Latest news with #Bern
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Spain star Bonmati in hospital with viral meningitis
Spain's Aitana Bonmati has been taken ill on the eve of Women's Euro 2025 (LLUIS GENE) Spain midfielder and two-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati is being treated in hospital for viral meningitis, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) said on Saturday. Bonmati missed Friday's friendly win over Japan in the world champions' final warm-up match before the start of Euro 2025 next week. Advertisement The RFEF said in a statement that Bonmati was "under ongoing medical observation" after tests led to her being diagnosed with viral meningitis. Bonmati, 27, did not train on Thursday after feeling unwell and later posted a photo of herself in a hospital bed watching the 3-1 victory over Japan. Spain coach Montse Tome said after the match she was unsure if Bonmati would recover in time to play at the European Championship, which runs from July 2-27 in Switzerland. "Talking about meningitis can be scary but in theory it is under control," said Tome. "We don't know long she's going to be absent. I can't say anything more than that. Advertisement "Aitana is an extremely important player, so we're going to wait for her as long as possible." Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Viral meningitis is less serious than the rarer bacterial variant, which can lead to death within 24 hours. Spain begin their Euro 2025 campaign against neighbours Portugal on July 3 in Bern. They are also drawn with Belgium and Italy in Group C. pm/mas/mw/ea
The Independent
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Spain's Aitana Bonmati in hospital with viral meningitis days before Euro 2025
Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati is being treated in hospital for viral meningitis just days before the start of Euro 2025. The 27-year-old Barcelona player, who has won the Ballon d'Or for the past two years, was absent for her country's 3-1 friendly win over Japan on Friday. She posted a picture on Instagram of herself watching the match, which was played in the Spanish city of Leganes, from a hospital bed. Euro 2025 kicks off on Wednesday, with world champions Spain set to begin their campaign a day later against Portugal in Bern. National team head coach Montse Tome, whose side also face Belgium and Italy in Group B, told a press conference: 'Initially all the tests came back fine but the last one confirmed she has viral meningitis. 'The word is scary but the doctor tells me it's under control. She will remain hospitalised; we don't know the timeline of her recovery. 'She's an extremely important player for us and we will wait for her, no matter what, as long as we have to.' Bonmati was a key member of the Spain squad which won the 2023 World Cup – following victory over England in the final – and the 2024 Nations League.
BBC News
6 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Spain's Bonmati in hospital with viral meningitis
Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati is being treated in hospital for viral 27-year-old, who has won the Ballon d'Or for the past two years, missed the 3-1 friendly win over Japan in Leganes, Spain, on 2025 in Switzerland starts on Wednesday and Spain play Portugal in their opening Group B game in Bern on who also won the Fifa women's player of the year award in 2023 and 2024, shared a picture on Instagram of herself watching the Japan match from a hospital bed."Talking about meningitis can be scary but it is controlled," said coach Montse Tome. "She is a very important player for us. We'll wait for her as long as we can."Bonmati has scored 30 goals in 78 games for Spain and was a key member of the squad which won the 2023 World Cup and the Nations League last is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord and can be serious if not treated to the NHS,, external viral meningitis is less serious than the rarer bacterial meningitis. It tends to get better on its own within seven to 10 days and can often be treated at home.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Forbes
AI Beat Humans On Emotional Intelligence Tests. This Is Important.
Multiple AI models scored better on tests of emotional intelligence than human subjects Remember when we thought emotional intelligence was uniquely human? That empathy was something AI could never grasp? Think again. New research from the University of Bern reveals that six leading AI models, including ChatGPT-4, outperformed humans on standardized emotional intelligence tests. On average, they achieved 81% accuracy compared to humans' 56%. Here's an even more startling data point: ChatGPT-4 successfully generated entirely new emotional intelligence tests that performed as well as versions that took researchers years to develop. I, for one, wasn't surprised to see this result. A year ago, I suggested that AI might be smarter than your CMO, only partly tongue-in-cheek. The Royal Caribbean Affair As I detailed in my earlier Forbes article, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line made a spectacular empathy failure when they rerouted Silversea's luxury cruise ship Silver Nova mid-cruise for a marketing photoshoot. This forced 700 of their highest-value customers to scramble for new flights during Spring Break. Their tone-deaf communication referred to a four-hour delay as "slight" and encouraged passengers to "celebrate" the inconvenience. When I fed this scenario to Anthropic's Claude 3 (an earlier version than the one in the new research), the AI immediately flagged multiple empathy failures that Silversea's executives missed: Claude also correctly predicted how the guests would react - frustrated, inconvenienced, annoyed, and pressured. I tracked comments on cruise forums and Facebook groups. If anything, they were worse. 'Shocking,' 'Absurd,' 'Lost their minds,' 'Appalled,' 'Stupidest,' and 'Clinches my decision to go elsewhere,' were just a few. The AI then drafted a far more empathetic replacement letter that addressed every guest pain point the original communication ignored. These AIs not only understand emotions, but also grasp what it means to behave with emotional intelligenceThe New Emotional Intelligence Reality The latest research confirms what my Silversea experiment suggested: AI systems "not only understand emotions, but also grasp what it means to behave with emotional intelligence". The implications for customer-facing leaders are profound. AI excels at emotional pattern recognition. Unlike humans, who are influenced by mood, fatigue, and personal biases, AI processes emotional scenarios consistently. The 81% to 56% difference in correct answers for AI vs. humans surprised even me. AI spots empathy blind spots. The cruise line executives were too close to their marketing objectives to see the customer experience clearly. AI provides an objective emotional audit that cuts through internal rationalization. AI generates better alternatives. In my experiment, Claude didn't just critique Silversea's approach. It was able to articulate a comprehensive damage control strategy with specific actions the company should have taken. And, the letter it drafted to the inconvenienced guests was spot-on for empathy. (That's my opinion, but I'm human. Maybe I should have had ChatGPT or Gemini rate it!) Your AI Emotional Intelligence Audit Every major business decision should now include an AI empathy check. Here's how leading CMOs are implementing this: Pre-launch communications review: Before sending customer communications, ask your AI: "How will customers react to this message? What emotions will it trigger? What's missing?" Crisis communication drafting: When problems arise, use AI to draft multiple response approaches. The AI may identify emotional nuances that stressed executives miss. Stakeholder impact analysis: Before major announcements like layoffs, price changes, policy shifts, get AI predictions on emotional reactions across different stakeholder groups. Customer journey empathy mapping: Use AI to identify emotional friction points in your customer experience that your team has become blind to. The Meta-Lesson About Human Limitations The most unsettling aspect of the new research isn't that AI beats humans at emotional intelligence tests, it's how consistently it does so. The strong correlation between human and AI responses suggests both are leveraging similar emotional cues, but AI processes them more reliably. This reveals something uncomfortable about human decision-making: we're often not as emotionally intelligent as we think we are, especially when we're under pressure, focused on objectives, or operating within a group striving for consensus. The Royal Caribbean decision-makers weren't bad people. They simply fell victim to the cognitive biases that affect all leaders: tunnel vision on business goals, groupthink in decision-making, and distance from customer reality. I have to believe at least one person in the room thought that disrupting a ship full of well-heeled guests to create a marketing asset of questionable value was a bad idea. An AI wingman might have helped them make a more persuasive case, or at least improve the communication. Three Implementation Rules 1. Use AI as a red team, not a replacement. Don't outsource emotional decisions to AI. Use it to challenge your assumptions and spot blind spots. 2. Ask specific questions. Generic prompts get generic responses. Provide context about your customers, situation, and objectives for more targeted insights. 3. Test before you trust. Start with low-stakes communications before relying on AI for help with crisis management or sensitive announcements. The Competitive Advantage While 82% of employees believe workers will crave more human connection as AI advances, only 65% of managers recognize this need. This gap represents both a risk and an opportunity. Companies that use AI to enhance their emotional intelligence rather than replace it will build stronger stakeholder relationships. Those that ignore AI's emotional capabilities will continue making avoidable empathy failures.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bigger, better, more popular: Women's Euro 2025 set to break records
FILE - Supporters arrive for the final of the Women's Euro 2020 soccer match between England and Germany at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, July 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole, file) A giant soccer ball displayed in front of the Bern railway station plaza on the occasion of the Women's Euro 2025 soccer tournament, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Bern, Switzerland. (Anthony Anex/Keystone via AP) FILE - England's Chloe Kelly, right, celebrates after scoring her side's second goal during the Women's Euro 2022 final soccer match between England and Germany at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, July 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File) FILE - A video screen shows the attendance during the Women's Euro 2022 final soccer match between England and Germany at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, July 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, FIle) FILE - A video screen shows the attendance during the Women's Euro 2022 final soccer match between England and Germany at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, July 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, FIle) FILE - Supporters arrive for the final of the Women's Euro 2020 soccer match between England and Germany at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, July 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole, file) A giant soccer ball displayed in front of the Bern railway station plaza on the occasion of the Women's Euro 2025 soccer tournament, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Bern, Switzerland. (Anthony Anex/Keystone via AP) FILE - England's Chloe Kelly, right, celebrates after scoring her side's second goal during the Women's Euro 2022 final soccer match between England and Germany at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, July 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File) FILE - A video screen shows the attendance during the Women's Euro 2022 final soccer match between England and Germany at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, July 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, FIle) Around 1,000 fans were on hand when England played one of the very first matches of the inaugural Women's European Championship in 1984. How things have changed. More than half a million tickets have already been sold for the 31 matches of this year's edition of the tournament, which kicks off next week in Switzerland. Advertisement Organizers expect to break the attendance record of 575,000 set at the previous women's euros in England in 2022 when 87,000 people packed into Wembley Stadium for the final. The popularity of women's soccer in Europe — and around the world — has accelerated in leaps and bounds in recent years. Players are becoming stronger, faster and more technically skilled, making the game more entertaining to watch. While it hasn't yet closed the gap with men's soccer in revenue, the women's game is seeing rapid growth in investment at both the international and club level. Players who started their careers over a decade ago say the pace of change has been stunning. 'If you look at a match from five years ago, it has nothing to do with the ones being played now,' said Barcelona's two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, who made her senior debut in 2010. Advertisement The 31-year-old Spain midfielder told The Associated Press that her generation and earlier generations never thought they would be able to make a living from playing soccer when they grew up. 'For sure it's about making our sport a little more visible, so that girls can dream of being soccer players," she said. 'I think that in recent years there has been a very good evolution. In the end, we just needed people to invest in us, to help us improve, and I think that change is happening." Club connection Governing bodies have set up initiatives to drive the game forward, such as European soccer body UEFA's 'Unstoppable' strategy — aimed at making football the most-played team sport for women and girls in every European country by 2030, while increasing the number of professional leagues across the continent. Advertisement A major shift has happened at the club level, as Europe's powerhouse clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea started taking women's soccer seriously. More women's leagues across Europe have turned professional over the past decade, inspiring a new generation of female soccer players. 'In the last decade real progress happened, especially on the club side. You see real professionalization,' Norway FA president Lise Klaveness told AP. 'It is very important to have a full pyramid that girls can see that they can have this as a job.' She said the real DNA in soccer is the connection with local clubs. Advertisement 'We haven't really had that with women. Now you see it more and more,' she said. She added that many top leaders on the men's side show real ambitions to raise their women's teams. 'If you meet the Arsenal president or (Joan) Laporta at Barcelona he feels very close to his women's team. When the women's team plays, he is there,' Klaveness said. International expansion As the club game has gotten bigger — England's top women's league is expanding — so have the international competitions. At Euro 1984, there were just four teams in the inaugural tournament: England, Italy, Sweden and Denmark. Advertisement It wasn't until 1997 that it was expanded to eight teams, becoming 12 in 2009 and increased to the current format of 16 from the 2017 edition. At Euro 2009 there was an average attendance of just over 5,000 at the matches in England. In the same country in 2022, the average was 18,544. And just as attendance levels have soared, so have television viewing figures. Euro 2022 had a global cumulative live viewership of 365 million across TV, out-of-home viewing and streaming. That was more than double the number of live viewers compared to the 2017 edition (178 million) and 214% more live viewers than in 2013 (116 million). Advertisement The rise in attendances is also evident in club soccer as women start playing in stadiums with bigger capacities and clubs start to invest more in their women's teams. A couple of Barcelona's Women's Champions League matches in 2022 drew more than 90,000 fans. A major change that's happened in recent years is investors are now looking at women's soccer as something you can make money off, said Seattle Reign coach Laura Harvey, who coached Arsenal and Birmingham City in her native England before moving to the U.S. 'For those of us who've been in this a long time — I was Birmingham City's head coach in 2006 — and to think where the game's evolved in 19 years or whatever it's been, it's just wild,' she told AP. 'I'm glad that I can be part of it.' Unbundling sponsorship Advertisement The continued growth in popularity of women's soccer has the knock-on effect of more sponsorship, more prize money and more to invest in grassroots soccer and clubs. In 2017, UEFA made what was perceived as a bold move: unbundling sponsorship rights for its women's competitions and selling the commercial rights separately from the men's. That was done with the express purpose of 'accelerating the growth of women's football competitions' and was considered a success. So much so that FIFA has followed suit, as have governing bodies of other sports. UEFA now counts 11 dedicated women's soccer partners among its wider portfolio, including Visa, Amazon and Adidas. Advertisement There are more than 20 sponsors for Euro 2025 and that revenue is projected to increase by 145% compared to 2022, according to UEFA. 'The impact of Women's Euro 2025 extends far beyond the competition itself,' UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said in a report last month. 'With record prize money and unprecedented interest from sponsors, the tournament will bring more investment into the women's game than ever before.' The prize pot at Euro 2025 has been set at 41 million euros ($47 million), more than double the 16 million euros ($18.3 million) received by national associations in 2022. Moreover, players will receive a guaranteed share from their national associations for the first time. Advertisement The men's Euro 2024 had a total prize fund of 331 million euros ($347 million), with each of the 24 teams receiving a minimum of 9.25 million euros and champion Spain earning 28.25 million euros. UEFA's aim is that Euro 2025 will act as a catalyst for further progress in the women's professional game in Switzerland and across Europe. However, Klaveness has a warning: that the richest leagues shouldn't financially separate themselves completely from the currently semi-pro ones. 'Now I think the next step that's really important to go further now is … not to let the head move away from the body, then we would do the same as the men's side,' she said. ___ AP Sports Writers Tales Azzoni in Madrid, Graham Dunbar in Geneva and Anne M. Peterson in Portland, Ore, contributed to this report. ___ AP soccer:
