Anna Samson is about to achieve household name status in the UK after making her debut as DI Mackenzie Clarke in the new Death in Paradise spin-off, Return to Paradise . The Australian-set series sees the detective move back home Down Under after being accused of tampering with evidence while working for London's Met Police. Upon her return to Dolphin Cove, where she joins the local police, she's met with a frosty reception having left her fiancée Glenn at the altar six years before. As we prepare to get stuck into the new drama, find out all you need to know about leading lady Anna, 34, including her romance with her Home and Away co-star and her upbringing in Africa... Anna's upbringing and close-knit family While Anna was born in the UK, she spent her early years in Nigeria, where she attended pre-school, before later relocating to Sydney. Speaking about her childhood in West Africa, Anna told You magazine: "To have a concept of the scale of our world and how differently humans live in it while essentially being the same – at such a young age, it's a real gift ." The actress shares a close relationship with her parents, who she praised as "extraordinarily kind" in a touching tribute to celebrate their birthdays back in 2022. Alongside a throwback photo of her mum and dad from 1987, Anna penned: "Over the next two days these two people have their birthdays. They are extraordinarily kind and wildly brave. Their love for each other is something that never ceases to bolster me. They have given me the most brilliant life. "Lucky lucky me," she added. Anna's breakout role and acting career Anna's passion for drama began at a young age, having expressed her hopes of becoming an acting at just four years old. "I was about four years old when I confronted my parents with my plans to be on the stage," she previously told Toasting Aussie Theatre : "Like many children, play and performance had a wonderfully natural relationship for me. Looking back I can see there was a frustrated actress burning in my Nan. She was a great comedienne and she could command your attention and change the energy of a room remarkably." Anna began her acting career on the stage and after graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) in 2010, appeared in productions at the Red Stitch Actors Theatre and with the Melbourne Theatre Company, including Ruben Guthrie and The Heretic. She made her TV debut in the 2012 Australian miniseries Conspiracy 365, which was followed by a string of supporting roles in drama shows, including Winners & Losers, and Hunters. Anna's big break came in 2017 when she landed the role of Mich Jaffries in the miniseries, Wake in Fright , before going on to play Anna Jamison in Dead Lucky. Her most notable part, however, is playing Mia Anderson in the long-running soap, Home and Away – a role she held for two years. Earlier this year, Anna was announced as the leading lady of Death in Paradise's spin-off, Return to Paradise . Sharing the exciting news on social media at the time, Anna penned: "I couldn’t be more thrilled to be following in the footsteps of the maverick detectives of Saint Marie @deathinparadiseofficial. "We loved making this Aussie whodunnit, we hope you love mystery in the bloody sunshine as much as us," she added. Anna's love life Anna likes to keep her life love out of the spotlight and so her current relationship status is unknown. However, she was previously linked to her Home and Away co-star Lee Jones, who has appeared in several photos on her Instagram page over the years. Back in 2017, Anna shared a snap of the pair during a red carpet outing and penned in the caption: "Getting around town with my on-screen brother and off-screen partner in crime @actsofjones. " Anna and Lee played on-screen siblings Mick and Joe Jaffries in Wake in Fright, before both appearing in Home and Away . While Anna portrayed Mia Anderson from 2021 to 2022, Lee landed the role of Ambulance Officer Luke in an episode that aired in 2021.GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Princely Umanmielen's return to the Swamp ended with a police escort . Umanmielen, who spent three years at Florida before transferring to Ole Miss, left the stadium with a number of officers surrounding him. And the defensive end still tried to get at heckling fans. It started when Umanmielen left the sideline in the waning seconds of a 24-17 loss to the Gators . He was walking toward the visiting locker room when at least one fan yelled at him from the stands. Umanmielen clearly didn't like what he heard and made his way toward the seats. Officers quickly stepped in and escorted Umanmielen back toward the locker room. They then walked him directly to the team's waiting busses, but more fans were in the path and shouted at him again. Umanmielen turned and started toward the fans before officers stepped in and stopped him. It was the latest bit of oddness for Umanmielen, who wore an orange Gators ski mask through Ole Miss' practice facility late in the week. He finished the game with seven tackles, including a sack. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Things to watch this week in the Big 12 Conference: No. 14 BYU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 14 CFP) at No. 21 Arizona State (8-2, 5-2, No. 21), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) League newcomer Arizona State has a three-game winning streak and BYU is coming off its first loss. The Cougars, after losing at home to Kansas, still control their own destiny in making the Big 12 championship game. They can clinch a spot in that Dec. 7 game as early as Saturday, if they win and instate rival Utah wins at home against No. 22 Iowa State. Arizona State was picked at the bottom of the 16-team league in the preseason media poll, but already has a five-win improvement in coach Kenny Dillingham's second season. No. 16 Colorado (8-2, 6-1, No. 16 CFP) at Kansas (4-6, 3-4), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox) Coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes are in prime position to make the Big 12 title game in their return to the league after 13 seasons in the Pac-12. If BYU and Utah win, Colorado would be able to claim the other title game spot with a win over Kansas. The Buffs have a four-game winning streak. The Jayhawks need another November win over a ranked Big 12 contender while trying to get bowl eligible for the third season in a row. Kansas has won consecutive games over Top 25 teams for the first time in school history, knocking off Iowa State before BYU. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown a touchdown in a school-record 14 consecutive games, while receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel both have more than 800 yards receiving. San Jose State is the only other FBS team with a pair of 800-yard receivers. Becht has 2,628 yards and 17 touchdowns passing for the Cyclones (8-2, 5-2), who are still in Big 12 contention. Oklahoma State goes into its home finale against Texas Tech with a seven-game losing streak, its longest since a nine-game skid from 1977-78. The only longer winless streak since was an 0-10-1 season in 1991. This is Mike Gundy's 20th season as head coach, and his longest losing streak before now was five in a row in 2005, his first season and the last time the Cowboys didn't make a bowl game. ... Baylor plays at Houston for the first time since 1995, the final Southwest Conference season. The Cougars won last year in the only meeting since to even the series 14-14-1. ... Eight Big 12 teams are bowl eligible. As many as six more teams could reach six wins. The Big 12 already has four 1,000-yard rushers, including three who did it last season. UCF's RJ Harvey is the league's top rusher (1,328 yards) and top scorer with 21 touchdowns (19 rushing/two receiving). The others with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons are Texas Tech career rushing leader Tahj Brooks (1,184 yards) and Kansas State's DJ Giddens (1,128 yards). Cam Skattebo with league newcomer Arizona State has 1,074 yards. Devin Neal, the career rushing leader at his hometown university, is 74 yards shy of being the first Kansas player with three 1,000-yard seasons. Cincinnati's Corey Kiner needs 97 yards to reach 1,000 again. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Most Popular German restaurant Deutsche Ecke opens in Newport News German restaurant Deutsche Ecke opens in Newport News Second man dies in Newport News triple shooting; police still looking for suspects Second man dies in Newport News triple shooting; police still looking for suspects The latest business openings and closings in Hampton Roads The latest business openings and closings in Hampton Roads Former Hampton High football coach Mike Smith highlights latest Virginia Hall of Fame inductees Former Hampton High football coach Mike Smith highlights latest Virginia Hall of Fame inductees Williamsburg Christmas parade to feature Commanders marching band Williamsburg Christmas parade to feature Commanders marching band Al Roker speaks out after Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade chair mishap Al Roker speaks out after Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade chair mishap 1 dead, 2 seriously injured in Newport News triple shooting, police say 1 dead, 2 seriously injured in Newport News triple shooting, police say New Kent wants public input on future of Makemie Woods New Kent wants public input on future of Makemie Woods The Grinch can’t steal West Point’s Christmas The Grinch can't steal West Point's Christmas Biden pardons his son Hunter despite previous pledges not to Biden pardons his son Hunter despite previous pledges not to Trending Nationally Judge accused of ‘willful misconduct’ for letting illegal immigrant escape court Trump’s talk of reducing or relocating federal workers hits home in Maryland A young Coloradan learning to live with long COVID turns to TikTok to educate about chronic illness Fruit trees and ‘generational learning’ turn this California city into a parrot paradise as temperatures drop NBC’s enhanced yard lines, field numbers for Bills-49ers snow game draw strong reactions from viewersCOLUMBIA, South Carolina — Victims’ families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences. Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people who were convicted in the slayings of police, military officers and federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof, convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they’d long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump, a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move as an assault to common decency just weeks before the president-elect takes office. Related Story: Victims’ Families and Former Colleagues Share Relief and Anger Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner was killed by one of the men whose death sentence was commuted, said the execution of “the person who killed my police partner and best friend would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House, “and what is consistent with the faith he and I share.” Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a bank robbery in South Carolina in 2017, called Biden’s commutation of the killer’s sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post, adding that the weeks she spent sitting in court with the hope of justice were now “just a waste of time.” “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” Decision to Leave Roof on Death Row Met With Conflicting Emotions There has always been a broad range of opinions on what punishment Roof should face from the families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church. Many forgave him, but they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing and said then she can’t even close her eyes to pray because Roof started firing during the closing prayer of Bible study that night. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Related Story: Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people,” Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Richer, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out all of death row. She said every time Roof’s case comes up through numerous appeals it is like reliving the massacre all over again. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims’ families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Richer said in a statement. Richer, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, was driven to tears by conflicting emotions during a Zoom news conference Monday. “The families are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come,” Richer said. “I’ve got to stay away from the news today. I’ve got to turn the TV off — because whose face am I going to see?” Biden is giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of what drove them to kill, said Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director. “These three racists and terrorists who have been left on death row came to their crimes from political motivations. When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Related Story: One Inmate’s Attorney Expresses Thanks — and His Remorse Two of the men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire with assault rifles during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. She said his case “reflects many of the system’s flaws,” and thanked Biden for commuting his sentence. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.”Ifedi starts at left tackle for Browns in prime-time matchup against AFC North-leading Steelers
Former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation. The Republican's announcement came one day after meeting with senators in an effort to win their support for his confirmation to lead the Justice Department. Here's the latest: As incoming White House chief of staff, one of Susie Wiles ’ vexing challenges will be policing the buffet line of powerful interests who want something from Donald Trump. It’s a world she knows well. During Trump’s first presidency, she lobbied for many of them. Trump was first elected on a pledge to “drain the swamp” in Washington. But his transactional approach to the presidency instead ushered in a lobbying boom that showered allies, including Wiles, with lucrative contracts, empowered wealthy business associates and stymied his agenda after his administration was ensnared in a series of influence-peddling scandals. Now, as Trump prepares to return to power , his victory is likely to embolden those who think they can get his ear, raising the prospect that his second administration could face many of the same perils as his first. That will test the ability of Wiles to manage a growing number of high-powered figures — including Trump’s children, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and billionaires like Elon Musk — who will not be dependent on her for access to the president. ▶ Read more about Susie Wiles and her new role Vance accompanied Matt Gaetz in meetings with GOP senators on Wednesday. “I’m extremely grateful for the work Matt put into the nomination process,” the Ohio senator posted on X. “Matt is a patriot, and I look forward to seeing what he does next.” President Joe Biden still believes President-elect Donald Trump is a dangerous figure in U.S. democracy, his top spokesperson said Thursday. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said “his thinking on that has not changed” even as the Biden White House emphasizes its commitment to the “peaceful transfer of power.” Jean-Pierre told reporters there is no double-speak in Biden’s approach. Biden framed Donald Trump as a “fundamental threat” to the nation’s identity as a democracy and its stability as a global superpower when he defeated Trump in 2020. He did it as a candidate for reelection. He did it again when he dropped out and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. But Jean-Pierre said Biden recognizes the legitimacy of Trump’s election to another term, even if it’s not the result he wanted. “The American people spoke,” she said, adding that Biden wants to be an example of how to respect U.S. elections. That was an opaque reference to Trump’s refusal to accept Biden’s victory in 2020 and the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters as Congress met to affirm the results. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says she hasn’t spoken to her designated successor, Karoline Leavitt. Jean-Pierre told reporters gathered Thursday at the White House that she hopes the second Trump administration will be forthright with the public by talking to reporters. Trump’s first White House dramatically curtailed its initial interactions with the White House press corps, and Jean-Pierre said Biden and his staff “worked really hard to bring back the norms” with press briefings and interactions. “We’ve tried to do this in a very respectful way,” she said. Jean-Pierre declined to “speak to what any administration is going to do” in the future, but added that the back-and-forth with the press is part of “what democracy is all about.” In other presidential transition news, Trump is urging federal lawmakers to kill a bill that would protect journalists from having to disclose information about anonymous sources or other records obtained during reporting. The proposal that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, but is pending in the Senate, also bars the government from requesting data from phone or email providers. The bill includes exceptions such as when there’s a reasonable threat of imminent violence or an act of terrorism. As of now, only some states grant absolute protection from disclosing sources or other records. “Republicans must kill this bill!” Trump posted on Truth Social and shared a video from PBS News Hour interviewing the CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalist, Jodie Ginsburg, talking about the proposal. Last month, The Associated Press, along with more than 100 news outlets and organizations, signed a letter authored by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press asking senators to support the bill. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre isn’t commenting on Matt Gaetz withdrawing his nomination as president-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general in the new administration. “We really, truly want to respect the transfer of power,” Jean-Pierre said Thursday during a White House press briefing, explaining her steadfast refusal to comment on Trump personnel moves. But Jean-Pierre nonetheless used the matter to take a subtle jab at how Trump, who was twice indicted by the federal government, has reacted to federal law enforcement. “Look, the president has said when it comes to investigation, that department should be independent. there should be no partisanship. There should be no loyalty to one party or the other,” she said. “The loyalty should be to the Constitution, and the loyalty should be to the rule of law.” Trump has insisted that it was Biden and his lieutenants who weaponized the Justice Department by indicting him for his role in trying to overturn Biden’s 2020 election victory and for hoarding national security documents after Trump left the White House in January 2021. That latter case has been thrown out by a Trump-appointed judge. The former case is still pending. Taken together, there are a striking number of incidents in which potential high-ranking government officials in Trump’s second administration face allegations of sexual abuse. Here’s a look at some of the cases: President-elect Donald Trump: He was found liable by a New York City jury for sexual abuse and defamation and eventually ordered to pay the woman, E. Jean Carroll , $83 million in damages. Pete Hegseth, nominee for secretary of defense: A woman told police she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police the encounter had been consensual and denies wrongdoing. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee for secretary of health and human services: A woman who babysat for Kennedy and his second wife told Vanity Fair magazine he groped her in the late 1990s, when she was 23. Kennedy did not deny the allegation, telling a podcast: “I had a very, very rambunctious youth.” He texted the woman an apology after the story was published. Linda McMahon, nominee for secretary of education: A lawsuit filed last month alleges McMahon knowingly enabled sexual exploitation of children by a World Wrestling Entertainment employee as early as the 1980s. She denies the allegations. Elon Musk, Trump’s choice to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency: The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX was accused of sexual misconduct by a flight attendant contracted by SpaceX who worked on his private jet in 2016. He denied the claim. ▶ Read more about the allegations of sexual misconduct Among those who were seen as contenders before Gaetz was picked is former acting attorney general Matt Whitaker , who Trump chose earlier this week to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Other names that were floated as potential attorney general nominees include Jeff Jensen, a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey. Trump last week chose Todd Blanche , an attorney who led the legal team that defended the Republican at his hush money criminal trial , to serve as the second-highest ranking Justice Department official. Emil Bove, a former federal prosecutor, was chosen to be the principal associate deputy attorney general. An attorney who represents two women who say they were paid by Gaetz for sex says his clients are “relieved to have this chapter behind them.” “They’re grateful for the opportunity to move forward with their lives,” said Joel Leppard, whose clients testified before the House Ethics Committee. “They’re hoping that this brings final closure for all the parties involved.” Leppard revealed earlier this week details about his clients’ testimony to House Ethics Committee to release its report on the Gaetz investigation. Leppard said his clients were paid a total of $10,000 by the congressman. One of his clients testified that she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in 2017, while he was in Congress. Though Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration for attorney general, he isn’t Trump’s only appointee in hot water. A woman told police she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Pete Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report made public late Wednesday. Hegseth, a former Fox News personality and Trump’s nominee to be defense secretary, told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing, the report said. Earlier today, Hegseth held a round of private meetings alongside incoming Vice President JD Vance in an attempt to shore up support and told reporters afterward: “The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared, and that’s where I’m gonna leave it.” ▶ Read more about the allegations against Hegseth In his Nov. 13 resignation letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Gaetz said, “I hereby resign, as United States Representatives for Florida’s First Congressional District, effective immediately, and I do not intend to take the oath of office for the same office in the 119th Congress, to pursue the position of Attorney General in the Trump Administration.” He transmitted a similar letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the state began a special election process to fill the vacancy. Attorneys involved in a civil case brought by a Gaetz associate were notified this week that an unauthorized person accessed a file shared between lawyers that included unredacted depositions from a woman who said Gaetz had sex with her when she was 17 and a second woman who says she saw the encounter, according to attorney Joel Leppard. Leppard said that two women he represents told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017 when Gaetz was in Congress. The files the person was able to access were part of a defamation case filed by a Gaetz associate against the former representative’s onetime political ally Joel Greenberg , who pleaded guilty in 2021 to sex trafficking of a minor, and admitted that he had paid at least one underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The apparent breach was first reported Tuesday by The New York Times. Gaetz has denied all the allegations. ▶ Read more about the apparent file breach Trump had announced last week that he’d chosen Todd Blanche, an attorney who’s defended him in some of his criminal cases, to serve as deputy attorney general. That’s the second highest ranking position at the Justice Department. A former federal prosecutor, Blanche has been a key figure defended him both in the New York hush money criminal trial that ended in a conviction in May, and the federal cases brought by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Thursday in a post on X that he believes the now-former congressman “will continue to contribute to our nation’s wellbeing for years to come.” Graham, a member of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, also said he looks forward to working with Trump “regarding future nominees to get this important job up and running.” The caption of the Instagram photo reads “The end of an era. No one loves America more than this guy.” The Florida representative was once embroiled in a sex trafficking investigation involving underage girls by the Justice Department, the very department President-elect Trump had tapped him to lead. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, and in February 2023 said the investigation ended with no federal charges against him.He was also being investigated by the House Ethics panel, but Republicans declined yesterday to release the committee’s findings over objections from Democrats in a split vote. ▶ Read more about the Justice Department’s investigation into Gaetz He had abruptly resigned from his congressional seat upon being nominated as attorney general amid a long-running House Ethics investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, which was seen as a way to halt the probe. The House Ethics panel’s Republicans declined this week to release the committee’s findings into Gaetz over objections from Democrats in a split vote. But the committee did agree to finish its work and is scheduled to meet again Dec. 5 to discuss the matter. However, Gaetz did win re-election earlier this month for the new Congress which convenes Jan. 3. But it’s unclear if he would take office. There’s also been plans for a special election in Florida for his seat. “President Trump remains committed to choosing a leader for the Department of Justice who will strongly defend the Constitution and end the weaponization of our justice system,” said Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition team. In a message on his Truth Social network, Trump also said he was looking forward to seeing what Gaetz will do next after withdrawing as his pick. “He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect,” Trump posted. “Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” Matt Gaetz has just withdrawn as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following continued scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on the former congressman’s ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The Florida Republican’s announcement came one day after meeting with senators in an effort to win their support for his confirmation to lead the Justice Department. Gaetz’s withdrawal is a blow to Trump’s push to install steadfast loyalists in his incoming administration and the first sign that Trump could face resistance from members of his own party.Browns get 497-yard performance from QB Jameis Winston and lose anyway in season long gone sourWhat’s Behind Gracie Hunt’s Picture-Perfect Date Night with Keith?
Experts reveal how technological advances could use the sun to source hydrogen fuel In the future, we could fuel the world with sunlight and water—using sunlight to derive hydrogen fuel from H O. Currently, most hydrogen that’s used as feedstock and fuel is derived from natural gas, and therefore doesn’t help us cut out fossil fuels. But Japanese scientists are leading the way towards a future powered by , with new, easily-manufactured photocatalytic sheets and a proof-of-concept panel reactor which shows that it is possible to refine from water at scale. “Sunlight-driven water splitting using photocatalysts is an ideal technology for solar-to-chemical energy and storage, and recent developments in photocatalytic materials and systems raise hopes for its realization,” said Prof Kazunari Domen of Shinshu University, senior author of the article in . “However, many challenges remain.” Steam power for the 21st century To use sunlight to split water into oxygen and hydrogen, we need photocatalysts. Under light, these catalysts promote which split the water. In one-step excitation systems, the breaks water down to hydrogen and oxygen. These systems are simple but inefficient, with a very low solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion rate. More efficient at present are two-step excitation systems, where one photocatalyst evolves hydrogen from water and the other evolves oxygen from . of Shinshu University, first author of the study said . “But by storing the energy of sunlight as the chemical energy of fuel materials, it is possible to use the energy anytime and anywhere.” These systems have a higher solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion rate—but they’re not yet ready for use. We need to identify the most effective and sustainable photocatalysts, which must be robust enough to tolerate daily start-up and shut-down operations as the sun rises and sets. We also need to increase the efficiency of the conversion as much as possible, to minimize the amount of physical space needed for a reactor and make the reactor cost-effective to run—right now, using to refine hydrogen fuel is still cheaper. An additional problem is that many methods of splitting oxygen and hydrogen produce oxyhydrogen, which is highly explosive. This risk can be eliminated by producing oxygen and hydrogen separately, or managed by using design criteria identified by Domen and Hisatomi’s team. By experimenting with oxyhydrogen, they determined that if the gas is ignited in a small, narrow compartment, it does not explode. Materials are also important: soft PVC plastic does not explode destructively if oxyhydrogen ignites. The future of fuel Domen and Hisatomi’s team have already produced a successful proof of concept, running a 100 m reactor for three years. This reactor even performed better faced with real-world sunlight than it did in under laboratory conditions. said, “Simulated standard sunlight uses a spectrum from a slightly high latitude region. In an area where natural sunlight has more short-wavelength components than simulated reference sunlight, the solar energy conversion efficiency could be higher. However, currently the efficiency under simulated standard sunlight is 1% at best, and it will not reach 5% efficiency under natural .” To move the technology forward and break that 5% barrier, the team says that more researchers need to develop more efficient photocatalysts and build larger experimental reactors. More real-world experiments are needed to develop the technology to the point where hydrogen is a feasible fuel option. As part of this, the team emphasize the need to institute safety regulations and efficiency standards. An accreditation body and licensing would help to ensure the safe development of the technology, while standardized methods for determining efficiency will help identify the most effective systems. explained “If it is improved to a practical level, many researchers will work seriously on the development of mass production technology and gas separation processes, as well as large-scale plant construction. This will also change the way many people, including policymakers, think about solar energy conversion, and accelerate the development of infrastructure, laws, and regulations related to solar fuels.” READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Experts reveal how technological advances could use the sun to source hydrogen fuel, Hyundai Motor Group Partners with Indian Institutes of Technology to Advance Battery and Electrification Research – collaboration will expand into areas like software and hydrogen fuel cells Hyundai Motor Group... Japan – Scientists develop new tech to turn sunlight, water into hydrogen fuel Japanese scientists have developed a new means of cracking water into hydrogen fuel using sunlight. Using a special photocatalyst... Panasonic Installs an In-house Hydrogen based Renewable Energy Power Generation System in Its UK Factory Tokyo, Japan – Panasonic Corporation (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Masahiro Shinada; hereinafter...
Shohei Ohtani wins third MVP award, first in NL. Aaron Judge earns second AL honor in 3 seasons