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Oklahoma State's 3-point accuracy sends Miami to defeatAs Texas Chief Justice Nathan Hecht prepares to retire, he reflects on the Supreme Court he helped change

" Abang Adik " ( Malaysia ) Takes Home Snow Leopard for Best Film Wu Kang -ren ( " Abang Adik " ) Named Best Actor Diamond Bou Abboud ( "Arze" ) Wins Best Actress Sergei Bodrov Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award HOLLYWOOD, Calif. , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 10th annual Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) announced its winners at a star-studded Closing Night Gala Awards Ceremony Thursday, November 21 , at the Culver Theater. Over 60 films and special screenings, including 24 Academy Award submissions for Best International Feature Film, were presented over the nine days of the AWFF, held November 13 - 21. The ceremony was hosted by Kyrgyz director and actress Elnura Osmanalieva and TV host, Golden Globe member, filmmaker and actor Mico Saad . FOR PHOTOS: CLICK HERE The Main Competition presented a series of exclusive Snow Leopard Awards with the assistance of Iris Wang , Jury President, producer ("Kung Fu Yoga," "The Composer"). Crime/drama " Abang Adik " ( Malaysia ), directed by Jin Ong , won the Snow Leopard Award for Best Film . The film also won the Snow Leopard Best Actor Award for Wu Kang -ren . The Snow Leopard for Best Actress went to Diamond Bou Abboud for the social dramedy "Arze" ( Lebanon ), directed by Mira Shaib . The Snow Leopard Special Jury Prize went to family drama " In the Arms of the Tree" ( Iran ) directed by Babak Khajeh Pasha . The Snow Leopard Panavision Award for Best Cinematography , along with a $45,000 Panavision Camera Package Grant, was awarded to cinematographer Zhanrbek Yeleubek for Kazakhstan's coming of age drama " Bauryna Salu, " and accepted by the film's director Askhat Kuchinchirekov and producer Dias Feld. The Snow Leopard Audience Award went to " The Glassworker " ( Pakistan ), directed by Usman Riaz . Writer, director and producer Sergei Bodrov ("Mongol," "Prisoner of the Mountains") received the AWFF Lifetime Achievement Award . The award was presented by Kazakhstan actress Ayanat Ksenbai ("About Mannequin"). Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Ho-Sun Chan ("Warlords," "Comrades: Almost a Love Story ") was presented with the Outstanding Cinematic Achievement Award by producer Andre Morgan ("The Cannonball Run," "The Warlords"). The Rising Star Award went to Filipino actress Kathryn Bernardo ("The Hows of Us," "Hello, Love, Goodbye") presented by actress Kieu Chinh ("The Joy Luck Club," "Hamburger Hill"). Executive Director Georges N. Chamchoum said, "There is always a beginning and end to everything—except at the Asian World Film Festival. This 10 th Anniversary year was filled with inspiring milestones, discovery, joy, and thrills! The myriads of movies we screened, the special country spotlights and the dedicated filmmaker panels, have brought the richness of our heritage to the forefront. Asia is a wellspring of incredibly talented filmmakers, offering valuable lessons, especially in this age of technology. The AWFF continues to showcase exceptional movies filled with heart, soul, and captivating storytelling. Onward to November 2025!" The Bruce Lee Award , in partnership with the Bruce Lee Foundation, was presented to martial artist and actor Mark Dacascos ("Brotherhood of the Wolf," " John Wick : Chapter 3 – Parabellum") by Lee's daughter Shannon Lee , CEO of the Bruce Lee Foundation. The Asian Vision Best Film Award was given to "Night Courier" ( Saudi Arabia ), directed by Ali Kalthami. The Short Film Jury composed of filmmakers and industry professionals from the U.S. and abroad, was headed by Jury President, Head of HDR Content Workflow, Barco) Joachim Zell . The Best Short Film , with a prize of a $15,000 Panavision Camera Package grant, went to " Lullaby" (UK/ Vietnam ) directed by Chi Thai . The award was presented by producer Zhu Xufang and accepted by actress Mai Thu Huyen ("A Fragile Flower," "Kieu"). A Special Mention was given to " Mar Mama " (Palestine), directed by Majdi El Omari . The complete awards list is as follows: SNOW LEOPARD COMPETITION AWARDEES Best Picture : " Abang Adik " ( Malaysia ) directed by Jin Ong Best Actor: Wu Kang -ren in " Abang Adik " ( Malaysia ) Best Actress: Diamond Bou Abboud in "Arze" ( Lebanon ) Panavision Best Cinematography: Zhanrbek Yeleubek for "Bauryna Salu" ( Kazakhstan ) Special Jury Prize: " In the Arms of the Tree" ( Iran ) directed by Babak Khajeh Pasha Audience Award: " The Glassworker" ( Pakistan ) directed by Usman Riaz SNOW LEOPARD HONORARY AWARDS Lifetime Achievement Award – Sergei Bodrov Outstanding Cinematic Achievement – Peter Ho-Sun Chan Rising Star Award – Kathryn Bernardo ASIAN VISION BEST FILM AWARD: "Night Courier" ( Saudi Arabia ) directed by Ali Kalthami AWFF BRUCE LEE AWARD (in partnership with the Bruce Lee Foundation) Mark Dacascos SHORT FILM FINALISTS Best Short Film: " Lullaby" (UK/ Vietnam ) directed by Chi Thai Special Mention: " Mar Mama " (Palestine) directed by Majdi El Omari The AWFF series of Snow Leopard Awards is bestowed in partnership with The Snow Leopard Trust