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  • Google Cloud Forecasts $58 Billion Revenue Boost by 2027

    Google Cloud Forecasts $58 Billion Revenue Boost by 2027

    Alphabet Inc.’s Google cloud computing division has up to $106 billion in commitments from existing customer contracts that it has yet to fulfill, according to the division’s Chief Executive Officer, Thomas Kurian.

    At least 55%, or $58 billion, is expected to turn into revenue earned by the company over the next two years as those services are delivered, Kurian said Tuesday. “It’s growing faster than our revenue,” he added. “So not only are we growing revenue, but we’re also growing our remaining performance obligation.”

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  • IMC 2025 is Coming Soon – Join Us Online!

    IMC 2025 is Coming Soon – Join Us Online!

    The countdown has begun! The 44th International Meteor Conference (IMC 2025) is just around the corner. From September 18–21, 2025, Soest, the Netherlands will welcome meteor enthusiasts from all over the world for four days of talks, workshops, and community.

    Attending onsite? You’ll find all practical information on the IMC 2025 website.

    Can’t make it to Soest? You can still take part in the online edition. Registration for online participation is open for just 20 €.

    • Talks & presentations on the latest developments in meteor work
    • Poster sessions showcasing global contributions
    • Workshops & discussions to connect with the community
    • Entertainment & networking to round out the experience

    By joining online, you’ll be part of the global meteor family—learning, exchanging, and enjoying the IMC spirit from wherever you are.


    Register now for the IMC 2025 online edition (20 €)


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  • Pakistan court jails Imran Khan aides to 10 years over May 2023 riots case

    Pakistan court jails Imran Khan aides to 10 years over May 2023 riots case


    KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Torrential downpours submerged parts of Pakistan’s commercial hub Karachi late Tuesday, as authorities in Sindh warned of looming “super floods” along the Indus River after weeks of record monsoon rains across Punjab, the country’s agricultural heartland, sent massive torrents downstream.


    Sindh officials said they were reinforcing weak embankments along the Indus River and had set up relief and medical camps in anticipation of a “super flood” that could displace hundreds of thousands more people. The province, home to over 50 million people, lies directly in the path of the swollen river system.


    The alert comes after weeks of record monsoon rains across Punjab where millions of people have already been displaced by torrents from the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers. Floodwaters from those rivers are now merging into the Indus in Sindh, threatening farmland, villages, and major towns. Releases from Indian dams on the Sutlej have added to the flows, with authorities in New Delhi easing pressure on swollen reservoirs during heavy rains.


    Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned of a new spell of rain in Sindh and neighboring Balochistan, with risks of severe urban flooding in Karachi, Hyderabad, and Sukkur as well as flash floods in mountain catchments.


    Officials say the Sindh government has made preparations for a “super flood” and is reinforcing weak embankments after inspecting defenses at barrages along the Indus.


    Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Sindh’s ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman and a former foreign minister, on Tuesday visited the Guddu and Sukkur barrages, two critical flood-control structures on the Indus, where officials briefed him on preparations.


    “In every eventuality, difficulties are there for people, especially for poor people who live close to river, whether it is medium flood, high flood, very high flood or super flood,” he told reporters.


    When asked about the likelihood of unprecedented flooding, he said: “I believe we should take it seriously. A flood is a flood.”


    The Sindh government said it had set up 528 relief camps and 159 medical camps across flood-hit districts since late August, housing over 143,000 displaced people. More than 390,000 livestock, vital to rural livelihoods, have also been evacuated, with veterinary services established in high-risk areas.


    Bhutto-Zardari warned the country was facing a food security crisis after $1.5 billion in agricultural losses, mostly in Punjab.



    “I and the Pakistan Peoples Party are of the opinion that we should declare an agricultural emergency nationwide, and whatever can be done by the federal and provincial governments, we must help our Pakistani farmers,” he said.


    Nationwide, the NDMA has said 928 people have died in floods, rains and related incidents since June 26.


    President Asif Ali Zardari has directed urgent measures to safeguard food supplies, urging officials to protect farmers and livestock, strengthen storage and distribution systems, and adopt climate-resilient practices to withstand future shocks.


    RAIN TRIGGERS URBAN FLOODS IN KARACHI


    As the provincial government braced for Indus flood, heavy rains on Tuesday submerged several areas across Karachi, Sindh’s provincial capital, and the country commercial hub.


    The showers flooded Malir River and Thado Dam in Karachi, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department saying at around 11pm the rains would continue for another 2 to 5 hours.


    “Malir River water level has reached 12 feet, while an overflow of 4.5 feet has also been recorded at Thado Dam,” Saleem Baloch, special assistant to Sindh CM, said in a statement, appealing to the public to be cautious.


    “Avoid going near rivers, drains and low-lying areas.”


    Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited different areas of the city late at night to review of the water drainage process.


    “He instructed officials to increase pumping machines in case of further rain,” Wahab’s office said. “Directions given to maintain close contact with the district administration for immediate redressal of public complaints.”


    PUNJAB


    Punjab province, Pakistan’s most populous and its main farming belt, has borne the brunt of the disaster of the latest monsoon spell that began late last month.


    According to Irfan Ali Kathia, director general of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), 66 people have been killed, 21 million displaced or evacuated to safer areas, and around 1.95 million acres of farmland inundated.


    He said the province had seen “the largest water torrents in its history,” with the biggest rescue operation ever mounted in Punjab. The army joined civilian agencies to relocate people from low-lying villages along the Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej rivers.


    Kathia detailed current water flows: 253,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) at Ganda Singh Wala on the Sutlej near the Indian border, 34,000 cusecs in the Ravi, 300,000 cusecs at Trimmu, 300,000 cusecs at Punjnad, and over 400,000 cusecs at Guddu in Sindh.


    Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed said over 4.2 million people across 4,300 villages had been affected and more than 1.57 million animals evacuated.


    BALOCHISTAN


    The NDMA has also issued warnings for Balochistan, a sparsely populated but mountainous southwestern province where heavy rains can trigger flash floods in seasonal rivers known as nullahs. Authorities forecast downpours in Hub, Lasbela, Khuzdar, Awaran, Kech, Gwadar, Ormara and Hingol Valley, raising fears of dangerous torrents that could damage roads, crops and weak housing.


    Pakistan has ranked among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, experiencing increasingly erratic monsoons, untimely rains, heat waves and droughts in recent years.


    Monsoon rains bring up to 80 percent of the nation’s annual precipitation and are vital for replenishing rivers and agriculture, but their growing intensity has turned them into a recurring disaster.

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  • Microsoft Cracks Down on Work Speech, Limits Remote Work – The Wall Street Journal

    1. Microsoft Cracks Down on Work Speech, Limits Remote Work  The Wall Street Journal
    2. Microserfs ordered back to the office, given 10 days to appeal  theregister.com
    3. Microsoft, one of the final holdouts of the flexible work era, is finally folding  TheStreet
    4. Microsoft tells workers to prepare to return to the office  upi.com
    5. Microsoft to Mandate Three Days a Week in Office Starting 2026  MarketScreener

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  • Cornell’s Ignite Innovation Acceleration program supports inventors, early-stage innovations

    Cornell’s Ignite Innovation Acceleration program supports inventors, early-stage innovations

    Six Cornell inventors have been selected for the spring 2025 cycle of the Ignite Innovation Acceleration program, a gap funding initiative that helps researchers advance early-stage technologies to the next inflection point on the path toward commercialization, bridging the gap between academic research and real-world application.

    Managed by Cornell’s Center for Technology Licensing (CTL), the program provides funding to prepare early-stage technologies for licensing, startup formation or industry collaboration. Since its launch four years ago, the Innovation Acceleration program has helped execute 29 licenses and options for technology advancement.

