Australian mosque protesters heckle PM Albanese over Israel stance

By Christine Chen

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits Lakemba Mosque in Sydney

SYDNEY, March 20 (Reuters) - Protesters heckled and booed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday during a visit to Australia's largest mosque for ‌Eid al-Fitr prayers, voicing anger over his stance on ally Israel's offensive ‌in Gaza.

Some in Australia's Muslim and Jewish communities are angry over a fine line walked by the centre-left ​government since the Gaza war began, expressing concern for Palestinians, repeatedly urging a ceasefire, and backing Israel's right to self-defence.

Video images showed protesters interrupting proceedings about 15 minutes after Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke joined worshippers at Lakemba Mosque in western Sydney ‌to mark the end of ⁠the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Demonstrators booed, told Albanese and Burke to "Get out!" and called them "genocide supporters", referring to Israel's killing of ⁠Palestinians in Gaza, following an attack by Hamas militants in 2023.

"Dear brothers and sisters, keep calm a little bit," one of the organisers told the crowd, urging people to sit ​down ​and stop filming the exchange. "It is Eid. It ​is a joyful day."

A security ‌guard was seen tackling one heckler to the ground before escorting him away.

Advertisement

"Shame on you!" yelled protesters who followed Albanese and Burke when they left.

The mosque event was "incredibly positive", Albanese said later, despite the incident.

"If you got a couple of people heckling in a crowd of 30,000, that should be put in that perspective," he told reporters, ‌adding that the community had dealt with a ​couple of hecklers.

He added that some frustration stemmed ​from the government's designation this month ​of Islamist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir as a prohibited hate group on ‌the basis of laws prompted by a ​deadly mass shooting ​at Sydney's Bondi Beach on December 14.

Protesters also turned out in February, when Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited at Albanese's invitation to express solidarity with Jewish ​Australians allegedly targeted by gunmen ‌inspired by Islamic State during the Bondi attack.

Thousands attended a rally in ​Sydney, where 27 people were arrested after clashes with police.

(Reporting by Christine ​Chen in Sydney; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

byAlpha World

in

March 19, 2026

Australian mosque protesters heckle PM Albanese over Israel stance

By Christine Chen Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits Lakemba Mosque in Sydney SYDNEY, ...

Read More

DoorDash is now letting its drivers train AI on the side

DoorDash delivery drivers can now add another side gig to their rotation: training AI-powered robots.

The food delivery giant launched a standalone app for couriers, called Tasks, that allows the company's 8 million U.S. gig workers to earn money by recording themselves doing various tasks. The data will then be used to help AI and robotics models better "understand the physical world," according to the company's announcement Thursday.

Tasks available on the new app include everyday chores like folding clothes, handwashing dishes and making a bed, with each gig offering a payment sum based on effort and complexity. Harder tasks, like pruning and repotting plants, offer more money.

Couriers can also get paid for recording speaking content in other languages. One listing on the app prompts Spanish speakers to have a "natural, unscripted conversation with your friends or family on everyday topics."

"We think this will be huge for building the frontier of physical intelligence," DoorDash cofounder and chief technology officer Andy Fang wrote in a social media post about the launch. "Look forward to seeing where this goes!"

A spokesperson for DoorDash told NBC News that the app will initially focus on activities that could help train AI or robotics, but the company plans to add other types of activities over time. The company added that the Tasks app is a small pilot compared to what's available in the general Dasher app, where a wider array of tasks are listed for couriers to complete in between deliveries.

Advertisement

It's part of a growing ecosystem of gigs that aim to farm AI training data from willing humans.

Last year, Uberpiloted a similar initiativeallowing its U.S. gig workers to perform additional digital tasks for money, including uploading photos and recordings used to train AI. And the data annotation industry hasboomed in recent years, with dozens of platforms hiring contractors to help train AI models online.

Now, companies are increasingly seeking to capture physical data about how people move in the world. Such content is then used to help a humanoid robot, for example, learn how to load a dishwasher.

The Los Angeles Times recently reportedthat Instawork, a staffing app that connects businesses with local hourly workers for same-day gigs, has been recruiting workers in Los Angeles to strap on headbands with a phone mount and record themselves cleaning their homes.

Other robotics developers have developed similar data collection strategies. California-based Sunday Robotics ships a "skill capture glove" to people across the country who collect motion data by doing household tasks wearing the robotic glove. The gloves, which remember their movements, are then used to train the AI-powered home robot that the company is building.

Aside from DoorDash's new AI training gig app, additional tasks will also roll out within the regular Dasher app for couriers. These could involve checking a restaurant's holiday hours, taking photos of a tricky drop-off location to help delivery drivers navigate, or "giving an autonomous vehicle a hand getting back on the road," the company's news release stated.

"These are the kinds of real-world problems we've been solving for over a decade, and we realized the same capabilities that helped us could help other businesses too," Ethan Beatty, general manager of DoorDash Tasks, said in a statement.

byAlpha World

in

March 19, 2026

DoorDash is now letting its drivers train AI on the side

DoorDash delivery drivers can now add another side gig to their rotation: training AI-powered robots. The food...

Read More

University of Alabama student missing in Barcelona found dead at beach, police say

James Paul Gracey,a University of Alabama student who disappeared Tuesday from a Barcelona nightclub, was found dead, police in Spain said Thursday.

His body was found at Somorrostro Beach around 6 p.m. local time on Thursday, Catalan police told NBC News.

Gracey, a junior accounting major, was last seen at Shoko, a beachfront nightclub in Villa Olimpica, his parents, Taras and Therese Gracey, said in a statement.

Gracey was wearing a white shirt, dark pants, and a chain with a gold rhinestone cross when he went missing.

Cavin McLay, the president of the university's Theta Chi fraternity, said Gracey was with a group at the club and they got separated, "and that was the last time they saw him."

McLay said he is in Barcelona, but is not staying with the same group of friends as Gracey was. He said about 10 people were in Barcelona visiting a few fraternity members who are studying abroad.

Advertisement

Mayer said Thursday that the fraternity was mourning Gracey's death.

"Jimmy served his chapter as both Chaplain and as a Philanthropy Chairman," Mayer said in a statement. "These roles reflected who he was at his core: a young man of deep faith, genuine care for others, and an abiding commitment to his brothers and his community."

Police in Barcelona said they had received a call about a possible disappearance of a person who went missing around 3 a.m. Tuesday in the Port Olímpic area. His aunt, Beth Marren O'Reilly, told NBC News that Gracey's parents became concerned after they received a "phone call that his phone was picked up."

Gracey was from the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst. The university said he was on a personal trip when he disappeared.

"The University of Alabama community is heartbroken to learn of the death of Jimmy Gracey," it said in a statement Thursday. "Jimmy's loss is deeply felt across our campus. Our condolences are with the Gracey family during this devastating time."

Gracey graduated in 2023 from Saint Ignatius College Prep of Chicago, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and Latin Honor Society. He was a third-generation graduate, following in the footsteps of his mother, grandfather and great-uncles.

"During his four years at Saint Ignatius, Jimmy was fully engaged in the life of the school as a scholar and an athlete," Saint Ignatius College Prep said Thursday. "He was an integral member of both the lacrosse and hockey programs and was known for his strong character, loyalty, and the way he showed up for his teammates and friends."

byAlpha World

in

March 19, 2026

University of Alabama student missing in Barcelona found dead at beach, police say

James Paul Gracey,a University of Alabama student who disappeared Tuesday from a Barcelona nightclub, was found dead, pol...

Read More

No. 4 Nebraska gets its first men's NCAA tournament win in school history with victory over No. 13 Troy

Nebraska finally has an NCAA tournament win.

The No. 4 Cornhuskers vanquished ghosts that have haunted the basketball program for 40 years with a76-47 win over No. 13 Troyin the first round of the South region on Thursday. The win is Nebraska's first in nineMarch Madnessappearances since it first made the tournament in 1986.

The Huskers made sure to leave little doubt that the ninth appearance was going to result in another first-round loss, too. Nebraska closed the first half on a 17-6 run over the final seven minutes before halftime to take a 16-point lead.

Pryce Sandfort was a big reason why. He scored 17 first-half points and was 5-of-8 from behind the arc.

Sandfort did that with his brother Payton in attendanceafter he scored the first NBA points of his career. Payton Sandfort, a rookie on a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, played the first five minutes of his NBA career in OKC's blowout win over Brooklyn on Wednesday night. He then hopped on an early flight back to Oklahoma City on Thursday to see Nebraska make school history.

Pryce Sandfort finished with 23 points as he got to watch the end of the game from the bench thanks to the blowout.

Troy shot just 28% from the field as the Trojans went ice cold to end the first half. Troy played with Nebraska to start the game, but the Huskers pulled away as Troy went just 4-of-17 from the field after making its first three shots of the game.

The Huskers will play their first second-round game in school history against either No. 5 Vanderbilt or No. 12 McNeese.

Nebraska's previous tournament failures

Until Thursday, Nebraska's NCAA tournament history was rough. Here's a look at each of the school's first eight NCAA tournament appearances.

The Huskers made their first tournament appearance four decades ago as a No. 9 seed in coach Moe Iba's last year with the team. Nebraska went 19-10 in the regular season before losing 67-59 to No. 8 Western Kentucky.

Advertisement

The 1991 season was the greatest in modern Nebraska basketball history at the time. The Danny Nee-coached Huskers went 26-8 and finished a game back of Oklahoma State and Kansas for the Big 8 title. That earned Nebraska a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, but the Huskers were upset 89-84 by Xavier as the Musketeers shot 54% from the field and 43% from behind the arc.

Nebraska took a step back the next season but still comfortably made the tournament as a No. 8 seed. However, this game wasn't very close. No. 9 UConn outscored the Cornhuskers by 15 points in the first half on the way to an 86-65 win.

After going 20-10 in the regular season, Nebraska got into the tournament as a No. 10 seed. But they drew a ranked New Mexico State team in the first round and got blown out in the second half in a 93-79 loss.

The Huskers made their fourth straight tournament in 1994 in star Eric Piatkowski's senior season. The Nebraska legend averaged 21.5 points per game in his final season as Nebraska finished fourth in the Big 8. But Piatkowski ended up going his whole career without an NCAA tournament win as No. 6 Nebraska was upset by No. 11 Penn after the Quakers had a 12-point halftime lead.

The 1998 season ended up being the last time a Nebraska team coached by Nee made the NCAA tournament. Nebraska finished fourth in conference play — this time after the Big 8 had become the Big 12 — and was led by current Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue. But you know where this is going. At least Nebraska wasn't upset, though. The No. 11 Huskers lost 74-65 to No. 6 Arkansas.

Second-year coach Tim Miles led the Huskers back to the NCAA tournament after a 16-year absence. The Huskers won eight of their last nine regular-season games to make the tournament and snuck in as a No. 11 seed. However, Nebraska lost 74-60 to No. 6 Baylor.

The Huskers finished with a winning record for the first time under Fred Hoiberg two seasons ago as they finished third in the Big Ten. After losing to Illinois in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament, Nebraska was a No. 8 seed and drew former Big 12 foe Texas A&M in the first round. The Aggies rushed out to a 58-44 lead at halftime on the way to a 98-83 win.

byAlpha World

in

March 19, 2026

No. 4 Nebraska gets its first men's NCAA tournament win in school history with victory over No. 13 Troy

Nebraska finally has an NCAA tournament win. The No. 4 Cornhuskers vanquished ghosts that have haunted the bas...

Read More

Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss entire season

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the 2026 season.

Giants Mariners Spring Baseball

The right-hander had felt soreness in his throwing elbow after pitching in a Cactus League game on March 10. After the Giants diagnosed Birdsong with a forearm strain and ulnar collateral ligament sprain, Birdsong met with Dr. Keith Meister.

Advertisement

Birdsong, 24, went 4-4 with a 4.80 ERA last season while making 21 appearances, including 10 starts. He struck out 68 batters over 65 2/3 innings.

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

byAlpha World

in

March 19, 2026

Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss entire season

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the 2026 s...

Read More