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After delay, Trump signs agreement with Biden White House to begin formal transition handoffPrince Harry praised for 'restoring his image' after 'smart' move with Meghan Markle
NEW YORK, Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Light & Wonder, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNW) resulting from allegations that Light & Wonder may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. SO WHAT: If you purchased Light & Wonder securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=29678 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On September 24, 2024, the Las Vegas Review-Journal published an article entitled “Slot manufacturer scores major win against Las Vegas-based rival.” It stated that “Aristocrat Technologies Inc.’s request for a preliminary injunction in its trade-secret and copyright infringement lawsuit against Light & Wonder” had been granted, and that the “order prohibits [Light & Wonder] from the ‘continued or planned sale, leasing, or other commercialization of Dragon Train,’ which Aristocrat claims uses intellectual property developed for its Dragon Link and Lightning Link games.” On this news, the price of Light & Wonder common stock fell 19.49% on September 24, 2024. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ------------------------------- Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.comA recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products. Published in the peer-reviewed journal , experts from the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future said they detected flame retardants and other toxic chemicals in 85% of 203 items made of , take-out containers, children's toys and hair accessories. In a blog post, Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society in Canada, explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it's actually about one-tenth of that. (Dreamstime/TNS) The study initially said the potential exposure to chemicals found in one of the kitchen utensils approached the minimum levels the Environmental Protection Agency deemed a health risk. But in an update to the study, the authors say they made an error in their calculations and the real levels were "an order of magnitude lower" than the EPA's thresholds. The error was discovered by Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society in Canada. In a blog post, Schwarcz explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it's actually about one-tenth of that. Though Schwarcz said the risks outlined in the study aren't enough for him to discard his black plastic kitchen items if he had them, he agreed with the authors that flame retardants shouldn't be in these products in the first place. "The math error does not impact the study's findings, conclusions or recommendations," said Megan Liu, a co-author of the study who is the science and policy manager for . She added that any traces of flame retardants or toxic chemicals in cooking utensils should be concerning for the public. Flame retardants are getting into commonly used items because black-colored products are being made from recycled electronic waste, such as discarded television sets and computers, that frequently contain the additives. When they're heated, the flame retardants and other toxic chemicals can migrate out. If you're wondering whether your old black plastic spoon or other utensils are a part of this group, Liu shared some more guidance. It's nearly impossible to know whether a black plastic product is contaminated. That's because these products that include recycled e-waste don't disclose a detailed list of all ingredients and contaminants in the product. Liu said it's also unclear how many types of flame retardants are in these black plastic products. Some of the products that researchers tested in this recent study "had up to nine different harmful chemicals and harmful flame retardants in them," she said. Anytime you're looking for the type of recycled plastic a product is made of you're going to look for a number within the chasing arrows (that form a triangle) logo. Recycling symbols are numbered 1 to 7 and we commonly associate the numbers with what we can toss in our blue recycling bins. The polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or Styrofoam, and miscellaneous plastics (including polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass and nylon). The study found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in polystyrene plastic, which is labeled with the number 6, said Liu. There isn't a definitive timeline of when recycled electronic-waste started to be incorporated into black plastic products specifically, but e-waste started to get recycled in the early 2000s, Liu said. The way computers, cellphones, stereos, printers and copiers were being disposed of previously was to simply add them to a landfill without reusing salvageable parts. But as the National Conference of State Legislatures notes, electronics production required a significant amount of resources that could be recovered through recycling. Recovering resources such as metals, plastics and glass through recycling used a fraction of the energy needed to mine new materials. However, the study pointed out that flame retardants and other chemical contaminates have been detected in and near e-waste recycling facilities, in indoor air and dust at formal e-waste recycling facilities in Canada, China, Spain and the U.S. It also noted contamination in soil samples surrounding e-waste recycling sites in China and Vietnam. The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel. The 20th century brought airplanes, radio, television, the internet, and plastic. Lots of plastic. That plastic is now showing up on shorelines, forming islands in oceans, and generating mountains of translucent trash on land. Around of animals in the sea have been found to interact with plastic daily. Companies across every industry face pressure to reduce the amount of plastic they produce. have made voluntary commitments to reduce their plastic waste, according to a Duke University analysis. One industry, in particular, has greatly benefited from advancements in single-use plastic technology: the medical industry. Only in recent years have businesses and academics in the field begun to talk about minimizing their impact on our environment like beverage manufacturers and other consumer goods-producing businesses. analyzed academic studies published in the , the , and news reports to shed light on the medical community's use of plastics through history, their environmental problems, and proposed solutions to reduce