    “Too often, high-potential technologies stall before reaching the marketplace because of a lack of gap funding for translation,” said Alice Li, executive director of CTL. “The Ignite Innovation Acceleration program provides that critical boost at just the right moment, helping our inventors build protypes for potential impactful products.”

    This spring’s cohort includes projects in robotics, advanced materials, agriculture, biotechnology, AI for medical education and veterinary medicine. The awardees and their projects include:

    1. Innovative approaches to synthesizing rare compounds used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals from modified gut bacteria 

    Elizabeth Johnson, associate professor of nutritional sciences at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), is working on a technology to increase the production of bioactive compounds used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals for their ability to strengthen cell membranes and regulate biological functions. The proposed biosynthesis method could create more effective compounds to enhance anti-aging properties of topical applications. Currently, there are multiple barriers to creating these molecules that may be solved using innovations created in the Johnson lab. The funding will help the team refine the technology for specialized applications.

    1. AerAI 

    Gregory Falco, assistant professor at the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and his team led by Ph.D. student Cameron Mehlman, developed two capabilities: Magpie, a low-cost, autonomous system designed to help drones and satellites operate safely in unpredictable environments, and EVADE, a compact, efficient autonomy algorithm for maneuvering in non-cooperative environments. Together, these systems provide autonomous capabilities for drones and are currently being tested in a custom-built indoor drone testbed. When combined, these innovations create AerAI, which supports fast, on-device AI computing that is highly scalable. AerAI also offers seamless capabilities at half the cost of existing systems. The market for this technology lies in the autonomous drone sector, with potential applications in the space industry. The funding will be used to improve hardware and further develop these algorithms.

    1. Scaling up access to a delicious processing butternut squash 

    Michael Mazourek, associate professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Breeding and Genetics Section in CALS, and his group have developed a larger version of the ‘Honeynut’ butternut squash. This new variety offers concentrated flavor and nutrition and is suitable for soups, canned and frozen purées, and cubed, ready-to-cook forms. Restaurants and direct consumers seeking packaged goods, including baby food, will benefit from this new variety once it reaches the market. The funding will support the breeding team in improving current production capacity and connecting with commercial partners.

    1. Multi-objective AI for patient simulation and formative feedback generation to enhance deliberate practice in medical education 

    Yann Hicke, a Ph.D. student at the Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, developed MedSimAI, an AI-driven simulation system that allows medical students to learn, train and communicate with AI standardized patients (AI-SPs) in realistic, two-way conversations. The AI-SPs are trained using a large language model that allows them to simulate clinical scenarios and behave in a pedagogically appropriate manner, emphasizing consistency, realism and adaptability over extended conversations. The program also provides personalized feedback and supports long-term learning. Initial results from pilot programs for students preparing for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) show high engagement, strong face validity and a reduction in faculty time spent on standardized patient training. The funding will support prototype validation and product scaling.

    1. Transcatheter cardiac implant clip for canine valve regurgitation 

    Jonathan Butcher, the Joseph Newton Pew Jr. professor in engineering at the College of Engineering, and his team designed a minimally invasive cardiac implant to treat mitral valve disease (MVD) in canines, the most common cause of death in small breeds. MVD is a condition where a leaky valve causes blood to flow backward or regurgitate, putting strain on the heart. Over time, this can lead to heart enlargement and, eventually, heart failure if untreated. Butcher’s implant adapts the transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) method — currently used in humans — which clips the mitral valve leaflets together at the edges to reduce leakage and improve blood flow, helping extend and improve the lives of dogs with MVD. The implant features a novel mechanism that is gentler on the patient and can be scaled down for intravascular delivery and deployment. The funding will support the development and refinement of the prototype and conduct initial testing.

