nuebe gaming link Shenzhen, China - KOMOSEE, a prominent Chinese memory manufacturer, has made a significant stride in the semiconductor industry by unveiling its latest LPDDR5 6400Mbps memory chips. The company has proudly announced that the samples have been sent out for testing and validation, marking a significant achievement in pushing the boundaries of memory technology.NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes fell Thursday following some potentially discouraging data on the economy . The S&P 500 slipped 0.5% for its fourth loss in the last six days. It’s a pause for the index, which has been rallying toward one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 234 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 0.7% from its record set the day before. A report early in the morning said more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than expected. A separate update, meanwhile, showed that inflation at the wholesale level, before it reaches U.S. consumers, was hotter last month than economists expected. Neither report points to imminent disaster, but they dilute one of the hopes that’s driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year : Inflation is slowing enough to convince the Federal Reserve to keep cutting interest rates, while the economy is remaining solid enough to stay out of a recession. Of the two reports, the weaker update on the job market may be the bigger deal for the market, according to Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley. A surge in egg prices may have been behind the worse-than-expected inflation numbers. “One week doesn’t negate what has been a relatively steady stream of solid labor market data, but the Fed is primed to be sensitive to any signs of a softening jobs picture,” he said. Traders are widely expecting the Fed will ease its main interest rate at its meeting next week. If they’re correct, it would be a third straight cut by the Fed after it began lowering rates in September from a two-decade high. It’s hoping to support a slowing job market after getting inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. Lower rates would give a boost to the economy and to prices for investments, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. A cut next week would have the Fed following other central banks, which lowered rates on Thursday. The European Central Bank cut rates by a quarter of a percentage point, as many investors expected, and the Swiss National Bank cut its policy rate by a steeper half of a percentage point. Following its decision, Switzerland’s central bank pointed to uncertainty about how U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory will affect economic policies, as well as about where politics in Europe is heading. Trump has talked up tariffs and other policies that could upend global trade. He rang the bell marking the start of trading at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday to chants of “USA.” On Wall Street, Adobe fell 13.7% and was one of the heaviest weights on the market despite reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company gave forecasts for profit and revenue in its upcoming fiscal year that fell a bit shy of analysts’. Warner Bros. Discovery soared 15.4% after unveiling a new corporate structure that separates its streaming business and film studios from its traditional television business. CEO David Zaslav said the move “enhances our flexibility with potential future strategic opportunities,” raising speculation about a spinoff or sale. Kroger rose 3.2% after saying it would get back to buying back its own stock now that its attempt to merge with Albertsons is off . Kroger’s board approved a program to repurchase up to $7.5 billion of its stock, replacing an existing $1 billion authorization. All told, the S&P 500 fell 32.94 points to 6,051.25. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 234.55 to 43,914.12, and the Nasdaq composite sank 132.05 to 19,902.84. In stock markets abroad, European indexes held relatively steady following the European Central Bank’s cut to rates. Asian markets were stronger. Indexes rose 1.2% in Hong Kong and 0.8% in Shanghai as leaders met in Beijing to set economic plans and targets for the coming year. South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.6% for its third straight gain of at least 1%, as it pulls back following last week’s political turmoil where its president briefly declared martial law. In the bond market, the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose to 4.33% from 4.27% late Wednesday. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

One of the key improvements made was the fleshing out of the protagonist's backstory. Players were given more insight into the character's past, including their motivations, fears, and personal struggles. By humanizing the protagonist and making them more relatable, players could empathize with their journey and become more invested in the outcome of the game. Additionally, the introduction of morally gray decisions and consequences added depth to the choices players had to make, making the gameplay experience more nuanced and engaging.One children's advocate counts 33 reports in 30 years into problems at Oranga Tamariki and its predecessors. Why is change at our child protection agency so hard to come by? Ten months after five-year-old Malachi Subecz was murdered by his carer, Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier drove out to Porirua to visit the little boy's uncle and cousin. He was there to deliver the findings of his investigations into their complaint that Oranga Tamariki had dismissed concerns about Malachi being abused. As he sat across the table from Malachi's whanau, Boshier remembers choking up. "It was an incredibly emotional experience, traumatic, in fact," he recalls. "But it was the right thing to do, to acknowledge the terrible acts of abuse this poor child had suffered. "And I think they could see that. They could see that we actually cared to the point where it was quite emotional for us." Boshier had reason to be emotional. His investigation found a "litany of failures" by Oranga Tamariki to follow its own policies after the Children's Ministry dismissed or ignored several reports of concern about Malachi's care. Just a few months earlier, Boshier had delivered the findings of his investigation into the uplift of newborn pēpi, He Take Kōhukihuki , which found process, system and record-keeping issues. "These were also underlying factors in Oranga Tamariki's failings in the Malachi Subecz case," Boshier says. He remembers feeling "enormous change" would be needed to prevent another case like this happening again. "Oranga Tamariki assured me following my investigation into the case of Malachi Subecz that there would be dramatic change. "Of course, I hoped it would be the last time I would have to investigate such a case." It was not to be. In February this year, Boshier's office released another report. Children in Care: Complaints to the Ombudsman 2019-2023 again identified poor record-keeping, inaccurate information and failures to follow up reports of concern as recurring themes. An RNZ investigation last week highlighted similar failures in the cases of two families, with devastating consequences for both. This is the final part of an RNZ investigative series into Oranga Tamariki. Read Part 1 , Part 2 and Part 3 . And despite promises of system-wide changes by agencies involved in child protection following Malachi's death in 2021, a September analysis by Aroturuki Tamariki Independent Children's Monitor found vulnerable children are no better off now than when he died. The reports added to an already teetering pile. Child Matters chief executive Jane Searle counts 33 reviews into the ministry and its predecessors over the last 30 years. "They all say similar things. These problems are not new. It's just that they're getting worse." So if the problems are known, and the need for change recognised, what will it take to actually make it happen? A broken system For Jane Searle, radical investment in the ministry's structure and culture is the only thing that will break the cycle. "It's going to take a lot of time, a lot of resources and very good leadership to do that. We've struggled to have the political desire to do that on a large level." There are good social workers trying to do their best in a system that is broken, she says. "But there are also cases of bad practice that have happened over many years which are difficult to change because it is such a huge organisation." The many reports and reviews all suggest similar solutions, but few have actually been enacted. "We haven't invested in the training and capacity building of Oranga Tamariki social workers and also ensuring that their workloads are manageable. And we also haven't invested in the capacity for community organisations to respond and play the important role that they play." Searle is equally concerned the ministry doesn't have robust IT systems that allow staff to do their jobs properly. "It's a hard job to protect vulnerable children and young people anyway, but if the organisation is not set up structurally to do that, with the right leadership and investment, it is going to continue to fail." Central to the issue is Oranga Tamariki's two-decade-old case management system, CYRAS, which its chief social worker Nicolette Dickson admits is "old and difficult" to use. A $62.5 million upgrade will start next year and won't be completed until about 2030, though the first stage should be complete by the end of next year, Dickson says. "This will make a significant difference in the way we're managing record-keeping. We won't have solved the whole problem but we will have made a really good start." "I just want a clear picture" Behind every record - complete, partial or missing - is a person. Ihorangi Reweti-Peters was just seven months old when he was placed into state care. Now 19, he's had over 14 different placements and experienced abuse from caregivers who were meant to protect him. After being officially discharged from state care last year, he's been trying to piece together his early years from Oranga Tamariki's records, but chunks of his time in care are missing from his file. "There are parts of my time in care which are not accurately recorded or they are parts missing ... so I don't know what happened." Some of the records from his first year of life are missing - lost when the ministry transferred files from paper to digital in 2006, he says. "I just want to know my whole journey through Oranga Tamariki, from the day that the first report of concern was made to when I left. "I just want a clear picture, which may be able to provide me with some closure to the negative experiences that I've had within Oranga Tamariki." Reweti-Peters, who is now a state care advocate, says there are hundreds of others like him. He's hopeful, but sceptical, that improvements will be forthcoming. "Oranga Tamariki has on multiple occasions said they are working on changes to accurately record and gather data but we haven't seen the results of that yet. "This is really important work. I would hope it would be able to get done quicker, to provide closure to survivors and to accurately monitor and record information." The IT and record-keeping upgrade can't come soon enough for Aroturuki Tamariki Independent Children's Monitor chief executive Arran Jones, as it will finally allow him to do his job properly. His agency, established in 2019 to monitor Oranga Tamariki's compliance with National Care Standards regulations, has struggled to carry out this task for the last three years due to "gaps" in OT's data about the children in its care. The regulations prescribe basic standards that must be met for children in state care, such as regular school attendance or whether they see a dentist or doctor once a year. But Jones doesn't know if the ministry is complying with all these standards. "They just don't have the information centrally to be able to tell whether the kids are getting what they need. These are legal requirements on Oranga Tamariki, and they are still unable to provide the information." Through its own self-monitoring process, Oranga Tamariki admits it has only been "partially compliant" with the national care standards the last two financial years. Jones also worries the recent loss of 419 back office jobs at Oranga Tamariki - including cuts to its information management and a reorganisation of its data team - could hinder progress. "I have spoken to the chief executive to gain an assurance that it wouldn't impact on the supply of information to us so that we can do our work. I guess my response to this will be a wait and see what impact it may have." Nicolette Dickson says keeping track of 80 standards for more than 5000 children in state care is challenging, due to the limitations of the case management system. Instead, the ministry has opted to report on a few lead indicators, and Dickson says what it has reported so far has shown improvements. "For example, in 2022, 72 percent of children in care had had an assessment of their needs completed. By 2024, this had risen to 90 percent. "So whilst I do accept the monitor's concern that the level of our detail and data and information doesn't enable a full picture over every aspect of the care standards, we have progressively improved the quality of information we provided to the monitor and seen progressive improvements." The upgrade in the pipeline will allow them to provide better quality information about children in state care, she says. Children's and Young Person's Commissioner Claire Achmad says the ministry has a duty and obligation to collect information about a child's situation in state care that can be held on their file and made available to them - which needs to be done even without a reliable case management system. "Because that will form an important part of their understanding of their identity and their story, and so Oranga Tamariki needs to be maintaining a clear focus on this all the time, regardless of whether it's in the process of upgrading its information and record keeping system." Like Searle, she says this will take resourcing and a culture change to get right. "I continue to call for Oranga Tamariki to focus on getting the basics right to ensure every child in the care of the state has their full range of rights upheld in all circumstances every day. "We know right now that Oranga Tamariki is too far away from that. But I do believe that with that focus, change is possible." "We have an absolutely clear focus on what needs to change" Dickson admits the ministry has lost its focus. "Oranga Tamariki and its predecessors have had a history of trying to be all things to all communities, to all families, and falling short actually." Dickson should know. She's worked at the ministry for more than 20 years, starting as a social worker before rising up the ranks to management. She's now its chief social worker and deputy chief executive of professional practice after the two roles were combined in a restructure earlier this year. She says the basic tenets of social work haven't changed much over that time - though it has become more complex with the rise of methamphetamine - but support for social workers has declined. "When I was a young social worker we had really strong systems of support, supervision, training and for a while that slipped away," she says. "I can't speak to why things may have slipped away, but I do know there's been a very clear shift back to focusing on the core fundamentals to make sure our social workers have the support they need to do a really busy, complex and demanding job." This shift came after a 2021 Oranga Tamariki ministerial advisory board report, Kahu Aroha, recommended the ministry get back to its core social work purpose and offer better support and training for social workers. "That's really provided a blueprint for making sure that we are focused on developing the best tools, resources, learning and support and coaching supervision for our staff," Dickson says. The ministry has three key priorities: providing a high level response to the kids that need it the most; enabling communities to take a lead and early response; and working with other agencies in health and education to plug the gaps. There's no timeframe for when these will be achieved, as it's about "progressive, long-term sustainable change over time," Dickson says. "Real, substantive, complex change isn't something that you can put a timeframe on. It's something you have to be relentlessly focused on day by day. "We have an absolutely clear focus on what needs to change." When it comes to record-keeping issues, the ministry regularly reviews cases and we "look at our practice really closely" so it knows where it can improve, she says. "We know there are areas where we've still got work to do, but what I am confident about as chief social worker, is that the areas that get in the way of our social workers doing a good job are actively being addressed." Despite the challenges, ministry social workers are doing amazing work every day, Dickson says. "We have social workers who, on a daily basis, are out there changing lives, sometimes saving lives. I understand why that's a narrative that sometimes doesn't get a lot of air time but there are truly amazing professionals we have working for this organisation." She strongly disagrees with suggestions that significant work is not being done to improve its record-keeping track record. "I do appreciate the sense that change isn't happening as quickly as people may want." She also rejects Boshier's assertion that the ministry intentionally or systematically provides incorrect information to the Family Court. "We've taken action in each case to understand the recommendations he's made. We've looked at areas of recording and the way we manage our court practices," she says. "These are longstanding challenging problems that exist across many care and protection systems across the world." But she agrees with Boshier that the ministry needs a sustained plan of improvement. "I have confidence that the plan is in place, underway and actively being worked on." A matter of records Proposed law changes may also beef up record-keeping at Oranga Tamariki, along with other government agencies. As part of its response to the Abuse in Care Inquiry, the government announced last week that it will amend the Public Records Act. The proposed changes will give greater powers to Archives New Zealand to make sure agencies are fulfilling their legal obligation to keep and maintain proper records of everything they do. The changes are a direct response to problems raised by survivors during the Inquiry about trouble accessing their state care records, including being given heavily redacted documents and incomplete files. The man in charge of ensuring all government agencies complies with their obligations is Archives New Zealand's director of government record-keeping Antony Moss. He believes the amendments could be a game-changer for a public sector that's "still struggling with the fundamentals of good record-keeping". "Overall we'd say the maturity in public sector information management is not at the level that we as the regulator would want it to be." At the moment, Archives can only audit government agencies on their information management practices every five years, and compliance with any issues that pop up are largely voluntary, Moss says. The proposed changes will allow Archives to conduct more frequent audits, issue improvement notices for any problems identified, and set deadlines for agencies to fix them. Moss says large, complex agencies like Oranga Tamariki, which have been through multiple reiterations over the years, often struggle with good record-keeping. A 2023 audit commissioned by Archives found most of the ministry's information practices were sub-optimal. Only five of the 20 areas assessed were operating well. While failures to comply with the Public Records Act can incur fines of up to $10,000, not a single individual or organisation has ever faced prosecution since it was brought into force in 2005. Moss says it's better to work with government agencies to lift their game than to prosecute them, and he hopes the proposed changes will encourage the whole public sector to invest in this area. "Of course, getting those investment plans in place for agencies to keep their systems up to date over years and decades is always a challenge, certainly in the current fiscal environment." His small team audits around 20 of public agencies a year, but he's hoping this will increase, and that they can encourage more agencies to undergo self-audits to monitor their own progress. A long way to go It will take more than new IT systems and tinkering with laws to avoid the same mistakes being repeated at Oranga Tamariki, Peter Boshier says. He believes there are two fundamental reasons for the systemic failures in record-keeping at Oranga Tamariki: discipline and culture. Boshier, a former Family Court Principal, says he came from a background where there is a strong culture in record-keeping. "Other agencies like the police, or health, also have strong record-keeping cultures, so there is no reason why Oranga Tamariki cannot. "I just think there is a lack of culture in how important these things are. There needs to be a cultural change, that this is just as important as the social work itself." The culture of an organisation is driven by its leadership, he says, although he is reluctant to directly criticise Oranga Tamariki's leaders. "That's an area for discussion between the chief executive and the Minister," he says. "But you've got to ask, is there a disconnect between the head office of Oranga Tamariki and perhaps what senior leaders aspire to and the way that's being interpreted inside offices? "I don't know the answer, but I would suggest to you that that could be an issue." He's frustrated by the lack of consequences for the organisation when it makes the same mistakes again and again. "We've found in our various reports that the organisation's own policy and guidelines are not being followed and kept. "Is there a consequence? We were told that there was so in Malachi Subecz's case. The chief executive said: 'This is unacceptable to me, and I will take steps in that particular site to require accountability.'" This perhaps explains his exasperation when a few weeks ago he issued yet another opinion highlighting the same issues. "How come that happened? Why is it that leadership appears not to be able to bring about a change at that fundamentally important site office level?," he asks. Boshier doesn't have the answers. "I sense the culture of the organisation needs to be shifted, and that will take time. I would like to see strident, clear, forceful leadership of expectation and consequence in the same way that most agencies would require it." He believes that every time his office issues another repetitive warning highlighting the same problems "faith diminishes" in the ministry's ability to do its job. "People are bound to become a little cynical, so that really is what Oranga Tamariki is facing." And while he's critical and possibly also cynical himself, he is also genuinely hopeful - optimistic even - that positive change can occur. "I am an inherent optimist that behaviour is capable of change, and culture is capable of change, providing there is a will and a willingness, and there is strong, concerted, clear leadership. "Both of those things are going to ultimately determine whether this organisation is capable of the quantum shift that's needed. "I will only be satisfied when I have actual measures of change; I want to see a decrease in serious complaints of the kind I am seeing now. This agency has a long way to go."

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K Dobbins is unlikely to play against the Atlanta Falcons this week because of a knee injury. Dobbins was hurt in the first half of the Chargers’ 30-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night. He had six carries for 40 yards and three catches for 19 yards before leaving the game. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh declined to get into specifics of the injury Wednesday, other than confirming Dobbins is “working through something with his knee,” he said. Dobbins had been putting together a strong first season for the Chargers (7-4) after his past three years in Baltimore had been injury-riddled. He has 766 yards rushing and eight touchdowns through 11 games for Los Angeles, which had positioned Dobbins as a strong candidate for AP Comeback Player of the Year. Dobbins tore his Achilles tendon in the 2023 season opener for Baltimore. He also tore his ACL in 2021, and the effects of that injury lingered into the following season. Dobbins played in just 24 of a possible 67 regular-season games for the Ravens, who drafted him in the second round in 2020. “We feel horrible for him,” quarterback Justin Herbert said. “He’s such a tough, tough teammate, and the way he’s fought through so many injuries, we have no doubt he’s going to be back better than ever. And so it’s up to us. It’s our responsibility to hold it down while he’s gone.” The absence of Dobbins leaves Gus Edwards, Hassan Haskins and rookie Kimani Vidal as the Chargers’ current options at running back. Edwards missed four games because of a high ankle sprain and has 206 yards and one touchdown in seven appearances. Haskins has mostly been a special teams contributor, while Vidal has been inactive for seven games, including each of the past three. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLANDOVER, Mass. , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TransMedics Group, Inc. ("TransMedics") (Nasdaq: TMDX), a medical technology company that is transforming organ transplant therapy for patients with end-stage lung, heart, and liver failure, today announced that on December 9, 2024 , TransMedics granted non-qualified stock options to purchase an aggregate of 20,612 shares of its common stock and an aggregate of 13,576 restricted stock units to 3 employees, each as a material inducement for each employee's entry into employment with TransMedics. The grants included stock options to purchase 18,922 shares of TransMedics' common stock and 12,463 restricted stock units granted to Gerardo Hernandez , the Company's Chief Financial Officer. The grants were approved by the Compensation Committee of the TransMedics Board of Directors and were granted in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) and pursuant to the TransMedics Group, Inc. Inducement Plan. TransMedics granted non-qualified stock options to purchase 20,612 shares of TransMedics' common stock and 13,576 restricted stock units in the aggregate. The stock options were granted with a per share exercise price of $69.84 , the closing price of the common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on December 9, 2024 . Twenty-five percent of the shares subject to each option will vest on the first yearly anniversary of the date of the employee's start of employment, with the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments over the subsequent three year period, subject to the employee's continued service with the Company through the applicable vesting date. The options have a 10-year term and are subject to the terms of the TransMedics Group, Inc. Inducement Plan. Twenty-five percent of each restricted stock unit award will vest on the first four anniversaries of the date of the employee's start of employment, subject to the employee's continued service with the Company through the applicable vesting date. The restricted stock units are subject to the terms of the TransMedics Group, Inc. Inducement Plan. About TransMedics Group, Inc. TransMedics is the world's leader in portable extracorporeal warm perfusion and assessment of donor organs for transplantation. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts , the company was founded to address the unmet need for more and better organs for transplantation and has developed technologies to preserve organ quality, assess organ viability prior to transplant, and potentially increase the utilization of donor organs for the treatment of end-stage heart, lung, and liver failure. Investor Contact: Brian Johnston 332-895-3222 Investors@transmedics.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transmedics-reports-inducement-grants-under-nasdaq-listing-rule-5635c4-302330724.html SOURCE TransMedics Group, Inc.

Aurora City Council to vote on additional surveys of residents

A group of volunteers, led by Mrs. Zhang, a retired seamstress renowned for her skillful needlework, gathered together to design a special pair of cotton pants for Spuddy. Using the softest and warmest fabric they could find, they carefully tailored the pants to fit the unique shape of the sweet potato, ensuring that he would be both fashionable and cozy during his outdoor adventures.In conclusion, Lin Shidong's insights on the Hawkeye Challenge underscore the value of believing in one's own eyes and leveraging the support of teammates in overcoming challenges. By emphasizing the significance of visual acuity, trust, and teamwork, Lin inspires athletes to approach competitions with confidence, resilience, and a spirit of camaraderie. As players strive to excel in the Hawkeye Challenge and other competitive environments, they can draw on Lin's advice to sharpen their observational skills, cultivate strong bonds with their teammates, and embrace the thrill of rising to the occasion when the pressure is on.

NoneThe second encounter between the two teams came in the group stage of the current Champions League campaign. Real Madrid once again emerged victorious, this time with a 3-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu. Casemiro, Karim Benzema, and Alvaro Odriozola were on target for Real Madrid, with Atalanta only managing a consolation goal.

Imposing pet passports for dogs, cats and ferrets to travel from one part of the UK to another has been branded an “outrage” at Westminster. The condemnation came as the House of Lords debated regulations paving the way for a scheme which would require animal lovers on the British mainland to have documentation in order to visit Northern Ireland. Critics view the move as further evidence of Northern Ireland still having to follow EU rules post-Brexit and being treated differently from the rest of the UK – a major source of contention to the unionist community. The paperwork, which will be free to apply for, includes a declaration that the owner will not travel onwards to Ireland or another EU country with their pet or assistance dog. Animals will have to be microchipped and have their own individual pet travel document, which will be valid for its lifetime. Northern Ireland residents returning after a stay in Great Britain with their pet or assistance dog will not need a travel document. The scheme is being introduced under the Windsor Framework, a revised deal for Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements aimed at tackling issues caused by the protocol. Raising her concerns in Parliament, Baroness Hoey, a Northern Irish Brexit supporter and former Labour MP, said: “These regulations are in effect about a new aspect of the Irish Sea border that has not had expression until this point because of the grace periods.” She added: “The experience of visiting Northern Ireland with your pet dog or cat, or even a ferret, will be made to feel like a visit to a foreign country. Lady Hoey went on: “This could spell the end of holiday trips for pet owners from GB to NI and then on to the Republic, when they want to explore both Northern Ireland and the Republic. “If they have a pet passport, they will have renounced their right to go to the Republic. That makes the border more of an obstruction than having border control posts on it, because at least in that eventuality, you could still cross over it.” Rejecting claims it was a result of the UK leaving the EU, she said: “The reality is that this is happening precisely because Northern Ireland has not got Brexit. “As we say repeatedly, it is still subject to EU rules and the EU could change the rules overnight.” Former DUP deputy leader Lord Dodds of Duncairn said: “Every one of the statutory instruments that come forward under the Windsor Framework must be properly debated, because these laws are being brought forward to implement what a foreign jurisdiction has decided should be the law of the United Kingdom. “In the 21st century, we should not accept colonial rule. We abolished it elsewhere. We believe it should not be tolerated for one second. People should have the democratic right to decide their laws for themselves, in their interests.” He added: “The ridiculous part about this debate is that we are having to debate European laws regulating the movement of pet animals owned by British citizens between one part of the United Kingdom and another. That is an outrage.” Lord Dodds went on: “As I said, there will be hundreds, thousands more of these regulations, in all areas, affecting the daily lives of people in Northern Ireland. They all add up to a grievous assault on Northern Ireland’s constitutional position.” But former leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick said: “I support the Windsor Framework because it is a necessary legal device to deal with the complexities that were presented to us in Ireland, north and south, on the issue of Brexit. “We need a pragmatic solution rather than choosing to have political contests and duels simply for the sake of them.” Introducing the regulations, environment minister Baroness Hayman of Ulloch said: “This scheme will simplify the requirements associated with moving pet dogs, cats and ferrets from Great Britain to Northern Ireland significantly. “It replaces single-use animal health certificates with a free-of-charge lifelong travel document and removes the need for costly pet health treatments. “Pet owners who travel frequently with their pets, or those who rely on the services of an assistance dog to travel independently, will benefit substantially from this change in approach.” However, she acknowledged the concerns raised by peers and promised to continue engagement with them.

Customer Intelligence Platform Market Expected to Reach $14.8 Billion by 2031 | SAS Institute Inc. oracle Corporation, International Business Machines CorporationIn response to queries on whether China has been in contact with the Assad government, the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated China's longstanding position of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. The spokesperson emphasized that China respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, and believes that the Syrian conflict should be resolved through dialogue and negotiation, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter.The five-part series will debut globally on December 10, following elite global players on and off the field as they compete in the US Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida. A trailer for the series titled Polo, executive produced by Harry and Meghan, was released on Thursday, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the “fast-paced and glamorous world of polo”. In a statement, Harry said: “This series offers audiences an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look into the passion and determination driving some of the world’s elite polo players, revealing the grit behind the glamour. “We’re proud to showcase the true depth and spirit of the sport — and the intensity of its high-stakes moments.” It has been produced by the Sussexes’ Archewell Productions, having previously released three documentaries with Netflix as part of a multimillion-pound deal with the streaming giant. Heart Of Invictus, which aired last August, followed a group of service members on their road to the Invictus Games, the Paralympic-style sporting competition set up by Harry in 2014 for injured and sick military personnel and veterans. Netflix also released the documentary series Live To Lead and the controversial six-part Harry & Meghan documentary in December 2022. Harry and Meghan moved to the US in 2020 after stepping down from royal duties.

Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders released from hospital after suffering neck injury

nuebe gaming register login South Korea's embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law, as most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify public protests calling for Yoon's ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president's impeachment. Yoon's martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party, but it is also determined to oppose Yoon's impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. After the motion fell through, members of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party rallied inside the National Assembly, chanting slogans calling for Yoon's impeachment or resignation. The party's floor leader, Park Chan-dae, said it will soon prepare for a new impeachment motion. "We'll surely impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, who is the greatest risk to Republic of Korea," party leader Lee Jae-myung said. "We'll surely bring back this country to normal before Christmas Day or year's end." RELATED STORY | South Korean parliament defies president by lifting declaration of martial law Despite escaping the impeachment attempt, many experts worry Yoon won't be able to serve out his remaining 2 1⁄2 years in office. They say some ruling party lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties' efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it grow further. The ruling party risks "further public outrage and national confusion if they don't find a formula fast for Yoon's departure," said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people densely packed several blocks of roads leading up to the National Assembly, waving banners, shouting slogans and dancing. Protesters also gathered in front of PPP's headquarters near the Assembly, angrily shouting for its lawmakers to vote to impeach Yoon. A smaller crowd of Yoon's supporters, which still seemed to be in the thousands, rallied in separate streets in Seoul, decrying the impeachment attempt they saw as unconstitutional. Impeaching Yoon required support from 200 of the National Assembly's 300 members. The Democratic Party and five other small opposition parties, which filed the motion, have 192 seats combined. But only three lawmakers from PPP participated in the vote. The motion was scrapped without ballot counting because the number of votes didn't reach 200. RELATED STORY | Family of kidnapped American reporter still believes his is alive in Syria National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik called the result "very regrettable" and an embarrassing moment for the country's democracy that has been closely watched by the world. Opposition parties could submit a new impeachment motion after a new parliamentary session opens next Wednesday. If Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. If he is removed, an election to replace him must take place within 60 days. Earlier Saturday, Yoon issued a public apology over the martial law decree, saying he won't shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration and promising not to make another attempt to impose martial law. He said would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country's political turmoil, "including matters related to my term in office." "The declaration of this martial law was made out of my desperation. But in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconveniences to the public. I feel very sorry over that and truly apologize to the people who must have been shocked a lot," Yoon said. Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a "den of criminals" bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate "shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces." The turmoil resulting from Yoon's bizarre and poorly-thought-out stunt has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners like the U.S. and Japan. "Yoon's credibility overseas has been undermined by declaring martial law, so he won't be able to exercise leadership in his foreign policies especially when his days are numbered," Kim, the analyst, said. "Its government bureaucracy will need to continue business as usual for existing alliance and foreign policy initiatives as best it can because there is a lot of important work to do globally." Tuesday night saw special forces troops encircling the parliament building and army helicopters hovering over it, but the military withdrew after the National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn the decree, forcing Yoon to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. The declaration of martial law was the first of its kind in more than 40 years in South Korea. Eighteen lawmakers from the ruling party voted to reject Yoon's martial law decree along with opposition lawmakers. PPP later decided to oppose Yoon's impeachment motion. Yoon's speech fueled speculation that he and his party may push for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term, instead of accepting impeachment, as a way to ease public anger over the marital law and facilitate Yoon's early exit from office. Lee told reporters that Yoon's speech was "greatly disappointing" and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or impeachment. His party called Yoon's martial law "unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup." Lawmakers on Saturday first voted on a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate stock price manipulation allegations surrounding Yoon's wife. On Friday, PPP chair Han Dong-hun, who criticized Yoon's martial law declaration, said he had received intelligence that during the brief period of martial law Yoon ordered the country's defense counterintelligence commander to arrest unspecified key politicians based on accusations of "anti-state activities." Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea's spy agency, told lawmakers Friday that Yoon had ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians including Han, Lee and Woo. The Defense Ministry said Friday it suspended three military commanders including the head of the defense counterintelligence unit over their involvement in enforcing martial law. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho has told parliament that Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly. Opposition parties accused Kim of recommending to Yoon to enforce martial law. Kim resigned Thursday, and prosecutors imposed an overseas travel ban on him.

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'Iran won’t retreat in the face of any power'Vincerx Pharma, Inc. filed an 8-K form with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 20, 2024, announcing the entry into a binding term sheet with Oqory, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and Oqory’s parent company, Vivasor, Inc. This term sheet outlines a proposed business combination between Vincerx and Oqory, with an effective date of December 27, 2024. The proposed business combination is structured as a reverse triangular merger, where a subsidiary of Vincerx would merge into Oqory. Oqory stockholders would receive shares of Vincerx common stock in exchange for their Oqory common stock, with the exchange ratio based on intended post-closing percentage ownership. The parties also contemplate an offering of equity interests in Vincerx completed concurrently with the business combination. In connection with the term sheet, Vincerx Pharma entered into a definitive securities purchase agreement for a registered direct offering of common stock and warrants, closing on December 27, 2024. The offering aims to raise around $0.9 million for general corporate purposes. The offering is subject to certain conditions and includes customary representations, warranties, and covenants. The parties anticipate executing a definitive business combination agreement incorporating the term sheet provisions and other standard terms. The agreement is subject to various conditions, including completing due diligence, securing investor commitments, and obtaining necessary approvals. The parties aim to complete the agreement by January 31, 2025, refraining from seeking alternative acquisition proposals throughout the negotiations. The disclosure includes a cautionary note on forward-looking statements, urging caution due to inherent uncertainties and risks. Actual results may vary from these statements, impacted by factors such as capital requirements, market conditions, and regulatory approvals. Vincerx disclaims any obligation to update forward-looking statements, underscoring the complexities in finalizing the proposed business combination and subsequent uncertainties. The filing also details the departure of key officers and directors, alongside the potential risks related to the planned business combination, emphasizing the importance of reaching acceptable terms and satisfying closing conditions. The 8-K filing provides valuable insights into Vincerx Pharma’s strategic moves, financial decisions, and future prospects as it navigates a significant business combination with Oqory, Inc. This article was generated by an automated content engine and was reviewed by a human editor prior to publication. For additional information, read Vincerx Pharma’s 8K filing here . About Vincerx Pharma ( Get Free Report ) Vincerx Pharma, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, researches and develops therapies to address unmet medical needs for the treatment of cancer in the United States. It is developing enitociclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase-9 inhibitor that is in Phase 1 clinical trials for treating patients with hematologic malignancies; and VIP236, a small molecule drug conjugate that is in Phase 1 clinical trials to treat solid tumors. Read More

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AP News Summary at 1:24 p.m. ESTThe U.S. Food Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval of a new drug for treating bilary tract cancer that was developed by Vancouver’ s Zymeworks Inc. (Nasdaq: ZYME) under a licensing and commercialization agreement with Jazz Pharmaceuticals. The new drug, Ziihera, could net Zymeworks more than $1 billion just in milestone payments, and millions more in royalties, upon full commercialization. Gaining the FDA’s accelerated approval triggers a $25 million milestone payment to Zymeworks from Jazz Pharmaceuticals – the first of more to come, should other milestones be reached. Under its licensing agreement, Zymeworks is eligible for up to $500 million in regulatory milestones, $862.5 million in commercial milestone payments, and royalties of 10 to 20 per cent on sales. “This approval represents the first FDA-approved therapy in Zymeworks’ pipeline, and validates the company’s novel Azymetric bispecific platform technology and internal research and development capabilities for novel multifunctional medicines,” Zymeworks says in a news release. “The FDA’s accelerated approval of Ziihera marks the culmination of more than a decade of research and development at Zymeworks, highlighting our deep scientific expertise in multifunctional biotherapeutics and unwavering commitment to innovation in drug development,” said Paul Moore, Zymeworks’ chief science officer. Ziihera is one of several variations of the bispecific antibody Zanidatamab that Zymeworks developed for treating various types of cancer, and one of three in the advanced “pivotal” trial phase. Several others are at phase 2 in clinical trials. In 2022, Zymeworks entered a licence and collaboration agreement with Jazz Pharmaceuticals Ireland Ltd -- a subsidiary of Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc -- for the exclusive development and commercialization rights to Zanidatamab in the U.S., Europe, Japan and other countries. A study published last year in The Lancet concluded that Zanidatamab “demonstrated meaningful clinical benefit with a manageable safety profile in patients with treatment-refractory, HER2-positive biliary tract cancer.” [email protected] twitter.com/nbennett_bivGophers football adds Nebraska wideout Malachi Coleman via portal

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved Ameren Illinois’ refiled multi-year grid plan (2024-2027) with modifications. The Commission approved $83 million in investments and system improvements needed to strengthen power grid reliability and support the ongoing electrification of the state’s power system. The decision cut the utility’s proposed $333 million in spending by approximately 75 percent. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) required the state’s largest investor-owned electric utilities to file grid plans designed to accelerate progress toward Illinois’ clean energy goals and hold electric companies accountable for their performance. “After extensive review, the Commission is confident that both Ameren and ComEd have the tools necessary to make needed investments to drive the clean energy transition and continue modernizing Illinois’ electric grid. These plans are a key component to meeting the goals of CEJA and represent significant improvement in meeting its requirements,” said ICC Chairman Doug Scott. “The investments approved today will deliver significant benefits to the utilities’ customers in an affordable, cost-effective manner.” Ameren was required to refile its grid plan earlier this year after the ICC rejected the utility’s initial proposal in 2023, finding the original plan failed to comply with several consumer affordability and cost effectiveness components of CEJA. “Grid planning is not a one-time task. It is a dynamic, iterative process that will require continued refinement and adaptation in future grid plans,” said ICC Commissioner Stacey Paradis. “The grid of the future will be shaped by emerging technologies, evolving regulatory review, and changing energy demands. To meet these challenges, the utilities, ICC staff, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders must continue to work together.” Ameren’s grid plan is consolidated with its multi-year rate plan (2024-2027) to determine which system maintenance and upgrade costs can be passed on to ratepayers at a reasonable cost. In accordance with the Public Utilities Act, these costs are only recoverable if the utility demonstrates they are reasonable and prudent. The ICC’s decision reduced Ameren’s rate increase request by 7 percent for an overall increase of $309 million. It also approves a 8.715 percent return on equity (ROE) for the company, down from Ameren’s requested 9.27 percent ROE. The impact of the decision on individual customers will vary based on service class and energy usage. The ICC has issued its decision after closely scrutinizing Ameren’s refiled grid plan and additional materials submitted by the utility, ICC staff, and various intervenors over a nine-month legal proceeding, as well as multiple stakeholder workshops. Ameren was required by CEJA to conduct a robust, transparent stakeholder process in the design of its grid plan. In preparation for its refiled plan, the utility conducted over 30 hours of discussions with 15 different stakeholder organizations via various sessions and one-on-one discussions. More information regarding Ameren’s multi-year integrated grid plan can be found in Dockets No. 22- 0487/24-0238.Azerbaijani and US officials believe a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the deadly crash of an Azerbaijani passenger jet, media reports and a US official said Thursday, as the Kremlin cautioned against "hypotheses" over the disaster. The Azerbaijan Airlines jet crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau, an oil and gas hub, on Wednesday after going off course for undetermined reasons. Thirty-eight of the 67 people on board died. The Embraer 190 aircraft was supposed to fly northwest from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to the city of Grozny in Chechnya, southern Russia, but instead diverted far off course across the Caspian Sea. An investigation is underway, with pro-government Azerbaijani website Caliber citing unnamed officials as saying they believed a Russian missile fired from a Pantsir-S air defence system downed the plane. The claim was also reported by The New York Times, broadcaster Euronews and the Turkish news agency Anadolu. Some aviation and military experts said the plane might have been accidentally shot by Russian air defence systems because it was flying in an area where Ukrainian drone activity had been reported. A former expert at France's BEA air accident investigation agency said there appeared to be "a lot of shrapnel" damage on the wreckage. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said the damage was "reminiscent" of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was downed with a surface-to-air missile by Russia-backed rebels over eastern Ukraine in 2014. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "It would be wrong to make any hypotheses before the investigation's conclusions." Euronews cited Azerbaijani government sources as saying that "shrapnel hit the passengers and cabin crew as it exploded next to the aircraft mid-flight". A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said early indications suggested a Russian anti-aircraft system struck the plane. Kazakhstan news agency Kazinform cited a regional prosecutor as saying that two black-box flight recorders had been recovered. Azerbaijan Airlines initially said the plane flew through a flock of birds, before withdrawing the statement. Kazakh officials said 38 people had been killed and there were 29 survivors, including three children. Jalil Aliyev, the father of flight attendant Hokume Aliyeva, told AFP that this was supposed to have been her last flight before starting a job as a lawyer for the airline. "Why did her young life have to end so tragically?" the man said in a trembling voice before hanging up the phone. Eleven of the injured are in intensive care, the Kazakh health ministry said. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared Thursday a day of mourning and cancelled a planned visit to Russia for an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a grouping of former Soviet nations. "I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the crash... and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," Aliyev said in a social media post Wednesday. The Flight Radar website showed the plane deviating from its normal route, crossing the Caspian Sea and then circling over the area where it eventually crashed near Aktau, on the eastern shore of the sea. Kazakhstan said the plane was carrying 37 Azerbaijani passengers, six Kazakhs, three Kyrgyz and 16 Russians. A Kazakh woman told the local branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) she was near where the plane crashed and rushed to the site to help survivors. "They were covered in blood. They were crying. They were calling for help," said the woman, who gave her name as Elmira. She said they saved some teenagers. "I'll never forget their look, full of pain and despair," said Elmira. "A girl pleaded: 'Save my mother, my mother is back there'." Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with Aliyev and "expressed his condolences in connection with the crash", Peskov told a news conference. bur/rlp/js

AP Trending SummaryBrief at 5:17 p.m. EST

Shares of Surf Air Mobility Inc. (SRFM) surged as much as 7% in morning trade on Friday to hit an eight-month high of $6.41, building on its gain of 56% during the previous session that helped the stock make up for some of its year-to-date decline. The stock reversed most of its gains, trading 0.36% lower in mid-day trade on Friday. The uptick in Surf Air Mobility’s shares comes after the company announced that its board members purchased stock from the open market. If the stock had maintained its gains, it would have pared its year-to-date decline to under 50% — most of this fall came in April, when the stock fell by over 40% after the company received a notice of possible delisting from the New York Stock Exchange. Surf Air Mobility’s chairman, Carl Albert, purchased 14,500 shares, while co-founder and board member Sudhin Shahani purchased 17,237 shares. The aggregate transaction is valued at approximately $110,000. “We have near and midterm goals to increase value for our shareholders. We are firmly and financially committed to successful execution of our Transformation Plan,” said Albert. Retail traders on Stocktwits expressed optimism about Surf Air Mobility’s turnaround plan, which includes securing a $50 million term loan. The company expects to become profitable in 2025. The stock purchase by board members indicates the confidence insiders have in the company’s four-phase transformation plan. While some retail traders remained confident about the stock’s long-term prospects, others may now regret not taking profits when they had the chance earlier in the day. Surf Air Mobility, a Los Angeles-based regional air mobility service, currently operates Cessna Caravan aircraft, which have a range of a little over 1,200 miles, with a top speed of 213 miles per hour. The company is also developing an AI-powered airline software operating system. It also has electric powertrain technology that is currently in the process of being certified. Surf Air Mobility’s shares have declined by 44% year-to-date. For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.<

AP News Summary at 1:24 p.m. ESTSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suffered a sprained wrist but was not otherwise seriously injured after falling following a weekly lunch gathering with his colleagues, his office said Tuesday. “Leader McConnell tripped following lunch. He sustained a minor cut to the face and sprained his wrist. He has been cleared to resume his schedule,” according to the statement. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said McConnell’s fall happened after he left the lunch and was going through a Senate reception room. He said McConnell had a cut to his face but was able to make it to his office without assistance. At a weekly press conference not long after McConnell’s fall, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) gave an update on the Kentucky Republican, saying, “He is fine. He’s in his office.” Don't let this be the end of the free press. The free press is under attack — and America's future hangs in the balance. As other newsrooms bow to political pressure, HuffPost is not backing down. Would you help us keep our news free for all? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. McConnell, who will turn 83 in February, has had a history of health issues. He decided not to run again for party leader after suffering two public freezes at weekly press conferences in 2023. Thune will replace him as head of the Senate GOP. McConnell also had a concussion and broken ribs after he fell at a fundraising dinner last year . After the first freeze up, McConnell joked he had been “sandbagged,” a reference to President Joe Biden blaming an ill-placed sandbag on stage for a public fall after a speech in June 2023. In his second freezing episode, a spokesman said McConnell paused after feeling “momentarily lightheaded.” While McConnell will no longer be the top-ranking Republican in the Senate in 2025, a post he held since 2007, he will still be influential as the chair of the subcommittee that deals with annual defense spending. Related From Our PartnerCarlsquare Advises Boomi on Acquisition of Data Integration Provider RiveryManhattan police have obtained a warrant for the arrest of 26-year-old Luigi Nicholas Mangione , suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, while carrying a gun, mask and writings linking him to the ambush. Mangione is being held without bail in Pennsylvania on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Late Monday, Manhattan prosecutors charged him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Here's the latest: That’s according to a spokesperson for the governor who said Gov. Hochul will do it as soon as possible. Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of a healthcare executive in New York City, apparently was living a charmed life: the grandson of a wealthy real estate developer, valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and with degrees from one of the nation’s top private universities. Friends at an exclusive co-living space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Hawaii where the 26-year-old Mangione once lived widely considered him a “great guy,” and pictures on his social media accounts show a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties. Now, investigators in New York and Pennsylvania are working to piece together why Mangione may have diverged from this path to make the violent and radical decision to gun down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen attack on a Manhattan street. The killing sparked widespread discussions about corporate greed, unfairness in the medical insurance industry and even inspired folk-hero sentiment toward his killer. ▶ Read more about Luigi Mangione Peter Weeks, the Blair County district attorney, says he’ll work with New York officials to try to return suspect Luigi Mangione there to face charges. Weeks said the New York charges are “more serious” than in Blair County. “We believe their charges take precedent,” Weeks said, promising to do what’s needed to accommodate New York’s prosecution first. Weeks spoke to reporters after a brief hearing at which a defense lawyer said Mangione will fight extradition. The defense asked for a hearing on the issue. In the meantime, Mangione will be detained at a state prison in western Pennsylvania. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said Tuesday it will seek a Governor’s warrant to secure Mangione’s extradition to Manhattan. Under state law, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul can issue a warrant of arrest demanding Mangione’s return to the state. Such a warrant must recite the facts necessary to the validity of its issuance and be sealed with the state seal. It would then be presented to law enforcement in Pennsylvania to expedite Mangione’s return to New York. But Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks says it won’t be a substantial barrier to returning Mangione to New York. He noted that defendants contest extradition “all the time,” including in simple retail theft cases. Dickey, his defense lawyer, questioned whether the second-degree murder charge filed in New York might be eligible for bail under Pennsylvania law, but prosecutors raised concerns about both public safety and Mangione being a potential flight risk, and the judge denied it. Mangione will continue to be housed at a state prison in Huntingdon. He has 14 days to challenge the detention. Prosecutors, meanwhile, have a month to seek a governor’s warrant out of New York. Mangione, wearing an orange jumpsuit, mostly stared straight ahead at the hearing, occasionally consulting papers, rocking in his chair, or looking back at the gallery. At one point, he began to speak to respond to the court discussion, but was quieted by his lawyer. Luigi Mangione, 26, has also been denied bail at a brief court hearing in western Pennsylvania. He has 14 days to challenge the bail decision. That’s with some intervention from owner Elon Musk. The account, which hasn’t posted since June, was briefly suspended by X. But after a user inquired about it in a post Monday, Musk responded “This happened without my knowledge. Looking into it.” The account was later reinstated. Other social media companies such as Meta have removed his accounts. According to X rules, the platform removes “any accounts maintained by individual perpetrators of terrorist, violent extremist, or mass violent attacks, as well as any accounts glorifying the perpetrator(s), or dedicated to sharing manifestos and/or third party links where related content is hosted.” Mangione is not accused of perpetrating a terrorist or mass attack — he has been charged with murder — and his account doesn’t appear to share any writings about the case. He shouted something that was partly unintelligible, but referred to an “insult to the intelligence of the American people.” He’s there for an arraignment on local charges stemming from his arrest Monday. He was dressed in an orange jumpsuit as officers led him from a vehicle into the courthouse. Local defense lawyer Thomas Dickey is expected to represent the 26-year-old at a Tuesday afternoon hearing at the Blair County Courthouse. Dickey declined comment before the hearing. Mangione could have the Pennsylvania charges read aloud to him and may be asked to enter a plea. They include possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. In New York, he was charged late Monday with murder in the death of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione likely was motivated by his anger with what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain with corporate greed, said a a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s hand-written notes and social media postings. He appeared to view the targeted killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as a symbolic takedown, asserting in his note that he is the “first to face it with such brutal honesty,” the bulletin said. Mangione called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski a “political revolutionary” and may have found inspiration from the man who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology, the document said. A felony warrant filed in New York cites Altoona Officer Christy Wasser as saying she found the writings along with a semi-automatic pistol and an apparent silencer. The filing echoes earlier statements from NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny who said Mangione had a three-page, handwritten document that shows “some ill will toward corporate America.” Mangione is now charged in Pennsylvania with being a fugitive of justice. A customer at the McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mangione was arrested said one of his friends had commented beforehand that the man looked like the suspect wanted for the shooting in New York City. “It started out almost a little bit like a joke, my one friend thought he looked like the shooter,” said the customer, who declined to give his full name, on Tuesday. “It wasn’t really a joke, but we laughed about it,” he added. The warrant on murder and other charges is a step that could help expedite his extradition from Pennsylvania. In court papers made public Tuesday, a New York City police detective reiterated key findings in the investigation he said tied Mangione to the killing, including surveillance footage and a fake ID he used to check into a Manhattan hostel on Nov. 24. Police officers in Altoona, Pennsylvania, found that ID when they arrested Mangione on Monday. Mangione is being held without bail in Pennsylvania on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Late Monday, Manhattan prosecutors charged him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Mangione doesn’t yet have a lawyer who can speak on his behalf, court officials said. Images of Mangione released Tuesday by Pennsylvania State Police showed him pulling down his mask in the corner of the McDonald’s while holding what appeared to be hash browns and wearing a winter jacket and ski cap. In another photo from a holding cell, he stood unsmiling with rumpled hair. Mangione’s cousin, Maryland lawmaker Nino Mangione, announced Tuesday morning that he’s postponing a fundraiser planned later this week at the Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore, which was purchased by the Mangione family in 1986. “Because of the nature of this terrible situation involving my Cousin I do not believe it is appropriate to hold my fundraising event scheduled for this Thursday at Hayfields,” Nino Mangione said in a social media post. “I want to thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support. My family and I are heartbroken and ask that you remember the family of Mr. Thompson in your prayers. Thank you.” Officers used New York City’s muscular surveillance system . Investigators analyzed DNA samples, fingerprints and internet addresses. Police went door to door looking for witnesses. When an arrest came five days later , those sprawling investigative efforts shared credit with an alert civilian’s instincts. A customer at a McDonald’s restaurant in Pennsylvania noticed another patron who resembled the man in the oblique security-camera photos New York police had publicized. He remains jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was initially charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. By late Monday evening, prosecutors in Manhattan had added a charge of murder, according to an online court docket. It’s unclear whether Luigi Nicholas Mangione has an attorney who can comment on the allegations. Asked at Monday’s arraignment whether he needed a public defender, Mangione asked whether he could “answer that at a future date.”

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India’s rail and road expansion isn’t just paving highways—it’s building economic expressways. Think of a developing nation as a moving train or a speeding car. Without solid tracks or smooth roads, the journey is bound to be bumpy, inefficient, and slow. For India, the story of progress is being rewritten with stronger rails and broader highways, ensuring this journey is seamless and swift. A strong network of roads and railways isn’t just about moving people and goods; it’s the engine driving economic growth and connectivity. India’s government recognises this and is accelerating efforts to create a world-class transportation infrastructure. In August, the Union Cabinet approved eight ambitious railway projects to enhance connectivity in eastern states with an investment of 246.6 billion. In November, the Cabinet approved three major multitracking projects across Indian Railways, totalling an investment of 79.3 billion. On the roads front, India’s Vision 2047 policy (becoming a developed nation by 2047) aims to stretch the national highways network to over 200,000 km by 2037, with high-speed, access-controlled highways at its core. These roads will not only cut travel time but also drastically reduce road accidents, aligning India with global standards of logistics efficiency. As India accelerates its journey toward world-class rail and road infrastructure, certain companies stand out as key players in this transformation. Their established presence, proven track record, and robust order books position them to take on the monumental projects driving this expansion. Let’s delve into three specific stocks that are at the forefront of this growth. With their strong foundation and capacity to handle large-scale projects, these companies are uniquely poised to capitalise on the massive opportunities in rail and road development. L&T has cemented its position as a leading player in India’s road and railway infrastructure sectors. With a diverse portfolio that includes metro projects, expressways, and rail systems, L&T brings both scale and technical expertise to the table. According to its latest earnings call for the fiscal second quarter (July-September), L&T reported a record order book of about 5.1 trillion, with 67% stemming from infrastructure projects. L&T’s transportation infrastructure segment has demonstrated robust execution, with recent projects including portions of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail and multiple elevated corridors aimed at urban decongestion. The railways segment continues to be a strategic focus for L&T, particularly with its participation in dedicated freight corridors and metro rail projects. The company is heavily involved in the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors, projects expected to streamline freight operations and reduce logistics costs. According to its integrated annual report for FY24, L&T’s expertise in executing rail electrification and complex track systems places it in a strong position to benefit from increased government allocations under Vision 2047. On the road infrastructure front, L&T has been instrumental in constructing expressways and smart highways, including projects like the Meerut-Aligarh-Ghaziabad corridor. These initiatives align with the government’s plan to expand the national highway network. Additionally, L&T’s projects increasingly incorporate smart technology such as digital monitoring systems, which enhance efficiency and safety. L&T’s construction and mining machinery business is also expected to see significant growth. According to Arvind K. Garg, senior vice president, the segment is projected to grow by 20% in 2025-26 and double its sales over the next five years. This growth is supported by new product launches like the Komatsu PC35 mini excavator and increased investments in after-sales service capabilities. In parallel, L&T is diversifying into the aerospace and space sectors. The company is leveraging its 50-year relationship with the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to expand into manufacturing launch vehicles and satellites. As per its Q2 disclosures, L&T is part of a consortium with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to manufacture the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The first launch, expected in 2025, will mark a significant milestone as India opens its space sector to private firms. For investors, L&T’s integrated approach across sectors, coupled with its focus on high-margin projects and technological advancements, positions it as a resilient and forward-looking choice. Its diversified order book, strong execution capabilities, and alignment with government infrastructure initiatives make it a standout player in India’s growth narrative. L&T’s current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio stands at 36.8, significantly higher than that of other infrastructure companies. This elevated valuation suggests that the market is pricing in a strong growth trajectory and the company’s ability to maintain consistent profitability. However, the modest 2.6% rise in its share price over the past year indicates that the optimism embedded in its P/E ratio has not translated into immediate stock market gains. This time correction perhaps makes it a stock to watch for 2025. GR Infraprojects Ltd has built a strong reputation in the infrastructure space with its expertise in constructing national highways, expressways, and bridges, as well as its growing presence in railway projects, including rail overbridges and track-laying contracts. Its strategic expansion into both sectors reflects its capability to deliver integrated transport solutions, positioning it as a key player in India’s infrastructure development drive. GR Infraprojects continues to strengthen its role as a key player in India’s infrastructure development, contributing significantly to roads, railways, and power transmission. The company’s diversified portfolio demonstrates its strategic approach to capturing opportunities in these high-growth sectors. As of September, the company reported an order book of 20,680 crore, with 13,300 crore allocated for ongoing execution and 4,130 crore awaiting appointed dates. GR Infraprojects highlights progress across several projects, including highway engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), and hybrid annuity model (HAM) projects. The company has also advanced metro and rail connectivity projects, which it sees as crucial for enhancing urban mobility and freight efficiency across states. It has also strategically diversified into the power transmission sector, aligning with India’s target of achieving 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. In September, GRIL raised 1,670 crore through Standard Chartered Bank to fund its greenfield power transmission projects. GRIL’s FY24 annual report highlights its long-term plans in power transmission, aiming to build a resilient network that supports the nation’s renewable energy goals. The company has successfully delivered other transmission projects within budget and on schedule, reinforcing its reputation in this emerging vertical. GR Infraproject’s strategic presence in roads, railways, and power transmission positions it as a key beneficiary of India’s infrastructure and renewable energy ambitions. Its ability to execute complex projects across multiple domains, its financial discipline, and proven track record make it an interesting candidate to watch out during India’s road and railway expansion boom. GR Infraprojects’ stock has rallied moderately over the past year, gaining 28.3%. While this reflects a healthy appreciation in its market value, its current price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 15.6 suggests that the stock remains reasonably valued compared to peers in the infrastructure sector. This PE level indicates that while the market acknowledges the company’s solid fundamentals it has yet to fully price in the GR Infraprojects’ long-term growth potential. The valuation offers room for potential share price upside, provided the company continues to execute effectively and leverage opportunities in its core and emerging sectors. Ircon International Ircon International is a prominent public sector undertaking with expertise in the railways and highways sectors, delivering large-scale and technologically advanced infrastructure projects. Founded in 1976 as a railway construction company, Ircon later diversified into highways and integrated projects, strengthening its multi-sectoral presence. According to its Q2 investor presentation, Ircon had an order book of 24,250 crore as of 30 September, with railways contributing 78% and roads 22%. This reflects the company’s focus on delivering large-scale, technologically advanced projects, including electrification, signalling, and track-laying for railways and highways, bridges, and tunnels in the road sector. Ircon’s FY24 annual report highlights the company’s long-term growth plans, which include diversifying into emerging sectors like renewable energy. Ircon is progressing with its 500 MW solar project, aiming to leverage its engineering expertise in the energy sector to enhance its revenue mix. Additionally, the company is expanding its international footprint cautiously, targeting stable markets while mitigating geopolitical risks. The annual report states that Ircon plans to double its turnover in the next five to six years by securing larger, more complex projects. Ircon’s strategy includes focusing on high-margin, niche projects such as tunnels and bridges, where competition is lower and operational margins remain steady. The company aims to secure 10,000-12,000 crore in new orders annually to align with the government’s infrastructure priorities under PM Gati Shakti and Vision 2047. Over the past year, Ircon’s stock has rallied moderately, posting a gain of 22.4%. Despite this growth, its current price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 21.4 suggests the stock is relatively fairly valued compared to its peers in the infrastructure sector. Conclusion , Warren Buffett famously remarked. That is precisely the case with India’s infrastructure boom, as investments in railways and highways are not just expenses but milestones marking a transformation in the country’s economic future. With a huge estimated outlay for railway projects and an ambitious plan to expand its road highways network, India is sowing the seeds for unparalleled connectivity and economic upliftment. Beyond the expansion plans, this marks a shift towards environmental sustainability and efficiency in transport. Reducing 322 million litres of oil imports and about 900,000 tonnes of carbon emissions through railway expansions is equivalent to the amount of environmental impact through the planting of 35 million trees. On the other hand, high-speed, access-controlled highways under Vision 2047 redefine logistics efficiency and safety as a comprehensive approach to infrastructure. For investors, the opportunity lies in identifying companies poised to harness this momentum. Firms like Larsen & Toubro, GR Infraprojects, and Ircon International represent a suggestive list of stocks that believes are well-positioned to grow, though this is not a conclusive or advisory recommendation. Whether these companies can continue to deliver at this high level will be a key determinant on how they perform in the stock market.10-man Botafogo wins its first Copa Libertadores title9 bit gaming 。

American actor John Stamos is thanking two Chilliwack drummers after he called on them to help him perfect a drum solo for a Beach Boys concert. Brandon Toews and Dylan Weightman of Chilliwack were down in Los Angeles collaborating with the famous actor and musician as he prepared for an upcoming performance. Stamos, lovingly known as Uncle Jesse from sitcom Full House, has been playing with the Beach Boys for 40 years. He said he wanted to rediscover his love of drumming and needed help with a new solo, so he contacted Drumeo, an Abbotsford-based music school where Toews is the content director and Weightman the vice president. But it wasn’t just a drum lesson, it was a video project as well. “Today we released one of the coolest videos we’ve ever worked on at Drumeo,” Toews wrote on social media on Nov. 29. “I’ve gotten to know John Stamos over the last year and after sending some videos back and forth, we decided it was time to work on a new video together.” Weightman and fellow Drumeo teammate Brandon Scott developed the video concept and brought it to life, Toews said. In Drumeo’s 25-minute YouTube video called ‘John Stamos learns a drum solo in 10 days,’ Toews is seen working with Stamos on the drums and breaking down what makes a great solo. Near the end of the video, Stamos pounds out a minute-long drum solo at the Beach Boys concert that Toews called a 10 out of 10. Stamos “crushed it,” Toews said. “This was an absolute dream project collaborating with John Stamos to tell the story of evolving his Beach Boys drum solo in tribute of (late Foo Fighters drummer) Taylor Hawkins," Weightman wrote on social media. Weightman called Stamos talented, generous and handsome. “It was cool just to work with John – the fact that he’s a wonderful human being was a total bonus,” Weightman said. Stamos returned the compliments “Back at ya, Dylan. Total pleasure. You’re extremely helpful and very talented good man. And I absolutely love the video.” At the end of the video, Stamos pulls Toews up on stage to play a few songs with the Beach Boys, which Toews was not expecting. "John's a beast, man. What an incredible solo and, as a teacher, how cool to see your student go up there and just destroy a drum solo like that," Toews said. "Well done, John. You're an animal."Vancouver Island First Nation whose ancestors met explorer Capt. Cook sue province

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Inner South Don't miss out on the headlines from Inner South . Followed categories will be added to My News. A Melbourne bodybuilder who competed at international level is suspected of running a major drug and roid racket. Blair Loveday, 55, fronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of MDMA. Mr Loveday, who was also charged with trafficking cocaine and ketamine, was allegedly caught at his Melbourne apartment with various drugs and cash on August 2 this year. Mr Loveday was allegedly arrested at his Melbourne apartment with drugs, testosterone, steroids and cash. Police alleged Mr Loveday, a former World Fitness Federation competitor, also trafficked testosterone and anabolic steroids. Mr Loveday, who was also charged with trafficking prescription drugs, was allegedly pinched with cocaine, MDMA and ketamine. Get the latest news straight to your inbox. Subscribe to the newsletters. Investigators also alleged Mr Loveday, who was charged with drug possession, was caught with $9050 cash and a silver Breitling watch suspected of being the proceeds of crime. Mr Loveday was also allegedly caught material used to deal drugs including a powder press, vial crimps, a heat gun and heat sealer, glass vials and beakers, labelling machine and printed labels, a funnel and scales. Melbourne Divisional Response Unit police also suspect Mr Loveday imported a marketable quantity of cocaine via Melbourne Airport on June 20 this year. Mr Loveday in a bodybuilding competition in 2004. Mr Loveday is a prolific competition bodybuilder who competed throughout Australia and overseas for more than two decades. Mr Loveday also claimed, via social media, to run bodybuilding competition promotion company ‘ProComp Thailand’. Mr Loveday was remanded to front court at a later date. More Coverage Slippery sex fiend blabbed suspect drug supplier to cops Paul Shapiro Glam ex real estate agent swept up in alleged steroid syndicate Paul Shapiro More related stories South East Traffick jam: Prolific Melbourne drug dealers unmasked A mum, a stripper, a kickboxer, a chiropractor, lovers and an ex-navy sailor are Melbourne’s most prolific drug dealers of 2024. Read more News Top rated Victorian childcare centres revealed The top rated and underperforming childcare centres across Victoria have been revealed. Search and see the list and watch our exclusive videos. Read more

What to know about suspect’s arrest

Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of a healthcare executive in New York City, apparently was living a charmed life: the grandson of a wealthy real estate developer, valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and with degrees from one of the nation's top private universities. Friends at an exclusive co-living space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Hawaii where the 26-year-old Mangione once lived widely considered him a “great guy,” and pictures on his social media accounts show a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties. Now, investigators in New York and Pennsylvania are working to piece together why Mangione may have diverged from this path to make the violent and radical decision to gun down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen attack on a Manhattan street. The killing sparked widespread discussions about corporate greed, unfairness in the medical insurance industry and even inspired folk-hero sentiment toward his killer. But Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sharply refuted that perception after Mangione's arrest on Monday when a customer at a McDonald's restaurant in Pennsylvania spotted Mangione eating and noticed he resembled the shooting suspect in security-camera photos released by New York police. “In some dark corners, this killer is being hailed as a hero. Hear me on this, he is no hero,” Shapiro said. “The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this morning.” Mangione comes from a prominent Maryland family. His grandfather, Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. The Mangione family also purchased Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore in 1986. On Monday, Baltimore County police officers blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to Luigi Mangione’s parents. Reporters and photographers gathered outside the entrance. The father of 10 children, Nick Mangione prepared his five sons — including Luigi Mangione’s father, Louis Mangione — to help manage the family business, according to a 2003 Washington Post report. Nick Mangione had 37 grandchildren, including Luigi, according to the grandfather's obituary. Luigi Mangione’s grandparents donated to charities through the Mangione Family Foundation, according to a statement from Loyola University commemorating Nick Mangione’s wife’s death in 2023. They donated to various causes, including Catholic organizations, colleges and the arts. One of Luigi Mangione’s cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione, a spokesman for the lawmaker’s office confirmed. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media by Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” Mangione, who was valedictorian of his elite Maryland prep school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a university spokesman told The Associated Press. He learned to code in high school and helped start a club at Penn for people interested in gaming and game design, according to a 2018 story in Penn Today, a campus publication. His social media posts suggest he belonged to the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. They also show him taking part in a 2019 program at Stanford University, and in photos with family and friends at the Jersey Shore and in Hawaii, San Diego, Puerto Rico, and other destinations. The Gilman School, from which Mangione graduated in 2016, is one of Baltimore’s elite prep schools. The children of some of the city’s wealthiest and most prominent residents, including Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., have attended the school. Its alumni include sportswriter Frank Deford and former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington. In his valedictory speech, Luigi Mangione described his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things.” Mangione took a software programming internship after high school at Maryland-based video game studio Firaxis, where he fixed bugs on the hit strategy game Civilization 6, according to a LinkedIn profile. Firaxis' parent company, Take-Two Interactive, said it would not comment on former employees. He more recently worked at the car-buying website TrueCar, but has not worked there since 2023, the head of the Santa Monica, California-based company confirmed to the AP. From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. “There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, including surfing, Ryan said. “He went surfing with R.J. once but it didn’t work out because of his back,” Ryan said, but noted that Mangione and Martin often went together to a rock-climbing gym. Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. An image posted to a social media account linked to Mangione showed what appeared to be an X-ray of a metal rod and multiple screws inserted into someone's lower spine. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. An X account linked to Mangione includes recent posts about the negative impact of smartphones on children; healthy eating and exercise habits; psychological theories; and a quote from Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti about the dangers of becoming “well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” Mangione likely was motivated by his anger at what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by AP. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s handwritten notes and social media posts. He appeared to view the targeted killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as a symbolic takedown, asserting in his note that he is the “first to face it with such brutal honesty,” the bulletin said. Mangione called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski a “political revolutionary” and may have found inspiration from the man who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology, the document said. Associated Press reporters Lea Skene in Baltimore; Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu; Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; and Michael Kunzelman in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.DU's proposal to introduce four value addition courses on Bhagavad Gita draws flak

American and European stock markets mostly rose on Wednesday after inflation data cemented expectations that the US Federal Reserve will trim interest rates next month. While the Dow fell slightly, the other two major US indices advanced, led by the tech-rich Nasdaq, which piled on almost two percent to close above 20,000 points for the first time. The consumer price index (CPI) rose to 2.7 percent last month from a year ago, up slightly from 2.6 percent in October. "With the CPI numbers broadly in line, it is likely that the Fed will not be derailed and will cut rates again next week," Jochen Stanzl, chief market analyst at CMC Markets. "The data is not a showstopper for the current bull run on Wall Street," he added. Ahead of the data, investors priced in an 86 percent chance the Fed will cut interest rates next week by a quarter percentage point. That rose to more than 98 percent after the CPI data was published. Stocks in Paris and Frankfurt rose ahead of the European Central Bank's own interest rate announcement on Thursday, with analysts expecting another cut as it seeks to boost eurozone growth. Investors are also eyeing political developments in France, where officials said President Emmanuel Macron aims to name a new prime minister "within 48 hours" as he seeks to end political deadlock following the ouster of Michel Barnier. In company news, shares in German retail giant Zalando shed more than four percent on Frankfurt's DAX index, after it acquired domestic rival About You in a deal worth around 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion). Shares in Zara owner Inditex slid more than six percent after a record quarterly profit for the group fell short of market estimates. Among US companies, Google parent Alphabet earned 5.5 percent as it announced the launch of Gemini 2.0, its most advanced artificial intelligence model to date. That added to gains after Google also announced Tuesday details of a breakthrough quantum chip. Shares in Shanghai rose but Hong Kong gave up an early rally to end in the red. Traders were keeping tabs on China to see if it will announce further measures to support its struggling economy as leaders were to gather Wednesday for a conference to hammer out next year's agenda. President Xi Jinping and other top leaders on Monday announced their first major shift in policy for more than a decade, saying they would "implement a more active fiscal policy and an appropriately relaxed" strategy. Those remarks sparked hopes for more interest rate cuts and the freeing up of more cash for lending. New York - Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 44,148.56 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.8 percent at 6,084.19 (close) New York - Nasdaq Composite: UP 1.8 percent at 20,034.89 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 8,301.62 (close) Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.4 percent at 7,423.40 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.3 percent at 20,399.16 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: FLAT at 39,372.23 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.8 percent at 20,155.05 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.3 percent at 3,432.49 (close) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0498 from $1.0527 on Tuesday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2752 from $1.2771 Dollar/yen: UP at 152.40 yen from 151.95 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 82.31 from 82.42 pence Brent North Sea Crude: UP 1.8 percent at $73.52 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.4 percent at $70.29 per barrel burs-jmb/mlm

Hennessy Advisors, Inc. Announces Listing Transfer for the Hennessy Stance ESG ETF (STNC) to The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Hurley, No. 2 UConn Upset by Hardaway, Memphis at Maui Invitational; CBB Fans Stunned‘Fight, fight, fight’: Trump markets the smell of victory

Trump nominates Kash Patel to serve as FBI director

9 cloud gaming In conclusion, the future looks bright for Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, with the latest update heralding a new era of enhanced visuals and performance optimization. Whether you're a veteran Space Marine or a newcomer to the series, there has never been a better time to dive into the action-packed world of Warhammer 40K and experience the thrill of battle like never before.At the heart of "Miaoge" lies its innovative gameplay mechanics, which blend rhythm-based challenges with puzzle-solving elements in a seamless and engaging way. As players progress through the game, they are tasked with mastering a diverse range of songs and melodies, each imbued with hidden meanings and ancient wisdom. By chanting these songs in rhythm with the game's challenges, players unlock new pathways, reveal hidden secrets, and ultimately unleash the power of music to change the course of destiny.

The beloved actor known for roles in "The Golden Girls," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Boston Legal" and others will be on a 2025 Forever stamp, USPS announced this past week. White died in late December 2021 , less than three weeks before her 100th birthday. The Postal Service hasn't announced a release date for the stamp. “An icon of American television, Betty White (1922–2021) shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades,” the Postal Service said in announcing the stamp, which depicts a smiling White based on a 2010 photograph by celebrity photographer Kwaku Alston . “The comedic actor, who gained younger generations of fans as she entered her 90s, was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals.” Boston-based artist Dale Stephanos created the digital illustration from Alston's photo. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack "I'd love to send a letter back to my 18-year-old self with this stamp on it and tell him that everything is going to be OK," Stephanos posted on Facebook . Regardless of personal politics, self-proclaimed supporters of Republican President-elect Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris reacted with delight on social media. "Betty White was my hero, all of my life! I actually had a doll when I was a little girl I named Betty White," one Trump supporter posted on X , formerly Twitter. “Something to make this awful week a little better: We’re getting a Betty White stamp,” a pro-Harris X account posted. White combined a wholesome image with a flare for bawdy jokes . Her television career began in the early 1950s and exploded as she aged. “The only SNL host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the after party," Seth Meyers posted on Twitter after her death. "A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed til the bitter end.”

Meanwhile, reports from Spain suggest that Real Madrid are monitoring the situation at Manchester United closely, with particular interest in right-back Diogo Dalot. The Portuguese defender, who joined United from Porto in 2018, has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter and has been linked with a move away from the club.Ultimately, the coach's strategy of encouraging Liu Chuanxing to play more aggressively to improve the team's defense and rebounding demonstrates a keen understanding of the game and a commitment to continuous improvement. By challenging key players like Liu to elevate their game and embrace new challenges, the head coach is setting the stage for the team to reach its full potential and achieve success on the basketball court.

NoneIn response to the backlash, representatives from The Game Awards have defended the selection process, emphasizing the diverse range of games represented among the finalists. They have pointed to the popularity of gacha games within the gaming community and the player votes that determined the finalists for the TGA Players' Voice award.

Liu Yuning, known for her versatility and captivating performances on the silver screen, was seen hurriedly rushing into the hospital with a small group of companions. The urgency and secrecy surrounding her late-night visit have left many questioning the reason behind her sudden and discreet hospital trip.

Yagi Studio/DigitalVision via Getty Images The Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF ( NYSEARCA: AVUV ) is one of the best-performing U.S. value ETFs in the market, significantly outperforming small-cap and value benchmarks, and even slightly outperforming the S&P 500. Performance has ramped up as At the CEF/ETF Income Laboratory , we manage closed-end fund (CEF) and exchange-traded fund (ETF) portfolios targeting safe and reliable ~8% yields to make income investing easy for you. Check out what our members have to say about our service. To see all that our exclusive membership has to offer, sign up for a free trial by clicking on the button below! Juan de la Hoz has worked as a fixed income trader, financial analyst, operations analyst, and as an economics professor. He has experience analyzing, trading, and negotiating fixed-income securities, including bonds, money markets, and interbank trade financing, across markets and currencies. He focuses on dividend, bond, and income funds, with a strong focus on ETFs. Juan is a contributor to the investing group CEF/ETF Income Laboratory which is led by Stanford Chemist. Features of the service include: managed income portfolios (targeting safe and reliable ~8% yields) making use of high-yield opportunities in the CEF and ETF fund space. These are geared toward both active and passive investors of all experience levels. The vast majority of CEF/ETF Income Laboratory holdings are also monthly-payers, for faster compounding and steady income streams. Other features include 24/7 chat, and trade alerts. Learn More . Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Andrej Stojakovic converted 11 of 15 from the free throw line and scored 20 points as California held off a late rally to post an 83-77 win over Sacramento State in the Cal Classic tournament on Sunday. Cal came into its tournament without three starters, Jovan Blacksher Jr., DJ Campbell and BJ Omot and the Golden Bears earned back-to-back wins over Air Force and the Hornets. Stojakovic scored a career-high 21 points and freshman guard Jeremiah Wilkinson stepped up with career-best 23 points against the Falcons. Against Sacramento State, Wilkinson came off the bench to score 16 points. Sacramento State took an early 12-7 lead after Emil Skytta hit a pair of free throws five minutes into the game, but Wilkinson hit back-to-back buckets and Stojakovic drew a foul on a three-point attempt and hit all three foul shots to take a 14-12 lead and the Bears pulled away to take a 40-33 lead at intermission. Julian Vaughns knocked down a trey three minutes into the second half to pull Sacramento State even at 43 and his free throw put the Hornets in front. Ryan Petraitis and Wilkinson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Cal up 51-47 and the Bears never trailed the rest of the way. Petraitis finished with 13 points, five assists and three steals for Cal (5-1). Joshua Ola-Joseph and Mady Sissoko each added 10 points. Jacob Holt scored 25 points with eight rebounds, two assists and a steal to lead Sacramento State (1-4). Vaughns scored 18 points and EJ Neal added 16. The game was just the third meeting between schools separated by roughly 80 miles, and first since 1992. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballIn the realm of black and white noir films, gangster movies have always held a special place in the hearts of cinephiles. The gritty underworld, the conflicted characters, and the intricate web of alliances and betrayals have fascinated audiences for decades. Among the timeless classics in this genre is "Four Seas Brothers," a film that has now been reimagined with a fresh approach to storytelling.

Is Dylan About To Cake Walk to a Win in ‘The Great British Baking Show’ Finale?Titans vs. Texans Predictions & Picks: Odds, Moneyline, Spread – Week 12

With only a few days left until the premiere, anticipation is at an all-time high. Fans are eager to see how the clash between Hunter 1 and Hunter 2 will play out, and many are preparing for an episode that promises to be unforgettable.

Renowned filmmaker Zhang Yimou has once again captivated audiences with his latest masterpiece, "The Goddess: Sophie Marceau is the Heart of My Muse – The Power of Film Beyond Borders." This film not only showcases the exceptional talents of the legendary French actress Sophie Marceau but also demonstrates the profound impact of cinema in transcending cultural boundaries.Percentages: FG .426, FT .667. 3-Point Goals: 3-13, .231 (Carmody 1-2, Fouts 1-2, Jones 1-3, Dancler 0-1, Owens 0-2, Mosquera 0-3). Team Rebounds: 0. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: None. Turnovers: 14 (Carmody 5, Dancler 4, Fouts 2, Koroma, Owens, Tekin). Steals: 10 (Fouts 3, Owens 2, Tekin 2, Carmody, Dancler, Koroma). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .574, FT .591. 3-Point Goals: 7-15, .467 (Dennis 3-5, Parker 1-1, Potter 1-2, Roberts 1-2, Dease 1-3, Walker 0-2). Team Rebounds: 3. Team Turnovers: 2. Blocked Shots: 2 (I.Williams, Jackson). Turnovers: 13 (Clark 2, I.Williams 2, Jackson 2, Potter 2, S.Williams 2, Dennis, Roberts, Torbor). Steals: 8 (Dennis 2, Walker 2, Dease, Parker, S.Williams, Torbor). Technical Fouls: None. A_881 (2,000).

One of the highlights of the event was the presentation by representatives from the U.S. Weir Data School, who shared insights into their innovative educational approach and the benefits of international collaboration in preparing students for an increasingly interconnected world. The signing ceremony of the strategic cooperation agreement between Garden International High School and Weir Data School was met with great excitement and anticipation, symbolizing a new chapter of academic excellence and cultural exchange for both institutions.Mark Scullion was just a young boy when he first heard Philomena’s unique voice. Throughout the years, he’s seen her in concert many times and has passed down his love for her music to his children – including his famous daughter Brooke Scullion. Mark first came across Philomena when he was around seven years old. “I remember when I was a kid, a popular radio station was Big T’s Downtown. They used to have the charts on a Sunday,” he says. One day, the station played Once Around The Dancefloor , which transfixed a young Mark. This remains his favourite Philomena song. Mark’s family also had great time for Philomena, with Mark’s aunt Mary giving him a thoughtful gift. “Aunt Mary was a special person and I loved her very much. She used to buy me presents, that year she asked me what I wanted and I told her I loved Philomena Begley. She bought me one of her records. I was delighted. I played it until it was almost mute [laughs].” Read more: Mike Denver on balancing country music and life with wife Liz and daughter Mia: 'It’s routine for us' Read more: Shawn Cuddy celebrates 35 years in country music with special family photoshoot at home A family friend, who played in a showband and had worked with Philomena, heard Mark was a huge fan. He rang Philomena from Mark’s house and she chatted to the youngster, giving him her number and telling him to ring anytime he wanted. “I rang a couple of times a year. Her mother answered the phone, she told me what she was up to, what concerts she was performing at and where she was travelling to. It was so innocent and lovely.” The first Philomena album Mark owned was Truck Drivin’ Woman , but his favourite is Queen Of The Silver Dollar because it brought American country music to an Irish audience. “There are six songs on each side of that album, I could play each of them and remember where I was when I heard them, they remind me of my childhood.” After school, Mark used to head to Kearney’s, a local electrical store, who stocked a small selection of LPs. The staff used to order in Philomena’s music for Mark. “You can appreciate that in the 70s there wasn’t a pile of money about. I used to collect mineral bottles and sell them, then I paid a weekly deposit to Kearney’s and once that was paid off, I could take the record home.” Mark finally got to meet his idol one night in Cookstown after his siblings brought him along to a dance. “I was the only child in the place, but I was very grateful I got to meet her in person.” Philomena asked Mark to pick out the outfit she would wear on stage, as well as taking a picture with him and signing it. When Mark got older, his music tastes changed and he became interested in pop and rock music, but he never lost touch with Philomena. After he got married in his 20s, he started going back to dances, where Philomena would often perform. Mark passed on his love for her music to his children and grandchildren. His daughter Brooke is a well-known singer who appeared on The Voice , represented Ireland in the 2022 Eurovision and appeared on last year’s Dancing With The Stars . Mark used to play Philomena’s music at home and his children would dance around the house to her songs, and he often took them to see her in concert. “Philomena has always been so supportive of Brooke with regards to everything she’s done,” Mark adds. “When Brooke was chosen for the Eurovision, Philomena was the first person to ring me and she told Brooke how proud she was, wishing her every success and telling her to let her know if there was anything she could do for her.” Mark even got an opportunity to accompany Philomena to Nashville a few years ago. “She was doing a few gigs and it wasn’t something I was going to miss. It was amazing to see her in that environment, where she had connected with legends like Billie Jo Spears and Tammy Wynette.” Mark says one of the things he loves most about Philomena’s music is her voice. “It’s homely, it brings me back to a happy place. A lot of people have similar memories. People met their partners at her dances and got married to her music.” Philomena’s music has stood the test of time, according to Mark, as she still has young fans today. “They connect with her on a different level as their parents listened to her music. She’s had a long career and there’s not many people on the island of Ireland who don’t know who Philomena is.”

In response to the backlash, representatives from The Game Awards have defended the selection process, emphasizing the diverse range of games represented among the finalists. They have pointed to the popularity of gacha games within the gaming community and the player votes that determined the finalists for the TGA Players' Voice award.

As the new competitive season of Overwatch approaches, the official Overwatch team recently conducted a survey to gauge players' anticipation and expectations for the upcoming season. The survey, which was shared on various social media platforms and forums, received an overwhelming response from the community, with players expressing a wide range of opinions and hopes for what the new season will bring.

Online space for teens needed despite social media ban

9 inch gaming tablet GOP Armed Services chair criticizes ban on gender-affirming care for minors in NDAA

New Covent Garden fruit and veg sellers have no time for Gregg Wallace, who went bust owing lots of them cash By LES ROOPANARINE Published: 13:14, 7 December 2024 | Updated: 13:17, 7 December 2024 e-mail View comments As Gregg Wallace rose to fame, his background as a former Covent Garden market trader, a 'blue-collar boy' made good, became his stock in trade. But as the MasterChef presenter marshalled his Cockney charms to create an appealing TV persona - 'the fat, bald bloke off the telly who likes pudding', as he once styled himself - the market traders he once worked alongside were left counting the cost of his success. A former manager at George Allan’s Greengrocers, the company Wallace founded in 1989 and built into a business with a £7.5 million turnover, has revealed that the 60-year-old left behind £1.5 million in debt - and a host of disgruntled ex-colleagues - when the firm went under in 2000. 'I worked with him for 20 years,' Paul Schofield, who managed George Allan's until 1999, told The Times . 'He got more involved in radio and then TV, and took his eyes off the ball. He saw the future in TV rather than this, and the rest is history. 'He owed about £1.5 million. Of course [people were angry], they’d probably get 10p in the pound at the creditor’s meeting, a cup of tea and a Rich Tea biscuit.' For Wallace, who stepped away from MasterChef last week amid accusations of 'highly inappropriate' comments and behaviour, the company's early success laid the foundations for a champagne lifestyle far removed from his humble upbringing in Peckham, south-east London . But while he quaffed Cristal and Krug and put his (now adult) children, Tom and Libby, through private school, many of the workers he employed were saddled with debts running into the tens of thousands. Market traders interviewed by the Times, some of whom had worked with Wallace for decades, described how they were left out in the cold when George Allan’s went under - quite literally in the case of employees who turned up for work one day only to find the business shuttered. Gregg Wallace founded George Allan’s Greengrocers in 1989 and built the company into a business with a £7.5 million turnover An employee moves boxes of fruit at New Covent Garden Market. Traders who worked with Wallace claim he left £1.5 million in debt when George Allan's went under in 2000 Wallace stepped away from his role on the BBC show MasterChef last week amid accusations of 'highly inappropriate' comments and behaviour, which he denies 'A lot of people were left to suffer the bill,' said Mark James, who manages Mushroom Man, a New Covent Garden Market business, and was previously owner of Paris Express, which he says was owed £60,000 by George Allan's when the firm crashed. 'Back then that was worth double,' said James. 'That’s a big hit. There was no Christmas bonus that year.' Alfie Lay, who owns Lays of Chelsea, a family business established in 1836 that also trades out of Covent Garden, said Wallace's company followed a familiar trajectory. 'He had a firm that started off like this and it just went giant, said Lay, 72. 'I know him well from years ago, and you see it so many times - I’ve been on this market for 40 years. Read More The odd moments from Gregg Wallace's autobiography... from teacher fights to losing his virginity 'You see these guys coming up from nowhere with their fancy ideas, and this and that, and it just goes into one big bubble and it burst, literally overnight. 'I don’t know if he had 20 or 30 guys working for him. They all came to work on a Saturday morning to get their wages for the week and the gaff was all locked up. He had six units, it was a big firm - a lot of dough.' Wallace's representatives have been approached for comment. In his 2012 autobiography, Life on a Plate, Wallace described how he 'didn’t have to pick up all the bills personally' after Gregg Allan's failed, since it was a limited company. Shannon Kyle, the book's ghostwriter, this week added her voice to the growing list of people who have come forward to allege past misconduct by Wallace. Kyle, 47, claimed she was sexually harassed by Wallace while working on the book, citing instances of inappropriate touching and claiming the presenter exposed himself to her during a meeting at his flat. 'I felt quite vulnerable because I'm on my own in a flat with a man [and] he's naked,' said Kyle, who was 35 at the time. Wallace has consistently denied the claims against him. 'Our client has denied that he has engaged in any such behaviour, and he specifically denies any sexual misconduct with Ms Kyle,' said lawyers representing the presenter. Gregg Wallace Share or comment on this article: New Covent Garden fruit and veg sellers have no time for Gregg Wallace, who went bust owing lots of them cash e-mail Add comment

ATLANTA — On Jan. 18 and 19 the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! will be held at State Farm Arena in advance of the College Football Playoff national championship on Jan. 20. The star-studded lineup was announced Thursday at a news conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Performances will include Lil Wayne and GloRilla on Saturday; and Camila Cabello, Myles Smith and Knox on Sunday. On game day, the Allstate Championship Tailgate, taking place just outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the Home Depot Backyard, will feature country acts on the Capital One Music Stage, including global superstar Kane Brown and iHeartCountry “On The Verge” artist Ashley Cooke. The concerts are just two of the festivities visiting fans can enjoy in the days leading up to the big game. The fan experience for both ticket holders and the general public has been a focus for event planners. All weekend long, an estimated 100,000 people from across the country are expected to attend fan events preceding kickoff. “It will be an opportunity for fans of all ages to come together to sample what college football is all about, and you don’t have to have a ticket to the game to be a part of it,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP in a press release. “We’ve worked closely with the Atlanta Football Host Committee to develop fan-friendly events that thousands will enjoy come January.” On Saturday, Jan. 18, Playoff Fan Central will open at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. The free, family-friendly experience will include games, clinics, pep rallies, special guest appearances, autograph signings and exhibits celebrating college football and its history. That day, fans can also attend Media Day, presented by Great Clips, which will feature one-hour sessions with student-athletes and coaches from each of the College Football Playoff national championship participating teams. ESPN and social media giants X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will be taping live broadcasts from the event. On Sunday, Jan. 19, the Trophy Trot, both a 5K and 10K race, will wind its way through the streets of downtown Atlanta. Each Trophy Trot participant will receive a T-shirt and finisher’s medal. Participants can register at atlantatrackclub.org . On Sunday evening, the Georgia Aquarium will host the Taste of the Championship dining event, which offers attendees the opportunity to indulge in food and drink prepared by local Atlanta chefs. This premium experience serves as an elevated exploration of local cuisine on the eve of the national championship. Tickets to the Taste of the Championship event are available on etix.com . Atlanta is the first city ever to repeat as host for the CFP national championship. The playoff was previously held in Atlanta in 2018. “We are honored to be the first city to repeat as host for the CFP national championship and look forward to welcoming college football fans from around the country in January,” said Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports Council and Atlanta Football Host Committee. “This event gives us another opportunity to showcase our incredible city.” The College Football Playoff is the event that crowns the national champion in college football. The quarterfinals and semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games — the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. This year’s quarterfinals will take place on Dec. 31, 2024 and Jan. 1, 2025, while the semifinals will be Jan. 9-10, 2025. The CFP national championship will be Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. For additional information on the College Football Playoff, visit CollegeFootballPlayoff.com .Research and surveys are being conducted to provide better rail transport services to the people to run electric trains to ensure smooth and swift transport of commodities and passengers. Plans are underway to operate Battery Electric Locomotives (BELs) instead of diesel locomotives which are being used on long trips. Myanma Railways uses Rail Bus Engine-RBE on short trips. The services of Myanma Railways will be aligned with the advancement of technologies to benefit public transport. Recently, Diesel Electric Multiple Units (DEMU) have been used in running the transport service of the Yangon Circular Railway. These carriages were imported from Spain as part of improving the rail transport services. In this regard, new carriages are facilitated with air-conditioners, automatic lighting changing systems and communication systems for the safety of passengers. These trains can run 60 kilometres per hour on their trips. The Yangon City Circular Railway upgrade project was implemented with preliminary engineering works from 2015 to 2016 and the construction process in 2017. Now, the railway will host 20 RBE trains and 15 DEMU trains on a daily basis for the convenience of passengers. Now is the time to improve rail transport services despite the possibility of costing a large sum of budget. Whatever it may be, it is necessary to build an electric train network with the use of power lines along the railways as well as the use of battery electric locomotives (BELs). In this regard, RBE carriages can be transformed into BEMUs for the city circular railways whereas diesel locomotives can be shifted into battery electric locomotives for long journeys. Diesel locomotives need costs of fuel but battery electric locomotives do not need fuel charges to carry out the least cost in transport services. Moreover, as BELs are speedier than diesel locomotives, it is necessary to take care of driving for traffic safety on priority with the use of advanced signals and communication equipment. The initiatives to transform diesel locomotives into battery electric locomotives are a great step for Myanma Railways to improve its services for the people. Hence, emphasis must be placed on upgrading rail tracts and overpasses aligned with running advanced carriages and locomotives on railway sections for the safety of transport. On the other hand, passengers and people residing not far from railways need to take care of traffic safety to minimize accidents. As the Myanma Railways manages more than 3,800 miles of railways in total and 962 railway stations nationwide, its improvement projects need to cover all rail transport facilities comprehensively.

For the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter, with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that's the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. They are believed to be the two richest contracts in pro sports history. The way it's going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn't seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future. There's reason to believe the megadeals for Ohtani and Soto are unicorns in the baseball world. Both players are uniquely talented, surely, but both also had unusual circumstances propelling their value into the stratosphere. Ohtani is the greatest two-way player in baseball history, capable of improving any team on both sides of the ball. He's also the rare baseball player who has true international appeal. His every move ( like his unexpected marriage announcement ) is followed closely in his native Japan, adding another 125 million potential fans who buy merchandise, watch him play and help fill the Dodgers' coffers. Then there's Soto — a four-time All-Star and on-base machine who won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019. The X-factor for him is he became a free agent at the prime age of 26, which is extremely hard to do under current MLB rules. New York Yankees' Juan Soto, right, with the help of his agent Scott Boras, left, agreed to a $765 million, 15-year deal with the New York Mets on Sunday. Players have to be in the big leagues for six years before testing free agency. The precocious Soto debuted at 19 with the Nats, making him part of a rare group of players who reached the highest level of professional baseball as a teenager. That accelerated his free agency timeline. It's rare for players to debut that young, and rarer still for them to develop into stars and test the open market the first chance they get. Two recent examples are Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, who both reached free agency in 2019. Machado signed a free-agent record $300 million contract with San Diego, and Harper overtook him days later with a $330 million contract to join the Phillies. Most players debut in the big leagues from ages 22 to 26, which means free agency comes in their late 20s or early 30s. A typical example is Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is one of this generation's great players but didn't hit the market until he was 30. Judge played three seasons of college baseball for Fresno State before getting drafted by the Yankees in 2013 at age 21 — already two years older than Soto was when he made his MLB debut. It took a few years for the budding superstar to reach the majors, and he was 25 when he had his breakout season in 2018, smashing 52 homers to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors. By the time he reached free agency after the 2022 season, he had already passed age 30. It's a major factor that led to him signing a $360 million, nine-year deal with the Yankees, which seems downright reasonable these days after the Ohtani and Soto deals. Two major trends are colliding that will make it harder for guys like Soto to hit free agency in their mid 20s. First, MLB teams have been more likely in recent years to take college players early in the draft, betting on more experienced talents. Just 10 high school players were drafted among the top 30 picks in the 2024 draft. Second, teams are more eager to lock up young, premium talent on long-term deals very early in their careers, well before they hit free agency. Sometimes before they even reach the majors. Juan Soto's deal comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. Since Soto, just two players have debuted in MLB before their 20th birthday — Elvis Luciano and Junior Caminero. Luciano hasn't been back to the majors since his 2019 cup of coffee. Caminero is now 21 and has only played in 50 big league games. Among those that debuted at 20: Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a $340 million, 14-year deal with San Diego in 2021, years before reaching the open market. Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio got an $82 million, eight-year deal before even reaching the big leagues. Young stars Corbin Carroll ($111 million, eight years with Arizona), Bobby Witt Jr. ($288 million, 11 years with Kansas City) and Julio Rodriguez ($209.3 million, 12 years with Seattle) also got massive guarantees early in their 20s to forgo an early free agency. The exception and wild card: Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a 26-year-old free agent next offseason. Guerrero hasn't been as consistent in his young career as Soto, but a standout 2025 season could position him to threaten Soto's deal. More likely is that the player to pass Soto isn't in the majors yet — and might not even be in pro baseball. When 25-year-old Alex Rodriguez signed his record $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas in 2001, it took over a decade for another player to match that total, when Albert Pujols got $240 million over 10 years from the Angels in 2012. For many players, passing up life-changing money in their early or mid 20s is too enticing, even if it means that they might not maximize their value on the free agent market later in their careers. Soto was determined to test the market. He famously turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer to stay with the Washington Nationals in 2022, betting that he could make even more as a free agent. Not many players would turn down that kind of cash. Then again, that's what makes Soto so unique. And it's also why his $765 million deal could be the industry standard for some time. Stiliana Nikolova, of Bulgaria performs in the rhythmic gymnastics individuals all-round qualification round, at La Chapelle Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Cincinnati Reds' Jonathan India reacts as he collides with San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. India was safe and Campusano was charged with an error. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Kimberley Woods of Britain competes in the women's kayak cross time trial at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Vaires-sur-Marne, France. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a forehand return to Coco Gauff of the U.S. during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) Noah Lyles, of the United States, jumps as he limbers-up ahead of the men's 100-meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) A member of the Seattle Mariners tosses a ball against a wall during drills at spring training baseball workouts, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Peoria, Ariz. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia waits to receive serve during her first round match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Monday, July 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Czech Republic's Jiri Beran, left, competes with France's Yannik Borel in the men's team epee bronze final match during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) France's Adrien Truffert jumps over Argentina's goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli during a quarterfinal soccer match between France and Argentina, at Bordeaux Stadium, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Bordeaux, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Fans interfere with a foul ball caught by Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Italy's Sara Curtis splashes her face with water before a women's 50-meter freestyle semifinal at the Summer Olympics in Nanterre, France, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Ivory Coast 's Seko Fofana, top, duels for the ball with Nigeria's Victor Osimhen during the African Cup of Nations final soccer match between Nigeria and Ivory Coast, at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Costa Rica midfielder Jefferson Brenes, from left, Alvaro Zamora (21), Francisco Calvo (15) and Joseph Mora (8) are pelted with drinks and trash after celebrating a Brenes goal in the second half of a CONCACAF Nations League Play-In soccer match against Honduras, Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Gabrielle Thomas, of the United States, celebrates winning the gold medal in the women's 200 meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Tyrrell Hatton, of England, reacts on the 11th hole during a practice round in preparation for the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Augusta, GA. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Quincy Hall, of the United States, celebrates after winning the men's 400-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Tim Tszyu, of Australia, hits Sebastian Fundora in a super welterweight title bout Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers takes the field prior to an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Workers peep through curtains to watch a match between France's Gael Monfils and Russia's Daniil Medvedev during the China Open tennis tournament held at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Amy Yang, of South Korea, is doused after winning the Women's PGA Championship golf tournament at Sahalee Country Club, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Sammamish, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Workers remove snow from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes) United States' Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti) Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, left, scores his side's second goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Almeria at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue ) Czech Republic's Michal Kempny, right, punches United States' Brady Tkachuk during the quarterfinal match between Czech Republic and United States at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Turkey's Taha Akgul, left, competes with Georgia's Geno Petriashvili in a men's freestyle 125 kg category gold medal wrestling match during the European Wrestling Championships, in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith cries after winning the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Carles Coll Marti of Spain competes in the men's 200-meter breaststroke heat at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots between New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III and guard CJ McCollum in the second half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. The Lakers won 110-106. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) A man in a monk's robe waves the French flag as the peloton passes during the sixth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 163.5 kilometers (101.6 miles) with start in Macon and finish in Dijon, France, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Belgium's Jeremy Doku, left, challenges for the ball with Romania's Andrei Ratiu during a Group E match between Belgium and Romania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Cologne, Germany, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) A spectator walks through a water mist sprayer on her way to Eiffel Tower Stadium to watch a beach volleyball at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Gabriel Medina, of Brazil, kicks off of a wave as he warms up prior to the quarterfinals round of the 2024 Summer Olympics surfing competition, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Rebeca Andrade, of Brazil, is reflected on a surface as she performs on the balance beam during the women's artistic gymnastics all-around finals in Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Wyndham Clark waits to hit on the 17th hole during the first round at the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Kolkata Knight Riders' wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz dives to make an unsuccessful attempt to run out Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma during the Indian Premier League cricket final match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai, India, Sunday, May 26, 2024.(AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.) Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the qualifying session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian) Serbia's Novak Djokovic embraces his daughter Tara after defeating Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Spain's Dani Olmo clears the ball from the goal line during the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) A fleet of boats compete in the mixed multihull sailing race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) A horse watches from its stable ahead of the 156th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race at Saratoga Race Course, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Silver medalist Simone Biles, of the United States, left, and bronze medalist Jordan Chiles, of the United States, right, bow to gold medalist Rebeca Andrade, of Brazil, during the medal ceremony for the women's artistic gymnastics individual floor finals at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Denver celebrates after winning the championship game against Boston College in the Frozen Four NCAA college hockey tournament Saturday, April 13, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. Denver won 2-0 to win the national championship. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Washington safety Kamren Fabiculanan (13) and cornerback Elijah Jackson (25) break up a pass to Eastern Michigan wide receiver Terry Lockett Jr. (3) in the end zone during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Seattle. Washington won 30-9. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Milwaukee Bucks' AJ Johnson, right, goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers' Jared McCain, center, and Adem Bona during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Elise Mertens, of Belgium, serves against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Monday, March 11, 2024, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Italy's Giovanni Tocci competes in the men's 3m springboard diving preliminary at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani breaks his bat during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Wearing a device that measures his energy consumption, the Israel Amputee Football Team player, Ben Maman, left, fights for the ball with a young soccer player from a local team during a practice session in Ramat Gan, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) A soccer fan dressed as Spiderman watches Brazil play Uruguay in a Copa America quarterfinal match on a screen set up for fans on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, July 7, 2024. Brazil lost in a penalty shootout and Uruguay qualified for the semifinals. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Men dressed in traditional clothes try to pull the opponent over the table at the German Championships in Fingerhakeln or finger wrestling, in Bernbeuren, Germany, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, kicks the ball after double faulting against Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Water is sprayed on the pitch as the ball boys and girls walk along the center line before the start of the men's Group A field hockey match between South Africa and Germany at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) Cleveland Browns defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) reaches for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens (12) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Morocco's Widad Bertal celebrates after defeating Thailand's Jutamas Jitpong in their women's 54kg preliminary boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/John Locher) Brazil's Priscila eyes the ball during a women's semifinal soccer match between Brazil and Spain at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Simone Biles of the United States competes on the balance beam during a women's artistic gymnastics qualification round at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) New Orleans Saints linebacker Willie Gay Jr. signs autographs for a young fan before the start of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Real Madrid's players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Champions League final soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, June 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Mozambique's Deizy Nhaquile battles rough seas during a women's dinghy race, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) People watch the cauldron rise at sunset by the Olympic rings during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) kisses Taylor Swift after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22. (AP Photo/John Locher) A light show is projected from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Kateryna Tabashnyk, a high jumper, sits for a portrait Sunday, June 9, 2024, at the athletics arena of the "Polytechnic" sports complex, which was destroyed by a Russian rocket attack, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Sent weekly directly to your inbox!

No. 14 ASU, No. 17 Iowa State front-runners for possibly wild Big 12 finishDillon Brooks scores a season-high 28 to lead the Rockets past the Trail Blazers 116-88

Tories urge PM to reject Netanyahu arrest warrant and alter ‘nonsensical’ stanceThomas Müntzer's Misunderstood RevolutionDoctored images have been around for decades. The term "Photoshopped" is part of everyday language. But in recent years, it has seemingly been replaced by a new word: deepfake. It's almost everywhere online, but you likely won't find it in your dictionary at home. What exactly is a deepfake, and how does the technology work? RELATED STORY | Scripps News Reports: Sex, Lies, and Deepfakes A deepfake is an image or video that has been generated by artificial intelligence to look real. Most deepfakes use a type of AI called a "diffusion model." In a nutshell, a diffusion model creates content by stripping away noise. "With diffusion models, they found a very clever way of taking an image and then constructing that procedure to go from here to there," said Lucas Hansen said. He and Siddharth Hiregowdara are cofounders of CivAI, a nonprofit educating the public on the potential — and dangers — of AI. How diffusion models work It can get complicated, so imagine the AI – or diffusion model – as a detective trying to catch a suspect. Like a detective, it relies on its experience and training. It recalls a previous case -– a sneaky cat on the run. Every day it added more and more disguises. On Monday, no disguise. Tuesday, it put on a little wig. Wednesday, it added some jewelry. By Sunday, it's unrecognizable and wearing a cheeseburger mask. The detective learned these changes can tell you what it wore and on what day. AI diffusion models do something similar with noise, learning what something looks like at each step. "The job of the diffusion model is to remove noise," Hiregowdara said. "You would give the model this picture, and then it will give you a slightly de-noised version of this picture." RELATED STORY | Scripps News got deepfaked to see how AI could impact elections When it's time to solve the case and generate a suspect, we give it a clue: the prompts we give when we create an AI-generated image. "We have been given the hint that this is supposed to look like a cat. So what catlike things can we see in here? Okay, we see this curve, maybe that's an ear," Hiregowdara said. The "detective" works backward, recalling its training. It sees a noisy image. Thanks to the clue, it is looking for a suspect — a cat. It subtracts disguises (noise) until it finds the new suspect. Case closed. Now imagine the "detective" living and solving crimes for years and years. It learns and studies everything — landscapes, objects, animals, people, anything at all. So when it needs to generate a suspect or an image, it remembers its training and creates an image. Deepfakes and faceswaps Many deepfake images and videos employ some type of face swapping technology. You've probably experienced this kind of technology already — faceswapping filters like on Snapchat, Instagram or Tiktok use technology similar to diffusion models, recognizing faces and replacing things in real time. "It will find the face in the image and then cut that out kind of, then take the face and convert it to its internal representation," Hansen said. The results are refined then repeated frame by frame. The future and becoming our own detectives As deepfakes become more and more realistic and tougher to detect, understanding how the technology works at a basic level can help us prepare for any dangers or misuse. Deepfakes have already been used to spread election disinformation, create fake explicit images of a teenager, even frame a principal with AI-created racist audio. "All the netizens on social media also have a role to play," Siwei Lyu said. Lyu is a SUNY Empire Innovation Professor at the University of Buffalo's Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and the director of the Media Forensics Lab. His team has created a tool to help spot deepfakes called "DeepFake-o-meter." "We do not know how to handle, how to deal, with these kinds of problems. It's very new. And also requires technical knowledge to understand some of the subtleties there," Lyu said. "The media, the government, can play a very active role to improve user awareness and education. Especially for vulnerable groups like seniors, the kids, who will start to understand the social media world and start to become exposed to AI technologies. They can easily fall for AI magic or start using AI without knowing the limits." RELATED STORY | AI voice cloning: How programs are learning to pick up on pitch and tone Both Lyu and CivAI believe in exposure and education to help combat any potential misuse of deepfake technology. "Our overall goal is that we think AI is going t impact pretty much everyone in a lot of different ways," Hansen said. "And we think that everyone should be aware of the ways that it's going to change them because it's going to impact everyone." "More than just general education — just knowing the facts and having heard what's going to happen," he added. "We want to give people a really intuitive experience of what's going on." Hansen goes on to explain CivAI's role in educating the public. "We try and make all of our demonstrations personalized as much as possible. What we're working on is making it so people can see it themselves. So they know it's real, and they feel that it's real," Hansen said. "And they can have a deep gut level feel for tthe impact that it's going to have." "A big part of the solution is essentially just going to be education and sort of cultural changes," he added. "A lot of this synthetic content is sort of like a new virus that is attacking society right now, and people need to become immune to it in some ways. They need to be more suspicious about what's real and what's not, and I think that will help a lot as well."Cavaliers' unexpected 17-1 start to season also produces unexpected star: reserve guard Ty Jerome

After thousands celebrated UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's killing, now even top internet sleuths are not willing to help in investigation; what's the reason?TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Caleb McCullough was there for the dark times at Arizona State, when the losses piled up and the cloud of an NCAA investigation was hovering over the program. The senior linebacker opted to stick around, believing in coach Kenny Dillingham's vision for a better future. It came sooner than anyone outside the program expected. "I’m doing whatever I can to win,” McCullough said. “I’m not really a stat player. This is my last year of college and my main goal is just to win.” The Sun Devils are doing just that, becoming one of college football's biggest surprises along the way. Picked to finish last in its first Big 12 season, Arizona State (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) now controls its destiny for a spot in the conference title game. The 21st-ranked Sun Devils have already clinched their first bowl berth since 2021, the year they were last ranked in the AP Top 25 before this week. Arizona State has taken down two ranked teams this season, 27-19 over then-No. 16 Utah on Oct. 11 and 24-14 at then-No. 20 Kansas State last weekend. The Sun Devils will play their biggest home game in recent memory against No. 14 BYU on Saturday , the first home game between ranked teams in Tempe since 2014. Beat the Cougars and Arizona State can clinch a spot in the Big 12 Championship on Dec. 7 in Arlington, Texas, with a win over rival Arizona in the regular-season finale. “It means a lot to these guys to come in here with that chip on their shoulder and do something that really nobody thought we could do,” Dillingham said. Arizona State faced adversity on and off the field when Dillingham arrived in 2023. After winning eight games in 2021, the Sun Devils went 3-9 the following year while under investigation by the NCAA, a combination that led to the firing of Herm Edwards during his fifth season here. Dillingham had success as Oregon's offensive coordinator and brought the requisite enthusiasm of being a young — he was 32 at the time — first-time head coach returning to his alma mater. Despite rallying the community around the program, Dillingham fell into hard luck his first season in the desert. The Sun Devils were decimated by injuries, particularly at quarterback, and never recovered, finishing 3-9 for the second straight season. But Dillingham had the pieces in place. He proved to be adept at finding the right players through the transfer portal, landing former Sacramento State running back Cam Skattebo two years ago and former Michigan State quarterback Sam Leavitt prior to this season. The hard-running Skattebo has been one of the nation's best running backs and Leavitt has been a perfect fit for Arizona State's offense, making good decisions while extending plays with his legs. The portal success extends across Arizona State's roster and Dillingham has sprinkled in solid recruiting classes while convincing key players to remain, a combination that's meshed into a team that could crash the College Football Playoff if the pieces fall just right. “We were a three-win team twice,” Dillingham said. “We were under NCAA sanctions. Most head coaches, to be brutally honest, get fired if you take a job under sanctions. You don’t survive. You’re hired to be fired. That’s the nature of the beast and right now we’re sitting here at 8-2, and I couldn’t be prouder." Dillingham's vision for a better future, one the rest of the country didn't see coming, is here and now. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

LONDON (AP) — West Ham forward Michail Antonio was taken to hospital after being involved in a road traffic incident on Saturday. West Ham added the 34-year-old player was in a stable condition after the incident in the Essex area. “Michail is conscious and communicating and is currently under close supervision at a central London hospital," the Premier League club said in a statement. “At this difficult time, we kindly ask everyone to respect the privacy of Michail and his family. “The club will make no further comment this evening, but will issue a further update in due course.” Unverified images of a heavily damaged Ferrari were shared on social media on Saturday. It was not known if it was the car involved in the accident. Antonio signed for West Ham in 2015 and has made more than 300 appearances. West Ham doesn't have a league game until Monday. James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Mark said on 'Squawk Box': "It is an authentic relationship and we're happy to have it. It's been nothing but good for us." Taylor has a huge fan following, and Mark admitted that her fanbase has helped to increase the profile of the current Super Bowl champions. He shared: "I think the best thing I can say about the whole relationship and the impact it's had on us is: Taylor Swift is an authentic member of the Kansas City Chiefs Kingdom. She's an authentic fan." Mark observed that Chiefs fans have also embraced Taylor. He said: "That matters to our fans and our fanbase. And it matters to us. We try and respect that." Patrick Mahomes - Travis' teammate - previously claimed that Taylor has helped to make the Chiefs a "worldwide team". The sports star told Time magazine: "[The Chiefs] went from a nationwide team that was kind of global to a full global worldwide team. That came from Taylor's fanbase." Patrick also admitted to being wowed by Taylor's work ethic. The 29-year-old star - who is one of the best players in the NFL - said: "I've met a lot of famous people now in my life. Taylor's probably the most down-to-earth person that's been on that stage for that long. "She's never not working. Even when she's taking her downtime, she's working on something. Shooting a music video or singing a song or writing a song. You can see it by how she talks."

No. 21 Arizona State on the rise in Kenny Dillingham's second season as coach

AI Stocks Soar! Political Shifts and Defense Deals Make Waves9 monitor gaming setup 。

As the Brooklyn Nets begin a road swing on Friday with a visit to Philadelphia, the host 76ers are ending one of their own swings away from home that went poorly for the sputtering club. The 76ers into Friday's NBA Cup East: Group A matchup against the Nets on a five-game losing streak, including all three in the Sixers' just-completed three-game road trip. The journey ended on Wednesday in a 117-111 loss at Memphis, despite 2023 MVP Joel Embiid playing his best game of the season. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Death Records examined data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to understand and explain the evolution in causes of death in America. Click for more. From tuberculosis to heart disease: How the leading causes of death in America have changed

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Muslim Democrat sues after being ejected from Harris event in Michigan‘The smiling one’ Ruben Amorim says he can be ruthless when he needs to be

US agencies should use advanced technology to identify mysterious drones, Schumer says'The Cosby Show' actor Geoffrey Owens 'struggling' to make living as 'middle-class actor'

SAINT PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Rich Byhre had 15 points in St. Thomas' 100-61 victory over Crown (MN) on Sunday. Byhre went 6 of 9 from the field (3 for 4 from 3-point range) for the Tommies (9-4). Ryan Lafferty scored 13 points and added 13 rebounds and six assists. Jermaine Coleman shot 5 for 8, including 2 for 5 from beyond the arc to finish with 12 points. The Polars were led by Rayquan Moore, who posted 23 points. Tyrus Buckner added 13 points and seven rebounds for Crown (MN). Parker Behne also put up eight points. St. Thomas visits Bowling Green in its next matchup on Saturday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .