 2h 14m Trailer:

Your Nickname: Desire- Your Problem: when i stay afk on my server, i get kicked from it Screenshot: https://ibb.co/Hr2RdRw

The U.S. has tried to accommodate China’s requests, from what Xi sees outside to when his meeting with President Joe Biden was announced. WASHINGTON — A presidential meeting at an undisclosed location. Students lining the streets waving Chinese flags. A $2,000-per-plate dinner with the most powerful business executives in America. Every aspect of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to California this week has been highly choreographed, down to what he sees outside the window during a motorcade ride and what camera angle he’s recorded from, according to people familiar with the planning. “There is no detail too small,” said Kurt Campbell, the White House coordinator for the Indo-Pacific. Any meeting between two heads of state involves a degree of pomp and circumstance, but President Joe Biden’s long-awaited sit-down with Xi on Wednesday is the product of a painstaking process to accommodate China’s many requests. The behind-the-scenes effort is a sign of Beijing’s anxiety over the optics that could result from Xi’s first visit to the U.S. in six years. Overall, China is looking for Xi’s trip to California to be seen as a “grand visit,” officials said. The White House isn’t even sharing the precise location of Wednesday’s meeting, with officials publicly citing “operational security” concerns but privately conceding the Chinese didn’t want it disclosed to try to minimize protests. To try to visually overwhelm any protests, Chinese officials are expected to bring in students from across California to wave Chinese flags and show support for Xi. The move is meant to ensure Xi has a “pleasant visual” as he moves from event to event, a former official familiar with the planning said. “Those will be the pictures that will be beamed back home,” said Victor Cha, a former National Security Council director for Asian affairs. “Nothing can go wrong. It has to be 100% perfect,” Cha said, adding that the goal for the Chinese is that Xi be “treated like an emperor, and anything short of that or embarrassing is really the absolute worst thing that can happen for them.” The U.S. also has cleaned up San Francisco, including clearing out encampments of people experiencing homelessness and sprucing up the streets. Chinese officials have privately expressed concern to their U.S. counterparts about what Xi will experience during his travel, according to people familiar with the discussions. They insisted that the meeting be held before a broader gathering of Asia-Pacific leaders in San Francisco this week and at a location entirely separate from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit site, two current and former U.S. officials said. China’s request was designed to elevate Xi’s stature above that of the other world leaders traveling to California this week, the officials said. Another event where Xi will optically stand a cut above his counterparts is scheduled to take place Wednesday evening. After he meets with Biden, Xi is scheduled to headline a $2,000-a-plate dinner with top U.S. CEOs and other dignitaries, officials said. They said that Biden isn’t expected be there because he’ll be hosting a separate dinner but that some high-level administration officials might attend. Xi plans to deliver a major address at the dinner, which is being organized by American think tanks, including the Asia Society and the U.S. China Business Council, officials said. The evening also will include a private VIP reception beforehand for key executives, they said. The Chinese are keenly focused on courting the business community, as U.S. investment in China has been sliding in recent years, a huge priority area for Xi during the California visit. The CEOs dinner is also meant as a signal to Washington, according to experts, about the strong ties the Chinese government has with some influential business leaders, as the Chinese economy struggles to recover post-pandemic. “It’s crucial for those business leaders to listen to Chinese senior officials about what’s happening [with China’s economy] and to solve the doubts they have in mind,” said Mike Liu, a vice president and senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization. Xi last visited the U.S. in 2017, when he went to Florida to meet with President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Xi last spoke with Biden a year ago this week at a meeting in Bali, Indonesia, on the sidelines of the summit of the Group of 20 industrial and emerging-market nations. Relations soured three months later after the Biden administration shot down a Chinese spy balloon that had flown over the U.S. and Secretary of State Antony Blinken abruptly canceled a trip to Beijing. Biden administration officials have spent the months since then trying to reduce tensions with China, with the goal of getting a meeting between the two leaders on the calendar. In that sense, the U.S. also has incentive to make sure Xi feels his visit was a success, and it has worked to accommodate China’s requests. One of China’s requests was the timing of formally announcing Wednesday’s meeting, an administration official said. China wanted to delay an announcement until Monday, just two days before the meeting, another U.S. official said. The White House compromised and agreed to announce it Friday, though officials