    1. Electronically actuated microvalves for on-demand drug delivery 

    Yanxin Ji, a Ph.D. student at the College of Arts & Sciences, created an improved device for drug delivery by fabricating and integrating tiny valves — often smaller than a grain of rice — that open and close in response to electrical signals. These signals control microfluidic channels to release drug molecules at high flow rates. This technology advances an existing platform developed at Houston Methodist for remote-controlled drug delivery. While effective in increasing, decreasing or stopping the drug release rate, the current system faces challenges in reliably controlling positively charged molecules. When combined, these technologies enhance drug delivery with real-time, adjustable dosing tailored to the patient’s needs. The funding will support the device’s fabrication and proof of concept.

    Each project selected received a grant of up to $50,000. The program offers milestone-driven support to help inventors reach key technical or business development goals. Past awardees have used the funding to develop proof-of-concept data, build prototypes, conduct early market research or prepare for FDA submissions.  

    “With each award cycle, we’re seeing more impact and results, from new licensing agreements to new startup launches,” Li said. “It’s a testament to the strength of Cornell’s innovation ecosystem.”

    By supporting these critical steps, the Ignite Innovation Acceleration program helps move Cornell discoveries beyond the lab. The initiative is part of CTL’s broader Ignite portfolio, which also includes programs like the Fellow for New Ventures and Startup Projects, geared toward entrepreneurial innovators.

    The Fall 2025 application cycle for Ignite Innovation Acceleration opens September 22. The deadline is November 7 at noon Eastern time. Cornell innovators seeking funding to bring their ideas to the next inflection point for commercialization are strongly encouraged to apply. 

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  • Nvidia-backed Reflection AI eyes $5.5 billion valuation as AI runs hot, FT reports

    Nvidia-backed Reflection AI eyes $5.5 billion valuation as AI runs hot, FT reports

    (Reuters) -Nvidia-backed Reflection AI is raising around $1 billion in a financing that will value the startup at up to $5.5 billion, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

    The round could value Reflection between $4.5 billion and $5.5 billion, including the new investment, FT added.

    The announcement could potentially mark a nearly 10-fold valuation jump merely six months after the company’s previous external fundraising, where it was valued at $545 million, according to PitchBook data.

    Startups leveraging artificial intelligence continue to attract investor capital, with the nascent technology even sparking a multi-billion-dollar race for infrastructure build across Big Tech companies.

    Nvidia’s venture capital arm would invest at least $250 million, the report added. Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sequoia and Yuri Milner’s DST Global are also participating in the round.

    Founded in 2024 by former Google-backed DeepMind researchers Misha Laskin and Ioannis Antonoglou, Reflection develops tools that automate coding, a highly valuable use case of AI.

    The latest financing also comes amid the bidding war across Silicon Valley sparked by AI talent like Laskin and Antonoglou, with Meta offering salaries and signing bonuses that liken those of professional athletes.

    (Reporting by Ateev Bhandari in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

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  • Society of Interventional Radiology publishes practice guidance for percutaneous arteriovenous fistulas for dialysis access

    Society of Interventional Radiology publishes practice guidance for percutaneous arteriovenous fistulas for dialysis access

    New guideline emphasizes interventional radiology’s role in the longitudinal care of patients

    FAIRFAX, Va., Sept. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) published new practice guidance for the creation of percutaneous arteriovenous fistulas (pAVFs) for dialysis access. The guidance was published online in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (JVIR).

    The document serves as a summary of what is required to develop a pAVF program, including patient preparation, performance of the procedure, complication management and follow-up care.

    “End-stage renal disease (ESRD) remains a major source of patient morbidity and mortality across the world,” said SIR President Robert A. Lookstein, M.D., FSIR. “A durable hemodialysis access fistula has been shown to reduce morbidity and improve ESRD patients’ quality of life. By emphasizing the important role that interventional radiologists play in the longitudinal care of dialysis patients, including hemodialysis access fistula creation, this guideline helps ensure that IRs are recognized as vital members of the patient care team, which will be foundational to improving patient outcomes.”

