Latest news with #SamirShah
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
BBC bans journalist who said ‘Israelis are not human beings'
A Gaza reporter who was exposed after describing Jews as 'devils' has been banned by the BBC. The corporation has ordered its Arabic channel to stop using Ahmed Alagha, who was a regular contributor to its coverage of the Israeli war against Hamas. The ban came after The Telegraph revealed in April that Mr Alagha had been accused of describing Israelis as sadistic and less than human. He appeared twice on BBC Arabic after this newspaper exposed his social media comments, once just a few hours after The Telegraph's story had been published, and again on May 12. When Mr Alagha's continued appearances were brought to the BBC's attention, corporation sources stated he would no longer be used on its programmes, ordering its Arabic channel to keep him off air. It comes after continued controversy over the output of BBC Arabic, which critics have described as being biased against Israel, amid claims that several of its contributors have repeatedly made anti-Semitic comments. In May, the BBC's chairman, Dr Samir Shah, announced the broadcaster will appoint an independent figure to investigate its Arabic channel as part of a review of the standard of its reporting of the Middle East conflict. Mr Alagha, who was billed on air as a Palestinian journalist, has appeared on BBC Arabic reporting from Gaza numerous times since January last year. He has appeared to have singled out Jews for condemnation and praised the killing of Israeli civilians on his social media accounts. Responding to footage of Gaza tower blocks being bombed by Israel following the October 7 attacks, Mr Alagha posted on X, formerly Twitter, a few days later: 'This is not a Hollywood film; this is what was done to these towers in Gaza City at the hands of the Israeli occupation, and it's happening to us in Gaza. 'It [the Israeli occupation] is the embodiment of filth, the unrivalled swamp of wickedness. As for the Jews, they are the devils of the hypocrites.' The following day, he posted: 'And as we know, the 'Israelis' are not human beings to begin with, rather they are not even beasts. Perhaps they belong to a race for which no description can capture the extent of their lust and sadism.' The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (Camera), a media campaign group, has called for the BBC to crack down on its Arabic channel's use of contributors it says cannot be trusted to deliver objective and balanced broadcasting. A spokesman for Camera UK said: 'The BBC has finally done the right thing regarding Ahmad Alagha. Nevertheless, his and Afifa's stories clearly demonstrate that the process by which the BBC obtains and broadcasts Gaza Strip information is deeply flawed – with Israel's restrictions on journalists entering Gaza not being nearly as relevant as the corporation claims they are. 'BBC Arabic's editors specifically seem to be trapped inside an echo chamber. Such dehumanising statements about Jews and Israelis reflect a deep failure to meet even the most basic standards required from a journalist reporting live from Gaza; yet the editors kept using the individual who made them, even when his record was publicly known. 'This precedent, which would be unimaginable were Alagha to target any other minority group in the UK, let alone a group involved in the same conflict he purports to cover.' Danny Cohen, the former director of BBC Television said: 'It is both horrifying and astonishing that a reporter who has spouted anti-Semitism was allowed back on air after his vile racism was exposed. 'His appearing on BBC Arabic in the first place was indefensible – simple checks would have revealed his unacceptable views. 'The fact that he was allowed to return after his racism became public knowledge is further evidence of the deep-seated systemic problems of bias, extremism and antisemitism at BBC Arabic. 'BBC management needs to get a grip. If the BBC Arabic service cannot be reformed, it should be shut down.' Broadcasting sources said BBC Arabic had been instructed not to use Mr Alagha as a contributing reporter or commentator again. A BBC spokesman said: 'Ahmed Alagha is not a BBC member of staff or part of the BBC's reporting team. His social media posts do not reflect the BBC's view, and we are absolutely clear that there is no place for anti-Semitism on our services. We will not be using him as a contributor in this way again.' Mr Alagha has recently removed his X social media account. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
New York Times
24-05-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Retirees, Get Ready to Need Long-Term Care. Here's What to Know.
Samir Shah is a forecaster — but he's an expert on the U.S. long-term care industry, not the weather. Right now, he is seeing storm clouds gathering for the Americans who will need help with basic living needs in the years ahead. 'Demand is rising at the same point that supply is decreasing, and both are happening at a very rapid pace,' said Mr. Shah, chief executive of CareScout, a company that publishes an annual study on the cost of long-term care. On the demand side of the equation is an aging population. In 2026, the oldest baby boomers will start turning 80, an age when the odds of needing care grow. The U.S. Census Bureau forecasts that the number of people 85 and older will nearly double by 2035 (to 11.8 million people) and nearly triple by 2060 (to 19 million). At the same time, the care industry has a shortage of workers that is driven partly by low wages. The median hourly wage for all direct care workers was $16.72 in 2023 — lower than the wage for all other jobs with similar or low entry-level requirements, according to an analysis by PHI, a nonprofit research and policy organization. Experts fear that shortage will be exacerbated by the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Immigrants make up 28 percent of the long-term care work force — a figure that has been rising in recent years, according to KFF, a health policy research group. The price of some long-term care services in 2024 rose as much as 10 percent, according to the CareScout study — more than triple the 2.9 percent general rate of inflation that year. Much of your medical care in retirement will be covered by Medicare. Long-term care refers to help with daily living for people who are frail or disabled — bathing, dressing, using the toilet, preparing meals, shopping, walking and taking medications. Most Americans have misconceptions about how they might pay for those needs, or haven't planned for them at all. KFF polling shows that 23 percent of all adults — and 45 percent of those age 65 or older — incorrectly believe that Medicare will cover their time in a nursing home if they have a long-term illness or disability. Fewer than half of adults said they've talked seriously with loved ones about how they would obtain or pay for long-term care. And among near-retirement individuals, just 28 percent say they have set aside money for it. How should you think about the risk of needing care, what it will cost and how to pay for it? The answers might include long-term care insurance, savings, finding ways to optimize your guaranteed retirement income, Medicaid or reliance on a family member. Will you need care, and what will it cost? Looking at the risk for people aged 65 and older, the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College concluded that about one-fifth of retirees will require no long-term care support, and that 20 percent are likely to experience a severe need. Between these extremes, 25 percent will have low and 37 percent will have moderate needs. For any individual, these likelihoods can be very difficult to predict. According to the CareScout survey, last year, the monthly median cost for an assisted living community nationally was $5,900 per month, homemaker services cost $6,292 per month, while a private nursing home room cost $10,646. The escalation of these costs is not uniform. The cost of assisted living communities, nursing home care and homemaker services all jumped roughly 10 percent in 2024, but the cost of home health care aides rose just 3 percent, according to CareScout. And costs can vary depending on your level of need and location. The administration's crackdown on immigrants is widely expected to accelerate costs further and harm the quality of care. 'Long-term care providers would be in a really challenging place, as would long-term care recipients, without them,' said David Grabowski, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School who has studied that work force. Dr. Grabowski's research also has found higher-quality care in regions with more immigrant workers. Demand for workers is expected to be strong in the years ahead. Home and residential care providers are expected to add 817,000 new jobs by 2032 for direct care roles, according to analysis of federal employment projections by PHI. That is the most new positions of any job category across the U.S. economy. 'We're simply not going to have enough people to take care of everyone' who needs care, said Mollie Gurian, a vice president at LeadingAge, a nonprofit that represents providers of aging services. Ms. Gurian also worries about the possible effect on costs if Congress cuts funding for Medicaid, which covers 61 percent of all long-term care, according to KFF. 'Providers would have to either reduce the number of Medicaid patients they accept, increase private pay rates or close facilities,' she said. Paying for care Insurance. Confusion is widespread over what Medicare and Medicaid cover. Medicare generally covers up to 100 days after a hospitalization in a skilled nursing facility. Medicaid covers long-term care services over a longer period of time, either in an institutional or home setting — but only for people with very low income and assets. 'Most people have this misconception that Medicare covers long-term care when we know that it is Medicaid that is the primary payer,' said Priya Chidambaram, senior policy manager for KFF's program on Medicaid and the uninsured. Medicaid most typically covers care in a nursing home — the services it covers at home are more limited, she said. Medicare will cover some types of care at home for people who are homebound or qualify for skilled care. Insurance companies have been selling long-term care insurance policies since the early 1980s, but they have never gained widespread popularity. The policies are complicated and costly — and many people resist buying them because they worry about funneling thousands of dollars into coverage they may not ever need to use. Moreover, the industry has been hurt by high-profile, large premium increases from some carriers. The market has been shrinking, said Brian Gordon, president of Gordon Associates, an insurance brokerage in Bannockburn, Ill., that specializes in long-term care coverage. 'When I started selling these policies 35 years ago, there were more than 125 insurance companies to choose from,' he said. 'Now there might be a dozen options.' Those choices would include sellers of traditional long-term care policies and so-called 'hybrid' policies that combine life insurance with a long-term care benefit, which have been gaining some traction. These policies make a long-term care benefit available through a death benefit that can be tapped early to pay for a qualifying long-term care need. 'These policies allow you to use the death benefit while you are living,' Mr. Gordon said. Sample policies provided by Mr. Gordon show that a 55-year-old couple could buy a shared or joint policy of this type that pays a $5,000 monthly benefit, or a shared pool of benefits between the two of $534,000. They could fund that with 10 annual premium payments of $16,500. By contrast, the same couple could buy a traditional long-term care policy that pays a similar monthly benefit funded by 10 annual premium payments of $18,000. Insurance companies require that customers pass a medical exam to qualify for commercial policies, and that becomes more difficult to do for older customers, who are more likely to have disqualifying conditions, Mr. Gordon notes. Self-fund. Affluent households may be able to fund a long-term care need out of pocket, but this strategy should be part of a broader plan for aging, said Carolyn McClanahan, a physician and certified financial planner in Jacksonville, Fla. 'We have conversations about this with our clients when they're in their late 50s or early 60s,' she said. Key topics include desired locations and identifying trusted family members or friends who might be available to help make health care decisions. Will you want to age at home, or are you willing to move? Self-funding makes the most sense for single people who don't have children and are not leaving money to heirs. 'If I have a client who wants to leave a legacy to their children, that's where having an insurance policy is a nice option,' she said. How much to set aside? The specifics depend on factors like health status, desired care scenario, and personal financial situation, Dr. McClanahan said. For clients with health issues, she suggests planning for two to three years of long-term care needs, and up to five years for those at higher risk of dementia or with good health and longevity prospects. And, she recommends keeping at least five years' worth of expenses in easily accessible money like cash or short-term bonds. Another key consideration is whether the funds might need to cover one person or two, she added. 'A couple should make sure that they aren't setting themselves up to possibly decimate the surviving spouse financially by funding care for one person. That's where you might want to maybe consider insurance that funds a first long-term care need.' Funding might come from tax-deferred, tax-free or taxable accounts, she said. 'We're always working with clients to make sure we're maximizing lower tax brackets to at least remove money from I.R.A.s to fill their taxable bucket or do Roth conversions, so that gives them more tax flexibility down the road when they may have higher cash flow needs for things like long-term care.' Health Savings Accounts offer one attractive option for people able to fund the accounts at maximum levels and avoid drawing them down to pay for health care at younger ages, she added. Guaranteed income from Social Security can help meet a long-term care expense — and often is overlooked, Dr. McClanahan said — and it's a good reason to maximize your benefit by delaying your claim as long as possible. Most people turn to informal care from family members or friends — 64 percent of caregiving hours are provided by children, spouses, other relatives or nonrelatives, according to CRR. But that can have financial consequences for the caregivers — a KFF poll found that 56 percent of people who provided or paid for someone's long-term care cut back on spending on food, clothing or other basic needs; one-third had trouble paying rent or utility bills. And time away from work often translates to lower career earnings, fewer Social Security benefits, and lower levels of savings. 'It's felt at a moment in time, but it's felt continuously for many, many years to come,' Mr. Shah said. 'There's a domino effect.'
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Here's my plea to the BBC - don't change Match of the Day with box-ticking or wokery, writes JONATHAN McEVOY
A final farewell witticism apart, Gary Lineker is gone from our screens. Which leaves a wider question: what will become of Match of the Day as we have always known it? Jonathan Martin, head of BBC TV Sport in the Eighties and Nineties when terrestrial TV, and the BBC in particular, ruled the airwaves like an absolute monarch, raised a worrying parallel, the thrust of which is gnawing at those millions of us reared on the Saturday night highlights show. 'When the BBC removed Sue Barker to reset A Question of Sport, the programme declined and is no longer on our screens,' Martin wrote in The Times letters page. 'Now its red card for Gary Lineker, a talented presenter in the great tradition of David Coleman, Jimmy Hill and Desmond Lynam, poses a similar threat to Match of the Day, said to be reset as well.' Yes, A Question of Sport descended into a celebrity gloop of imbecility, with a lot of inane laughter at nothing remotely funny. It died unlamented, a staple of our sporting lives reunited, alas, with Grandstand and Sportsnight. Des Lynam, whose own move to ITV 26 years ago freed up the presenter's seat for Lineker, echoed his former boss's fears. 'The chairman of the BBC (Samir Shah) was quoted a few weeks ago as suggesting that Match of the Day should have more chat and less football when Lineker leaves,' said Lynam. 'That is nonsense. People only tune in to see the action. The chat is minor compared to the action. Obviously if there is a discussion point – somebody gets sent off, somebody does a harsh tackle or something – then you can discuss it for a brief time after the match. 'But to say that Match of the Day is about chat and not about action is baffling to me.' Well, surely, if Des will forgive me, it is about the amalgam of both, the action dominating with the reassuring-as-old-slippers insight of the pundits as an accompaniment. This diet is distinct from both the protracted analysis of Sky's 'main event' and the unvarnished 10-second video clip trotting across personal smartphones. That balance of football and chat is Match of the Day's USP, and an increasingly distinctive one in the incessantly diversifying broadcast landscape. One hopes the modern Beeb understands the value of its inheritance rising rather than diminishing as the world around it changes. As Lynam pointed out in his Telegraph column, Lineker was a pundit in his early broadcasting days, alongside Hill, Trevor Brooking and Alan Hansen. All were of independent mind and argued their strong views robustly. Alan Shearer, Hansen's chief successor, is in that tradition if not as naturally withering as his predecessor. He still brings the first-hand authority of the ex-international footballer of high pedigree. Who better to opine on why the striker should have peeled off to the near post a fraction earlier than he did? But new co-hosts Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman, and Gabby Logan will look to provide continuity Shearer and Micah Richards (less guffawing, please) have indicated they will remain on the sofa beyond the Lineker era. They and their fellow ex-players, however much we like them or they grate with us, are suddenly important threads between the old and the new, which is represented by the incoming cast of revolving hosts, Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan. Nobody, even among the small 'c' conservative Saturday night audience, is opposed to innovation and judicious tinkering. But the great hope is that change for its own sake, such as box ticking and wokery, or indeed a bellyful of laddishness, is left at the studio door. As Jonathan Martin warns, A Question of Sport, with its dumbed-down crassness born of a lack of conviction in its own merits, stands as a warning for the post-Lineker future of one of the BBC's last sporting jewels.
Arab News
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
600+ film and media insiders sign open letter demanding BBC airs delayed Gaza documentary
DUBAI: More than 600 prominent figures from the film and media industries have signed an open letter urging the BBC to broadcast the delayed documentary 'Gaza: Medics Under Fire.' The signatories include actors such as Susan Sarandon, Indira Varma, Miriam Margolyes, Maxine Peake and Juliet Stevenson, along with journalists, filmmakers and other industry professionals. One-hundred-and-thirty of them chose to remain anonymous; at least 12 were said to be BBC staff members. The letter, addressed to BBC Director General Tim Davie, states: 'Every day this film is delayed, the BBC fails in its commitment to inform the public, fails in its journalistic responsibility to report the truth, and fails in its duty of care to these brave contributors. 'No news organization should quietly decide behind closed doors whose stories are worth telling.' The film was originally scheduled to air in January. BBC bosses said they decided to delay it while an investigation is carried out into another documentary, 'Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone,' which was pulled from the schedules when it emerged that the narrator of that film is the son of a Hamas official. Samir Shah, chairperson of the BBC, said this revelation was 'a dagger to the heart of the BBC's claim to be impartial and to be trustworthy' and that was why he and fellow board members were 'determined to ask the questions.' The writers of the letter said: 'This is not editorial caution. It's political suppression. The BBC has provided no timeline, no transparency. Such decisions reinforce the systemic devaluation of Palestinian lives in our media.' 'Gaza: Medics Under Fire' production company Basement Films said in the letter that it was 'desperate for a confirmed release date in order to be able to tell the surviving doctors and medics when their stories will be told.' The document concluded with a demand for the film to be released 'NOW.' A spokesperson for the BBC told Variety magazine the documentary will be broadcast 'as soon as possible,' but the organization had taken 'an editorial decision not to do so' while there was an 'ongoing review' of the other Gaza-related film.
BreakingNews.ie
07-05-2025
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Has too much screen time rewired your child's brain?
Screen time has quickly become integrated into everyday family life, whether it's a few YouTube videos before dinner or a learning app that promises brain-boosting results. But how is this ever-growing dependence on screens for entertainment, comfort and even connection impacting our children's brains? As digital devices become ever more embedded in childhood, a pressing question emerges: is screen time just a modern convenience, or is it quietly reshaping the way children's brains develop? Advertisement Ahead of Screen-Free Week (May 5th-11th), we reached out to Dr Samir Shah, consultant psychiatrist and medical director at Priory Hospital Altrincham to see what he thinks… Can screen time actually 'rewire' a child's brain? Excessive screen time can have big impacts on a child's brain (Alamy/PA) 'Yes and regular screen use can especially influence and affect how a child's brain develops and functions,' says Shah. 'Research has shown regular screen time and excessive screen time can change both the physical structure of the brain such as areas responsible for memory and planning, and how different parts of the brain communicate with each other. 'We sometimes call this brain network connectivity. It's a bit like redirecting traffic during roadworks, the routes change and sometimes this leads to unexpected consequences.' Does excessive screen time affect cognitive development – like memory, and attention span? Research has linked excessive screen time to shorter attention spans (Alamy/PA) 'Excessive screen time has been linked to shorter attention spans, weaker problem solving abilities and difficulty switching between tasks,' highlights Shah. 'It can affect attention shifting, focus and cognitive abilities. Advertisement 'It is similar to only exercising one muscle group, and other important mental muscles like focus, delayed gratification and self-control can weaken if they are not used enough.' What role does dopamine or the brain's reward system play in screen-time habits? 'Regular screen use triggers the release of dopamine which is the brain's 'feel-good' chemical,' says Shah. 'This then creates a cycle of craving more screen time to get that same buzz or effect. It is a bit like checking the door repeatedly and hoping for an exciting visitor. 'Over time, real world and realistic activities can start to feel less rewarding by comparison. This is why children and teenagers who use screens regularly struggle to maintain or build meaningful social connections.' Can it contribute to anxiety or mood disorders in children? 'Research has shown us that teenagers and children who spend more than four hours per day on screens are more likely to experience higher levels of anxiety and depression,' highlights Shah. 'The constant and persistent stimulation of digital screens can leave young minds feeling overstimulated with higher dopamine levels but emotionally unfulfilled.' Advertisement Children who spend a lot of time on screens can also sometimes find it harder to manage frustration, irritation and pick up on social cues, adds Shah. 'Less face-to-face and direct interaction means fewer opportunities and chances to practise important social and executive skills like empathy and resolving conflicts,' explains Shah. Is the brain of a child more vulnerable to these screen exposure effects than that of an adult? Age five is a particular influential time in a child's development (Alamy/PA) 'Children's brains are like sponges that are soaking up experiences at an incredible rate,' says Shah. 'Key developmental periods particularly before the age of five and during the pre-teen years are when the brain undergoes the most rapid growth. 'Too much screen time during these stages could have longer-lasting effects compared to adults.' Advertisement Are there any visible changes in brain scans of children who consume large amounts of screen time? (Alamy/PA) 'Research has shown that MRI scans noted physical changes in the brains of children who spend a lot of time on screens,' says Shah. 'These include thinner areas involved in decision-making, altered connections in regions that control focus, attention and less grey matter in areas crucial for language. 'While this does not necessarily mean damage, it does suggest that heavy screen use can lead to the brain adapting in different ways. It can be seen as altered adaptations and disruption.' What may be right way to approach this? 'The key here is balance and careful management,' advises Shah. 'Encourage outdoor play, family meals without devices, set clear screen-free times or as we call it digital detox, such as before bed.' The type of screen use matters too, he adds. Advertisement 'A video call with grandparents is very different from hours of mindless scrolling on social media, especially that is too quick to move from one topic to another,' says Shah. 'Think of screens like sugar, which is fine in moderation but harmful in excess.'