their impact. And the impact can be significant. A single hospital patient generates —as much as a quarter of it is plastic. The COVID-19 pandemic only worsened the problem. The pandemic pushed hospital capacity to the brink and led to a massive increase in personal protective equipment and medical supply usage. Medical-grade masks and other protective equipment like face shields, made mostly of nonrenewable plastics, were in high demand. In 2020, the World Health Organization for PPE manufacturing would boost 40% to address the public health crisis. Hospitals needed an estimated 89 million masks, 76 million gloves, and 1.6 million goggles every month of the pandemic. To date, nearly COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, each requiring their own plastic syringe, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Global consulting firm Frost & Sullivan estimated that the U.S. would produce in just two months due to the pandemic. The World Economic Forum warned that the COVID-19 crisis threatened to " " to reduce large plastic waste. It's a challenge as they search for solutions. Plastics introduced an era of ultraconvenience to the world. It makes our clothes. It's made bike helmets and airbags possible. And it's a cheap material to produce, meaning it's cheap for consumers too. Almost as importantly, it's durable and incredibly easy to make into complex shapes—a trait that helped plastics invented in the mid-20th century quickly replace more expensive metal and wooden goods. That adoption extended to the medical field, where the single-use nature of plastics represented a move toward more hygienic tools for physicians and hospitals. But it wasn't plastic's sanitary qualities that the industry first latched onto. Like so many other technical advancements, convenience and cost were the initial driving factors. That they were more conducive to creating a sterile environment for patients was a benefit that health care began to tout closer to the end of the 20th century. PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, replaced glass bottles previously used to hold IV solution and replaced rubber tubing used throughout hospital settings. Plastic has also become the go-to material for making syringes and catheters. Plastic products are generally made from chemicals derived from the oil and natural gas refining process. Chemists use those byproducts to create synthetic materials with malleable and durable chemical structures. The low cost of these materials has helped medical device-makers support better health outcomes for communities across the U.S. since the 1900s. No longer was health care priced at rates only the elite could afford—it was accessible to a much larger swath of the public. In the last decade, the U.S., in particular, has emerged as a massive market for medical plastics. The country generally accounts for nearly half of the global market for medical devices. Plastic's durability is not only a benefit but a detriment to the environment, as the material can take many years to deteriorate when it enters landfills or trashes oceans. Estimates vary widely, but scientists ballpark that depending on the kind of plastic and the environment in which it decomposes, it could take dozens to thousands of years to break down entirely. COVID-19, which for health care systems, isn't the only force raising the stakes for a health care industry pressured to reduce reliance on plastics or find ways to reuse them. Global annual production of plastic has , according to the Environmental Protection Agency. As the U.S. looks toward the future, its aging population is another factor that could exacerbate the rate at which medical plastics end up in landfills. People require more medical care as they age, and aging baby boomers are expected to on the medical device industry. At the same time, governments are under pressure to lower health care costs, which have become unaffordable . As recently as 2021, researchers lamented a lack of data on efforts to recycle medical plastics. Around 350 hospitals participate in Practice Greenhealth's . Practice Greenhealth is an organization working to help hospitals increase their sustainability. It's one of the few sources of hospital sustainability data, and its roster of participating hospitals represents a small fraction of the more than 6,000 hospitals operating in the U.S. To meet the need to reduce plastic waste generation, some hospitals are moving away from using plastic in certain applications. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center replaced health care workers' disposable plastic isolation gowns with at its hospitals in the last decade, saving money and preventing literal tons of medical waste. It also implemented a process for sterilizing and incinerating the boxes that hold used needles, allowing them to be reassembled and reused in a health care setting. Recycling plastic medical waste is complicated by the potential for contamination and the need to separate contaminated and noncontaminated waste; once separated, they can be broken down with heat or treated with chemicals and reprocessed. However, using chemical methods to break down and dispose of plastics has drawbacks. Over signed a letter in 2023 urging the Biden administration to end federal support for methods like these, arguing they generate toxic pollutants. The Vinyl Council of Australia is working with hospitals to . The materials are broken down into tiny pieces, washed and heated at high temperatures, and remade into things used outside medical settings. In the U.S. and Europe, there's the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council, a coalition of companies working in the health care device space that includes DuPont, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic. In 2021, the HPRC, advised by professionals at Kaiser Permanente and other health systems, rolled out a with hopes of scaling it across more hospitals. Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week!Shortest and tallest living women declared 'icons' in LondonWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping and other world leaders to his inauguration next month — an unorthodox move that would fold U.S. allies and adversaries into a very American political tradition. Trump said Thursday during an appearance at the New York Stock Exchange , where he was ringing the opening bell to kick off trading for the day, that he’s been “thinking about inviting certain people to the inauguration” without referring to any specific individuals. “And some people said, ‘Wow, that’s a little risky, isn’t it?’” Trump said. “And I said, ‘Maybe it is. We’ll see. We’ll see what happens.’ But we like to take little chances.” His comments came soon after his incoming White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed during a Thursday morning appearance on “Fox & Friends” that Trump had invited Xi and other world leaders to attend his inauguration. No head of state has previously made an official visit to the U.S. for the inauguration, according to State Department historical records. The unprecedented invitations come at a moment when much of the world is bracing for what comes next when Trump and his “America First” worldview return to the White House. The president-elect has vowed to levy massive tariffs against the United States' chief economic competitor, China, as well as neighbors Canada and Mexico unless those countries do more to reduce illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. Trump's also pledged to move quickly to end Russia's nearly three-year war in Ukraine and press NATO allies who are spending less than 2% of their GDP on defense to step up or risk the United States not coming to their defense, as required by the transatlantic alliance's treaty, should they come under attack. “We’ve been talking and discussing with President Xi some things, and others, other world leaders, and I think we’re going to do very well all around,” Trump said. “We’ve been abused as a country. We’ve been badly abused from an economic standpoint, I think, and even militarily, you know, we put up all the money, they put up nothing, and then they abuse us on the economy. And we just can’t let that happen.” Xi is likely to see the invitation as too risky to accept, and the gesture from Trump may have little bearing on the increasingly competitive ties between the two nations as the White House changes hands, experts say. Danny Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Xi would not allow himself to “be reduced to the status of a mere guest celebrating the triumph of a foreign leader — the U.S. president, no less.” Still, Leavitt saw it as a plus. “This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies, but our adversaries and our competitors, too,” she said on "Fox & Friends." “We saw this in his first term. He got a lot of criticism for it, but it led to peace around this world. He is willing to talk to anyone, and he will always put America’s interest first.” Asked at a Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing Thursday about Trump's invitation, spokesperson Mao Ning responded, “I have nothing to share at present.” Leavitt did not detail which leaders beyond Xi have been invited. But Trump's decision to invite Xi, in particular, squares with his belief that foreign policy — much like a business negotiation — should be carried out with carrots and sticks to get the United States' opponents to operate closer to his administration's preferred terms. Jim Bendat, a historian and author of “Democracy’s Big Day: The Inauguration of Our President,” said he was not aware of a previous U.S. inauguration attended by a foreign head of state. “It's not necessarily a bad thing to invite foreign leaders to attend,” Bendat said. “But it sure would make more sense to invite an ally before an adversary.” Edward Frantz, a presidential historian at the University of Indianapolis, said the invitation helps Trump burnish his “dealmaker and savvy businessman” brand. “I could see why he might like the optics," Frantz said. “But from the standpoint of American values, it seems shockingly cavalier." White House officials said it was up to Trump to decide whom he invites to the inauguration. “I would just say, without doubt, it's the single most consequential bilateral relationship that the United States has in the world,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said. “It is a relationship both fraught with peril and responsibility.” It's unclear which leaders, if any, might show. A top aide to Hungarian President Viktor Orban, one of Trump's most vocal supporters on the world stage, said Thursday that Orban isn't slated to attend the inauguration. “There is no such plan, at least for the time being," said Gergely Gulyás, Orban's chief of staff. The nationalist Hungarian leader is embraced by Trump but has faced isolation in Europe as he's sought to undermine the European Union's support for Ukraine, and routinely blocked, delayed or watered down the bloc’s efforts to provide weapons and funding and to sanction Moscow for its invasion. Orban recently met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Every country's chief of mission to the United States will also be invited, according to a Trump Inaugural Committee official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Such invitations to diplomats stationed in Washington has been customary during past inaugurations. Xi, during a meeting with President Joe Biden last month in Peru, urged the United States not to start a trade war. “Make the wise choice,” Xi cautioned. “Keep exploring the right way for two major countries to get along well with each other.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also pushed back on Trump's threats, warning that such tariffs would be perilous for the U.S. economy as well. Trudeau earlier this week said Americans “are beginning to wake up to the real reality that tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive” and said he will retaliate if Trump goes ahead with them. Trump responded by calling Canada a state and Trudeau the governor. In addition to the tariff dispute, U.S.-China relations are strained over other issues, including what U.S. officials see as Beijing's indirect support of Russia's war on Ukraine. The Biden administration says China has supported Russia with a surge in sales of dual-use components that help keep its military industrial base afloat. U.S. officials also have expressed frustration with Beijing for not doing more to rein in North Korea's support for the Russian war. China accounts for the vast majority of North Korea’s trade. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has dispatched thousands of troops to Russia to help repel Ukrainian forces from the Kursk border region. The North Koreans also have provided Russia with artillery and other munitions, according to U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials. Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration is set to take place a day after the U.S. deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of social media giant TikTok, to sell the social media app or face a ban in the United States. Associated Press writers Didi Tang in Washington and Balint Domotor in Budapest, Hungary, contributed to this report.
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Orioles owner David Rubenstein sees the intersection of political trials and public perception as a dicey one. Rubenstein, a Baltimore native and lawyer who advised the late President Jimmy Carter, appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday to promote his new book, “The Highest Calling: Conversations on the American Presidency.” The conversation quickly turned to the incoming presidency and second term of President-elect Donald Trump . While discussing a bitter election in which both major parties feared the other returning to power in 2025, the interviewer asked Rubenstein what lessons could be learned from the clash between politics and the law — especially the multiple legal challenges Trump faced. “I think there is a feeling among many people that it wasn’t a good idea to indict the president of the United States,” Rubenstein said. “I think the trial in New York where Trump was convicted, I think really helped him in his election effort. And I think there are many people who are Trump supporters who believe that the indictments that came out of the special prosecutor Jack Smith were really political as well.” Meanwhile, people in the Justice Department feel the indictments were fair and correct, according to Rubenstein, whose Nantucket estate has been used by the Biden family for Thanksgiving. But Trump supporters believed they were completely political, leading to a feeling that both sides were talking past each other, he said. “I hope going forward that the Justice Department is not seen as political because one of the strengths of this country has been the rule of law, and I hope that the Justice Department that’s coming in now will continue that tradition,” Rubenstein said. Trump has said he wants to fight against the “weaponization” of the Department of Justice and nominated Pam Bondi as attorney general after former Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration . Bondi is a former Florida attorney general and represented Trump during his first impeachment trial. She also supported his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. “For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans — Not anymore,” Trump said on Truth Social last month. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.” Rubenstein also pointed out Trump’s opportunity with a second term. As an author who has examined presidential histories, the Orioles owner noted that Trump’s inauguration next month will mark a rare moment for the country. “Clearly, we’re going into some uncharted waters because we have a president coming back who had been president before. That hadn’t happened since Grover Cleveland was reelected in 1892, and Trump has got more power than I think many people would have thought by the virtue of his victory size,” Rubenstein said. “And I do think he’s going to act like he’s got a mandate, and Washington is bracing for what’s going to happen.” Maryland is also bracing for a second Trump term. Comptroller Brooke Lierman and state Senate President Bill Ferguson, both Democrats, cautioned earlier this month that Trump’s incoming administration could exacerbate the state’s financial pressures, as it stares at a nearly $3 billion deficit. They are especially concerned about Trump’s promises to reduce the federal workforce, an industry upon which Maryland relies. But some Republicans say the state is too reliant on the federal government. House Minority Leader Jason Buckel, of Allegany County, said the government “is not designed to be an industry.” “Government is designed to provide services that are needed and necessary in the most efficient way possible for the benefit of its citizens,” he said. “Folks of both parties have lost sight of that in Washington, D.C., and we’ve certainly lost sight of it in Annapolis, Maryland.” Although many Democrats in Maryland and across the country have shared concern and apprehension about a second Trump administration — especially his campaign rhetoric on retribution — Rubenstein struck a more optimistic tone. He mentioned how Abraham Lincoln faced fierce criticism and rose above it, and Rubenstein said he thinks presidents have to rise above criticism. “And, hopefully, when you don’t have to worry about politics anymore in a second term, for example, you can rise above all the concerns you’ve had,” he said. “When you’re president of the United States, if you carry resentments too long, it can affect other people adversely. So I think in the case of President Trump, for example, clearly he has some resentments, but I think overall, I think he’s going to rise above that in the second term.” ©2024 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Cineverse's Bob Ross, Comedy Dynamics, Dog Whisperer and Dove FAST Channels Now Live on Google TVTM Freeplay
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The year of 1997 was an important one in Papua New Guinea. By 1997, it had been 10 years since Channel 9 subsidiary, EMTV, televised its first NRL match. By then, a new generation of TV-watching kids had grown up with Australian rugby league as a weekend staple. That year also saw the expulsion of foreign mercenaries by the PNG defence force, the end of the Bougainville war, political instability in government, and for rugby league fans, the founding of Melbourne Storm on June 23. As young fans debated the future of the "Storms", they were thrilled to see a homegrown talent, Marcus Bai, sign up with the new team in 1998. Now, there were other prominent names before him in the PNG rugby league scene like Arnold Krewany, Bal Numapo, Ifisoe Segeyaro and Adrian Lam, but Bai was a huge inspiration to a newer generation who watched the game live on television. At 1.8 meters, the village boy from Ulamona, West New Britain province, played in the Port Moresby Rugby league competition for the Paga Panthers and Port Moresby Vipers before he tried out for the Storm. In 1999, Papua New Guineans were hugely rewarded when the Storm won their first premiership with one of their own, a star on Grandfinal night. Pathways to the NRL Bai's debut in the NRL was a rarity in the 1990s when Papua New Guinea had no set pathways for NRL entry or any other overseas league. The exposure many players got was when the Kumuls faced off with other league-playing nations in the Rugby League World Cup or when they played visiting overseas teams. Always, Papua New Guinea would go in as expected underdogs with many expecting "strong performances" ...and losses. The measure of the national team's performance was based largely against Australian representative sides. Against its Pacific neighbours, however, Papua New Guinea was viewed as the more dominant side. Ten years since Marcus Bai streaked across the field with that high-value comeback that saw the Storm win the 1999 premiership title, Papua New Guinea still struggled with that glaring absence of sure pathways to overseas recruitment. PNG politics and rugby league In a country where politicians like rubbing shoulders with league stars and where the level of fanaticism for politics equals that of the greatest game of all, PNG was headed towards some level of political intervention. It was no secret that while PNG politicians who sat in expensive VIP booths reluctantly clapped for the winning team, they were tired of having the national ego repeatedly punched in the guts and their team humiliated. The arrival of Digicel into the PNG telecommunication in 2008 provided internet access for