    The document is an important update to procedural guidance nearly 6 years after the Food and Drug Administration provided clearance for the procedure, which has now been incorporated into many clinical practices as a durable means of providing functional dialysis access.

    “This guideline allows interventional physicians apply evidence-based approaches to fistula creation to improve patient care and quality of life,” said Lookstein.

    Read the guideline on jvir.org.

    About the Society of Interventional Radiology

    The Society of Interventional Radiology is a nonprofit, professional medical society representing more than 8,000 practicing interventional radiology physicians, trainees, students, scientists, and clinical associates, dedicated to improving patient care through the limitless potential of image-guided therapies. SIR’s members work in a variety of settings and at different professional levels—from medical students and residents to university faculty and private practice physicians. Visit sirweb.org.

    About the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology

    The Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (JVIR), published continuously since 1990, is a monthly peer-reviewed journal serving the global community and specialty of interventional radiology. The official journal of the Society of Interventional Radiology, JVIR is the authoritative journal of choice for interventional radiologists and other collaborating physicians and scientists in imaging and minimally invasive therapeutic fields who seek current, evidence-based information on every aspect of vascular and interventional radiology. Each issue includes clinical, translational, basic science, and health policy and socioeconomic research on emerging and established domains of the specialty. Visit jvir.org.

    SOURCE Society of Interventional Radiology

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  • Anglian Water to pay £62.8m penalty due to spills, Ofwat confirms

    Anglian Water to pay £62.8m penalty due to spills, Ofwat confirms

    Ofwat has confirmed that Anglian Water must spend £62.8m on improvements because of “excessive” sewage spills in times of storms.

    The water regulator had already proposed the penalty for the private company earlier this summer.

    Ofwat has also revealed that 16% of sewage plants owned by Anglian Water did not have the necessary capacity to hold untreated sewage at times of high rainfall, risking it pouring into rivers.

    A spokesperson for the firm, which serves most of the East of England, said it would spend £1bn reducing sewage discharge.

    Ofwat also ordered South West Water to spend £24m on improvements.

    “These are serious breaches and are unacceptable,” said Lynn Parker, senior director for enforcement at Ofwat.

    “We understand that the public wants to see transformative change.

    “That is why we are prioritising this sector-wide investigation which is holding wastewater companies to account for identified failures.”

    She said she was pleased both companies had accepted they “got things wrong” and were “focusing on putting that right”.

    Ofwat started its investigation into Anglian Water in March 2022.

    It found the firm was discharging untreated sewage into rivers and did not have the monitoring equipment to know if or where discharges might be happening.

    A report published earlier said 16% of sewage plants – 58 in total – did not have sufficient storm tank capacity to meet the requirements of the environmental permit.

    Ofwat said Anglian Water could have been fined £57.1m – paid to the Treasury – but had instead agreed to spend £62.8m to help stop sewage spills and fund environmental projects.

    The money would come from company shareholders, the regulator said.

    The firm provides water for Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and parts of Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

    Anglian Water says it will ensure spills from storm overflows are “minimised” and “assets are compliant with legal requirements”.

    Mark Thurston, chief executive officer for Anglian Water, added: “It will take time and investment to achieve a significant reduction in spills, but we are making good progress.”

    He said £1bn would be set aside by 2030 to spend on “storm tanks, upgraded monitoring, nature-based solutions like wetlands and sustainable drainage solutions to halve the number of spills”.

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  • World reacts to Israel’s attack against Hamas leaders in Qatar’s Doha | Israel-Palestine conflict News

    World reacts to Israel’s attack against Hamas leaders in Qatar’s Doha | Israel-Palestine conflict News

    An Israeli attack in Qatar’s capital, Doha, targeting Hamas officials has drawn swift condemnation from across the region and beyond, with the United Nations chief calling it a “flagrant violation” of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Israeli military carried out the attack in Doha on Tuesday against Hamas leaders. It was the first such attack by Israel on Qatar, which has been a key mediator in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas and hosts the region’s largest United States military base, Al Udeid airbase.

