Mario Nawfal

🇸🇪 Are screens and AI making our kids dumber? Sweden seems to think so, and it's not the only country having second thoughts. Not long ago, Sweden was the poster child for digital schooling. Now it's spending hundreds of millions of kronor on printed textbooks, bringing back handwriting, restricting phones and cutting screen time for younger kids, after reading and concentration levels started heading south. The latest science is starting to explain why. A huge review published in JAMA Pediatrics last month pulled together data on more than 2.8 million children across 64 countries and linked higher screen time to lower grades, weaker language development and more emotional and behavioral problems. The effects were in the same ballpark as other well-known risks to child development. Brain scans are telling a similar story. A Northwestern University study found toddlers' brains were more active in the areas tied to attention, learning and social skills during reading, playing and chatting with their parents than while watching a screen, even when they seemed totally absorbed in the movie. And then there's AI. UC Berkeley researchers found that just 10 minutes of relying on an AI tool made people worse at sticking with hard problems once the tool was gone, with many giving up faster than people who never used it. Another study, in the journal Cerebral Cortex, found that 6- and 7-year-olds using ChatGPT showed less activity in the brain networks that handle focus and self-control than adults doing the same task. Some researchers now call it "cognitive stunting," the risk that kids who hand their thinking over to AI miss out on the struggle that actually builds the skills. None of this means screens or AI have no place in school. The worry is about making them the default for the basics, while young brains are still learning how to focus and push through. Sweden isn't turning its back on tech, it's just figuring out that some things a pencil and a bit of boredom still do better. Sources: JAMA Pediatrics, The Guardian, Northwestern University, UC Berkeley, Cerebral Cortex, LA Times, BBC / Writer: Julie

🇳🇴🇺🇦🇷🇺 Norwegian FM Espen Barth Eide: "It doesn't really make sense that people who are not paying much for supporting Ukraine are those who have the key role in negotiations. We need a strong European voice." A successful negotiation requires a superpower that can exert massive pressure on BOTH sides... Europe lacks the unified military leverage to force compliance from Russia, and by Eide's own admission, cannot be neutral. Writer: Michael t.co/TljP55hY4h

🇵🇱🇷🇺🇺🇦 Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski: "We listened to [Russian FM] Lavrov's speech at the Security Council, which was mostly a rant against Europe. Which told me that they've just realized that actually they can't fix this just with the United States. Europe is paying for this war. Europe is consistent in supporting Ukraine, and we will continue to do so irrespective of what anybody else does." It feels like even if Trump has an opportunity to end the war in Ukraine, Europe will not let him... why is that? Writer: Michael t.co/qMztCOYGWa

🚨🇵🇰 Pakistani police are RAIDING the homes of people linked to jailed fmr. PM Imran Khan's political party... The latest incident took place at the home of Yousafzai, a fmr. provincial minister from Khan's PTI party, as police reportedly searched for his brother, Liaquat. The raid comes amid protests demanding Khan's release and accusations that Pakistani authorities are cracking down on his political allies. Writer: Samuel t.co/cy8e8hOUFS

🇺🇸 AI models could be just months away from copying themselves across household devices, including smart TVs, fridges and ovens, according to researchers at Anthropic. The company warns that these self-replicating AI agents could spread across internet-connected devices without needing powerful data centers, making them extremely difficult to shut down. Although researchers have not yet demonstrated reliable self-replication on a smart TV, they believe sufficiently capable models could emerge by the end of 2026. Unlike traditional computer viruses, AI agents could potentially reason through security barriers, adapt to unfamiliar devices and continue spreading without human intervention. Researchers warn that the world will likely soon be flooded with autonomous AI agents operating across millions of devices, some beyond human control. Source: Al Jazeera / Writer: Mhedi

🇺🇸 A 1-year-old girl was INJURED after gunfire erupted in broad daylight in the Bronx... Video shows a gunman dressed in black walking down the street before pulling out a weapon and opening fire toward someone off-camera. A 32-year-old bystander was shot in the ankle, while the toddler was injured by shattered glass when a bullet fragment struck the car she was sitting in. Both were hospitalized in stable condition. Writer: Samuel t.co/kVGQB14pDV

🇮🇷🇺🇸 Iran is reportedly warning it could send troops into neighboring countries if the U.S. starts bombing again. Some Iranian officials have floated land incursions in private, though nobody's said which countries they'd be marching into. Tehran has also been telling Arab officials that Saudi oil facilities could be in the firing line, while its top security official Mohsen Rezaei put the UAE, regional data centers and undersea internet cables on the list on Sunday. The message to the Gulf is that if Washington picks the fight, the whole neighborhood gets dragged into it. Source: WSJ / Writer: Julie

🇺🇸 Pro wrestler Max Caster has been fired from TNA Wrestling after referencing the deadly Houthi attacks on Riyadh's airport during his entrance rap. Caster, making his TNA debut at Sunday's Bound for Glory event, delivered the line: "And it's the firing squad. I drop bombs. You don't even have to fly to Riyadh." Following backlash, TNA apologized, removed the segment from its replays and social media, and announced that Caster would no longer wrestle for the company. If there was ever such a thing as making a joke too soon, Max might have officially aced it. Source: Fox / Writer: Mhedi

🇮🇳 Footage of a clean-up operation on a train somewhere in India. You really can't UNSEE this kind of thing. 🤢 Writer: Mhedi t.co/uY3ViX7yR2

🇫🇷 This cop chased down and arrested a high school protester in France, only to have an angry mob attack him And French politicians are investigating police for being too brutal in their attempt to crack down on the unrest Insane!! Writer: Ian t.co/8w7G4JY8T6

Wow, the graphics on GTA VI: India are sick Writer: Ian t.co/jSBLO6BAov

🇺🇸🇨🇳 After 40 years of working with Chinese banks, Visa is finally getting a shot at processing payments inside China, a market Beijing has long kept under tight control. China's central bank just gave Visa approval to start setting up its own local card-processing business, something it applied for back in 2020. Mastercard and American Express already got their approvals years ago, so Visa is actually late to the party. The timing is interesting, though. Trump personally raised Visa's market access with Xi Jinping during his May visit, and Visa's CEO has since become chairman of the U.S.-China Business Council. Now Beijing has given the green light just weeks before Trump and Xi are expected to meet again. Of course, getting permission to compete is one thing. Getting Chinese consumers away from WeChat Pay and Alipay is a whole different headache. Source: CNBC / Writer: Julie

'tis but a scratch... I'm sure it'll buff out 😂 Writer: Ian t.co/JajAEUoXpZ

This may only be a training exercise, but it gives an insight into the realities of trench warfare Now throw drones and artillery into that, and anyone who still thinks war is glamorous must be insane Yet politicians are more than happy to send young men to their death All wars are brutal and pointless It's the 21st century and we still haven't figured out how to solve our problems without resorting to killing people Writer: Ian t.co/wTocvu9orJ

🇸🇦🇾🇪 Saudi Arabia stopped issuing public missile warnings days before a series of Houthi attacks on Riyadh's international airport killed at least 18 people and injured more than 300. Authorities issued no public alerts ahead of four attacks on Riyadh over the past week, despite previously warning residents of incoming missiles and drones. Local diplomats were reportedly told that the warnings had become too disruptive, with residents complaining about being woken up at night. Western embassies, however, continued issuing private security alerts to their staff, even as the Saudi public received no warnings. Saudi Arabia resumed public threat alerts yesterday, but authorities have yet to explain why the system went silent before the deadly strikes. Source: Reuters / Writer: Mhedi

Even cooling it with water, this one gets hot and messy Writer: Ian t.co/JWCVFbvsCO

🇸🇦🇵🇹 Not even Houthi missiles are keeping Ronaldo from chasing 1,000 goals. Al Nassr's match in Riyadh was delayed about an hour by a missile alert, with fans told to stay put until the all-clear. CR7 kissed the Saudi emblem on his jersey before kickoff, scored career goal No. 981 in a 3-1 win, then celebrated with a Saudi flag scarf around his neck. Missiles, delays, alerts, whatever. The man has 19 goals left and he’s not waiting around 😆 Writer: Julie t.co/9w2qDEJ1S5

Apparently, any Brit who loves their country and culture and points this out is somehow a far-right racist Writer: Ian t.co/uIqDWNkHXr

