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casino games free 100 The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Abubakar Dantsoho has projected a 30 per cent growth in trade volume by 2030. He made this known at the 2024 edition of the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) conference and awards, held recently in Lagos. He noted that the ongoing improvements in port infrastructure will create over one million jobs by 2028, and a doubling of the sector’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contribution from 1.5 per cent to 3 per cent by 2035. Presenting a paper titled: “Nigeria’s Blue Economy and Ports Infrastructural Development: The NPA Perspective” at the national conference, Dr Dantsoho highlighted the vast investment opportunities in Nigeria’s blue economy, which he noted to include areas like the development of inland waterways, expansion of port infrastructure, and maritime technology solutions. The conference had as its theme: “Nigeria’s Maritime/Blue Economy Industry under the Renewed Hope Agenda: What is New?” Dantsoho, who was represented by the Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Adebowale Ibrahim, described the blue economy as a pivotal driver of sustainable development, disclosing that the government has created an enabling environment for investments through policy reforms, incentives, and partnerships with international organisations. “The blue economy refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and job creation while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems.” With Nigeria’s 853-kilometer coastline and extensive inland waterways, the nation is uniquely positioned to harness these resources for economic diversification,” he said. Dr Dantsoho emphasised the critical role of ports in facilitating the blue economy. According to him, the NPA is at the forefront of advancing the sector by ensuring efficient port operations, adopting eco-friendly technologies, generating significant national revenue, and enhancing maritime security. The NPA’s strategic focus, he said, aligns with the “Renewed Hope Agenda” to drive growth and sustainability in the maritime sector. Key sectors of the blue economy identified by the NPA boss include maritime transportation, fisheries and aquaculture, energy resources, tourism and recreation, and seabed mining. He highlighted the immense potential of these sectors in driving economic diversification and creating opportunities for Nigerians.. He said the growth would be achievable through strategic investments and partnerships that would drive efficiency, sustainability and innovation in port operations. To achieve the ambitious goals, he said, the NPA is adopting a multi-pronged funding approach, including increased government budgetary allocations for critical port projects, harnessing Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) expertise and funding. Others, he listed, are partnering with development banks and global agencies and channelling revenue generated by ports back into infrastructure and service improvements. He, however, acknowledged the challenges facing the maritime sector, such as infrastructure deficits, funding inadequacies and security concerns. Dantsoho outlined actionable solutions to the challenges to include, accelerated investments in port infrastructure, strengthened maritime security through collaborations with global organisations and policy reforms to attract both foreign and domestic investors. He further reaffirmed NPA’s commitment to driving the Blue Economy forward and positioning Nigeria as a leading maritime hub in West and Central Africa.US ahead in AI innovation

NoneThe Nasdaq and the S&P 500 rose to record closing highs on Friday following upbeat forecasts from Lululemon Athletica and other companies and as US jobs data fuelled expectations the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates this month. The Dow finished lower, as a 5.1% drop in UnitedHealth Group shares weighed on the index. The S&P 500 consumer discretionary index rose 2.4% to hit an all-time closing high. It led gains among sectors, boosted by Lululemon. Shares of Lululemon Athletica jumped 15.9% after the sportswear maker increased full-year forecasts. Also in the consumer discretionary space, shares of cosmetics retailer Ulta Beauty advanced 9% after the company raised its annual profit forecast. The US Labour Department report showed job growth surged in November, but an increase in the unemployment rate to 4.2% pointed to an easing labour market. “It does support the case for the Fed to continue to cut rates in the December meeting and into the first quarter,” said Bill Northey, Senior Investment Director at US Bank Wealth Management in Billings, Montana. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 123.19 points, or 0.28%, to 44,642.52, the S&P 500 gained 15.16 points, or 0.25%, to 6,090.27 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 159.05 points, or 0.81%, to 19,859.77. The S&P 500 registered its 57th record closing high for 2024, while the Nasdaq Composite posted its 36th record high close for the year. For the week, the Nasdaq gained 3.3%, the S&P 500 rose about 1% and the Dow fell 0.6%. Following the data, US rate futures were pricing in roughly a 90% chance the Fed will lower interest rates by 25 basis points at its December 17-18 policy meeting, according to LSEG calculations which previously saw just a 72% chance. The Fed has lowered rates by 75 basis points since September, when it launched its easing cycle. Fed Governor Michelle Bowman said inflation risks remained, which augured caution with rate decisions. Shares of health insurance companies including UnitedHealth extended declines from the previous session, two days after Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealth’s health insurance unit, was fatally shot outside a Manhattan hotel. The shooter remained at large and his motive has not been determined. The death sparked comments on social media over frustrations with the US health insurance system. Among other stock moves, shares of Facebook-owner Meta Platforms were up 2.4% after a US appeals court upheld a law requiring China-based ByteDance to divest its popular short video app TikTok by early next year or face a ban. The Cboe Volatility Index, Wall Street’s fear gauge, ended down 0.77 point at 12.77 in its lowest finish since mid-July. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.01-to-1 ratio on the NYSE. There were 354 new highs and 98 new lows on the NYSE. On the Nasdaq, 2,610 stocks rose and 1,678 fell as advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.56-to-1 ratio. Volume on US exchanges was 12.99 billion shares, compared with the 14.5 billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

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Biden calls for Assad to be 'held accountable'Lil Pump is predicting all Americans' next 4 years will be the best of their lives -- now that his beloved Donald Trump is returning to the White House!!! TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Pump geeked up at LAX today, rapping his own version of Eminem 's "Without Me" to bask in the moment ... somewhat ironic, considering Slim campaigned for the other candidate. The past few elections created a political monster outta Pump ... he's relentlessly supported Trump through thick and thin and got his wish this past November with the blistering election results . Pump assures us we're all heading towards greener pastures and leaves with a parting "f*** you" for Joe Biden . A political low blow but still a step up from the ether he promised his canceled Kamala Harris diss track had!!! He went the country route instead with his "American Hero" tribute to Trump. We also asked Pump if he's up for one of those coveted unconventional cabinet picks ... doesn't seem the WH has made a move just yet. Maybe after the inauguration!

AI Visual Search Apps Target Social Media Style of ‘See-Now-Buy-Now’Geoffrey Hinton says he doesn’t regret the work he did that laid the foundations of artificial intelligence, but wishes he thought of safety sooner. The British-Canadian computer scientist often called the godfather of AI said over the weekend that he doesn’t have any guilty regret, which he said is when someone has done something when they know they shouldn’t have at the time. “In the same circumstances, I would do the same again,” he said of his research, which dates back to the 1980s and has formed the underpinnings of AI. “However, I think it might have been unfortunate in that we're going to get superintelligence faster than I thought, and I wish I'd thought about safety earlier.” Superintelligence surpasses the abilities of even the smartest humans. Hinton thinks it could arrive in the next five to 20 years and humanity may have to “worry seriously about how we stay in control.” Hinton made his prediction during a press conference in Stockholm, where he is due to a receive the Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday. Hinton, a University of Toronto professor emeritus, and co-laureate John Hopfield, a Princeton University professor, are being given the prize because they developed some of the foundations of machine learning, a computer science that helps AI mimic how humans learn. Hinton kicked off his Nobel week on Saturday with the press conference, where he appeared with laureates in chemistry and economics and was asked about AI safety and regulation. Hinton left a job at Google last year to speak more freely about the technology's dangers, which he has said could include job losses, bias and discrimination, echo chambers, fake news, battle robots and even the end of humanity. On Saturday, he said he considers lethal autonomous weapons to be a short-term danger. "There isn't going to be any regulation there," he said, pointing out that European regulations have a specific clause exempting military use of AI from restrictions. "Governments are unwilling to regulate themselves, when it comes to lethal autonomous weapon, and there is an arms race going on between all the major arms suppliers like the United States, China, Russia, Britain, Israel and possibly even Sweden, though I don't know." A day later, Hinton put his concerns about AI aside to deliver a lecture with Hopfield explaining the research that earned them their Nobel. "Today I am going to do something very foolish." Hinton said in introducing his portion of the pair's hour-long speech. "I am going to try and describe a complicated technical idea for a general audience without using any equations." The audience chuckled. The talk began with Hopfield describing a network he invented that could store and reconstruct images in data. It led Hinton to later create the Boltzmann machine, which learns from examples, rather than instructions, and when trained, can recognize familiar characteristics in information, even if it has not seen that data before. Hinton said students in his lab and others run by fellow AI pioneers Yoshua Bengio and Yann LeCun were using Boltzmann machines to pre-train neural networks — machine learning models that make decisions in a manner similar to the human brain — between 2006 and 2011. By 2009, two of Hinton's students had showed the technique "worked a little bit better than the best existing techniques for recognizing fragments of phonemes in speech and that then changed the speech recognition community," Hinton said. Phonemes are small units of sound that can change the meaning of a word. Google later began working on technology based on Hinton's discoveries and "suddenly the speech recognition on the Android got a lot better." Even though the kind of Boltzmann machines Hinton was working with back then are no longer used in the same ways as he used them, he said "they allowed us to make the transition from thinking that deep neural networks would never work to seeing that deep neural networks actually could be made to work." Nobel Week will continue Monday with a discussion about the future of health before an awards ceremony and banquet is held Tuesday. Hinton has said he will donate a portion of the prize money — equivalent to about C$1.45 million — he and Hopfield will be given to Water First, which is working to boost Indigenous access to water, and a charity supporting neurodiverse young adults. He is also reportedly due to donate an early Boltzmann chip to the Nobel Prize Museum. The Nobel is not the only prize Hinton scooped up this month. On Friday, he, Bengio, LeCun, Chinese-American computer scientist Fei-Fei Li and Nvidia founder Jensen Huang, were awarded the Vin Future Prize, a US$3 million prize for science breakthroughs in a ceremony in Vietnam. Hinton, Bengio and LeCun previously won the A.M. Turing Award, known as the Nobel Prize of computing, together in 2018. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Dec. 8, 2024. Tara Deschamps, The Canadian PressSaudi Arabia launches drive to ensure purity of Zamzam water for worshippersThe Refactory Academy has graduated 89 students in its flagship tech programme. Refactory is Uganda’s leading software development academy, bridging the gap between education and industry. Over the past five years, it has trained approximately 700 young professionals. The 89 graduates underwent an intensive six-month training programme and acquired specialized skills in software development, data science, and artificial intelligence. The programme is designed to bridge the gap between education and industry, providing students with hands-on experience and practical skills that meet the demands of the tech industry. Michael Niyitegeka, the Refactory’s Executive Director, emphasized that the broader vision is not just a celebration of talent but a call to action for all stakeholders to invest in skilling and innovation. According to him, the graduating cohort showcased the academy’s commitment to inclusivity, featuring participants from underserved communities, including women, youth, and persons with disabilities. The graduation ceremony coincided with the premiere of the Digital Skills Showcase. The Showcase is part of a three-year program called Ten X, which aims to empower micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the digital economy. It is funded by the Mastercard Foundation and implemented by Refactory. Benon Katende, Chief Technology and Enterprise Solutions Officer at NSSF Uganda, urged graduates to focus on practical problem-solving “We can use technology to solve real-life problems. Adopt a problem-solving mindset and create solutions that are faster, cheaper, and better,” he said. The event also spotlighted individual success stories, such as that of Emmanuel Kodwo, a Senior Associate Researcher at Includovate and Refractory alumnus. Kodwo highlighted the importance of understanding real-world contexts in software development. Winfred Claire Nakamatte, a midwifery graduate now working at Laboremus Uganda, shared her transformative journey into tech: A few months after completing her midwifery course, she enrolled in Refactory’s software engineering program and she is now passionate about what she does. ***** URN

When Gov. Jim Justice took office, West Virginia was grappling with a series of state budget cuts and mounting concerns about the future. The state’s outlook seemed to mirror the decline of what many believed to be its most vital natural resource: Coal. But coal isn’t what makes West Virginia special. It’s the state’s natural beauty — and most importantly, its people. A resilient group, West Virginians have repeatedly proven their hard work, motivation and kindness. They are a generous community committed to faith, family, country, and their beloved Mountain State. Justice understands that. He has seen it, supported it, and lived it. As one of the state’s wealthiest individuals, Justice doesn’t shy away from hard work. His family business empire stands as a testament to the power of skill and dedication. Initially convinced to run for governor as a Democrat, Justice brought his entrepreneurial mindset — and salesmanship — to the Governor’s Office. He remained true to his ideals, even switching back to the Republican Party when he believed it was necessary to achieve the state’s goals. As his term nears its final two weeks, Justice has chosen to complete his time as governor before transitioning to his next role as U.S. senator. Measuring the full impact of the Justice administration is no easy task. Most notably, state leaders no longer scramble every few months to address budget deficits. Instead, they focus on managing record budget surpluses, cutting taxes for residents and businesses, and investing in the state’s future. Justice has ensured the state’s financial success benefits its people. With the state’s coffers amply stocked, he has prioritized pay raises for state workers, securing five during his term and urging the next governor to plan for a sixth. He has also tackled critical workforce shortages, particularly in high-stress areas like child protective services and corrections. By working with lawmakers to increase salaries in these sectors, Justice has helped stabilize essential services. The governor’s investments extend to long-term initiatives. His commitment to tourism funding has attracted more visitors to the state, boosting tax revenues and fueling improvements in state parks and the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Justice has been a proponent of diversified energy development. While supporting the coal and natural gas industries, he has also positioned West Virginia as a leader in solar, wind and nuclear energy. In education, Justice has focused on creating pathways to success for West Virginia’s youth. Whether through public schools, higher education or technical training, his administration has supported innovative programs like Communities in Schools and Friends with Paws therapy dogs, championed by first lady Cathy Justice. These initiatives aim to provide a safety net for children lacking stability at home. Justice’s tenure also included navigating the pandemic. Balancing public health, economic concerns and education was a significant challenge, but he successfully brought together medical experts, state leaders and the West Virginia National Guard to guide the state through the crisis. As Justice prepares for his next chapter, many West Virginians reflect on his tenure with gratitude. Easily elected to the U.S. Senate, Justice remains one of the state’s most popular political figures. The people of West Virginia have found they can trust “Big Jim,” a successful businessman who brought his expertise to public service. West Virginia — and its people — are better for his leadership. Time will only further underscore the impact of his contributions.

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Shortly after her 2012 heart attack, O'Donnell shared her experience on her blog. During her 2015 television standup special, she spoke about how the experience changed her life. The segment included a heart attack acronym the comedian coined: HEPPP (hot, exhausted, pain, pale, puke). O'Donnell's candidness about her heart attack helped spread awareness about how it can present differently in women. She's one of countless celebrities over the years who have opened up about their health conditions, including breast cancer, HIV, depression, heart disease and stroke. When celebrities reveal and discuss their health issues, the impact can be far-reaching. It not only helps to educate the public, but it also can reduce stigma and inspire others. "Health disclosures by celebrities do matter, and we know this from decades of research across a lot of different health conditions and public figures," said Dr. Jessica Gall Myrick, a professor of health communication at Pennsylvania State University in University Park. "They absolutely do influence people." Some of the earliest celebrity health disclosures happened in the 1970s and 1980s with U.S. presidents and first ladies. When first lady Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer just weeks after Gerald Ford became president in 1974, she spoke openly about her diagnosis, inviting photographers into the White House and helping make talk of cancer less taboo. In 1987, first lady Nancy Reagan used her breast cancer diagnosis as a chance to advocate for women to get mammograms. Her disclosure came two years after President Ronald Reagan's colon cancer diagnosis, about which the couple was equally as vocal. "Individuals throughout the country have been calling cancer physicians and information services in record numbers," the Los Angeles Times reported after Nancy Reagan's widely publicized surgery. The public showed a similar interest years earlier following Betty Ford's mastectomy. Another major milestone in celebrity health disclosures came in 1991, when 32-year-old NBA superstar Earvin "Magic" Johnson revealed he had tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. "Life is going to go on for me, and I'm going to be a happy man," Johnson assured fans during a news conference. He immediately retired, only to return to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996. His disclosure, along with his work as an advocate for safe sex, helped shatter stigmas around HIV and AIDS. Calls to testing centers increased significantly in the days and weeks after Johnson's announcement. "That celebrity disclosure really helped people see there was a wider susceptibly to HIV," Gall Myrick said. "People were more likely to say, 'I need to think about my own risks.' It was very powerful." When it comes to heart and stroke health, President Dwight Eisenhower helped make heart attacks less frightening and mysterious. During a news conference in 1955, millions of Americans learned from the president's doctors about his heart condition, his treatment, and concrete steps they could take to reduce their own heart attack risk. Other notable figures have shared their health experiences over the years. Soap opera legend Susan Lucci , who was diagnosed with heart disease in 2018, has advocated for women's heart health. Basketball great Kareem Abdul Jabbar talks about his irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation, and advocates for regular health screenings. Lawyer, author and television personality Star Jones continues to speak about heart disease risk after having lifesaving heart surgery in 2010. Longtime TV and radio personality Dick Clark brought stroke and aphasia into the national spotlight when he returned to hosting "New Year's Rockin' Eve" in Times Square just a year after his 2004 stroke and continued until his death in 2012. And actor and comedian Jamie Foxx recently revealed he had a stroke last year. "Celebrity disclosures represent teachable moments," said Dr. Seth M. Noar, director of the Communicating for Health Impact Lab at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. "Searches for different health conditions often spike in the wake of these types of announcements. They cause people to think about these health issues, learn more about them, and in some cases change their behaviors." Celebrities have also highlighted the importance of CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator, or AED, to restore a person's heartbeat if they experience cardiac arrest. Interest in CPR and AEDs spiked in 2023 after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during an NFL game broadcast on national TV. Views of the American Heart Association's hands-only CPR pages jumped more than 600% in the days following Hamlin's cardiac arrest. Three months later, around 3 million people had watched the AHA's CPR video. Family members of celebrities who have died from a heart issue have also spread awareness. After actor John Ritter died of an undiagnosed aortic dissection in 2003, his wife, actor Amy Yasbeck, started the Ritter Foundation to raise awareness about the condition and help others avoid a misdiagnosis. A literature review published in Systematic Reviews in 2017 found that people are conditioned to react positively to celebrity advice. Research also has found that people often follow advice from celebrities who match how they perceive – or how they want to perceive – themselves. The most effective celebrity disclosures are frequently the ones that tell a compelling story and include clear steps people can take to apply lessons the celebrity learned to their own health situation, Gall Myrick said. "People are more likely to take action when they feel confident and capable." Research has shown that celebrity disclosures often impact calls to hotlines and page views on health-related websites, and they can spark behavioral and even policy changes. Anecdotally, Gall Myrick said, people ask their doctor more questions about health conditions and request medical screenings. Celebrities can have a big impact because people tend to have parasocial relationships with them, Gall Myrick said. These are one-sided relationships in which a person feels an emotional connection with another person, often a celebrity. People may feel as if they know the basketball player they've watched on the court for years, or the Hollywood actor they've followed, she said. They want to comfort them after a health disclosure. Social media has only increased this feeling of familiarity, as celebrities regularly share mundane – but fascinating – details of their daily lives, like what they eat for breakfast, their favorite socks, or the meditation they do before bed. "We spend a lifetime being exposed to celebrities through the media, and over time, you get to know these public figures," Gall Myrick said. "Some feel like friendships." A study published in the journal Science Communication in 2020 compared reactions to actor Tom Hanks, who had COVID-19 early in the pandemic, and an average person with COVID-19. Researchers found that participants identified more with Hanks when it came to estimating their own susceptibility to COVID-19. The participants also felt more emotional about the virus that causes COVID-19 when thinking about it in relation to Hanks versus an average person. When a celebrity reveals a health condition, it's a surprise that may feel personal, especially if they are well-liked and the health issue is dramatic and sudden. "We feel like we know them, and the emotional response is what can then push people out of their routine," Gall Myrick said. Noar said a celebrity health story is often a more interesting and powerful way to learn about a health condition than just the facts, which can feel overwhelming. People are drawn to the slew of media coverage that typically follows a celebrity disclosure, he said. "Some of these high-visibility public figures' stories are now woven into some of these illnesses," Noar said. For example, Angelina Jolie is often linked to the BRCA1 gene mutation after the actor shared she had a preventive double mastectomy because of her elevated breast cancer risk and had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed because of her increased risk for ovarian cancer. "It's a narrative, a story that humanizes the condition in a way that very informational communication really doesn't," Noar said. "People remember it, and it can potentially be a touch point." After a disclosure, patients may bring up a celebrity's story during a doctor's appointment and connect it to their own care. Today's multiplatform digital culture only amplifies celebrity messages. "You're seeing everyday people react to these events, and that can have a ripple effect too," Gall Myrick said. "We know from research that seeing messages more than once can be impactful. Often it's not just one billboard or one commercial that impacts behavior; it's the drip drip drip over time." Still, there's a cautionary tale to be told around the impact of celebrity health news, especially if the celebrity has died. An unclear cause of death may lead to speculation. Gall Myrick said that guesswork could potentially end up hurting rather than helping if patients were to act on misinformation or a lack of information. "Maybe the death was atypical or it needs more context," she said. "That's where advocacy groups and public health organizations come in. They need to be prepared for announcements or disclosures about celebrity deaths, and to fill in some of those gaps." American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved.After playoff chances slip away, Miami and Iowa State looking to regroup at Pop-Tarts Bowl