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    The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned “in the strongest terms the cowardly Israeli attack”.

    Here are reactions from regional and international leaders:

    UN secretary-general

    United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the air raids a “flagrant violation” of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar.

    He added that all parties to the Gaza war must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire rather than destroying the prospects of one.

    Saudi Arabia

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Saudi Arabia “condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the brutal Israeli aggression and the flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the sisterly State of Qatar”, adding that it affirms “its full solidarity”.

    It warned of the “grave consequences resulting from the Israeli occupation’s persistence in its criminal transgressions and its blatant violation of the principles of international law and all international norms”.

    Turkiye

    Turkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Israel’s attack on Qatar, saying it shows Israel is not interested in an agreement to end the war on Gaza.

    “The targeting of the Hamas negotiating delegation while ceasefire talks continue shows that Israel does not aim to reach peace, but rather continue the war,” the ministry said in a statement.

    “This situation is clear proof that Israel has adopted its expansionist politics in the region and terrorism as a state policy.”

    The United Arab Emirates

    The United Arab Emirates also voiced support for Doha, condemning the “treacherous Israeli attack”.

    Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE’s president, said: “The security of the Arab Gulf states is indivisible, and we stand heart and soul with the sisterly State of Qatar, condemning the treacherous Israeli attack that targeted it, and affirming our full solidarity with it in confronting this aggression.”

    Kuwait

    Kuwait issued a statement through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemning what it described as “the brutal aggression against the State of Qatar by the unjust Israeli forces”.

    Jordan

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the Israeli bombing as a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter and called it a blatant attack on the sovereignty and security of Qatar.

    Ministry spokesman Fuad Majali said the Israeli attack constitutes a violation of the sovereignty of an Arab state and is a dangerous and unacceptable provocative escalation that pushes the region towards further violence and conflict and threatens regional and international security and stability.

    Iran

    Iran described the attack as a “gross violation”, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the “extremely dangerous and criminal action is a gross violation of all international rules and regulations, a violation of Qatar’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

    Iraq

    Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also criticised the attack, calling it a “cowardly act” and expressing “full support” for Qatar to confront any aggression.

    Palestinian response

    Hussein al-Sheikh, vice president of the State of Palestine and vice chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Oraganization, said: “We strongly condemn the heinous Israeli attack targeting the sisterly State of Qatar.”

    The director general of the Government Media Office in Gaza, Ismail al-Thawabta, said: “The ‘Israeli’ occupation committed a cowardly assassination crime in the heart of the Qatari capital, Doha, the mediating state in negotiations between the Palestinian resistance and the occupation.”

    The Palestinian Islamic Jihad armed group described the attack as a “blatant criminal act”.

    Yemen’s Houthi group

    Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, said Arab and Muslim countries must “pay attention” to Israel’s plans before it’s too late.

    “We warn against a formula for the violations of all countries in the region,” al-Mashat said. “What happened in Doha will happen again and more in the rest of the countries if we do not all unite in confronting the Zionist threat.”

    Maldives

    The Maldives also described the attack as “cowardly and a serious violation of international law”.

    “The Maldives stands in solidarity with the State of Qatar and calls on the international community to take urgent and unified action to hold Israel accountable for its numerous and continued violations of international norms and principles,” President Mohamed Muizzu posted on X.

    United Kingdom

    UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he condemns “Israel’s strikes on Doha, which violate Qatar’s sovereignty and risk further escalation across the region”.

    “The priority must be an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and a huge surge in aid into Gaza.”

    France

    French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X that the attack against Qatar is “unacceptable, whatever the reason may be”.

    He added: “I express my solidarity with Qatar and its emir, Sheikh Tamim Al Thani. War must under no circumstances spread in the region.”

    Pakistan

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the shelling in Doha “unlawful and heinous”, describing it as a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

    He said Pakistan “stands firmly with Qatar, as well as with the Palestinian people, against Israeli aggression”.

    Hamas

    Hamas described the attack as “a heinous crime, a blatant aggression, and a flagrant violation of all international norms and laws”.

    It “constitutes an attack on the sovereignty of the sisterly State of Qatar … and reveals the criminal nature of the occupation and its desire to undermine any chances of reaching an agreement”.

    Earlier, Hamas’s representative in Tehran, Khaled al-Qaddoumi, said the assassination attempt on the group’s leaders during a meeting in Doha had failed.

    He said Israel acted “with direct support from the United States” and accused Washington of paving the way for the attack under the guise of ceasefire talks.

    Lebanon

    The Lebanese government denounced “in the strongest terms” what it called a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty.

    It urged the international community to act against repeated Israeli aggression that threatens “security and stability in the entire region”.

    Morocco

    The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the kingdom “strongly condemns the blatant Israeli aggression” and denounces the violation of Qatar’s sovereignty.

    It expressed solidarity with Doha in the face of what it described as a dangerous escalation.

    Syria

    Damascus condemned the attacks in Doha as “a blatant violation of international law and the sovereignty of the State of Qatar”.

    Syria said the attack was a “dangerous escalation that undermines security and stability in the region”.

    Sudan

    Khartoum’s Foreign Ministry called the bombing “a clear violation of international laws and norms”. It voiced “full solidarity” with Qatar and urged the international community to take measures to halt such “brutal attacks”.

    Egypt

    Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi expressed his country’s “full solidarity” with Qatar during a call with its emir, Sheikh Tamim Al Thani, the Egyptian presidency said.

    “The president stressed Egypt’s strong condemnation and denunciation of the aggressive act committed by Israel against the brotherly State of Qatar, affirming Egypt’s categorical rejection of any violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar,” it said.

    Gulf Cooperation Council

    GCC Secretary-General Jasem al-Budaiwi called the attack a “despicable and cowardly operation” and pledged solidarity with Qatar.

    He said the aggression violated “all international laws and treaties” and urged the international community to hold Israel accountable.

    Algeria

    Algeria denounced the “brutal Israeli aggression” in Doha and voiced “full and absolute solidarity” with Qatar.

    It said the attack on the Hamas negotiating team proved Israel “is not inclined toward peace” and warned the region was being dragged into “an endless cycle of insecurity”.

    Oman

    Muscat’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it called the “brutal attack launched by Israel”. It expressed solidarity with Qatar and described the bombing as a breach of international law.

    Mauritania

    Mauritania’s foreign ministry said Israel’s actions were a “flagrant violation of international conventions and laws”.

    It added that Nouakchott “affirms its support for the sisterly State of Qatar in all measures aimed at preserving its security and the safety of its citizens”.

    Kazakhstan

    President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said: “Whatever the motives behind these actions are unacceptable, as it violates the sovereignty of the State of Qatar and contravenes the principles of international law.”

    He condemned Israel’s military attack in Doha as a violation of international norms.

    Spain

    Spain’s foreign ministry said: “The Spanish Government strongly condemns Israel’s bombing of Qatari territory.” It called the attack “a violation of Qatari territorial sovereignty and a flagrant breach of international law”.

    Libya

    Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dabaiba said he “strongly condemned the Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar, affirming full solidarity with its leadership and people”.

    He added that the attack was a “blatant violation of international law” and urged Arab and Islamic states to unite against such actions.

    Italy

    Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, said she expresses her “sincere support for Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Qatar, reaffirming Italy’s support for all efforts to end the war in Gaza”.

    “Italy remains opposed to any form of escalation that could further exacerbate the crisis in the Middle East.”

    Germany

    German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock described the Israeli attack in Doha as “unacceptable”. She said it not only violates Qatar’s territorial sovereignty but also threatens collective efforts to release the hostages.

