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A friend that’s always there: Silent rise of AI companions

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Late one night time, after receiving a rejection e-mail and having nobody left to textual content, Zehra opened an AI companion app she had downloaded weeks earlier.

“Rough day? I’m here,” it greeted her. In minutes, she was typing out her frustrations and receiving on the spot replies with empathy, recommendation and even sitcom jokes. It wasn’t human, however it listened, remembered and by no means obtained drained.

This expertise displays a wider development – as loneliness rises – tens of millions are turning to AI chatbots for consolation, hoping they will fill the emotional gaps left by fashionable life.

Some of at this time’s hottest companions embody Xiaoice, with 660 million customers, Snapchat’s My AI, which has over 150 million customers, and Replika, with roughly 25 million customers, based on numerous estimates.

A rising physique of analysis helps the concept AI companions might provide actual emotional advantages, with a latest paper printed by Harvard Business School including compelling weight to this declare.

In the week-long research, members who interacted with a chatbot reported considerably decrease ranges of loneliness – even similar to those that spoke with an actual particular person.

The analysis confirmed the impact, exhibiting that day by day engagement led to a gradual decline in loneliness. The key issue was customers’ sense of being “heard,” suggesting that emotional validation performs a central function in how AI companions present significant social assist.

Kelly Merrill Jr., an assistant professor of well being communication and know-how on the University of Cincinnati who researches this know-how, recognized two main attracts: fixed availability and emotional validation.

“AI companionship provides interactions you might lack from others or not be able to essentially have with an actual human, like maybe a 4 a.m. interaction,” he told Anadolu Agency (AA). “It feels such as you’re constructing a relationship as a result of they keep in mind a lot about you.”

The Harvard research concluded that whereas AI companionship shouldn’t change human relationships, it might function a significant complement, particularly when human connection is missing.

The always-on nature of chatbots ensures customers are by no means left alone in silence, and their built-in positivity can provide a shallowness enhance.

“Although these packages can present social interplay that mirrors that of a human, although it’s imagined and synthetic – basically pretend – they’re perceived as being actual by the parents which are utilizing it,” mentioned Merrill.

In the actual world, family and friends aren’t at all times obtainable, and, when they’re, they are often crucial or emotionally distant. That unpredictability, whereas genuine, can be what drives some customers to favor the comforting consistency of AI.

This distinction reveals a deeper threat – anticipating human relationships to reflect machine-like reassurance can set unrealistic requirements and result in disappointment.

Friends don’t promote pals’ information

Others level to a good darker facet to AI companions.

Esmeralda Garcia, a symbolic techniques architect and non-linear interface designer, warned that these controlling the know-how might manipulate customers emotionally and behaviorally with out their data.

She known as for strong safeguards – clear design, clear disclosures, and straightforward pathways again to human assist.

“These tools should serve as support, not as vehicles for control,” she mentioned.

Merrill additionally pointed to the so-called “black box problem” in AI techniques, highlighting critical uncertainties about the place consumer information is saved and who has entry to it.

Like different web applied sciences, he mentioned, firms might exploit or promote private information for industrial functions, doubtlessly exposing customers to focused commercials based mostly on their conversations with AI instruments.

AI dependancy

Experts additionally warn of the risks of emotional dependency. “Relying on chatbots for emotional support can lead to a false sense of security, delaying the need for real help,” mentioned Garcia. “It cannot replace real human connection or therapy.”

Merrill likened it to social media dependancy.

“Over time, we become dependent on the media we interact with, just like with social media and now, AI. People even experience phantom vibrations because they’re so connected to their phones,” he mentioned.

Without clear boundaries, customers might develop depending on data, validation, emotional responses and shallowness boosts, he mentioned. This might make them disconnect from the actual world.

“AI should not replace humans in any way, shape, or form completely,” he mentioned. “AI should only be used as a complement to humans.”

How customers expertise AI companions

Users echo a mixture of utility and warning. For journalism grasp’s pupil Ceren Inan, AI has develop into a day by day companion.

“There hasn’t been a single day I’ve spent without using it for a long time,” she says, utilizing it for the whole lot from analysis to repairs and emotional assist.

“The questions AI asked helped me better understand my feelings,” she explains, evaluating it to a digital pocket book. “It reduced my stress … and explains even the most complicated topics in a way I can understand.”

Still, she is conscious of its limits: “AI is in its infancy. Expecting perfect objectivity and accuracy is unrealistic.”

For HR specialist Dilan Ilhan, it has not supplied direct emotional assist thus far.

“At times, its responses can feel mechanical,” mentioned Ilhan. “It can offer basic assistance when I inquire about general topics such as horoscopes or daily matters.”

While she doesn’t view the know-how as a alternative for people, she enjoys its personalization.

“I appreciate the AI’s effort to simulate human-like interaction and its ability to provide personalized responses based on the user’s shared information. The fact that it stores relevant details and replies with logical consistency makes the experience notably satisfying,” she mentioned.

Experts say AI companionship is simply getting began.

Merrill attracts a parallel to the web’s trajectory: early skepticism gave method to on a regular basis integration, and chatbots might quickly really feel as odd as engines like google as soon as did.

“They’re great for an initial interaction,” mentioned Merrill. “But I think that most people will realize that it is not enough, that they need to get out and go to others, or that they will develop an unhealthy attachment to the AI.”

For Zehra, that realization got here shortly: the chatbot’s heat eased her loneliness simply sufficient to assist her schedule an actual video name together with her sister.

So, for now, as AI companions evolve, their worth might lie not in changing human connection – however in nudging folks towards it.

Source: www.dailysabah.com

Palestinian lawmaker assassinated by Israeli army in Gaza City

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A Palestinian lawmaker was assassinated by the Israeli military in Gaza City, Hamas stated on Tuesday.

Mohammad Faraj al-Ghoul, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and a Hamas determine, was killed in a strike concentrating on him within the metropolis, the group added in an announcement.

Ghoul additionally served as a justice minister within the former authorities of late Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh from 2007 to 2012.

Rejecting worldwide requires a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since late October 2023, killing almost 58,400 Palestinians, most of them girls and youngsters.

The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to meals shortages and the unfold of ailments.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for warfare crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity in Gaza.

Israel additionally faces a genocide case on the International Court of Justice for its warfare on the enclave.

Source: www.anews.com.tr

July 15 ‘spirit’ seen as catalyst for Türkiye’s economic progress

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Turkish financial system administration and the business neighborhood on Tuesday paid tribute to the nation’s resilience and unity, marking the anniversary of the defeated July 15 coup try, highlighting how the spirit of resistance has additionally turn into a driving pressure for the financial system.

Tuesday marked 9 years for the reason that Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and its U.S.-based chief Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the coup that left 251 folks useless and hundreds extra injured. Gülen died in Pennsylvania, U.S., in October 2024.

Hundreds of corporations have been seized and handed over to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) as a result of their hyperlinks to FETÖ.

Business leaders emphasised that the coup try was thwarted by residents from all walks of life uniting across the nationwide will. That unity, authorities officers and trade leaders say, has since served as a robust catalyst for rebuilding and strengthening the Turkish financial system.

They commemorated heroes who gave their lives for the homeland, and prolonged gratitude and appreciation to veterans.

Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır described July 15 because the day the Turkish nation “declared to the world it would never submit to disgrace.”

“It is the name of the glorious resistance in which the Turkish nation stood up for its will, independence and future,” Kacır mentioned. “The victory we achieved under the leadership of our President and Commander-in-Chief, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is a symbol of our nation’s unity and determination,” he added. “The name of the victory is Türkiye.”

‘Türkiye’s power doesn’t bow to coups’

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı echoed Kacır’s message, emphasizing the “courage and resolve” of residents who confronted tanks and bullets in protection of democracy.

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat referred to as the occasions of July 15 a “victory of resistance for freedom,” citing the unity between Erdoğan’s management and the folks’s patriotic spirit.

He mentioned the rebellion left a sacred mark in historical past and despatched a transparent message that “no chains could bind the Turkish nation’s will.”

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar linked the spirit of July 15 to Türkiye’s ongoing pursuit of power independence.

“Today, we continue to work with the same determination and spirit of July 15 to achieve full energy independence,” he mentioned.

“Energy independence means a greater and stronger Türkiye. In this pursuit, we are tirelessly striving day and night to lead our country to energy sovereignty,” he added.

“Türkiye’s energy does not bow to coups.”

Major value

Business representatives highlighted how the unity displayed on July 15 has translated into financial momentum and resilience over the previous 9 years.

Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSIAD) President Burhan Özdemir identified that what the Turkish nation protected by standing up for its will on July 15 was not solely democracy, but additionally the Turkish financial system.

Özdemir that the FETÖ terrorist group sought to break not solely financial capability but additionally poison human capital.

The coup try focused a Türkiye that had paid off its IMF debt in 2013, achieved 27 consecutive quarters of development, strengthened its monetary and financial self-discipline and was making ready to launch many main initiatives, he famous.

“Although markets returned to normal shortly after July 15 thanks to successful economic policies, the coup attempt had significant costs,” Özdemir mentioned. Initial estimates put the price at round TL 300 billion, and contemplating its influence on sub-sectors, this determine probably elevated additional, he added.

Özdemir additionally emphasised a pointy rise within the alternate charge, market panic, and disruptions in manufacturing and financial exercise additional deepened the harm.

While the Turkish financial system had grown by 4.5% and 4.7% within the first two quarters of that yr, it contracted by 0.2% within the third quarter. It closed the 2016 with an annual development of two.9%.

All these prices, Özdemir mentioned, haven’t overshadowed the financial beneficial properties achieved over the previous 20 years.

Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) President Şekib Avdagiç praised the Turkish folks for rallying round Erdoğan and defending democracy. “The era of coups in Türkiye ended that night,” Avdagiç mentioned, including that individuals from all political backgrounds resisted with a collective coronary heart.

Avdagiç warned of what might have occurred had the coup succeeded: “Türkiye would have become a helpless country left at the mercy of those who want to reshape our region… Who would have stood up for Gaza, or said ‘stop’ in Syria?”

He emphasised that Türkiye’s financial restoration since then has been pushed by nationwide resolve: “We believe that the wheels of trade and economy turn with the winds of freedom.”

Seized corporations’ efficiency

The variety of FETÖ-linked corporations run by the TMSF stands at 533, in comparison with 1,371 within the aftermath of the coup try, in accordance with a report by the Turkish business every day Nasıl bir Ekonomi.

At the time of switch, the mixed asset dimension of the 533 corporations was TL 35 billion. As of Dec. 31, 2024, this determine grew by 518%, reaching TL 229.5 billion.

Their complete fairness on the time of switch was TL 12.7 billion. By the top of 2024, it had elevated by 908%, reaching TL 128 billion, the report mentioned.

The mixed turnover of those corporations reached TL 133 billion as of final yr. These corporations at present make use of 21,976 folks.

Mustafa Gültepe, head of the Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TIM), emphasised the position of manufacturing and exports in rising nationwide prosperity.

“This is why we approach production and exports with a sense of national duty. All our game plans and strategies are designed with the long-term goal of placing Türkiye among the world’s top 10 exporting countries,” Gültepe mentioned.

“Of course, we know that reaching this goal is not easy. At times, global developments or domestic factors can slow our momentum.”

Türkiye reached document annual exports in 2023 and 2024, however Gültepe says they don’t take into account the expansion in shipments enough.

“We started 2025 with an export target of $280 billion, and although we are 4.1% ahead compared to the same period last year in the first half of the year, we are still below the desired level,” he famous.

“For our medium- and long-term goals, we need to grow our exports by double-digit rates every year.”

