Face

• Despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comprehensively rejecting Hamas’s ceasefire counter-proposal, Blinken said it “creates space for an agreement to be reached”.
• He pledged the US would continue to “work relentlessly” to achieve a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Where the negotiations stand

• Hamas’s counter-proposal, delivered on February 7, offered freedom for all remaining hostages and the return of the deceased in a three-stage ceasefire lasting 4.5 months.
• In return, Israel would first release all Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails, as well as 1,500 male prisoners, including 500 serving long sentences.
• Israel didn’t offer any guarantees that it wouldn’t resume its military campaign after the release of the hostages.

Will Netanyahu keep negotiating?

• But whether Netanyahu is prepared to keep talking will depend on his evaluation of the pressures he faces on three fronts: First, Netanyahu is beholden to prominent hardliners in his right-wing government, particularly Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
• Ben-Gvir threatened to bring down his government over any attempt to enter a “reckless” deal with Hamas to free the hostages.
• If Netanyahu is forced to hold new elections, opinion polls show he would have very little chance of forming a new administration.

For Hamas, pluses and minuses

• Obviously, Israel’s military campaign, particularly its current extension into southern Gaza, is causing enormous suffering to the civilian population.
• What Biden has described as Israel’s “indiscriminate bombing” campaign actually boosts Hamas’s image as a standard bearer for Palestinian rights.
• A ceasefire that left Hamas in charge of a Gaza in ruins would thus be a victory.

Do negotiations stand a chance?

• His history of staring down US presidents means he almost certainly won’t back down under pressure from Biden.
• The court has ordered Israel to produce a report by late February on measures it has taken to prevent genocide.
• Read more:
  Israel isn't complying with the International Court of Justice ruling — what happens next?

Ian Parmeter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE: MTD) today announced fourth quarter results for 2023.
• In local currency, sales decreased 13% in the quarter as currency increased sales growth by 1%.
• Excluding these delays, our results came in as we had expected as we continued to face challenging market conditions in the fourth quarter.
• Included in the first quarter guidance is an estimated 4% headwind to Adjusted EPS growth due to adverse currency.

• Micellar water, a product found in supermarkets, chemists and bathroom cabinets around the world, is commonly used to remove make-up.
• So, what is micellar water and why is it so good at getting makeup and sunscreen off?

What are micelles?

• But micellar water products contain something called micelles – clusters of molecules that are very effective at removing oily substances.
• To understand why, you need to first know two chemistry terms: hydrophilic and hydrophobic.
• Hydrophilic materials will happily mix with other hydrophilic materials.

How are micelles formed? It’s all about surfactants

The micelles in micellar water are formed by special molecules known as surfactants. Surfactant stands for surface active agent. These molecules looked at their hydrophilic and hydrophobic brethren and said, why not both? They are typically comprised of two ends: a head group that is hydrophilic and a tail that is hydrophobic.

• The hydrophilic head wants to be in the water, but the hydrophobic tail can’t stand water.
• Add enough surfactant and, eventually, we will pass a critical micelle concentration and the surfactants will self-assemble into clusters of approximately 20 to 100 surfactant molecules.

• These micelles have a hydrophilic exterior, meaning that they are very happy to remain mixed throughout water.
• This is very handy, and helps explain why adding some detergent (a surfactant) to water will allow you to wash an oily saucepan.

Micellar water in action

• In all of these cases, they are there to help the water interact with the dirt and oils, and micellar water is no different.
• When you apply some micellar water to a cotton pad, another convenient interaction occurs.
• Look at how a cotton wipe soaked in micellar water cleans up a small oil spill, in comparison to water alone.

So why shouldn’t I just use dishwashing detergent to wash my face?

• But these particular surfactants would probably cause a lot of skin and eye irritation, while also damaging and drying out your skin.
• The surfactants in micellar water are chosen to be mild and well tolerated by most people’s skin.
• There are many other face-cleaning products that also make great use of surfactant molecules and work very well too.
• If your skin is feeling irritated after using a micellar water product, you can try rinsing afterwards or discontinuing use.

Daniel Eldridge does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Javelin Strategy & Research, a leading provider of strategic insights for the digital financial world, today released its 2024 Authentication and Identity-Proofing Vendor Solutions Scorecard .
• The Authentication and Identity-Proofing Vendor Solutions Scorecard evaluates and ranks 26 different authentication and identity-proofing vendors across product vitals, product features, and product administration.
• We are excited to unveil the 2024 Authentication and Identity-Proofing Vendor Solutions Scorecard, which presents a comprehensive analysis of the leading identity-proofing vendors on the market today.
• Persona Identities rose to the top as the 2024 overall Best in Class Authentication and Identity-Proofing Vendor and as a Leader in two categories: Product Features and Product Administration.