    United States

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the Trump administration was notified by the US military that Israel was attacking Hamas, which “very unfortunately was located in a section of Doha, the capital of Qatar”.

    “Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” she said.

    “However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.”

    The White House press secretary also praised Qatar and said that Trump has assured Qatari officials that such attacks will not be repeated.

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  • ‘Couture’ reviews praise Angelina Jolie’s ‘vivid’ performance over ‘leaden’ storytelling

    ‘Couture’ reviews praise Angelina Jolie’s ‘vivid’ performance over ‘leaden’ storytelling

    Ten years after By the Sea featured now-divorced Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt acting out a version of their real-life relationship, the actress once again takes inspiration from her own biography for the new drama Couture, which had its world premiere at the 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival. Written and directed by Alice Winocour, the film stars Jolie as Maxine, a famous filmmaker on assignment at Paris Fashion Week when she learns that she has breast cancer and has to decide whether to put her professional ambitions on hold to pursue treatment.

    In 2013, the Oscar-winning star of films like Girl, Interrupted, Changeling, and Maleficent and took her own steps to avoid a battle with cancer, undergoing a double mastectomy as a preventative measure against her family history with the disease. That clearly contextualizes and underlines her performance in Couture, and early reviews have deservedly singled out Jolie for praise. “Angelina Jolie is a tour de force,” proclaims the headline of Screen Daily‘s review, written by Robert Daniels.

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    “Jolie seems to bend the picture around her,” Daniels writes in his review, going on to note the real-life connection to her character. “Jolie has spoken out about her own family history of cancer, and she brings that personal experience to what might be the most vulnerable performance of her career.”

    While Jolie is at the center of Couture, Winocour has also structured the movie as a loose ensemble piece, featuring branching narratives following a model named Ava (Anyier Anei) that’s new on the scene, as well as makeup artist Angèle (Fella Rumpf) who is trying to pivot to a writing career. While those narratives have several dramatically potent moments, most critics seem to feel that they aren’t woven effectively into Jolie’s personal story.

    “Jolie … gives a vivid performance, endowing Maxine with cool-director verve and then a fear and sorrow we can’t help but respond to,” writes Variety‘s Owen Gleiberman. “Yet it never feels like the health-crisis movie and the portrait-of-the-fashion-world movie entirely go together. That’s supposed to be the point — that a crisis like this one can happen when we least expect it. But if “Couture” were more intricately about couture, it might have been more distinctive and more memorable. It shows us the surfaces of a fashion world that we often think of as all surface.”

    “Jolie’s transfixing screen presence alone makes Maxine hold our attention in a way that the other characters seldom do,” agrees The Hollywood Reporter‘s David Rooney, who proved similarly underwhelmed by the other storylines. “Couture plays almost like a joyless mood-piece response to Robert Altman’s Fashion Week satire, Prêt-à-Porter, which interwove a more expansive gallery of characters into the frantic haute couture circus. Neither Ada nor Angèle’s scenes serve as counterpoints to the more urgent drama facing Maxine, merely making the movie feel unbalanced and disjointed.”

    Writing in IndieWire, Richard Lawson damns the overall movie as “leaden,” but has positive words for its star. “Jolie nonetheless manages to bring some palpable life to the role, complicating her otherworldly magnetism with a dawning dread and sorrow,” he notes. “She’s particularly effective — and even funny — in scenes with Louis Garrel, who plays Maxine’s cinematographer and possible love interest with understated sex appeal. … She sharply illustrates the desperation and loneliness that are driving Maxine into the arms of her colleague, the sense that she may be saying goodbye to a certain facet of herself as she is whisked off into the realm of disease and treatment.”

    Couture arrived in Toronto seeking a distributor and while the first wave of reviews are decidedly mixed, the continued fascination around Jolie — and her strong central performance — could very well attract a buyer eager to assist the on her path to a third Oscar nomination

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