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Fox News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
BBC report finds Gaza documentary narrated by Hamas terrorist's son breached editorial standards
Print Close By David Spector Published July 15, 2025 An internal BBC report found Monday that a documentary on Gaza it aired in February violated the broadcaster's editorial standards for accuracy. The documentary "Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone," featured narration from a boy, 13, named Abdullah, but the film failed to disclose that Abdullah was the son of senior Hamas official Ayman Alyazouri. The BBC pulled the documentary from its online streaming platform in February, just five days after it was aired, and issued an apology. "Since the transmission of our documentary on Gaza, the BBC has become aware of the family connections of the film's narrator, a child called Abdullah. We've promised our audiences the highest standards of transparency, so it is only right that as a result of this new information, we add some more detail to the film before its retransmission. We apologise for the omission of that detail from the original film," the BBC said in a statement at the time. THE BBC BREACHED EDITORIAL GUIDELINES OVER 1,500 TIMES IN ISRAEL-HAMAS CONFLICT, REPORT CLAIMS The documentary was widely condemned when it aired. Journalist David Collier, who broke the story of the narrator's connection to the terrorist group, called the BBC "a propaganda tool of Hamas." A group of 45 Jewish television professionals wrote a letter to the BBC urging them to pull the broadcast and called for an independent investigation. The new investigation found that the BBC was unaware of Abdullah's lineage prior to the documentary's broadcast, but three members of the production company Hoyo Films did know that the boy's father was a Hamas official. The probe, however, criticized the broadcaster for not being "sufficiently proactive" with its due diligence ahead of broadcast, and admonished it for a "lack of critical oversight of unanswered or partially answered questions" regarding the documentary ahead of broadcast. The review claimed that the use of the Hamas-linked narrator did not influence the content of the film, but said the inclusion of the boy was "not appropriate." "We are owning where we have made mistakes, finding out what went wrong, acting on the findings, and we've said we're sorry," BBC News CEO Deborah Turness told the BBC's Radio 4. The BBC has vowed to take steps to address the failure, including issuing new guidance on the use of narrators in documentaries centering on controversial topics, the creation of a new leadership role focusing on documentaries and a new review process that ensures that "no high-risk long form programs can be formally commissioned until all potential compliance considerations are considered and listed." 'CORROSIVELY WOKE' BBC CONTINUES TO BE PLAGUED WITH RETRACTIONS, APOLOGIES RELATED TO ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR "The BBC has a duty to uphold fairness, accuracy, and truth — it's one of the world's largest media organizations – yet it is failing. Its repeated claims that it takes antisemitism seriously have become meaningless. Enough words. What is needed now is decisive, meaningful action," Israeli Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sharren Haskel posted on X. This is not the first time that the BBC has had to issue an apology regarding its coverage of Israel in the context of its current war with Hamas after the October 7 attacks. The BBC was one of several news organizations that rushed to report false claims made by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry that Israel had bombed the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, resulting in 500 civilian casualties, shortly after the terrorist attack. In November 2023, the BBC apologized after misquoting a Reuters report and distorting a quote by an IDF spokesman claiming the IDF was "targeting people including medical teams as well as Arab speakers" in Gaza's Al Shifa hospital. The IDF spokesman had actually said that Arab-speaking soldiers were on the ground to ensure aid made its way to the hospital. The BBC apologized for reporting unproven claims about Israel carrying out "summary executions" of Gaza civilians in January 2024. In February 2025, the BBC apologized after its anchor Nicky Schiller referred to Israeli hostages as "prisoners" on air. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE The BBC once again issued an apology in March 2025 after contacting the Israeli embassy and requesting a guest who would be "critical of Netanyahu," calling the incident a "serious mistake." Most recently, the BBC apologized after airing Bob Vylan's performance at Glastonbury, in which the punk rocker called for "death to the IDF." "We deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC and want to apologise to our viewers and listeners and in particular the Jewish community. We are also unequivocal that there can be no place for antisemitism at, or on, the BBC," the BBC said in a statement. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The BBC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Print Close URL
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists discover new cause of aggressive cancer in young people... and a possible treatment
