Friday briefing

Netanyahu doubted a two-state solution

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to rule out a post-war peace process that would lead to the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state, rebuffing US calls to work toward that ultimate goal. He vowed not to compromise on the goal of a “total victory” over Hamas and urged the public to prepare for long months of fighting.

“Israel must have security control over all territory west of the Jordan,” he said, referring to an area that includes occupied territory that Palestinians hope will one day become their independent state. “This clashes with the idea of ​​sovereignty. What can you do?” He said he had told the same thing to the US, a key ally of Israel.

Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the US State Department, echoed the Biden administration's position, saying there is “no way” to rebuild the Gaza Strip and provide lasting security and governance there without a Palestinian state, and emphasized that this position had been expressed. to top Israeli officials.

Security Issues: Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Hamas's October 7 surprise attack – which Israeli officials said killed 1,200 – had left most Israelis fearing for their safety. “Every Israeli wants to know that he will not be attacked in the same way from the north, the south or the east,” he said.

Other news from the war:

Germany is in an economic 'standstill'

The German economy shrank 0.3 percent, official figures showed this week, meaning the largest economy of the 20 countries that use the euro is also performing the worst. Industrial production has fallen for five months in a row.

Since its reconstruction after World War II, Germany has been Europe's main driver of economic growth, becoming an industrial power known for its massive factories and sophisticated engineering. But automakers are struggling to keep up in China, and the country must compete with the US to attract tech giants.

Last year, Germany faced a budget crisis, largely due to a budget deficit of 17 billion euros. The discrepancy was caused by the country's so-called debt brake, a law enshrined in the constitution to keep government deficits low. These restrictions prevent much-needed investments in public infrastructure.

Quotable: “The economy is at a standstill in Germany,” said Siegfried Russwurm, chairman of the Federation of German Industries. “We see no chance of a quick recovery in 2024.”

Iceland tries to provide shelter for volcano evacuees

Thousands of people were evacuated from Grindavik, a fishing village of about 3,700 people in southwestern Iceland, after volcanic eruptions, and experts consider it uninhabitable for the foreseeable future. Authorities are now working to house residents – about 1 percent of the country's population of 400,000 – and help limit their financial losses.

Some displaced residents are now living in hotels or apartments, while others are staying in summer homes or with other relatives. After the eruption, banks agreed to freeze mortgage payments, but residents said they could not receive insurance payments unless their homes were immediately destroyed.

Emily Nagoski, a sex educator, wrote the book on women's sexuality. But privately, she and her husband cycled in and out of months of sexual droughts, due to work stress and health problems.

The experience left her feeling “stressed.” Depressed. Stretched. Only. Self-critical,” she says. “Like, how can I be an 'expert' — and I say that with heavy, heavy air quotes — and still struggle like this?”

SPORTS NEWS

'I'm not trying to be Guenther Steiner': The new Haas boss, Ayao Komatsuexplains his vision for the Formula 1 team.

Golf: What to look out for at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

Harry Kane: Can he break Robert Lewandowski's? Scoring record in the Bundesliga?

Australian Open: Wang Yafan from China defeated Emma Raducanu from Great Britain.

ARTS AND IDEAS

Profiting from the news industry

The billionaires who own The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and Time magazine, despite their business acumen and technical savvy, have struggled with the confusing question of how to monetize their digital publications. Despite significant investments and intensive efforts to tap new revenue streams, all three outlets lost millions of dollars last year.

Not every media organization owned by a billionaire faces such problems. The Boston Globe has been profitable for years and The Atlantic had more than 925,000 subscribers last summer, but is not yet profitable. But the problems these companies and others like them face are only becoming more serious as web traffic and search referrals decline.