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- Fiorentina vs Atalanta — Tuesday’s 22nd May fixtures
- Trump postpones AI executive order citing concerns over its impact
- Mother and stepfather arrested after brothers, aged five and three, found abandoned in Portuguese woods
- Air France and Airbus convicted of manslaughter over flight AF447 crash
- Senate Republicans postpone vote on reconciliation bill over DOJ fund concerns
- Record levels of gonorrhoea and syphilis reported in Europe
- Allegations of assault on Hearts players ‘not proven’, says O’Neill
- Oliver Glasner addresses Eberechi Eze after Arsenal’s Premier League title win
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Fiorentina vs Atalanta — Tuesday’s 22nd May fixtures
1:00 am
Today’s fixtures include Serie A and CONMEBOL Libertadores.
Serie A |
CONMEBOL Libertadores
Serie A
Matchday 38
Fiorentina 19:45 Atalanta
CONMEBOL Libertadores
Matchday 5
Peñarol 10 Corinthians
Universidad Católica 00 Barcelona SC
Trump postpones AI executive order citing concerns over its impact
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Get you up to speed: Trump says he’s postponing AI executive order “because I didn’t like what I was seeing”
President Trump postponed the signing of an executive order on artificial intelligence scheduled for Thursday afternoon, expressing concerns about its potential impact on the United States’ leadership in AI development. The decision was made during an unrelated event in the Oval Office, where he stated, “Because I didn’t like certain aspects of it, I postponed it.”
The executive order on artificial intelligence, initially set for signing on Thursday, has been postponed with no new date announced. The current draft reportedly includes provisions for securing Pentagon and federal civilian systems, as well as promoting voluntary engagement with AI developers regarding technology release.
President Trump announced the postponement of an executive order on artificial intelligence, stating he does not want to hinder the United States’ competitive lead in AI development. The delay raises questions about specific provisions that may have concerned him, as well as the future steps in the administration’s approach to AI, particularly regarding security measures for Pentagon systems and engagement with AI developers.
What remains unclear — It is not specified which provisions in the executive order draft President Trump believes could have stifled progress in AI development.
Trump postpones AI executive order citing concerns over its impact
Washington — President Trump on Thursday said he delayed the signing of an executive order on artificial intelligence expected that afternoon because he doesn’t want to “get in the way” of the United States leading the world in the development and advancement of AI.
The president was expected to sign an executive order Thursday afternoon concerning the federal government’s approach to AI, building on the administration’s efforts in championing AI advancement in the U.S. But early Thursday afternoon, the president told reporters in an unrelated Oval Office event that he is postponing that signing, saying he wants the U.S. to remain as competitive as possible.
“Because I didn’t like certain aspects of it, I postponed it,” Mr. Trump said when asked about the delay after a reporter for Punchbowl posted the news on X. “I think it gets in the way of, you know, we’re leading China, we’re leading everybody, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that lead.”
The president said AI is causing “tremendous good” and claimed it is creating many jobs in the U.S. “I really thought that could have been a blocker, and I want to make sure that it’s not,” he added.
“I postponed that meeting, it was a press conference, it was a signing, actually,” he said. “Because I didn’t like what I was seeing.”
It’s not clear what specific provisions in the executive order draft Mr. Trump feels would have potentially stifled that progress.
Earlier Thursday, a source familiar with the draft executive order told WTX US News the current order included language to secure Pentagon systems, secure federal civilian systems and promote the use of AI tools. It also called for a voluntary framework with AI developers to engage the federal government over the release of covered models, including pre-public access to select technology.
Mother and stepfather arrested after brothers, aged five and three, found abandoned in Portuguese woods
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Get you up to speed: Mother arrested after brothers, 5 and 3, ‘blindfolded and abandoned’ in woods | News World
The parents of two young boys were arrested in Portugal after abandoning them in a wooded area during a purported game. Marine Rousseau, 41, and Marc Ballabriga, 55, face allegations of domestic violence and child abuse following the boys’ discovery between Alcácer do Sal and Comporta.
