13 jiliasia

ISSAQUAH, Wash., Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: COST) today reported net sales of $21.87 billion for the retail month of November, the four weeks ended December 1, 2024, an increase of 5.6 percent from $20.71 billion last year. For the twelve-week first quarter ended November 24, 2024, the Company reported net sales of $60.99 billion, an increase of 7.5 percent from $56.72 billion last year. Net sales for the first thirteen weeks were $66.52 billion, an increase of 7.2 percent from $62.04 billion last year. Comparable sales were as follows: Comparable sales excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange were as follows: E-commerce sales in November were negatively impacted by an estimated 15 percentage points, due to Thanksgiving / Black Friday / Cyber Monday occurring a week later this year versus last year. Total and comparable sales were negatively impacted by approximately one and one-half percent as a result of the shift in E-commerce sales. Additional discussion of these results is available in a pre-recorded message. It can be accessed by visiting investor.costco.com (click on “Events & Presentations”). This message will be available through 4:00 p.m. (PT) on Wednesday, December 11, 2024. Costco currently operates 897 warehouses, including 617 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 109 in Canada, 41 in Mexico, 36 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 19 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, seven in China, five in Spain, two in France, and one each in Iceland, New Zealand and Sweden. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia. Certain statements contained in this document and the pre-recorded message constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For these purposes, forward-looking statements are statements that address activities, events, conditions or developments that the Company expects or anticipates may occur in the future. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, domestic and international economic conditions, including exchange rates, inflation or deflation, the effects of competition and regulation, uncertainties in the financial markets, consumer and small business spending patterns and debt levels, breaches of security or privacy of member or business information, conditions affecting the acquisition, development, ownership or use of real estate, capital spending, actions of vendors, rising costs associated with employees (generally including health-care costs and wages), workforce interruptions, energy and certain commodities, geopolitical conditions (including tariffs), the ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, regulatory and other impacts related to environmental and social matters, public-health related factors, and other risks identified from time to time in the Company’s public statements and reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company does not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law. Comparable sales and comparable sales excluding impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange are intended as supplemental information and are not a substitute for net sales presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. COST-Sales13 jiliasia 。

Why Miami’s Pop-Tarts Bowl appearance is important even after missing College Football PlayoffA historic grist mill in Union Bridge is being disassembled this week and is set to be rebuilt at the Carroll County Farm Museum next year.Abortion law experts said Trump’s decision to include fewer candidates with deep ties to the anti-abortion movement could indicate that abortion will not be a priority for Trump’s administration.

Nico Iamaleava passed for four touchdowns and Dylan Sampson rushed for 77 yards and set a school-record for TDs as No. 11 Tennessee rolled to a 56-0 victory over UTEP on Saturday afternoon in Knoxville, Tenn. Sampson scored on a 14-yard TD run early in the second quarter for the game's first points to deliver his 22nd TD of tje season to break the Tennessee single-season mark set by Gene McEvers in 1929. Iamaleava was 15 of 20 for 173 yards for Tennessee (9-2), while Bru McCoy caught a pair of TD passes and Squirrel White and Ethan Davis each had a TD reception. Tennessee moved its all-time record to 2-0 against the Miners, also having blanked the Conference USA school 24-0 in 2018. Jermod McCoy and John Slaughter had interceptions for the Volunteers, while Dominic Bailey recovered a fumble to set up a score. Skyler Locklear was 10-of-19 passing for 50 yards with an interception for UTEP (2-9), while rushing for 37 yards on eight carries. JP Pickles also had a turn at QB for the Miners and was 10 of 15 for 72 yards. Kenny Odom had eight receptions for 70 yards. Both defenses set the tone in the first quarter. The UTEP defense allowed just one first down to the Southeastern Conference team in three ugly series in the opening quarter and only 22 yards. In the second quarter, Sampson ended a 68-yard drive by dashing up the middle for 14 yards for the record-setting score to take a 7-0 lead with 13:22 remaining before halftime. After Bailey's fumble recovery, Iamaleava flipped a screen pass that White took 9 yards to the end zone nearly six minutes later. Davis put the Volunteers up 21-0 when he grabbed a short pass for a 1-yard TD. Iamaleava then found Bru McCoy from 18 yards with eight seconds left in the second quarter for a 28-0 halftime lead. McCoy caught his second TD and Peyton Lewis rushed for a pair for a 49-0 lead in the third quarter, but the biggest roar from Volunteers fans came when it was announced Florida beat No. 9 Ole Miss 24-17, to enhance the Volunteers' College Football Playoff hopes. Cameron Seldon's 3-yard run capped the scoring as the Volunteers finished the season undefeated at home for the second time in four years. --Field Level MediaPublished 21:18 IST, November 23rd 2024 Rapper sensation Hanumankind from Kerala and ASAP Rocky were seen performing together at Thailand. The video of duo is now going viral on social media. Rapper HanuMankind became a global sensation after his song Big Dawgs received a raving response upon its release. Within no time the song entered in the list of global top music videos. Recently, the global sensation HanuMankind and ASAP Rocky’s performance is now going viral on social media. Viral clip of HanuMankind and ASAP Rocky The viral clip of HanuMankind and ASAP Rocky’s performance is from the Rolling Loud concert in Thailand. The duo’s performed the new rendition of chartbuster Big Dawgs. As soon as the video was dropped, fans went gaga and flooded the comment section. One user wrote, “So freaking happy to see this”. Another user wrote, “Rocky with HanuMankind that was not in 2024 bucketlist”. A rapper from India making Indians proud!!!”, wrote the third user. This performance of HanuMankind is before he will move ahead with Coachella in 2025. This will make him the third artist from India to perform at the prestigious music fest after Diljit Dosanjh and AP Dhillon. All about HanuMankind HanuMankind , also known as Sooraj Cherukat, was born in Malappuram in Kerala. He spent his early years in Houston, Texas, where he attended the Houston Community College. In 2012, he returned to India and enrolled for a course in Coimbatore. He began his career at the festival NH7 Weekender, coinciding with his first release from his debut EP Kalari. It also set the stage of him and cemented his place in the space of upcoming and independent artists. He gained widespread recognition worldwide with the release of his music video Big Dawgs , featuring Kalmi, in 2024. The music video directed by Bijoy Shetty, features performances within a classic carnival attraction known as the “wall of death”. Get Current Updates on India News , Entertainment News along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world. 21:18 IST, November 23rd 2024

DT Campus: Startups invited to apply for TANSEED 7.0Maharashtra Poll Results: PM Modi Says Voters Affirmed 'Ek Hai Toh Safe Hai', Breathes Fire On Congress, MVA

High-Stakes By-Elections in West Bengal: TMC's Turf BattleNoneCORK, Ireland , Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE: JCI ) (the "Company" or "Johnson Controls"), a global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, today announced the pricing of its offering of €500 million senior notes due 2033. The net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, including the repayment, redemption or refinancing of outstanding commercial paper and other near-term indebtedness. General corporate purposes may also include acquisitions, additions to working capital, repurchase of ordinary shares, dividends, capital expenditures and investments in the Company's subsidiaries. Tyco Fire & Security Finance, S.C.A., a subsidiary of the Company, is the co-issuer of the notes. The closing for the transaction is expected to occur on December 11, 2024 , subject to certain customary closing conditions. BofA Securities, Crédit Agricole CIB and ING are serving as joint lead book-running managers to facilitate the transaction. Citigroup, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley are also serving as book-running managers and ANZ, Danske Bank, ICBC Standard Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and TD Securities are serving as co-managers of the offering. The offering of the notes is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement, prospectus and related prospectus supplement. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the base prospectus may be obtained by contacting BofA Securities Europe SA at 1-800-294-1322; Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank at 1-866-807-6030; or ING Bank N.V. at +31 20 563 8185. Investors may also obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov . This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. About Johnson Controls: At Johnson Controls, we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As a global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet. Building on a proud history of nearly 140 years of innovation, we deliver the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through OpenBlue, our comprehensive digital offering. Today, with a global team of experts, Johnson Controls offers the world's largest portfolio of building technology and software as well as service solutions from some of the most trusted names in the industry. Johnson Controls International plc Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Johnson Controls International plc has made statements in this communication that are forward-looking and therefore are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "should," "forecast," "project" or "plan" and terms of similar meaning are also generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Johnson Controls cautions that these statements are subject to numerous important risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond Johnson Controls' control, that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, risks related to: Johnson Controls' ability to develop or acquire new products and technologies that achieve market acceptance and meet applicable quality and regulatory requirements; the ability of Johnson Controls to execute on its operating model and drive organizational improvement; Johnson Controls' ability to successfully execute and complete portfolio simplification, including the completion of the divestiture of the Residential and Light Commercial business, as well as the possibility that the expected benefits of such actions will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time frame; the ability to hire and retain senior management and other key personnel, including successfully executing Johnson Controls' Chief Executive Officer succession plan; the ability to innovate and adapt to emerging technologies, ideas and trends in the marketplace, including the incorporation of technologies such as artificial intelligence; the ability to manage general economic, business and capital market conditions, including the impact of recessions, economic downturns and global price inflation; fluctuations in the cost and availability of public and private financing for Johnson Controls' customers; the ability to manage macroeconomic and geopolitical volatility, including supply chain shortages and the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas; managing the risks and impacts of potential and actual security breaches, cyberattacks, privacy breaches or data breaches, maintaining and improving the capacity, reliability and security of Johnson Controls' enterprise information technology infrastructure; the ability to manage the lifecycle cybersecurity risk in the development, deployment and operation of Johnson Controls' digital platforms and services; changes to laws or policies governing foreign trade, including economic sanctions, tariffs, foreign exchange and capital controls, import/export controls or other trade restrictions; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; changes or uncertainty in laws, regulations, rates, policies, or interpretations that impact Johnson Controls' business operations or tax status; the ability to adapt to global climate change, climate change regulation and successfully meet Johnson Controls' public sustainability commitments; risks and uncertainties related to the settlement with a nationwide class of public water systems concerning the use of Aqueous Film-Forming Foam; the outcome of litigation and governmental proceedings; the risk of infringement or expiration of intellectual property rights; Johnson Controls' ability to manage disruptions caused by catastrophic or geopolitical events, such as natural disasters, armed conflict, political change, climate change, pandemics and outbreaks of contagious diseases and other adverse public health developments; any delay or inability of Johnson Controls to realize the expected benefits and synergies of recent portfolio transactions; the tax treatment of recent portfolio transactions; significant transaction costs and/or unknown liabilities associated with such transactions; labor shortages, work stoppages, union negotiations, labor disputes and other matters associated with the labor force; and the cancellation of or changes to commercial arrangements. Investors are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. For further discussion of certain of these factors, see Item 1A. Risk Factors in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 , filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on November 19, 2024 and in our subsequent and future filings with the SEC, which are available at www.sec.gov . Investors should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors and should not consider this list to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date of this communication, unless otherwise specified, and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this communication. SOURCE Johnson Controls International plc

Tamil TV series Office to return with new cast as web series'Squid Game' Season 2 earns Golden Globe nomination before release

Georgia QB Carson Beck's status for Sugar Bowl uncertain as he considers treatment options on elbowI’M A Celebrity's stars suffered a raging hangovers after their boozy party as Danny Jones joked one of his campmates can join McFly. The cast went wild as they received a surprise boozy trip out of camp during yesterday's installment. But, after a night at the Jungle Arms, they woke up feeling a little worse for wear. Oti told the Bush Telegraph: “I only had two glasses but I felt like I had a rough night! Everyone is waking up with hangovers, we’re all hanging this morning.” However, the campmates were in high spirits, as they reflected on the night before. Danny said to GK about her singing ability: “I’ve already spoken to your agent, you’re booked on for next year.” Adding: “You’re gonna replace Tom for a bit.” more on I’m A Celebrity Maura said of her Celine Dion rendition: “There’s a lot of jealousy down in camp this morning, I think a few of them might be threatened over my success as a singer when I leave here.” Reflecting on the day’s vote off result, Danny said: “We’re all feeling quite positive about today because, to end in the Jungle Arms, it’s such a high to go out on!” In last night's episode, Maura Higgins delivered the news that they had a chance to visit the Jungle Arms. Excited, the group were left wondering what they would have to do to gain entry. Most read in Reality Former Love Island star Maura said: "I'm telling you now, I will go to lengths to get my glass of wine, you watch." Echoing a similar sentiment, social media star GK Barry declared: "Let's get a glass of prosecco! I've never walked so fast in my life." Afterwards, the nine campmates arrived at the Kangaroo Court challenge area. They found a seating area, a DJ booth and three dance booths. To win their place in the Jungle Arms, they had to take part in a game of Jungle Musical Statues. Hosted by Kiosk Kev, the campmates split up into groups of three. Kev played tracks from "Jungle on the Dance Floor" as the celebrities entered the dance booths. In a twist on musical statues, they needed to strike the correct dance pose and hold for ten seconds. Both Maura and GK were respectively put off by critters - putting their treat in jeopardy. While things generally didn't to go plan at first after failed attempts. But by the end, all nine campmates successfully won a place in The Jungle Arms. The thrilled group received a buffet of pizza and chips, accompanied with a drink of their choice. Music was also provided, thanks to a guitar, keyboard and a microphone for singing. In a fun twist, GK Barry sang McFly 's Obviously - in front of campmate Danny Jones . The line-up also had a group singalong of The Communards' Don't Leave Me This Way. Of course, campmate Reverend Richard Coles was a member of the 1980s band. Maura took on Celine Dion's power ballad It's All Coming Back To Me Now. Laughing, the reality star quipped: "Celine is going to be obsessed with me!" Danny tackled Livin On A Prayer, while Dancing On Ice judge Oti Mabuse sang I Have Nothing. READ MORE SUN STORIES Melvin Odoom treated his co-stars to a rendition of classic tune Hey Ya, with the group dancing along. I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here continues nightly at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX . i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year.. Coleen Rooney - Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney , has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever. Tulisa - The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year's I'm A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz , Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal. Alan Halsall - The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street , was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities. Melvin Odoom - The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet - the Aussie jungle . GK Barry - The UK's biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women . She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers. Dean McCullough - A rising star amongst this year's bunch of celebs , Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live. Oti Mabuse - The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV's Dancing On Ice . Danny Jones - The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle , after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he's now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice , along with bandmate Tom Fletcher . Jane Moore - The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge - having recently split from her husband . It will be Jane's first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past. Barry McGuigan - Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan . It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer . He told The Late Late Show in 2021: "She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache." Maura Higgins - The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard . Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year. Rev. Richard Coles - Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity , and he's ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star , said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: "Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth."Some of Karl-Anthony Towns’ fondest childhood memories on Christmas included the NBA. He would sit on the couch with his father, Karl Towns Sr., and watch games, imagining himself playing in those nationally-televised showcases one day. Wednesday won’t be the first such occasion he laces his sneakers up on Dec. 25. But it will be unique. “It’s my first one home,” the Knicks center said in advance of the clash with the Spurs at the Garden. “I never got to do that. So this is going to be fun, to be able to do it in front of your family. “It’s crazy for me growing up in this area and to be watching the Knicks always play on Christmas Day, watching [Carmelo Anthony] go crazy on Christmas Day. And now to be in a position where I get to have my name in the history of Knicks players to play on Christmas, it’s a huge honor.” It also will feature a major challenge: Spurs wunderkind Victor Wembanyama. The 2023 No. 1 pick out of France, Wembanyama has led the Spurs to a 15-14 start in his second season. The 7-foot-3 dynamo, the NBA Rookie of the Year last season, has been dynamic, averaging 24.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.0 blocks and 3.9 assists. He is also shooting 35.6 percent from beyond the arc. There is very little he can’t do at the age of 20. “Special talent. Fellow No. 1 pick alumni right here,” said Towns, the top pick of the 2015 draft. “I’m excited to see how his career progresses and see what he can do.” Josh Hart joked that the Knicks would prepare for Wembanyama by putting Towns in the paint and giving him a mop to swat away shots. In his last four games, Wembanyama is averaging an absurd 7.2 blocks. Last March, Wembanyama led the Spurs to an overtime victory over the Knicks by scoring 40 points, adding 20 rebounds and dishing out seven assists. “He’s an amazing player. He does things offensively, defensively that nobody at 7-3 should be doing,” Hart said. “He’s the future of the league, but we’ll give him his flowers after the game, not before the game. We got to make sure we slow down the Spurs and not just Wembanyama.” Playing on Christmas has been a Knicks tradition, even in lean times. It started in 1947. There was an eight-year gap from 2001-09, but the Knicks have missed just three Christmas Day games since. Last year, they beat the Bucks behind a 38-point masterpiece from Jalen Brunson. Bernard King still holds the record for most points on Christmas Day with 60 against the Nets in 1984. Eleven years ago, Anthony lit up the Garden with 37 points — 17 in the fourth quarter — in a win over the rival Celtics. Due to the NBA lockout, that was the first day of the season. “I’m usually watching,” OG Anunoby said. “It’ll be fun to play in one.” Some players view working on the holiday as a chore. Towns sees it differently. He sounded downright giddy about the opportunity. “I like playing basketball. It’s a great Christmas present for me,” Towns said. “I get to go out there and lace the shoes up and play. So I’m excited.”

Share the Spirit: Nonprofit helps homeless, impoverished East Bay military veterans feel like ‘not just a number’

New coach Chris Holtmann has been tasked with rebuilding DePaul to the point where it can return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004. Northern Illinois coach Rashon Burno knows what it takes to steer DePaul to the NCAAs because he was the starting point guard on the 2000 team that made the tournament -- the Blue Demons' only other NCAA appearance since 1992. Perhaps they can compare notes Saturday afternoon when Burno leads the Huskies (2-3) back to his alma mater as DePaul (5-0) hosts its sixth straight home game in Chicago. Last season, Burno's NIU squad helped accelerate DePaul's need for a new coach -- as the Huskies waltzed into Wintrust Arena and owned Tony Stubblefield's Blue Demons by an 89-79 score on Nov. 25. The Huskies built a 24-point second-half lead before coasting to the finish line. Can history repeat for NIU? There's just one problem with using last year's game as a potential barometer for Saturday's rematch: Almost no players on this year's teams were part of last year's squads. At DePaul, only assistant coach Paris Parham remains as Holtmann had the green light to bring in an all-new roster. UIC graduate transfer Isaiah Rivera (16.0 ppg, .485 3-point rate) and Coastal Carolina transfer Jacob Meyer (15.4 ppg, .406 on 3s) lead a balanced attack that focuses on getting half its shots from beyond the arc. At NIU, Burno retained only two players who competed against DePaul last year -- Ethan Butler and Oluwasegun Durosinmi -- and they combined for three points in 26 minutes in that game. The Huskies' main players used the transfer portal to join such programs as Kansas, Wisconsin, Penn State, Colorado State, James Madison, Georgia State and Niagara. With every starting job open, Butler has jumped into the lineup and produced 11.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. Transfers Quentin Jones (Cal Poly) and James Dent (Western Illinois) pace the Huskies with 14.4 and 14.0 points per game. NIU is on a two-game losing streak, most recently a 75-48 home defeat at the hands of Elon on Wednesday. Holtmann hopes to have Arkansas transfer Layden Blocker for Saturday's game. Blocker missed Tuesday's 78-69 win over Eastern Illinois with a quad injury. With the combo guard unavailable, point guard Conor Enright handed out a career-high 11 assists in a season-high 38 minutes. "We need (Blocker)," Holtmann said. "I don't want to play Conor 38 minutes." --Field Level MediaGoogle on Monday showed off a new quantum computing chip that it said was a major breakthrough that could bring practical quantum computing closer to reality. A custom chip called "Willow" does in minutes what it would take leading supercomputers 10 septillion years to complete, according to Google Quantum AI founder Hartmut Neven. "Written out, there is a 1 with 25 zeros," Neven said of the time span while briefing journalists. "A mind-boggling number." Neven's team of about 300 people at Google is on a mission to build quantum computing capable of handling otherwise unsolvable problems like safe fusion power and stopping climate change. "We see Willow as an important step in our journey to build a useful quantum computer with practical applications in areas like drug discovery, fusion energy, battery design and more," said Google CEO Sundar Pichai on X. A quantum computer that can tackle these challenges is still years away, but Willow marks a significant step in that direction, according to Neven and members of his team. While still in its early stages, scientists believe that superfast quantum computing will eventually be able to power innovation in a range of fields. Quantum research is seen as a critical field and both the United States and China have been investing heavily in the area, while Washington has also placed restrictions on the export of the sensitive technology. Olivier Ezratty, an independent expert in quantum technologies, told AFP in October that private and public investment in the field has totaled around $20 billion worldwide over the past five years. Regular computers function in binary fashion: they carry out tasks using tiny fragments of data known as bits that are only ever either expressed as 1 or 0. But fragments of data on a quantum computer, known as qubits, can be both 1 and 0 at the same time -- allowing them to crunch an enormous number of potential outcomes simultaneously. Crucially, Google's chip demonstrated the ability to reduce computational errors exponentially as it scales up -- a feat that has eluded researchers for nearly 30 years. The breakthrough in error correction, published in leading science journal Nature, showed that adding more qubits to the system actually reduced errors rather than increasing them -- a fundamental requirement for building practical quantum computers. Error correction is the "end game" in quantum computing and Google is "confidently progressing" along the path, according to Google director of quantum hardware Julian Kelly. gc/arp/bjt

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In the second edition of the SMF Fest Confidence Index, published yesterday, biodiesel topped the poll, pushing the 2023 winner, LNG-biomethane, into second place, while LNG e-methane retained its third position in the rankings. Apart from the three frontrunners, confidence levels appear to have dropped across the candidate fuels year on year. Confidence in green methanol has fallen from 53.5% in 2023 to 40.6% and green hydrogen, from 42.7% to 29.2%. Moving to the bottom of the Index, confidence in blue hydrogen dipped from 34.5% to 18.8%, and grey hydrogen, from 33.2% to 13.9%. In 2023, confidence levels in methanol-fuelled shipping were very measured, in spite of a clear upswing in orders that year for methanol fuelled-vessels. However, last year’s confidence levels in this fuel now look to have been quite bullish in comparison with 2024 voting, as green methanol has retreated from the ‘quite confident’ category into the ‘little confidence’ zone. Among the green fuel variants, green ammonia moved up the pecking order, swapping places with green hydrogen, while there was little movement year-on-year between the blue fuel variants. For the grey fuel variants, methanol retained its 2023 position, ammonia moved up two places from the bottom of the Index, while grey hydrogen dropped into last position. The first SMF Confidence Index was launched at the inaugural Sustainable Marine Fuel Fest held in Valencia in November 2023, with the intention to provide a ‘moment in time’ indication of how confident shipping and marine fuel industry stakeholders are that the groundwork required for maritime’s energy transition, including its infrastructure and technology, is in place. It is not a forecast of how likely it is that the shipping sector can meet the IMO’s decarbonisation end of decade milestones, out to 2050, but it does fill an information/perception gap that currently exists in the sector. The Index charts and compares changes in industry confidence in shipping’s energy transition according to four key criteria (Technology, Infrastructure, Commercial and Environmental Credentials) and across five deep sea vessel segments: containerships, dry cargo, gas carriers, passenger vessels and tankers. These criteria/vessel segments are considered in relation to the use of 12 marine fuels (including grey/blue/green variants). The new edition of the Index shows that the dial on shipping’s decarbonisation has moved in some important respects as industry stakeholders are become more informed about the energy transition process and its challenges. There is increased awareness of the environmental credentials of the alternative fuel options, and the conversation is moving on to focus on the commercial landscape for these energy sources, in terms of their availability, scalability and cost. Voting for the 2024 Confidence Index and discussing its outcomes was a key element of this year’s ‘by industry for industry’ Sustainable Marine Fuel Fest (SMF Fest) which took place in Porto in October. The framework for the Index was developed by the event’s industry partners who represent companies that that are proactive in delivering shipping’s fuel transition. The industry partners involved in the 2024 event were Bureau Veritas, GTT, Hapag-Lloyd, SGMF and Wärtsilä. The participants in this year’s Fest represented a wide range of stakeholders across the marine fuel value chain. The results of the 2024 Confidence Index can be seen as a fair reflection of the tenor and tone of the many conversations in Porto. There was close discussion about the production processes for the new fuels in shipping’s energy mix as well as the availability (and cost) of green variants of these fuels. ‘No-one will pay more than they have to for the new fuels’ was an oft-repeated phrase in conversations. Some participants also questioned the near- and longer-term future of the blue iterations of ammonia, hydrogen and methanol. A lack of demand signals for fuels from shipowners was a key topic and a strong element of ‘uncertainty’ among different stakeholders was perceived as stymying progress in the development of a robust, global fuel supply infrastructure. Shipowners are unsure about future fuel choices because they are not getting clear messaging from charterers about fuel preferences and routing schedules. Owners may also be ‘buying time’ and opting for the cheapest fuel solutions while they decide on future fuel strategies, but there was consensus in the room that those owners and operators who can pass through fuel costs are better placed to take earlier and bolder decisions on new fuels. Concern was also expressed over the future volumes of low and zero carbon fuels, particularly over the time taken for final investment decisions on production projects to be taken and the fact that only a small percentage of such projects stay the course and move to commercialisation. The increasingly complex landscape of regulation and legislation also loomed large in discussions, particularly in relation to compliance obligations and cost implications, with the consensus being: We don’t need any more regulation – work with what we have. A key takeaway from SMF Fest 2024 was that decision-making on future fuel strategies remains slow and cautious – while there are some (large and small) first movers at this stage in the energy transition, there are still not many ‘close followers’. The Confidence Index will be fully updated at the next SMF Fest which will take place in autumn 2025. Source: SMF Confidence IndexThe stage is set for another exciting chapter of innovation as Prime Minister Narendra Modi gears up to engage with young minds during the grand finale of the Smart India Hackathon 2024 via videoconferencing. The event, spanning 51 centers across the nation, promises to be a dynamic forum for more than 1,300 student teams who will present their solutions to the challenges presented by various ministries, departments, and industries, or introduce their inventive concepts in the Student Innovation Category. This year's hackathon boasts over 250 problem statements, highlighting critical issues and inviting solutions in sectors like healthcare, smart technologies, and sustainability. A significant rise in participation is noted, with over 86,000 teams joining at the institute level before filtering down to the national stage. (With inputs from agencies.)

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