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Masco Corp. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitorsGatekeeping is something that's brought up a lot, isn't it? It's frowned upon, obviously enough, as obnoxious, off-putting, and generally unnecessary – whether we're talking about gaming, music, movies, books, you name it. New fans aren't going to ruin Metallica for you just because they're, well, new, and they like St Anger. I'm not here to talk about that trashcan snare drum, though – no. I'm here to talk about PC gaming and how absolutely diabolically expensive it's become to even get yourself into the ecosystem. It's dumb. Real dumb. I bought my first gaming PC back in 2011. It was a pretty solid build back in the day: Core-i5 2500K, 8GB of DDR3, a nice BitFenix Shinobi chassis, the works. The crowning glory in that thing, though, was the graphics card, an Twin Frozr GTX 460, complete with 1GB of VRAM, on 's Fermi architecture at 40nm. Perfect for a bit of raiding with my guild at the time. It's a card that retailed for $250, but I paid around half that for the GPU (£130 in the UK to be precise). In January 2013, I upgraded to a GTX 660, Asus DirectCU II, with 2GB of VRAM. That card was available for £155 (retailing at $229), offering much more performance and twice as much memory (for less money in the US). Flash forward to 2024, and it’s a whole other ball game. To get even close to a similar model, you're looking at a minimum of around $320, and that's on the low-end. That's an increase of 40% over that 11-year time frame. Take mid-range and high-end cards though, crammed with even more goodies, and that price shoots up even higher. RTX 4090s debuted at, what, $1,800? Even the best Titans used to land around the $800 to $1,000 mark back in the day. That's nearly double the cost for the flagship GPU of choice. The thing is, though, the more you look into the details – into how it's all lining up – the more you realize that actually a lot of this price hiking ties into inflation quite nicely. Certainly with the more , anyway. $229 in 2013 works out at around $310 in today's money – about right for the low-end pricing I mentioned. I'd be less begrudging if economies of scale weren't a thing, and you know, continued advancement and production improvements should lead to a reduction in overall cost, like we've seen in TVs for example. Yes, of course, there's the argument that these companies need to make money, and there are R&D costs involved, but even so, graphics cards and products just haven't dropped in price like they used to gen-on-gen. And the thing is, these companies clearly have the profit margins to do it. With the current inflationary pressures out there globally, Nvidia, , and Intel all launched new product lines in the last 12 months, all of which either match or are cheaper than their similarly named predecessors. A good PR move – and a smart sales move. Buying power, build complexity, and influencers I believe there are far more complex issues at work here. As far as I can see, there are three primary reasons why buying a mid-range gaming PC today is far more painful than it used to be on the old wallet. First on the agenda, localized buying power has not kept up with inflation. Certainly not in the US. If you look at real median household income in the States from 2013 to 2023, it increased by just 18.2%, a far cry from that 35.4% cumulative inflation over the same period. Simply put, wages haven't kept up with rising costs. Why that’s the case is more an argument for those in the political sector than for me, but the stats don't lie, and its impact is clear. The second, and more pressing factor, is the radical increase in companies making ever fancier components across every facet of a modern-day gaming PC build. Although entry-level and mid-range graphics cards (that still make up the vast bulk of sales, I might add) are amazingly on target for affordability lining up with inflation, the rest of the PC ecosystem isn't. Higher-end GPUs, as well as CPUs, motherboards, RAM, and SSDs have all seen major increases in overall costs. Certainly, if you compare product lines, Asus ROG Hero motherboards used to come in at just under, or over, the $200 mark – and now one of the latest models will set you back nearly $700. And then there's everything else. Cooling, lighting, fans, custom keyboards, monitors, the works. Everything is a specialist product now, and that all adds to the overall build cost of a PC. Lastly, in part thanks to influencers, and the internet more broadly, it's no longer enough to just have a non-windowed chassis packed with the core hardware. The humble gaming PC has become an ornament, littered with RGB lights and enough accessories to make even the most avid of kleptomaniacs blush. It's a struggle to stay five minutes on social media without getting fed an Instagram Reel or Short of someone showing off an epic PC build, or gaming den, complete with a $1,200 GPU and RGB lighting that costs nearly as much. All of that comes together to push an average system build well out of reach of an average wallet. Consoles aren't faring any better either, with the likes of the PS5 Pro debuting at nearly $700. Once upon a time, building a custom gaming PC that was more potent than a console for similar(ish) money was a good reason to jump on the PC bandwagon. Now, it's a pipe dream. A memory from within the mists of time. Intel leads the way, weirdly That's why Intel's latest move with its Arc B580 graphics card has got so many people talking (in a positive way for once). Its latest generation of desktop processors (Core Ultra 200S) might not have