to raise awareness for the endangered snow leopard and their Asian ecosystem. AWFF SPONSORS The Asian World Film Festival is proudly sponsored by Aitysh Film, Pechanga Casino Resort, Panavision, Bruce Lee Foundation, Korean Cultural Center ( Los Angeles ), Korean Film Council (KOFIC), Taiwan Academy ( Los Angeles ), Hollywood Arab Film Association ( Los Angeles ), Vietnam Cinema Association ( Hanoi, Vietnam ), Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, Kyrgyz Film, Ministry of Culture & Tourism Republic of Turkiye, Directorate General of Cinema (Turkiye), Republic of Turkiye Los Angeles Consulate General, Beirut Film Association ( Lebanon ), Meihodo ( Japan ), MoRedii, Culver City Arts Foundation, CAPE ( Los Angeles ), AARP ( California ), Blackmagic Design, Emporium Thai ( Los Angeles ), NAMOO ( Marina Del Rey ), Jackson Market & Deli (Culver City, Shin Beijing ( Los Angeles ), H.C. Foods and Asahi Beer , among many others. ABOUT THE ASIAN WORLD FILM FESTIVAL (AWFF) Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024, the Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) was founded by Kyrgyz public figure Sadyk Sher-Niyaz to bring the best of Asian cinema to Los Angeles and to strengthen ties between the Asian and Hollywood film industries. The festival screens feature films from more than 50 countries, spanning from Japan to Turkey and Russia to India and Southeast Asia . As of 2024, AWFF is the only Los Angeles -based festival that showcases most Asian submissions Academy Award ® and Golden Globe ® for Best International Feature Film and Best Motion Picture - Non-English Language respectively. AWFF is a non-profit organization under Aitysh USA . Follow AWFF on: Website: https://www.asianworldfilmfest.org/ X (formally Twitter): https://twitter.com/asianworldff Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AsianWorldFilmFest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asianworldff/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@asianworldfilmfestival3974 Media Contact: Rick Markovitz 818-421-3334 [email protected] SOURCE Asian World Film FestivalThe Half Promise Of Weight-Loss Drugs

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AP Business SummaryBrief at 5:20 p.m. ESTBryce Thompson scored 17 points and achieved a milestone as Oklahoma State defeated Miami 80-74 on Friday afternoon in a Charleston Classic consolation game in Charleston, S.C. Thompson made 6-of-14 shots from the floor, surpassing 1,000 points for his career at Oklahoma State (4-1), which also got 15 points from Marchelus Avery. The Cowboys won in large part thanks to their impressive 3-point shooting (10-for-22, 45.5 percent). Oklahoma State backup guard Arturo Dean, a Miami native, posted eight points and one steal. He led the nation in steals last season while playing for Florida International. Miami (3-2) has lost two straight games in Charleston, failing to take a lead at any point. They will play on Sunday against either Nevada or VCU. The Hurricanes on Friday were led by Nijel Pack, who had a game-high 20 points. Brandon Johnson had a double-double for Miami with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Matthew Cleveland scored 11 points and Lynn Kidd and Paul Djobet added 10 points apiece for Miami. Miami, which fell behind 7-0 in Thursday's loss to Drake, got behind 9-0 on Friday as Abou Ousmane scored six of his eight points. Oklahoma State stretched its lead to 18 before settling for a 43-27 advantage at the break. Pack led all first-half scorers with 10 points, but Miami shot just 29.6 percent from the floor, including 3-of-13 on 3-pointers (23.1). Oklahoma State shot 48.4 percent, including 8-for-15 on 3-pointers (53.3 percent) before intermission. The Cowboys also had a 14-8 edge in paint points. In the second half, Miami closed its 20-point deficit to 55-42 with 12:12 left. Miami got a bit closer as two straight short jumpers by Kidd, trimming the deficit to 73-62 with 3:25 to play. The Hurricanes cut it to 77-70 on Pack's 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining, but the Cowboys hit their free throws to close out the win. --Field Level Media

How Alpine is helping Loeb's bid for Dakar history with an unlikely challenger

(All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts Friday, Nov. 22 AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (WOMEN’S) 11 p.m. FS2 — AFL Playoffs: Port Adelaide at North Melbourne, Preliminary Final 3:30 a.m. (Saturday) FS2 — AFL Playoffs: Adelaide at Brisbane, Preliminary Final AUTO RACING 9:25 p.m. ESPNEWS — Formula 1: Practice, Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Las Vegas 12:55 a.m. (Saturday) ESPN — Formula 1: Qualifying, Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Las Vegas COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S) 11:30 a.m. ESPN2 — Charleston Classic: TBD, Semifinal, Charleston, S.C. ESPNU — Myrtle Beach Invitational: TBD, Consolation Semifinal, Conway, S.C. 2 p.m. ESPN2 — Myrtle Beach Invitational: TBD, Semifinal, Conway, S.C. ESPNU — Charleston Classic: TBD, Consolation Semifinal, Charleston, S.C. 2:30 p.m. CBSSN — Greenbrier Tip-Off: Pittsburgh vs. LSU, Semifinal, West White Sulphur Springs, W.V. 5 p.m. CBSSN — Greenbrier Tip-Off: Wisconsin vs. UCF, Semifinal, West White Sulphur Springs, W.V. ESPN2 — Charleston Classic: TBD, Semifinal, Charleston, S.C. ESPNU — Myrtle Beach Invitational: TBD, Semifinal, Conway, S.C. 6 p.m. BTN — Campbell at Ohio St. 7 p.m. CBSSN — Continental Tire Baha Mar Championship: TBD, Third-Place Game, Nassau, Bahamas ESPNU — Legends Classic: TBD, Third-Place Game, New York FS2 — Merrimack at Butler SECN — S. Illinois at Florida 8 p.m. BTN — Utah St. vs. Iowa, Kansas City, Mo. FS1 — Nebraska at Creighton 9 p.m. SECN — Little Rock at Arkansas 9:30 p.m. ESPNU — Legends Classic: TBD, Championship, New York CBSSN — Continental Tire Baha Mar Championship: TBD, Championship, Nassau, Bahamas 10 p.m. BTN — Cal St.-Fullerton at UCLA 10:30 p.m. ESPN2 — Duke at Arizona PEACOCK — Saint Louis vs. Wichita St., Kansas City, Mo. 12:30 a.m. (Saturday) ESPN2 — North Carolina at Hawaii COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S) 7 p.m. ACCN — Florida at Florida St. COLLEGE FOOTBALL 7 p.m. ESPN2 — Temple at UTSA 8 p.m. FOX — Purdue at Michigan St. 10 p.m. FS1 — UNLV at San Jose St. GOLF Noon GOLF — PGA Tour: The The RSM Classic, Second Round, Sea Island Golf Club - Seaside Course, Sea Island, Ga. 3 p.m. GOLF — LPGA Tour: The CME Group Tour Championship, Second Round, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla. 7:30 p.m. TNT — The Match Superstars: Semifinals, Breakers West Country Club, West Palm Beach, Fla. TRUTV — The Match Superstars: Semifinals, Breakers West Country Club, West Palm Beach, Fla. (DataCast) 9 p.m. TNT — The Match Superstars: Final, Breakers West Country Club, West Palm Beach, Fla. TRUTV — The Match Superstars: Final, Breakers West Country Club, West Palm Beach, Fla. (DataCast) 9:30 p.m. GOLF — DP World Tour: The BMW Australian PGA Championship, Third Round, Royal Queensland Golf Club, Brisbane, Australia 1 a.m. (Saturday) GOLF — Asian Tour: The LINK Hong Kong Open, Third Round, Hong Kong Golf Club, Hong Kong HORSE RACING Noon FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races NBA BASKETBALL 7:40 p.m. ESPN — Golden State at New Orleans 10:05 p.m. ESPN — Dallas at Denver NHL HOCKEY 7 p.m. NHLN — Winnipeg at Pittsburgh SAILING 5 a.m. (Saturday) CBSSN — Sail GP: The Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix - Day 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates TENNIS 11 a.m. TENNIS — Davis Cup Finals Semifinal The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV .The women who took on organic rice growing, and patriarchy

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GEO Group, one of the nation’s largest private prison contractors, filed a federal lawsuit last month against California officials to strike down a state law allowing local public health officials to inspect immigration detention facilities. The Florida-based company argued in a filing that California’s law , signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in August, is unconstitutional because it steps on the federal government’s authority to manage detention centers. By extension, GEO claimed intergovernmental immunity as a contractor. “This case involves the latest in a string of attempts by the State of California to ban federal immigration enforcement in the state, or so significantly burden such efforts as to drive federal agencies and contractors involved in that constitutionally mandated national security function from California,” according to the lawsuit filed in the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of California. GEO spokesperson Christopher Ferreira did not respond to requests for comment. The lawsuit names Newsom, state Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Kern County health officer Kristopher Lyon as defendants. All three declined to comment. A first hearing is scheduled for February. GEO Group could expand its grip on immigration detention facilities now that former President Donald Trump won a second term. Trump has promised a mass deportation of immigrants living in the U.S. without authorization, and investors sense Trump’s policies will create a boon for private prison companies such as GEO. GEO’s stock skyrocketed, increasing 75% , after Trump’s victory. People and groups associated with the private prison giant spent roughly $5.6 million on lobbying and donations this past election cycle, much of it going to conservative political action committees, including $1 million to Make America Great Again Inc., according to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks campaign finance and lobbying data. César García Hernández, an immigration law professor at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law, said a judge will most likely block implementation of the California law while litigation is pending. In March, a federal judge blocked Washington state from enforcing most of a law to increase oversight and improve living conditions at that state’s only private immigration detention facility. “GEO has been rather successful in turning to the courts in order to block access to its facilities,” García Hernández said. “The private prison company is trying to insulate itself by taking cover under the fact that it is operating this facility under contract with the federal government.” California’s bill grants local public health officers, who routinely inspect county jails and state prisons, the ability to inspect private detention facilities, including all six federal immigration centers in California. Detainees have complained of health threats ranging from covid-19, mumps, and chickenpox outbreaks to contaminated water, moldy food, and air ducts spewing black dust. State lawmakers have attempted to regulate immigration facilities with mixed results. In 2019, Newsom, a Democrat, signed a measure banning private prisons and detention facilities from operating in California. But a federal court later declared the law unconstitutional, saying it interfered with federal functions. In 2021, California lawmakers passed a bill requiring private detention centers to comply with state and local public health orders and worker safety and health regulations. That measure was adopted at the height of the covid-19 pandemic, as the virus tore through detention facilities where people were packed into dorms with little or no protection from airborne viruses. Under the new law, public health officers will determine whether the facilities are complying with environmental rules, such as ensuring proper ventilation, and offering basic mental and physical health care, emergency treatment, and safely prepared food. Unlike public correctional facilities, which are inspected every year, health officers will inspect private detention centers as they deem necessary. Supporters say public health officers are well positioned to inspect these facilities because they understand how to make confined spaces safer for large populations. But GEO argued that California health codes and regulations aren’t always consistent with federal standards. The lawsuit pointed out, for instance, that California requires detainees at risk of self-harm or suicide to be transferred to a mental health facility. But Immigration and Customs Enforcement rules grant detention centers more discretion, allowing them to transfer a detainee to a mental health facility or keep them in suicide-resistant isolation at the detention center through monitoring every 15 minutes. GEO also warned in its complaint that implementing the law could cost up to $500,000. Immigrant advocates say the federal government has done a poor job ensuring health and safety. In a paper published in June , researchers showed that immigration officials and a private auditor conducted inspections infrequently — at least once every three years — and provided limited public information about deficiencies and if or how they were addressed. In response, detainees have filed suits alleging crowded and unsanitary conditions ; denial of adequate mental and medical health care; medical neglect ; and wrongful death by suicide. “Why shouldn’t they let an inspector go inside the facilities if they are abiding by the standards,” said Jose Ruben Hernandez Gomez, who was detained for 16 months and released in April 2023. “If they have nothing to hide, they shouldn’t be filing a lawsuit.” Hernandez Gomez went on a hunger strike for 21 days after filing dozens of grievances alleging abusive treatment and poor sanitation. Last month, eight members of California’s congressional delegation urged the Department of Homeland Security to end its contracts with two GEO-operated immigration centers, Golden State Annex and Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center, where multiple hunger and labor strikes were held this year. Strikers demanded an end to inadequate medical and mental health services, poor living conditions, and solitary confinement. Advocates fear GEO’s legal victories could be dangerous for the health of immigrants. After Washington state’s Department of Health was denied access to the Northwest ICE Processing Center, the state’s only immigration center, two people died in the facility, including one in October. This article was produced by KFF Health News , which publishes California Healthline , an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation . ( KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.) ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The Dakar Rally returns to provide one of motorsport's toughest tests for human and machine in January, with Saudi Arabia again hosting the challenge. It may not be the event it once was when run through Africa to the Senegalese capital [the event's name gives it away] but the test remains one that requires ultimate performance and robustness to overcome. Relevance remains for manufacturers looking to prove their mettle in the rally raid theatre, with Toyota, Ford and Mini all competing in the World Rally-Raid Championship's (WR2C) Cars class - as well as privateer Volkswagens, which are offshoots of the old works team. REPORT: Dacia cools Dakar expectations after debut 1-2 at Rallye du Maroc For the 2025 edition, there's a surprise name aiming for glory: Dacia. The small Romanian manufacturer is taking on the giants and aiming to make history when the Dakar Rally starts on 3 January. Motorsport.com was invited to visit the factory of technical partner Prodrive, ahead of its quest for glory. Why Dacia is tackling Dakar Dacia is very cynical in its business model. It offers affordable cars to its consumers, including only what it needs within its model range to keep costs down, rather than adding all the gadgets and gizmos we have come to expect in our road cars. Yet with a mission statement that includes focusing on its sustainability and remaining 'Eco-Smart', the Dakar project actually presents a number of important testbeds for the brand. "Our ambition within the Dakar project is obviously to win, first and foremost," says Dacia UK and Ireland brand director Luke Broad, who is aware this is no easy task for a brand at the first time of asking. "But we also see it as an effective outdoor technical laboratory. The idea is to take our learnings within Dakar with a view to eventually seeing some of the innovations that we put in this car in our road cars. Dacia Sandrider has been in development for much of 2024 ahead of debut on Dakar in January Photo by: Dacia "It's also a place for us to experiment with sustainable fuels because, as a brand, we're not about going into the desert and polluting it. We are going to do it in a very sustainable way, and that fits under our Eco-Smart brand." Those sustainable fuels will come through a partnership with Saudi-based company Aramco, which has been working on a similar project with Formula 1 as the world championship ushers in a sustainable future in 2026. Technical director Philip Dunabin says that while certain instances of technology transfer between the Dakar project and Dacia's road-car business "are not really very visible", they are still significant. If a partnership with Prodrive wasn't enough to make you believe Dacia was taking this seriously, then the crews that will get to grips with the three-car entry should "Dacia has been working on pigments and resin, in this case in the carbon fibre," he explains. "These are pigments that are intended to reduce infrared absorption, intended to keep temperatures lower in the cars. Those have got applications for them in terms of pigment arrangement in road cars. "They have also brought very matte, IR-reflecting [infra-red] paint that they will be using in the future in road cars. We use it here in things like the dashtop for low reflection, low glare from the windscreen. "There are elements that are not in the car yet in terms of to do with materials for the seats and so on, which have come directly from Dacia road cars and of course, there is the work they are helping us do with sustainable fuels with the partnership with Aramco." Dunabin and team principal Tiphanie Isnard are leading the Prodrive effort - officially called the Dacia Sandriders. The British operation that conquered the World Rally Championship with Subaru provides the motorsport expertise needed to help the programme shortcut its learning curve. Sandriders technical director Dunabin has joined the project from Alpine, evidencing its support for the programme Photo by: Dacia "When we are doing things in Dacia, we need to do well with the best specialist around us, so [that's] why we are here with Prodrive, it is one of the most successful companies in motorsports," says Isnard. "For us, it's the best partner as the technical provider for all the development." A strong three-pronged line-up If a partnership with Prodrive, which has tackled Dakar on the past four years with the BRX Hunter and managed two runner-up finishes, wasn't enough to make you believe Dacia was taking this seriously then the crews that will get to grips with the three-car entry should. Five-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah is joined by navigator Edouard Boulanger in car #200 as he attempts to close on Stephane Peterhansel's record of eight wins in the Cars category. One of rallying's most famous names, Sebastien Loeb, returns for another crack at getting his first Dakar win after finishing third in 2024. The three-time runner-up, twice with Prodrive, will be partnered in his #219 car by Fabian Lurquin, while the youth of the team comes in the form of Cristina Gutierrez, who raced with Loeb in the Prodrive-run X44 Extreme E team. The Spaniard, who won the Challenger (T3) class on the 2024 Dakar, is joined by Pablo Moreno in the #212 entry. The drivers have long been assisting with the development of the entire project, with Isnard telling Motorsport.com: "They were really involved from the beginning, they jumped in the car as quick as they could. They want to be a part of the first day of the car. "They quickly react and give feedback, which is positive, but also on what we need to improve and they call me, even on bank holidays in France - one was in the pool! But they all the time have questions and ask how the team is, what are the changes, what will be the car for Dakar." Having explained how the drivers used virtual headsets to get a feel for the inside of the cockpit when at the headquarters early on, Isnard adds: "From the beginning, the project was built with the crew in the Dacia design office. [We] said 'what do you want' and then built the design of the car around them. It is their office, so it's really important for the driver and navigator as a part of the performance." Integration between driver and team extends far past just the technical development at the start of the project. Teams essentially live together in bivouacs during the Dakar rally, so egos have to be left at the door. On Loeb in particular, chief mechanic Alistair 'Stretch' Gibson could only hail the Frenchman. Gibson has enjoyed working with Loeb, who is bidding to add a first Dakar win to his bulging CV Photo by: Dacia "He's great," says Gibson, unrelated to namesake Alastair who worked for the Prodrive-run BAR Formula 1 team in the noughties. "He is the person you see on the telly. He is shy, he is quiet, but he is actually really easy and simple to work with. He's not demanding. I was quite surprised; I expected a troublesome time, but it was completely the opposite. He just wants to get in the car and drive. Once the number is on the door, he wants to go and win. "It's a different breed of driver that wants to do Dakar and all these different demands of 'I want these drinks or those grapes' is out the window because you can't have it - it's not there. We sit and we eat together, there's not a special catering out the back for the drivers. We sit and eat together and all the teams from the whole bivouac are all together." While Loeb and Al-Attiyah will take the headlines from the line-up, the team is by no means expecting Gutierrez to simply make up the numbers. "We want a rising young driver to have with two experienced drivers. When we saw the [test] results, it was quite simple, Christina was the best one" Tiphanie Isnard "I wouldn't discount Cristina," insists Gibson. "We saw through the testing phase that she is pretty determined and pretty good at what she does. "She certainly earned the respect of the team around her with her performance in the test. It's not easy in Morocco and she was pretty tough, really good pace and good feedback. We were really impressed with her." In that test-run during the Rallye du Maroc, where the squad finished 1-2 on debut with Al-Attiyah and Loeb, Gutierrez was helping the team run shelf-life experiments, using components that had been used in previous tests to help discover durability levels of different parts - a vital mission as part of Dakar preparation. While using a female driver as well as a female team principal is a strong commercial move, Isnard is adamant this had no bearing on Gutierrez getting the nod. "The choice was quite simple," she says. "We want a rising young driver to have with two experienced drivers. When we saw the [test] results, it was quite simple, Cristina was the best one. She is a woman, that's great, but that was not the first choice." Gutierrez joins the programme after taking a class victory on the 2024 Dakar Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool Alpine's assistance to realise Dacia dreams While the Prodrive link-up and crew line-up makes the operation at least competitive, the Dacia Sandriders still have to take on the might of manufacturers that have been Dakar incumbents in recent times, not least in Toyota. But, being part of the Renault Group, Dacia has been able to take on expertise both in personnel and physical materials which will help accelerate its effort. Dunabin and Isnard are both Alpine Racing team members who have been designated to the project. "Within the Renault Group, the motorsport resource is Alpine Racing," Dunabin explains, "that looks after Formula 1, WEC, Formula E - where it looks after the programme for Nissan - rally with Renault Clios, Rally3, one-make championships and circuit racing. All of that expertise in motorsport is held within Alpine. "So it is natural that Dacia came to Alpine to say 'we want to use Alpine as the motorsport expertise for handling our rally raid programme'. That's where Tiphanie and myself come from. We work exclusively for Dacia, but we actually work for Alpine. "There's an awful lot of expertise. Recently, we have done things like materials analysis within Alpine for things on this car, electronics analysis [too]. There is a whole technical resource within Alpine that is a disposition of this programme. "When you make a road car, you don't pretend to do everything yourself anyway. Dacia is not going to make a steering rack, it is going to know who it wants to go to to install that. It is the same sort of thing in this arrangement. Prodrive have expertise in motorsport, they have an understanding of rally raid. You then have supervision from Alpine representing Dacia and Dacia utilises all of this resource to maximise the benefit for their programme." Speaking to Motorsport.com's Italian sister site during a Dacia Sandriders event in Italy, Loeb put his enthusiasm for the project down to the involvement of both Renault and Prodrive. “In the past months I had to make a choice," he related. "I had to choose a major project because my intention was still to race in the Dakar and the Dacia project seemed to me the best. "This is all because of the ambitions of the brand, of the manufacturer, which involved me in the project. Although it is its first sports project in the discipline, it has a huge, visible, tangible motivation. Significant expertise from the BRX project has transferred to the Dacia programme, including its driving strength Photo by: A.S.O. "Then I know several people involved; Bruno Famin, the boss of Renault Group as far as motorsport is concerned. I also know Prodrive well, with whom I raced in the Dakar and in the World Rally Raid during the last two seasons. I thought starting a project from scratch with these people involved was a good thing; they could use our experience made in the past to make a very competitive car.” Can Dacia conquer the challenge of Dakar? However competitive the car is on paper, or how strong the line-up and pedigree of the entire squad may be compared to rival outfits, the real test is the conditions faced in Saudi Arabia. Almost 8,000km will be covered across 12 stages which will take in gruelling terrain in the desert heat - and cold - of the Middle Eastern Kingdom, including the daunting 48-hour, 1057km endurance stage. With bivouacs set up each night, any repairs to cars must be done while exposed to the elements. "The sandstorm is the worst environment to work in," Gibson explains. "You can cope with the rain and the cold and the heat, but the sandstorm is definitely the worst, especially if it is a gearbox or a major component that needs working on. It does happen, and you just have to get on with it." "The easiest thing to do with Dakar is to screw up. It is incredibly difficult to do a Dakar when you don't have problems" Philip Dunabin "We try to avoid opening a gearbox or engine in that sort of situation, or any air intakes. But sometimes, you just have to get on with it. With the tents, we can try and pull the sides down. "Thankfully, it doesn't happen that often. Only twice in the last four years have we had a really bad sandstorm in the bivouac, so they do come. It does present challenges in many ways, from the tents themselves, or the trucks or the generators - it is just a feature of the landscape." With the 1-2 finish in Morocco proving the car's speed, focus since then has been on ensuring the reliability is up to scratch to avoid a repeat of cooling issues. "A lot of the stuff in terms of the cooling in Morocco was to do with the reliability side than anything else," says Dunabin. "We had incidents where fans would drop out, that sort of thing. If you lose one of the fans out of the system, then the car tends to get a bit too hot. So most of what we have been concentrating on is on the reliability side. Encouraging debut in Morocco is not giving way to overconfidence, although Dunabin hopes cooling issues have been remedied Photo by: Motorsport.com "Obviously we finished first and second, we won three out of five stages. We were never very far away from the front of the field and there were one or two subjects where we sailed a bit too close to the wind. Those subjects are things we have been working on to get right for Dakar." While the result in Morocco puts Dacia Sandriders in a strong position to ink its name into the Dakar history books, there is no complacency being allowed to creep in. "The easiest thing to do with Dakar is to screw up," cautions Dunabin. "It is incredibly difficult to do a Dakar when you don't have problems, you don't make any mistakes - no driving mistakes, no navigational mistakes, no technical error, no finger trouble. It's an event that is two weeks on, the days are long and everybody gets very tired. The vigilance that is needed to deliver a Dakar is really at the top level. "The fact we won in Morocco is great, fantastic for Dacia - they have manufacturing plants in Morocco, they are by far and away number one in terms of the sales in Morocco and it couldn't be any better for the Dacia people in Morocco to have the car arrive and win the rally. But no, I don't think there's any complacency. We can absolutely not assume we can go to Dakar and just trundle around. It will be hard." Can a Dacia win the Dakar Rally? Photo by: Dacia

President-elect Donald Trump (Image: AP/Brandon Bell) Too bad if you’re a US company, like an automobile manufacturer, reliant on imports from Mexico. Donald Trump just promised to impose a 25% tax on your supply chain, along with everything else imported from Mexico. And Canada. The fact Trump himself negotiated and signed a free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020, is apparently irrelevant. And he’s announced a 10% “just for starters” tariff on Chinese imports. In response — even though Trump won’t be inaugurated for another two months — sharemarkets fell, but the US dollar rose (sending the Australian dollar falling further). The greenback had already risen against major currencies after Trump’s victory on November 5, and will likely appreciate every time the president-elect announces new tariffs — until markets price in the full effect of the tariff wall Trump has promised to erect around America. Each appreciation of the dollar will further erode the competitiveness of US exports and improve the competitiveness of imports against American products — undermining the very point of Trump’s taxes. Given how little grasp he appears to have about who bears the costs of tariffs, Trump will possibly react by simply increasing tariffs further. Along with his promise to deport every undocumented worker in the country, inflicting serious labour shortages on industries like construction and agriculture that depend on illegal immigrants for much of their workforce, and his threats to curtail the independence of the Federal Reserve, the tariffs will make for extremely uncertain times for US business — and investors in the US. Da pacem, Domine: Why Trump is what democracy needs Read More Prominent among such investors is Australia’s Future Fund. Page 61 of the Fund’s 2023-24 annual report reveals that 43% of its $229.7 billion in assets are located in America via a heavy US weighting of listed and private equity, property, infrastructure and credit. That compares to just 27% of its assets invested in Australia, and is up from 39% in 2022-23. That’s a substantial change from before the pandemic: in 2019-20, Australia held the biggest share of the Future Fund’s assets — 39% against 31% for the US. The shift has also been lucrative for the Fund, which has benefitted from a stronger performance of Wall Street. US stocks have had a huge run since the start of 2023 with a 54% gain for the S&P 500, much of that coming from stocks like Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Tesla, Alphabet and Amazon. That index is up 26% this year to date against a 9.8% rise for the Australian ASX 200. But what about from here? It is hard to see how Trump’s tariffs, deportations and intervention in monetary policy will do anything else than damage US investor and consumer confidence, help slow the fall in inflationary pressures both in America and globally, reduce US exports and eventually undermine stock markets. Trump’s first presidency doesn’t appear to be a reliable guide: Wall Street rose by more than 40% during his first stint in the White House, but much of that was due to a huge pandemic surge from March 2020 that had little to do with Trump. What measures and hedging is the Fund putting in place to curb the risk posed by the next Trump presidency? An update on how it views the risks of its heavy investment in the US economy would be worthwhile — especially given the government is pressuring the fund to invest more in its favoured sectors here in Australia. It would be good to know if any shifts in weightings are because of risk management, rather than being responsive to Jim Chalmers’ interference. Have something to say about this article? Write to us at letters@crikey.com.au . Please include your full name to be considered for publication in Crikey’s Your Say . We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.Embattled Hibernian finally had something to cheer about after Rocky Bushiri’s last-gasp equaliser salvaged a 3-3 draw at home to Aberdeen in a topsy-turvy Easter Road showdown featuring three stoppage-time goals. David Gray’s bottom-of-the-table side led at the break through a deflected Joe Newell strike but looked set to go down for a third consecutive loss and ninth game in a row without a win after goals from Dons pair Jamie McGrath and Nicky Devlin. Hibs then equalised in the second minute of added time through a Nicky Cadden free-kick but then seemed destined for defeat once more when Reds sub Ester Sokler fired in an overhead kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time. But, incredibly, centre-back Bushiri – who had not scored in almost three years at Easter Road – popped up with a close-range finish at the end to stop Jimmy Thelin’s side moving level with Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership . Gray made four changes to the side that started the 4-1 defeat at Dundee, including dropping under-fire goalkeeper Josef Bursik and replacing him with Jordan Smith. Thelin made three changes to the side that suffered a first league defeat of the season at St Mirren on Saturday, including handing former Hibs attacker Kevin Nisbet a start. Read more: Hearts to appoint former Scotland manager in transformative new role Aberdeen title talk 'madness' as captain discusses Celtic dominance After Bushiri blocked a McGrath effort from close range in the 11th minute, Hibs began to look the likelier side. Elie Youan saw a stinging shot pushed behind by Dimitar Mitov before Bushiri headed over from Nicky Cadden’s corner. Bushiri was in the thick of it and he made another brave block from a McGrath shot in the 25th minute. Hibs made the breakthrough in the 40th minute when Newell’s powerful shot from 25 yards out took a big deflection off Devlin’s head and wrongfooted Mitov on its way into the net. The hosts threatened again either side of half-time, with Warren O’Hora heading wide and then Newell firing a shot against the post from the edge of the box. Shayden Morris replaced Tepi Keskinen in the 54th minute and it paid off within seconds as the jet-heeled winger got in behind the Hibs defence and crossed from the right for Duk. The striker’s back-heel was scrambled clear by Jack Iredale but only as far as McGrath, who shot low into the corner from eight yards out with the aid of a slight deflection. The Dons got themselves ahead for the first time in the 76th minute when Devlin pounced to send a looping over the exposed Smith from just inside the box after the keeper had come out of his goal and been unable to get a clean punch on Graeme Shinnie’s corner. Then came the chaotic period of stoppage time that ended with Hibs celebrating a much-needed reprieve and the shellshocked Aberdeen players wondering how they had twice let victory slip from their grasp in the closing moments.