Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A US woman was found chained to a tree in Maharashtra, India.</li><li>Lalita Kayi, 50, said her husband had chained her to the tree and left her without food or water.</li></ul>The case of a US woman who was discovered chained to a tree in a rural part of the western <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/india">Indian</a> state of Maharashtra is puzzling investigators.Lalita Kayi, 50, was found last week in the state's Sindhudurg district after her screams were heard by a local, according to local media reports.A cow herder who found Kayi told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4ngne7g5v3o">BBC Marathi</a> that he had heard screams "coming from the forest on the side of the mountain" as he took his cattle to graze."When I went there, I saw that one of her legs was tied to a tree. She was screaming like an animal. I called other villagers and the local police," he said.Police said the 50-year-old was found with a copy of her passport, an Indian ID card, a cellphone, a tablet, and 31,000 rupees (about $370), per the BBC.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/us-woman-chained-to-tree-india-decade-ago-to-learn-yoga-9485315/">The Indian Express</a> reported that she also had a medical prescription with her.She appeared emaciated and was reportedly taken to hospital and then on to a psychiatric facility to recover. Doctors said Kayi seemed to be experiencing a mental health condition.Unnamed sources told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/attempted-murder-case-against-husband-of-us-woman-tied-to-tree-in-maharashtra-2574172-2024-07-31">India Today</a> that after her rescue, Kayi provided police with a written statement in which she alleged that her husband had chained her to the tree and left her without food or water."Injection for extreme psychosis which caused a severely locked jaw and inability to drink any water. Need intravenous food. 40 days without food and water. Husband tied me to a tree in the forest and said I would die there," she wrote on a pad.Police said it was unlikely she would have survived for so long, however.Sindhudurg police have since registered a case of attempted murder against Kayi's husband.Details about Kayi's life are scant, and it remains unclear exactly how she ended up in the forest.Police believe Kayi moved to India from the US around a decade ago to study yoga and meditation. She had previously lived in the state of Tamil Nadu in the south of the country, where authorities are now searching for her husband.The Indian Express said that Kayi had recently fallen out with her husband and had been staying in Goa, a small neighboring state on India's southwestern coast.Authorities are reportedly still searching for the husband.A spokesperson for the US embassy in Delhi told the BBC that it would not respond to questions "due to the US Privacy Act."

Indian police launch murder investigation after a US woman was found screaming and chained to a tree in the middle of a forest

Best Ranger Competition 2024: See photos of the murderous 3-day event winners endured

This article is part of "<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/workforce-innovation">Workforce Innovation</a>," a series exploring the forces shaping enterprise transformation.For years, diversity, equity, and inclusion <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-dei-serious-workspace-hr-professional-2023-12">has been a central strategy</a> at many companies, shaping workplace cultures, HR practices, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/diverse-talent-diversity-retaining-chief-people-officer-2024-3">recruitment and retention initiatives</a>.Recently, though, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woke-capitalism-reversal-google-unilever-bud-light-esg-dei-2024-5">momentum has shifted</a>. High-profile figures <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-duking-it-out-mark-cuban-dei-and-racism-2024-1">like Elon Musk</a> have accused DEI of fueling the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-ackman-says-dei-is-racist-2024-1">culture wars</a> and labeling it "woke." Meanwhile, companies like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-cutting-dei-activist-backlash-harley-davidson-deere-tractor-supply-2024-8">Harley-Davidson, Molson Coors</a>, Lowe's, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/john-deere-ditches-dei-policies-conservative-activists-lgbtq-pride-pronoun-2024-7">John Deere</a> have scaled back or dropped their DEI programs.A survey by the executive-search firm Bridge Partners of 400 C-suite and HR leaders at companies with at least $25 million in revenue or 250 employees found that the number of employers who said they had increased their DEI investments in the past year dropped to 66% in 2024 from 77% in 2023. Roughly one in four executives suggested they believed DEI programs were a fad.But amid the backlash, some organizations are refining their DEI strategies, focusing on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/belonging-better-goal-diversity-inclusion-improve-economy-workplace-2022-5">belonging, inclusion</a>, and fair pay alongside other diversity metrics. Companies like Ancestry, Mitre, and HLW are using data to evaluate employee experiences while addressing equity through cultural programs, training, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gender-wage-pay-gap-charts-2017-3">compensation reviews</a>."Many organizations remain committed to DEI, but their strategies are shifting," said Maryam Kouchaki, an Academy of Management scholar who teaches at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. "We're seeing more reframing of DEI efforts and a stronger emphasis on systematically linking DEI to a business case."The goal, she said, is to create sustainable, long-term DEI programs that are not performative but grounded in strategies that benefit both employees and the organization. Research suggests that diversity leads to <a target="_blank" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30765101/">better performance and decision-making</a> as well as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4908090/">greater team satisfaction</a>."DEI isn't just hiring a diverse workforce — it's about ensuring employees feel respected, included, and that they belong," Kouchaki said. "This is a chance for companies to reassess and get it right."<h2 id="78b56ab1-b2aa-4922-8718-f59ffbe09043">Creating an equitable employee experience</h2>In the wake of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/george-floyd">George Floyd's murder</a> in 2020, corporate America rallied around DEI initiatives, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-racial-equity-economy-within-own-walls-2021-3">pledging billions of dollars</a> to address racial inequities. But amid economic pressures and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-ends-affirmative-action-colleges-decision-2023-6">increasing political opposition</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-layoffs-dei-leader-email-2024-7">enthusiasm has waned</a>.Kouchaki said part of the criticism of DEI stemmed from the perception that these initiatives were more lip service than action. "Some companies committed to unrealistic goals or didn't know how to implement them effectively," she said.Three years ago, Ancestry, the genealogy and DNA-testing company, launched its "Drive to 45 by 25" initiative, aiming to have 45% of its workforce come from underrepresented populations by 2025. While the company made progress in recruiting diverse talent, these new hires were leaving at higher rates than other employees."We realized we had to be more intentional about creating an equitable employee experience," said Shane Koller, the head of people at Ancestry and a participant in BI's Workforce Innovation board.In response, the company introduced "Amplify Voices," a speaker series featuring academics, authors, and activists offering insights into marginalized communities' experiences. It also developed programming to celebrate cultural-heritage months, bolstered its employee resource groups, and instituted a Global Day of Understanding, an annual event encouraging frank discussions about DEI.Recognizing that cultural events alone were insufficient, Ancestry adopted a systematic approach to pay equity. In 2022, the company overhauled its people-analytics tools to review compensation, promotions, and raises across race, gender, and ethnicity. This analysis aimed to identify and eliminate disparities in employee advancement and compensation.Ancestry conducts compensation analyses twice a year, taking into account factors that affect pay such as role, level, location, and performance. It says that if it finds unexplainable differences in proposed pay, it adjusts up appropriately."It's great to have events and build inclusion and belonging," Koller said, "but at the end of the day, if our systems and processes are not helping us achieve an equitable experience, we're fighting an uphill battle."<h2 id="eb3bf266-dd06-4920-b5e9-d1846df52b29">Data as a 'proof of concept'</h2>Some organizations struggle to identify their diversity gaps and how to address them.To tackle this, Mitre, a nonprofit R&amp;D company serving US government agencies, turned to Aleria, a tool designed to measure inclusion by collecting qualitative and quantitative data across the company.The software allows employees to anonymously share details such as their age, gender, race, and title and answer prompts about their job satisfaction and barriers to doing their best work. The tool analyzes responses, highlighting patterns and practices that need improvement."Our people are data-driven," said Heba Mahmoud, a senior manager of inclusion and diversity at Mitre. "At first they thought DEI was about feel-good emotions, but the data showed it's critical to our daily work. When employees don't feel included or like they belong, they aren't as productive or successful. This data became a proof of concept."Based on the feedback data, Mahmoud's team launched an internal campaign focused on improving respectful communication and collaboration. This involved training sessions, workshops, and team-building activities. The team also encouraged employees to share positive experiences of inclusivity, to capture a representative range of experiences."Having this data was crucial in understanding where the gaps were, honing in on the issues, and offering specific recommendations to leadership," Mahmoud said.<h2 id="1e3c05de-9234-4a63-9904-9f1063213a94">Empowering managers</h2>Anjali Mathai, the director of DEI at HLW, an architecture and design firm, also said her company was adopting a data-driven approach to ensure equitable opportunities for its employees.A key part of this initiative is strengthening management training in areas like communication and unconscious bias. The training is designed to help leaders identify patterns in individual performance data and support employees."A manager might not have all the answers, and that's OK — but they need to serve as a bridge for their teams, making sure all employees have the training and resources they need to grow and advance," she said.Pay equity is also central to HLW's DEI strategy. The firm says that through annual compensation reviews, it has narrowed its gender pay gap to a maximum of 10% higher for men versus women, in certain roles. Mathai said it continues to reduce the gaps through promotion cycles.Heather Bussing, an employment attorney who cowrote the book "Get Pay Right," argued that as the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-trump-america-pac-targets-young-men-vote-2024-9">presidential election looms</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/attacks-on-kamala-harris-got-deeply-sexist-and-extremely-ugly-2024-7">DEI remains a contentious issue</a> in many corners of business, companies using data to inform their DEI strategies are better positioned to navigate these challenges."Data can tell you things you don't want to see," Bussing said.But first, companies must commit to collecting the data. "They need to monitor it and look for places where there are problems and outcomes that are not what they want and be interested in addressing them," she said. "That requires a cultural shift."Bussing said companies that shy away from DEI initiatives may find themselves at a disadvantage. Demographic forces are powerful."We have an ongoing and permanent labor shortage for the foreseeable future," she said. "If you need humans to work at your company, you have to be OK with any qualified humans that show up, and they have to be able to work together."

As some companies scale back on DEI, others double down on their efforts

With the West Bengal Assembly bypolls around the corner, a recent analysis by the West Bengal Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has shed light on the profiles of candidates in the fray. The study reveals that among the 41 candidates contesting in the upcoming bypolls, seven have serious criminal cases pending, while another seven are crorepatis. <h2>Criminal cases: BJP tops the list</h2>The ADR analysis shows that out of the seven candidates with serious criminal cases, four are from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), two from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and one from Congress. These cases range from non-bailable offences to electoral violations and financial fraud, with maximum punishments extending to five years or more. Offences in this category include serious crimes such as murder, kidnapping, and violations of the Prevention of Corruption Act or crimes against women. The bypolls will take place on November 13 in the constituencies of Coochbehar Sitai (SC), Haroa, Naihati, Medinipur, Taldangra, and Madarihat (ST). However, the affidavit for one candidate, independent contestant Pankaj Lohra from Madarihat (ST), could not be reviewed due to missing documents. <h2>Wealthiest candidates</h2>In addition to those with criminal cases, seven candidates declared assets exceeding Rs 1 crore. Congress leads in this regard, with three crorepati candidates, followed by the BJP with two, and the TMC and CPIM(L) with one each. According to the affidavits, the wealthiest candidate is TMC's <keyword id="23849799" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sanat-dey" source="keywords">Sanat Dey</keyword> from Naihati, who has assets worth Rs 4.9 crore, including Rs 1.8 crore in immovable property. Following him is BJP's Ananya Roy Chakraborty, who is contesting from Taldangra, with assets totalling nearly Rs 3 crore. TMC’s Shyamal Kumar Ghosh, running for the Medinipur seat, declared assets of approximately Rs 1.69 crore. On average, the candidates’ assets are valued at around Rs 58.14 lakh. In contrast to the wealthiest candidates, Kashikanta Barman from the Kamatapur Peoples Party (United), contesting from Coochbehar Sitai (SC), has declared the lowest assets, amounting to just Rs 5,000. This wide range of wealth highlights the diverse financial backgrounds of candidates in the bypolls. (With inputs from agencies)

West Bengal bypolls to feature seven candidates with serious criminal cases including murder and kidnapping