been released quite as oven-ready as Intel had hoped, but Team Blue's new Battlemage graphics card? Oh boy, it is top-notch, at least on the value front. Our own John Loeffler took a look at the at the tail-end of 2024, and it absolutely stomps 1440p gaming, which, let's face it, is slowly becoming the de facto resolution for most modern PCs at this point (sorry , you're still too damn expensive). But the big thing, by far, isn't the fact that the B580 does very well in pretty much every game you throw at the GPU currently, beating out the likes of the Nvidia RTX 4060 and AMD RX 7600 XT. No – it’s the fact that it does this while being 20% cheaper than the cheapest of those cards, and it easily outguns the RTX 4060 Ti in terms of value proposition given the relative performance of the two GPUs. Well played, Intel. Well played. Team Blue has made a grand statement with this thing. Intel has repeatedly said it aims to target the entry-level gaming market, and if I'm honest, I'm glad. AMD used to hold that mantle nicely, beating Nvidia in the lower-end price bracket while Team Green dominated the high-end – but those plucky Team Red GPUs have since lost their affordable sheen. Intel, with its Arc GPU line, seems to be pulling back some serious street cred – well, at least for the time being. This'll hopefully lead to both AMD and Nvidia countering with their own price cuts, and that's going to be a major positive for all of us. Where will all this lead? Still, this is just one drop in the ocean. One component out of many. PCs are still too expensive. The , and more and more we're seeing this ecosystem that used to be so inclusive, just price people out. If you want to get into PC gaming, or even console gaming, it is now so difficult with modern hardware. This is just a fact. You want the best experience? Best take out a loan or remortgage the house. There's always been an "us and them" mentality when it comes to PC gaming. Always a Red versus Blue, or Green versus Red, or PC versus console conflict. The latter in particular is an age-old tale, but not one that stemmed from cost – it was built off the back of issues like ease of use, graphical fidelity, or mouse and keyboard versus controller. There wasn't artificial financial gatekeeping as there is now. The thing is, unless there's a radical shift in the world of PC components, and the way they're made, it's difficult to see how there will be any change. Prices are only going to creep up higher, wages are only going to stagnate further, and the situation can only escalate. Combine that with the threat of Trump’s trade tariffs in the US adding an extra 20% to 60% onto the cost of those imported components, and, well, you've got a recipe for disaster. The glimmer of hope, for GPUs anyway, is that challenge presented to the current duopoly by Intel's Arc Battlemage and the new B580 – and the hope that a rumored B770 model might prompt some further price cuts (although the high-end is set to remain Nvidia's domain, sadly).ssbet77 login 。

Cascading failures involving a corroded steam pipe and a defective natural gas fitting caused a powerful explosion in 2023 at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory, killing seven workers when the company failed to evacuate, a federal safety board said Tuesday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * Cascading failures involving a corroded steam pipe and a defective natural gas fitting caused a powerful explosion in 2023 at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory, killing seven workers when the company failed to evacuate, a federal safety board said Tuesday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Cascading failures involving a corroded steam pipe and a defective natural gas fitting caused a powerful explosion in 2023 at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory, killing seven workers when the company failed to evacuate, a federal safety board said Tuesday. About 70 production workers and 35 office staff at R.M. Palmer Co. were working in two adjacent buildings at the time of the blast. Employees in both buildings told federal investigators they could smell gas before the explosion. Workers at the plant have accused the company of ignoring warnings of a natural gas leak, saying the plant, in a small town 60 miles (96 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia, should have been evacuated. The National Transportation Safety Board said the factory failed to have natural gas emergency procedures in place that could have resulted in an immediate evacuation. The explosion leveled one building and heavily damaged another, sending flames more than 40 feet (21 meters) into the air and causing $42 million in property damage. “Contributing to the accident’s severity was R.M. Palmer Company’s insufficient emergency response procedures and training of its employees, who did not understand the hazard and did not evacuate the buildings before the explosion,” the National Transportation Safety Board said in its statement of probable cause, approved Tuesday at the board’s meeting in Washington, D.C. Palmer has since adopted a revised policy on evacuations, but Jennifer Homendy, the NTSB board chair, said it’s still insufficient because it advises staff to investigate and determine if evacuation is necessary. “That’s exactly what they did in this scenario,” she said. “’No, you leave.’ Now, their response is they have other smells in their building because chocolate is being made. You know the difference between natural gas smell and chocolate. ‘Get out, immediately.’ So I think this actually provides significant confusion for their employees and they should change it.” A message was sent to Palmer officials seeking comment. The federal safety agency also described the role of UGI Corp., the gas utility that provided service to the candy factory in West Reading. An old Palmer steam pipe that was already badly corroded finally cracked, allowing steam to escape and raising the temperature of UGI’s gas fitting — so much so that it, too, cracked, federal safety investigators found. Gas then migrated underground and made its way into the basement of Palmer’s second building, where it exploded. Investigators couldn’t determine the ignition source. A UGI crew replacing gas lines in the area in 2021 — two years before the blast — was alerted to the presence of the steam pipe, but failed to notify the utility’s safety managers so the pipe could be assessed for its impact on the gas fitting that ultimately failed, the five-member safety board found. “By not addressing the threat posed by the steam pipe, UGI Corporation’s distribution integrity management program was not effective in preventing the accident,” the safety board said in its findings. The board also said there was a delay in getting gas shut off after the blast because UGI did not properly mark its valves — and a critical valve had been paved over. UGI said it is reviewing the findings. “Safety remains our main priority in the communities we serve, where we work, and where we live. UGI continues to work with customers that also operate underground steam lines, to make sure their systems and our natural gas systems can operate safely together,” said John Mason, a company spokesperson. He said the company has “fully cooperated” with NTSB. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The service tee that failed was made by DuPont and has a known tendency to crack. The plastic piping is still in widespread use around the country, but the safety board said many utilities may not be aware of the locations where it is most vulnerable to failure from elevated temperatures. “We don’t have a good idea how much is out there,” said Dane Spillers, an NTSB pipeline accident investigator. Board member J. Todd Inman compared the Palmer explosion to a 1996 blast at a shoe store in San Juan, Puerto Rico, that killed 33, saying the NTSB raised many of the same issues then. Federal regulators have long said that much of the plastic pipe manufactured for natural gas service from the 1960s through the early 1980s was susceptible to cracking. “Sometimes you think we can learn our lesson, or at least the operators can,” he said. The NTSB issued a range of recommendations for UGI and other utilities, regulatory agencies, state governments and R.M Palmer itself. One recommendation: That businesses, homes, schools and other buildings served by natural gas install alarms that can detect a leak. Advertisement Advertisement

UN voices alarm after WHO chief caught up in deadly Israeli strike on Yemen airportChina is set to expand its network of 200 detention facilities, known as liuzhi centres , as President Xi Jinping intensifies his anti-corruption campaign, CNN reported. The move comes amidst China's the growing efforts to root out graft, which have already targeted tens of thousands of officials across the country. In 2023 alone, more than 26,000 officials were reportedly investigated or punished for corruption-related activities, according to state media. According to a report by Safeguard Defenders, an NGO that monitors human rights in China, these facilities are used to interrogate and detain individuals accused of corruption and other misconduct. “Most of them would succumb to the pressure and agony. Those who resisted until the end were a tiny minority,” a lawyer who defended a government official a corruption case told CNN. What are liuzhi detention centres? The liuzhi centres are a critical tool in Xi’s arsenal, operated by the National Supervision Commission (NSC), a powerful anti-corruption agency established in 2018. Unlike traditional detention facilities, these centres are outside the purview of the judicial system, allowing the NSC to detain suspects for months without formal charges or access to legal representation. The report claimed that detainees face physical and psychological pressure, often compelled to confess to crimes. “These detention centres function in a legal grey zone, bypassing standard procedures that protect basic human rights,” the group reported. Despite these criticisms, Chinese authorities argue that the liuzhi centres are vital for cracking down on corruption, which they see as a significant threat to the Communist Party's legitimacy. Xi’s anti-corruption campaign Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign began in 2012 when he assumed leadership of the Communist Party. Over the years, it has targeted officials at all levels, from low-ranking bureaucrats to high-profile figures, earning both praise for addressing systemic corruption and criticism for being a political tool to consolidate power. Critics, however, argue that the anti-corruption drive is selectively enforced, disproportionately targeting Xi’s political rivals while leaving his allies untouched. Safeguard Defenders and other rights groups have called for greater transparency and accountability in how these investigations are conducted. Xi’s crackdown also sends a strong message to foreign businesses operating in China. In recent years, several foreign executives have been implicated in corruption probes, raising concerns about the business climate. While the Chinese government portrays the crackdown as a necessary step to clean up the system, its methods have drawn widespread condemnation.