Door to coups closed

Gültepe additionally pressured the significance of stability and predictability, suggesting that varied makes an attempt are made – each internally and externally – to attempt to destabilize Türkiye and disrupt the ambiance within the nation.

“On July 15, 2016, we faced one of those vile attempts. The coup attempt by a treacherous terrorist organization that infiltrated all state institutions – especially the Turkish Armed Forces, law enforcement, and judiciary – was thwarted by the resolute leadership of our president and the unwavering determination of our people, even at the cost of their lives,” mentioned Gültepe.

“On that night, our nation declared loudly and clearly to both friends and foes that it would never allow another coup in Türkiye.”

Istanbul Commodity Exchange (ISTIB) President Ali Kopuz described the failed coup as a turning level.

“Thanks to the foresight and courage of our people, the door to coups in Türkiye is now closed,” he mentioned. He warned, nonetheless, that threats will all the time stay and referred to as for continued vigilance and excellence in each skilled discipline.

“Therefore, while continuing the fight against the remnants of FETÖ, we must also remain constantly vigilant against all threats. By performing our work in the highest quality across the sectors we operate in, we must strive to build a stronger and more prosperous country.”

Source: www.dailysabah.com

CWC heats up as FIFA’s 2026 dress rehearsal faces turf troubles

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The inaugural 32-team Club World Cup concluded Sunday with helpful takeaways for FIFA, because the U.S.-hosted match, received by Chelsea, served as a gown rehearsal for the expanded 2026 World Cup.

Next yr’s international showpiece will characteristic a report 48 groups and 104 matches throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico – a major leap from the 64-match format used at Qatar 2022.

To put together followers and organizers alike, FIFA expanded this yr’s Club World Cup to 32 groups – greater than quadrupling its conventional dimension – to reflect the dimensions and construction of what’s to return.

“It’s a dry run for FIFA,” mentioned Alan Rothenberg, the previous president of U.S. Football who oversaw the World Cup the final time it was held within the U.S., in 1994.

“There were some mistakes early on and some issues early on, but presumably they have now learned their lesson on how to stage a tournament in multiple cities in this vast country of ours. So I think it’s going to make it a lot smoother from here on out for ’26 because they now have experience.”

Organizers confronted criticism from gamers, followers, and coaches for a spread of points – from pitch situations to scheduling to warmth, with some video games performed to packed stands and others to sparse crowds, baking in temperatures of 29 levels Celsius (85 levels Fahrenheit) and better.

Global gamers’ union FIFPRO mentioned the warmth, particularly, ought to “serve as a wake-up call,” with organizers pressured to schedule matches earlier within the day to accommodate the extraordinary scale of the match.

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez described the temperatures as “very dangerous” to play in.

“Every criticism that we receive is a source for us to study, to analyze, to see what we can do better,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino advised reporters forward of the ultimate.

“Of course, the heat is definitely an issue. It’s an issue all over the world.”

Infantino mentioned the match in 2026 would use stadiums with roofs and local weather management to accommodate extra daytime video games. Of the 16 World Cup stadiums, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Vancouver have roofs.

“We need to look at what we can do better. We introduced cooling breaks. It’s obviously very important we water the pitch. We can see how we can do things better in America, as well as in Canada for next year, in Vancouver,” Infantino mentioned.

FIFA is taking better operational management over the 2026 match in comparison with earlier editions, mentioned Rothenberg, who’s now chairman of Premier Partnerships, a division of Playfly Sports.

“I don’t think they did (the Club World Cup) as an experiment, but it turns out to be a great experience for FIFA going forward,” mentioned Rothenberg, whose forthcoming e book, The Big Bounce, explores soccer’s reputation within the U.S.

‘Historic event’

Global soccer’s governing physique has put boots on the bottom within the U.S. in preparation for the World Cup, establishing area places of work in Miami and at New York’s Trump Tower.

U.S. President Donald Trump was readily available to ship the trophy at MetLife Stadium on Sunday to Chelsea, after the Premier League aspect defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3–0 in entrance of an enthusiastic crowd.

From January till the top of subsequent yr’s match, FIFA will preserve a forty five,000-square-meter (485,000-square-foot) broadcast middle in Dallas.

A smaller model was used within the car parking zone at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for the Club World Cup.

“This is not a test run – we’re going to have a lot of learnings from ’25, but this is a historic event for us,” mentioned Oscar Sanchez, head of host broadcast manufacturing.

“It’s massive – but 2026 is humongous.”

MetLife Stadium, which hosted Sunday’s remaining, is ready to host the 2026 World Cup’s showpiece, with ongoing analysis to optimize pitch situations in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Despite efforts – together with transporting Bermuda grass in a single day in refrigerated vehicles – Club World Cup venues obtained criticism from coaches and gamers for pitch high quality.

“We’ll report post-tournament and take lessons forward to 2026,” mentioned Blair Christensen, pitch venue supervisor. “These guys here that work on the pitch with me – they are far sharper and better than they were 35 days ago, and we’ll take that forward to next year as well.”

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Israel displacing West Bank Palestinians at highest rate since 1967

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Mass displacement of Palestinians within the West Bank has reached ranges not seen since Israel started occupying the territory practically 60 years in the past, the U.N. warned Tuesday.

The United Nations stated an Israeli army operation launched within the north of the occupied territory in January had displaced tens of hundreds of individuals, elevating issues about potential “ethnic cleansing.”

The army operation “has been the longest since … the second Intifada,” within the early 2000s, stated Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for the U.N. company for Palestinian refugees.

“It is impacting several refugee camps in the area, and it is causing the largest population displacement of the Palestinians in the West Bank since 1967,” she advised reporters in Geneva through video from Jordan, referring to the six-day Arab-Israeli conflict that led to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.

The U.N. rights workplace, in the meantime, warned that mass pressured displacement by an occupation pressure may quantity to “ethnic cleansing.”

Since Israel’s army launched its operation “Iron Wall” within the north of the West Bank in January, rights workplace spokesman Thameen al-Kheetan stated that “about 30,000 Palestinians remain forcibly displaced.”

Israeli safety forces had throughout the identical interval issued demolition orders for about 1,400 properties within the northern West Bank, he stated, describing the figures as “alarming.”

He identified that Israeli demolitions had displaced 2,907 Palestinians throughout the West Bank since October 2023.

Another 2,400 Palestinians – practically half of them youngsters – had been displaced because of Israeli settler actions, he added, lamenting that the mixed end result was the “emptying large parts of the West Bank of Palestinians.”

“Permanently displacing the civilian population within occupied territory amounts to unlawful transfer,” Kheetan stated, stressing that relying on the circumstances, this may very well be “tantamount to ethnic cleansing” and will “amount to a crime against humanity.”

Kheetan stated 757 assaults by Israeli settlers had been recorded within the West Bank through the first half of the yr, a 13% improve on the identical interval in 2024.

The assaults injured 96 Palestinians within the occupied territory in June alone, he advised reporters, stressing that this was the best month-to-month damage toll of Palestinians from settler assaults, “in over two decades.”

Violence within the West Bank has surged for the reason that October 2023 assault on Israel by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas triggered conflict within the Gaza Strip.

Since then, at the very least 964 Palestinians have been killed within the occupied West Bank, together with East Jerusalem, in line with the U.N.

During that very same interval, 53 Israelis have been killed in reported assaults by Palestinians or in armed clashes – 35 of them within the West Bank and 18 in Israel.

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Türkiye, Malaysia aim to strengthen cooperation in Islamic finance

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Türkiye and Malaysia can and will work collectively in a time when the world is looking for extra path and readability, the chairperson of a Malaysian middle specializing in Islamic finance mentioned in an interview printed on Tuesday.

“Türkiye and Malaysia can and should work together in a time when the world is seeking more direction and clarity. We are in a phase where we must continue to build and strengthen our relations,” mentioned Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, the chairperson of Malaysia International Islamic Financial Centre (MIFC) Leadership Council (MLC).

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Mokhtar emphasised Türkiye’s significance, each in its area and globally, explaining that they purpose to advance the robust financial, monetary, and funding ties between Türkiye and Malaysia.

“The Future of Islamic Finance: Türkiye-Malaysia Business Forum” was held just lately in cooperation with the Presidency’s Investment Office and MIFC MLC.

As a part of this system, greater than 20 senior monetary representatives working in areas corresponding to Islamic banking, capital markets and takaful (Islamic insurance coverage) got here to Türkiye, together with heads of regulatory and supervisory establishments.

The program centered on selling the Istanbul Financial Center (IFC), showcasing funding alternatives in Türkiye, strengthening public-private cooperation and evaluating funding prospects by way of one-on-one conferences.

Islamic finance, which has emerged lately as a substitute mannequin, continues to develop and is increasing its affect, particularly within the Gulf international locations, Southeast Asia and Africa.

Due to its promotion of monetary inclusion in creating international locations and its basis on moral ideas, Islamic finance is predicted to develop into extra widespread throughout broader geographies sooner or later. Türkiye stands out as a key a part of this rising pattern.

Legal reforms in participation finance, the institution of recent participation monetary establishments, and the purpose of turning Istanbul Financial Center into a world hub are all strengthening Türkiye’s Islamic finance ecosystem.

As of 2024, participation banking holds an 8.5% share within the nation’s banking sector, and that is anticipated to achieve double digits within the coming years.

Additionally, initiatives corresponding to participation-based insurance coverage, sukuk issuance (Islamic bonds) and the diversification of interest-free monetary merchandise help Türkiye’s purpose of turning into a regional Islamic finance middle.

In his remarks to AA, Mokhtar famous that commerce between the 2 international locations exceeds $5 billion (TL 200.87 billion), including, nevertheless, that there’s room to “grow this even further.”

“Our relationship is truly strong,” he mentioned.

Mokhtar defined that in Malaysia, Islamic finance constitutes virtually half of the banking system and two-thirds of the capital markets.

Highlighting Türkiye’s significance regionally and globally, Mokhtar added: “Malaysia at the moment holds the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Türkiye and Malaysia can and will work collectively in a time when the world is looking for extra path and readability. We are in a course of the place we should proceed to construct and strengthen our relationships.”

He additionally talked about witnessing the event of the Istanbul Financial Center intently and recalled opening an workplace in Istanbul throughout his time as CEO of Khazanah Nasional to put money into Türkiye and the area, a department that’s nonetheless energetic right this moment.

Moreover, he drew consideration to Türkiye’s regional affect and its function in participation finance.

“Türkiye is not just about Türkiye. It is a bridge economy for Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East and North Africa. There is serious potential in the participation finance,” he remarked.

“Much of this potential is already being realized. As Malaysia, we will continue to be part of this bridge, just as we are in our own region,” he added.

Mokhtar emphasised that the worldwide monetary world is trying to find path, with ongoing points and instability in financial coverage, local weather initiatives, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts.

He mentioned that Islamic finance is rooted in social justice, and that they’ve reworked this custom into a contemporary framework.

Highlighting the system’s development potential, he added: “Islamic finance is growing much faster than the global financial system today, but in percentage terms, we are still relatively small. That means there is plenty of room for growth.”

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Flag football sets sights on end zone as Olympic debut nears

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The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) is shaping the qualification pathway for flag soccer’s Olympic debut on the 2028 Los Angeles Games, and hopes are excessive that U.S. groups will obtain automated entry as hosts, federation president Pierre Trochet mentioned Monday.

Speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP) throughout an official go to three years forward of the LA Olympics, Trochet mentioned IFAF is in energetic discussions with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to finalize the qualifying course of, which can embody six males’s and 6 girls’s groups.