Police discovered the boys near Alcácer do Sal and Comporta, following a report from a local baker who identified them as abandoned. The children’s birth father had previously filed a child abduction report in France after their mother allegedly vanished with them two weeks prior to the incident.
Marine Rousseau, 41, and Marc Ballabriga, 55, have been arrested by local authorities on suspicion of domestic violence and child abuse after allegedly abandoning their two young sons in the woods. Following an investigation prompted by a child abduction report filed by the children’s birth father, the pair remain silent as police continue to gather information on the circumstances surrounding their actions.
What remains unclear — Authorities have not disclosed whether further legal action will be taken against the parents following their arrest.
Mother and stepfather arrested after brothers, aged five and three, found abandoned in Portuguese woods
The boys were crying for their father (Picture: GNR)
The parents of two young boys found wandering alone down a country path hundreds of miles away from home have been arrested.
The siblings were crying for their father when police found them between the popular seaside resort towns of Alcácer do Sal and Comporta in Portugal.
The French brothers told authorities their mother, 41-year-old Marine, and stepfather Marc had driven them to remote woodland and told them they were going to play a game to ‘drive away the devil.’
Blindfolding the boys, they told them that they could only remove their eye covers once they had found a knife they had buried in the soil.
The elder brother dug around the dirt trying to follow their instructions before finally removing both their blindfolds, only to realise they had been left in the woods.
Police said they arrested Marine Rousseau, 41, and Marc Ballabriga, 55, on suspicion of domestic violence and child abuse on Wednesday.
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The two were travelling in a car with French license plates, which was found parked next to a cafe.
CNN Portugal reported that the couple had been in the cafe for ‘several hours’.
The children’s mother and stepfather remained silent after being approached by officers.
The boys were found by local baker Artur Quintas driving along the remote track with his wife, when he spotted the boy’s blonde hair just before sunset on Tuesday.
He told Portuguese outlet Correio da Manhã: ‘They were crying, they were terrified. They were crying and calling for their father.
‘The oldest one told me that he and his brother had gotten lost in the forest and that their father and mother had left without taking them.’
Their hands were covered in dirt, and one of them had a knee injury.
Portuguese police ask the kids some questions as they try to track down their parents
(Picture: GNR)
He added: ‘I saw that they were each carrying a backpack. I immediately realised they had been abandoned.’
Their backpacks had nothing more than a change of clothes, an apple, an orange and two bottles of water.
The belongings found on the two boys (Picture: GNR)
Still believing they were part of a game, the children wandered the desolate area, which can reach 30C in Spring, before finally being found by the driver.
It is thought the siblings were living in Colmar, eastern France, before their mother vanished with them around two weeks ago driving them to Portugal.
It has since emerged that their birth father, who is separated from Marine, had also filed a child abduction report to French police. Colmar prosecutor Jean Richert told Le Parisien: ‘He’s like everyone else, he doesn’t understand.’
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Air France and Airbus convicted of manslaughter over flight AF447 crash
8:00 pm
Air France and Airbus convicted of manslaughter over flight AF447 crash
Court conviction
A French appeals court found Air France and Airbus guilty of involuntary manslaughter over the 2009 crash of flight AF447, imposing a maximum fine of €225,000 on each company.
A French appeals court found Air France and Airbus guilty of involuntary manslaughter over the 2009 crash of flight AF447, imposing a maximum fine of €225,000 on each company.
Legal precedent
The ruling marks a significant legal precedent, establishing corporate culpability in aviation disasters and potentially influencing future regulatory frameworks and litigation within the aerospace industry.
The ruling marks a significant legal precedent, establishing corporate culpability in aviation disasters and potentially influencing future regulatory frameworks and litigation within the aerospace industry.
Familial Response
“These prestigious firms will no longer be able to hide behind their self-satisfaction and technological pride,” stated Daniele Lamy, head of an association of families of the victims.
“These prestigious firms will no longer be able to hide behind their self-satisfaction and technological pride,” stated Daniele Lamy, head of an association of families of the victims.
Air France and Airbus convicted of manslaughter in 2009 Rio-Paris crash over Atlantic
A French appeals court convicted Air France and Airbus of involuntary manslaughter on Thursday over the 2009 crash of a Rio-Paris flight that killed 228 people, the worst disaster in France’s aviation history.
The Paris Court of Appeal ruling was a dramatic reversal of a lower court decision.
The appeal court said that the French flag carrier and Europe’s leading aerospace manufacturer were “solely and entirely responsible for the crash of flight AF447”, ordering each to pay €225,000, the maximum fine for corporate manslaughter.
While the penalties are symbolic, the ruling is seen as significant reputational damage for both companies.
Air France and Airbus have consistently denied any criminal liability, blaming pilot error.
The lower court ruling acquitted them in 2023, finding that the companies had made mistakes but could not be proven to have caused the crash.
But on Thursday the presiding judge said the lower court had not taken into account “the existence of the causal chain within which the pilots’ actions occurred, and which led to the deaths of all the passengers.”
“The AF447 crash was a disaster waiting to happen and one that could have been avoided if each of the companies involved had fully grasped the seriousness of the failure,” said Sylvie Madec.
Both companies announced they would appeal the ruling.
‘Self-satisfaction and pride’
Alain Jakubowicz, a lawyer for the civil parties, said he expected the ruling to set a legal precedent following a 17-year legal battle.
“No fight is unwinnable,” he added.
Air France, announcing its appeal, said it was “aware that this appeal prolongs what has already been a lengthy process, particularly for the families” but it pointed out that Air France’s criminal liability had previously been ruled out twice.
“The legal battle will continue,” said Simon Ndiaye, a lawyer for Airbus.
On 1 June 2009, Air France Flight AF447, travelling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, was cruising over the Atlantic when the pilots lost control of the aircraft, causing it to plunge into the ocean.
There were no survivors among the 216 passengers and 12 crew on board the Airbus-built A330 aircraft, the dead including 72 French nationals and 58 Brazilians.
In Paris, the families of those killed in the crash praised the ruling.
Daniele Lamy, the head of an association of families of the victims, said the justice system had finally taken into account “the pain of the families.”
“These prestigious firms will no longer be able to hide behind their self-satisfaction and technological pride,” she addded.
But the mood was darker in Rio de Janeiro.
Nelson Faria Marinho, who lost his 40-year-old son in the crash, said the ruling brought him no comfort.
“I feel as if my son had died today,” said the head of an association of families of the victims in Brazil, adding he was outraged because no executive had been held accountable.
Although prosecutors in 2023 had asked for the charges to be dropped, they had subsequently lodged the appeal.
The eight-week appeal trial ran between September and December last year.
‘Pilots tried everything’
Lawyers for the families have argued that both companies were aware of the problem with the pitot tubes, used to measure flight speed, but the pilots were not trained to deal with such a high-altitude emergency.
The court heard how a malfunction with the tubes, which became blocked with ice crystals during a mid-Atlantic storm, caused alarms to sound in the plane’s cockpit and the autopilot system to switch off.
Experts highlighted how, after the instrument failed, the pilots put the plane into a climb that caused the aircraft to stall and then crash into the ocean.
The appeal court held Airbus responsible for several faults, including underestimating the seriousness of problems with sensors and failing to properly inform the crews of operating airlines.
Air France was found guilty of having failed to provide pilot training and to adequately inform flight crews.
Without ruling out that “pilot errors” might have been made during the 4 minutes and 30 seconds between the icing of the sensors and the impact with the ocean, the court nevertheless considered that the crew had not been sufficiently prepared to deal with the “extremely complex failure.”
“The pilots of AF447 truly tried everything to get out of this absolutely dreadful situation,” the presiding judge said.
“They went as far as their abilities allowed and nothing can be held against them.”
Senate Republicans postpone vote on reconciliation bill over DOJ fund concerns
6:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Senate GOP delays vote on reconciliation bill amid opposition to DOJ fund, White House ballroom
Senate Republicans have delayed a vote on a $72 billion reconciliation package for the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration agencies due to opposition regarding the Justice Department’s new “anti-weaponization” fund and Secret Service security funding. Senators reported that plans for a vote were abandoned, leading to the chamber’s adjournment for the Memorial Day recess.
Senate Republicans have yet to release a revised version of their $72 billion reconciliation package, which faced opposition over funding tied to the Secret Service and the Justice Department’s new “anti-weaponization” fund. House votes on the package, initially expected for Thursday evening, may be postponed as some members suggest addressing the legislation after the Memorial Day recess.
Senate Republicans have postponed a vote on a reconciliation package for the Department of Homeland Security due to opposition to the inclusion of the Justice Department’s new “anti-weaponization” fund and security funding linked to a ballroom renovation. House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to meet with the President to discuss next steps, while some House Republicans suggest delaying any vote until after the Memorial Day recess.
What remains unclear — It is uncertain when the Senate will reconvene to address the reconciliation package and related funding issues.
Senate Republicans postpone vote on reconciliation bill over DOJ fund concerns
Washington — Senate Republicans said they will not be voting on a reconciliation package to fund the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration agencies on Thursday, delaying consideration of the measure in the face of opposition to the Justice Department’s new “anti-weaponization” fund and security funding tied to the White House ballroom.
Senate Republicans’ $72 billion package hit a snag when members in both chambers began voicing concerns about the inclusion of $1 billion in Secret Service security funding, including for the president’s East Wing Modernization Project that features plans for a massive ballroom.
The Justice Department’s announcement of the new $1.776 billion fund to compensate those who say they were unfairly targeted by the government proved too much for some GOP senators to stomach. Several senators emerged from a meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche without commenting.
Senators told reporters earlier that they expected the Secret Service funding to be stripped from the broader package. Republicans had been aiming to release new bill text on Wednesday, but had not done so as of Thursday afternoon.
GOP leaders had been aiming to kick off a marathon vote series on Thursday night. But senators told reporters that vote would no longer happen, and that the chamber would adjourn for the Memorial Day recess.
President Trump has set a June 1 deadline to get the legislation to his desk.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is planning to head to the White House to discuss the path forward, according to a source familiar with the plans. The House had been expected to remain in town on Friday to approve the package if the Senate did the same, but the upper chamber’s plans changed abruptly Thursday.
Blanche met with Senate Republicans for nearly two hours, trying to get skeptical members on board with the Justice Department’s new fund. The fund was established as part of a settlement of a suit by Mr. Trump against the IRS, and pro-Trump allies, including those charged for their involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, have said they are eager to submit claims.
But Senate Republicans faced the prospect of being forced to vote on Democratic amendments related to the fund as part of the reconciliation process.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters earlier this week that he’s “not a big fan.” And with a number of members skeptical of the fund, Senate Republicans are considering how to add guardrails to their reconciliation bill to rein it in. Thune, when asked about the specific provisions members are seeking heading into the meeting, said “we’ll find out.”
GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the top appropriator in the Senate who has expressed opposition to the DOJ fund, told WTX US News as she left the meeting that she did not feel better about it.
The ballroom security and DOJ funds are also facing pushback in the House.
In a letter to Blanche on Wednesday, GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania expressed “urgent concern” about the anti-weaponization fund, saying it “represents a dangerous backsliding in the transparency of our institutions and our commitment to the American taxpayer.”
Fitzpatrick has also said he will not support funding for the ballroom.
House lawmakers have votes scheduled for 4:30 p.m., and were advised that votes related to reconciliation were possible later in the evening, before the Senate changed its plans.
Some House Republicans were already open to pushing a vote past the Memorial Day recess.
“If they drag their feet, there’s no reason we have to do it before the Memorial Day break. We can do it when we come back,” GOP Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, told reporters as he left Johnson’s office Thursday afternoon.
“There’s no emergency about moving it by June 1, except the president has thrown it out there,” Harris said.
Record levels of gonorrhoea and syphilis reported in Europe
5:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Two major STIs hit record levels in Europe | News World
Record levels of gonorrhoea and syphilis have been reported in Europe, with gonorrhoea cases reaching 106,331 and syphilis cases exceeding 45,000. Spain has the highest incidence, recording 37,169 gonorrhoea cases and 11,556 syphilis cases.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has reported that gonorrhoea cases have reached 106,331, marking a 33% increase since 2015, while syphilis cases have more than doubled to 45,557 in the same timeframe. Spain has the highest reported cases in Europe, with 37,169 gonorrhoea cases and 11,556 syphilis cases, prompting health officials to urge increased testing and prevention measures.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has warned that the rise in gonorrhoea and syphilis cases poses serious health risks, including chronic pain and infertility. In response, sexually active individuals are urged to consistently use condoms with new partners and get tested if symptoms arise, while the UK continues its rollout of a landmark gonorrhoea vaccine.
What remains unclear — The specific reasons for the significant gaps in testing and prevention for STIs are not detailed.
Record levels of gonorrhoea and syphilis reported in Europe
Gonorrhoea and syphilis are on the rise for a worrying reason (Picture: Getty)
Record levels of Gonorrhoea and syphilis have been detected in Europe, reaching the highest number of cases in over ten years.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said that cases of gonorrhoea soared to 106,331 cases – a 33% surge since 2015.
Syphilis cases, meanwhile, have more than doubled – reaching 45,557 cases in the same period of time.
The reason? Increasing gaps in both testing and prevention for STIs across the board.
Head of the Directly Transmitted and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases unit, Bruno Ciancio, said the infections could cause lifelong complications.
‘These infections can cause severe complications, such as chronic pain and infertility and, in the case of syphilis, problems with the heart or nervous system,’ he said.
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Gonorrhoea cases have surged across Europe (Picture: Getty)
‘In cases where infections pass directly to newborns, it can lead to potentially lifelong complications.’
Spain is leading Europe in the highest number of both STIs, recording 37,169 gonorrhoea cases and 11,556 syphilis cases.
Sexually active people have been urged to keep wearing condoms with new or multiple partners and to get tested if anything is awry.
Last year, the UK became the first country in the world to roll out a vaccine for gonorrhoea.
In trials, the breakthrough jab was shown to cut the risk of infection by more than 50%, and its introduction was hailed as a major milestone in sexual health.
Gonorrhoea symptoms usually start around two weeks after infection, but they can lie dormant for months, or you could even be symptomless.
For women, keep an eye out for telltale signs like yellow or greenish discharge, burning when you pee, pain in your abdomen, and bleeding between periods.
Towns and cities in England with the highest gonorrhoea rates
City of Westminster: 749 cases per 100,000 people
Islington: 724 cases per 100,000 people
Archway: 397 cases per 100,000 people
Liverpool: 302 cases per 100,000 people
Nottingham: 290 cases per 100,000 people
Manchester: 276 cases per 100,000 people
Croydon: 229 cases per 100,000 people
Newcastle upon Tyne: 210 cases per 100,000 people
Blackpool: 210 cases per 100,000 people
Leeds: 188 cases per 100,000 people
Source: Condoms.UK
In men, it can cause sore testicles, fluid or discharge coming out of the penis and burning when you pee.
The STI is spread through unprotected sex – including oral – and can affect the eyes and mouth as well as the genitals.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that is caught by having sex with someone who is infected.
It is a bacterial infection and is easily treated with antibiotics in the early stages.
If syphilis is not treated, however, it can cause serious problems, including spreading to the brain and other parts of the body and causing serious, long-term problems, according to the NHS.
Syphilis infections in pregnant women can cause miscarriage, stillbirth and infection to the baby.
Anyone sexually active is at risk.
Syphilis is usually caught through contact with an infected sore, usually through vaginal, anal or oral sex or by sharing sex toys.
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