Japan eyes law requiring measures against harassment by customers

When you really probe venture capitalists about investing in AI startups, they’ll tell you that businesses are experimenting wildly but are very slow to add AI solutions into their ongoing business processes . But there are some exceptions. And one of them appears to be an area known as AI sales development representatives, or AI SDRs. These use large language models (LLMs) and voice technology to craft personalized outreach emails and place automated calls to potential customers. “In some markets, we’re seeing five to 10 companies all have success in a pretty short period of time,” Shardul Shah, a partner at Index Ventures, said of the AI SDR boom. While it’s certainly not uncommon for multiple startups to target the same problem, it’s rare to see all of them experience rapid growth. But that’s apparently the case for startups that automate content creation for sales teams, investors say. “When one studies any of [these startups] individually, it’s like ‘wow, that’s stunning product market fit,’” Shah said. “When all 10 of them have stunning product market fit, it’s hard to answer ‘How is that going to play out?’” Index has yet to invest in any of these companies, many of which are less than a year old. Even though the whole category is on fire and customers are using them, it’s still too early to know whether their growth will continue over the long term or whether they will be discarded like so many other AI pilot projects once the wow factor fades, because they don’t prove to be more effective than human outreach. Small businesses love AI sales LLMs Arjun Pillai, founder of Docket , a startup that builds AI sales engineers, is convinced that AI SDR adoption is high because small and medium-sized businesses can easily experiment with these tools. Before Docket, Pillai was the chief data officer at sales lead generation platform ZoomInfo. “Over the last two years, the reply rate on cold emails fell at least 50%,” Pillai said. “Now that there are a bunch of companies that claim they can improve this rate, everyone is willing to try their service.” The best-known AI SDR startups include Regie.ai, AiSDR, Artisan, and 11x.ai , but ZoomInfo, an incumbent, also released a copilot that competes with these and other virtual sales agent startups. While these companies are experiencing rapid revenue growth, it’s unclear if they’re actually helping businesses sell more effectively. According to Tomasz Tunguz, founder of Theory Ventures, a chief revenue officer from a publicly traded company disclosed to him that while an AI SDR helped generate a substantial volume of leads over a nine-month period, it did not lead to actual sales. “So it’s not to say that AI won’t work. It’s to say many of us [still] do not know how to use AI,” Tunguz said onstage at a SaaStr conference in September. Will the incumbents squash them? Chris Farmer, partner and CEO at venture firm SignalFire, said he believes that AI applied to sales and marketing is a large opportunity, but without access to differentiated data, AI SDR startups risk being overtaken by incumbents like Salesforce, HubSpot, and ZoomInfo. Those companies’ main products are the keepers of their customers’ data. So if they offered bots that let their customers tap into their own data, such bots could be more effective. Another venture capitalist who looked at this market but hasn’t yet invested said her firm looked at several AI SDR startups and that they all had $1 million in ARR within less than a year. The startups’ impressive growth was attractive, she said, but like Farmer, she was concerned their solutions could eventually be offered as a free feature by established competitors. Jasper, a copywriting startup that was last valued at $1.5 billion but ran into speed bumps and had to lay off 30% of its staff after ChatGPT was introduced, serves as a cautionary tale for some investors. Investors are not surprised by the rapid adoption of AI SDRs; they are just doubting that adoption is sticky. Updated: This story was originally published on August 22 and was updated December 26 with comments from Tomasz Tunguz.NoneRichard Parsons, prominent Black executive who led Time Warner and Citigroup, dies at 76Photo by Liam Richards /Saskatoon StarPhoenix Saskatchewan Rush defender Matt Hossack moves the ball against the Vancouver Warriors in NLL action at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, SK on Saturday, March 7, 2020. Darren Zary Saskatoon StarPhoenix It’s a second go-round for Matt Hossack on the Saskatchewan Rush. Both parties couldn’t be more excited about this reunion after they won a National Lacrosse League championship together back in 2018. The Rush claimed Hossack in the Panther City Lacrosse Club dispersal draft during the off-season. Now they’re back together again as Saskatchewan (1-0) plays its National Lacrosse League home-opener Saturday night against the Halifax Thunderbirds. “That’s the guy we wanted and that’s the guy we got,” says Rush co-coach Jimmy Quinlan, whose team welcomed back Hossack with open arms. “He was very good when he left us and having to watch him grow on another team was tough, but to get him back is unbelievable. He’s a true professional on and off the floor. And he’s smart. “For me, it’s his IQ. You never have to question his effort or his attitude. He’s always moving in the right direction for the group and we’re lucky to have him. We were happy he was there (available in dispersal draft).” Hossack arrived back in Saskatchewan with nervous excitement. Indeed, green and black butterflies floated around in his stomach. “Talking to Keener (Rush general manager Derek Keenan) at the beginning of camp, I had butterflies again – it’s been probably been a few years,” admits Hossack, who was originally taken by the Rush in the second round, 14th overall, of the 2016 NLL Draft out of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Taken by Panther City in the 2021 NLL expansion draft as the No. 1 pick, Hossack would be re-claimed by Saskatchewan, sixth overall, in this year’s Panther City dispersal draft. “When I first went to Panther City, I had a lot of butterflies doing that because there are so many unknowns,” explains Hossack, a native of Port Perry, Ont.. “What I liked about coming back here is I know a lot of people and faces in the front office and all the lacrosse staff. “That gives me a good feeling, having that sense of home and something I know, something already that I’m coming back to, but the butterflies came because there are so many new guys on the team and it’s a completely different group than what I’m used to. It’s certainly exciting for me.” It’s a new-look defensive corps for Hossack with the likes of Bobby Kidd III, Isaac Ngyou, Connor McClelland, Matt Acchione, Jake Boudreau, Adam Jay, Jake Naso, Holden Garlent, Ryan Barnable and Jerrett Smith joining him and veteran Mike Messenger. “I’m really excited about the group,” says Hossack, who captained Panther City. “I think it’s a lot better than what maybe I expected or what I saw from the outside and to see how much the guys care and what they’re working on at times, guys take feedback really well and they’re talking all the time. To see that each weekend, I feel we’ve gotten a little better towards achieving certain things and we’ve got to continue to do that.” Through 114 pro games, the right-handed defenceman has scooped up 617 loose balls, caused 142 turnovers, scored 22 goals and added 55 assists. “I certainly take pride in being the leader out there when it’s necessarily my turn to do that,” says Hossack. “As a veteran, what you always go back to is you try to claim and capture some of that new energy that Acchione, Levi Anderson and those guys bring to the team because they’re so new, so fresh, and it reminds you of what it was like when you were a rookie in the league or new in the league. You try to continue to capture that and I think that’s really important.” Hossack says he was able to come out of his shell in Panther City. “I’m super grateful for that opportunity because I grew so much as a vocal leader, as someone who’s typically more quiet and a leader by example. That hasn’t changed. I’m still a little more of a leader by example but I’ve learned how to find my voice more and speak up when times are necessary and I think that’s the biggest part of my game and showing a little bit more emotion when it’s necessary to give guys a bit of a jump. “As much as it stings a little to put so much effort into building the (Panther City) program down in Fort Worth there, there was definitely a sense of excitement to be able to come back around full circle and be back here in Sask.” dzary@postmedia.com -Advertisement-

I’m so sorry in advance. If you’ve clicked on this article, I’m warning you: this will be fully unhinged . The name of the game? Anonymous Agony . If you want an elevator pitch this time, honestly? This Steam review says so much while barely even getting into half of the insanity. “I bought this game two years ago, thanks Mandalore for reminding me of this hilarious gem where the deathnote protagonist catfishes and [gets rid of child lovers — sorry, don’t wanna make Google upset].” Played over the most unfitting rap music imaginable. Indeed, I too was exposed to the game through the noble sacrifice of MandaloreGaming . He streamed the entire game. And, man, it’s... something . The description on Steam tries its best to summarize everything. But that, too, is a woefully insufficient breakdown. “ Anonymous Agony is an episodic story that follows the parallel stories of a teenage serial killer named Haze Stratos, and the child psychologist, Dr. James Samson. What connects them together, is Haze’s sister, Clara; a victim of sexual assault and Dr. Samson’s patient. You switch perspectives after every chapter (File), switching to a different character.” Videos by VICE Haze is Shadow the Hedgehog, Sasuke Uchiha, and every other edgy “My life is so dark and tortured” character you can think of rolled into one. Every other word out of his mouth is a curse word. He has a startlingly low level of empathy for anyone who isn’t his sister. His little sister gets assaulted by a grown man and is promptly shuttled out of the story so we can see how pissed off Haze is about the tragedy. Oh, and the next image you’re about to see (minus the E for Edge graphic — 10/10 work, MandaloreGaming)? A legitimate loading screen in the game . oh, right, the happy rap music I mentioned You’d think a story featuring a burgeoning, overly edgy serial killer catfishing child predators so he can end their lives would carry a certain weight to it. You’re only talking about sexual assault , after all. Yet, you know what music plays as Haze is walking around town? If you had to guess one thousand songs , I guarantee you’d never — in your wildest dreams, in your most vivid nightmares — come close to the correct answer. Ready? YEAH, YEAH . Don’t get me wrong; it’s a BOP . But, can you understand why it may be a little inappropriate to play what I can best describe as “triumphant rap music” while a teenager feeds child predators to a group of dogs hanging out in a graveyard? Also, Haze meets a bounty hunter in a subplot that doesn’t really go anywhere. Oh, and he encounters the worst therapist in the world. Who actively antagonizes Haze and gets thrown through his office window in response. TWICE . Beyond the happy-ass rap music? Past Haze’s awful parents who are in the game for all of five minutes? The infamous, much beloved “ SMOOTHIE TIME ” scene. No, I won’t explain it. In summary: you can play Anonymous Agony for free on Steam. You can also watch MandaloreGaming’s stream. Whichever way you want it, I — for some ungodly reason — highly recommend watching/playing as much as you can before you lose your mind.VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — Chase Forte scored 21 points as South Dakota beat Western Illinois 89-66 on Saturday. Forte added six rebounds and five assists for the Coyotes (9-4). Cameron Fens added 17 points while going 5 of 8 and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line while grabbing six rebounds. Isaac Bruns had 13 points and shot 4 for 10 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line. Marko Maletic led the Leathernecks (6-5) in scoring, finishing with 24 points. Julius Rollins added 13 points for Western Illinois. Sean Smith had 11 points. South Dakota's next game is Thursday against Utah Tech on the road. Western Illinois hosts Tennessee Tech on Tuesday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

The Cyber Crime Police of Greater Chennai City Police booked a case on a complaint from Gana Singer Isaivani who was trolled on social media for her song titled ‘I am sorry Ayyappa’ It was sung by Ms. Isaivani, of Neelam Culture Centre in 2018. Although the song was reportedly performed in 2018, it gained widespread attention recently, sparking outrage among the Lord Ayyappa devotees and Hindu outfits. The singer faced strong criticism and trolls. Based on her complaint, police booked the case under four sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act. Published - December 15, 2024 01:20 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp RedditCentral Okanagan politicians tour local aerospace, tech industry

SEOUL — Demonstrations were planned across South Korea on Saturday by supporters and opponents of suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol two weeks after he was impeached. Vast protests both for and against Yoon have rocked South Korea since he sought to impose martial law in early December, plunging the country into its worst political crisis in decades. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.Sheheryar Munawar ties the knot with Maheen Siddiqui in star-studded ceremonyDA suggests unusual idea for halting Trump's hush money case while upholding conviction

Explainer: Why did Comelec disqualify Jonas Cortes?Brandon Granger, the son of Texas Republican Rep. Kay Granger, informed the Dallas Express his mother has been battling “some dementia issues late in the year” and had been residing in an assisted-care facility for the last half year. The most recent vote she casted on the House floor was in July, and she has been absent for more than 300 votes since that time. While this is certainly alarming news to hear, Granger is hardly an anomaly The median age of senators in the incoming 119th Congress will be 64 years old. In the House, the average age is 59. A majority of our current Supreme Court is past or approaching retirement age. Do senior officials possess the mental capacity or innovation crucial to lead the country? Soon-to-be former president Joe Biden was just one example of the frailty of officials who demonstrated a decline in motor skills. The late Sen. Dianne Feinstein was a prime and depressing example of someone who should have stepped down before she was visibly impaired. Mitch McConnell, who was the victim of a few sporadic frozen public episodes, stepped down from Senate leadership but will remain in office until his term expires in 2026. The senility issues of a sizable segment of numerous powerful and influential leaders in Washington are a quiet but growing scandal. Increasing public concern about leaders who are defiant and resist any suggestion to exit while their mental faculties are intact is amplified by a Congress that appears to be psychologically indifferent and confined to the days of yesteryear bereft of the political acumen crucial to effectively combat modern problems. Many are devoid of the ever-increasing social media platforms that are essential in effectively connecting with younger as well as middle-aged voting blocks. A number of polls earlier this year showed public unease about the ages of Biden and 78-year-old Donald Trump. Polls show upwards of 70% of Americans support the idea of implementing an age limit on candidates for president and for Congress, and a mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court justices, potential legal challenges notwithstanding. In the early 1990s, certain activists employed such an initiative process to ratify passage of term limits on Congress in more than 20 states, without a single loss. Back in 1995, the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 that states cannot arbitrarily impose such term limits. Almost three decades later, the idea remains overwhelmingly popular as ever. If you have to be a certain age to run for certain offices, which makes sense, then shouldn’t there be an age limit to prohibit persons from inhabiting certain positions? Many high-ranking members of Congress have amassed colossal donor networks that provide them unchallengeable job protection, so they routinely recite the same fatigued-filled arguments against establishing term limits. Many of them claim it would result in staff and underlings running government affairs, only that’s largely happening now! Most senators born before 1950 (and there are a disproportionate number of them) struggle with acute memory loss, cognitive decline and other health issues that often accompany most people as they get older. It is highly obscene for our nation to let a potentially vibrant and well-received reform such as term limits for Congress be stifled by members’ refusal to relinquish power. No one is saying that “no one over 60 need apply” to run for Congress. In fact, some elderly members would be very effective in serving in advisory capacities. Nonetheless, the nuts and bolts coupled with the daily demands of an increasingly complex nation and larger world require men and women who possess the energy, vision, technological skills and physical stamina pertinent to effectively deliver such demands Some critics of younger members, such as Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Maxwell Frost, argue that they are “too aggressive” or should “wait for their turn” to pursue certain positions. The fact is they are members of the Millennial and Gen Z generations who are being directly affected by the current state of affairs. They are well aware of the fact that the nation is heading in a downward slope, they cannot afford to “wait” and that the “turn” that is needed is a sharp, decibel screeching U-turn. Elwood Watson’s column is distributed by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.News Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News. I’m excited for 2025. I think it’s because I like quarters. An orange quartered is eminently more agreeable than having to peel the thing. Quarters in AFL and basketball make the games somehow more suspenseful, and I like that the tax office demands a quarterly business activity statement from me. Keeps things neat. I especially like first quarters because with three more ahead there’s still