Innovative Gate Drivers with Isolators Revolutionize Power Efficiency in Electric Vehicle SystemsSuchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. Download the CTV News App for breaking news alerts and video on all the top stories “We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones during this difficult time,” said a statement from OpenAI. Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said “appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation.” The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide. His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a “happy, smart and brave young man” who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends. Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT. “Suchir’s contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn’t have succeeded without him,” said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what made him such an exceptional engineer and scientist was his attention to detail and ability to notice subtle bugs or logical errors. “He had a knack for finding simple solutions and writing elegant code that worked,” Schulman wrote. “He’d think through the details of things carefully and rigorously.” Balaji later shifted to organizing the huge datasets of online writings and other media used to train GPT-4, the fourth generation of OpenAI's flagship large language model and a basis for the company's famous chatbot. It was that work that eventually caused Balaji to question the technology he helped build, especially after newspapers, novelists and others began suing OpenAI and other AI companies for copyright infringement. He first raised his concerns with The New York Times, which reported them in an October profile of Balaji. He later told The Associated Press he would “try to testify” in the strongest copyright infringement cases and considered a lawsuit brought by The New York Times last year to be the “most serious.” Times lawyers named him in a Nov. 18 court filing as someone who might have “unique and relevant documents” supporting allegations of OpenAI's willful copyright infringement. His records were also sought by lawyers in a separate case brought by book authors including the comedian Sarah Silverman, according to a court filing. “It doesn’t feel right to be training on people’s data and then competing with them in the marketplace,” Balaji told the AP in late October. “I don’t think you should be able to do that. I don’t think you are able to do that legally.” He told the AP that he gradually grew more disillusioned with OpenAI, especially after the internal turmoil that led its board of directors to fire and then rehire CEO Sam Altman last year. Balaji said he was broadly concerned about how its commercial products were rolling out, including their propensity for spouting false information known as hallucinations. But of the “bag of issues” he was concerned about, he said he was focusing on copyright as the one it was “actually possible to do something about.” He acknowledged that it was an unpopular opinion within the AI research community, which is accustomed to pulling data from the internet, but said “they will have to change and it’s a matter of time.” Follow the CTV News channel on WhatsApp He had not been deposed and it’s unclear to what extent his revelations will be admitted as evidence in any legal cases after his death. He also published a personal blog post with his opinions about the topic. Schulman, who resigned from OpenAI in August, said he and Balaji coincidentally left on the same day and celebrated with fellow colleagues that night with dinner and drinks at a San Francisco bar. Another of Balaji’s mentors, co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, had left OpenAI several months earlier, which Balaji saw as another impetus to leave. Schulman said Balaji had told him earlier this year of his plans to leave OpenAI and that Balaji didn't think that better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence “was right around the corner, like the rest of the company seemed to believe.” The younger engineer expressed interest in getting a doctorate and exploring “some more off-the-beaten path ideas about how to build intelligence,” Schulman said. Balaji's family said a memorial is being planned for later this month at the India Community Center in Milpitas, California, not far from his hometown of Cupertino. The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.Israeli expert seeks new crime against humanity for waging violence against families

Ventive Hospitality Share Price Live Updates: Ventive Hospitality shares are set to make their stock market debut today after its initial public offering (IPO) received strong response. Ventive Hospitality IPO listing date is today, December 30, and the equity shares of the company will be listed on both the stock exchanges, BSE and NSE. Ventive Hospitality shares will be available for trading from 10:00 AM. Ventive Hospitality IPO was open from December 20 to 24 and the issue was subscribed 9.82 times. Ahead of the share listing, trends for Ventive Hospitality IPO GMP today indicates a positive debut. Analysts also expect Ventive Hospitality shares to list at a premium to the IPO price. Stay tuned to our Ventive Hospitality Share Price Live Blog for the latest updates. Ventive Hospitality Share Price Live: Issue subscribed 9.82 times in total Ventive Hospitality Share Price Live: Ventive Hospitality IPO received 9.82 times subscription in total as it garnered bids for 14.17 crore equity shares as against IPO size of 1.44 crore shares. The retail investors portion was booked 5.94 times, while the Non Institutional Investors (NII) portion was subscribed 13.87 times. The Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs) category received 9.08 times subscription. Ventive Hospitality Share Price Live: Ventive Hospitality IPO Key Details Ventive Hospitality Share Price Live: Ventive Hospitality IPO price band was set at 610 to 643 per share. At the upper-end of the price band, the company raised 1,600 crore from the book-built issue which was entirely a fresh issue of 2.49 crore equity shares. Ventive Hospitality Share Price Live: Ventive Hospitality IPO Timeline Ventive Hospitality Share Price Live: The 1,600-crore worth Ventive Hospitality IPO was open for subscription from December 20 to 24 and the IPO allotment was finalised on December 26. Ventive Hospitality IPO listing date is today, December 30 and the Ventive Hospitality shares will be listed on BSE and NSE. Ventive Hospitality Share Price Live: Ventive Hospitality IPO listing today Ventive Hospitality Share Price Live: Ventive Hospitality shares are set to make their stock market debut today after its initial public offering (IPO) received strong response. Ventive Hospitality IPO listing date is today, December 30, and the equity shares of the company will be listed on both the stock exchanges, BSE and NSE. Ventive Hospitality shares will be available for trading from 10:00 AM.Author’s “Racist” Encounter With A K-Pop Idol Goes Viral

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Jayden Daniels connected with Zach Ertz in overtime for his third touchdown pass of the game to get the Washington Commanders into the playoffs by beating the Atlanta Falcons 30-24 on Sunday night in a back-and-forth prime-time showdown between highly drafted rookie quarterbacks. Daniels ran for a season-high 127 yards and completed 24 of 36 passes for 227 yards and had two TD passes to Ertz and another to Olamide Zaccheaus to make the playoffs in his rookie year. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

Would you rather be the New England Patriots or the Miami Dolphins? Let’s break down the pros and cons of each team ahead of their game this Sunday!!Taiwanese Companies Lead Innovation in AI-Powered Smart Wearables

More than 70 Nigerians have died in stampedes at three different locations: Ibadan, Anambra, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, in less than a week. The tragic deaths, which underscore the lack of crowd control measures at public gatherings, have been addressed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who, over the weekend, canceled his scheduled events in Lagos to honor the victims. In a statement posted on X, the president noted the similarities between the tragedies at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, a community center in Okija, Anambra State, and a children’s carnival in Ibadan, Oyo State. President Tinubu also directed local and state authorities to ensure strict crowd control measures and not to tolerate operational lapses by organizations and corporate bodies involved in charitable and humanitarian activities. At least 22 people died in Anambra State, while 15 lost their lives in Abuja during rice distribution events organized to celebrate Christmas. Reacting to the recent stampedes, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Saturday issued a warning against the unorganized distribution of palliatives and relief items during the festive season. Meanwhile, the stage at a concert organized by Nativeland, featuring performances by artists including Grammy Award-winning musician Wizkid, collapsed over the weekend. The incident, which occurred at SOL Beach in Elegushi, in Lagos State, caused panic among concertgoers. Videos showing the moment the stage collapsed have since gone viral. Jimoh Abdulquadri, a resident of Ilorin, Kwara State, who was arrested and detained for allegedly owing a friend ₦220,000 died over the weekend. Jimoh’s family members were informed that he had died in police custody. In a viral video from the deceased’s house, family members could be seen mourning his death. On Sunday, the IGP visited the family in Ilorin and assured them that the circumstances surrounding Jimoh’s death would be investigated. In another development, the Federal High Court in Abuja last week remanded activist Olamide Thomas, who was charged with cyberbullying for calling for the death of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, on social media. The activist, who is also a nurse, was arraigned on a three-count charge and was among the protesters arrested on October 20th during a rally commemorating the fourth anniversary of #EndSARS at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos. She was also accused of insulting the Inspector-General of Police and Police Spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi in a Facebook video recorded after her arrest. A video of Seyi Tinubu being escorted by military officers during the City Boy Summit in Ogun State over the weekend has gone viral and has sparked a wave of criticism online. Meanwhile, in the midst of chaotic traffic in lagos, especially on the island, due to the festive season; a video showing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s convoy on his way back from observing the Jumat prayers at the Alausa Central Mosque, in Ikeja has made the rounds on social media; let’s take a look The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu attended the Lagos Boat Regatta over the weekend alongside members of the state executive council. The 2024 edition of the Lagos Boat Regatta, held at Five Cowries Creek, showcased Lagos’ vibrant aquatic culture, featuring a parade of over 200 hand-decorated boats celebrating the state’s cultural diversity. Governor Sanwo-Olu was seen aboard a luxury yacht owned by billionaire businessman Femi Otedola. During the event, the governor emphasized the importance of showcasing the beauty of Lagos waterways for residents to enjoy and reiterated his administration’s commitment to boosting Lagos’ economy through tourism. A video of the governor dancing at the event has since made the rounds on social media. Follow us on:

Phinma Corp. on Wednesday said it recently acquired a new school in Cavite where some 3,000 students are enrolled. This brings the group’s total student count to 167,000, according to Phinma Chairman Ramon del Rosario Jr. during the company’s listing of its P1-billion stock rights offering at the Philippine Stock Exchange. Del Rosario did not disclose the school’s name. “Phinma Education now has nearly actually now 167,000 students since we just acquired a school in Cavite with 3,000 students last week, of which many are the first in their families to go to college,” he said. “On its 68th year, Phinma reaffirms its commitment to improving lives and contributing to nation building through well managed and profitable businesses which cater to the underserved. Our education business has proven this well. The company’s stock rights offering ran from November 13 to 19, in which the company offered to existing shareholders the right to subscribe to 1 share for every 5.73 shares they own at an offer price of P20 apiece. Del Rosario said some P200 million of the proceeds will go for the development of projects in the Phinma Properties in Bacolod, Cebu and Davao. “These projects will allow us to fulfill the housing aspirations of low to middle income Filipinos,” he said. “Phinma Properties broke ground last July on our first ever mixed use master plan, 20 hectare township in Bacolod city, which will also feature a branch of our Southwestern Phinma University, as well as a Tryp hotel to serve business and leisure travelers seeking comfortable, world class housing, lodging to support the government’s infrastructure push.” Around P250 million of the proceeds has been allocated for the development of the Tryp Hotel in Bacolod, which will rise in the group’s Saludad mixed-use community. Some P170 million will go to fund the 58 solar projects of Phinma Solar secured from the Green Energy Auction program. The group’s cement business under Philcement Corp., meanwhile is receiving P114 million out of the proceeds to construct its 2 million metric tons manufacturing facility in Davao Del Norte. “The remaining proceeds will head to the group’s new ventures such as Union Insulated Panel Corp., a new state of the art facility in Pampanga with a yearly production capacity of 1 million square meters,” del Rosario said. Union Insulated has been allocated P210 million.

Darnold gives Vikings another gem with career-high 377 yards in 27-25 win over Packers MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold added another exploit to his career-altering season, passing for a personal-best 377 yards and three touchdowns as the Minnesota Vikings hung on to beat the Green Bay Packers 27-25 for their ninth consecutive victory. The Vikings are 14-2. They set up a final-week showdown in Detroit for both the division title and the No. 1 seed for the playoffs in the NFC. Jordan Love’s only touchdown pass for the Packers came with 2:18 left to pull the Packers within two points. Darnold responded with two completions for first downs to seal the game. Saquon Barkley tops 2,000 yards rushing as Eagles beat Cowboys 41-7 to clinch NFC East PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley rushed for 167 yards to top 2,000 on the season, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett ran and threw for scores before departing with injured ribs, and the Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East title by routing the Dallas Cowboys 41-7. Barkley has 2,005 yards and needs 101 in next week’s mostly meaningless regular-season finale to top Eric Dickerson and his 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. The Eagles led 24-7 in the third quarter when Pickett was drilled by defensive end Micah Parsons, ending his first start in place of the concussed Jalen Hurts. NFC's No. 1 seed comes down to Vikings-Lions showdown at Detroit in Week 18 The NFC’s No. 1 seed will come down to the final week when the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings. The winner takes the NFC North and gets a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. The loser gets the No. 5 seed and must play on the road in the wild-card round. The Vikings held on for a 27-25 victory over the Green Bay Packers to set up the high-stakes showdown in Week 18. The Lions visit the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. Win, lose or tie, they have to beat the Vikings for a second time this season. Bills clinch the AFC's No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the undisciplined Jets ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score and the Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC’s No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the New York Jets. The Bills put the game away by capitalizing on two Jets turnovers and scoring three touchdowns over a 5:01 span in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Buffalo’s defense forced three takeaways overall and sacked Aaron Rodgers four times, including a 2-yard loss for a safety in the second quarter. The five-time defending AFC East champion Bills improved to 13-3 to match a franchise single-season record. Herro leads Heat over Rockets in game marred by fight and ejections in final minute HOUSTON (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 27 points before being one of being one of seven people ejected, six for their roles in a fight in the final minute of the Miami Heat’s 104-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. Herro was thrown to the ground by the Rockets’ Amen Thompson with 35 seconds left and the Heat leading 99-94. Players and coaches from both benches then came onto the court. Both players were thrown out along with Rockets guard Jalen Green, coach Ime Udoka and assistant coach Ben Sullivan. Terry Rozier was also ejected for Miami. LeBron James at 40: A milestone birthday arrives Monday for the NBA's all-time scoring leader When LeBron James broke another NBA record earlier this month, the one for most regular-season minutes played in a career, his Los Angeles Lakers teammates handled the moment in typical locker room fashion. They made fun of him. Dubbed The Kid from Akron, with a limitless future, James is now the 40-year-old from Los Angeles with wisps of gray in his beard, his milestone birthday coming Monday, one that will make him the first player in NBA history to play in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. He has stood and excelled in the spotlight his entire career. Rising Sun Devils: Arizona State looks to pull off another big surprise at the Peach Bowl ATLANTA (AP) — As they prepare for Arizona State’s biggest game in nearly three decades, the guys who made it happen aren’t the least bit surprised to be rated a nearly two-touchdown underdog in the College Football Playoff. That’s a familiar position for the Sun Devils. They've been an underdog most of the season. Of the eight teams still vying for a national championship, there’s no bigger surprise than 11-2 Arizona State. The Sun Devils went 3-9 a year ago and were picked to finish dead last in their first season in the Big 12 Conference. Now, they're getting ready to face Texas in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal game on New Year’s Day. Penn State coach James Franklin says Nick Saban should be college football's commissioner SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Penn State coach James Franklin believes college football needs a commissioner and he even has a candidate in mind: former Alabama coach Nick Saban. Franklin made the suggestion Sunday at Penn State’s College Football Playoff quarterfinals media day ahead of the Fiesta Bowl. The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions are preparing for their game against No. 3 seed Boise State on Tuesday. The veteran coach was responding to a question about Penn State’s backup quarterback situation after Beau Pribula transferred to Missouri before the playoff. Pribula’s decision highlighted some of the frustrating aspects of a new college football world in the Name, Image and Likeness era and the transfer portal, forcing players to make tough decisions at inopportune times. Penn State's polarizing QB Drew Allar puts critics on mute and keeps winning games SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Even when Penn State quarterback Drew Allar gets some praise, it’s usually a backhanded compliment. They say he’s a good game manager and stays within himself, or that he doesn’t try to do too much. They mention he might not be flashy, but he gives the team a chance to win. And here’s the thing about Penn State since Allar stepped under center: The Nittany Lions have won games. A lot of them. Sometimes that’s hard to remember considering the lukewarm reception he often gets from fans. The polarizing Allar has another chance to quiet his critics on Tuesday, when Penn State plays Boise State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Fiesta Bowl. Crosby breaks Lemieux's Penguins career assists record in 3-2 victory over the Islanders PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby broke Mario Lemieux’s Pittsburgh franchise career record for assists on Michael Bunting’s power-play goal and the Penguins beat the New York Islanders 3-2 on Sunday night. Crosby has 1,034 assists, good for 12th in NHL history. Only three players — Ray Bourque, Wayne Gretzky and Steve Yzerman — have more assists with a single team. The 37-year-old Crosby has played 1,310-regular-season games. Lemieux played 915. Evgeni Malkin added the deciding power-play goal in the third for Pittsburgh, which has 14 goals with the man advantage in its last 13 games. Anthony Beauvillier also scored to help the Penguins win for the seventh time in their last eight home games. Alex Nedeljkovic made 29 saves in his first start since Dec. 17.PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was a full participant in practice on Monday, opening the door for him to return from a three-game absence on Wednesday when Pittsburgh hosts the Kansas City Chiefs. Pickens hasn’t played since tweaking his hamstring earlier this month. The Steelers (10-5) have struggled to generate much in their passing game with their leading receiver watching from the sideline in sweatpants. Though Monday’s practice was a walkthrough, Pickens said he felt good and hopes he’ll be able to face the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. The 23-year-old was going through post-practice drills on Dec. 6 when he felt his hamstring tighten up, forcing him to miss the first games of his three-year career. Pittsburgh has gone 1-2 in his absence, including back-to-back losses to Philadelphia and Baltimore in which Russell Wilson passed for just 345 yards while missing one of the NFL’s top downfield threats. Wilson is encouraged by the way the sometimes mercurial Pickens — who has been flagged and fined multiple times this season for infractions ranging from facemasks to unsportsmanlike conduct — has remained engaged. RELATED COVERAGE Bills offense is ‘Cooking,’ with running game adding a powerful new dimension Heavy ground game gives Anthony Richardson a chance to shine in Colts’ latest victory Garrett Wilson is frustrated and his future will be a major decision for the next Jets GM, coach “He’s been great in the midst of his little trial here over the past few weeks,” Wilson said. “And so we’re excited to have him back if that’s the case fully and let him do his thing.” Safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring) and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (groin) were also listed as full participants on Tuesday. Neither veteran has played since getting hurt against Cleveland on Dec. 8. While Pickens, Elliott and Ogunjobi could be available as Pittsburgh tries to hold off Baltimore for the AFC North lead, cornerback Joey Porter (knee) and WR Ben Skowronek (hip) are likely out after missing practice for a second straight day. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Trump Cabinet picks, appointees targeted by bomb threats and swatting attacksGame-changing holiday gifts for building fires, printing photos, watching birds and moreStock market today: Asian shares are mixed after Wall Street slips, led by tech giants

Trump-backed Derek Merrin concedes to Democratic U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur in OhioOTTAWA — The Israeli expert leading a civilian commission into sexual violence by Hamas is calling for global bodies to recognize "a new crime against humanity" involving violence targeted at families. Cochav Elkayam-Levy said the world should take a stance against the destruction of families as a specific, identifiable weapon of war, aimed at terrorizing one's kin. She is proposing the crime be called "kinocide." In an interview, she also said Canadians can demand Hamas be brought to justice while also seeking accountability when Israeli troops commit sexual violence against Palestinians, without drawing a false equivalence. "We have to see Canada's leadership in addressing the lack of moral clarity of international institutions," Elkayam-Levy said in an interview during a visit to Ottawa last month. Elkayam-Levy is an international-law professor at Reichman University and a former Hebrew University researcher, who chairs Israel's Civil Commission on Oct. 7 Crimes Against Women and Children. That non-governmental body originally set out to document patterns in sexualized violence by Hamas and its affiliates during the 2023 attack and against hostages it took into the Gaza Strip. The aim wasn't to come up with a tally of assaults, but to instead document systemic factors in how women were raped, tortured and mutilated. The idea was to have an understanding that could help victims and their descendants cope with intergenerational trauma, and to create an archive for researchers and prosecutors to use for possible investigations. Elkayam-Levy's team reviewed hours of footage featuring "very extreme forms of violence" from closed-circuit cameras and what militants themselves recorded. They started to notice six patterns of violence involving among the circumstances of more than 140 families. These include using victims' social media to broadcast that person being tortured to their friends and family, including hostages and those killed. Another involved murdering parents in front of their children or vice versa, while another is the destruction of family homes. "We started understanding that there is something here, a unique form of violence," she said. "The abuse of familial relations to intensify harm, to intensify suffering." Elkayam-Levy said she developed the term with the help of experts, including Canadians like former attorney general Irwin Cotler. The rules undergirding the International Criminal Court only mention families in procedural contexts, but not as a factor in war crimes, she noted. "It's a crime without a name," she said, arguing that impedes victims' healing. She said experts in past conflicts have agreed with her, saying kinocide should have been a factor in how the world understood and sought justice for atrocities on various continents, such as how Islamic State militants targeted Yazidi families from 2014 to 2017. "Justice begins with this recognition; healing begins with recognition," she said. Elkayam-Levy noted "gender-based violence" existed for centuries before the United Nations officially recognized the term in 1992. She's also taken aim at "the silence of many international organizations, and the lack of moral clarity," in calling out sexual violence by Hamas, which Ottawa deems a terrorist group. In particular, UN Women did not condemn Hamas' sexual violence until nearly two months after that attack, and Elkayam-Levy argued the institution has stayed largely silent, setting a bad precedent for upholding global norms. "They have fuelled denial of the sexual atrocities," she said, adding that a constant demand for physical evidence pervades social media "in a very antisemitic way." Israeli police have said forensic evidence was not preserved in the chaos of the attack, and people believed to be victims of sexual assault were often killed and immediately buried. Acts of sexual violence were not part of 43-minute video that Israel's foreign ministry has screened for journalists, including The Canadian Press, which was sourced from security footage and videos filmed by militants during their October 2023 attack. In March, a UN envoy said there are "reasonable grounds" to believe Hamas committed rape and "sexualized torture" during the attack, "including rape and gang rape," despite the group's denials. That same month, released hostage Amit Soussana went public about her captors groping her and forcing "a sexual act" that she asked not be specified. As part of its avowed feminist foreign policy, Canada funds initiatives abroad to prevent sexual violence and support victims. Yet the Conservatives have lambasted the Liberals for not condemning Hamas' sexual violence until five months after the attack. In March, Ottawa came under fire for pledging both $1 million for groups supporting Israeli victims of Hamas sexual violence and $1 million for Palestinian women facing "sexual and gender-based violence" from unspecified actors. Global Affairs did not say whether that referred to domestic abuse or sexual violence by Israeli officials, drawing a rebuke from a senior Israeli envoy. Human-rights groups have long accused Israeli officials of sexually assaulting Palestinian detainees in the West Bank. In July, those concerns escalated when Israeli soldiers were accused of perpetuating the filmed gang rape of a Palestinian prisoner from the Gaza Strip. Far-right Israeli cabinet ministers voiced support for mobs attempting to free soldiers under investigation. Elkayam-Levy said Canadians can call out the patterns of sexual violence by Hamas against Israelis, while still demanding the Israeli state investigate and prosecute its soldiers who undertake individuals acts of sexual violence. "The fact that (Western leaders) are trying to make the right political decision, instead of the right moral decision, is creating confusion, is creating moral blur — instead of making space for all victims to be heard for what they have endured," she said. To her, there is a "false parallel" being made between individual cases of sexual assault from soldiers who should be held to account, and a group using patterns of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Elkayam-Levy said people should uphold the principles of international law instead of what she deems to be weaponizing global institutions against Israel. She is aware that many have instead argued that Israel's military campaign has broken international law and undermined the systems meant to uphold human rights. Elkayam-Levy has been critical of the Israeli government, arguing before the war that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought anti-democratic reforms to the country's judiciary. She has been critical of his war cabinet for lacking any women, and has highlighted extensive media reports that female military personnel had detected Hamas was planning a large attack only to be dismissed by male leaders. She said the world needs to condemn Hamas' violence against families and try prosecuting those responsible. Otherwise, she fears combatants in other countries will take up its brutal tactics. Otherwise, "we are going to see an international system that will not last for long," she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2024. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press

Don't Forget About Holiday Poisoning Pitfalls

Chased and cornered: Teenage boy assaulted and stabbed in backyard by gangSEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks were struggling a week ago, coming off their bye having lost five of their last six games. That included a gut-punch overtime defeat at home against the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 3. The outlook for the last-place Seahawks (5-5) was beginning to look grim. They suddenly have renewed optimism this week after an uplifting victory over the San Francisco 49ers that snapped a six-game losing streak against their arch-rival that dated to 2021. Seattle will play the first-place Arizona Cardinals (6-4) on Sunday for a share of the NFC West lead. How quickly things change in the NFL. “We’ve earned the opportunity to be fighting for the lead in the division going into the home stretch,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “So that’s the way we’re treating it. It’s very much like a playoff mindset for us at this point.” The win over the 49ers, which was capped by a 13-yard touchdown run by quarterback Geno Smith with 18 seconds left, put the Seahawks in a much better place mentally than they’d been in over the previous six weeks. They're hoping it's just the start of something even bigger. “It can just spark something that you’ve been looking for this whole year,” wide receiver DK Metcalf said. “I know we started off very hot with the first three games, but, you know, when adversity hit, it’s all about how you respond. I think we responded the right way, and it’s going to carry us throughout the rest of the season.” While the Seahawks are feeling better this week, the Cardinals have plenty of reason to feel optimistic, too. After starting the season 2-4, Arizona has won four straight to put itself in first place in the NFC West. The Cardinals have a defense that is making big strides under the leadership of veteran safety Budda Baker and a top-five running game behind the dual threat of running back James Conner, who has 697 yards rushing, and quarterback Kyler Murray, who seems to be hitting his stride in his sixth NFL season. Murray has 2,058 yards passing with 12 touchdowns, and has rushed for 371 yards and four scores. Second-year head coach Jonathan Gannon has been impressed with Murray’s improved decision-making as Murray has thrown just three interceptions through 10 games. “There’s times that he probably wants to try to thread it a little bit, but understands when to pick and choose his spots,” Gannon said. “I think he’s done a phenomenal job with that and there are a lot of times throughout the game where you could say we like to put it in the quarterback’s hands, and you trust him to make the right decision for that point in the game.” Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba will see a familiar face on the other sideline Sunday in rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., who was Smith-Njigba’s college teammate at Ohio State in 2021 and 2022. The pair each caught three touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ wild win over Utah in the 2022 Rose Bowl, with Smith-Njigba having 347 yards receiving on what was a 573-passing yard day for C.J. Stroud, now the quarterback of the Houston Texans. “Late his freshman year, he really just stood out,” Smith-Njigba said of Harrison. “You could just see the growth and kind of who he is becoming. ... He’s passed a lot of people’s expectations, of course, but I knew he was going to be elite later on freshman year.” Murray is coming off one of the best games of his career after completing 22 of 24 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown against the Jets two weeks ago. He also ran for 21 yards and two TDs. Murray currently ranks No. 3 in the NFL in quarterback rating behind Cincinnati's Joe Burrow and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson. That has put him in the MVP conversation, particularly since Arizona has won four straight games. “I don’t play the game for the validation of others," Murray said. "But as a player, of course, sometimes the recognition and the words being said feel good. But it doesn’t satisfy me.” The most surprising part of Arizona’s four-game winning streak is the rapid improvement of the defense, which has allowed just 9 and 6 points, respectively, over the past two games. No touchdowns have been allowed – just five field goals. It’s just the second time over the past 30 years that the franchise has allowed 10 points or less over back-to-back games. Baker, a Bellevue native and former University of Washington football star, is the unquestioned leader of the bunch – he already has 100 tackles over 10 games - but the team also has a strong core of linebackers in Kyzir White, Mack Wilson and Zaven Collins. Metcalf and Baker have gone up against each other many times before, most famously when Metcalf ran Baker down on an interception return in 2020. “You really can’t prepare for a guy like that because his engine never stops,” Metcalf said. “He’s always going to be around the ball. He’s always going to affect the game with just his play effort and play style. ... Just got to try to minimize his playmaking ability as much as we can on offense.” AP Sports Writer David Brandt in Phoenix, Arizona, contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl