10 Surprising Facts About Women’s History Month

The U.S. and other countries, including the U.K. and Australia, are celebrating Women’s History Month in March, featuring International Women’s Day on March 8. 

This year, President Joe Biden said in his proclamation declaring Women’s History Month that during this time, “we celebrate the courageous women who have helped our Nation build a fairer, more just society.”

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Here are 10 surprising facts about Women’s History Month.

International Women’s Day was first recognized in Europe

Many reports trace the origins of a holiday honoring women to New York City in 1909, to the commemoration of a garment workers’ strike.

In 1910, German activist Clara Zetkin suggested to the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen the creation of an international holiday to honor women. Europeans recognized International Women’s Day in 1911, although the U.S. did not follow suit.

International Women’s Day’s date was chosen because of the Russian revolution 

The date of March 8 became significant in 1917, when women in the Russian capital of Petrograd protested and went on strike, demanding food and the end of the empire. A week later, the Tsar abdicated. Zetkin reportedly suggested in 1921 that March 8 become International Women’s Day as a result.

Women’s History Month started as a local week 

Women’s History Month began as a local week-long celebration in Santa Rosa, California in 1978, according to the online National Women’s History Museum. The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women planned the week and timed it with International Women’s Day.

Local advocates then formed the National Women’s History Project, now the National Women’s History Alliance, to share women’s achievements. One of the group’s members, Molly Murphy MacGregor, participated in The Women’s History Institute at Sarah Lawrence College in New York, where others were inspired to start their own week celebrations, according to the group’s website. By 1986, 14 states had already declared March as Women’s History Month.

It took years for Women’s History Month to be federally recognized

In 1980, the National Women’s History Project led a coalition of women’s groups successfully lobbied President Jimmy Carter to issue a proclamation recognizing National Women’s History Week, National Geographic reported. It took until 1987 for Congress to pass a law designating March as Women’s History Month.

The U.S. president designates Women’s History Month every year

Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed resolutions requesting and authorizing the president to proclaim the special month. Since 1995, each president has issued an annual proclamation designating Women’s History Month.

Former President Barack Obama’s 2011 proclamation paid homage to the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, saying the holiday “is a chance to pay tribute to ordinary women throughout the world and is rooted in women’s centuries-old struggle to participate in society on an equal footing with men. This day reminds us that, while enormous progress has been made, there is still work to be done before women achieve true parity.”

There is an annual theme for Women’s History Month  

The National Women’s History Alliance sets a theme for the month every year. This year’s theme is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.”

“The theme recognizes women throughout the country who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions,” a statement from the alliance on its choice read.

Women’s History Month is celebrated differently in Canada 

Women’s History Month has spread around the world, from the Philippines to the U.K. In the latter, Mother’s Day is also celebrated in March. While Women’s History Month is generally commemorated in March, Canada holds their celebrations in October.

International Women’s Day is an official holiday in some countries 

Some countries mark International Women’s Day as an official holiday, Sky History reported. In China, many women can take a half-day holiday. In Serbia and Albania, International Women’s Day is also Mother’s Day.

International Women’s Day is celebrated with certain colors

Purple, green, and white are the colors of International Women’s Day, according to the International Women’s Day website. The colors reportedly originated from suffragists in the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the U.K. in the early 1900s and were transported to the U.S.

Actions this year will focus on abortion rights 

The Women’s March organization, which ran its first prominent march in 2017 a day after Donald Trump’s inauguration, is planning a rally in Washington D.C. on March 26, when the Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments in a case about the abortion pill.

The Supreme Court issued a temporary order in 2023 that put on hold a Texas federal judge’s order to suspend the federal government’s approval of the abortion pill. The March hearing will be the first major case concerning abortion since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

source https://time.com/6837254/womens-history-month-surprising-facts/

Shehbaz Sharif Becomes Pakistan’s New Premier as Imran Khan’s Allies Allege Rigging

ISLAMABAD — Lawmakers in Pakistan’s National Assembly elected Sunday Shehbaz Sharif as the country’s new prime minister for the second time as allies of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan in parliament shouted in protest, alleging rigging in last month’s election.