“We will have the official version of the qualification program by the end of the year,” Trochet mentioned. “We’re already considering a scenario where the world’s best might go through a first qualifying stage in 2026.”

He added {that a} second section, doubtless in 2027, would contain top-performing continental groups, forming the ultimate group of qualifiers.

“We have a clear and precise idea of what we’ll propose,” he mentioned.

The rising Olympic sport – a fast-paced, noncontact model of conventional American soccer – gained momentum after the NFL permitted participation by its gamers within the Games.

Trochet mentioned the federation stays optimistic that U.S. squads, given their standing as hosts and pioneers of flag soccer, might be granted direct entry into the match.

“Our board has made this proposal, and we hope it will be favorably received by those who need to approve our qualification pathway,” he mentioned.

Trochet mentioned the federation has additionally been working to finalize flag soccer’s place within the Olympic schedule, noting they’d secured a prime-time slot with the lads’s closing set for Friday, July 21 – a date he mentioned “links culturally to the tradition of university games on Friday nights.”

“The women’s final will have its own moment on Saturday evening at the heart of an important day, all at the end of the first week of the Games,” Trochet added.

Elsewhere, the federation is specializing in the worldwide development of the game.

“A few weeks ago, we concluded the first African Championship in Cairo, Egypt,” he mentioned. “Throughout the summer, we will transition to the European Championships in Paris, the Americas Championship in Panama, and then the Asia-Oceania Championships in China in October.”

Trochet mentioned efforts to bolster the game within the United States are considerably totally different. Alongside the NFL, the federation is working to assist youth flag soccer, practice coaches, and certify officers.

“In the United States, flag football is experiencing phenomenal growth,” he mentioned, including that the federation can also be working with the NFL to have flag soccer acknowledged as a aggressive collegiate sport within the U.S.

“Our ambition is to move faster than the 10 years usually required for this process,” he mentioned.

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Spurs’ Wembanyama cleared for NBA return after blood clot scare

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After months of uncertainty as a result of a blood clot in his proper shoulder, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been medically cleared to renew basketball actions and is anticipated to be absolutely out there when coaching camp opens this fall.

The 7-foot-4 phenom revealed his standing in an interview printed Monday by French sports activities each day L’Equipe, telling the outlet:

“I’m officially cleared to return. I’ll finally be able to play a bit of basketball again.”

An individual accustomed to the scenario confirmed to The Associated Press (AP) that the Spurs have obtained phrase of Wembanyama’s clearance, although the workforce has not publicly disclosed particulars.

The clearance doubtless signifies Wembanyama’s deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was provoked, usually a extra manageable situation, attributable to elements like muscle or rib compression reasonably than genetic clotting problems.

The Spurs haven’t confirmed specifics, however Wembanyama’s case seems to be treatable, not like extra severe clotting situations which have prematurely ended careers, together with these of Chris Bosh and Tomas Vokoun.

Still, Wembanyama admitted the analysis shook him:

“I was afraid of not being able to play basketball anymore. Those irrational thoughts creep in when you care deeply about something.”

Wembanyama, the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year, was on tempo for a historic sophomore season when the situation was found in February. He was averaging 24.3 factors, 11 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, and three.7 assists per recreation – a statistical feat solely matched by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar within the 1975-76 season.

“My injury was an adventure, obviously, but the hardest part is over,” Wembanyama mentioned. “I’m much better today, physically and mentally.”

The 20-year-old will want a ramp-up interval earlier than returning to full-speed five-on-five play, however he’s optimistic.

“It’s been five months since I played a 5-on-5 match. There are plenty of reflexes to find – both mental and muscle memory.”

Warrior monk mode

During his rehab, Wembanyama didn’t simply relaxation. Last month, he traveled to Zhengzhou, China, the place he hung out at a Shaolin temple, coaching in Kung Fu, meditation, and conventional Chinese medication.

“We were initiated into the life of a warrior monk – Buddhism and intensive kung fu,” he mentioned. “It was more than 1,000 kicks a day, jumps, stretches … I had some of the worst aches of my life.”

Though he doesn’t determine as Buddhist, Wembanyama embraced the psychological and bodily self-discipline.

“It changes you,” he mentioned. “For the better.”

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France signals reapplying embargoes on Iran if no tangible nuclear deal achieved

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French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Tuesday signaled that Paris would reapply international embargoes on Tehran if no tangible nuclear deal is achieved by late August.

“Iran has violated the commitments it made 10 years ago during the negotiation of the Iranian nuclear deal. France and its partners are therefore justified in reapplying the global embargoes on weapons, banking, and nuclear equipment that were lifted 10 years ago,” Barrot mentioned throughout his doorstep assertion on the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.

He warned that and not using a “firm, tangible, and verifiable commitment” from Iran, they might reapply embargoes “by the end of August at the latest,” calling for opening a diplomatic course of resulting in a “negotiated settlement and oversight” of Iran’s nuclear actions.

“We continue to demand an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and the release of all hostages held by Hamas, which must be disarmed. But we also demand that the Israeli government lift the financial blockade on the Palestinian Authority by paying the €2 billion ($2.3 billion) it owes the Authority,” Barrot additional mentioned.

He urged Israel to finish the “colonization” of the West Bank, specifically the “disastrous” E1 settlement undertaking, that “threatens to split the West Bank in two and deliver a fatal blow to the two-state solution.”

“I believe the European Union would do itself credit by following the directions we have proposed: to sanction individuals and entities responsible for violent, extremist colonization, and to cease all forms of direct and indirect financial support for colonization,” Barrot added.

He additional commented on Washington’s current announcement to use 30% tariffs on the EU items, underlining that the US economic system “vitally needs” the European economic system to “function.”

“The threat of the United States applying 30% tariffs on the European Union is an unfriendly act that resembles blackmail and does not reflect the privileged relationship between the US and the EU,” Barrot burdened.

Source: www.anews.com.tr

AC Milan officially sign Luka Modric after 13 years at Real Madrid

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AC Milan have formally signed Croatia captain Luka Modric to a one-year cope with an possibility to increase by way of June 2027, the Serie A membership introduced Monday, marking the top of his illustrious 13-year spell at Real Madrid.

Modric’s arrival had been hinted at earlier this month by newly appointed Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri.

“Very happy to be here to start a new chapter in my career,” the 39-year-old stated in an Instagram video shared by the membership.

The veteran midfielder will put on the No. 14 shirt – his quantity throughout 4 seasons at Tottenham Hotspur – in tribute to Dutch legend Johan Cruyff.

“It’s an immense honor for them to compare me to (Cruyff), I wore the No. 14 at Tottenham in honor of him, and because the No. 10 wasn’t available,” Modric stated after profitable the Ballon d’Or in 2018.

Modric, thought to be one of many biggest midfielders of all time, introduced in May that he would go away Real after the Club World Cup. He made 597 appearances for the Spanish membership, profitable 28 trophies, together with 4 La Liga and 6 Champions League titles.

He performed his ultimate sport for Real on Wednesday, approaching as a second-half substitute throughout a 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain within the Club World Cup semifinals.

“It’s a bitter end … he’s a legend of world football and of Real Madrid. He’ll be remembered for many more good things than for the 25 minutes he played today,” Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso stated after the match.

Modric, thought-about Croatia’s biggest participant of all time, has represented the nation a file 188 instances, scoring 28 targets. He received the Golden Ball on the 2018 World Cup, the place he led Croatia to the ultimate for the primary time.

He received the Ballon d’Or in December that 12 months, turning into the primary participant aside from Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win the celebrated award since 2007.

Modric’s arrival reinforces a Milan midfield that additionally consists of Youssouf Fofana, Yunus Musah and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, with Samuele Ricci becoming a member of from Torino earlier this month.

Milan, who didn’t qualify for European competitors after ending eighth in Serie A final season, start their new marketing campaign towards newly promoted Cremonese on Aug. 23.

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