Latest news with #Gunner
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Owner Told Bulldog Is Danger To Pregnant Dachshund—Tears at What Happens
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. When the owner of an American XL bully named Gunner was warned to keep him away from her pregnant dachshund, she had other ideas. What followed, captured in a video posted to Instagram on June 16, has since gone viral—garnering over 460,000 likes. The footage is challenging stereotypes surrounding a breed that has become a lightning rod for controversy across the U.K., where the family are based. The video, shared by Gunner's owner under @justgunnerstunner, shows the muscular XL bully closely accompanying his dachshund sister throughout her pregnancy. They are seen cuddling, resting together, and, eventually, Gunner is captured lying protectively outside her pen after she gives birth, looking on quietly. "He is supporting his smaller sister through pregnancy and birth, despite people saying he's 'dangerous,'" Gunner's owner told Newsweek. An overlaid text on the video reads, "Keep them separate now she's pregnant … NEVER," while the caption praises the bulldog's demeanor: "How lucky they are to have Gunner as an uncle, still too small to play." The post has melted hearts on the platform, as commenters responded with affection and surprise at the gentle behavior of a breed often portrayed as unpredictable and violent. "This is so sweet," one viewer on Instagram said. "He's the best uncle those little puppers could ask for." From left: American XL bully Gunner sits next to his dachshund sister; and cuddles her. From left: American XL bully Gunner sits next to his dachshund sister; and cuddles her. justgunnerstunner "They are safer with gunner there as he will not take his eyes off them as he will love them lots," another said, while a third added: "So sweet." This moment of domestic tranquillity and interspecies affection comes at a time when ownership of XL bully dogs is being heavily restricted in parts of the U.K. After several high-profile fatal attacks by XL bully dogs, the British government banned the breed in England and Wales, making it a criminal offense to own one without a certificate of exemption. The law also forbids selling, abandoning, or allowing such dogs to stray. Gunner's viral video has sparked conversation about whether breed-specific legislation unfairly targets certain dog breeds. While critics argue that XL bullies are genetically predisposed to bouts of aggression, advocates like Gunner's owner are pointing to moments such as this one as evidence that behavior is more about upbringing and responsible ownership than genetics. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Technical.ly
12-06-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
Duolingo clarifies AI, acquisition and workforce strategy following viral internal memo
Duolingo is continuing to explore AI-related partnerships to improve its curriculum, despite backlash from a recent announcement. But there's way more to the unicorn language learning app's strategy for growth than just that, senior strategist Sisi Liu told at Innovation Works' Venture Expo on Tuesday. One key tenet is buying up other companies. A recent string of acquisitions highlights the company's approach: It brings in tech and talent that's better than what it could efficiently develop in-house, according to Liu. 'It's not like anything has materially changed about the facts of the world,' Liu told 'There's really, really cool innovations happening around foundation models, and around what that can mean for creating better education products. So, I think our stance on that is full steam ahead on finding really top-tier companies that can help bring new features to Duolingo.' The recent fireside chat follows a wave of backlash after the company's CEO, Luis von Ahn, said in April that it would shift to an 'AI-first' organization. The original announcement by von Ahn included reducing human contractors if AI could perform their duties, but he has since clarified that AI will not replace human workers at Duolingo. 'It's about creating access to learning experiences that don't necessarily already exist for a lot of people,' Liu said. 'It's not saying, 'Hey, you'll replace one for one the foreign language teacher you have, or the tutor that you work with on a weekly basis, or whatever to practice language learning.' It's a supplemental experience on top of that.' It's all a part of what the edtech company calls its 'Green Machine,' Liu said. Duolingo emphasizes building long-term relationships as it seeks out new partners to purchase and targets specific gaps in its own infrastructure to fill. Build relationships early to improve your chances of selling An important part of Duolingo's model is the design of its product. Its characters and their respective animations are an essential part of its success, according to Liu. But a significant hurdle around 2022, Liu said, was finding the workforce to build those animations. 'We just were totally blocked in terms of bringing great product screens to learners, because we didn't have enough designers,' Liu said. 'We didn't have enough animators, artists [or] illustrators; our animation team was one person at that point.' Because the company knew good design was a cornerstone of its product, Liu said it 'doubled down' on finding the best team to do it, part of the company's 'Green Machine' strategy for growth. Duolingo acquired two Detroit-based animation studios — Gunner in 2022 and Hobbs in 2024 — after long-running partnerships with both. Duolingo prefers to prove startups' mettle before bringing them in-house, Liu said. 'Most of the time we're not acquiring these companies to run this business, but rather to join Duolingo,' Liu said, 'and in one fell swoop, add 10, 15 of the best people doing this in the best way in the world. That's really hard to do through traditional channels like hiring.' Duolingo acquires when in-house builds seem inefficient Expansions on its curriculum, like those into music and math, would have taken much longer to roll out without the help of startups, according to Liu. For example, the technology necessary to support new lessons, like pitch detection, could've taken years for the company's team to build. UberChord, a Berlin-based startup that had already been partnered with Duolingo for some time, turned out to be the answer. The existing relationship, coupled with Duolingo's emerging needs, created a clear opportunity for acquisition, Liu said. 'We saw, like, 'Hey, there's something promising here,'' Liu said. 'But bringing [UberChord] in-house would allow us to develop faster, and then they would stop being distracted by basically selling B2B software to other folks that need their pitch detection [software development kit].' Although this is a cornerstone of Duolingo's model, Liu said some partnerships aren't always feasible. AI-image generators and game development studios are two examples she listed where Duolingo recognized that moving forward with an acquisition was not rational. In these cases, the company embraces a 'quick sprint' technique to assess what works and does not work about potential startups. 'Because our needs are changing so fast,' Liu said, 'it does not make sense to tie ourselves down with an acquisition or investment.'
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Gunner scores free-kick with ‘weak foot'
Santi Cazorla scored a vital free-kick with his supposed 'weak' foot on Wednesday night, sending boyhood club Real Oviedo through to the La Liga promotion play-off final. Photo via Cazorla on Instagram Seven years after leaving Arsenal and at the age of 40, Santi Cazorla continues to play a regular role for Real Oviedo in the Spanish second tier. Advertisement The former Gunner has made 34 appearances for Oviedo this season, including 25 starts. But it was in a substitute appearance in midweek that he scored his most important goal since signing for the club. Photo via Cazorla on Instagram Having finished third in La Liga 2, Oviedo are currently playing in the promotion play-offs for the chance to rejoin the top tier of Spanish football. Taking on UD Almeria in the semi-final, Cazorla played 82 minutes of a 2-1 win in the first leg, but he came on at half-time of Wednesday's second leg with his team 1-0 down – level at 2-2 on aggregate. Just a few minutes into his substitute showing, the Spanish international won a free-kick, and he stepped up to score it with his 'weaker' left foot. View Tweet Photo via Cazorla on Instagram Arsenal fans will be well aware that Cazorla doesn't really have a weak foot, but he does generally have a preference for using his right. Gunners supporters will recall his iconic right-footed free-kick to get their team back in the mix in the 2014 FA Cup final. Advertisement So to take on an important free-kick with his left just shows the confidence the player has on both sides. Oviedo ended up drawing the match 1-1, sending them through to the play-off final 3-2 on aggregate. The team will face either Mirandes or Racing de Santander in the play-off final, depending on the winner of their semi.
Extra.ie
12-06-2025
- Extra.ie
Cutest Garda recruit keeping 'paw and order' on the job
The latest recruit to An Garda Siochána is already causing a stir with a number of drug busts on his first weekend on the job in County Galway. Gunner, the latest addition to the Garda Drug Squad is an 18-month-old Golden Cocker Spaniel mix who joined Gardai this past weekend at an MIT (Mandatory Intoxicant Testing) checkpoint, where alongside his two legged colleagues, Gunner detected two drivers who tested positive for drugs. Gardai seized one car while several other drivers were issued with fines and penalty points for a range of road traffic offences. Gunner – Latest Garda Recruit Gunners' human colleagues say he has a great nose for the job, and people can expect to see much more of him out and about this coming summer as he works alongside his human companions at the North Western Regional Garda Dog Unit. Gardai say there will be high visibility policing involving Gunner over the coming weeks in an effort to promote awareness and deter drink and drug driving on the roads. Pic: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos After a good shift on duty, we are told Gunner likes to play fetch at home with his Garda handler and their family. The name Gunner is of historical Viking origin and was chosen for its meaning, Brave, bold and spirited warrior.
Irish Daily Mirror
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Arsenal legend reveals Irish duo he's backing at Royal Ascot
Royal Ascot returns on Tuesday, 17 June, and this year's event will see more than £10 million in prize money handed out across the five-day festival. In total, 35 races will take place across the week, with a staggering £1 million on offer for the winners of Wednesday's Prince of Wales Stakes and Saturday's Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. The opening race is almost as lucrative, with first place netting £750,000 - and former Arsenal star Ray Parlour has his eye on Lead Artist, set to be ridden by Irish jockey Oisin Murphy, to triumph in the mega-bucks curtain raiser. Only last month, Murphy rode Lead Artist to victory at Newbury in a thrilling encounter that saw the Killarney-born star edge past Dancing Gemini in the final moments. The pair are now set for a rematch at Ascot, with former Gunner and NetBet main man Ray Parlour backing the 29-year-old to repeat his heroics in Berkshire. 'In the opening race at Ascot, Lead Artist is a horse I know won at Newbury and could go very well in the Queen Anne Stakes,' he says. 'Sometimes you receive a tip and follow that one, or look at the in-form trainers and jockeys. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, I will keep a keen eye on this horse, and likely, Oisin Murphy will take the ride.' Lead Artist is 26/5 with NetBet to win the race, just behind Dancing Gemini at 9/2 and the favourite Rosallion at 7/2. Parlour is also tipping another Irish racing legend to succeed, with trainer Aidan O'Brien looking to add to his record-breaking eight wins in the Ascot Gold Cup this year. His horse Illinois is 7/5 favourite with NetBet to win the race, ahead of Candelari at 7/2 and Trawlerman at 21/5. O'Brien scooped six wins at Royal Ascot in 2024, making him the leading trainer at the event last year, the 13th time he has managed it in his career. 'Aidan O'Brien is the best flat trainer at the moment,' says Parlour. 'He has so many top horses in his stable who can win the sprints and longer distance races, so naturally, he's one to follow. 'Illinois is a good horse who may make it a very interesting race and could come out on top in the Gold Cup. Ryan Moore is such a great jockey too, and he proves time and time again the quality he has in the saddle.' As well as NetBet Sport offering great odds on all UK and international horse racing events, NetBet Casino has welcome offers and promotions available, including up to 500 free spins for new customers (full T&Cs can be found here). Sport-specific promotions include Wheel of Sportune, daily prizes, and Correct Score Predictor, with a jackpot of up to €5,000. You could also win a pair of tickets to the Summer Festival at Galway Races every time you bet €10 on UK and Irish horse racing - terms and conditions apply*. 'Royal Ascot is a superb spectacle,' adds Parlour. 'It's an icon of British sport. With the quality of racing, the main stand at the race course looks great, and it gets royal treatment as well, so it's 100 per cent up there for sure as one of the year's best events. 'For me, especially in the big races, I may just go with horse number 15, which was my number when I played.' *Key terms and conditions for the Summer Festival at Galway Races giveaway: The promotion will run until 13/07/2025. Customers will earn 1 entry into the prize draw for every €10 wagered on UK & Irish horse racing within the promotional period. Minimum odds of 1/1 (2.00) per selection apply. Only bets placed with cash stakes qualify. Bets placed using Free Bets or bonus funds do not count towards this promotion. Settled bets only. Cashed out and cancelled bets will not qualify. Prize draws will take place on 14/07/2025. Open only to customers from Ireland. Full terms and conditions can be viewed here. Commitment to responsible gambling The NetBet website is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission: licence number 039170, and by the Malta Gaming Authority: license number 21233842.