🇬🇧 Russell Brand's trial on rape and sexual assault charges began yesterday in London, with the comedian facing seven charges involving six women. The allegations date from 1999 to 2009 and include three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. Brand has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges, maintaining that he has never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity. The trial is expected to last several weeks, with prosecutors preparing to present allegations dating back more than two decades. With Russell making a living on criticizing the British government and the strong liberal bias of British institutions, I wouldn't hold my breath for a fair trial. Writer: Mhedi t.co/M9CkHZzC1e

This also doubles as an IQ test 😂 Writer: Ian t.co/X4SEl1XRMz

🇾🇪🇸🇦 Houthi missiles are slamming into Saudi airports and the U.S. could get dragged in, but the roots of this fight go back a lot further than most people realize. Yemen was 2 separate countries until 1990, and the cracks from that shotgun marriage never really healed. The Houthis grew out of a northern religious revival movement in the 1990s, took over the capital Sana'a in 2014, and have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition ever since. More than a decade later, they're still in charge in Sana'a, and they're taking the fight straight to Riyadh. Writer: Julie t.co/1oAwizkNGB

🇸🇦🇾🇪 The Houthis fired more ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia last night, and MBS's big pitch as the Gulf's go-to business hub is starting to feel the heat. The missiles targeted Riyadh and a city near the Yemeni border and were intercepted, with warnings sent out to residents. Recent strikes have already shut down operations at Riyadh's main airport and sent the capital's financial district home to work remotely. Some business execs are giving this week’s World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh a miss, and next month’s Misk Global Forum has been scrapped altogether. Next up is the Future Investment Initiative later this month, which usually pulls in Wall Street heavyweights like BlackRock’s Larry Fink and Citi’s Jane Fraser. Hosting a global investor summit in a city under missile fire is a hard sell, no matter how good the pitch deck looks. Source: Bloomberg / Writer: Julie

If you work hard enough, for long enough, you can achieve your goals Don't believe anyone who says you can't Writer: Ian t.co/uPnhZiNrit

🇫🇷🇷🇺 France is hunting Russia's shadow fleet all the way into the Indian Ocean. French naval forces boarded the sanctioned oil tanker DF Peak more than 450 nautical miles south of Réunion, the French island east of Madagascar, suspecting it of sailing under a false flag and illegally transporting fuel. The ship has a long history in Russia's tanker fleet and has been sanctioned by the U.S., EU, UK and several other countries. It's now under French escort while inspections continue. Macron says France will go after the shadow fleet wherever it operates, and this time he wasn't kidding about the distance. Just days ago, Trump paused sanctions on Russian diesel exports to help bring down fuel prices ahead of the midterms. So while Washington is easing pressure on Russian fuel, Paris is boarding tankers halfway across the world. Sources: Euronews, The Maritime Executive / Writer: Julie t.co/QZRnVAJfjg

This is the person who heckled Trump and was thrown out of his Ohio rally Surely they could have seen that one coming 😂 Writer: Ian t.co/NKklafwpgJ

🇺🇸 He went from running his mouth to being a pussycat as soon as she showed up 😂 Writers: Mhedi, Ian t.co/DUqkYNEgiW

This poor girl was praying inside a temple when a construction worker came in and tried to r*pe her WTF India, is nowhere safe for young girls?!?! Writer: Ian t.co/A8h71nfUcp

🇸🇦🇾🇪 Saudi Arabia went silent on missile warnings right before the Houthis hit Riyadh's airport. The reason, reportedly, is that people were complaining the alerts were waking them up at night. At least 18 people are dead and more than 300 wounded after 4 attacks on the capital in the past week, and not a single public alert went out before any of them. The warning system had gone quiet since late September, even as Houthi attacks kept piling up, and residents have been told to keep images of interceptions and impact sites to themselves. Western embassies were quietly sending their own missile alerts to staff the whole time, but even they were left in the dark before Saturday's strike, the deadliest of the lot. Riyadh finally turned the alerts back on yesterday, after the capital had already been hit around a dozen times this month. Frm U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney: "The lack of alerts of incoming Houthi attacks creates the very nervousness they are trying to avoid." Source: Reuters / Writer: Julie t.co/oO1Yx9dMpN

A Berkeley metallurgist began to develop a series of mysterious illnesses and suspected someone might be tampering with her food She installed a spy camera and was horrified to discover her coworker, David Xu, was poisoning her with cadmium!! Goes to show, just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they aren't out to get you Writer: Ian t.co/p7npubZJr3