End of article.The news of the data center fire has sparked discussions about the importance of having backup and disaster recovery plans in place for businesses that rely on cloud services. While Alibaba has robust measures in place to safeguard their data centers, this incident serves as a reminder for all organizations to proactively assess and reinforce their own security and emergency response strategies.
This year's best prediction for the game industry in 2025 already came from Swen Vincke, CEO of Larian Studios, maker of Baldur's Gate 3, the Game of the year in 2023. At The Game Awards this year, Vincke got to announce the new Game of the Year (Astro Bot), and he made a prediction. "The oracle told me that the Game of the Year 2025 is going to be made by a studio who found the formula to make it up here on stage," Vincke said. "It's stupidly simple, but somehow it keeps on getting lost. A studio makes a game because they want to make a game they want to play themselves. They created it because it hadn't been created before. They didn't make it to increase market share. They didn't make it to serve the brand. They didn't have to meet arbitrary sales targets, or fear being laid off if they didn't meet those targets." The audience erupted into applause at his words, and he was not drummed off the stage for taking too much time. He added, "Furthermore, the people in charge forbade them from cramming the game with anything whose only purpose was to increase revenue and didn't serve the game design. They didn't treat their developers like numbers on a spreadsheet. They didn't treat their players as users to exploit. And they didn't make decisions they knew were short-sighted in function of a bonus or politics. They knew that if you put the game and the team first, the revenue will follow." Swen Vincke is studio head at Larian, maker of Baldur's Gate 3. He closed with, "They were driven by idealism, and wanted players to have fun, and they realized that if the developers don't have fun, nobody was going to have any fun. They understood the value of respect, that if they treated their developers and players well, the same developers and players would forgive them when things didn't go as planned. But above all they cared about their games, because they love games. It's really that simple." Back to my own comments here. I wish the industry would follow that logic.... Dean Takahashi
The potential sale of Dalot could be part of Manchester United's strategy to revamp their squad and bring in new talent. With Rio Ferdinand advocating for a clear-out of underperforming players, the departure of Dalot could be the first step in a series of changes at the club.None
Automotive Aftermarket M&A will Continue to Attract High Investor Interest in 2025
Introducing the Legendary "Assetto Corsa" Series by Steam
Recently, news broke out that a fire had broken out at an Alibaba Cloud data center. The company quickly responded, stating that the fire was extinguished within 10 minutes and that their cloud services remained unaffected. The incident raised concerns about the safety and reliability of cloud data centers, as well as the importance of disaster recovery plans in the digital age.
NoneCowboys WR CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) done for yearUS President-elect Donald Trump has reiterated his support for Pentagon nominee Pete Hegseth, citing the Ivy League-educated former Fox News host's "charisma" and calling him "a WINNER" even as the nomination faces headwinds in Congress amid allegations of misconduct. or signup to continue reading A 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran, Hegseth has vowed to continue fighting for the top Department of Defence job and spent the week meeting with senators as some key lawmakers have said they are not yet ready to support him. "Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep," Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform. "He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defence, one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!" "Thank you Mr. President. Like you, we will never back down," Hegseth responded. Trump's fellow Republicans will take control of the Senate next month ahead of his January 20 inauguration. If Democrats remain united against Hegseth, he can only afford to lose support from three Republicans and still win Senate approval. Trump has weighed alternative Republican nominees, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Senator Joni Ernst and Representative Mike Waltz, who Trump has already picked for national security adviser, sources told Reuters earlier this week. Ernst, a senior Armed Services Committee member who on Thursday said she was not yet ready to back Hegseth, posted on Friday that she planned to meet him next week. "At a minimum, we agree that he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing," she wrote on X. Hegseth served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and has two Bronze Stars. But he has been criticised for lacking the management experience needed to lead 1.3 million active-duty service members and the nearly one million civilians who work for the nation's military. A California police report showed a woman filed a sexual assault complaint in 2017. Hegseth was never charged and has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer told CNN late Thursday that they may take legal action against the woman if Hegseth is not confirmed. On Wednesday, Hegseth told Sirius XM that he has "never had a drinking problem" but would nonetheless not drink alcohol if confirmed as defence secretary. Ernst, herself a combat veteran and sexual assault survivor, on Thursday said there must be a very thorough vetting process and that senators wanted "that any allegations have been cleared." Other Republicans offered tepid support. Two other Trump nominees have already ended their bids for top jobs: former Representative Matt Gaetz for US attorney general and Florida sheriff Chad Chronister for head of the Drug Enforcement Administration. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement
Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the US A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law - which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — is constitutional, rebuffing TikTok’s challenge that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform. TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. Police believe the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO quickly left NYC on a bus after shooting NEW YORK (AP) — Police officials say the gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene on a bicycle and hopping in a cab. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny says video of the gunman fleeing Wednesday’s shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson showed him riding through Central Park and later taking a taxi to a bus terminal, directly across from New Jersey. Police have video of the man entering the bus station but no video of him exiting. Investigators on Friday found a backpack in Central Park that was carried by the shooter, police said. Trump offers a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled nominee to lead the Pentagon WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is offering a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled choice to lead the Pentagon. Hegseth's ability to win confirmation by the Senate is wavering as he faces questions over allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat. Trump posted on social media that Hegseth is a winner “and there is nothing that can be done to change that.” Hegseth spent much of the week on Capitol Hill trying to salvage his Cabinet nomination and reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead the Pentagon. One critical senator, Republican Joni Ernst, said Friday that Hegseth deserves a “fair hearing.” IAEA chief: Iran is poised to 'quite dramatically' increase stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Iran is poised to “quite dramatically” increase its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium. That's according to comments by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Friday. Rafael Mariano Grossi spoke in Bahrain, on the sidelines of the International Institute of Strategic Studies’ Manama Dialogue. He says Iran had begun preparing advanced centrifuge cascades to spin at nuclear facilities to increase its supply of 60% enriched uranium. That kind of material is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Grossi says this is “very concerning." Iran did not immediately acknowledge the preparations, which Grossi said had begun on Friday. Inspectors hope to examine what’s going on. US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report also showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. The November data provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. Trump taps forceful ally of hard-line immigration policies to head Customs and Border Protection WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump's immigration and border team is filling out. Trump has announced a former Border Patrol chief, Rodney Scott, to head the Customs and Border Protection agency. Scott is a career Border Patrol agent who rose to head the agency during Trump's first term. He's been a vocal supporter of tougher enforcement measures. At CBP he'll head a department of roughly 60,000 employees responsible for protecting the country’s borders while also facilitating trade and travel. Trump also said he’d nominate Caleb Vitello as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency that, among other things, arrests migrants in the U.S. illegally. Vitello is a career ICE official with more than 23 years in the agency. Romania's top court annuls first round of presidential vote won by far-right candidate BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A top Romanian court has annulled the first round of the country’s presidential election, days after declassified intelligence alleged Russia ran a coordinated online campaign to promote the far-right outsider who won the first round. Friday's unprecedented and final decision by the Constitutional Court came after President Klaus Iohannis declassified intelligence on Wednesday that alleged Russia ran a sprawling campaign comprising thousands of social media accounts to promote Calin Georgescu across platforms like TikTok and Telegram. Despite being a huge outsider who declared zero campaign spending, Georgescu emerged as the frontrunner on Nov. 24. He was due to face reformist Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party in a runoff on Sunday. Crews recover the body of