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Huge crowds protest Colombian president’s planned reforms

Huge crowds protest Colombian president’s planned reforms

Protesters call Gustavo Petro’s policies ‘dire’ as his government attempts to reform healthcare and other sectors. Tens of thousands of Colombians have taken to the streets in several cities to protest against President Gustavo Petro’s social reform agenda. About 70,000 people demonstrated in Bogota on Sunday, according to estimates provided by the city government. Large rallies also took place in other cities across the country in opposition to Petro’s proposed economic and social reforms. Protests have been a constant since the former leftist fighter took office in 2022, but have gained momentum as Petro has floated the possibility of rewriting the constitution to spur social reforms blocked by a hostile congress and conservative business groups. A Senate committee earlier this month rejected a proposed health reform aimed at stripping power from insurers and expanding access to healthcare. The opposition has been angered by the government’s move to take control of two main insurers it said had failed to correctly care for patients. The government is expected to propose a new version of the health reform once the new legislative session begins in July. Pension and labour reforms are also being debated by lawmakers. Marches have also previously taken place in support of Petro’s reforms. “This government’s policies are dire. The health system, despite its flaws, was working and now Petro is putting an end to it by plunging patients who have no healthcare or medicine into a crisis,” Monica Leon, a 45-year-old doctor told the Reuters news agency. Demonstrators protest against Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s reforms in Bogota [Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters] ‘Topple the government’ President Petro said in a post on X that the protests were large in Medellin, Bogota and Bucaramanga but “weak” in 18 other cities. “The main goal of the marches is to shout ‘Petro Out’ and to topple the government,” Petro said, calling the protests a “soft coup” to thwart reforms. He called for a massive pro-government march on May 1. When Petro came to power two years ago he was the first leftist to govern a country traditionally run by conservative elites. However, he lost majorities in the legislature a few months after his inauguration, and his approval rating has plummeted. Seventy percent of Colombians say the situation in the country “is getting worse”, according to the Invamer polling group. Petro’s ambitious policy of “total peace” – attempting to bring an end to six decades of armed conflict – has also faced reversals. Concessions to armed groups have been controversial, with frequent violations reported. Adblock test (Why?)

Indian teenager Gukesh to challenge China’s Ding for world chess title

Indian teenager Gukesh to challenge China’s Ding for world chess title

Seventeen-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju sets up world title showdown after winning the 2024 Candidates Tournament. India’s Gukesh Dommaraju has become the youngest player to win the men’s Candidates chess tournament after a draw against Hikaru Nakamura on a nail-biting final day of the double round-robin event in Toronto. The 17-year-old grandmaster effectively wrapped up victory in the tournament on Sunday after American Fabiano Caruana blundered a winning position against Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi to be held to a draw. Gukesh’s draw with the black pieces put him on 9/14 with Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi and Caruana finishing on 8.5/14. Standings | After Round 14 | #FIDECandidates 🇮🇳 Gukesh D is the winner of the FIDE Candidates with a score of 9/14. pic.twitter.com/BrB7szcpbd — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) April 22, 2024 With the win, Gukesh has set up a world chess title showdown against reigning champion Ding Liren of China. The grandmaster from Chennai in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state termed the final game “crazy” and said he was feeling “quite emotional” once it was over. “I am feeling quite good but the journey is only halfway through,” Gukesh said after the game, referring to his qualification for the championship qualification. Gukesh, who was one of three Indian players in the eight-man Candidates tournament, will face Ding for the title later this year. The world number 16 played down his achievement as the youngest challenger to the world title. “I’m just happy about winning and don’t really care about records,” he told reporters. The youngest winner of a Candidates tournament was Garry Kasparov, who was 20 when he prevailed in 1984, a year before sealing the world champion title against fellow Russian Anatoly Karpov. Gukesh: “It was really nice to see all the people here supporting me and cheering for chess. I usually don’t try to interact with the outside world a lot during the tournament, but surely, whenever they cheered during and after the games, it was really nice to see that. Their… pic.twitter.com/C7s6JIIyto — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) April 22, 2024 Gukesh received widespread support from the Indian diaspora, a large number of whom turned up at the tournament venue. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Gukesh on the win. “Gukesh’s remarkable achievement at the Candidates in Toronto showcases his extraordinary talent and dedication,” Modi wrote in a post on X. India is exceptionally proud of @DGukesh on becoming the youngest-ever player to win the #FIDECandidates! Gukesh’s remarkable achievement at the Candidates in Toronto showcases his extraordinary talent and dedication. His outstanding performance and journey to the top… pic.twitter.com/pfNhhRj7W2 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 22, 2024 World number one Magnus Carlsen, a five-time classical chess world champion, relinquished his title last year, citing a lack of motivation. Tan Zhongyi dominated the women’s tournament and will face fellow Chinese Ju Wenjun for the world title. Adblock test (Why?)

Rocket attack from Iraq targets US base in Syria

Rocket attack from Iraq targets US base in Syria

The attack was the first by Iranian-backed groups against US troops in Iraq since they halted a campaign in early February. Several rockets have been fired from Iraq towards a US military base in northeastern Syria. The attack, launched from the town of Zummar late on Sunday, was the first since early February to target US troops, when Iranian-backed groups in Iraq brought to an end a campaign that had seen regular strikes against the US-led international coalition. The resumed hostilities came a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani returned from a visit to the United States where he met with President Joe Biden. A post on a Telegram group affiliated with Kataib Hezbollah said armed factions in Iraq had decided to resume attacks after a near-three month pause having seen little progress on talks to end the US-led military coalition in the country. However, on Monday, Kataib Hezbollah said it had issued no statement claiming a return to attacks on US forces. It called the earlier announcement “fabricated news”. A statement from the Iraqi security forces accused “outlaw elements of having targeted a base of the international coalition with rockets in the heart of Syrian territory”, at about 9:50pm (18:50 GMT). Iraqi forces launched a major search operation in northern Nineveh province and found the vehicle used in the attack, the statement added. ‘Failed attack’ A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Reuters news agency more than five rockets were fired from Iraq towards troops at a coalition base in Rmeilan, Syria, but no US personnel were injured. The official referred to it as a “failed rocket attack”, but it was not immediately clear if the rockets had failed to hit the base or been destroyed before they reached. It was also not clear if the base was the target itself. Following that, the official said, an aircraft from the US-led coalition in Iraq and Syria carried out a strike against the launch site. Two security sources and a senior army officer in Iraq said a small truck with a rocket launcher fixed on the back had been parked in Zummar, a town on the border with Syria. An army officer said the truck was destroyed and seized for further investigation. “We are communicating with the coalition forces in Iraq to share information on this attack,” the officer added. The targeting of US forces in the region intensified after the war in Gaza began on October 7. In January, three US service members were killed and at least 34 others wounded in a drone attack in northeast Jordan near the Syrian border. Adblock test (Why?)

How does AI learn its bias

How does AI learn its bias

Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to revolutionize our world, but it has a dark side: bias. AI systems can unintentionally inherit human prejudices, leading to unfair and sometimes harmful outcomes. Understanding how AI learns its bias is the first step towards creating more responsible and equitable technology.