wanted to make it public earlier, the official said. The accommodating approach is a contrast to how China has handled some U.S. presidents’ visits to China. In 2016, for instance, President Barack Obama exited Air Force One from a small staircase in the belly of the plane after a lengthy debate on the ground between U.S. and Chinese officials over using a larger staircase that is typically rolled out for a red-carpet tarmac greeting. Campbell, the White House coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, said that for this trip by Xi, administration officials have been involved in discussions with the Chinese about “every possible aspect of the visit,” from camera angles to seating arrangements. “I think both sides want a high degree of predictability when our two leaders really sit down opposite each other,” he said. An unpredictable dynamic for Biden that could sour the optics for his goal of presenting the U.S. as economically strong and an example of a thriving democracy: a potential government shutdown. The federal government is set to run out of funding Friday, the last scheduled day of the Asia-Pacific summit. If there is no agreement on Capitol Hill before then, it’s possible Biden would return to Washington early, officials said, and his engagements in San Francisco would be cut short. On Monday, White House officials suggested a shutdown could be avoided, as well as a scenario that would be less than ideal for U.S. officials who hope a domestic crisis doesn’t overshadow an important global moment hosted by the president. Link

Following the reveal of its EX90 flagship EV, Volvo has launched its fully electric people carrier, the EM90. Where the former is most definitely a 'car', according to Volvo the EM90 is effectively a room on wheels. A room able to travel 458 miles on a single charge. That's thanks to a huge 116kWh battery pack - powering a 200kW motor - that'll go from 0-80 per cent charge in under 30 minutes. Volvo tells us the hardware enables bi-directional charging, just like in the EX90. The 0-62mph dash takes 8.3 seconds, which... isn't actually bad for a six-seater load-lugger, though it’s not clear if that’s with or without a full ship. You’re not going to want to be in any hurry though. Jim Rowan, boss of Volvo Cars, said: "The Volvo EM90 is a supremely comfortable electric car with a smart cabin, fast charging, a competitive driving range, Volvo's unique design language and a high level of premium in every detail. But far more important is what it does for you. It gives you room to connect. Room to create. Room to relax. Room for you and for those around you." Bedroom, living room, guest room… you choose. The rear door slides back to reveal an interior that looks more business-class-on-Emirates than back-of-a-car. We’re talking reclining seats, individual climate control panels, wide armrests, massive windows and bags of space. Volvo calls it the ‘lounge look’. It's all bedecked in neutral Scandi colours and accented elegantly with strategically placed metals. There’s a 15.4in front seat infotainment display and a 15.6in fold-down rear infotainment screen. Buried in the software stack, a Snapdragon super processor teams up with 5G connectivity to host a multitude of infotainment options, enables digital key functionality and conducts a suite of ‘cutting edge’ sensors (including high-def cameras, millimetre wave radar tech and ultrasonic radars) for all those fancy driver assist features. Couple those screens with the 21-speaker sound suite courtesy of Bowers and Wilkins and the cabin – Volvo says – turns into your own private concert hall, a theatre, bedroom or meeting room complete with video conferencing capabilities. Looking for a bit of peace and quiet? No problem. Sound isolation and road noise cancellation – which can be deployed via remote updates – have been enhanced with dual-chamber air suspension and 19in or 20in aero wheels wrapped in something Volvo calls ‘silent tyres’. Externally, the EM90 has been styled tastefully. The sharply defined geometry of the T-shaped ‘Thor’ headlights point to a grille less conspicuous than that of the Zeekr 009 on which the EM90 is based. Now available to pre-order in China for ¥818,000 Renminbi (£91,520), there’s no... room for it in Europe just yet. Link

Carlos Alcaraz suffered defeat on his ATP Finals debut as Alexander Zverev fought back to win in Turin, Italy. Wimbledon champion Alcaraz lost 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-4 to Germany's Zverev, who won the event in 2018 and 2021. It is the first time the 20-year-old Spaniard has lost three matches in a row since March 2021, when he was ranked outside the world's top 100. In the day's other Red Group singles match, third seed Daniil Medvedev beat fellow Russian Andrey Rublev 6-4 6-2. In the doubles, Briton Joe Salisbury and American partner Rajeev Ram made a winning start to their title defence with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Australian Matthew Ebden and Rohan Bopanna of India. And Britain's Neal Skupski and Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof - who are playing in their final tournament together - began their campaign with a 6-3 6-4 win over Australians Jason Kubler and Rinky Hijikata. Live scores, results and order of play Alerts: Get tennis news sent to your phone Alcaraz struggles for consistency World number two Alcaraz missed last year's tournament with an abdominal injury and was making his debut at the season-ending men's event for the world's top eight players. He had been hampered by foot and back problems last month and lost in his opening match at the Paris Masters on his return from injury. His shaky form continued on Monday as he struggled for consistency on the fast indoor hard court against Zverev. He trailed 3-1 in the opener before breaking back and staved off four break points in his next service game to lead the German for the first time. Zverev himself saved two set points to force a tie-break, but Alcaraz found some semblance of rhythm to clinch the opener. However, seventh seed Zverev responded instantly, breaking Alcaraz at the first opportunity as he forced a deciding set. Zverev played the big points better throughout, saving five of six break points and hitting 16 aces before sealing victory with a service winner. But there was a worrying moment for the German - who missed last year's event while recovering from a nasty right ankle injury sustained at the 2022 French Open - when he fell on his left ankle towards the end of the match. "I didn't twist my ankle. I kind of slipped. There was a pain for a while and I don't think any damage has been done," the ATP Finals website quoted Zverev as saying. "I hope not and we will see when it settles down. It is nothing comparable to Paris." Medvedev halts Turin losing run World number three Daniil Medvedev was defeated in all three of his round-robin matches in Turin last year, losing all of them in third-set tie-breaks. But the 2020 champion has got off to a much better start this time and was in dominant form against compatriot Rublev, whose increasing frustration boiled over at times. In a high-quality and draining first set played from the baseline, Medvedev broke in the seventh game but was then tested when serving for the set three games later. The 2021 US Open champion had to save four break points - helped by some brilliant reflexes at the net - and squandered three set points with some loose play before finally converting his fourth. Medvedev then ran away with the second, going a double break up after his opponent and good friend slipped on the court while reaching for a shot. That left Rublev nursing his right hand after he landed on it and he sat with his head in his hands at the changeover, talking to himself and then taking his emotions out on a water bottle. Medvedev quickly wrapped up victory, serving out to love, to go top of the group above Zverev because he won in straight sets. The ATP Finals features eight of the year's best men's players split into two groups of four, with the top two qualifying for the semi-finals. Novak Djokovic is the defending champion and secured the year-end number one status with victory over Denmark's Holger Rune on Sunday. The Serb is back in action on Tuesday when he takes on home hope Jannik Sinner (20:00 GMT), while Rune faces Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the other singles match (13:30) in Green Group. LINK

The ultimate haute cuisine: outdoor cooking on the Lake District’s fells Harrison Ward, better known as Fell Foodie, began cooking elaborate meals on mountain summits as a way to improve his mental health. Now he’s sharing his recipes in a cookbook Stuart Kenny Tue 14 Nov 2023 07.00 GMT The amber, auburn and crimson colours of autumn cosy up on top of one another, each layer dotted with patches of green, waving gently in the wind. This description is not one of the Lake District landscape before me, though it does match those views. Rather, it’s of the cabbage and butternut squash sabzi that’s just been handed to me by Harrison Ward on the summit of Black Fell – cooked on a camping stove with red onion, diced garlic and ginger, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon turmeric, accompanied by a freshly made flatbread and topped with coriander. Better known to many as Fell Foodie, Harrison is an Ambleside local who has acquired a substantial Instagram following for cooking up extravagant meals on the fells. “I’ve always loved that mindful experience of crafting a meal and sharing food with people,” he says. “Food plays a huge part in my own life, so why go outdoors and leave that passion behind?” Harrison has just released his debut book Cook Out, and the sabzi is one of 85 recipes included. i t’s not a common sight on a mountain summit: someone whipping out a chopping board and a hefty kitchen knife, cutting up cabbage, cubing squash, stirring in turmeric and cooking it all to a gentle simmer, but it certainly makes the meal more memorable than some dehydrated noodles. “I get the convenience of dehydrated meals, but they’re actually quite expensive – and I’ve never really enjoyed that side of food,” says Harrison, chopping through a red onion. “It feels like we’ve lost that connection with our food, and to the conversations it can bring about.” He laughs, adding: “I’m certainly now inundated with offers to join me on the hillside.” I don’t doubt it. We’d set off a couple of hours earlier from our lakeside pitches at Low Wray campsite on Windermere, and hiked up a muddy trail weaving through the wobbly dry stone walls that dissect the countryside here, rising gradually up Black Fell. Harrison’s backpack looked weighty enough, but it wasn’t cartoonishly large, as you’d perhaps expect for someone hauling half a kitchen up a fell top. “The challenge, the humour and, at times, the ridiculousness of it is not lost on me at all,” he says. “When you’re grating nutmeg on top of a fell or using a pestle and mortar to make your own curry paste, there’s a bit of that. It puts your problems into perspective – these vistas and open spaces. It feels like the reset we require Harrison Ward “Some might say it’s pointless but ultimately, I suppose, so is going up the hill in the first place.” On the contrary, few people have found such meaning in both endeavours as Harrison, whose cooking and hiking is also intrinsically linked to his mental health. Harrison is seven years sober, and speaks regularly about his struggles with alcoholism and depression. Link

Thousands could be trapped inside Gaza's largest hospital due to nearby fighting, while officials have warned of rotting bodies piling up there. Al-Shifa Hospital, which is also tackling power cuts and a lack of fuel, is "nearly a cemetery", the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. The hospital's manager said it was under a "blockade", and that dogs had started eating corpses. The area around the hospital has seen intense fighting in recent days. US President Joe Biden said he hoped to see "less intrusive action" at the hospital, which he said "must be protected". Gaza City has seen an intensification of fighting between Israeli and Hamas forces in recent days, much of which has been taking place in streets close to the hospital. There have been reports of tanks and armoured vehicles being within metres of the hospital gate. Israel accuses Hamas of operating a command-and-control centre in tunnels underneath the hospital, which Hamas and the hospital deny. It also accuses Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, of "preventing humanitarian solutions". Israel's army has also said that while there are clashes close to Al-Shifa, there is no shooting at the hospital itself nor a siege, and that anyone wanting to leave can do so. Christian Lindmeier, a spokesman for the WHO, said about 600 people remained in the hospital, with others sheltering in hallways. "Around the hospital there are dead bodies which cannot be taken care of or not even be buried or taken away to any sort of morgue," he said. "The hospital is not working at all any more as it should. It's nearly a cemetery." The Hamas-run health ministry has said there are at least 2,300 people still inside the hospital - up to 650 patients, 200 to 500 staff and around 1,500 people seeking shelter. Doctors have also spoken of bodies piling up and rotting at the hospital, and Dr Mohamed Abu Selmia, Al-Shifa's manager, said there were about 150 bodies decomposing, "leaving unpleasant odours". He told the BBC the Israeli authorities had still not granted permission for those bodies to leave the hospital to be buried, and that dogs had now entered the hospital grounds and started eating the bodies. There are also concerns about the fate of dozens of premature babies that are no longer able to stay in their incubators due to the power cuts. Dr Selmia said three babies were among several patients who have died due to a lack of oxygen. He said negotiations had been conducted with Israeli authorities to try to evacuate the babies, but that no agreement had been reached. Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel was offering "practical solutions" to evacuate the babies, but accused Hamas of not accepting proposals. "They don't take the fuel that was offered for their generators. They don't support the movement of babies out in ambulances, so of course they're stuck there because [Hamas] want those terrible photographs," he said. He also accused Hamas of turning the hospital "into a war zone" by building tunnels underneath it. Hamas denies using the hospital for its operations, while doctors inside insist there is no Hamas presence there. As well as Al-Shifa, other hospitals across the Gaza Strip have reported widespread issues, including a lack of supplies and power due to the fighting and the blockade Israel has enforced on the territory since Hamas launched its attacks on Israel on 7 October. Link

I'II ignore the 200 posts issue, since we need staffs for right now

Nick movie: THE FAMILY PLAN Time: December 15, 2023 Netflix / Amazon / HBO:Apple TV+ Duration of the movie: 1h 58m Trailer:

While nearly 70% of Democrats approve of Biden’s job performance overall, the number drops to 50% when it comes to the conflict in Gaza, an Associated Press-NORC survey found. WASHINGTON — When Joe Biden came of age, he saw Israel as a besieged state that was a haven for a persecuted Jewish minority, a worldview that stayed with him through his 36 years in the Senate and his rise to the presidency. Biden often recalls in public speeches what former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir told him 50 years ago: “We have nowhere else to go.” Today, a faction of Biden’s party sees Israel very differently: as a military colossus run by far-right officials who’ve suppressed Palestinians and denied them basic freedoms. These dueling perceptions are the root of a fresh foreign policy crisis that is tearing at Biden’s political coalition and putting him in the awkward spot of reining in a Jewish state he has long revered. The diplomatic challenge would bedevil any president. But it may be even more excruciating for Biden, who took his children to view the Nazi death camps and who calls himself a “Zionist in my heart.” As Israeli leaders’ most important partner, Biden finds himself needing to help them defeat Hamas while limiting civilian bloodshed in crowded cities where the militants operate. He must reassure an anxious Jewish po[CENSORED]tion without alienating Arab and Muslim Americans who argue that his nostalgia for Israel is outdated. Beyond that, he needs to avoid escalation so that a contained conflict in the Middle East doesn’t draw in other countries and devolve into a global conflagration. “Don’t,” he warned Middle East adversaries who may have considered attacking Israel. So far, they haven’t. “He’s really trying to strike a balance in a challenging public opinion and military environment,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in an interview. “I’m very concerned about the potential for escalation, and the president has done very well in deterring Iran and Hezbollah by sending in aircraft carriers and other military actions.” Less successful is Biden’s attempt to unify his own country. The damage wrought by Israel’s military response to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 ignited a backlash that the White House has struggled to quell. Muslim leaders in Michigan and Minnesota have held protests and news conferences in recent weeks with the rallying cry, “Abandon Biden.” Scores of Biden campaign alumni wrote a letter to him last week calling on him to pressure Israel to stand down. While nearly 70% of Democrats approve of Biden’s job performance overall, the number drops to 50% when it comes to his handling of the conflict in Gaza, an Associated Press-NORC survey showed. Inside Congress, some Democratic lawmakers are urging the White House to take a more critical tone in public statements on the war or risk losing crucial support in battleground states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania. “I would like to see more aggressive and more clear public rhetoric. People around the country would like to see that,” said one moderate Democratic lawmaker, speaking on condition of anonymity to talk more freely. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D.-Mass., a former presidential candidate, said she is in touch with constituents “who are deeply disturbed about the extreme number of civilian casualties and who want to see Israel live up to its obligation to respect civilians. The U.S. has a responsibility to be a good ally, and part of that is to remind our friends of the importance of abiding by international law and protecting civilians.” Warren declined to say whether she has shared this perspective directly with Biden. (Asked about the warnings coming from Capitol Hill, a White House aide said that while some lawmakers have told the administration that they’d like to hear a different tone, many others offered praise for standing up for Israel’s self-defense). Biden has called upon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to minimize casualties, but has not used all the leverage at his disposal, critics of his approach say. Some Democrats said it’s time for the U.S. to attach conditions to the $14 billion aid package requested by the White House. It is doubtful, though, that a majority in Congress would go along with such a move. “Israel would be weighing things very differently” if Biden were not only to cajole Israel to avoid civilian casualties but also to withhold U.S. weaponry unless Israel complied, said Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian American civil rights attorney from Michigan, in an interview. “You can’t claim to care about Palestinian civilians and then ship out billions of dollars worth of military aid to Israel to continue killing Palestinian civilians,” said Arraf, a delegate to the 2020 Democratic National Convention who now says she won’t vote to re-elect Biden. Amid the mounting death toll in Gaza, Biden’s party is splintering ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Younger, progressive Democrats have aligned with Arab Americans in demanding a cease-fire in Gaza that Biden won’t endorse. Asked about the chances of a cease-fire last week, Biden flatly told reporters: “None. No possibility.” In opposing a cease-fire, Biden has aligned himself with Israeli leaders who argue that it would give Hamas fighters time to regroup and defer the ultimate goal of preventing more surprise attacks coming from Gaza. “When somebody proves unable to call for a cease-fire, it means they are condoning the brutal murder of Palestinian children each and every single day,” said Abdullah Hammoud, mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, a majority Arab American city that voted for Biden over Donald Trump in 2020 by a 3-to-1 margin. “My question for the president is, when is it OK to murder innocent children and how long will it take him to call for a cease-fire? That’s what speaks volumes to us here in the city.” Mindful of the criticism, the White House is reaching out to Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim Americans in hopes of explaining its approach to the war. Senior White House aides held at least two private Zoom calls over the past week to allay growing concerns about Israel’s counterattack. Both calls had a similar format, with senior White House advisers Stephen Benjamin and Neera Tanden taking part, a person familiar with the matter said. Neither call appears to have placated critics of Biden’s posture. James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, who took part in one such call last week, said in an interview: “We were called to a meeting that was billed as Arab American engagement that didn’t include many of the community leaders. It felt more like they were checking a box than really listening to our needs and how to meet them.” A separate call included about 10 Palestinian American leaders. The White House officials opened by talking about their efforts to counter Islamophobia and get humanitarian aid to suffering residents of Gaza, one participant said in an interview. When the guests mentioned they wanted to see the Biden administration. insist on a cease-fire, the White House aides made plain that wasn’t going to happen, this person said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “It was painful,” the participant said. “Our people are dying. The point of the cease-fire is to stop that pain. Stop the killing.” Another White House official said of the meetings: “The president understands that the consequences of Hamas’ attack on Israel and Hamas’ decision to hide amongst civilians has caused tremendous pain in communities across the country. That’s why officials at the highest level of this administration have and will continue to engage and solicit input from leaders who advocate for a wide range of policies.” Although Biden is by now keenly aware of the discontent among younger progressives, it’s far from clear he knows what to do about it, Democratic activists say. How voters see Israel may hinge on where they fall in the generational divide. Biden is part of an older generation that recalls a time when Israeli leaders engaged in peace talks with Arab and Palestinian counterparts and signed agreements brokered by past presidents. But for younger Americans, the face of Israel may be Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving prime minister and a polarizing figure there and in the U.S. Netanyahu’s government has approved an expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a step backward if the ultimate goal is a peace accord that gives Palestinians their own sovereign state, supporters of a two-state solution say. A Quinnipiac poll last month underscored how differently the generations view the Middle East conflict. Voters between the ages of 18 and 34 disapproved of the U.S. sending weapons to Israel coming off the Hamas attack by a margin of 51% to 39%, the poll showed. By contrast, a majority of voters in all older age groups approved. “It’s such a massive change from anything these people [at the White House] have dealt with,” said one Democratic activist steeped in the Middle East debates in Congress. “There are a lot of people there who’ve been in business for 40-plus years, doing things a certain way. This is definitely rocking their world.” Link

It’s 11pm and TG is wandering through Alfa Romeo’s museum with scarcely another soul to be seen. This is quite the privilege and it prompts an important thought: the hit rate of these guys is extraordinary. There’s a pale blue late Thirties 8C 2900B Lungo, a TZ2, a classic Giulia Super in blue and sirened Carabinieri form (pronto intervento)... 70 cars on permanent display, all in all, with more treasure stashed away backstage. But this is a human story, too. Take Alfa’s Sixties CEO Giuseppe Eugenio Luraghi, an engineer who also happened to be a poet, writer and polymath. Like so many Italian grandees of this period, his eyewear was on point, too. More importantly, it was he who decreed Alfa Romeo should go racing again, and he hired former Ferrari engineer and all-round genius Carlo Chiti to facilitate. The result was the 33 bloodline, a series of competition cars to rival the best that Ferrari and Porsche conjured up. Teasing them all was the 33 Stradale, a road car designed by Franco Scaglione, the author of more great cars than there is space to list (check out the Alfa Romeo BAT cars and Lamborghini 350 GTV as a primer). But the 33 is his masterpiece, a car that retains its capacity to flabbergast 56 years later. Only 18 were made, and six were cannibalised to underpin some of the world’s most influential concepts, including 1968’s seismic Alfa Carabo. Link

almost question, is it really worth it? If I’ve damaged myself for the rest of my life?” It sounds like a lament from a punch-drunk fighter with holes in their memory and bank balance. Or an old rugby prop, slurry and soaked with regrets. But these words were uttered last week by a British Tokyo 2020 medallist, Holly Bradshaw, as she asked whether the relentless pursuit of sporting glory had harmed her body and mind. It was a brave area to explore, given that most Britons reflexively believe the drive for Olympic success is overwhelmingly a force for good – and that those who receive lottery money to chase their dreams should count themselves lucky. But Bradshaw’s unflinchingly raw yet vital testimony exposed the pitfalls lurking amid the garlands. In her interview with Athletics Weekly, Bradshaw spoke of having to starve herself for three months to get into shape. Of being hungry at night but only drinking water as she wanted to drop weight. And of suffering multiple illnesses and injuries since winning a pole vault bronze medal in Tokyo, including glandular fever, achilles problems, three hamstring tears and a broken bone in her back. At one point it sounded as if she could even teach Jean-Paul Sartre a thing or two about existentialism. “I say to my husband: ‘I don’t know who I am,’” she said. “‘When I retire, who am I going to be? You’ve only known me as Holly the athlete. What if I’m a completely different person?’” The 32-year-old did acknowledge that her success in Tokyo had felt overwhelmingly positive. But then came the kicker. “Winning that bronze medal has damaged me physically and mentally. I just worry, have I damaged myself too much that I can’t get back from that?” What should we make of all this? Having spoken to multiple people in the Olympic ecosystem, a few things come across. First, Bradshaw, who has a masters degree in psychology and is known as one of the more meticulous and self-aware members of Team GB, deserves huge credit for being so honest. Recently she has faced the death of her father, a split from her longtime coach, and injuries, so it is no wonder she sounds particularly vulnerable. But she has never shied away from difficult issues. Previously she has spoken out about having body image issues around her stomach dating back to her youth, and after finishing fifth in Rio she talked about how some in the system had made her feel like a failure. True, there were some dissenting voices about her interview. Some pointed out that the travails of being an elite athlete are minor compared to most people’s struggles in the real world, while someone I particularly respect also questioned why Bradshaw’s coach and federation had not done more to ensure she enjoyed a more balanced life. However there was broad agreement that Bradshaw was voicing in public what many more sports stars suffer in private. The research backs that up. One academic study which looked at common mental disorders (CMDs) – such as stress, anxiety and depression – among 384 European professional footballers found that 37% had symptoms at some point over a 12-month period. While another, on elite Australian and French athletes, showed that the prevalence of CMDs ranged from 17% to 45% among those studied. Commendably, Bradshaw has played a broader part in highlighting such issues having co-authored a 2021 academic paper on the post-Olympic “blues”. The study, which involved 14 anonymous Team GB athletes, makes for fascinating if disturbing reading, with those involved saying they felt they were “little more than medal producing machines”. The word “dehumanising” is used more than once, with many also suggesting that the national lottery system – in which funding is given to a sport on the basis of medal success – is cold and transactional. One star, for instance, recalled the pressure they felt before an Olympic final following a conversation with an influential member of their governing body. “[They] said to us … we were one medal down on our target and that meant that [the sport] would have had a big cut from UK Sport … [after they] said: ‘Thank you so much you’ve just saved our jobs, funding’, and all that kind of stuff.” Link

Kerrie Houston Reightley has always been athletic, and thought she would be able to pick up surfing. Months of ‘crashing and burning’ ensued, but her competitive nature kept her going Paula Cocozza @CocozzaPaula Mon 13 Nov 2023 07.00 GMT Kerrie Houston Reightley has always been sporty. Three years ago, she was on holiday in Maui, Hawaii, with her husband and their son, then 18. “We were walking along the beach. There were all these things you could do – snorkelling, trekking. And I was like: ‘Learn to surf!’ I want to do that.” The 64-year-old is a writer and substitute teacher, and clearly believes in research. She went back to the hotel and started watching videos on how to surf. “I was standing on the bed, trying to balance,” she says. But out on the water, it was a different matter. She was out of her depth, in all senses. “I’m athletic. I do spin classes, I cross-train, I row and I play a lot of tennis. I do a lot of things. I thought: I ought to be able to do this.” Photographs show her “crashing and burning”. She never got up on the board – but vowed to go back for more. Houston Reightley grew up in the Seattle area. Her father, she says, “was a great athlete. He turned me into a great athlete.” At 6ft 5in, and an “all-star-everything jock”, he taught Houston Reightley and her four siblings how to play tennis. Clearly, her father was a big influence on her. “It was this whole idolising my dad thing,” she says. “He was a writer. We would fall asleep to my dad pounding away on his old Remington typewriter. In the morning he’d read us his manuscript, and we’d clap.” Her failure to get up on the surfboard rankled. “I was determined that I was going to do it.” A few months later, when she and her husband went to Mexico, “I prepared myself. It was more psychological than physical. I felt I had to solve this puzzle.” In Sayulita, Mexico, the water was less deep, but the waves came in faster. Houston Reightley booked a private instructor and “made sure at the surf shop: ‘I want someone to take photos of me because I’m going to stand up.’” Even the “beware of alligators” sign didn’t faze her. She just researched what to do if you come face-to-face with one (“watch their eyes”), and became “hyper-focused”. This time, her instructor showed her how to protect her head, and to fall backward instead of forward. “I just remember the feeling right before I walked out. I felt like I was in a competition. I got myself into the right mindset: ‘I’m going to win this match.’ I stood up the first time I tried. There’s a picture of me and my hair is dry and I’m standing on the board. Once you experience that sensation, you understand it better. You get a feel for it, like riding a bike.” A competitive approach might seem like a lot of pressure, but Houston Reightley says she finds competing “meditative”. She was devastated 10 years ago, when her younger brother, with whom she was “super close”, died of cancer. “I felt like never talking to anybody again. Instead, I went out and trained for a triathlon.” In childhood, she says, her family was like its own little tennis club. So now, “when I’m competing, I feel so happy. Win or lose. Though I’m trying to win, of course.” She has been playing on tennis teams for 52 years, including when she was pregnant. Houston Reightley credits sport with “why I feel like I’m in good mental and physical shape … I always focus on the fact that I’m healthy. And, sure, our bodies don’t look like they did in our 20s, 30s, 40s. But I’m in good shape and good health. We look different when we’re older. It’s OK.” Next Houston Reightley plans surfing trips to Bali – her mum was from Indonesia – and British Columbia. But sometimes when she writes articles about her sporting experiences, she notices that her words are accompanied by stock images of women – usually white, and usually in their 40s. “There aren’t photos of older women working out,” she says. “That’s not the way women in their 60s are seen. My friends in their 60s are athletes. I would like to put that out there.” Tell us: has your life taken a new direction after the age of 60? You've read 24 articles in the last year Article count on … There is a good reason why people choose not to support the Guardian. Not everyone can afford to pay for the news right now. That’s why we choose to keep our journalism open for everyone to read. If this is you, please continue to read for free. But if you can, then here are three good reasons to make the choice to support us today from Morocco. 1. Our quality, investigative journalism is a scrutinising force at a time when the rich and powerful are getting away with more and more. 2. We are independent and have no billionaire owner controlling what we do, so your money directly powers our reporting. 3. It doesn’t cost much, and takes less time than it took to read this message. Link

The chance of a volcanic eruption in Iceland is rising, posing a threat to a now-evacuated town, experts say. Iceland has declared a state of emergency after a series of earthquakes. Authorities have ordered thousands of people living in the southwestern town of Grindavík to leave as a precaution. The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said there was a considerable risk of an eruption. The probability of an eruption on or just off the Reykjanes peninsula has increased since the morning, IMO says. An eruption could start at any time in the next few days, according to the statement. Thor Thordason, professor of volcanology at the University of Iceland, said a 15km-long (nine mile) river of magma running under the peninsula was still active. "That's why we're talking about an imminent eruption unfortunately. The most likely eruption side appears to be within the boundary of the town of Grindavík," he told the BBC. Thousands of tremors have been recorded around the nearby Fagradalsfjall volcano in recent weeks. They have been concentrated in Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, which had remained dormant to volcanic activity for 800 years before a 2021 eruption. In a statement on Saturday the agency said a tunnel of magma, or molten rock, that extends northeast across Grindavík and some 10km further inland, was estimated at a depth of less than 800 metres, compared with 1,500 metres earlier in the day. On Thursday, the increased seismic activity in the area prompted the closure of the nearby Blue Lagoon landmark. More than 20,000 tremors have been recorded in southwest Iceland since late October. Iceland's Civil Protection Agency said the decision to evacuate came after the IMO could not rule out a "magma tunnel that is currently forming could reach Grindavík". And on Friday, the agency said people must leave the town, but also emphasised it was not an "emergency evacuation" - calling on them to "remain calm, because we have a good amount of time to react". "There is no immediate danger imminent, the evacuation is primarily preventive with the safety of all Grindavík residents as the principal aim," it added. All roads into the town of around 4,000 people are closed other than for emergencies, to ensure traffic can get in and out. Alda Sigmundsdottir, a journalist in Reykjavik, said that people were going back into the town "to get their absolute bare necessities" and pets. "We are just currently waiting for the eruption to start," she told the BBC's Newshour. Iceland is one of the most geologically active regions in the world, with around 30 active volcanic sites. Volcanic eruptions occur when magma, which is lighter than the solid rock around it, rises to the earth's surface from deep below it. In July, Litli-Hrutur, or Little Ram, erupted in the Fagradalsfjall area, drawing tourists to the site of the "world's newest baby volcano". The site was dormant for eight centuries until eruptions in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Link

I can see that you do not have a good activity but everyone learns with time, so I think you deserve a chance and I hope you will do more activity in the project.