plenty of time to correct or come good. Leonardo DiCaprio’s dating habits are as old as his blockbuster hit Titanic. Which is where we’ll find ourselves in 2025. A quarter of the way through a new century that has galloped out of the blocks, particularly when it comes to technological and social change. Who would have thought on the eve of this new Millennium that 25 years on AI might’ve written this column (it didn’t), that driverless cars would be on the road, that gender would be a spectrum not an absolute and that Leonardo DiCaprio would be 50 and still determinedly finding new audiences for Titanic by dating girls born since its release in 1997. It’s more than 50 years since musician John Lennon urged the world to give peace a chance. Likewise, after the horrendous start to the new century with 9/11 and the 2004 tsunami, who would’ve thought we’d be entering 2025 with wars blazing in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa. More than half a century after John Lennon wrote Give Peace a Chance we seemingly still can’t. Sadly, solving those issues are outside my pay grade so instead here’s 30 things I’m hoping for in 2025. Firstly, if the economic fairies could start bringing interest rates down, those of us stretched beyond our means might finally feel a loosening in our shoulders. Please bring interest rates down. Australia is a wonderful place to live but to find five of our cities now among the world’s top 20 most expensive requires a deeply considered long-term housing policy that looks beyond the next election. My third wish in the housing sphere is for an overhaul of stamp duty. Telling me I can free up $300,000 for superannuation if I downsize is all very well but not when you lose more than $100,000 of that on the stamp duty for a new property purchase. Nonsensical. Moving on to health, this has been the year when a simple injection melts away your fat and as we move into 2025 microdosing Ozempic is set to become the new norm for those wanting to lose their Christmas paunch. You have to lie to get your hands on it but plenty are. We’re living in the Bozempic era when faces are frozen by one injection and bellies jabbed by another. Keira Knightley in the Netflix spy thriller Black Doves. I’m praying for restaurants in 2025. Word out of Los Angeles is that people ordering tiny starters is sending them out of business. As for beauty, we need more of Keira Knightley’s face (wonderfully natural in Black Doves) and less of TikTok convincing a generation of young women that they need a dozen different unguents to look good. They don’t. It’s insane and robs them of their cash and confidence. What we need from scientists is hair colour that works fast so you don’t need to spend two hours in a salon and a fake tan-style product that leaves you SPF-protected for a week. The phenomenally successful Taylor Swift deserves a rest in 2025. Picture: AFP As for entertainment, other than Taylor Swift getting a good rest and Sean Combes getting a rigorous trial, I hope 2025 marks the year that streaming services are consolidated, festivals find a way back to financial viability and someone makes a cinematic blockbuster as good as Top Gun Maverick. It’s also time Ethan Hawke and Julie Delphy reprised their Before Sunrise characters for a fourth movie, since 2025 marks 30 years since the original. Before Sunset was released in 2004 and Before Midnight in 2013 so we’re due a catch-up with the couple who make long-term love believable. It’s time to reprise the love story which began with Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke in the 1995 film Before Sunrise. In the sporting arena, I’m loving that we now have access to athletes through their socials and I’m hoping 2025 brings better coaching and solid success for the Matildas, more recognition for the AFLW and a great documentary marking 30 years since South Africa won the Rugby World Cup under Nelson Mandela’s presidency. If the Wallabies could beat the British and Irish Lions during their tour mid-year we’re here for it. Fashion-wise, if we could kill off mullets and Naarmcore, which is basically Melburnians looking like they’ve rolled through a skip bin, then my eyes can finally stop hurting. If you’ve watched Buy Now (Netflix) you won’t want to buy a thing but the one purchase I’ll be making come winter is a cape. They’re back. Let Donald Trump and Elon Musk have a spectacular falling out in 2025. Picture: Getty Images May the fashion gods find me one in dusky blue. Randomly, I want 2025 to bring a “cossie livs” aisle to supermarkets where you can get all the bargains in one place, jalapeno honey to become a food group (don’t mock til you try), boats to be banned from suburban streets, King Charles to be cured of cancer, Donald Trump and Elon Musk to have a spectacular falling out and a revival of the progressive dinner. Finally, as my 30th wish, I want us to look up from our phones and take in the world. Because it’s beautiful. More Coverage The reality of Christmas: Sometimes it’s messy and that’s okay Angela Mollard We’re losing the plot as parents when The Rainbow Fish is cancelled Angela Mollard Originally published as Angela Mollard: Top 30 things I’m hoping for in 2025 Join the conversation Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout More related stories NSW Sydney’s NYE fireworks set to be most innovative ever This year’s New Year’s Eve fireworks are set to be the most innovative in Australian history. Here’s what you can expect. Read more News Junior club cricket coach speaks out on debutant’s potential Australian cricket fans have now taken notice of Sam Konstas, but his local St George Cricket Club have always seen the talent in the boy from Hurstville. Read more

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Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia urged the public not to politicize the annual Traslacion in Quiapo, noting the sanctity of the religious event must be upheld. Drawing millions annually, the event reenacts the transfer or "traslacion" of the Black Nazarene statue, believed to be miraculous, from its original location in Intramuros, Manila, to its current home at the Minor Basilica or Quiapo Church in 1787. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.Makinde’s wife presents gifts to Christmas Day babiesTürkiye ranks second in number of universities in THE rankings

