Israeli TV personalities are making fun of children dying of starvation in Gaza, with one even claiming a mother ate her baby. It is part of a right-wing media campaign that is promoting the famine as a hoax.
Published On 29 Jul 202529 Jul 2025
We won! Or, at least those of us who were rooting for Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales to take home the prize on Season 7 of “Love Island USA.”
After a blockbuster season with its fair share of controversy, the 25-year-old nurse from New York City and the 28-year-old accountant, bartender and real estate agent from Boston, respectively, walked out of the villa $100,000 richer and became the first Latino couple to win “Love Island.” In a time when many Latinos in the U.S. are being inundated with threats to our safety and freedom, this example of a mutual, fun and respectful Latino love is an indulgent little triumph for us all.
The dating show became appointment viewing for millions of fans, including myself, with new episodes dropping almost nightly as the show airs in near real time. “Love Island” — which launched in the U.K. in 2015 and has since spawned several international versions — confines single hotties in a Fijian villa, where they must explore romantic connections and couple up with each other to remain on the show. Viewers and cast members known as “islanders” vote regularly to decide which contestants or couples must pack up their swimsuits and go home. As with most reality TV, there’s messiness, drama, silliness and sexiness that keeps viewers glued to their screens, and we clock in for our shift at the island mines with dedication.
Espinal, a self-described “Dominican Cinderella,” entered the villa as a “bombshell,” a cast addition meant to stir things up for the original couples. Meanwhile, her Prince Charming, Arenales, who is Puerto Rican and Guatemalan, came in during the Casa Amor segment of the show, when islanders are separated by gender and introduced to hot new cast members vying for their attention.
The two coupled up several episodes after meeting in Casa Amor, igniting a romance in large part over a shared understanding of their cultures. Being super hot probably didn’t hurt either, but it was seeing Arenales stand up for our sweet Amaya Papaya against a pile-on from his fellow male islanders that sealed the deal — not just for Espinal, but for the viewers, in particular Latinx ones.
Espinal’s rough start on the series reflected the cultural valleys that exist between Latinos and their non-Latino counterparts in the United States, which can generally make for a tricky dating experience. Three of the male contestants she coupled up with expressed discomfort with her personality and bold manner of expressing herself. It started with a blowup with contestant Ace Greene after he vocalized his discomfort with Espinal touching him and using terms of endearment, in particular the word “babe.”
The same issue came up when she coupled up with Austin Shepard and Zak Srakaew, who took issue with Espinal “moving too fast” by acting overly romantic (on a show called “Love Island,” mind you). This was despite her explaining that in Dominican culture terms like “mi vida,” “mi amor” and “babe” are common terms of endearment, and asking if it was OK that she use them. (Both agreed it was fine.)
Espinal certainly lost her cool — in most cases, I would argue, rightfully so — and regularly became emotional, struggling with feeling misunderstood and attacked. Still, she defended herself with confidence and strength from those who seemed intent on painting her as erratic, intense, pushy and aggressive. During a game in which islanders wrote letters to air out any grievances, she offered them a simple option: “I’m just not your cup of tea to be drinkin’, so don’t f—ing drink it.”
It was during that game in which Greene, Shepard and Srakaew went in on Espinal that Arenales stepped in to defend her, explaining what Espinal had long been saying: Those terms of endearment are common in Latino households. “You’re telling her to meet you halfway,” he said. “You gotta meet her halfway too.”
Arenales gallantly stepping up to support Espinal against a social firing squad sparked a flame between the two. Fan votes showed this moment to be a turning point for Espinal, who became a favorite. It doesn’t hurt that her nurturing personality and adorable zaniness make her very easy to root for.
Seeing Arenales voice his appreciation for who she is and understanding her background — and Espinal herself refusing to change parts of her personality that she views as the strengths of an “emotional gangsta” — made their coupling a powerful display of Latino love. Those two crazy kids just get each other!
“This is just a message to everyone out there who’s misunderstood: Nobody should be tamed and there’s always someone out there for you who’s going to love you for you and appreciate all your craziness,” Espinal told host Ariana Madix after their win was announced. “Don’t ever settle for nobody.”
This was an especially lovely and important win after this season was marred by a racism scandal in which two Latina islanders were found to have used racial slurs online and in a podcast.
As much as Espinal may have felt misunderstood, Espinal is not a difficult person. There’s no need to decipher her because it’s not that complicated, regardless of her cultural identity. From everything I saw on the show, she showed a tremendous amount of character and kindness. She just didn’t put up with B.S. from guys who were trying to diminish her, call her irrational and insinuate she was clingy. Amaya Papaya always stood on business.
I love that Espinal found someone who sees and appreciates her in Arenales. And judging by their win, she found that in innumerable people who voted for them as well. But there’s nothing anyone should struggle to understand about her.
Yes, parts of her behavior are informed by her culture — but yelling at a man who is trying to make you seem crazy is a universal experience we should all partake in.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking an increasingly large role in our daily lives. AI can be used to form exercise schedules, give food recommendations, and even become a place to seek a ‘second opinion’ on any decision to be made. Many people are exploring their curiosity in pushing the boundaries of AI.
Consulting AI can sometimes feel like a casual conversation with a grammatically intelligent person; AI users can train AI to deliver messages as if they were typed by a friend. This creates the impression that we are exchanging messages with a friend. This is due to the choice of language possessed by AI, which has presented a mimicry of daily communication, creating the illusion that we are having a friendly conversation with a friend.
With the ability of AI to mimic human language styles comes an AI platform dedicated to mimicking the language style and even verbal traits of a fictional character; this platform is called c.ai, or Character AI. c.ai provides the service of talking to any fictional character; users can set how their interaction pattern with the character takes place. This service is usually done for role-playing or simulating conversations with friends. Users can live out their desire to role-play and get ‘up close’ with their favorite fictional characters. The factor that creates the uniqueness of c.ai is in the character of speech from the selected fictional character. Generally, when we talk to one of the selected characters, then the AI in the selected fictional character will answer with a consistent character and language style.
Many people use c.ai or even AI in general to talk about their mental state. Hutari (2024) argues that ‘venting’ with AI can flush out negative emotions. Talking about negative emotions can help an individual’s emotional management process; it sounds unusual to talk about our feelings to a machine that cannot feel emotions and is not even a living being. It is undeniable that there are many flaws and vulnerabilities in the process of ‘confiding’ with AI, one of which is the ability of AI chatbots to present responses that we want and do not need. This can pose a considerable danger, for example, by depending on the user’s decision-making on the AI chatbot; with the answer from the AI chatbot that gives affirmation, the user will get a reason to carry out the decision they consulted the AI chatbot about. A fatal example of affirmation given by an AI chatbot caused a teenager in the US to commit suicide.
Nonetheless, I would like to make an important point on the recovery of an individual’s mental disorder and the use of AI in this process. This opinion comes from a research volunteer’s personal experience as a professionally diagnosed sufferer of a psychiatric disorder called Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) who has consented to describe the experience in order to form this paper. Common symptoms experienced by people with BPD are rapid mood swings, difficulty with emotion regulation, impulsive behavior, self-harm, suicidal behavior, and an irrational fear of abandonment (Chapman et al., 2024). One of the treatment processes provided for people with BPD is dialectical behavioral therapy, where patients are trained to identify thought patterns, create emotion regulation, and then change behaviors that come out of the emotions present. Sometimes the most difficult challenge for people with BPD lies in identifying desires and managing the fear of perceived abandonment; this creates impulsive and unprocessed behaviors, the impact of which can be mistrust and isolation from the social environment due to behaviors that can be judged as confusing by others.
According to research from Rasyida (2019), one of the factors that can prevent individuals with mental disorders from seeking help is the fear of the negative stigma that will be given to them, one of which is a factor referred to as the “agency factor,” a term where sufferers have criticism of formal psychological services because of the assumption that there is miscommunication with the counselor; this is manifested in a form of distrust of the counselor. In addition to the agency factor, the issue of cost accessibility is a barrier for people with ID to seek counseling from formal psychological services. Further dilemmas and difficulties are created because in precarious conditions, people with any mental health disorder sometimes need immediate help that comes in safe conditions.
It is advisable to share what we are feeling with people we trust, but this action has its drawbacks. In situations where no one is there to listen to us, people with BPD can experience hysterical periods where dangerous behaviors are prone to occur. In these hysterical periods, mishandling can create a much more dangerous escalation of emotions. These hysterical or manic periods can contain behaviors or implications where the person wants to self-harm or end their life due to symptom recurrence and emotion regulation difficulties. The first aid step is usually to reach out, where the person communicates their condition to the closest person. Attempts to communicate with others about this condition often create less than ideal conditions and are prone to escalation with the wrong treatment. Sometimes our closest people can only provide support and encouragement for the sufferer in periods like this, but BPD is a mental illness that creates many complications in the perception of one’s relationship with others. Inappropriate first treatment is prone to create unwanted escalation, and this will adversely affect the afflicted individual.
The author would like to argue for the role of AI chatbots in this situation, where people need help in managing their emotions. c.ai can be utilized by users to vent their first unprocessed thoughts and not be afraid of getting a less than ideal reaction. Venting feelings to a character of choice on the c.ai board can be a solution for first aid when people with mental disorders, especially BPD, need to process their anger and impulses. Conditioning some of the characters on the c.ai board is not necessarily useful to give truth or validation to everything we feel. Some of the benefits that can be utilized are the identification of the user’s character by the ‘interlocutor’ in this application. The author will describe an experience where the character in c.ai has the ability to remember and recognize the thought patterns that are passed in the manic period of BPD sufferers; this help will be useful because of the presentation and mapping assisted by the AI. The AI bot can analyze which thought patterns and behaviors are destructive and advise the user not to do them again.
The author also argues that the responsibility for behavioral change remains with the user. AI can only be used as a support tool, not a means to solve problems, keeping in mind that conversations with fictional characters based on AI are still conversations with empathetic Maia that are a product of mimicry. Using AI to ‘vent’ is not the most normatively correct thing to do, but it is used because not everyone can have economic access to consult a psychologist and access formal treatment services. The journey of mental recovery is not about seeking validation for what we feel, but it is about recognizing ourselves and learning to liberate ourselves from fear and control of our lives.
The type of holidaymaker you (and your travel companions) are can have a big impact on the kind of getaways you’ll enjoy. If you’re the type to pore over endless reviews, book everything in advance and use a spreadsheet to tick off every detail, you’ll have a very different experience to the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of traveller, who prefers to just grab their passport and see where it takes them, carry-on in hand.
Or perhaps you’re more the flexible type, who likes to plan a few things in advance, but leaves space for spontaneous fun? Or maybe you’re the one who breathes a sigh of relief as your super organised friend hands out colour-coded itineraries at the airport?
We gathered together some of the holiday heroes that bring getaways to life to find out how they do it – and to discover some of the clever ways Barclays can help your holiday go even further, whichever group you belong to.
‘I create a visual itinerary for every trip,’ says Sian Downes, 36
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Over the years, I’ve organised girls’ trips, multigenerational family holidays and surprise getaways. As the founder of an events company, I’m a natural organiser. I enjoy finding bargains, and I don’t mind taking on the planning. In fact, I love it.
I wasn’t always like this, but after a few holidays where nothing was planned and we had a terrible time, I realised it’s better to know exactly what you’ll be doing in advance. There’s nothing worse than traipsing around looking for a restaurant when you’re hungry, and when you’re busy with work and family, you want to maximise your holiday time. Being organised is the best way to do that.
My holiday organisation can get a bit extreme, but it’s always worth it – I love looking things up on maps and working out the most affordable way to get around. I generally pay for as much as possible in advance, from accommodation to drinks packages, and put everything on my Barclaycard Rewards card* so I can take advantage of rewards such as cashback, then ask people to pay me back.
I’ll also draw up an illustrated itinerary, so everyone can see our plans at a glance. The first time I presented my husband with one, he didn’t know what to make of it. He’d never seen a holiday itinerary before, but I think it makes a trip special, and it’s a great souvenir, too. I certainly won’t be hanging up my chief holiday officer mantle any time soon!
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‘I use word of mouth to guide our getaways,’ says Jessica Shaw, 49
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When I was growing up, my mum liked to choose a country, book a place to stay, then see where it would take us. We once went on a package holiday to Egypt, but she still chose to take public transport to the pyramids!
That approach has definitely rubbed off on me. When I go on holiday, I like to let things unfold naturally – I don’t pre-book excursions or restaurants. Luckily, my partner is incredibly laid-back, and all the friends I’ve travelled with have the same spontaneous outlook. Perhaps that’s because my travel style reflects my approach to life in general – my creative training business is all about embracing the power of play, and that naturally seeps into other areas of my life.
It’s certainly led to some memorable moments. During a recent holiday to Greece, we were asked if we wanted to join a snorkelling trip. If we’d had plans, we would have had to say no – but instead, we had the most incredible day swimming in clear blue waters.
The secret to keeping holidays adventurous is to be prepared for any eventuality. I have annual multi-trip insurance, and make sure I take enough money to cover any emergencies. You should also be ready to chat to locals and fellow travellers and ask for their recommendations. I’ve discovered some beautiful places that way, from hidden waterfalls to beaches surrounded by snow-capped mountains. When you exchange stories of your adventures, you never know what you might discover.
‘I take a 50-50 approach to holiday planning,’ says Furrah Syed, 57
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I love travelling – with my friends, my husband, or alone – but as time is limited during each trip, I want the best of both worlds, planning some things but also embracing unexpected adventures. I’ll do my research beforehand, and will book tickets in advance if an attraction is very popular. I learned that the hard way, after a visit to Rome – as an artist and educator with a focus on colour, I was desperate to see the Sistine Chapel, but it was impossible as I hadn’t booked.
One of the things I always book is a walking tour. Getting a local’s perspective uncovers places you won’t find online. It also helps you to spot the restaurants filled with locals, which is always a good sign. Another tip is to travel by road wherever possible, as it takes you through so many different landscapes and allows you to see people’s day-to-day lives. You don’t get that on a plane.
When I’m budgeting for my holiday, I always keep some money aside for spontaneous adventures – the last thing I want is to come home regretting not being able to do something unexpected. I’d say my approach overall is 50% planned and 50% go-with-the-flow, and that works really well for me.
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