On the eve of the "Nakba" commemoration, thousands participated in an annual march through the ruins of villages from which Palestinians were expelled during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

During this conflict, approximately 760,000 Palestinians fled or were forcibly removed from their homes.

*) Biden moving ahead on $1B arms package for Israel — reports

https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/live-blog-biden-moving-ahead-on-dollar1b-arms-package-for-israel-reports-18162659

The Biden administration has informed key lawmakers that it is preparing to send a new package of more than $1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel.

This is according to two congressional aides who spoke on condition of anonymity. But there is no immediate indication of when the arms will be sent.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the weapons package includes $700 million in tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds.

*) Israel's Rafah invasion pushed truce talks with Hamas 'backward': Qatari PM

https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/israels-rafah-invasion-pushed-truce-talks-with-hamas-backward-qatari-pm-18155632

Israel's recent invasion in Rafah has significantly hindered truce negotiations with Hamas, according to mediator Qatar.

Talks have reached "almost a stalemate," said Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the Qatar Economic Forum.

He further pointed out that Israeli politicians' statements suggest a commitment to continuing the war, with no clear vision for Gaza's future.

*) US vows security for Ukraine as Russian forces make advances

https://www.trtworld.com/europe/us-vows-security-for-ukraine-as-russian-forces-make-advances-18159494

The United States will continue to support Ukraine until its security is "guaranteed," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced during a visit to Kiev.

His statement came just hours after Russian forces reported further advances in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

Blinken's trip follows the recent approval of a $61-billion financial aid package for Ukraine by the US Congress, providing arms and support for Ukraine's military.

And finally …

*) OpenAI's latest update GPT-4o mimics human cadences, detects moods

https://www.trtworld.com/science-and-tech/openais-latest-update-gpt-4o-mimics-human-cadences-detects-moods-18154900

OpenAI has released an update to its artificial intelligence model, GPT-4o, which now mimics human cadences in verbal responses and can detect people's moods.

Despite its advanced capabilities, OpenAI clarifies that the new model's primary allure lies in its enhanced performance.

GPT-4o operates faster than previous versions and can reason across text, audio, and video in real-time.

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