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The last special game of the year at Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St., off Exit 1 of the I-190, will be held today, Saturday, Dec. 14. Refreshments at noon, play begins at 12:30 p.m. It’s a StaC (Sectional Tournament at the Clubs) game, awarding silver master points. For partnerships, call Pat Haynes 716-202-1155 or email phaynes508@roadrunner.com . • • • The Buffalo Bridge Center offers a regular schedule of in-person and online games five days a week, with special games on the weekends, unusually one each month. Fee for face-to-face games is $8 for members and $11 for non-members until the end of the year. For more info, visit the Buffalo Bridge Center website or call 716-424-0014. The Bridge Center reminds members that dues for 2025 are $80 and can be paid starting Dec. 1, cash or check. Fee for games next year will be $8 for members and $12 for non-members. In other notices, the club once again will offer a game on Christmas Day, Dec. 25. Refreshments at 11:15 a.m., game at 11:45. Pre-registration required. Sign up at the club or with Andrei Reinhorn at 716-390-8857, email reinhorna@gmail.com . In case of heavy snow, the club abides by what the Buffalo Public Schools do. If they close, the club will be closed. Lessons for beginners are being held at the Buffalo Bridge Center from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays. For more information, call Ruth Nawotniak at 716-949-7574 or email ruth2250@outlook.com . Don’t want to clean up the house for kitchen bridge? The Bridge Center also hosts a social game in its lessons room on Tuesday mornings during the regular 10:30 a.m. game. Players can go at their own speed and style. Fee is $5 to cover expenses. In-person games: Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. For players with fewer than 1,600 points. Simultaneous game for players with fewer than 99 points if there are enough tables. Free lesson at 10. Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. Open to all players. Simultaneous game for players with fewer than 99 points if there are enough tables. Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. Upgraded to now include players with up to 2,000 points. Simultaneous game for players with fewer than 99 points if there are enough tables. Free lesson at 10. Fridays, 10:30 a.m. Open to all players by pre-registration only. Call 716-424-0014. Virtual games on Bridge Base Online: Mondays, 7 p.m. For players with fewer than 750 points. Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Delaware Wednesday game for players with fewer than 2,000 points. For info on this game, call Ed Harman at 716-480-1666 or email eharmon@roadrunner.com . • • • More access to virtual games on Bridge Base Online is being offered by the Airport Bridge Club, which currently is not holding face-to-face games. It has affiliated with a new group of clubs, the SE Club of Clubs Online Bridge Collective, where most games are $5. For more info, click this link . The Airport Club also continues to be part of the Alliance Bridge Club, which offers more than a dozen games every day. Anyone who has played at the Airport Club is automatically a member. For more info, visit alliancebridgeclub.com or call Airport Club manager Bill Finkelstein at 716-603-6943. • • • The East Aurora Bridge Club begins play at 10 a.m. Wednesdays in the Aurora Senior Citizens Center, 101 King St., East Aurora. Attendance is generally three or four tables. For more info, email director Dave Larcom at dmocral@verizon.net . • • • The Bridge Centre of Niagara (BCON) in St. Catharines, Ont., offers a mix of online games and in-person games at its club in Tremont Square opposite the Pen Centre shopping plaza off Glendale Avenue. Face-to-face games open to all players are offered at 1 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. There is also a face-to-face game for 499ers (players with fewer than 500 points) at 1 p.m. Monday and Friday, a beginner game with a mini-lesson at 6 p.m. Monday, mentoring at 1 p.m. Tuesdays (register by 9 p.m. Sunday), a 299er game at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (pre-registration requested); and a 999er game at 1 p.m. Thursday. The club currently hosts two virtual games on Bridge Base Online. There’s one for players with fewer than 750 points at 10 a.m. Tuesdays, and an open game at 7 p.m. Thursdays. For more info, click here . BCON also has begun an affiliation with SE Club of Clubs Online Bridge Collective, which appears as SE Carolina on Bridge Base Online. Games run throughout the day. A full lineup of games can be seen at SE Carolina On-line Bridge . • • • Face-to-face play in non-sanctioned clubs is offered at the Tonawanda Senior Center on Wednesday afternoons and at the Amherst Senior Center on Monday and Friday afternoons. • • • Tournament calendar 2024 District 5 STAC (Sectional Tournament at the Clubs) – Participating ACBL-sanctioned clubs. Today, Saturday, Dec. 14, and Sunday, Dec. 15. 2025 Toronto Non-Life Master Regional – Sheraton Centre, 123 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ont. Friday, Jan. 3, to Sunday, Jan. 5. For more info, click this link . Toronto New Year's Sectional – Sheraton Centre, 123 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ont. Friday, Jan. 3, to Sunday, Jan. 5. For more info, click this link . Cleveland Rock & Roll Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Road, Independence, Ohio. Wednesday, Jan. 8, to Sunday, Jan. 12. For more info, click this link . Niagara Sectional – Holiday Inn & Suites, 327 Ontario St., St. Catharines, Ont. Friday, Feb. 7, to Sunday, Feb. 9. Buffalo Spring Sectional – Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St., Buffalo. Friday, March 28, to Sunday, March 30. Toronto Easter Regional – Sheraton Centre, 123 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ont. Tuesday, April 15, to Sunday, April 20. For more info, click this link . Finger Lakes Regional – Louis Wolk Jewish Community Center, 1200 Edgewood Ave., Rochester. Tuesday, June 9, to Sunday, June 14. Cleveland All-American Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Road, Independence, Ohio. Tuesday, June 24, to Sunday, June 29. For more info, click this link . South Western Ontario Regional – St. George Banquet Hall, 665 King St. North, Waterloo, Ont. Tuesday, July 1, to Sunday, July 6. For more info, click this link . Buffalo Summer Sectional – Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St., Buffalo. Friday, July 11, to Sunday, July 13. Niagara 499er Sectional – Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Center, 14 Anderson Lane, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. Friday, Aug. 15, to Sunday, Aug. 17. Pittsburgh Labor Day Regional – Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center, 3579 Masonic Way, Pittsburgh, Pa. Wednesday, Aug. 27, to Monday, Sept. 1. Great Lakes Sectional – Erie Bridge Club, 1221 Grant Ave., Erie, Pa. Saturday, Sept. 6, and Sunday, Sept. 7. Buffalo Fall Sectional – Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St., Buffalo. Friday, Sept. 12, to Sunday, Sept 14. Buffalo Regional – Millennium Hotel, 2040 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga. Tuesday, Oct. 21, to Sunday, Oct. 26. Niagara Regional – Holiday Inn & Suites, 327 Ontario St., St. Catharines, Ont. Tuesday, Nov. 11, to Sunday, Nov. 16. • • • Bridge club websites: Click names for links. Bridge Center of Buffalo . Western New York Unit 116 . The Airport Bridge Club, which continues to be on hiatus, does not have a website. For info, call 716-603-6943. • • • Duplicate scores from ACBL Live for Clubs Week of Dec. 2 to Dec. 8 ACBL Affiliated Clubs Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-750 game online. Anne Slater and Cynthia Tashjian, 56.94%; (tie) Joyce Frayer and Karen Dearing, Jim and Michael Hassett, 52.78%; Carol Licata and Larry Himelein, 50%. Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-south, Joyce Greenspan and Audrey Ray 64.93%; Ruth Nawotniak and Paul Zittel, 59.72%; Pat Haynes and Judy Zeckhauser, 55.56%; Joanne Nover and David Schott, 50.69%; east-west, Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 65.63%; Carol Licata and Ilene Rothman, 61.81%; Mary Ball and Pat Wolcott, 52.78%; Bonnie Clement and Larry Himelein, 51.74%; Sharon Wilcox and Anthony Girasole, 51.04%. Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Closed due to snow. Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. Sandi England and Larry Abbate, 60.42%; Donna Steffan and Kamil Bishara, 55.21%; (tie) Judy Gray and Mike Ryan, John Ziemer and Vic Bergsten, 51.04%. Buffalo Bridge Center Saturday afternoon – Unit 116 annual meeting. Open game. North-south, Judie Bailey and Nancy Wolstoncroft, 57.65%; Judy Graf and Mike Ryan, 56%; Betty Metz and Paul Zittel, 54.58%; Sharon Benz and Elaine Kurasiewicz, 54.58%; Florence Boyd and Dale Anderson, 53.65%; Terry Fraas and Cathy Majewski, 53.36%; east-west, Jay Levy and Fred Yellen, 63.66%; Ruth Wurster and Sharon Wilcox, 56.38%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 52.70%; Larry Abate and Rajat Basu, 49.82%; Nancy Kessler and Paula Kotowski, 49.04%. Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Linda and Paul Zittel, 57.50%; (tie) Joan and Bob Ciszak, Ruth Wurster and Alex Ivanov, 55%. Delaware Wednesday evening – 0-2,000 game online. Walt Olszewski and Jim Lanzo, 65%; Beena Deshmukh and Bill Rich, 58.69%; Sue Manning and Sam Khyatt, 56.11%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 53.89%; Teresa McIntyre and Bruce Wachsman, 53.33%; Jim Hassett and Terry Camp, 52.22%. Other clubs Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, Jill and Bruce Brown, 59%; Joe Huber and Fritz Schweiger, 51%; east-west, Nancy Wolstoncroft and Pat Radtke, 62%; Shirley Cassety and Jeff Peters, 53%. Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, Nancy Wolstoncroft and Rolene Pozarny, 58%; Ed Drozen and Walt Olszewski, 57%; east-west, Midge Coates and Rob Buchanan, 62%; Rich Kayton and Ted Kotlarz, 58%. Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Rose Bochiechio and Edna Fill, 64.5%; Judy White and Fritz Schweiger, 47.5%. • • • Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Club Play Jan. 1, 2024, to Nov. 30, 2024 0-5 Points – John Brennan, 3.09; Cathy Hetzler, 2.02; Alice Cooley, 1.93; Elaine Rinfrette, 0.86. 5-20 Points – Dennis Daly, 12.56; Zakie Nohra, 9.09; Anthony Girasole, 6.38; Barbara Kaye, 3.43; Jeannine Dupuis, 3.38; Joan Nigrelli, 1.84; Chris-Elaine Santilli, 1.79; Bill Duax, 1.65; Devon Marlette, 0.40. 20-50 Points – Ilene Rothman, 14.70; Brian Fleming, 14.33; Molly Morris, 8.84; Pepe Justicia-Linde, 7.97; Donna Starnes, 6.51; Gini Sicignano, 5.48; Phyllis Stasiowski, 4.10; Helen Scott, 3.65; Peggy Mead, 3.06; Kathleen Voigt, 2.02. 50-100 Points – Susan Cardamone, 15.04; Maureen Cancilla, 13.63; Mike Meacham, 11.57; Howard Epstein, 3.86; John Houghtaling, 3.33; Jo Ann Smith, 3.25; Elaine Idzik, 3.12; Nancy Deneen, 1.94; Cherry Searle, 1.31; Anne Slater, 0.81; Darwin Skalski, 0.78. 100-200 Points – Carol Licata, 14.52; Betty DeFeo, 7.06; Joan Ciszak, 5.53; Susan Levy, 4.03; Janet Desmon, 1.96; Tom England, 1.54; Tiger Li, 0.78. 200-300 Points – David Whitt, 12.67; Ethan Xie, 5.53; Judith Babat, 4.03; Laura Houghtaling, 3.33; Laurie Foster, 3.32; (tie) Barbara Scott and John Scott, 1.87; Maria Amlani, 1.41; John Fiegl, 0.58; Jane Roberts, 0.56. 300-500 Points – David Schott, 52.90; Joanne Nover, 44.64; Pat Haynes, 44.14; Linda Milch, 26.72; Jim McClure, 24.46; Maryann Szafran, 18.58; Ruth Nawotniak, 17.65; Agi Maisel, 14.29; Judy Zeckhauser, 10.45; Margaret Zhou, 10.35. 500-1,000 Points – Larry Himelein, 59.42; Paul Zittel, 39.05; Andrei Reinhorn, 37.09; Linda Zittel, 37.06; Joe Miranda, 31.25; Joyce Frayer, 30.50; Mary Terrana, 24.33; Paula Rosen, 22.90 Gordon Crone, 22.13; Jo Nasoff-Finton, 20.36. 1,000-1,500 Points – Kamil Bishara, 47.79; Betty Metz, 44.99; Sue Neubecker, 36.14; Mary Ball, 34.97; Terry Fraas, 32.50; (tie) Marilyn Wortzman, Jim Easton, 30.65; Joanne LaFay, 25.99; Howard Foster, 17.74; Bob Kaprove, 11.55. 1,500-2,500 Points – Tova Reinhorn, 40.64; Pinky Regan, 39.39; Paula Kotowski, 34.18; Sandi England, 19.82; Joyce Greenspan, 19.08; David Colligan, 18.01; Walt Olszewski, 14.29; Barbara Pieterse, 7.24; Nancy Wolstoncroft, 7.07; Martin Pieterse, 6.87; Nancy Kessler, 5.37. 2,500-3,500 Points – Fred Yellen, 71.21; Linda Burroughsford, 33.13; Art Morth, 6.14; David Turner, 5.54; Dale Anderson, 5.50; Pat Rasmus, 1.89; Joanne Kelley, 1.71. 3,500-5,000 Points – John Ziemer, 60.43; Donna Steffan, 56.03; Judy Graf, 54.61; Davis Heussler, 49.78; Jim Gullo, 31.41; Mike Ryan, 26.24; Martha Welte, 23.77; Judy Padgug, 23.19; Chongmin Zhang, 4.20; Allen Beroza, 3.81. Over 5,000 Points – Bud Seidenberg, 69.12; Chris Urbanek, 60.10; Jay Levy, 48.57; Jay Costello, 45.26; Sharon Benz, 26.51; Dian Petrov, 17.65; Kathy Pollock, 5.02; Saleh Fetouh, 3.52. • • • The Duplicate Bridge column is compiled weekly by Buffalo News Staff Reporter Dale Anderson. The print version stopped appearing Saturdays in The News in March 2020 when the pandemic forced local bridge clubs to halt face-to-face play. These days you can find it in two places online. Google “Duplicate Bridge” plus the current Saturday date and that should bring up a link to it on buffalonews.com , the Buffalo News website. Another place to find it is on Dale Anderson’s bridge blog at http://newsdupli.blogspot.com/ Deadline for submission of scores and notices is Tuesday night. Email danderson@buffnews.com or dahotwings@aol.com . Office phone is 716-849-4420. • • • A Gold Life Master , Dale Anderson has a career total of more than 2,980 master points. He occasionally writes about his quest for the next measure of achievement, Sapphire Life Master (3,500 points), and other bridge adventures here . Email danderson@buffnews.com . Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.Costco Wholesale ( COST 1.05% ) stock is an investor favorite. It looks almost completely immune to market changes, moving up steadily regardless of the macro environment. It was one of the few stocks that didn't plunge in the 2020 crash, and the company reported some of its best growth ever for the first two years of the pandemic. Even though that's finished, the big-box retailer is building steadily on top of its past success, and the stock continues to beat the market. As wonderful as that is for shareholders, Costco stock is trading at its highest-ever valuation . Is Costco stock still a buy for 2025? Why everyone loves Costco Costco has a differentiated retail business that generates loyalty, volume, and profits. It's a no-brainer business and no-brainer stock to own. Unlike most of its retail peers, Costco's stores are only open to paying members. In general, paying for the privilege of shopping in a store leads to exclusivity and targets an affluent clientele. That's true for Costco to some degree -- you do have to have space to store all your purchases. But in Costco's case, the annual fee allows shoppers to benefit from Costco's rock-bottom pricing, and the savings make up for much more than the fee. That's how it develops loyalty. Shoppers want to get the most bang for their buck, and they also want to benefit from the low prices. Retention rates are outstanding, with U.S. and Canada renewal rates of 92.9% in the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter (ended Sept. 1) and 90.5% worldwide. Membership households increased 7.3% over last year to 76.2 million. Happy customers are also increasingly moving over to executive memberships. These cost twice the amount of a basic annual membership and come with two cards, as well as other perks, like some cash back. Executive members increased 9.6% over last year in Q4 to 35.4 million, accounting for 46.5% of total membership but 73.5% of sales. Costco raised the price of a basic membership from $60 to $65 and an executive membership from $120 to $130 in September. It will release its next quarterly report, the first to include the membership fee hike, in a few weeks. The stock also pays a dividend although the regular dividend yields a mediocre 0.46% at the current price because the stock price has soared recently. The retailer has also issued a special dividend five times, which adds quite a lot. The latest one was last year for $15, and it has paid one about every 2.5 years on average in recent years. Looking out into the future Costco is the third-largest retailer in the U.S. behind Walmart and Amazon , but it only has 615 U.S. stores, and it's not even in every state. Management still sees "significant runway" in opening new stores domestically, but it has even greater opportunities internationally, where it has 277 stores. It only recently entered China, where it already has seven stores, and it sees this as just the beginning in that region. It opened 30 stores in 2024 and expects to open 29 more in 2025, so there's no shortage of growth opportunities for Costco, in addition to its reliable growth in same-store sales. The more pressing concern for investors is valuation. Costco stock trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 59, its highest ever, and other valuation metrics like price-to-sales and price-to-cash flow are also elevated. There's every reason to believe that Costco can keep up its phenomenal performance in 2025. The question is whether or not there's any upside for its stock at the current price. The average Wall Street analyst consensus price is about 3% lower than today's price. What should investors do? If you have a long time horizon, you can buy Costco stock today and just hold through the ups and downs. But you might want to take a dollar-cost averaging strategy, or wait for a better entry point.
DAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad , gathering in the capital's historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly installed interim prime minister delivered the sermon at the Umayyad Mosque, declaring that a new era of “freedom, dignity and justice” was dawning for Syria. The gatherings illustrated the dramatic changes that have swept over Syria less than a week after insurgents marched into Damascus and toppled Assad. Amid the jubilation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government. Blinken arrived in Iraq on a previously unannounced stop after talks in Jordan and Turkey, which backs some of the Syrian insurgent factions. So far, U.S. officials have not talked of direct meetings with Syria's new rulers. The main insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has worked to establish security and start a political transition after seizing Damascus early Sunday. The group has tried to reassure a public both stunned by Assad's fall and concerned about extremist jihadis among the rebels. Insurgent leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past, though HTS is still labeled a terrorist group by the United States and European countries. HTS's leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, appeared in a video message Friday congratulating “the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution.” “I invite them to head to the squares to show their happiness without shooting bullets and scaring people,” he said. “And then after, we will work to build this country, and as I said in the beginning, we will be victorious by the help of God.” Syrians celebrate in the historic heart of Damascus Huge crowds, including some insurgents, packed the historic Umayyad Mosque in the capital's old city, many waving the rebel opposition flag — with its three red stars — which has swiftly replaced the Assad-era flag with with its two green stars. Syrian state television reported that the sermon was delivered by Mohammed al-Bashir, the interim prime minister installed by HTS this week. The scene resonated on multiple levels. The mosque, one of the world's oldest dating back some 1,200 years, is a beloved symbol of Syria, and sermons there like all mosque sermons across Syria were tightly controlled under Assad's rule. Also, in the early days of the anti-government uprising in 2011, protesters would leave Friday prayers to march in rallies against Assad before he launched a brutal crackdown that turned the uprising into a long and bloody civil war. “I didn’t step foot in Umayyad Mosque since 2011," because of the tight security controls around it, said one worshipper, Ibrahim al-Araby. “Since 11 or 12 years, I haven’t been this happy.” Another worshipper, Khair Taha, said there was “fear and trepidation for what’s to come. But there is also a lot of hope that now we have a say and we can try to build.” Blocks away in Damascus' biggest roundabout, named Umayyad Square, thousands gathered, including many families with small children — a sign of how, so far at least, the country's transformation has not caused violent instability. “Unified Syria to build Syria,” the crowd chanted. Some shouted slurs against Assad and his late father, calling them pigs, an insult that would have previously led to offenders being hauled off to one of the feared detention centers of Assad’s security forces. One man in the crowd, 51-year-old Khaled Abu Chahine — originally from the southern province of Daraa, where the 2011 uprising first erupted — said he hoped for “freedom and coexistence between all Syrians, Alawites, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze.” The interim prime minister, al-Bashir, had been the head of a de facto administration created by HTS in Idlib, the opposition's enclave in northwest Syria. The rebels were bottled up in Idlib for years before fighters broke out in a shock offensive and marched across Syria in 10 days. Similar scenes of joy unfolded in other major cities, including in Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Latakia and Raqqa. US and its allies try to shape a rapidly changing Syria Al-Sharaa, HTS' leader, has promised to bring a pluralistic government to Syria, seeking to dispel fears among many Syrians — especially its many minority communities — that the insurgents will impose a hard-line, extremist rule. Another key factor will be winning international recognition for a new government in a country where multiple foreign powers have their hands in the mix. The Sunni Arab insurgents who overthrew Assad did so with vital help from Turkey, a longtime foe of the U.S.-backed Kurds . Turkey controls a strip of Syrian territory along the shared border and backs an insurgent faction uneasily allied to HTS — and is deeply opposed to any gains by Syria's Kurds. In other developments, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey’s Embassy in Damascus would reopen Saturday for the first time since 2012, when it closed due to the Syrian civil war. The U.S. has troops in eastern Syria to combat remnants of the Islamic State group and supports Kurdish-led fighters who rule most of the east. Since Assad's fall, Israel has bombed sites all over Syria, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. It has also seized a swath of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a buffer zone. After talks with Fidan, Blinken said there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the U.S. on what they would like to see in Syria. That starts with an "interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women” and does not “pose any kind of threat to any of Syria’s neighbors,” Blinken said. Fidan said the priority was “establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant” — referring to the Islamic State group and the Kurdistan Workers Party. Ankara considers the PKK within Turkey's borders a terrorist group, as it does the Kurdish-backed forces in Syria backed by the U.S. A U.S. official said that in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fidan both told Blinken that Kurdish attacks on Turkish positions would require a response. The official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic talks. The U.S. has been trying to limit such incidents in recent days and had helped organize an agreement to prevent confrontations around the northern Syrian town of Manbij, which was taken by Turkey-backed opposition fighters from the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces earlier this week. In Baghdad, Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, saying both countries wanted to ensure the Islamic State group — also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh — doesn't exploit Syria's transition to re-emerge. “Having put Daesh back in its box, we can’t let it out, and we’re determined to make sure that that doesn’t happen," Blinken said. The U.S. official who briefed reporters said that Blinken had impressed upon al-Sudani the importance of Iraq exercising its full sovereignty over its territory and airspace to stop Iran from transporting weapons and equipment to Syria, either for Assad supporters or onward to the militant Hezbollah group in Lebanon. ___ Lee reported from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report. Albert Aji And Matthew Lee, The Associated PressThe luck of Suaalii: Broken wrist ruled out and could face Ireland
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save As science continues its evolution, discoveries and technologies can act like a master key that open doors leading to novel advancements. Artificial intelligence is one such key, making innovations possible by solving complex problems, automating tasks and enabling research that would have been impossible, or very time-consuming, without it. Mohammad Hosseini But do we want to do research on all topics, and shall we try the AI master key on every door? To explore this question, let’s consider the use of AI by genomics experts as an example. In recent years, genomics experts have added unbelievable depth to what we know about the world and ourselves. For example, genetics researchers have revealed facts about when certain animals and plants were domesticated. In another example, researchers used DNA from 30,000-year-old permafrost to create fertile samples of a plant called narrow-leafed campion. People are also reading... Two Albany residents killed in Linn County crash Oregon State celebrates Murphy's arrival while Washington State loses coach, quarterback Albany shelter faces federal lawsuit as whistleblower faces homelessness Group wants to make Corvallis downtown more sophisticated Oregon port contractor praises Hitler, uses slurs — and now officials face a quandary Group wants to make Corvallis downtown more sophisticated Family of hit-and-run victim seeks closure, clues that will lead to driver As