Khan is currently serving prison terms in multiple cases and has been barred from seeking or holding office. Sharif replaced him as prime minister after his ouster in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022.

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Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said Sharif secured 201 votes, defeating Omar Ayub of the Sunni Ittehad Council who got 92 votes. The winner only needs 169 votes to get a majority.

Ayub was backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, whose candidates could not get enough seats to form a government on their own. The PTI refused to hold talks with its rivals to form a coalition.

Following days of negotiations, Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League party and his supporters formed an alliance after the Feb. 8 election, which was overshadowed by militant violence, a nationwide mobile phone shutdown, Khan’s exclusion from the vote, and an unusual delay in announcing the result.

Authorities said cutting communications was necessary to avoid attacks on candidates and security forces.

However, the delay drew criticism from Khan’s party, which insists the vote was rigged to stop it from getting a majority. The party claims it has evidence that its victory “was stolen during the vote count,” a charge the Election Commission denies.

Sharif, in his acceptance speech in parliament Sunday, said: “We were subjected to political victimization in the past but never took any revenge.” Without naming Khan, he said the previous ruler jailed many political rivals, including himself and his ally Asif Ali Zardari.

He also accused Khan’s supporters of attacking military installations while protesting his ouster in 2022, adding that now parliament and the courts would decide whether those involved in attacking the military installations deserved a pardon.

Holding portraits of Khan, some lawmakers stood in front of Sharif when he began his speech, shouting “vote thief” and “shame.” Sharif denounced their actions, saying they were causing chaos in parliament. He also said they should present their evidence of vote rigging to the relevant authorities.

Sharif then addressed the opposition saying, “I am offering you reconciliation. Let us sit together to work for the betterment of Pakistan.” But he was greeted with more protests and shouts.

The premier also spoke of repairing ties with the United States. Relations between the two countries have been strained after Khan accused the U.S., Sharif and the Pakistani military of conspiring to keep him out of office, following his ouster.

Sharif also said his biggest challenge was the economic situation as Pakistan has been relying on foreign loans to run the economy. His government faces multiple issues, including how to respond to a surge in militant attacks, improve relations with the neighboring, Taliban-run Afghanistan, repair crumbling infrastructure, and resolve year-round power outages. It must also maintain political stability as Khan’s party has vowed to continue protests against the alleged vote-rigging.

After losing to Sharif, Ayub addressed the parliament, commending “my leader” Khan for his “bravery” while facing the cases against him. He denounced the arrest of “thousands of Khan’s supporters” last year after they took to the streets following his ouster.

Ayub repeated the allegations of vote rigging and demanded a probe into last month’s poll. He said PTI votes were tampered with and “votes were stolen” to stop Khan’s party from forming a government.

He said Sharif can rule the country but “he cannot win hearts and minds because he came to power through a rigged vote.”

Last week, Khan wrote a letter to the International Monetary Fund, urging it to link any talks with Islamabad to an audit of February’s election. Khan’s move, which Sharif criticized in his speech, comes days before the IMF releases a key installment of a bailout loan to Pakistan.

Pakistan has been relying on bailouts to prop up its foreign exchange reserves and avoid default, with the IMF and wealthy allies like China and Saudi Arabia financing the country to the tune of billions of dollars. Under his previous term as prime minister, Sharif had to struggle for months to get a $3 billion bailout from the IMF.

The new prime minister has said he will seek a new IMF bailout after the end of March when the current one expires.

He is due to be sworn in on Monday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was among the first to congratulate Sharif on his election as Pakistan’s prime minister, the official Xinhua news agency reported Sunday

source https://time.com/6837284/shehbaz-sharif-new-pakistan-premier-imran-khan-allies/

The Best and Worst Moments of the 2024 BRIT Awards: U.K.’s Biggest Night in Music

The BRITs is an annual night of celebration for the music industry in the U.K., with the nation’s most talented and impactful artists honored for their successes. While the focus is on homegrown talent, international acts are also recognized for their contribution to music. The ceremony—often thought of as the U.K.’s answer to the Grammy Awards— is known for delivering incredible performances, which often go down in history. Perhaps none is more iconic than the Spice Girls’ 1997 medley of their hit songs “Wannabe” and “Who Do You Think You Are.” Thanks in part to the Union Jack dress adorned by Geri Halliwell (aka Ginger Spice), the performance is still spoken of today, especially when the subject of the BRITs comes up. While few BRITs moments since have managed to reach that stratospheric level of fame, there’s still a bevy of landmark performances to enjoy each year. 