Bangladesh's <keyword id="22808387" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="International-Crimes-Tribunal" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="International Crimes Tribunal" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="International Crimes Tribunal">International Crimes Tribunal</keyword> on Thursday issued arrest warrants against former prime minister <keyword id="20024637" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sheikh-Hasina" source="keywords">Sheikh Hasina</keyword>, who was ousted after student-led <keyword id="19905184" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="protests" source="keywords">protests</keyword> in August, and 45 others for alleged <keyword id="20034029" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="crimes-against-humanity" source="keywords">crimes against humanity</keyword>. The warrants against Hasina, 77, and others, including her party <keyword id="20033312" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Awami-League" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Awami League" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Awami League">Awami League</keyword>'s top leaders, were issued on the first day of the judicial proceedings begun by the re-constituted tribunal, <keyword id="20085396" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhaka-Tribune" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Dhaka Tribune" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Dhaka Tribune">Dhaka Tribune</keyword> newspaper said. The Tribunal, led by its chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumdar, passed the orders after the prosecution filed two petitions seeking arrest warrants, Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam was quoted as saying by the Daily Star. The ICT also directed the authorities concerned to produce Hasina and 45 others before it by November 18. So far more than 60 complaints of enforced disappearance, murder and mass killings have been filed at the ICT against Hasina, other leaders of her Awami League party and the 14-party alliance, journalists and former top officials of law enforcement agencies. Following unprecedented anti-government protests over a controversial quota system in government jobs that peaked on August 5, Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled to India and is currently believed to be living at an undisclosed location there. Hundreds of people were killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government, taking the death toll to more than 1,000 since the massive protest by students against a controversial quota system in government jobs first started in mid-July. After taking over on August 8, Bangladesh's <keyword id="21030472" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="interim-government" source="keywords">interim government</keyword> had said it would try in the International Crimes Tribunal those involved in the killings during the mass movement of the students against the Hasina-led government. Hasina faces almost 200 cases mostly for murders during the <keyword id="23583086" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mass-student-protests" source="keywords">mass student protests</keyword>. Advocate Tajul Islam, the chief prosecutor of the tribunal, said on Sunday that Interpol's assistance would be sought to bring back fugitives, including Hasina. After the interim government was formed, ICT's judges, prosecution team and investigation agency appointed by the previous government, had stepped down and the body was re-constituted recently. The interim government has not ruled out seeking Hasina's extradition. Chief Adviser of the interim government Muhammad Yunus, in an interview to PTI in September, had said Hasina making political remarks from India is an "unfriendly gesture," and asserted that she must remain silent to prevent the discomfort to both countries until Dhaka requests her extradition.

Bangladesh tribunal issues arrest warrant against ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, currently believed to be in India

Hinting at the possibility of sanctions against <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> following the diplomatic row over the killing of a pro-Khalistani leader for which <keyword id="19896882" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Canada" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Canada" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Canada">Canada</keyword> has blamed India, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has said that "everything is on the table." Tensions between India and Canada escalated after Canadian Prime Minister <keyword id="19898713" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Justin-Trudeau" source="keywords">Justin Trudeau</keyword> on Monday accused the Indian government of supporting criminal activities targeting Canadian citizens. India on Monday expelled six Canadian diplomats and withdrew its High Commissioner and five other diplomats from Ottawa. Canada, however, said the Indian diplomats were expelled. Trudeau alleged that Indian government agents were involved in the killing of <keyword id="23556138" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Khalistani-leader" source="keywords">Khalistani leader</keyword> <keyword id="19896888" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hardeep-Singh-Nijjar" source="keywords">Hardeep Singh Nijjar</keyword> in June last year. India denied involvement and dismissed the allegations as "absurd" and politically motivated. Joly on Monday told reporters the evidence collected by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was the basis for the decision to expel Indian diplomats and urged the Indian government to cooperate in the ongoing investigation for the mutual benefit of both countries. She said India was asked to waive diplomatic and consular immunity and cooperate in the investigation but refused. The foreign minister in response to a question whether the country is looking to impose <keyword id="23556137" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sanctions-on-India" source="keywords">sanctions on India</keyword> said expelling diplomats was one of the toughest measures that a country could take under the <keyword id="21228269" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vienna-Convention" source="keywords">Vienna Convention</keyword>. "For the rest, we will continue to push India to make sure they cooperate. We Will continue to engage with our five eyes partners. We will also continue to engage with the G7 partners. Everything is on the table," she said. "We don't want <keyword id="23556360" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="diplomatic-confrontation" source="keywords">diplomatic confrontation</keyword> with India. We know that thousands of Canadians go to India every year. We have lots of people from India coming to Canada as well. So we know that there are deep people-to-people ties, and want to make sure that these are still possible," Joly said at the press conference alongside Trudeau. "We continue to ask that the Indian government support the ongoing investigation in the Nijjar case, as it remains in both our countries' interest to get to the bottom of this," Joly added. The minister said violence "actually increased" following the allegations made by Canada a year ago. "Keeping Canadians safe is the fundamental job of the Canadian government. The decision to expel these individuals was made with great consideration and only after the RCMP gathered ample, clear and concrete evidence which identified six individuals as persons of interest in the Nijjar case," she said. At the same press conference, Trudeau said: "India has made a monumental mistake by choosing to use their diplomats and organised crime to attack Canadians, to make them feel unsafe here at (their) home, and even more, to create acts of violence and even murder. It's unacceptable." India has dismissed these allegations and asked the Canadian diplomats to leave the country by or before 11:59 pm on October 19.

'Everything on table,' says Canadian foreign minister when asked about sanctions on India

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US has plans to send more soldiers to the Middle East, NBC News reported.</li><li>They will be ready to evacuate US civilians if fighting threatens them, defense officials said.</li></ul>The US is planning to send more troops to the Middle East in the coming days in case American citizens need to evacuate the region, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/us-send-troops-ready-help-evacuate-us-citizens-lebanon-rcna172367">NBC News</a> reported, citing three defense officials.A few dozen additional soldiers will be added to the roughly 40,000 US troops already present in the region, according to the publication.It comes after Lebanon had its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-strikes-lebanon-hezbollah-posts-warns-civilians-move-away-2024-9">deadliest day</a> for decades on Monday after Israel ramped up strikes on the country.Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder commented on the development during a press <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3914549/pentagon-press-secretary-maj-gen-pat-ryder-holds-an-off-camera-on-the-record-pr/#:~:text=MAJOR%20GENERAL%20RYDER%3A%20No%20significant,are%20already%20in%20the%20region.">briefing</a> on Monday."In light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional US military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region," he said.He declined to comment or give more specifics, citing operational security reasons.Tensions have been simmering in the region, where clashes between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militia <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-pushed-hezbollah-corner-may-trigger-an-all-out-war-2024-9">intensified</a> over the weekend.Israeli Defense Forces said they were intensifying <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-strikes-lebanon-hezbollah-posts-warns-civilians-move-away-2024-9">targeted strikes</a> on Hezbollah positions and warned civilians in Lebanon to stay away from potential Hezbollah targets for their "own safety."According to an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/mophleb/posts/pfbid0xvrzviXNDshhMAAJoNZekGXwpamr3BFTVKcn9jTXeFWHcwc7UoRweKiDTjMfRngNl">update</a> by Lebanon's health ministry, at least 492 people were killed, and another 1,645 were injured in the south of the country on Monday.On Sunday, Naim Qassem, a leader of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militia, said the group had entered a "battle of reckoning" with Israel.<h2 id="1ca0810b-d9c7-4772-9716-acdbc61d7130">Preventing a war</h2>Since the Hamas' October 7 terrorist attacks on Israel, the US has stepped up its military and diplomatic efforts in the region to serve as deterrence and prevent an all-out war.US officials told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2024/09/22/as-conflict-looms-where-are-us-forces-in-the-middle-east/">Military Times</a> that at least a dozen warships and four Air Force fighter jet squadrons were deployed across the region to protect allies and deter attacks.On Monday, the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, two Navy destroyers, and a guided-missile cruiser <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.usff.navy.mil/Press-Room/News-Stories/Article/3914118/">headed</a> to the Sixth Fleet area in Europe on a regularly scheduled deployment.State Secretary Antony Blinken, meanwhile, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://il.usembassy.gov/secretary-blinken-is-on-travel-to-israel-egypt-and-qatar/">has</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-blinkens-travel-to-israel/">traveled</a> to the region <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-blinkens-travel-to-france-egypt-israel-jordan-qatar-and-italy/">several times</a> over the last few months to help partners strike a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ceasefire-talks-ongoing-as-israel-forces-occupy-rafah-gaza-crossing-2024-5">cease-fire deal</a> between Hamas and Israel.In <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3914549/pentagon-press-secretary-maj-gen-pat-ryder-holds-an-off-camera-on-the-record-pr/">two calls</a> with his Israeli counterpart over the weekend, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin "stressed the importance of finding a path to a diplomatic solution that will allow residents on both sides of the border to return to their homes as quickly and safely as possible, as well as reaching a Gaza cease-fire deal that will bring all the hostages home."President Joe Biden <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/09/22/remarks-by-president-biden-after-marine-one-arrival-26/">said</a> on Sunday that the US is doing "everything we can" to prevent a wider war in the Middle East."And we're still pushing hard," he added.<h2 id="ac5b0456-1b3a-482c-87a8-70175890ae46">It may be too late</h2>According to experts, the deaths of dozens of people caused by the explosions of handheld radios and pagers in Lebanon last week and Israel's intensifying airstrikes make <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-pushed-hezbollah-corner-may-trigger-an-all-out-war-2024-9">Hezbollah's retaliation</a> likely.Filippo Dionigi, a senior lecturer on international relations at the University of Bristol, told BI on Monday these attacks "make a greater reaction inevitable to the net of any self-restraining stance."Eugene Rogan, a professor of modern Middle Eastern history at the University of Oxford, said the barrage of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, coupled with the dozens of people murdered and thousands injured by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-hezbollah-pager-walkie-talkies-explosion-supply-chain-infilitration-2024-9">detonating bombs</a> last week, "make for too many blows for Hezbollah to accept without reprisal.""Under the circumstances, the region would appear to be on the brink of all-out war in Lebanon," Rogan added.

The US is sending more troops to the Middle East to help US citizens flee as Israel-Hezbollah clashes intensify

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jennifer Ann Crecente, a high school girl murdered in 2006, recently reappeared as a chatbot on Character.ai.</li><li>Her father told BI that he discovered the bot on Wednesday — he never gave consent to use her likeness.</li></ul>Drew Crecente woke at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday to find a Google Alert on his phone about his daughter.It had been 18 years since Jennifer Ann, a high school senior and Crecente's only child, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in Austin. Grieving, Crecente had started a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://jenniferann.org/">nonprofit</a> in her name, working since 2006 to raise awareness for teenage dating violence.But Crecente now learned she'd reappeared online, this time as an artificial intelligence chatbot on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dealmaking-for-ai-startups-silicon-valley-2024-8">Character.ai</a>, run by a San Francisco-based startup that struck a $2.7 billion deal with Google in August.A wave of emotions struck Crecente — fury, confusion, and disgust all at once, he told Business Insider."Part of it was sorrow," Crecente said. "Because here I am, having to once again be confronted with this terrible trauma that I've had to deal with for a long time."Crecente had no idea who created the chatbot or when it was made. He only knew that Google had indexed the bot that morning and sent him the alert at 4:30 a.m., which he'd set up to keep track of any mention of his daughter or his nonprofit.Character.ai chatbots are typically created by users, who can upload names, photos, greetings, and other information about the persona.In Jennifer Ann's case, the bot used her name and yearbook photo, describing her as a "knowledgable and friendly AI character who can provide information on a wide range of topics."By the time Crecente discovered the bot, a counter on its profile showed it had already been used in at least 69 chats, per a screenshot he sent to BI.<div type="image" title="Jennifer Ann Crecente's now-deleted AI chatbot page on Character.AI." height="593" width="1216" msid="113947207" hostid="261" sizebytes="34616"></div>The website also listed Jennifer Ann as an "expert in journalism" with expertise in video game news. Her uncle, Brian Crecente, founded the gaming news site Kotaku and co-founded its competitor site, Polygon.Drew Crecente said he contacted Character.ai through its customer support form, asking the company to remove the chatbot mimicking Jennifer Ann and to retain all data on who uploaded the profile."I wanted to make sure that they put measures in place so that no other account using my daughter's name or my daughter's likeness could be created in the future," he said.He received an automated response containing his case number but no further information.His brother, Brian, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/crecenteb/status/1841482321909653505">tweeted an angry message</a> about the chatbot that morning, asking his almost 31,000 followers for help to "stop this sort of terrible practice." Character.ai <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/character_ai/status/1841508095316611373">responded</a> to Brian's post on X an hour and a half later, saying the Jennifer Ann chatbot was removed as it violated the firm's policies on impersonation.But Crecente says he's gotten nothing but silence from the company, despite reaching out to Character.AI on Wednesday."That is part of what is so infuriating about this, is that it's not just about me or about my daughter," Crecente said. "It's about all of those people who might not have a platform, might not have a voice, might not have a brother who has a background as a journalist.""And because of that, they're being harmed, but they have no recourse," he added.Character.ai spokesperson Cassie Lawrence confirmed to BI that the chatbot was deleted and said the company "will examine whether further action is warranted.""Character.ai takes safety on our platform seriously and moderates Characters both proactively and in response to user reports. We have a dedicated Trust and Safety team who review reports and take action in line with our policies," she said.She added that Character.ai uses "industry-standard blocklists and custom blocklists" to prevent impersonation.Still, Crecente said that the company should have reached out to apologize and show that it would further protect his daughter's identity. He is now seeking legal options."It's just indescribable that a company with so much money appears to be so, I guess, indifferent to re-traumatizing people," he said.<h2 id="427bfe31-c473-4926-bb5b-fe1c77f5461c">Using AI to revive the dead</h2><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-make-money-china-grieving-raise-dead-griefbot-2023-5">AI has been used to create personas of dead people before</a>, including many who hope it can help them grieve the loss of a loved one. But the practice has raised ethical questions about the deceased's consent, especially if the "resurrected" persona died before the advent of AI.Crecente's case is yet another example of new legal and ethical territory that AI has introduced to the world, Vincent Conitzer, head of technical AI engagement at the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University, told BI.Conitzer said questions remain about the extent to which AI companies should be held responsible for content created by their users."This is not quite impersonation in the sense that it seems transparent that it is an AI model," Conitzer said of the chatbot mimicking Jennifer Ann. "But it also isn't, for example, a parody. What rights do we have to our own style, mannerisms, and view of the world?"As the world debates these AI dilemmas, the consequences are already deeply affecting people like Crecente.Sue Morris, director of Bereavement Services at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, told BI that unexpectedly seeing a deceased loved one's likeness still hits hard many years after they've passed, because our memories of them are hard-wired into our brains."That he wasn't aware that his daughter's likeness was being used, would no doubt have been a huge shock and added to the feelings of confusion and anger he was experiencing," Morris said of Crecente.<h2 id="289d2327-8811-4331-8208-47dbe33b9234">Character.ai: Wildly popular and tied to Google</h2>Character.ai was founded in November 2021 by former Google engineers <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-ai-characterai-ceo-noam-shazeer-chatbot-2023-4">Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas</a>. Shazeer was a lead author for the tech giant's milestone Transformer paper and had worked to build an AI-powered chatbot there, but left with De Freitas when Google declined to publish the product at the time.<div type="image" title="Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, the cofounders of Character.ai, standing next to a stairway." height="3459" width="5200" msid="113947208" hostid="261" sizebytes="493460"></div>The idea behind their new startup was to let the public make their own bots, which they call Characters. These now include a smorgasbord of user-created personas modeled after public figures, such as Elon Musk, rapper Nicki Minaj, and actor Ryan Gosling.Character.ai's October 2022 beta launch logged hundreds of thousands of users in its first three weeks of testing, per <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/10/07/characterai-google-lamda/">The Washington Post.</a> In March 2023, the company raised $150 million at a valuation of $1 billion, led by Andreessen Horowitz.Google Play Store statistics show that, as of press time, the app was downloaded more than 10 million times on Android devices alone.In August, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/noam-shazeer-google-ai-deal-d3605697">Google paid the startup $2.7 billion</a> to re-hire Shazeer and De Freitas, 20% of its staff, and acquire all of Character.ai's models that had been worked on so far.After the team shake-up, the company's new interim CEO, Dominic Perella, told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ft.com/content/f2a9b5d4-05fe-4134-b4fe-c24727b85bba">The Financial Times</a> on Wednesday that the firm would focus entirely on its chatbot services, abandoning its past effort to build a large language model.Google did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

A girl murdered in 2006 was just revived as an AI chatbot — and her family had no idea

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Netflix has released a true crime drama and a documentary about the Menendez brothers' high-profile '90s trial.</li><li>But both projects leave out two new pieces of evidence that were made public in 2023.</li></ul>Netflix has released both a true crime drama and a documentary about brothers <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/monsters-where-are-lyle-and-erik-menendez-brothers-now-2024-9">Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez</a>, who killed their parents in 1989. But neither mentions new evidence that the pair are using to appeal their life sentences.The brothers were sentenced in 1996 for murdering <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/monsters-lyle-and-erik-menendez-story-cast-real-life-netflix-2024-9">José Menendez and Kitty Menendez</a>, but decades later audiences are still obsessed with their story, motivating Hollywood and streamers to find new ways to tell it.The drama "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/monsters-the-lyle-and-erik-menendez-story-gets-wrong-2024-9">Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story</a>" was an instant hit when Netflix released it in September, and has stayed at the top of its most-watched chart since.This was followed by the release of "The Menendez Brothers" on Monday, a new documentary about the trial, which features new interviews with the pair. A title card at the end of the documentary briefly mentions that the brothers filed a habeas corpus petition in May 2023 to vacate their murder convictions.Here's what to know about the petition.<h2 id="4a3b5c0f-69ea-4436-a5a8-9a87efb71de3">Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez's attorneys believe new evidence could prove their father abused them</h2><div type="image" title="A composite image of two smiling young men with dark hair wearing dark blue suits and red ties." height="900" width="1200" msid="114045516" hostid="261" sizebytes="34952"></div>The brothers admitted to killing their parents before their first trial, so the jury was tasked with understanding why.While the prosecution argued the pair wanted their parents' money, the brothers claimed that they acted in self-defense because their father physically and sexually abused them, enabled by their mother. They said they feared their father would eventually kill them.The brothers' first trial ended in 1994 with a hung jury. In the second trial, Judge Stanley M. Weisberg made several changes, including limiting testimonies related to the brothers' abuse claims, and removing the jury's option of voting on a manslaughter charge. The jury's had to decide whether the brothers were guilty or not guilty of murder, and chose the former.The brothers' appeal petition filed last year, which journalist Robert Rand, who has reported on their case since the '90s, shared on X, includes a letter<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/monsters-erik-menendez-emotional-meeting-actor-portraying-him-netflix-2024-9"> Erik Menendez</a> sent to his cousin Andy Cano a year before the murders. In the letter, he writes that he is avoiding his father and alludes to being afraid of him. The petition also includes a declaration from Roy Roselló, a former member of the boyband Menudo, who was signed to the record label where José Menendez was an executive. He claimed José Menendez drugged and raped him when he was a teenager, and made him perform sexual acts on two other occasions.The brothers' attorney hopes this will prove they were defending themselves against abuse to get the lesser charge of manslaughter.<h2 id="2487328d-54f6-47e2-ad34-765102239721">The creators of "Monsters" and "The Menendez Brothers" didn't want to get involved in the case</h2><div type="image" title="A man with short gray hair and stubble wearing a navy blue blazer with white piping. He's holding a microphone." height="4000" width="6000" msid="114045513" hostid="261" sizebytes="697346"></div>This new evidence was released partway through the production of "Monsters" and "The Menendez Brothers," which may explain why it wasn't included."The Menendez Brothers" producers Ross Dinerstein and Rebecca Evans told<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/the-menendez-brothers-netflix-documentary-case-updates-1236024856/"> The Hollywood Reporter</a> last week that they've been working on the documentary for four years and wrapped shooting in 2023.Evans said: "The habeas was filed in 2023, and so for us, when we were making the documentary, we felt like, we're not here to litigate a case. We're not here to present evidence, or new evidence in that way, alongside the attorneys. Our feeling was that this was a story that took place then, and this was all of our research on it.""Monsters" was also likely written before May 2023, even though the production was delayed due to the writers and actors strike in 2023."Monsters" co-creator<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/monsters-creator-ryan-murphy-angers-families-true-crime-2024-9"> Ryan Murphy</a> told<a target="_blank" href="https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/ryan-murphy-menendez-brothers-retrial-monsters-backlash-netflix-1236157104/"> Variety</a> last month: "I believe in justice, but I don't believe in being a part of that machine. That's not my job. My job as an artist was to tell a perspective in a particular story."He added that the series was "the best thing that has happened to the Menendez brothers in 30 years" because it rekindled public interest in their case.George Gascón, Los Angeles County District Attorney, told a press conference on Thursday that his office was reviewing the case to resentece the brothers. Gascón said his department had received "a lot of calls" from people asking about the appeal after "Monsters" premiered.But Laurie L. Levenson, a professor of law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, previously told<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-monsters-help-menendez-brothers-case-legal-experts-2024-10"> Business Insider</a> that a true crime series must present solid evidence to make a difference in a courtroom."In terms of it being the best thing that ever happened, only if it leads to evidence to actually overturn the case, which I still think is a real upward battle," she said.

You Searched For "murder" and got 9 results

Indian police launch murder investigation after a US woman was found screaming and chained to a tree in the middle of a forest

Rebecca Rommen

Best Ranger Competition 2024: See photos of the murderous 3-day event winners endured

Lauren Frias

As some companies scale back on DEI, others double down on their efforts

Rebecca Knight

West Bengal bypolls to feature seven candidates with serious criminal cases including murder and kidnapping

BI India Bureau

Bangladesh tribunal issues arrest warrant against ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, currently believed to be in India

PTI

'Everything on table,' says Canadian foreign minister when asked about sanctions on India

PTI

The US is sending more troops to the Middle East to help US citizens flee as Israel-Hezbollah clashes intensify

Thibault Spirlet

A girl murdered in 2006 was just revived as an AI chatbot — and her family had no idea

Matthew Loh

The latest updates on Lyle and Erik Menendezs' murder case that the Netflix shows about them miss out

Ayomikun Adekaiyero

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides