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Kuwait City, Dec 21 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attended the opening ceremony of the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup as the chief guest at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium here, on his two-day visit to the Gulf nation, the first for any Indian Prime Minister in 43 years. Kuwait was scheduled to play Oman in the opening game of the eight-team tournament. Also Read | PM Modi Kuwait Visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Lauds Arabic Translator, Publisher of Ramayana, Mahabharata (See Pics). Modi is visiting Kuwait at the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Earlier, addressing a large gathering of the Indian community at a special event ‘Hala Modi' at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Indoor Sports Complex in the city, Modi praised the diaspora's contribution to global growth and said that India has the potential to become the “skill capital of the world”. Also Read | Belgium Incest Horror: Lacking Money to Hire Prostitutes, Couple Rape Their 4 Daughters '9 Times a Day' to Fulfil Threesome Fantasies; Jailed. “Every year, hundreds of Indians come to Kuwait. You have added an Indian touch to Kuwaiti society. You have filled the canvas of Kuwait with the colors of Indian skills. You have mixed the essence of India's talent, technology, and tradition in Kuwait,” Modi said. The prime minister expressed happiness about the presence of Indians from diverse corners of the country in the gulf nation and called it a “mini-Hindustan.” Modi is set to meet the Emir, the Crown Prince, and the Prime Minister of Kuwait on Sunday. PTI (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence ( ) company, has raised USD 6 billion in new capital, according to a regulatory filing. The equity financing came from 97 investors and includes stakes as small as USD 77,593, as stated in the filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday. The filing did not disclose the identities of the investors. Furthermore, the company has not provided specific information regarding its valuation or revenue figures. xAI’s Latest Funding The funding comes as xAI seeks to bolster its presence in the AI industry by expanding its Memphis, Tennessee, supercomputer to accommodate at least one million graphics processing units (GPUs). Earlier reports indicate that existing investors, including Valor Equity Partners, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and the Qatar Investment Authority, participated in the funding round. Since its inception last year, xAI has launched its generative AI model, Grok, which powers features on X. The company reportedly plans to use funds from this round to purchase 100,000 chips from Nvidia. Series B Funding This new funding brings xAI’s total capital raised to USD 12 billion, adding to the USD 6 billion tranche secured earlier in May. The company stated that the Series B funding will be used to bring its first products to market, build advanced infrastructure, and accelerate research and development of future technologies. “Our Series B funding round of USD 6 billion with participation from key investors including Valor Equity Partners, Vy Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, Fidelity Management and Research Company, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal and Kingdom Holding, amongst others,” the company announced in May. “xAI is primarily focused on the development of advanced AI systems that are truthful, competent, and maximally beneficial for all of humanity. The company’s mission is to understand the true nature of the universe,” the company said in a blog post. The Grok AI Model xAI’s flagship product, a chatbot called Grok, is available to paying users of X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. In August, the company released Grok-2, a frontier language model with state-of-the-art reasoning capabilities. This release introduced two models: Grok-2 and Grok-2 Mini. In November, xAI launched the API Public Beta, offering programmatic access for developers to build applications using Grok foundation models via the newly released API. Grok AI Chatbot Now Accessible to All X Users xAI has rolled out its AI chatbot, Grok, to all users on the social platform X (formerly Twitter), previously available only to Premium subscribers of X’s higher-tier plans, X Premium and X Premium+. Free users can send up to 10 messages every two hours, after which they will be prompted to upgrade to a paid subscription. They can also analyse three images per day. As of this writing, is providing access only to the assistant Grok-2, and the image generator Grok 2+ Aurora. There is also a fun mode which users can enable. xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence ( ) company, has raised USD 6 billion in new capital, according to a regulatory filing. The equity financing came from 97 investors and includes stakes as small as USD 77,593, as stated in the filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday. The filing did not disclose the identities of the investors. Furthermore, the company has not provided specific information regarding its valuation or revenue figures. xAI’s Latest Funding The funding comes as xAI seeks to bolster its presence in the AI industry by expanding its Memphis, Tennessee, supercomputer to accommodate at least one million graphics processing units (GPUs). Earlier reports indicate that existing investors, including Valor Equity Partners, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and the Qatar Investment Authority, participated in the funding round. Since its inception last year, xAI has launched its generative AI model, Grok, which powers features on X. The company reportedly plans to use funds from this round to purchase 100,000 chips from Nvidia. Series B Funding This new funding brings xAI’s total capital raised to USD 12 billion, adding to the USD 6 billion tranche secured earlier in May. The company stated that the Series B funding will be used to bring its first products to market, build advanced infrastructure, and accelerate research and development of future technologies. “Our Series B funding round of USD 6 billion with participation from key investors including Valor Equity Partners, Vy Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, Fidelity Management and Research Company, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal and Kingdom Holding, amongst others,” the company announced in May. “xAI is primarily focused on the development of advanced AI systems that are truthful, competent, and maximally beneficial for all of humanity. The company’s mission is to understand the true nature of the universe,” the company said in a blog post. The Grok AI Model xAI’s flagship product, a chatbot called Grok, is available to paying users of X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. In August, the company released Grok-2, a frontier language model with state-of-the-art reasoning capabilities. This release introduced two models: Grok-2 and Grok-2 Mini. In November, xAI launched the API Public Beta, offering programmatic access for developers to build applications using Grok foundation models via the newly released API. Grok AI Chatbot Now Accessible to All X Users xAI has rolled out its AI chatbot, Grok, to all users on the social platform X (formerly Twitter), previously available only to Premium subscribers of X’s higher-tier plans, X Premium and X Premium+. Free users can send up to 10 messages every two hours, after which they will be prompted to upgrade to a paid subscription. They can also analyse three images per day. As of this writing, is providing access only to the assistant Grok-2, and the image generator Grok 2+ Aurora. There is also a fun mode which users can enable.

Vivek Ramaswamy — the billionaire who failed in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination and his gambit to be Donald Trump’s running mate, and had to settle for a powerless consulting job recommending cuts to the federal government — tried to run interference for Trump’s controversial cabinet nominees on Saturday. “President Trump won by a massive margin with a historic mandate [and] he deserves the Cabinet he desires to govern,” Ramaswamy tweeted . Actually ... Trump did not win by a “massive margin.” His popular vote victory of roughly 1.5% is one of the smallest margins in the past 100 years. In addition, in the House of Representatives, the GOP has the tiniest majority in American history. That’s not a “historic mandate.” Also, the Senate is given advise and consent powers by the Constitution to consult on and approve treaties signed and appointments made by the president to public positions, including Cabinet secretaries, federal judges, Officers of the Armed Forces and others. It’s not a rubber stamp. So far, Matt Gaetz, Trump’s nominee for Attorney General faced with allegations that he had sex with a minor, has gone down in flames before even reaching a hearing. And it appears Fox weekend host Pete Hegseth will meet a similar fate in his bid for Secretary of Defense because of character issues. Opposition also is mounting for vaccine-denier Robert Kennedy Jr ., nominated to run the Department of Health and Human Services, and Tulsi Gabbard , nominated to be the Director of National Security. Ramaswamy appears to be a student at the Tommy Tuberville School of Constitutional Law. The Alabama senator said it’s not the senate’s job to question Trump’s picks. “Who are we to say that we’re a better vetter and picker of people than Donald Trump?” Tuberville told CNN’s Manu Raju. When Raju noted that senators have an obligation to “advise and consent,” Tuberville replied: “Advise and consent, but that’s more the Democrats ... they should do all the background work.” Tuberville added: “Donald Trump did all the vetting they needed to do on Pete Hegseth. And I just can’t believe we even have people on our side, they’re saying, ‘Well, I’ve got to look at this, got to look at that.’” MORE POLITICAL COVERAGE Safety group praises N.J. teen driver law, but urges use of speed, red light cameras Friendly Fire: Biden’s pardon, Booker’s bump, and the felonious diplomat Setting the record straight on Holloway | Opinion Drunk driving ticket blitz launched in these 127 N.J. towns. See full list. Trump DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard taunted by former GOP congressman Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com .Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the US A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok as soon as next month, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law - which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — is constitutional, rebuffing TikTok’s challenge that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform. TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. Executive of Tyler Perry Studios dies when plane he was piloting crashes in Florida ATLANTA (AP) — The president of Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios has died when the small plane he was piloting crashed on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The studio confirmed on Saturday that Steve Mensch, its 62-year-old president and general manager, had died Friday. The crash happened in Homosassa, about 60 miles north of Tampa. Photos from the scene show the plane having come to rest upside down on a road. Mensch helped advocate for Georgia’s film tax credit of more than $1 billion a year. Perry hired Mensch to run his namesake studio in 2016. Mensch died as Perry released his war drama, “The Six Triple Eight." The film was shot at the Atlanta studio. US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report also showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. The November data provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. Stock market today: Wall Street hits more records following a just-right jobs report NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation. The S&P 500 climbed 0.2%, just enough top the all-time high set on Wednesday, as it closed a third straight winning week in what looks to be one of its best years since the 2000 dot-com bust. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8% to set its own record. Treasury yields eased after the jobs report showed stronger hiring than expected but also an uptick in the unemployment rate. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass NEW YORK (AP) — In an era when online anger and social tensions are increasingly directed at the businesses consumers count on, Meta last year spent $24.4 million to surround CEO Mark Zuckerberg with security. But the fatal shooting this week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. And experts say the task of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them is getting more difficult. One of the primary worries are loners whose rantings online are fed by others who are like-minded. It’s up to corporate security analysts to decide what represents a real threat. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. USDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus The U.S. government has ordered testing of the nation’s milk supply for bird flu to better monitor the spread of the virus in dairy cows. The Agriculture Department on Friday said raw or unpasteurized milk from dairy farms and processors nationwide must be tested on request starting Dec. 16. Testing will begin in six states — California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania. The move is aimed at eliminating the virus, which has infected more than 700 dairy herds in 15 states. Words on ammo in CEO shooting echo common phrase on insurer tactics: Delay, deny, defend A message left at the scene of an insurance executive’s fatal shooting echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were written on the ammunition used to kill UnitedHealthcare's CEO. That's according to two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday. The words are similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend.” That's how attorneys describe insurers denying services and payment, and the title of a 2010 book critical of the industry. Police haven’t officially commented on the words. But Thompson’s shooting and the messages on the ammunition have sparked outrage on social media and elsewhere, reflecting frustration Americans have over the cost and complexity of getting care. Michigan Democrats move to protect reproductive health data before GOP takes control of House LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Democrats in Michigan are pressing to pass reproductive health care legislation before the party loses its majority with the new legislative session next year. A bill to protect digital reproductive health data including data logged on menstrual cycle tracking apps is a Democratic priority as lawmakers meet this month. Democratic women and supporters of the legislation say they are acting with new urgency before President-elect Donald Trump takes office because they don't believe his campaign promise to leave abortion to the states. The rush is also a reaction to Republicans taking control of the state House in January. Democrats kept control of the state Senate in the November election. Japan's Nippon Steel sets sights on a growing overseas market in its bid to acquire US Steel KASHIMA, Japan (AP) — The signs at Nippon Steel read: “The world through steel,” underlining why Japan’s top steelmaker is pursuing its $15 billion bid to acquire U.S. Steel. Japan's domestic market isn't growing, so Nippon Steel has its eyes on India, Southeast Asia and the United States, where populations are still growing. Nippon Steel gave reporters a tour of one of its plants in Japan on Friday. The bid for U.S. Steet is opposed by President-elect Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and American steelworkers. If the deal goes through, U.S. Steel will keep its name and its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but become subsidiary of Nippon Steel.

The Oxford University Press has named “brain rot” as the Oxford Word of the Year 2024. As I’m sure many of us can relate, “brain rot” is a term related to consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media. The actual definition is “the supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.” It’s a word – not technically a word, actually two words – first used by author Henry David Thoreau in 1854 in his book Walden . Brain rot speaks to both the addictive and irresistible popularity of social media, as well as what it does to our cognitive abilities. It can also refer to the content itself. “It demonstrates a somewhat cheeky self-awareness in the younger generations about the harmful impact of the social media that they’ve inherited,” Casper Grathwohl, president, Oxford Languages, said in a news release. Last year’s winning word was “rizz,” which means romantic appeal or charm, and is an online evolution of the word charisma. If you hadn’t noticed yet, clearly the internet is taking over our lives. This year, there were six contenders for word of the year including demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy, and lore. Demure was also related to social media because it was part of a sarcastic online trend where women would say “very mindful, very demure,” in situations that were not really so. Slop — a word I had never heard in this context — also relates to technology. Oxford University Press defines it as “art, writing, or other content generated using artificial intelligence, shared and distributed online in an indiscriminate or intrusive way, and characterized as being of low quality, inauthentic, or inaccurate.” Oh boy, there’s a lot of slop out there. I think we’ve all recently seen the effects of dynamic pricing, the fourth-word candidate for this year, with this weekend’s Taylor Swift concerts and their effect on hotel and Airbnb accommodations, and Uber and Lyft ride-sharing. Dynamic pricing is when the pricing changes, very quickly, based on demand, something that only became possible with the rise of the internet. The fifth contender was lore – the background information necessary to understand someone or something. As a journalist, I’m a big fan of lore, specifically trying to keep it truthful and accurate. The final word is romantasy, which is a book genre combining romance and fantasy, also a word that arose out of BookTok, a subspace of TikTok, another social media application. All these words reflect a growing trend of words emerging first on social media and then being used offline, in real life. Social media shows no signs of fading from our daily life. On the contrary, a survey conducted by Leger DGTL , a digital agency that combines research and marketing, found that 63 per cent of Canadians use Facebook at least once a day. Among people with a Facebook account between the ages of 16 and 24, the prime use of Facebook is to search for people or accounts, for people between the ages of 25 and 44, the prime use is to buy or to sell something and for those older than 45, the prime use is to interact with people and content. That’s just Facebook, an older social media, that isn’t super popular among young people. For people aged 16 to 24, Instagram is the one platform they would keep if they could only keep one, the survey found. Other interesting tidbits: people use TikTok to learn things, like cooking or repairs, while YouTube is used both for simple entertainment and for learning how to do things. The survey was conducted among 4,004 respondents, online – of course – among the general population between Aug. 5 and 17, 2024. Meanwhile, Australia has banned social media use for anyone under the age of 16, in a bid to increase online safety. Personally, I think that like everything else, it’s all about balance. Managing a healthy use of social media means setting boundaries for yourself and others in terms of your use and how much of your life you want to share. There have been noted tragic examples of the ruin the internet can bring, such as the story of Amanda Todd , a teenage girl who took her own life after being sexually extorted online. In addition, social media companies are owned by billionaires or foreign countries – we need to be careful about the information we share with them and how much control we give them over our lives. Over this coming holiday, I’m going to try to limit social media and the associated brain rot, in favour of spending time talking and laughing with family, playing games, eating delicious foods and getting as cozy as possible. Let’s see what happens. Tracy Sherlock is a freelance journalist who writes about education and social issues. Read her blog or email her [email protected] . Got an opinion on this story or any others in Richmond? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] . To stay updated on Richmond news, sign up for our daily headline newsletter . Words missing in article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.

How to avoid the latest generation of scams this holiday season | The Conversation

Image via Mark Wilson/Getty Images President Donald Trump has nominated former WWE CEO Linda McMahon to be his Secretary of Education in the next administration. Although some people have endorsed her candidature, such as her daughter Stephanie McMahon, who wrote a heartfelt letter lauding her mother, others have voiced serious reservations regarding her affiliation with the WWE and the scandals that have surrounded the organisation. One vocal critic, Janel Grant, a former WWE employee, has raised concerns about McMahon’s potential role in the Trump administration. Grant’s legal representatives condemned McMahon’s nomination and referencing a series of disturbing allegations tied to WWE. There was an email that was sent by Grant’s team to a third party media outlet which pointed to a lawsuit involving former WWE employees, which has sparked renewed discussions about accountability within the company co-founded by Linda McMahon and her husband, Vince McMahon . The email included references to historical allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation within WWE. Specifically, it called attention to claims that Linda McMahon and the WWE leadership turned a blind eye to the sexual abuse of underage employees in the 1980s. The allegations were stark, with Grant’s legal team pointing out that Vince McMahon was aware of the safety risks surrounding one of the alleged abusers as early as 1992. "Vince McMahon admitted that children were unsafe around one of the alleged abusers," the email noted. In addition to these serious allegations, Grant’s representatives also brought up ongoing investigations into Vince McMahon. The email referenced a federal probe involving McMahon, which centers around accusations of sexual assault, human trafficking, and non-consensual acts involving Janel Grant herself. According to the claims, Grant alleges she was coerced into non-consensual acts and exploited for contractual leverage within WWE. Moreover, explicit material of Grant was reportedly shared with WWE employees without her consent. Image via WWE The email also highlights how WWE leadership allegedly failed to intervene in Grant's mistreatment. Despite reports of favoritism and rumors surrounding her relationship with Vince McMahon, the company reportedly ignored her mistreatment. Furthermore, reports of hush payments to suppress allegations have raised serious concerns about the corporate culture within WWE. "The lack of intervention, combined with reports of hush payments, has raised questions about the culture within WWE and its handling of such issues," the email emphasized. One of the more alarming claims made in the email is the revelation that Vince McMahon allegedly made $14.6 million in hush payments to four women over the past 16 years. These payments were reportedly made to silence accusations of misconduct. The allegations have brought federal law enforcement into the picture, with McMahon under investigation by a grand jury, following SEC filings by WWE’s parent company. It is important to take note of Linda McMahon 's political experience, even though her nomination has drawn a lot of criticism. During Trump's first term, McMahon was the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. He has also made a substantial financial contribution to Trump's 2024 campaign. But even with her public service and political background, the WWE scandals still haunt her, casting doubt on her capacity to hold a prominent government position. Also read: All about Linda and Vince McMahon turbulent marriage marked by affairs, drama, and separation The backlash against McMahon’s nomination reflects broader concerns about her association with WWE, where past misconduct allegations continue to taint the company’s legacy. As these allegations resurface, many are left questioning whether Linda McMahon’s nomination will move forward or if the public scrutiny will prove to be too great a distraction for the Trump administration.Matt Gaetz says he won't return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney generalCaribbean Small Island Developing States urge action on drought threats at COP16

Bulls vs. Grizzlies Injury Report Today – November 23

While not quite a household name just yet, Aldis Hodge is one of the most respected talents of his time, with scene-stealing roles in many great movies and TV shows alike, including in the title role of the new Amazon Prime original TV show , Cross . His road to leading man status has been a long one, having started his career when he was just a child. Let’s review trace the actor’s journey by reviewing some of his greatest hits, below. Cross (2024-Present) Starring: Aldis Hodge, Isaiah Mustafa What it’s about: Widowed forensic psychologist Alex Cross uses his ability to get into the mind of a criminal to solve complicated cases. Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge TV shows: As the star of the entertaining crime thriller, Cross , which is available to stream with an Amazon Prime subscription , Aldis Hodge became the third actor (after Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry) to portray the eponymous, iconic Black detective , who was created by author James Patterson. How to watch Cross Stream Cross on Amazon Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995) Director: John McTiernan Starring: Bruce Willis , Samuel L. Jackson , Jeremy Irons CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News What it’s about: Lt. Det. John McClane and Harlem shopkeeper Zeus Carver are forced to play a game of “Simon Says” to appease a German bomber terrorizing New York. Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: An Aldis Hodge appearance you may have missed was his credited acting debut in one of the best ‘90s action movies , Die Hard with a Vengeance , as Zeus’ young nephew, Raymond. How to watch Die Hard with a Vengeance Stream Die Hard with a Vengeance on Hulu Rent or buy Die Hard with a Vengeance on Amazon Buy Die Hard with a Vengeance on Blu-ray on Amazon Leverage (2008-2012) Starring: Timothy Hutton, Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Beth Riesgraf, Aldis Hodge What it’s about: A team of skilled hackers and thieves offer their services to innocent people who have been wronged by the wealthy and corrupt. Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Hodge’s first starring role on a series was as technologies specialist Alec Hardison on the fun TNT crime drama Leverage , which was briefly rebooted as the Freevee original, Leverage: Redemption . How to watch Leverage Stream Leverage on Amazon Prime Buy Leverage on DVD on Amazon Straight Outta Compton (2015) Director: F. Gary Gray Starring: O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Neil Brown Jr., Aldis Hodge What it’s about: The story of how gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A. came together, were torn apart, and changed the music industry forever. Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: The actor stars as MC Ren in Straight Outta Compton , which is considered one of the best music biopics of its time for its stunning performances and wildly engaging dramatization of N.W.A.’s storied legacy. How to watch Straight Outta Compton Stream Straight Outta Compton on Max Rent or buy Straight Outta Compton on Amazon Buy Straight Outta Compton on Blu-ray on Amazon Hidden Figures (2016) Director: Theodore Melfi Starring: Taraji P. Henson , Octavia Spencer , Janelle Monáe What it’s about: Three mathematically gifted Black women are tasked with helping make sure young NASA recruit John Glenn has a safe trip into space in the 1960s. Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Also one of Glen Powell’s best movies is Hidden FIgures – another acclaimed biopic featuring Hodge as civil rights activist Levi Jackson, who was married to Mary Jackson. How to watch Hidden Figures Stream Hidden Figures on Peacock Rent or buy Hidden Figures on Amazon Buy Hidden Figures on Blu-ray on Amazon Brian Banks (2018) Director: Tom Shadyac Starring: Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear, Sherri Shepherd What it’s about: The true story of a Black aspiring NFL player who struggles to prove his innocence in a crime he did not commit and pursue his dream. Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: An acclaimed sports biopic starring Hodge is Brian Banks , in which the actor gives one of his strongest and most inspiring performances in the title role. How to watch Brian Banks Stream Brian Banks on Hulu Rent or buy Brian Banks on Amazon Buy Brian Banks on Blu-ray on Amazon One Night In Miami... (2020) Director: Regina King Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr. What it’s about: Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gather to discuss their roles in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Another film in which he delivers a stunning performance as a real-life football player (in this case Cleveland Browns fullback Jim Brown) is One Night in Miami... – a fictionalized account of one of the most important nights in civil rights history, based on writer Kemp Powers’ 2013 stage play. How to watch One Night in Miami... Stream One Night in Miami... on Amazon Prime Buy One Night in Miami... on Blu-ray on Amazon Underground (2016-2017) Starring: Aldis Hodge, Jurnee Smollett What it’s about: The harrowing struggles of the pre-Civil War United States, as seen through the eyes of a group of slaves seeking freedom through the Underground Railroad. Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Created by Misha Green and Joe Pokaski, Underground is a powerful historical drama in which the star plays a resourceful and freedom-hungry blacksmith named Noah. How to watch Underground Stream Underground on Hulu Stream Underground on Tubi Buy Underground on DVD on Amazon Clemency (2019) Director: Chinonye Chukwu Starring: Alfre Woodard, Aldis Hodge, Danielle Brooks What it’s about: A prison warden forms a bond with a young death row inmate that inspires her to reconsider her feelings about capital punishment. Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Hodge starred as a man seeking freedom in another powerful drama called Clemency , which is also one of Danielle Brooks’ best movies . How to watch Clemency Rent or buy Clemency on Amazon Buy Clemency on Blu-ray on Amazon The Invisible Man (2020) Director: Leigh Whannell Starring: Elisabeth Moss , Aldis Hodge What it’s about: After escaping her marriage to an abusive tech millionaire, a woman begins to suspect that her husband has figured out a way to continue taunting her without being seen. Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Leigh Whannell crafts one of the most intense, frighteningly plausible, and simply best horror movie remakes of all time with The Invisible Man , in which Hodge plays a cop and friend of Elisabeth Moss’ character who comes to her aid. How to watch The Invisible Man Stream The Invisible Man on Freevee through Amazon Buy The Invisible Man on Blu-ray on Amazon City On A Hill (2019-2022) Starring: Kevin Bacon , Aldis Hodge What it’s about: A Black assistant district attorney forms an unlikely alliance with a corrupt FBI agent while collaborating on a revolutionary case in 1990s Boston. Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Once again, Hodge gives a wonderful performance in a historically significant series – in this case Showtime’s critically acclaimed period crime drama, City on a Hill . How to watch City on a Hill Buy City on a Hill on Amazon Buy City on a Hill on Blu-ray on Amazon Black Adam (2022) Director: Jaume Collett-Serra Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge What it’s about: Thousands of years after he was imbued with godly powers, a powerful warrior is awakened from his tomb. Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Hodge stars as Carter “Hawkman” Hall, who is enlisted, along with the rest of the Justice Society of America, to help contain the title character of Black Adam – a DC villain who becomes the hero of the story in this Dwayne Johnson movie . How to watch Black Adam Stream Black Adam on Max Rent or buy Black Adam on Amazon Buy Black Adam on Blu-ray on Amazon Aldis Hodge is currently working on a thriller called The Dutchman and an upcoming horror TV show called The Forever House . Until those are released, enjoy his best movies and TV shows so far!State college football roundup: JMU heading to Boca Raton Bowl

Dallas (3-7) at Washington (7-4) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox BetMGM NFL Odds: Commanders by 10 1/2 Against the spread: Cowboys 2-8; Commanders 7-4 Series record: Dallas leads 78-48-2. Last meeting: The Cowboys clinched the NFC East title last season by beating the Commanders 38-10 at Washington on Jan. 7. Last week: Cowboys lost to the Texans 34-10 on Monday; Commanders lost to the Eagles 26-18 on Thursday, Nov. 14. Cowboys offense: overall (20), rush (31), pass (T-7), scoring (T-24) Cowboys defense: overall (27), rush (31), pass (19), scoring (31) Commanders offense: overall (6), rush (6), pass (15), scoring (4) Commanders defense: overall (18), rush (30), pass (5), scoring (T-14) Turnover differential: Cowboys minus-11; Commanders plus-5 Star pass rusher Micah Parsons has six of his 43 1/2 career sacks against Washington, more than any opponent. But Jayden Daniels is the biggest threat Parsons has faced at QB with this opponent. There’s no question the Dallas pass rush suffered in the four games Parsons missed with a sprained ankle and has been substantially better in the two games since the two-time All-Pro’s return. Parsons making life difficult for Daniels might be the only way for the Cowboys to stay close. Rookie CB Mike Sainristil held his own against A.J. Brown despite being at a sizeable height disadvantage. With trade deadline pickup Marshon sidelined again with a hamstring injury, Sainristil could be counted on to do more of the same against CeeDee Lamb, who is still productive no matter who the Cowboys quarterback is. Commanders rushing offense vs. Cowboys rushing defense. Dallas allowed Houston RB Joe Mixon to pick up 109 yards and three TDs and the ground and has struggled against the run all season. Brian Robinson Jr. returned last week after missing the previous two games with a hamstring injury, and Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols provide some depth for Washington. Cowboys: Perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin and promising young LG Tyler Smith sustained ankle injuries on the same drive in the fourth quarter for the Cowboys against the Texans. Martin, who is also battling a shoulder issue, is doubtful, and Smith is questionable while also dealing with a knee injury. ... Rookie LT Tyler Guyton re-injured a shoulder trying to run with a fumble after QB Cooper Rush had the ball knocked out of his hand on a throw. He is expected to play. ... TE Jake Ferguson was ruled out after sustaining a concussion in the first quarter against the Texans. ... CB Jourdan Lewis (neck) and RB Hunter Luepke (calf) missed the Houston game but are listed as available this week. ... Dallas might get some reinforcements in WR Brandin Cooks (knee), rookie DE Marshawn Kneeland (knee), CB DaRon Bland (foot) and T Chuma Edoga (toe). Cooks last played in Week 4 and Kneeland in Week 5. They are questionable along with Edoga, who hasn't played all season. Bland also hasn't played this year after having surgery for a stress fracture late in the preseason, but it appears he will make his season debut after setting an NFL record in 2023 with five interception returns for touchdowns. ... DB Markquese Bell, a key special teams player, is set for season-ending surgery after injuring a shoulder covering a kickoff against the Texans. Commanders: Lattimore was on the field Wednesday but didn't take part in practice all week. He will miss a third consecutive game since being acquired at the deadline from New Orleans. ... K Austin Seibert appears to be trending toward returning from the right hip injury that sidelined him the past two games. The Cowboys have won five of the past six meetings. Washington's only victory in that span was in the 2022 season finale when Dallas had nothing to play for once it was clear Philadelphia would finish first in the NFC East. ... The Cowboys are 16-4 against NFC East opponents since 2021 and haven’t lost consecutive division games since 2020, when they finished 6-10. Dallas lost to Philadelphia two weeks ago and plays the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day. ... This is Commanders coach Dan Quinn's first game against the Cowboys since spending the past three seasons as their defensive coordinator. ... Washington with a win would have its best start through 12 games since 1996 and first 3-1 division record since 2012. The Cowboys are on a five-game losing streak, their longest since a seven-game skid in 2015. Mike McCarthy has matched the longest losing streak of his coaching career. He lost five in a row in 2008, late in the third of his 12-plus seasons in Green Bay. McCarthy is on an expiring contract and the possibility of returning to the Cowboys diminishes with each loss. ... Dallas is 3-2 on the road. ... Rush has lost three consecutive starts as an injury replacement for Dak Prescott after winning his first five. He is 0-2 this season with a touchdown, an interception and three fumbles lost. Prescott had season-ending surgery on his torn hamstring last week. ... Lamb needs 81 yards receiving to become the fastest Dallas wideout to reach 6,000 yards. ... WR KaVontae Turpin had a career-long touchdown catch of 64 yards against the Texans. It’s the only TD at home for Dallas since Week 3. ... K Brandon Aubrey has 10 field goals of at least 50 yards this season. That’s one behind Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn, who has already tied Daniel Carlson’s single-season NFL record from 2022. ... Daniels has thrown for 10 TDs and three INTs, including one of each against the Eagles. He has four rushing TDs but none since Week 4. He's 18 yards away from being the first rookie QB since Kyler Murray in 2019 to run for 500. ... Robinson's seven TD runs through eight games match his first two professional seasons combined. ... Ekeler had a season-high eight catches for 89 yards at Philadelphia. ... WR Terry McLaurin had just one catch on two targets last week. ... Zach Ertz's 428 yards receiving are his most in a season since 2021. He's 35 away from moving into the top 10 among tight ends in league history. ... LB Bobby Wagner is nine tackles away from joining London Fletcher as the only players with 100-plus tackles in 13 consecutive seasons since 2000. ... LB Frankie Luvu sacked Jalen Hurts twice to tie a career high with seven. McLaurin will almost certainly be targeted more often than last week, especially after he, Daniels and the offense got a full week of practice. Washington's top receiver could be in for a big game. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflGhana Stock Exchange Invests in Education with ICT Centre Donation in Adabraka

CAL ST.-FULLERTON (0-5) Hernandez 5-10 0-0 10, Levingston 5-8 0-0 10, Lagway 6-13 0-0 13, Stanton 3-9 3-4 9, Strachan 0-6 2-2 2, Falsdottir 2-5 1-2 7, Muniz 3-7 0-0 7, Totals 24-58 6-8 58 WASHINGTON (5-1) Daniels 3-9 2-5 8, Eke 0-1 0-0 0, Ladine 8-18 3-4 20, Sellers 4-7 1-2 9, Stines 3-9 0-0 7, Gillmer 2-5 0-0 5, McDonald 1-2 0-0 2, Briggs 0-1 0-0 0, Brown 1-1 0-0 3, Coppinger 2-6 2-2 8, Totals 24-59 8-13 62 3-Point Goals_Cal St.-Fullerton 4-9 (Lagway 1-2, Stanton 0-1, Falsdottir 2-2, Muniz 1-4), Washington 6-21 (Daniels 0-2, Ladine 1-5, Stines 1-6, Gillmer 1-3, Brown 1-1, Coppinger 2-4). Assists_Cal St.-Fullerton 12 (Hernandez 4), Washington 10 (Daniels 5). Fouled Out_Cal St.-Fullerton Levingston. Rebounds_Cal St.-Fullerton 25 (Lagway 7, Levingston 7), Washington 42 (Daniels 9). Total Fouls_Cal St.-Fullerton 16, Washington 17. Technical Fouls_None. A_1,575.

None

FLY to a remote Caribbean island, flop on a sun lounger and rotate like a rotisserie chicken for a week until you’re perfectly golden. If that’s your idea of a dream holiday then you can take your pick of Antigua , St Lucia or Barbados. 8 Castara Bay is a paradise nestled in rainforest Credit: Natalie Kriwy 8 Splash out at the waterfall on Gilpin Trail Credit: Getty 8 The hillside heaven with stunning views at Castara Retreats Credit: Alexa Fernando @ajfernando 8 Sea the sights and explore 75 miles of coastline by bike Credit: Supplied But if you want a little more, try Tobago . This hidden gem boasts the same soft, white sand, clear blue waters and tropical rainforests as its Caribbean counterparts. And while there’s still a handful of high-end resorts, glamorous nightlife and shops, the island prides itself on its natural beauty, history and wildlife. As the rainy season reaches an end in December, the flora and fauna come alive, and January and February are some of the best times to spot local wildlife on both land and sea. Read More on Travel GETTING WARMER Best winter sun destinations that are less than six hours from the UK TAKING OFF Virgin Atlantic restarts popular long-haul flight - the first time in six years You can witness the island’s white-tailed hummingbirds take to the air or watch as newly hatched baby leatherback turtles make their way to the sea. Tobago remains a mostly untouched, unspoilt island, with almost 10,000 acres of rainforest and 75 miles of coastline, along with dozens of beaches, ranging from soft white to volcanic black. The many picturesque bays to explore include Pirate’s Bay — the supposed favourite of the legendary Blackbeard — and scuba diving heaven, Speyside. The Main Ridge Rainforest towards the north of the island is home to hummingbirds, black-throated mangos as well as other impressive wildlife, including the Brazilian black hawk, armadillos, spiders, scorpions and snakes, thankfully mostly non-poisonous. Most read in Beach holidays YOU'VE GOT TO GOZO Little known Med isle is a wonderful escape from winter woes THAI-M TO GO Thai island Brits have no idea exists is the 'prettiest in the country' HOT STUFF Winter sun destination Brits are starting to flock to has affordable TUI holidays MORE TUI ADD TUI adds more flights to winter sun hotspot named 2025 destination of the year In among the island’s coral reefs you can see thousands of tropical fish as well as stingrays, spotted dolphins and leatherback turtles. See them all on a glass- bottomed boat trip to Little Tobago, a tiny isle just off the north coast that is home to a myriad of exotic birds. New Airport opens at Caribbean island There are few roads and no cars on the island, but guides can take you along hiking trails to spot red-billed tropicbirds and the magnificent frigatebird. For more up-close animal encounters, visit Corbin Local Wildlife in the village of Mason Hall, a sanctuary working to reintroduce almost-lost species, such as the brocket deer and red squirrel, into the wild. Visit Shurland’s Nature Park or Cuffie River Retreat for a spot of lunch with the birds, or take a private tour down the Gilpin Trail’s lush jungle lanes, through waterfalls and natural pools. If the wildlife isn’t enough to entice you, there are plenty of other activities to draw you in, from learning the history of the island at Fort King George to swimming in waterfalls, or the multiple fresh-water pools at Parlatuvier Falls . Take to the water on a 40ft catamaran with Dream Catcher Marine Charters, touring bays that can only be reached by water, including tiny island No Man’s Land. From there, you can walk the Nylon Pool, a sand bank with waist-high water thought to hold mystical properties, which was named by Princess Margaret . 8 Spot thousands of tropical reef fish Credit: Tobago Media Hub 8 Mingle with the locals Credit: Alexa Fernando @ajfernando 8 Take a birdwatching tour Credit: Jad Davenport 8 You can witness the island’s white-tailed hummingbirds take to the air Credit: Getty Or head over to Healing With Horses in Buccoo to take a ride along the beach and a dip on horseback into the Caribbean sea . If there’s one thing to note about Tobago, it’s that you won’t go hungry. For the best lobster, served fresh with taro root, cassava, spiced rice and macaroni and cheese pie, stop off at Birdwatchers in Speyside. Learn how to make one of the island’s most popular dishes, curried crab and dumplings, with a cooking lesson in Miss Trim’s kitchen at Crown Point, before popping down to her beachside food hut. Sample a steak at Z’s Grill Shack, braised pork at Brown Cow, or, for a fancy dinner date night, try the rack of lamb at the Seahorse Inn, a popular spot with locals. In between meals, you can find local street food called doubles — a flatbread with a spicy chickpea curry. Astonishing views Or pop down to a local dirt oven, which can be found in most villages, for a loaf of fresh bread. Each restaurant will have its own blend of rum punch worth trying, and while there are bars dotted all over the island, locals will tell you to check out Glasgow Bar. And if you are looking to be at one with nature, Castara Retreats is a popular eco-resort famed for its wooden lodges that are built into the rainforest hillside of Castara Bay. Owned by UK-born Steve Felgate and run by his best friend, Tobagonian Derek “Porridge” Lopez, the self-catering, open-sided wooden treehouses and lodges are laid back and rustic, most with astonishing sea views. There are daily yoga classes taught in an open-plan lodge high in the forest, with teacher Juda also offering a range of massages to really get you relaxed. A restaurant and bar is also open on site, serving up homecooked meals with local ingredients courtesy of Welsh chef Julia, but guests are encouraged to enjoy breakfast at local cafe, Cheno’s. For a more traditional hotel stay, the Coco Reef resort in Crown Point on the south western coast has beachfront access and an astonishing lobby with 30ft bamboo palms, fountains and statues. Tobago offers a very different experience to many of its neighbours. Read more on the Scottish Sun COMIC'S CASTLE Still Game star takes £150,000 hit to offload luxury £4m Scots castle HITTING THE HIGH NOTES Much-loved pub named best music bar in Scotland It’s a chance to immerse yourself in an intoxicating mix of nature and adventure. If you’re on the lookout for a truly authentic Caribbean island away from the glitz and glamour of the more A-lister choices, Tobago is hard to beat. GO: TOBAGO GETTING THERE: British Airways flies from Gatwick with fares from £525 return. See ba.com/tobago . STAYING THERE: One-bed lodges at Castara Retreats start from £117 per night, sleeping two. See castararetreats.com . Coco Reef rooms from £198 per night. See cocoreeftobago.com . MORE INFO: See visittobago.gov.tt .Mid-inclination orbit provides more SAR-imaging opportunities at middle latitudes of the globe for ICEYE customers. HELSINKI, Finland , Dec. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ICEYE, the global leader in SAR satellite operations for Earth Observation and persistent monitoring, announced today that it has launched two new satellites to its constellation of SAR satellites. Both satellites expand the availability of ICEYE's latest imaging technology to deliver additional 25 cm imaging capacity. The satellites were integrated via Exolaunch and launched as part of the Bandwagon-2 rideshare mission with SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA . Both satellites have established communication, and early routine operations are underway. With today's launch, ICEYE has successfully launched 40 satellites into orbit since 2018, with nine satellites launched in 2024 alone. The new SAR satellites were launched into mid-inclination orbits; compared to a polar orbit, these mid-inclination orbits provide more than twice the collection opportunities at middle latitudes of the globe. ICEYE customers have many areas of interest in these middle latitudes (+/- 45 degrees), and these customers will benefit from increased persistence over these regions. Customers with imaging interests outside these middle latitudes will continue to benefit from the frequent revisit enabled by ICEYE's dozens of satellites in polar orbits. ICEYE's unique mix of mid-inclination and polar orbits provides its customers with deep revisit capabilities for targets all around the globe. The new satellites will serve ICEYE's commercial missions as part of the world's largest SAR satellite constellation owned and operated by ICEYE. Rafal Modrzewski , CEO and Co-founder of ICEYE said: "This launch marks another significant milestone in ICEYE's ability to provide our customers with a rich diversity of collection opportunities. We bolster our industry-leading SAR constellation and expand our customers' collection opportunities in the areas most important to them." Today's launch is another step forward in ICEYE's steady drumbeat of innovative breakthroughs in Earth Observation. This year alone, ICEYE has, for example, introduced Dwell Precise, a new 25 cm imaging mode that offers its customers the highest-fidelity 25cm imaging capability, and adds advanced capability to ICEYE's line of Dwell products; launched an API that allows customers to directly task its SAR satellite constellation; and launched ICEYE Ocean Vision to provide actionable intelligence for maritime domain awareness. About ICEYE ICEYE delivers unparalleled persistent monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to changes in any location on Earth, faster and more accurately than ever before. Owning the world's largest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation, ICEYE provides objective, near real-time insights, ensuring that customers have unmatched access to actionable high-quality data, day or night, even in challenging environmental conditions. As a trusted partner to governments and commercial industries, ICEYE delivers intelligence in sectors such as insurance, natural catastrophe response and recovery, security, maritime monitoring, and finance, enabling decision-making that contributes to community resilience and sustainable development. ICEYE operates internationally with offices in Finland , Poland , Spain , the UK, Australia , Japan , UAE, Greece , and the US. We have more than 700 employees, inspired by the shared vision of improving life on Earth by becoming the global source of truth in Earth Observation. Media contact: press@iceye.com Visit www.iceye.com and follow ICEYE on LinkedIn and X for the latest updates and insights. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iceye-expands-its-earth-observation-capabilities-with-launch-of-two-sar-satellites-for-mid-inclination-orbit-on-the-bandwagon-2-mission-with-spacex-302337876.html SOURCE ICEYE

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Water Treatment Polymers Market Projected to Reach USD 76.09 Billion by 2032 | Rising Water Scarcity and Environmental Concerns Propel Market GrowthMAHIA, New Zealand--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 21, 2024-- Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced it successfully completed the Company’s 16 th launch for the year, deploying a satellite for Japanese Earth-observation constellation operator Synspective. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241221492452/en/ Rocket Lab successfully launches its 16th Electron rocket of the year, deploying a satellite to orbit for Japanese constellation operator Synspective. (Photo: Business Wire) The “Owl The Way Up” mission lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand on 22 December at 03:17 NZT deploying a single StriX satellite to orbit from the Electron launch vehicle. The mission was the sixth in a total of 16 launches booked on Electron for Synspective, an Earth observation company operating a constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites designed to deliver imagery that can detect millimetre-level changes to the Earth’s surface from space. Rocket Lab first launched for Synspective in December 2020 and has been the sole launch provider for Synspective’s constellation to date. Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, says: “Mission success once again for Synspective, capping off our busiest launch year to date. We look forward to continuing to increase our launch cadence in the new year as we strengthen Electron’s position as the leading small rocket globally, and also enter the medium launch market with Neutron’s debut. In 2024 we launched missions for NASA, the NRO, deployed multiple missions for commercial constellation operators like Synspective, launched suborbital HASTE missions advancing hypersonic flight test capability, and to top it all off, we achieved a world first by launching two missions from two different hemispheres in less than 24 hours. Thank you and congratulations to the Rocket Lab team, our customers, and our mission partners for another stellar year.” Rocket Lab launched 16 missions in 2024, besting the Company’s previous annual launch record of 10 missions, achieved in 2023 and representing a launch cadence increase of 60% year-on-year. Rocket Lab maintained a record of 100% mission success for all launches in 2024. The “Owl The Way” up launch was Rocket Lab’s final scheduled launch for 2024 with the next Electron launch scheduled in Q1 2025. Rocket Lab Images and Videos: www.flickr.com/photos/rocketlab/ Launch webcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7VZB4pHJrQ About Synspective’s constellation: Synspective's small SAR satellites, StriX, are equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor, which can observe the Earth's surface in any weather condition day or night. Not affected by clouds or rainSAR is suitable for persistent monitoring of disasters and detailed changes to secure critical infrastructure and other facilities. Example use cases include: detecting anomalies in road, rail, energy and other infrastructure, resulting in lower maintenance costs and accident risk, monitoring crop growth conditions and analyzing soil and vegetation health to help reduce costs and increase efficiency for farmers, detecting illegal logging and fishing in the most remote parts of the world, providing rapid damage assessment after flooding, landslides and volcanic eruptions, as well as risk assessment for land subsidence, enabling the persistent monitoring of maritime traffic, border activities and other potential security threats, and advances maritime domain awareness, analyzing tree cover to calculate CO2 absorption and carbon credits. About Rocket Lab Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle, a family of flight-proven spacecraft, and the Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for constellation deployment. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered more than 200 satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft platform has been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia. To learn more, visit www.rocketlabusa.com . Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding our launch and space systems operations, launch schedule and window, safe and repeatable access to space, Neutron development, operational expansion and business strategy are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the factors, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of our website at www.rocketlabusa.com , which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241221492452/en/ CONTACT: Rocket Lab Media Contact Morgan Connaughton media@rocketlabusa.com KEYWORD: AUSTRALIA/OCEANIA NEW ZEALAND JAPAN ASIA PACIFIC INDUSTRY KEYWORD: DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY SATELLITE AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY SOURCE: Rocket Lab USA, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/21/2024 11:26 AM/DISC: 12/21/2024 11:24 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241221492452/en

Lexus is this year celebrating its 35th anniversary of, as it says, "being a disruptor in the luxury vehicle segment", and there's plenty to celebrate from that time. or signup to continue reading Its history might be short relative to some of its European contemporaries, but there have been a plethora of influential vehicles that have brought the Japanese brand firmly into the luxury segments. There have even been some top-shelf performance vehicles that have elevated the brand's reputation, while displaying what it and its Toyota parent company could be capable of. Lexus was launched by Toyota at a similar time as other Japanese luxury spinoffs like Acura (Honda) and Infiniti (Nissan), but while those brands have enjoyed success in specific markets like the United States, Lexus has been able to cement itself in a wider range of markets globally. Locally, Lexus Australia celebrated the occasion by hosting a media-only showcase in Melbourne. On display were a handful of its most significant cars, as well as a design concept that hints at what the brand could be producing in the near future. With that in mind, we've put together a guide to Lexus that focuses on its movements in Australia. Luckily, it launched in Australia just one year after its first model debuted, which means there aren't too many differences between Lexus' history overseas and locally. As it celebrates its 35th birthday, here's everything you need to know about Lexus. Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of the , and is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. Though it officially got its start in 1989 with the launch of the sedan, the story of Lexus actually began as early as 1983. Then-Toyota Motor Corporation president Eiji Toyoda commissioned the Circle F project in 1983, establishing an intention to build "a car that is better than the best in the world". What resulted was the assembling of a team of 60 designers, 1400 engineers and 2300 technicians. Titled the Flagship 1, Lexus put 450 prototype vehicles and 973 prototype 4.0-litre quad-cam V8 engines to the test over more than 4.4 million kilometres before the final product was ready to be revealed. Flagship 1 came to life in January 1989, when the brand showed off the LS400 for the first time at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). At the same time, the Lexus name was established. The LS400 launched in North America in the same year, and was quickly followed by the executive sedan a few months later. Lexus' Australian adventure started in May 1990, when the LS400 arrived Down Under. More than 250 customers took delivery off the bat, and in the same year it took out Car of the Year award. It also heralded the beginning of a busy decade for the brand. The same V8 powertrain used in the LS400 was repurposed in the SC400 coupe, which launched in the USA in 1991. Another variant instead fitted with an inline-six engine – the SC300 – was introduced soon after. Australia would have to wait until 1992 before receiving a second Lexus model though, when the -derived ES300 arrived. 580 examples were delivered in its first year on the market Down Under, and Lexus delivered its 1000th Australian vehicle in the same year. At a similar time the LS400 received a major update, which brought out Lexus' now-longstanding Takumi craftsmanship philosophy. Takumi is the Japanese name given to master craftspeople who have dedicated their life to their craft. In 1993 the sports sedan was rolled out, followed by the all-new second-generation LS400 in 1994. Lexus took from Toyota's successful to reveal the in 1995, intended to bring "luxury to the rugged SUV segment" when it entered production in 1996. In 1997 Australia received the GS300 for the first time, which arrived in its second-generation guise with a 3.0-litre inline-six engine. For the first time, Lexus also sold more than 1000 vehicles in Australia in a single year. Lexus introduced its first luxury SUV designed and built from the ground up in 1998 – the . In terms of Australia though, it wouldn't arrive until its second generation was launched a few years later, which meant the new-generation LX470 of that year was Lexus' first SUV sold locally. The last brand-new Lexus to arrive in Australia before the end of the century was the compact sedan, which went on sale in 1999. It featured a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine with a rear-wheel drive setup, and contributed to Lexus hitting the 10,000 local sales milestone. The third-generation LS went on sale in Australia in November of 2000. Called the LS430, nearly 300 patent applications were filed during its development that eventually brought new suspension, steering, brakes, and a larger 4.3-litre V8 engine. Also launched was the second-generation SC430, offered in both coupe and convertible body styles. It arrived in Australia in 2001, marking the sixth model in Lexus showrooms. The large SUV appeared in the USA in 2002, but in 2003 Lexus gave its first look at potential future hybrid power in the form of the LF-S at the Tokyo Motor Show. Under the bonnet was a hybrid V8, which previewed a future production powertrain. In that same year the RX330 went on sale in Australia, and Lexus delivered its 20,000th local vehicle. A prototype of the RX400h hybrid SUV was shown at the 2004 NAIAS, which was based on the RX330. In 2005 though, the first LF-A concept headlined at the NAIAS. Intentions were to leverage Toyota's Formula 1 technology, which would provide a naturally aspirated V10 engine with more than 370kW of power, but a displacement of less than 5.0 litres. The world would have to wait for more on that vehicle, but in the same year the IS250 superseded the IS200 in Australia. In 2006 Lexus brought the LF-S concept into its production form with the LS600hL, powered by a 327kW 5.0-litre hybrid V8 with all-wheel drive – the brand's most powerful hybrid engine to date. In the same year, Lexus brought its first hybrids to Australia in the form of the GS450h and RX400h. The 'F' name for Lexus' performance cars appeared the year after; the name and logo inspired by Japan's Fuji Speedway where its cars were tested and developed. Lexus' first car wearing the badge was the IS F sedan, which boasted a 5.0-litre V8 with 311kW and 505Nm and a spate of handling and suspension enhancements over the standard model. Later in 2007, Lexus delivered its 1000th hybrid vehicle in Australia, followed by its 50,000th vehicle overall in 2008. The third-generation RX – including the RX450h hybrid – arrived the year after, at a similar time to Lexus confirming production of the LFA supercar. Its 412kW/480Nm 4.8-litre V10 engine was co-developed with Yamaha, and while production was limited to 500 units globally, only eight were allocated to Australia. In 2010 Lexus celebrated 20 years in Australia, and the hybrid compact hatch was shown off overseas for the first time. It arrived in Australia the following year as the most affordable Lexus ever, while the brand showed off its new spindle grille design with a concept of the fourth-generation GS sedan at the NAIAS. In 2011 Lexus was impacted by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which disrupted Japanese production and hindered short-term sales targets. Organisational changes by then-Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda also meant Lexus executives began reporting directly to their parent company's chairman for the first time ever. Lexus' new design language would appear again in 2012 with the LF-LC concept, which previewed the . The LF-CC concept shown later in the year at the Paris Motor Show also pointed to the rear-wheel drive sports coupes, and Lexus hit the 75,000 sales milestone in Australia. In 2013 the next-generation IS arrived with a hybrid powertrain in local showrooms, while the ES returned for the first time in seven years with its own ES300h hybrid variant. In that year, Lexus Australia reached 10,000 hybrid vehicle deliveries. The RC F coupe became Lexus' new halo performance car in 2014, and the debuted in Australia the same year. The brand's first hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle appeared in concept form in 2015, dubbed the LF-FC concept. Lexus began exploring other tech like a conceptual "Hoverboard of the Future" at the same time, and also achieved the 100,000 deliveries milestone in Australia. The LC500 entered production in 2016, featuring Lexus' first 10-speed auto and followed by the LC500h hybrid two months later. More non-car related endeavours began in 2017 when Lexus revealed its Sport Yacht concept (previewing the 2019 LY650), while in Australia the brand's 20,000th hybrid vehicle was delivered – its most popular hybrid models locally were the RX (7000 units) and the CT200h (6500 units). In 2019 the arrived in Australia, and in 2020 Lexus' local arm celebrated its 30th anniversary. At the same time, the brand achieved 30,000 local hybrid sales. Lexus' first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) – the UX300e – arrived in 2021, coinciding with the expansion of the brand's that first appeared in 1990. In that year, one-third of all Lexus deliveries in Australia were hybrid vehicles for the first time. In that year, it was also reported Lexus would . That followed previous 2009 reports that it planned to become hybrid-only in Europe. The brand's first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) arrived in the form of the NX450h+ in 2022, alongside the debut of the fifth-generation RX. An RX500h F Sport Performance joined the lineup, featuring Lexus' first turbo-hybrid powertrain. 46.3 per cent of Lexus' sales in Australia were recorded as either hybrid, PHEV, or BEV for the first time in that year. 2023 saw the arrival of the SUV, which while being the second Lexus EV was the first on the dedicated e-TNGA electric platform later used on the and . The also appeared in 2023, as well as the at the Tokyo Motor Show – intended to show Lexus' vision of future EVs. In Australia, Lexus also managed to deliver more than 10,000 vehicles (15,192) in a single year for the first time ever. 2024 marks the 35th anniversary of the Lexus brand, and the all-new arrived in Australia for the first time. It featured a handful of Lexus-first equipment like a 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid engine, with its small SUV stature intended to appeal to a younger demographic. It was followed by the latest GX SUV – which arrived in local showrooms before Toyota's related 250 Series-generation – built in right-hand drive for the first time, headlined by the rugged Overtrail grade. Lexus also delivered its 50,000th electrified vehicle in Australia this year, with such powertrains accounting for more than 70 per cent of the brand's Australian sales so far this year. The brand says it's still committed to its target of selling only electrified vehicles in Australia by 2030. Lexus currently sells 11 distinct models in Australia, with its lineup dominated by SUVs. Given the breadth of Lexus' range in Australia, the below information is intended to give a top-line overview of what each model is about. For further information, we'll link to each model's name to its dedicated price and specs article. Lexus' only two sedans still sold in Australia are the ES and LS, with the LS being the larger of the two. The Camry-based uses a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine – with hybrid models adding an electric motor – and is front-wheel drive only. The meanwhile utilises a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6, with hybrids using a naturally aspirated version mated with an electric motor. They're rear-wheel drive only and considerably more expensive than the ES. The third and final passenger vehicle in Lexus' Australian lineup is the , which is powered by either a 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 or a 3.5-litre V6 petrol-hybrid engine. Drive is sent to the rear-wheels only through either a 10-speed auto or hybrid transmission respectively. Lexus' most expensive vehicle is currently the , which is hybrid-only but with a selection of two different powertrains depending on the variant. It started life as a rebadged Toyota Alphard/Vellfire, but has since become more disconnected. The remainder of Lexus' model range is entirely SUVs. The smallest of the lot are the LBX and UX, though the two are fairly different. Smaller of the pair is the , which is based on the and powered exclusively by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid – though a hotted-up version (similar to the ) is coming next year. The , meanwhile, is similar to the and comes in petrol-only, hybrid, or guises depending on variant – the latter of which only appeared in Australian showrooms last year. There are also a greater number of variants compared to the LBX. Moving up in size brings the -related , which again offers petrol-only, hybrid, and PHEV drivetrains. The NX450h+ PHEV has been hit with supply issues that have meant it as the brand gets through order backlog. Then there's the , which is either petrol-only or hybrid. It shares a platform with the NX and ES, as well as , RAV4, and Camry. In contrast, the is electric-only and built on a dedicated EV platform shared with the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra, as noted earlier. Finally are Lexus' two largest SUVs. The first is the , which shares a platform with the Toyota Prado. Unlike the Prado, there's no electrification (even mild) for the GX in Australia, which is instead powered solely by a 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine across the range. The LX is instead based on the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series. It commands an expectedly hefty price tag, and is available with either a 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo diesel or a 3.4-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol. Being a luxury brand, Lexus primarily competes with European brands like , , and in Australia. Not all are direct comparisons, but closest against Mercedes-Benz's sedan is the Lexus ES, and against the more luxurious is the LS. In terms of SUVs, the most comparable models are the Mercedes-Benz and Lexus UX, as well as and Lexus NX. Both have high-end sports cars too, which means Lexus' LC can be compared to Mercedes' . There are a fair few comparisons against BMW too. The ES competes with the on price but the on size, while the flagship Lexus LS sedan goes up against the . You can compare the smaller Lexus UX to the , the NX to the , the RX to the , and the GX to the . There are EV SUVs to compare too, namely the Lexus RZ against the . The final German manufacturer to compare against is Audi, and its upcoming rivals the Lexus ES. The most direct competitor to Lexus' LBX small SUV is the , while the rest of the two brands' comparable SUVs can be broken down as UX vs , NX vs , and RX vs . In similar sense to BMW, Lexus' RZ EV competes with the . There are some less mainstream brands Lexus has as competitors too, namely , which rivals the LS with its , the NX with its , and the RX with its . There's also a comparison to be made between some models. The off-road leaning Lexus GX rivals the , while the LX large SUV can be compared against the . To the end of November 2024, Lexus Australia has delivered 12,369 vehicles this year. It's a decent figure, but it's 12 per cent down on its sales from this time last year. Compared to the rivals listed above, Lexus is behind Mercedes-Benz (18,303, down 17.8 per cent), BMW (23,876, down 1.3 per cent), and Audi (13,782, down 21.6 per cent). It remains ahead of Genesis on 1287 so far this year, a figure that's 28.6 per cent lower than the same time last year. Lexus is also outselling Land Rover, which currently sits on 7352 sales for 2024 – though even that is down 5.5 per cent. The Japanese brand's best-selling model continues to be the NX, of which 5619 units have been sold to the end of November this year. Next highest is the RX on 1871, followed by the LBX on 1355. Its lowest-selling car is currently the expensive LS sedan with 11 units. The RZ EV is next-lowest on 200, with the LM and LX next up at 265 and 504 respectively. All of Lexus' models have experienced a decline in sales over the course of 2024 compared to 2023, with the UX experiencing the harshest decline of 65.3 per cent. The LX, LS, and ES are all also down by more than 40 per cent on this time last year. In contrast, annual Toyota sales are currently up 13.6 per cent on this time last year, though as Lexus' broader-reaching parent company it does field a larger number of more approachable mass-market vehicles. Lexus doesn't have a large number of vehicles planned for Australia in the coming years, as the brand focuses on its more long-term goals that reach into the 2030s. Coming in the first half of 2025 is the hotted-up , which is set to gain the high-performance 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo powertrain from Toyota's GR Yaris. With a rally-inspired all-wheel drive setup it'll be a drastic departure from the standard LBX currently on sale, with a 0-100km/h time of just over 5.0 seconds. An eight-speed automatic transmission will be standard when it arrives in local showrooms. While it'll also be available with a six-speed manual in Japan, you won't be able to buy one in Australia. Beyond that, Lexus has outlined a series of goals for the coming years, and potential new models that could possibly make their way to Australia have been seen overseas. The first of which is the facelifted ES sedan, which was . There has been no word on when or if the updated model will come to Australia at the time of publishing, though Lexus did secure a handful of earlier this year. There have also been rumours surrounding a , which will reportedly wear the LFR name and be a spiritual successor to the LFA. Already , the LFR is expected to be called the GR GT3. If it's real, it's possible the LFR could be revealed sometime next year ahead of a 2026 market debut. Lexus has also been giving though to its electrified future too, previewed by a that broke cover in Japan last year. It has previously been announced that , with Lexus intending to sell only hybrid, PHEV, and EVs in Australia by 2030. A spate of in relation to potential future electric models, the first of which were expected to be revealed in 2026 but have been . Previous reports have also outlined ambitious goals for Lexus, which suggest it wants to become an . Interestingly, that would mean it'd make the jump before Toyota. That being said, Lexus hasn't outlined a clear timeline for exactly of cars that have hybrid alternatives, but it does still intend to do so before the end of the decade. Content originally sourced from: Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . AdvertisementThat’s the rent, take it or leave itGrades: Nebraska 44, Wisconsin 25