a woman from a Pennsylvania sinkhole after a 4-day search Police say the remains of a woman who fell into a sinkhole have been recovered four days after she went missing while searching for her cat. Trooper Steve Limani said Friday that the body of 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard was sent to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office for an autopsy. Pollard disappeared while looking for her cat on Monday evening, and authorities found her car close to what is thought to be a newly opened sinkhole above a long abandoned coal mine a few hours later. The sinkhole is in the village of Marguerite, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. Jury will consider lesser charge in NYC subway chokehold case, judge dismisses manslaughter charge NEW YORK (AP) — The judge overseeing the trial of a man accused of using a deadly chokehold on an unruly subway passenger has dismissed the top charge in the case at the request of prosecutors, allowing the jury to consider a lesser count after the panel indicated it was deadlocked on whether Daniel Penny was guilty of manslaughter. The judge’s decision on Friday came hours after Manhattan jurors sent him a note saying they were unable to agree on a manslaughter verdict. Penny is facing charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely, who Penny held in a chokehold for about six minutes on a New York City subway in 2023. Vance tells residents in hurricane-stricken North Carolina that they haven't been forgotten FAIRVIEW, N.C. (AP) — Vice President-elect JD Vance is surveying hurricane damage in western North Carolina in one of his first public appearances since the November election. Vance and his wife, Usha, visited the Fairview Volunteer Fire Department, which was flooded with 4 to 6 inches of water in the storm. They heard that roughly a dozen people contracted walking pneumonia while responding to the hurricane's destruction and that power outages prevented some first responders from talking with their families. Vance said, “My simple message to the people of Appalachia is that we haven’t forgotten you — we love you.” Vance has largely stayed out of the public eye since the election aside from shepherding Trump’s Cabinet nominees around Capitol Hill.An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition
10,855 Shares in KalVista Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:KALV) Bought by Intech Investment Management LLC
The story of a man who decided to take on a self-discipline challenge for a chance to win a substantial cash prize has recently captured the public's attention. The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, signed up for the challenge with the hope of transforming his life and winning the 800,000 yuan prize money. However, things did not go as planned, and he ended up losing 20,000 yuan instead.
The rise and fall of strongmen, and justice for a woman unbowed
More details revealed of Geocon's plans for the Phillip Pool redevelopmentPITTSBURGH -- Just about three hours before the game, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said he expected George Pickens to be a ‘go’ against the Cleveland Browns. Yet, just 90 minutes before kickoff, Pickens was listed as inactive. Scotty Miller was in street clothes before someone came over and told him to get into uniform because he was playing. Mike Williams said he found out he was starting when everybody else did. It seems Pickens truly was expected to play, but after discussions, the Steelers decided against it. So, why? Tomlin explained that if Pickens had played, it would have been in a limited sample size. Second, the team had trust in Miller to step up and make some plays. ‘G.P.’ [George Pickens] was listed as questionable. We didn’t feel like he was going to be able to play the type of number of snaps we thought would be worth putting him a uniform for, to be quite honest with you. We didn’t want a small problem to become a big problem. We put a helmet on Scotty Miller. As you can see, most of the time when you put the helmet on healthy guys, they take care of the rest. Scotty made some plays for us. Thankful for that," Tomlin said. Tomlin remained noncommittal on Pickens' status for next week because he did not want to guarantee something that may not happen. As a result, Pickens is still questionable against the Philadelphia Eagles, but it seems that his hamstring strain is minor enough to where he will not have to miss a significant amount of time, even if he does not play against the Eagles. BETTING: Check out our guide to the best PA sportsbooks , where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks. More Pittsburgh Steelers News Myles Garrett calls out Steelers fans after ‘Cleveland sucks’ chants: ‘We’ll see them again' Pittsburgh Steelers get ultimate revenge after smashing Browns Pittsburgh Steelers lose two key starters to injuries in win over Browns Steelers Thoughts: Russell Wilson is the reason Pittsburgh can win in the AFC Pittsburgh Steelers' blazing-fast cornerback goes down with back injury
The arrest of a sitting president is a rare and dramatic move in South Korean politics, and it has sparked widespread protests and unrest across the country. Supporters of President Yoon have taken to the streets to denounce the decision, while opponents have hailed it as a victory for justice and the rule of law.
In a small village nestled in the heart of the wilderness, residents were shocked to find one of their cows lying injured on the ground, with telltale signs indicating a possible tiger attack. The discovery sent ripples of concern through the close-knit community, prompting them to immediately spring into action and implement emergency measures to ensure the safety of both their livestock and themselves.An incoming Missouri Republican lawmaker introduced a bill this week that would offer $1,000 bounties to residents who turn in undocumented immigrants to the state highway patrol. The bill, filed by Sen.-elect David Gregory, a St. Louis-area Republican, would require the Missouri Department of Public Safety to create phone and email hotlines as well as an online portal where Missourians would be able to report alleged undocumented immigrants. The bill is among several pieces of legislation that deal with illegal immigration ahead of next month’s legislative session. They come as President-elect Donald Trump and Republicans across the country have made frustrations with immigration, and the U.S.-Mexico border, a hot-button issue . In addition to the payouts, Gregory’s bill would require the Department of Public Safety to create a “Missouri Illegal Alien Certified Bounty Hunter Program.” The program would certify people to become bounty hunters to find and detain undocumented immigrants. Individuals who are licensed as bail bond agents or surety recovery agents would be able to apply to become bounty hunters under Gregory’s bill. Undocumented immigrants who are caught by the bounty hunters would be considered guilty of “trespass by an illegal alien.” Those found guilty of the offense could face jail time and would be prohibited from voting and other rights. Gregory, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, had made illegal immigration one of the central focuses of his Senate campaign. He filmed a campaign ad at the southern border with Mexico and has promoted media coverage of his bill on social media. Edgar Palacios, executive director of Revolución Educativa , a Kansas City group focused on education issues in the Latino community, said Gregory’s bill was “horrendous.” “Immigrants are human and humans aren’t meant to be hunted,” Palacios said in an interview. “This idea of having a bounty hunter for immigrants is wild and I think it displays a narrative that, again, people see, not everybody, but certain people see immigrants as inhuman.” Nimrod Chapel, president of the Missouri NAACP State Conference, drew parallels between Gregory’s bill and legislation historically aimed at marginalized groups such as the 1820 Missouri Compromise which admitted Missouri as a slave state. “This bill by our new senator has returned exactly to those roots,” Chapel said. “You’re going to create a system that is not only going to differentiate people based on how God made them, which, in my spiritual belief, is just fundamentally wrong, but then you’re going to try to create in a system...that seeks to differentiate people in much the same way that some of the Jim Crow laws did.” Chapel referred to the bill as “a really draconian and racist piece of legislation.” “It scares the hell out of me,” he said. “And the reason it does is because I already know that Black and brown people have been catching hell in the state of Missouri for a very long time.” Impact on Kansas City While Gregory faces blowback for his bill, it comes as Missouri politics have been awash in rhetoric about migrants . The focus on immigration would have an outsized impact on the Kansas City region, which has become a center of migrant arrivals over the last decade, according to U.S. immigration court data analyzed by The Washington Post. Since 2014, roughly 8,300 migrants have settled in Jackson County since 2014 and 37% came from Honduras. Earlier this year, Republican Gov. Mike Parson sent Missouri National Guard troops to aid Texas , which has promoted a plan dubbed “Operation Lone Star” that uses Texas state resources to combat illegal border crossings. Parson, who will term out of office next month, heavily promoted the deployment, even though he later vetoed funding to continue it. Candidates for office in both major parties emphasized illegal immigration on the campaign trail, including Democrat Lucas Kunce. But the issue was perhaps the most prevalent in the race to succeed Parson as governor, with all three major GOP candidates touting immigration frustrations in campaign ads and public statements. Each of the three candidates, including Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe, also seized on comments Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas made in April welcoming migrant workers who are in the United States legally. Amid the campaign rhetoric, outgoing House Speaker Dean Plocher, a Des Peres Republican, also created a committee that focused on “Illegal Immigrant Crimes.” The committee held hearings across the state, including in Kansas City, to maximize public attention on the issue. For Palacios, with Revolución Educativa, immigrants are coming to the U.S. in search of a better life and to pursue “the American dream.” He said politicians should be focused on ensuring everyone has access to education and opportunities. “I think the narrative is harmful. I think it’s designed to create fear amongst certain members of our community,” Palacios said. “It riles up a base that may not fully appreciate, again, the value that immigrants and folks from the migrant community bring, not to our state, but to our country.”Title: Wright: Chelsea's Attack is Too Good, Ramsdale is Their Perfect Goalkeeper Choice