A little-known molecule in the body may be the key to treating aggressive cancer that often strikes young people, a study suggests. Researchers in New York reviewed records from 11,000 cancer patients to evaluate long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a type of RNA molecule that helps regulate gene behavior and distinguish healthy from non-healthy cells. While studying human breast tumor models, they found a specific type of lncRNA called LINC01235, which has previously been linked to stomach cancer, may be feeding breast cancer cells. The team tested their hypothesis using gene editing to 'turn off' LINC01235 in cells from triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive form of the disease that's resistant to standard hormonal treatments. They found cancer cells without LINC01235 grew more slowly and were worse at forming tumors than those with the activated molecule. The experts, from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, believe LINC01235 activates another gene called NFIB, which has been shown to increase the risk of triple-negative breast cancer. NFIB then controls how cells grow and develop, leading to them becoming cancer cells. By turning off the molecule (LINC01235) that encourages the TNBC-linked gene (NFIB) to proliferate, researchers believe it could inhibit tumor growth and spread. Study researcher David Spector believes the findings could also lead to new treatments for triple-negative breast cancer, which accounts for 10 to 15 percent of breast cancer diagnoses and disproportionately is diagnosed in young women. He said: 'Our long-term goal is to try to find an lncRNA or multiple lncRNAs that may eventually be therapeutic targets.' Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, affecting 316,000 per year and killing 42,000 in the US. About to 10 to 15 percent of breast cancers are triple-negative, adding up to as many as 47,000 cases and 6,300 deaths. Triple-negative means cancer cells don't have receptors that respond to the hormones estrogen and progesterone and the protein HER-2. Without these receptors, triple-negative breast cancers don't respond to treatments that target those hormones, making them harder to treat. Though the survival rate is over 90 percent if caught in earlier stages, those figures drop as low as 15 percent when the disease spreads to lymph nodes and other organs. It's most common in Black women and those under 40 and is one of the many forms of the disease on the rise, along with colon and lung cancers. In the new study, published in Molecular Cancer Research, tumor samples were taken from breast cancer patients in New York and used to make organoids, small models of tumors. They were then compared to healthy tissue samples. The researchers found breast cancer tumors had significantly higher expressions of LINC01235 than healthy tissue. LINC01235 was then deactivated with CRISPR, a type of gene editing that has mostly been tested in head, neck, gastrointestinal and brain cancers. Since tumor growth slowed when researchers deactivated LINC01235, the team suspected the molecule increases the growth of breast cancer cells. They suspected LINC01235 activates the gene NFIB, which has most often been tied to triple-negative breast cancer compared to other forms of breast cancer. It's believed NFIB suppresses the expression of p21, a protein that inhibits cell growth. With this protein suppressed, cancer cells can grow unchecked. Lead researcher Wenbo Xu, a graduate student at Stony Brook University, said: 'Our findings demonstrate that LINC01235 positively regulates NFIB transcription.' The team said the findings could be the first step in developing CRISPR technology to treat triple-negative breast cancer.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PMT Q1 Deep Dive: Interest Rate Volatility Pressures Results, Securitization Focus Intensifies
Mortgage REIT PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust (NYSE:PMT) fell short of the market's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, with sales falling 40.1% year on year to $44.47 million. Its non-GAAP loss of $0.01 per share was significantly below analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy PMT? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $44.47 million Adjusted EPS: -$0.01 vs analyst estimates of $0.39 (significant miss) Market Capitalization: $1.09 billion PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust's first quarter was marked by significant challenges stemming from interest rate volatility and widening credit spreads, resulting in a non-GAAP net loss and revenue that fell short of Wall Street expectations. Management cited that fair value declines, particularly on mortgage servicing rights (MSRs), were a primary headwind, even as income from core operations remained stable. CEO David Spector noted, 'Strong levels of income, excluding market driven value changes, were offset by net fair value declines due to interest rate volatility and credit spread widening.' The team emphasized that risk management practices, including hedging and unique financing structures, helped limit further downside in a turbulent market. Looking ahead, management remains focused on leveraging its private-label securitization platform and expanding credit-sensitive investments as the mortgage market adapts to ongoing rate fluctuations. CEO David Spector highlighted anticipated growth opportunities from increased non-owner-occupied and jumbo loan volumes, stating, 'The increased volume of non-owner-occupied and jumbo loans underscores the potential for future investments.' While the yield curve's shape continues to influence returns, management expects stability in the dividend and sees disciplined capital allocation into higher-yielding strategies as key to navigating industry uncertainty. Management pointed to several factors shaping the quarter, with a pronounced focus on risk management, portfolio mix, and the dynamics of the mortgage origination landscape. Interest Rate Volatility Impact: The quarter's results were pressured by fair value declines on MSR assets, which management attributed to falling mortgage rates and revised prepayment assumptions. This was partially