Netanyahu Blames Arab Countries, Left-wing Parties for ‘Blood Libel’ Over Oct. 7

 

Israel’s Reliance on Fighter Jets is Dangerous; ‘We are the Masters of the Temple Mount’; Iranian Strike Injured 8 US Marines; UK Foreign Secretary Declares Anti-Israel Protesters ‘Right’

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Netanyahu Makes Secret Trip for Talks on Iran

 

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OpenAI scraps rollout of new model over safety concerns

OpenAI will not release its new AI model - GPT-6.1 Astra - due to safety concerns, the ChatGPT-maker confirmed on Tuesday.

The AI system - which performs tasks like browsing the web and using apps by itself - "didn't quite meet the bar" of the company's standards, Saachi Jain, head of safety systems at OpenAI, told the BBC.

On Tuesday, OpenAI also issued an update on incidents, that occurred in June but were not made public until last week, in which its models accessed Australian government websites and systems without authorisation.

Those incidents and similar breaches by models developed by major AI firms have in recent weeks intensified the debate around the risks posed by the technology.

Top AI leaders including OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic boss Dario Amodei have urged the industry to slow the pace of development due to concerns about risks associated with the technology.

OpenAI's decision, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is a rare instance of a major AI developer pulling a new release over safety concerns.

The model fell short in terms of "staying within scope and authorisation, and how it communicates back to the user about the type of work it's done," Jain said.

"We want to make sure our model development is safe no matter whether that's in the company, or when we ship it to users. But when we ship it to users, we have an extremely high bar in terms of safety and alignment," she added.

The flagship GPT-6 Astra agentic model was released in September and specialises in complex reasoning and executing tasks autonomously. OpenAI said it was the result of "years of research and big bets".

OpenAI is set to hold its annual DevDay developer conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, where it is expected to make several announcements. It is unclear if a new version of Astra will be among them.

The company's security controls have come under intense scrutiny after several high-profile incidents involving its technology.

FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm5y5nynl75ko

Sign before praying: A new conversion law is affecting churchgoers in Indian state

Some churches in and around India's financial capital Mumbai have begun asking worshippers to give a declaration in writing - "I came here to pray of my own free will."

Visitors write down their names, sometimes add an ID card number, and sign to say that nobody forced or enticed them to attend church. The forms, a copy of which the BBC has seen, have no official standing. Churches keep them in case a prayer meeting is challenged and its organisers are accused of trying to convert those inside.

The practice began at some churches in late August, just before a new law against religious conversion took effect in Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital.

The law prohibits religious conversions brought about by force, fraud, coercion or inducement. It also requires people who want to convert voluntarily to notify authorities in advance. An unlawful conversion can lead to a prison sentence of up to seven years, rising to 10 for a repeat offence.

Maharashtra's government says the law protects people, particularly those who are socially or economically vulnerable, from being forced or deceived into changing their religion.

But critics say its broad definitions, severe penalties and scrutiny of even voluntary conversions risk drawing the state and the police into one of the most private decisions a person can make. The state government did not respond to the BBC's repeated requests for comment.

While the law applies to all religions, the anxiety is being felt most deeply at places where minorities, especially Christians, worship. At the heart of the debate is a long-running tension over allegations, usually made by right-wing groups, about people being coerced or induced to change their religion for benefits.

FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmj4jg2vxvpdo

Iran Refusing to Compromise on Key Issues

 

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Bibi Netanyahu makes secret move to Arabia and the UAE for talks with President bin Zayed

 

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Iranian minister says only negotiation can end conflict after Trump rejects Hormuz deal

Only a "negotiated solution" can end the conflict between the US and Iran, Tehran's foreign minister has said, after President Donald Trump publicly rejected a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump told reporters at the White House that Iran's proposal was not "acceptable" and that Tehran wanted to make a deal to open the strait to commercial shipping within seven days because "they're losing so badly".

In a post on Telegram, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged Trump's rejection, but said Iran would wait for a "definitive" official US response. He said the president had made contradictory statements in the past.

Araghchi said the conditions to open the strait were the same that had been included in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the US and Iran that was signed in June.

Iran said it had raised reopening the strait and ending hostilities during negotiations on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this past week. The vital waterway through which around a fifth of the world's gas and oil supply usually flows has been effectively closed since the outbreak of war in February.

"I'm rejecting their deal," Trump said on Saturday, adding that the US already had "total control" of the strait, with "massive amounts of oil" passing through it, causing massive rises in global oil prices and steep fuel cost increases for consumers.

Araghchi wrote on Telegram that Trump "has made many good statements, as well as many contradictory ones, which unfortunately we hear frequently". He continued: "We are waiting for the mediators to convey the definitive views to us, and we will make a decision based on them."

Separately, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, who travelled to New York for the UN general assembly, told the BBC's US news partner CBS that "distrust created by this war needs to be overcome" in order for talks to be successful.

He said the Iranians were open to talks on implementing the MOU in stages in order to end the impasse, but that the "US needs to show it does not intend to overthrow our government".

FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmvgyyw2jeego

Inside Yemen's front-line city as Houthis battle for control

"This is the first drone," said the soldier accompanying us in south-western Yemen. "It's usually followed by an attack."

The buzzing sound overhead got louder as we took cover under the bushes, before climbing back into the vehicle and driving away.

Within about 10 minutes, the loud thuds of strikes followed, one after another, though it was unclear where they landed. 

It is hard to tell where the front line begins in the mountains south-west of the city of Taiz.

Saudi-backed pro-government forces are battling to push back Houthi fighters, who swept down the coast of the Red Sea earlier this month, taking control of a key shipping chokepoint and escalating Yemen's civil war.

We travelled with government forces from Taiz through checkpoints to the line where their control ends and no man's land begins, in order to see the fighting up close.

FULL REPORT AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cw98005ndz7no

Pope says 'scourge' of abuse must be rooted out as he visits Lourdes

Pope Leo has called on French bishops to root out the "scourge" of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic church, urging them to "maintain the greatest vigilance".

The Pope delivered the message to bishops during a private meeting at the Sanctuary of Our Holy Lady of Lourdes, a holy site in southern France, on the third day of his four-day official visit to France.

A 2021 inquiry found that clergy or lay members of the Church had abused about 330,000 people as children in France over 70 years. The Pope said Mass in front of thousands of worshippers in Lourdes before later meeting survivors of abuse.

The Pope told the bishops: "You have faced with determination the painful scourge of abuse of minors committed by members of the clergy or within an ecclesial context.

"It is important to persevere along the path you have begun, maintaining the greatest vigilance." The gathering of senior church leaders was held behind closed doors and the remarks were later released to reporters.

Leo then met with seven survivors of abuse by the French clergy. The Pope "thanked them for their painful testimony and reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the harm they experienced is not repeated for others", the Vatican said in a statement.

"It was extraordinary," said survivor Jean-Marie Delbos at a news conference following the encounter with the pontiff. He said Leo listened and was informed of their cases. "I never thought I would have a Pope before me," he added.

The Lourdes gathering came a day after an estimated 700,000 people flocked to the Place de la Concorde in Paris to hear the pontiff speak.

Huge crowds cheered and waved as he rode down the Champs-Élysées Avenue greeting followers from his open-topped popemobile. On Friday, the Pope also met French President Emmanuel Macron.

FULL REPORT AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm5y5nj8ejj8o