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At the 2024 ceremony, which took place at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, March 3, Australian superstar Kylie Minogue performed a streamlined medley of her greatest hits, in honor of her winning the coveted Global Icon Award. The “Padam Padam” singer was presented with the trophy by Dua Lipa, who also performed at the event, and took to the stage elsewhere in the show to accept the Best Pop Act award. Lipa beat out London-born singer Raye for the achievement, marking the only loss among Raye’s seven nominations. It was a wildly successful night for Raye. With six wins, she broke the record for the most gongs awarded to a single act in one night. The previous record of four was held by Adele, Harry Styles, and Blur.

It was a full-circle moment for Raye, who is a former pupil of London’s BRIT School, which is partially funded by the BRIT Trust. Some of the proceeds from the annual BRIT awards go toward the school, which is free to attend. Other notable alumni include Adele and Amy Winehouse. As well as celebrating the successes of former pupils, the BRITs, along with its sponsor, Mastercard, efforts a Next Generation campaign, aiming to spotlight and nurture up-and-coming talent. At the 2024 ceremony, Raye shared a sweet reunion with her old headteacher, Stuart Walden, and encouraged greener musicians to not give up.

Alongside performances and noteworthy acceptance speeches, there were also surprise cameos and skits along the way, and some rather impressive presenters.

See below for the best and worst moments from the 2024 BRIT Awards.

Most elevated performance

Dua Lipa made sure her show-opening performance of “Training Season” was one to remember and hard to miss. While BRIT-winner Lipa initially stayed grounded for the event, her dancers were suspended high above the stage in a circle formation ahead of her set, only to hurtle down to the stage mid-performance. They then lifted the singer into the air. You could say that Lipa and her creative team got things off to a flying start.

Best nostalgia hit

Global Icon Award winner Kylie Minogue continues to dominate the music charts each decade, and even won a Grammy Award earlier this year on account of her viral song “Padam Padam.” Alongside singing her more recent hit single, Minogue also delivered a welcome dose of nostalgia, belting out her beloved 2001 song “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” before launching into her sultry 2010 track “All the Lovers.” Our only complaint about her set? It wasn’t quite long enough for our liking.

Sweet and sour moment

The live crowd erupted into applause when Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and Tré Cool took to the stage to present the International Group of the Year Award (which ended up going to Boygenius). It’s an award they’ve previously won themselves, so it was fitting they should be the ones to present it. However, the sweetness was somewhat undercut by a sour aftertaste, with the downside of their appearance being that they didn’t take to the stage to perform during the night. Perhaps next year, instead!

A wickedly good cameo

Bridgerton’s very own Jonathan Bailey, who will star opposite Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in the big screen adaptation of the musical Wicked, presented Raye with the Artist of the Year award. The actor said it was an “unbelievable honor” to hand over the gong, and later attended Raye’s BRITs after-party.

Best no-show

Miley Cyrus won the International Song of the Year award for her hit 2023 track “Flowers.” She couldn’t be in attendance, so sent a short acceptance speech via video, which ended up being one of the highlights of the night. Wearing a sparkly, backless minidress, Cyrus turned around and said: “Thanks for giving me somewhere to wear this dress.” She signed off by quipping: “I know this video is a little short, but I just wanted it to match my dress. Thank you.”

Best family moment

When collecting her sixth and final award of the night, the coveted British Album of the Year gong, Raye brought her grandmother, Agatha, on stage. The duo hugged and shared a sweet moment, as the visibly emotional singer admitted she was overwhelmed. Raye, born Rachel Agatha Keen, gets her middle name from her gran, who she thanked in front of the live audience.

Best new power duo

Alison Owen, known for her roles in 2023 blockbuster Saltburn and the TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends, walked onto the stage with none other than singer Charli XCX. With their dark, long dresses complimenting each other, the duo joined forces to present DJ Calvin Harris with the Dance Act award.

Most traitorous appearance

Much like in the U.S., hit reality show The Traitors has a strong hold on U.K. audiences. The most recent season finished airing on BBC One in January, but mother-and-son duo, fan favorites Diane and Ross, returned to the small screen for a fun cameo at the BRITs. Dressed in the famed Traitors cloaks they, along with the ceremony’s main hosts, teased Raye’s upcoming performance by writing her name down on a chalkboard in a similar fashion to what is done on the reality show.

paul just couldn't perform next… but @raye can. #BRITs pic.twitter.com/JrII9OIAix

— BRIT Awards (@BRITs) March 2, 2024

source https://time.com/6837260/brit-awards-2024-recap-best-worst-moments-music/

Mount Everest Climbers Must Now Meet This New Requirement

Mount Everest climbers must now rent and wear a tracking device on their journeys to cut down time on search and rescue missions, CNN reported.

Rakesh Gurung, Nepal’s tourism department director, is quoted as telling the news outlet that a climber will pay $10 to $15 for a chip, which will be sewn into their jacket, then returned after the climb and rented to the next climber. Reputable mountaineering companies already use GPS trackers, according to Gurung.  

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TIME reached out to Nepal’s tourism department for further information.

This news comes ahead of the spring climbing season, which generally runs from March to May, when conditions are best to take on the world’s tallest mountain. Mountaineers must wait for the most favorable weather to summit the peak, with most ascents occurring around May 18, according to Outside magazine.

Mount Everest, always perilous to climb, has also become increasingly and dangerously crowded in recent years. Last year, Nepal issued a record number of permits to climb Mount Everest during the spring season, per the BBC. That season became one of the deadliest in recent memory, with 12 confirmed deaths and five climbers missing at the season’s close in June.

The government has taken other measures to attempt to keep climbers safe. Last year, Nepal’s Tourism Board announced that climbers on any mountain would be required to get a tracking information management system card from an authorized mountaineering agency in an effort to “ensure the safety and security of visitors” and discourage unlicensed treks.

Nepal also piloted tracking chips in the past. In 2017, the country’s tourism department provided some Everest climbers with GPS trackers to prevent false summit claims and make rescues easier, Reuters reported. At the time, tourism officials said that if the concept worked, they would make it mandatory for all climbers.

source https://time.com/6837233/mount-everest-new-requirement-for-climbers/

Ship Hit by Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Sinks in the Red Sea, Marking First Vessel Lost in Conflict

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, officials said Saturday, the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of their campaign over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

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The sinking of the Rubymar comes as shipping through the crucial waterway for cargo and energy shipments moving from Asia and the Middle East to Europe has been affected by the Houthi attacks.

Already, many ships have turned away from the route. The sinking could see further detours and higher insurance rates put on vessels plying the waterway — potentially driving up global inflation and affecting aid shipments to the region.

The Belize-flagged Rubymar had been drifting northward after being struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18 in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government, as well as a regional military official, confirmed the ship sank. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as no authorization was given to speak to journalists about the incident.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which watches over Mideast waterways, separately acknowledged the Rubymar’s sinking Saturday afternoon.

The Rubymar’s Beirut-based manager could not be immediately reached for comment.

Yemen’s exiled government, which has been backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, said the Rubymar sank late Friday as stormy weather took hold over the Red Sea. The vessel had been abandoned for 12 days after the attack, though plans had been made to try and tow the ship to a safe port.

The Iran-backed Houthis, who had falsely claimed the ship sank almost instantly after the attack, did not immediately acknowledge the ship’s sinking.

The U.S. military’s Central Command previously warned the vessel’s cargo of fertilizer, as well as fuel leaking from the ship, could cause ecological damage to the Red Sea.

Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, the prime minister of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, called the ship’s sinking “an unprecedented environmental disaster.”

“It’s a new disaster for our country and our people,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Every day, we pay for the Houthi militia’s adventures, which were not stopped at plunging Yemen into the coup disaster and war.”

The Houthis have held Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, since 2014, expelling the government. Its fought a Saudi-led coalition since 2015 in a stalemated war.

Satellite pictures analyzed by The Associated Press from Planet Labs PBC showed smaller boats alongside the Rubymar on Wednesday. It wasn’t immediately clear whose vessels those were. The images showed the Rubymar’s stern sinking into the Red Sea but still afloat, mirroring earlier video taken of the vessel.

The private security firm Ambrey separately reported Friday about a mysterious incident involving the Rubymar.

“A number of Yemenis were reportedly harmed during a security incident which took place” on Friday, Ambrey said. It did not elaborate on what that incident involved and no party involved in Yemen’s yearslong war claimed any new attack on the vessel.

A satellite image taken Friday from Maxar Technologies showed new blast damage on the Rubymar not previously seen, with no other vessels around it.

Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war. Those vessels have included at least one with cargo bound for Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.

Despite over a month of U.S.-led airstrikes, Houthi rebels remain capable of launching significant attacks. That includes the attack on the Rubymar and the downing of an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars. The Houthis insist their attacks will continue until Israel stops its combat operations in the Gaza Strip, which have enraged the wider Arab world and seen the Houthis gain international recognition.

However, there has been a slowdown in attacks in recent days. The reason for that remains unclear.

source https://time.com/6837215/yemen-houthi-rebels-attack-ship-sinks-red-sea/

How World Leaders Have Reacted to the Deaths of People In Gaza Waiting For an Aid Convoy

World leaders are putting pressure on Israel to allow in more humanitarian aid to Gaza, with some turning to their own efforts to do so, after at least 110 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more injured trying to get aid this week, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.  

Witnesses said Israeli troops fired on the crowd as people rushed to take food aid off trucks in Gaza City on Thursday, the Associated Press reported. This was echoed by Hamas on its Telegram channel.

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said “thousands of Gazans” had “descended upon the trucks” with some “violently pushing and even trampling other Gazans to death, looting the humanitarian supplies” resulting in “dozens of Gazans killed and injured.” The IDF said its troops fired warning shots in a bid to disperse the crowds. 

A doctor at a nearby hospital told the AP that more than 80% of the injured victims he treated were struck by gunfire. He couldn’t speak to the cause of deaths, as the bodies were taken to other hospitals. 

The incident comes after the World Food Programme announced it had stopped food deliveries to north Gaza on Feb. 20 because it was too unsafe, even though needs are more acute than ever. 

Earlier this week, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reported that more than 30,000 people, most women and children, have been killed by Israel’s military assault in response to Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7. Others are at risk of starvation, with the U.N. reporting Friday that 10 children have been officially registered in hospitals as having starved to death.

Israel’s humanitarian aid arm COGAT said on X (formerly Twitter) after the incident that Israel Defense Forces “will continue to assist in the transfer and coordination of humanitarian aid.” 

Here’s what world leaders have said in the wake of the incident.

U.S. President Joe Biden 

President Joe Biden responded to the deaths by approving airdrops of humanitarian aid into Gaza on Friday.

“In the coming days we’re going to join with our friends in Jordan and others who are providing airdrops of additional food and supplies” and will “seek to open up other avenues in, including possibly a marine corridor,” Biden said. “Aid flowing to Gaza is nowhere nearly enough…Innocent lives are on the line and children’s lives are on the line. We won’t stand by until we get more aid in there. We should be getting hundreds of trucks in, not just several.”

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the aid airdrops are complicated operations that will only supplement ground deliveries. 

Aid organizations stressed more help must be delivered over land, with the International Rescue Committee saying in a statement emailed to TIME on Friday that “airdrops do not and cannot substitute for humanitarian access” and calling for a sustained ceasefire. 

U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron 

On Friday, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in a press release: “The deaths of people in Gaza waiting for an aid convoy yesterday were horrific. There must be an urgent investigation and accountability. This must not happen again.”

Cameron said the incident couldn’t be separated from “inadequate aid supplies,” reporting that in February only half the number of trucks crossed into Gaza as in January. “This is simply unacceptable.” 

“Israel has an obligation to ensure that significantly more humanitarian aid reaches the people of Gaza,” Cameron said, adding that Israel must urgently open more crossings into Gaza, eliminate bureaucratic obstacles, enable aid operations, and ensure there are mechanisms in place to protect civilians, NGOs, medics and those providing aid. 

Cameron said the incident underscores the importance of securing “an immediate humanitarian pause. A sustained pause in the fighting is the only way to get lifesaving aid in at the scale needed and free the hostages cruelly held by Hamas.” 

The deaths of people in Gaza waiting for an aid convoy yesterday were horrific.

Read my full statement below. pic.twitter.com/2ZJe9JvrZp

— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) March 1, 2024

Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

Qatar, which helped mediate a previous temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and has continued to broker negotiations between the two warring parties, said in a statement on X that it condemned in strongest terms what it called a “heinous massacre.”

The ministry stressed “the need for the international community to shoulder its moral and legal responsibilities to oblige the Israeli occupation to comply with international law and international humanitarian law” and urged international action to end the fighting and address the “catastrophic humanitarian situation” in Gaza.  

Statement : Qatar condemns in the Strongest Terms a New Massacre in Gaza and Demands Urgent International Action to End the Aggression against Gaza Strip Immediately#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/oPqK4sLdnk

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) February 29, 2024

Canada Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly 

Mélanie Joly told reporters on Thursday that the deaths were a “nightmare” and called for an end to fighting in Gaza, Reuters reported. “We need to make sure that international aid is sent into Gaza and that people are protected when they go and get that aid.”

French President Emmanuel Macron 

Emmanuel Macron, who called for a ceasefire in November, expressed “Deep indignation at the images coming from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers” in a statement on X. “I express my strongest condemnation of these shootings and call for truth, justice and respect for international law.”

“The situation in Gaza is terrible. All civilian populations must be protected. A ceasefire must be implemented immediately to allow humanitarian aid to be distributed,” he said. 

Deep indignation at the images coming from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers.

I express my strongest condemnation of these shootings and call for truth, justice, and respect for international law.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 1, 2024

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock 

The German Foreign Office posted in a statement on X attributed to Annalena Baerbock, relaying that she was shaken by the reports of people killed while seeking food for their families. “The Israeli army must fully investigate the incident and how the mass panic and shootings occurred,” the statement read.

“In Gaza, people are closer to death than to life,” the statement continued. “More humanitarian aid must get in immediately. A humanitarian pause is more urgent than ever so that hostages can finally be freed from Hamas, the dying in Gaza stops and aid can be distributed safely. 

People sought food for their families and were killed. I am shaken by the reports from #Gaza. The Israeli army must fully investigate the incident and how the mass panic and shootings occurred. My sympathies are with the families of the victims. @ABaerbock 1/2

— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) March 1, 2024

Belgium Minister of Foreign Affairs Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Development Cooperation and Major Cities Caroline Gennez

Hadja Lahbib said on X that “the tragedy in northern Gaza reinforces Belgium’s call for an immediate ceasefire.” She later said Belgium would also work with Jordan to airdrop aid into Gaza.

Talking with my Jordanian colleague @AymanHSafadi.

Humanitarian access to Gaza is insufficient.

Together with Jordan, we're planning a humanitarian airdrop with food and essential goods.

An immediate ceasefire is necessary. pic.twitter.com/SDhKb70XWf

— Hadja Lahbib (@hadjalahbib) March 1, 2024

Caroline Gennez said on X after the incident: “Nowhere and no one is safe in Gaza. Humanitarian aid is already barely getting in. And now people queuing up for a crumb of bread in the most horrific conditions and under threat of starvation are just being shot. This. Must. Stop.”

Nowhere and no one is safe in #Gaza.

Humanitarian aid is already barely getting in. And now people queuing up for a crumb of bread in the most horrific conditions and under threat of starvation are just being shot.

This. Must. Stop.#Flourmassacre https://t.co/ZuYVKD17If

— Caroline Gennez (@carogennez) February 29, 2024

source https://time.com/6837191/gaza-aid-convoy-deaths-israel-hamas-world-leaders/

Why Elon Musk Is Suing OpenAI and Sam Altman

The fallout from the OpenAI board’s failed attempt to fire CEO Sam Altman last November took an unexpected turn on Thursday, in events that could have a significant bearing on the future of the company and the wider world of artificial intelligence.

Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in a San Francisco court, alleging that Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman have violated OpenAI’s founding mission to develop AI safely and for the benefit of humanity.

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The billionaire owner of SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter) co-founded OpenAI alongside Altman and Brockman back in 2015, but stepped away from the company in 2018. (Musk launched his own AI company, xAI last summer.) Musk disagreed with Altman and Brockman’s plan to turn OpenAI from a non-profit to a for-profit company, and before stepping down, reportedly mounted an unsuccessful bid to install himself as CEO. Musk is suing Altman, Brockman, and several of OpenAI’s business entities for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and unfair business practices, seeking unspecified damages above $105,000.

Read More: Inside Elon Musk’s Struggle for the Future of AI

The lawsuit, however, also makes a more substantial claim which—if upheld by the San Francisco Superior Court—could fundamentally reshape how OpenAI and its partner Microsoft do business. (Microsoft has invested $13 billion in OpenAI.)

First, the crucial context: As part of their partnership agreement, Microsoft has exclusive commercial rights to OpenAI’s intellectual property, including the algorithms behind ChatGPT and its successor GPT-4. But there is a notable caveat: these commercial rights only apply to “pre-AGI technology.” And it is OpenAI’s board that has the right to determine when AGI—artificial general intelligence, or an AI system that can perform economically valuable tasks similar to a human—has been reached.

In November 2023, the OpenAI board fired Altman. During the five days that followed, Microsoft and OpenAI employees applied significant pressure to the board to reverse that decision, ultimately successfully. Altman returned as CEO, and all but one of the board’s members who had voted to oust Altman were themselves removed. (Altman and Brockman were also removed from the board.) Microsoft, which did not previously have a seat on the board, was given an observer position with no voting power. These events, Musk’s lawsuit alleges, amounted to a “coup” that had the effect of ensuring the new OpenAI board, which the suit argues were “handpicked by Mr. Altman and Microsoft,” would be unlikely to declare that AGI had been reached, thus allowing Microsoft to continue profiting from the technology.

“To this day, OpenAI, Inc.’s website continues to profess that its charter is to ensure that AGI ‘benefits all of humanity,’” the lawsuit states. “In reality, however, OpenAI, Inc. has been transformed into a closed-source de facto subsidiary of the largest technology company in the world: Microsoft. Under its new Board, it is not just developing but is actually refining an AGI to maximize profits for Microsoft, rather than for the benefit of humanity.”

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The board’s new chair, Bret Taylor, said in a statement in November that the new board would “build a qualified, diverse Board of exceptional individuals” focused on serving OpenAI’s mission. Responding to similar claims made by Musk in the past, Altman said last year: “I like the dude. I think he’s totally wrong about this stuff… He can say whatever he wants but I’m proud of what we’re doing, and I think we’re going to make a positive contribution to the world, and I try to stay above all that.”

Read More: CEO of the Year 2023: Sam Altman

Musk’s lawsuit seeks “a judicial determination that GPT-4 constitutes Artificial General Intelligence and is thereby outside the scope of OpenAI’s license to Microsoft,” citing a paper authored by Microsoft researchers who claim the tool is “an early (yet still incomplete) version of an AGI system.” It also seeks a court order prohibiting OpenAI from using its assets “for the financial benefit” of Microsoft or itself, and a separate court order compelling OpenAI to release its technology to the public.

Musk, the lawsuit separately argues, was the driving force behind the establishment of OpenAI in 2015 as a nonprofit research body dedicated to building AGI for the benefit of humanity. He and Altman were concerned that Google, the leading AI lab at the time, was not prioritizing the safety of the technology. Musk donated $44 million, the majority of the cash required to get OpenAI off the ground, according to the lawsuit, and helped the nonprofit recruit leading AI researchers.

“Imagine donating to a non-profit whose asserted mission is to protect the Amazon rainforest, but then the non-profit creates a for-profit Amazonian logging company that uses the fruits of the donations to clear the rainforest,” the lawsuit says. “That is the story of OpenAI.”

source https://time.com/6836815/the-key-issue-behind-elon-musks-lawsuit-against-openai/