The African Union Commission's chairman, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, called for an end to the "extermination" of Palestinians during the regional body's 39th summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 13, 2026, according to Al Jazeera. Simultaneously, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak apologized for his long-standing friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as reported by Euronews. Elsewhere, the World Health Organization (WHO) condemned a US-funded newborn vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau, Africa, as unethical, and a California beach town will begin using AI to detect bike lane violations, while Amazon canceled a partnership with Flock Safety after a controversial Super Bowl ad.
The AU summit, where Youssouf made his statement, brought together dozens of heads of state. The call to end the "extermination" of Palestinians was a key focus of the gathering, according to Al Jazeera. The summit also addressed other issues, including conflicts within Africa.
Ehud Barak's apology, reported by Euronews, stemmed from his friendship with Epstein, which included regular correspondence and visits to Epstein's Manhattan apartment and private island. Barak stated, "I am responsible for all my actions and decisions, and there is definitely room to ask if there wasn't room for more in-depth judgment on my part."
The WHO's criticism of the US-funded vaccine trial, as detailed by Ars Technica, centered on the withholding of a safe and potentially lifesaving hepatitis B vaccine from some newborns. The WHO concluded the trial was "inconsistent with established ethical and scientific principles." The trial had drawn widespread condemnation from health experts since the US funding was announced in December.
In Santa Monica, California, the city will deploy AI technology in its parking enforcement vehicles to identify bike lane violations, Ars Technica reported. Beginning in April, Hayden AI's scanning technology will be used in seven parking enforcement cars. Charley Territo, chief growth officer at Hayden AI, told Ars Technica, "The more we can reduce the amount of illegal parking, the safer we can make it for bike riders."
Amazon and Flock Safety ended their partnership after Amazon's Super Bowl ad, which promoted a "Search Party" feature for Ring cameras to locate missing pets, sparked public outrage. The ad, which began with a young girl receiving a puppy, was perceived as "disturbing and dystopian," according to Ars Technica.
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