tens of thousands of new subscribers, and, at the same time, brought to the fore a large vocal rugby league audience who questioned why the government was not investing in the sport. In 2008, founding prime minister Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare announced Papua New Guinea's bid for the NRL. It was a move supported by Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd. The PNG NRL Bid Project was allocated K500,000 by the Somare government and a further K30 million in 2022 by the Marape government. As word of the $600 million , it was met with a lot of criticism in Papua New Guinea. While some welcomed the news, not everyone is a follower of the religion of rugby league. As its prophets preach hope and jobs for future talent, another group of Papua New Guineans say the NRL bid is a shameful waste of Australian taxpayer money. For PNG politicians, their moves could have easily have been taken out of a Niccolo Machiavelli textbook as they "appear to be religious" whilst satisfying voters and scoring all the necessary political points. For the vast majority of Papua New Guineans, seeing more familiar faces in the NRL will be just a temporary relief to the harsh realities of living here. In nine months, PNG will mark 50 years as an independent political creation and two years after that, its people will go to the polls using figures from an incomplete, unsatisfactory census process conducted this year. It's difficult not to sound bleak as costs of food, good healthcare and education become increasingly unaffordable for the NRL-watching communities. While VIP booths will be occupied by the political elite spending taxpayer money, thousands more will go back home; families uncertain about their future. Get the ABC Pacific newsletter Sign up for the best of ABC Pacific each weekKey nations raced Saturday to salvage UN climate talks after the poorest countries pushed back angrily for more than $300 billion a year in help from historic wealthy emitters. More than a day past the scheduled conclusion of two days of COP29 talks, host Azerbaijan urged bleary-eyed delegates to seek consensus to avoid failure. "I know that none of us want to leave Baku without a good outcome," COP president Mukhtar Babayev told a late-night session, urging all nations to "bridge the remaining divide". Developing power Brazil pleaded for at least some progress and said it would seek to build on it when it leads COP30 next year in the Amazon gateway of Belem. "After the difficult experience that we're having here in Baku, we need to reach some outcome that is minimally acceptable in line with the emergency we're facing," Brazil's environment minister Marina Silva told delegates. A number of nations have accused Azerbaijan, an authoritarian oil and gas exporter, of lacking the experience and will to meet the moment, as the planet again sets record temperatures and faces rising deadly disasters. Small island nations threatened by rising seas and impoverished African states on Saturday angrily stormed out of a meeting with Azerbaijan, saying their concerns had been ignored. The European Union, United States and other wealthy countries met directly with poorer nations to work out final details, with both blocs also concerned at efforts led by Saudi Arabia to water down calls from last year's summit to phase out fossil fuels. "If we don't do it, people at home -- in every home across the world -- would say, why did you not get an agreement? Because I believe we can," Irish climate minister Eamon Ryan told AFP. A draft of the final text seen by AFP proposes that rich nations raise to $300 billion a year by 2035 their commitment to poorer countries to fight climate change. It is up from $100 billion now provided by wealthy nations under a commitment set to expire -- and from $250 billion proposed in a draft Friday. That offer was slammed as offensively low by developing countries, which have demanded at least $500 billion to build resilience against climate change and cut emissions. Sierra Leone's climate minister Jiwoh Abdulai, whose country is among the world's poorest, called the draft "effectively a suicide pact for the rest of the world". As staff at the cavernous and windowless stadium began closing down, diplomats rushed to meetings with one another, some ready with food and water in preparation for another late night. Panama's outspoken negotiator, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez, voiced anger at offers by rich countries but warned not to repeat the failure of COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009. "I'm sad, I'm tired, I'm disheartened, I'm hungry, I'm sleep-deprived, but there is a tiny ray of optimism within me because this cannot become a new Copenhagen," he told reporters. UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the revised offer of $300 billion was "a significant scaling up" of the existing pledge by developed nations, which also count the United States, EU and Japan among their ranks. Climate activists shouted "shame" as US climate envoy John Podesta walked the halls. "Hopefully this is the storm before the calm," he said. Wealthy nations say it is politically unrealistic to expect more in direct government funding. Donald Trump, a sceptic of both climate change and foreign assistance, returns to the White House in January and a number of other Western countries have seen right-wing backlashes against the green agenda. The draft deal posits a larger overall target of $1.3 trillion per year to cope with rising temperatures and disasters, but most would come from private sources. Ali Mohamed, the Kenyan chair of the African Group of Negotiators, told AFP: "No deal is better than a bad deal." South African environment minister Dion George, however, said: "I think being ambitious at this point is not going to be very useful." "What we are not up for is going backwards or standing still," he said. "We might as well just have stayed at home then." The US and EU have wanted newly wealthy emerging economies like China -- the world's largest emitter -- to chip in. China, which remains classified as a developing nation under the UN framework, provides climate assistance but wants to keep doing so on its own voluntary terms. The EU and other countries have also tussled with Saudi Arabia over including strong language on moving away from fossil fuels, which negotiators say the oil-producing country has resisted. "We will not allow the most vulnerable, especially the small island states, to be ripped off by the new, few rich fossil fuel emitters," said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. bur-np-sct/lth/giv
‘American Idol’ Alum Caleb Kennedy Pleads Guilty, Gets 8 Years in Prison After Fatal DUI CrashThe tablet market continues to bring inventions one after another into its highly specialized Best tablets to buy in 2025. Whether for a workhorse tool for professionals, gaming with stunning visuals, or even family entertainment, this list reveals the Top Tablets in 2025. 1. Apple iPad Pro (2025 Edition) Price: ₹ 1,299,999 Key Features: Seamless performance with M4 chip Liquid Retina XDR display with Motion technology 10 hours battery life iPadOS 18 with an improved approach to multitasking Apple is betting the bank on the iPad Pro: their heavyweight monster for the professional and creative arena. It promises 20% improved chip performance for design software, which is great for traveling video editing. 2. Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra Price: ₹1,09,999 Key Features: Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz refresh rate S Pen with reduced latency Exynos 2500 chip for mind-boggling speed Dolby Atmos quad speakers It has an 18-hour battery life, and multitasking features similar to high-performance tablets , making it one of the best devices for work and media. With great features, it stands out and is considered one of the finest Android devices, a one-stop shop for everything to be done or enjoyed in one go. 3. Lenovo Tab Extreme 2 Price: ₹79,999 Key Features: 14.5" OLED display for stunning visuals 8GB RAM; 512GB storage Next-generation dual stylus support Inbuilt dual stand for convenience Tab Extreme 2 is one of those gadgets where Lenovo has blended style, high-performance tablets, and functionality, making it perfect for students and professionals. Magnificently, it packs some punch but is well-constructed for the kind of value proposition it presents. 4. Microsoft Surface Pro 11 Price: ₹99,999 Key Features: 13-inch PixelSense display giving real bright views A 2-in-1 device with detachable keyboard AI-integrated Windows 12 to adaptively work with the use 16 hours of battery life Surface Pro 11 is the limit remade in productivity, with smart AI working smarter, redefining workflow, and making it a perfect device for business and multitasking embedded in economical tablets. 5. Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro Price: ₹34,999 Key Features 11.2-inch WQHD+ display Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor Dolby Atmos quad speakers Fast charging and USB-C available If cost is a major concern, the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro has evaded all entry barriers and justifies its worth as much as possible without being extravagant. It has a very attractive screen that all gamers and binge-watchers will likely remember fondly. 6. Google Pixel Tablet (2nd Gen) Price: ₹54,999 Key Features: Tensor G4 chip performance ideal For 4K UHD streaming Voice Match for access to a smart assistant Matte aluminium design According to Google, it is one of the best tablets to buy for Android users in 2025. It provides seamless access to the entire ecosystem, and its Built-in Hub Mode keeps it useful at home. 2025 Can be an Amazing Year for Tablets Top Tablets 2025, a survey predicts a rise of about 15% in tablet usage worldwide; professionals will account for nearly 40% of this market. Innovative updates regarding chipsets, displays, and AI promise to set a new standard in the requirements of modern technology. Conclusion As we conclude our roundup of the best tablets to buy in 2025, it's clear that there's something for everyone. Whether you're a creative professional seeking powerhouse performance with the iPad Pro, a media enthusiast who wants an immersive experience with the Samsung Tab S10 Ultra, or a budget-conscious buyer looking for affordability without compromise with the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro, the options are endless. With our expert guide, you can confidently choose the perfect tablet that fits your needs, budget, and lifestyle – and discover a world of limitless possibilities.
Livestock: Senate eyes investment to sector, end to Farmer/Herder conflicts
NEW YORK , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with the AI impact on market trends - The global data center colocation and managed hosting services market size is estimated to grow by USD 236.9 billion from 2024 to 2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 16.82% during the forecast period. The report provides a comprehensive forecast of key segments below- Segmentation Overview Get a glance at the market contribution of rest of the segments - Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! 1.1 Fastest growing segment: The banking and financial services sector (BFSI) is experiencing significant growth in m-commerce and e-commerce activities in North America , Europe , and developing economies like India and China in APAC. Financial data, including customer financials, account information, cardholder data, and transaction and personal information, is highly regulated by regulatory bodies such as the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). BFSI companies, including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Co., and Morgan Stanley, require optimal uptime, security, connectivity, and data integrity for sharing information across networks. Traditional data center ownership poses high operating costs for global BFSI companies, leading them to outsource colocation space from vendors or lease servers from managed hosting service providers. This shift towards outsourcing is expected to drive the growth of the BFSI segment of the data center colocation and managed hosting services market during the forecast period. Analyst Review The Data Center Colocation and Managed Hosting Services market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing demand for cybersecurity, data management, and remote work solutions. With the rise of artificial intelligence, automation, IoT devices, and hybrid work models, businesses require secure and efficient data center solutions to manage their digital transformation. IT security professionals are prioritizing data security, endpoint security, and network monitoring to protect sensitive information. Differentiating customer experiences and building strong client relationships are crucial for gaining a competitive edge. Deployment models, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance, such as HIPAA in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, are also key considerations. Enterprises are turning to colocation and managed hosting services to meet their unique needs, drive innovation, and stay ahead of the competition. Market Overview In the digital age, businesses increasingly rely on Data Center Colocation and Managed Hosting Services to manage their IT infrastructure. These services offer operational efficiency, overhead cost savings, and access to advanced technologies such as Cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. With the shift to remote work solutions and hybrid work models, data security and cybersecurity have become paramount. IT security professionals are tasked with safeguarding against cyber threats, data leakage, malware, and attack surfaces. The market ecosystem includes IT & telecom, manufacturing, retail & consumer goods, healthcare & life sciences, energy & utilities, media & entertainment, and various verticals. Industry expansion brings new opportunities but also pricing pressures, requiring differentiation through superior customer experiences and client relationships. Deployment models range from on-premises infrastructure to DCaaS, with IT executives leveraging these services to gain a competitive edge. In the Metaverse concept, data centers play a crucial role in supporting digital services, online customer experiences, e-commerce, and online retail. Companies like Rackspace Technology and Google Cloud are leading the charge, offering managed hosting services tailored to various industries, from healthcare and pharmaceuticals to enterprises. The retail industry, in particular, benefits from data management, enabling transaction history analysis, cashierless checkout, and personalized marketing through social media and mobile shopping apps. However, the increasing use of these services also presents challenges. Ensuring HIPAA compliance in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, addressing cybersecurity concerns, and maintaining availability and business continuity through service-level agreements are critical. As the market evolves, providers must stay ahead of the curve, offering advanced security features like cyber hardening and endpoint security, as well as network monitoring and automation to meet the demands of distributed teams. To understand more about this market- Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! Key Topics Covered: About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/data-center-colocation-and-managed-hosting-services-market-to-grow-by-usd-236-9-billion-2023-2028-report-on-ai-driven-transformation---technavio-302329160.html SOURCE Technavio
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has nvited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration next month — extending a diplomatic olive branch even as Trump threatens to levy massive tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump's incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed on Thursday that Trump invited Xi, but said it was “to be determined” if the leader of the United States' most significant economic and military competitor would attend. In fact it seems unlikely. Xi is likely to see the invitation as too risky to accept, and the gesture from Trump may have little bearing on the increasingly competitive ties between the two nations as the White House changes hands, experts say. Danny Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Xi would not allow himself to “be reduced to the status of a mere guest celebrating the triumph of a foreign leader — the U.S. president, no less.” Still, Leavitt saw it as a plus. “This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies, but our adversaries and our competitors too,” she said in an appearance on Fox News' program ”Fox & Friends." “We saw this in his first term. He got a lot of criticism for it, but it led to peace around this world. He is willing to talk to anyone and he will always put America’s interest first.” CBS News first reported the invitation to Xi. Asked at a Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing on Thursday about Trump's invitation, spokesperson Mao Ning responded: “I have nothing to share at present.” Leavitt said that other foreign leaders have also been invited, but did not provide any details. The move by Trump to invite a leader of an adversarial nation to the American moment that is Inauguration Day is unorthodox. But it also squares with his belief that foreign policy—much like a business negotiation—should be carried out with carrots and sticks to get the United States' opponents to operate closer to his administration's preferred terms. Jim Bendat, a historian and author of “Democracy’s Big Day: The Inauguration of Our President,” said he was not aware of a previous U.S. inauguration attended by a foreign head of state. “It's not necessarily a bad thing to invite foreign leaders to attend,” Bendat said. “But it sure would make more sense to invite an ally before an adversary.” Edward Frantz, a presidential historian at the University of Indianapolis, said the invitation helps Trump burnish his “dealmaker and savvy businessman” brand. “I could see why he might like the optics," Frantz said. “But from the standpoint of American values, it seems shockingly cavalier." White House officials said it was up to Trump to decide whom he invites to the inauguration. “I would just say, without doubt it's the single most consequential bilateral relationship that the United States has in the world,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said. “It is a relationship both fraught with peril and responsibility.” Trump on Thursday during an appearance at the New York Stock Exchange , where he was ringing the opening bell to open the market, said he’s been “thinking about inviting certain people to the inauguration” without referring to any specific individuals. “And some people said, ‘Wow, that’s a little risky, isn’t it?’” Trump said. “And I said, ‘Maybe it is. We’ll see. We’ll see what happens.’ But we like to take little chances.” Meanwhile, a top aide to Hungarian President Viktor Orban, one of Trump's most vocal supporters on the world stage, said Thursday that Orban isn't slated to attend the inauguration. “There is no such plan, at least for the time being," said Gergely Gulyás, Orban's chief of staff. The nationalist Hungarian leader is embraced by Trump but has faced isolation in Europe as he's sought to undermine the European Union's support for Ukraine, and routinely blocked, delayed or watered down the bloc’s efforts to provide weapons and funding and to sanction Moscow for its invasion. Orban recently met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Every country's chief of mission to the United States will also be invited, according to a Trump Inaugural Committee official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The Xi invitation comes as Trump has threatened to enact massive tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China to get those countries to do more to reduce illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He has said that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada and that China could be hit with even higher tariffs. China produces precursor chemicals used in the production of fentanyl, but Beijing has stepped up efforts over the last year to crack down on the export of the chemicals. “We’ve been talking and discussing with President Xi, some things, and others, other world leaders, and I think we’re going to do very well all around,” Trump said in a CNBC interview Thursday. Xi during a meeting with President Joe Biden last month in Peru urged the United States not to start a trade war. “Make the wise choice,” Xi cautioned. “Keep exploring the right way for two major countries to get along well with each other.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also pushed back on Trump's threats, warning such a tariffs move would be perilous for the U.S. economy as well. Trudeau earlier this week said that Americans “are beginning to wake up to the real reality that tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive” and said he will retaliate if Trump goes ahead with them. Trump responded by calling Canada a state and Trudeau the governor. In addition to the tariff dispute, U.S.-China relations are strained over other issues, including what U.S. officials see as Beijing indirectly supporting Russia's war on Ukraine. The Biden administration says China has supported Russia with a surge in sales of dual use components that help keep its military industrial base afloat. U.S. officials also have expressed frustration with Beijing for not doing more to rein in North Korea's support for the Russian war. China accounts for the vast majority of North Korea’s trade. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has dispatched thousands of troops to Russia to help repel Ukrainian forces from the Kursk border region. The North Koreans also have provided Russia with artillery and other munitions, according to U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials. Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration takes place a day after the U.S. deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of social media giant TikTok, to sell the social media app or face a ban in the United States. — Associated Press writers Didi Tang in Washington and Balint Domotor in Budapest, Hungary, contributed reporting.
NewMarket Corporation Authorizes New Share Repurchase ProgramBy ZEKE MILLER, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday reached a required agreement with President Joe Biden’s White House to allow his transition staff to coordinate with the existing federal workforce before taking office on Jan. 20. The congressionally mandated agreement allows transition aides to work with federal agencies and access non-public information and gives a green light to government workers to talk to the transition team. But Trump has declined to sign a separate agreement with the General Services Administration that would have given his team access to secure government offices and email accounts, in part because it would require that the president-elect limit contributions to $5,000 and reveal who is donating to his transition effort. Related Articles The White House agreement was supposed to have been signed by Oct. 1, according to the Presidential Transition Act, and the Biden White House had issued both public and private appeals for Trump’s team to sign on. The agreement is a critical step in ensuring an orderly transfer of power at noon on Inauguration Day, and lays the groundwork for the White House and government agencies to begin to share details on ongoing programs, operations and threats. It limits the risk that the Trump team could find itself taking control of the massive federal government without briefings and documents from the outgoing administration. As part of the agreement with the White House, Trump’s team will have to publicly disclose its ethics plan for the transition operation and make a commitment to uphold it, the White House said. Transition aides must sign statements that they have no financial positions that could pose a conflict of interest before they receive access to non-public federal information. Biden himself raised the agreement with Trump when they met in the Oval Office on Nov. 13, according to the White House, and Trump indicated that his team was working to get it signed. Trump chief of staff-designate Susie Wiles met with Biden’s chief of staff Jeff Zients at the White House on Nov. 19 and other senior officials in part to discuss remaining holdups, while lawyers for the two sides have spoken more than a half-dozen times in recent days to finalize the agreement. “Like President Biden said to the American people from the Rose Garden and directly to President-elect Trump, he is committed to an orderly transition,” said White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma. “President-elect Trump and his team will be in seat on January 20 at 12 pm – and they will immediately be responsible for a range of domestic and global challenges, foreseen and unforeseen. A smooth transition is critical to the safety and security of the American people who are counting on their leaders to be responsible and prepared.” Without the signed agreement, Biden administration officials were restricted in what they could share with the incoming team. Trump national security adviser-designate Rep. Mike Waltz met recently with Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan, but the outgoing team was limited in what it could discuss. “We are doing everything that we can to effect a professional and an orderly transition,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday. “And we continue to urge the incoming team to take the steps that are necessary to be able to facilitate that on their end as well.” “This engagement allows our intended Cabinet nominees to begin critical preparations, including the deployment of landing teams to every department and agency, and complete the orderly transition of power,” said Wiles in a statement. The Trump transition team says it would disclose its donors to the public and would not take foreign donations. A separate agreement with the Department of Justice to coordinate background checks for vetting and security clearances is still being actively worked on and could be signed quickly now that the White House agreement is signed. The agency has teams of investigators standing by to process clearances for Trump aides and advisers once that document is signed. That would clear the way for transition aides and future administration appointees and nominees to begin accessing classified information before Trump takes office. Some Trump aides may hold active clearances from his first term in office or other government roles, but others will need new clearances to access classified data. Trump’s team on Friday formally told the GSA that they would not utilize the government office space blocks from the White House reserved for their use, or government email accounts, phones and computers during the transition. The White House said it does not agree with Trump’s decision to forgo support from the GSA, but is working on alternate ways to get Trump appointees the information they need without jeopardizing national security. Federal agencies are receiving guidance on Tuesday on how to share sensitive information with the Trump team without jeopardizing national security or non-public information. For instance, agencies may require in-person meetings and document reviews since the Trump team has declined to shift to using secure phones and computers. For unclassified information, agencies may ask Trump transition staff to attest that they are taking basic safeguards, like using two-factor authentication on their accounts.