South Korea's Political Turmoil: Constitutional Court to Review Yoon's ImpeachmentIsrael cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) — In the year since the war in Gaza broke out, Israel's government has been cracking down on dissent among its Palestinian citizens. Authorities have charged Palestinians with “supporting terrorism” because of posts online or for demonstrating against the war. Activists and rights watchdogs say Palestinians have also lost jobs, been suspended from schools and faced police interrogations. Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel's population. Many feel forced to self-censor out of fear of being jailed and further marginalized in society. Others still find ways to dissent, but carefully. Israel's National Security Ministry counters that, “Freedom of speech is not the freedom to incite.” Israel says rabbi who went missing in the UAE was killed TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel says the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found, citing Emirati authorities. The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday said Zvi Kogan was killed, calling it a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.” It said: “The state of Israel will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death." Kogan went missing on Thursday, and there were suspicions he had been kidnapped. His disappearance comes as Iran has been threatening to retaliate against Israel after the two countries traded fire in October. Israeli strike kills Lebanese soldier and wounds 18 as Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel BEIRUT (AP) — An Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center has killed one soldier and wounded 18 others. The Hezbollah militant group meanwhile fired around 160 rockets and other projectiles into northern and central Israel on Sunday, wounding at least five people. Israeli strikes have killed over 40 Lebanese troops since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, even as Lebanon's military has largely kept to the sidelines. The Israeli military expressed regret over the strike, saying it occurred in an area of ongoing combat operations against Hezbollah. It said it does not target the Lebanese armed forces and that the strike is under review. The rising price of paying the national debt is a risk for Trump's promises on growth and inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. He also has big debt problem that'll be a hurdle to delivering on those plan. Trump has bold ambitions on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs. But high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government’s existing debt could limit what he’s able to do. The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. After Trump's Project 2025 denials, he is tapping its authors and influencers for key roles WASHINGTON (AP) — During the campaign, President-elect Donald Trump had hailed what would become Project 2025 as a conservative roadmap for “exactly what our movement will do." Trump pulled an about-face when Project 2025 became a political liability. He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans, even though some were written by his former aides and many allies. Now, after winning the 2024 election, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the effort he temporarily shunned. Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy. Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — Forecasters in the U.S. have warned of another round of winter weather that could complicate travel leading up to Thanksgiving. California is bracing for more snow and rain this weekend while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Thousands remained without power in the Seattle area on Saturday after a “bomb cyclone” storm system hit the West Coast earlier in the week, killing two people. Parts of the Northeast and Appalachia also began the weekend with heavy precipitation. Pakistan partially stops mobile and internet services ahead of pro-Imran Khan protest ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan has suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns” as supporters of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan gear up for a protest in the capital. The government and Interior Ministry made the announcement on X, which is banned in Pakistan. Sunday's protest is to demand Khan's release. He has been in prison for more than a year but remains popular. His supporters rely heavily on social media and messaging apps to coordinate with each other. Pakistan has already sealed off Islamabad and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with Khan's power bases. Here's what to know about the new funding deal that countries agreed to at UN climate talks BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — In the wee hours Sunday at the United Nations climate talks, countries from around the world reached an agreement on how rich countries can cough up the funds to support poor countries in the face of climate change. But it’s a far-from-perfect arrangement, with many parties still unsatisfied but hopeful that the deal will be a step in the right direction. Japan holds Sado mines memorial despite South Korean boycott amid lingering historical tensions SADO, Japan (AP) — Japan has held a memorial ceremony near the Sado Island Gold Mines despite a last-minute boycott of the event by South Korea that highlighted tensions between the neighbors over the brutal wartime use of Korean laborers. South Korea’s absence at Sunday’s memorial, to which Seoul government officials and Korean victims’ families were invited, is a major setback in the rapidly improving ties between the countries. The Sado mines were listed in July as a UNESCO World Heritage Site after Japan moved past years of disputes with South Korea and reluctantly acknowledged the mines’ dark history. Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83 NEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. He teamed up with Young for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and became a full supporter Donald Trump.VNET Group (NASDAQ:VNET) Shares Gap Up – Here’s Why