offset by gains in mortgage-backed securities (MBS), but the overall environment remained challenging for interest rate-sensitive strategies. Credit-Sensitive Strategy Growth: PMT increased its focus on credit-sensitive strategies, particularly through retaining subordinate bonds in private-label securitizations. Management emphasized that recent credit spread widening has raised potential returns on these investments, with expected yields in the mid-teens. Securitization Activity: The company completed three securitizations of investor loans totaling $1 billion in unpaid principal balance, retaining $94 million in new investments. Management plans to maintain a cadence of approximately one non-owner-occupied securitization per month and one jumbo loan securitization per quarter going forward. Stable Underlying Credit Quality: Despite market turbulence, management noted that delinquency rates on underlying mortgages remain low, supported by high borrower equity and strong consumer credit profiles. The seasoned nature of the portfolio, with many loans originated during low-rate periods, further underpins stability. Dividend Policy and Capital Structure: CFO Dan Perotti reaffirmed the company's commitment to dividend stability, explaining that the run rate decline reflects yield curve dynamics rather than credit deterioration. He also highlighted the advantages of PMT's non-mark-to-market financing, which shields the company from forced asset sales during periods of spread widening. Management's outlook emphasizes disciplined capital allocation into credit-sensitive strategies and a sustained focus on private-label securitization as drivers of returns amid ongoing market volatility. Shift Toward Credit Investments: The company intends to direct more capital toward credit-sensitive strategies, capitalizing on higher yields from subordinate bonds in private-label securitizations as credit spreads remain wide. Management believes this approach will enhance return potential in a market where traditional interest rate-sensitive investments face pressure. Origination and Securitization Pipeline: Anticipated growth in non-owner-occupied and jumbo loan volumes is expected to feed a robust pipeline for future securitizations. Management plans to maintain a steady pace of new securitizations, leveraging its origination platform for consistent investment opportunities. Dividend Stability and Yield Curve Dynamics: While run rate earnings have declined due to a flatter yield curve, management expects the dividend to remain stable. Any steepening of the yield curve or decline in short-term rates could improve returns on interest rate-sensitive assets, providing upside to earnings if market conditions shift. In the coming quarters, our analysts will monitor (1) the pace and profitability of new private-label securitizations, (2) the impact of yield curve movements on both credit and interest rate-sensitive strategies, and (3) trends in mortgage origination volumes, especially for non-owner-occupied and jumbo loans. Execution on capital allocation and dividend stability will remain key indicators of management's ability to deliver risk-adjusted returns. PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust currently trades at $12.58, down from $13.14 just before the earnings. Is the company at an inflection point that warrants a buy or sell? The answer lies in our full research report (it's free). The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025. While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we're homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver's seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 6 Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
Fox News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Children's YouTube star 'Ms. Rachel' talks to anti-Israel reporter about Gaza posts
Print Close By David Spector Published May 13, 2025 Children's YouTube star "Ms. Rachel" appeared on anti-Israel journalist Mehdi Hasan's Zeteo news Monday to explain why she has been so outspoken about Israel's war against Hamas. Rachel Griffin Accurso, who goes by "Ms. Rachel" on her popular YouTube channel, which has 14.7 million subscribers, has shared several posts about the war's effects on Palestinian children. "Over 14,000 precious children have been un-alived in Gaza. Gaza has the largest number of child amputees in history. We can't be silent about these kinds of conditions for children," Accurso posted to her TikTok channel in Dec. 2024, echoing the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry's casualty statistics. UN REVISES GAZA DEATH TOLL, ALMOST 50% LESS WOMEN AND CHILDREN KILLED THAN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED Last month, the Hamas-controlled agency's numbers were revised down by thousands and an analysis of those numbers found that 72% of those killed between the ages of 13 and 55 were males. "As a teacher, you care about all kids. And I think with so many years of teaching, you just see them all as so similar. They all love to laugh, and they love to learn, and they love to play, and they deserve to play," Accurso told Hasan, who previously worked for Qatar-funded Al Jazeera and MSNBC. Hasan has been a harsh critic of the Jewish State, accusing the IDF of killing "hungry people" and comparing it to the regimes of Russia's Vladimir Putin and ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. In 2021, Hasan rushed to defend Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who suggested the U.S. and Israel were just as guilty of "war crimes" as terrorist groups like Hamas and the Taliban. He also defended Omar after allegations of antisemitic rhetoric online in 2019. CONSERVATIVE PARENTS CALL TO BOYCOTT 'MS. RACHEL' OVER LATEST PRIDE MONTH VIDEO: 'KIDS LOOK UP TO' HER Critics have asserted that the "Songs for Littles" crooner is not merely speaking out for vulnerable children, but is in fact trying to indoctrinate kids into a far-left, anti-Israel ideology. Accurso allegedly did not immediately speak out against Hamas' horrific Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, which saw 38 children killed, seven of whom were between zero and six years old, and 42 children taken hostage. Instead, she waited until after Israel began its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip 12 days later to issue a statement, according to a column in the New York Post. FUNERAL HELD FOR SHIRI BIBAS AND HER SONS AFTER THEIR REMAINS HANDED OVER BY HAMAS "Her increasingly politicized online presence should concern parents. Ms. Rachel has a moral compass — but it only points leftward," New York Post columnist Bethany Mandel wrote. The group StopAntisemitism last month urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to open an investigation into Accurso to probe whether she is being paid to spread Hamas propaganda, the New York Post also reported. Ms. Rachel denied the accusations as "absurd" and "completely false," in a statement to Fox News Digital. "It's sad that someone would take compassion for children suffering immeasurably and try to make it controversial. All of my work grows from my care for all children and wanting them to have everything they need to grow and thrive. They can't do that if they are denied food, safety, medical care or the love and care of their families. In a time of so much division, the more we can see the humanity of people who are different from us, the better," she told Fox News Digital. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Accurso defended her advocacy for children impacted by the war in Gaza to Hasan, saying that as a mother herself, she couldn't stay silent. "It's sad that people try to make it controversial when you speak out for children that are facing immeasurable suffering. I think it should be controversial to not say anything," Accurso said. "The idea that caring for a group of children in an emergency situation means you don't care about other children is false." Print Close URL
Fox News
04-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Trump blasts 'dishonest interview' during contentious debate on tariffs
Print Close By David Spector Published May 04, 2025 President Donald Trump and "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker sparred over tariffs and the economy Sunday, with the president blasting the "dishonest interview" to the host's face. "This is such a dishonest interview already. Prices are down on groceries. Prices are down for oil prices are down for oil. Energy prices are down at tremendous numbers for gasoline," Trump said when pressed on his tariff policies. When pressed by Welker about rising costs on items such as tires and strollers, he dismissed price increases on such goods as "peanuts compared to energy," which the president claimed his policies have made cheaper. Gas prices hit their peak during Biden's sole term in office at an average of $5.06 per gallon in June 2022, the highest on record. The price of gas has steadily dropped since then, and the average national price of gas today is roughly $3.16 a gallon, according to AAA. VANCE BREAKS KEY TIE AFTER SENATE FAILS TO REJECT TRUMP'S NATIONAL EMERGENCY ON TARIFFS "Strollers are going up. What kind of a thing? I'm saying that gasoline is going down. Gasoline is thousands of times more important than a stroller or something," Trump said. Trump made headlines during his cabinet meeting on Wednesday when he remarked that "maybe children will have two dolls instead of thirty dolls, and maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more" as a result of his tariff policies. He denied the tariffs would result in empty store shelves, but did acknowledge that some Americans may need to cut down on their purchases. "The don't need to have 250 pencils, they can have five… I'm basically saying we don't have to waste money on a trade deficit with China for things we don't need, for junk that we don't need." LIBERATION DAY AND TRUMP TARIFFS ARE NOT THE END OF TRADE. IT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING Trump announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs on virtually every country America does business with on April 2, on what he refers to as "Liberation Day," in addition to a 10% global tariff. The levies applied to friend and foe alike, with Vietnam being slapped with a 46% tariff and Israel receiving 17% tariffs on goods exported to the United States. Trump swiftly reversed course a few days later in the face of a stock market nosedive and bond market worries, pausing the reciprocal tariffs. He maintained the 10% global tariff as well as a 145% tariff on Chinese goods, however. Mexico and Canada are facing separate 25% tariffs related to the fentanyl crisis. Trump maintained that his tariffs would "make us rich" and that the country was already profiting from them. He said that Americans were already feeling economic relief due to declining mortgage rates and energy prices. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE "Mortgage rates are going down, despite the fact that we have a stubborn fed… I can tell you that we're making a lot of money. We're doing great. Again, we're losing more than $5 billion a day, $5 billion a day. You don't talk about that. And right now we're going to be at a point very soon where we're making money every day," Trump said. Trump shot down Welker's claim, saying that Wall Street insiders were worried about a recession, and said he has spoken to many on Wall Street who are saying that his tariffs will be a boon for the economy. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Print Close URL