I See It: The people of Benton County deserve leadership that promotes dialogue Oregon State men head to the beaches of Hawaii looking to keep momentum going Corvallis looks to drum up millions for facilities project Albany man indicted in attempted murder case Brownsville swears in new councilors, conservative sweep complete New Corvallis playground welcomes children with disabilities Albany police say sex offender tried enrolling in high school Albany man suspected of stealing flatbed trailer, crashing into minivan Importantly, genetic engineering has facilitated extraordinary advances in the treatment of complicated conditions, such as sickle-cell anemia. Thanks to AI, we are witnessing a dramatic increase in the pace and scalability of genomic exploration. But given the risks and possible consequences of AI use in science, should we rush headlong into using AI in all kinds of projects? One relevant example is research on Neanderthals, our closest relatives, who lived about 40,000 years ago. Neanderthals have been studied for several years now through genetic investigation of their fossils and their DNA. Genetic engineering can potentially use ancient DNA and genome editing methods to re-create a Neanderthal or aspects of a Neanderthal’s genetics and physiology. To do this, scientists could start by figuring out the DNA sequence of a Neanderthal by comparing it with the DNA of modern humans, because they are closely related. Then, scientists could use the gene-editing tool known as CRISPR to swap out parts of human DNA with Neanderthal DNA. This process would require a lot of trial and error and might not succeed soon. But based on what we know about genetics, if something is possible, AI can help make it happen faster, cheaper and with less effort. Scientists are excited about these developments because they could facilitate new discoveries and open up many research opportunities in genetic research. With or without AI, research on Neanderthals will proceed. But the extraordinary power of AI could give the final push to these discoveries and facilitate this kind of resurrection. At that point, the scientific community must develop norms and guidelines about how to treat these resurrected beings with dispositions very similar to humans. We would need to carefully consider their rights and well-being almost in the same way as when humans are involved and not as research subjects or artifacts of scientific curiosity. These ethical issues are discussed in more detail in a new paper published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence. A more holistic question to consider is: Should we prioritize the use of resource-intensive AI, researchers’ time and public funds to resurrect extinct beings? Or should we invest these resources into conserving species that are critically endangered today to prevent biodiversity from more degradation? Hosseini is an assistant professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. He wrote this for The Chicago Tribune . Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!WNBA fans left heartbroken by Cameron Brink's Christmas wish
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — “My Driver and I” was supposed to be made in 2016, but was scuttled amid Saudi Arabia's decades-long cinema ban. Eight years later, the landscape for film in the kingdom looks much different — and the star of “My Driver and I” now has an award. Roula Dakheelallah was named the winner of the Chopard Emerging Saudi Talent award at the Red Sea International Film Festival on Thursday. The award — and the glitzy festival itself — is a sign of Saudi Arabia's commitment to shaping a new film industry. “My heart is attached to cinema and art; I have always dreamed of a moment like this,” Dakheelallah, who still works a 9-5 job, told The Associated Press before the awards ceremony. “I used to work in voluntary films and help my friends in the field, but this is my first big role in a film.” The reopening of cinemas in 2018 marked a cultural turning point for Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy that had instituted the ban 35 years before, under the influence of ultraconservative religious authorities. It has since invested heavily in a native film industry by building theaters and launching programs to support local filmmakers through grants and training. The Red Sea International Film Festival was launched just a year later, part of an attempt to expand Saudi influence into films, gaming, sports and other cultural fields. Activists have decried the investments as whitewashing the kingdom’s human rights record as it tightly controls speech and remains one of the world’s top executioners. With FIFA awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia this week, Lina al-Hathloul, a Saudi activist with the London-based rights group ALQST, said Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman “has really managed to create this bubble where people only see entertainment and they don’t see the reality on the ground.” These efforts are part of Vision 2030, an ambitious reform plan unveiled in 2016 to ease the economy's dependence on oil. As part of it, Saudi Arabia plans to construct 350 cinemas with over 2,500 movie screens — by this past April, across 22 cities, it already had 66 cinemas showing movies from the local film industry, as well as Hollywood and Bollywood. (The Red Sea International Film Festival attracts a host of talent from the latter industries, with Viola Davis and Priyanka Chopra Jonas also picking up awards Thursday.) The country's General Entertainment Authority last month opened Al Hisn Studios on the outskirts of Riyadh. As one of the largest such production hubs in the Middle East, it not only includes several film studios but also a production village with workshops for carpentry, blacksmithing and fashion tailoring. “These facilities, when they exist, will stimulate filmmakers,” said Saudi actor Mohammed Elshehri. “Today, no writer or director has an excuse to imagine and say, ‘I cannot implement my imagination.’” The facilities are one part of the equation — the content itself is another. One of the major players in transforming Saudi filmmaking has been Telfaz11, a media company founded in 2011 that began as a YouTube channel and quickly became a trailblazer. Producing high-quality digital content such as short films, comedy sketches and series, Telfaz11 offered fresh perspectives on Saudi and regional issues. In 2020, Telfaz11 signed a partnership with Netflix to produce original content for the streaming giant. The result has been movies that demonstrate an evolution on the storytelling level, tackling topics that were once off-limits and sensitive to the public like secret nightlife in “Mandoob” (“Night Courier”) and changing social norms in “Naga.” “I think we tell our stories in a very simple way, and that’s what reaches the world,” Elshehri says of the changing shift. “When you tell your story in a natural way without any affectation, it will reach every person.” But the films were not without their critics, drawing mixed reaction. Social media discoursed ranged from pleasure that Saudi film were tackling such topics to anger over how the films reflected conservative society. As Hana Al-Omair, a Saudi writer and director, points out, there are still many stories left untold. “We certainly have a long time ahead of us before we can tell the Saudi narrative as it should be,” she said, acknowledging that there are still barriers and rampant censorship. “The Goat Life,” a Malayalam-language movie about an Indian man forced to work without pay in Saudi Arabia, is not available on Netflix's platform in the country. Movies that explore political topics or LGBTQ+ stories are essentially out of the question. Even “My Driver and I,” featured at the Red Sea festival alongside 11 other Saudi feature-length films, was initially too controversial. It centers on a Sudanese man in Jeddah, living away from his own daughter, who feels responsible for the girl he drives as her parents are absent. It was initially blocked from being made because of the relationship between the girl and the driver, filmmaker Ahd Kamel has said, even though it's not a romantic relationship. Now in 2024, the film is a success story — a symbol of the Saudi film industry's evolution as well as the growing role of women like Kamel behind the camera and Dakheelallah in front of it. “I see the change in Saudi cinema, a very beautiful change and it is moving at a wonderful speed. In my opinion, we do not need to rush,” Dakheelallah said. “We need to guide the truth of the artistic movement that is happening in Saudi Arabia.”
Mixed Day Wraps Up an Uneven Week
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World News | Prospects for President Yoon's Impeachment Are Dim with Ruling Party Boycotting Vote
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