22 jili slot
JI launches 'Farmers' March' from Mandi Bahauddin today
Voters in Missouri cleared the way to undo one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans in one of seven victories for abortion rights advocates, while Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota defeated similar constitutional amendments, leaving bans in place Abortion rights amendments also passed in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland and Montana. Nevada voters also approved an amendment, but they’ll need to pass it again it 2026 for it to take effect. Madeline Summerville, attorney and political analyst, joined LiveNOW from FOX to discuss. The number of abortions in the U.S. only slightly dropped in 2022, the year the Supreme Court overturned Roe. v. Wade, returning the power to make laws on abortion access back to the states. Abortions declined by just 2% in 2022 compared to 2021, according to new surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The abortion rate also dipped by 3% and the abortion ratio decreased by 2%. The total dropped from about 622,000 abortions in 2021 to 609,000 in 2022, the data revealed. PRO-LIFE GROUPS CAUTIOUS ON RFK JR. NOMINATION AFTER EVOLVING ABORTION VIEWS Anit-abortion activists hold signs outside the US Supreme Court after the overturning of Roe Vs. Wade, in Washington, D.C., on June 24, 2022. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) The data comes as Republican-led states have enacted abortion bans with some exceptions such as medical emergencies after the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling. Most of the abortions were reported before nine weeks of pregnancy and more than 70% were early medication abortions, which was similar to the numbers from before Roe v. Wade was overturned, according to the data. This, as Republican-led states have enacted abortion bans with some exceptions such as medical emergencies after the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling. Most of the abortions were reported before nine weeks of pregnancy and more than 70% were early medication abortions, which was similar to the numbers from before Roe v. Wade was overturned, according to the data. The report also said that nearly 60% of the women who had abortions had also given birth before, the data revealed. The CDC data includes numbers from 47 areas of the U.S. that have published data from 2013 until 2022. LINK: Get updates on this story and more at foxnews.com.Emboldened 'manosphere' accelerates threats and demeaning language toward women after US election
– CBZ Holdings Limited (CBZHL) has withdrawn its proposed mandatory offer to minority shareholders of First Mutual Holdings Limited (FMHL) after the Competition and Tariff Commission (CTC) capped its stake in the insurer at 31.22%. The move underscores regulatory efforts to maintain market competition and prevent over-consolidation in Zimbabwe’s financial and insurance sectors. The mandatory offer, initially announced on October 31, 2024, was triggered by CBZHL’s substantial shareholding in FMHL, in line with Zimbabwe Stock Exchange Listings Requirements and the Companies and Other Business Entities Act. However, the CTC’s final decision, issued on November 29, 2024, rejected any further acquisition of FMHL shares by CBZHL, effectively blocking the proposed offer. In a statement released yesterday, CBZHL’s group chief governance officer, Ms. Rurobidzayi Jakanani, confirmed the company’s compliance with the ruling. “In light of the decision by the CTC, shareholders of FMHL are hereby advised that CBZHL will no longer be proceeding with the mandatory offer to the minority shareholders in First Mutual Holdings Limited. No further announcements will be made in respect of this issue,” said Ms. Jakanani. Market analysts view the CTC’s intervention as a significant regulatory action to safeguard competition. “This sends a strong message that there are limits to market consolidation, particularly when it involves major players like CBZHL,” said market analyst Shingai Dumba. “A 31.22% stake already positions CBZHL as a key influencer in FMHL’s operations. Allowing further acquisitions could have raised concerns about monopolistic practices and market dominance,” she added. The initial mandatory offer was seen as a strategic effort by CBZHL to deepen its foothold in Zimbabwe’s lucrative insurance sector. FMHL, a leading player in the industry, has a diversified portfolio spanning life and health insurance, as well as real estate investments. CBZHL’s interest in FMHL aligns with its broader vision of expanding its influence across financial services and insurance. For FMHL’s minority shareholders, the decision preserves the current shareholding structure, ensuring CBZHL remains a significant but non-controlling stakeholder. “While some shareholders may feel disappointed, as mandatory offers often come with premiums above market prices, the ruling maintains balance in the sector,” Ms. Dumba noted. The CTC’s decision reflects a growing trend of vigilant regulatory oversight in Zimbabwe’s corporate landscape. “The financial and insurance sectors are pivotal to economic stability. Over-consolidation risks creating monopolistic structures, which could hinder competition and innovation,” Ms. Dumba explained. With the mandatory offer shelved, CBZHL may need to explore alternative strategies to increase its influence within FMHL or focus on other growth avenues. The CTC’s ruling highlights the importance of regulatory bodies in shaping corporate dynamics by balancing growth ambitions with competitive fairness. As Zimbabwe’s economy evolves, maintaining this equilibrium will remain critical to fostering sustainable development in key industries.The cryptocurrency landscape continues to evolve, with several projects standing out for their innovative technology and potential for impressive returns. While Bitcoin (BTC) remains the market leader, promising projects like Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), Avalanche (AVAX), Polkadot (DOT), and Polygon (MATIC) are showing substantial growth. These cryptocurrencies offer unique solutions, making them key assets for investors in 2024. Bitcoin (BTC) – The Pioneer and Market Leader Bitcoin, the original cryptocurrency, remains the most well-known and widely used digital asset. As the first blockchain-based currency, it paved the way for the entire crypto revolution. With a limited supply of 21 million coins, Bitcoin has established itself as a store of value and "digital gold," especially during economic uncertainty. Despite the growth of other cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin remains the largest by market capitalization, and its dominance is unlikely to wane anytime soon. Often seen as a hedge against inflation, it’s favored by institutional investors looking for safe exposure to crypto. The introduction of Bitcoin ETFs and increasing regulatory clarity have solidified BTC's place in mainstream finance. Ethereum (ETH) – The King of Smart Contracts Ethereum has consistently held its position as the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. It’s renowned for its use in decentralized applications (dApps), decentralized finance (DeFi), and the non-fungible token (NFT) ecosystem. The successful transition to Ethereum 2.0, with a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, has made Ethereum more scalable, sustainable, and energy-efficient. Crypto Tracker TOP COIN SETS Smart Contract Tracker 4.85% Buy NFT & Metaverse Tracker 4.23% Buy AI Tracker 3.14% Buy Web3 Tracker 2.79% Buy DeFi Tracker -2.49% Buy TOP COINS (₹) Ethereum 290,181 ( 1.75% ) Buy BNB 60,707 ( 1.18% ) Buy XRP 186 ( 0.78% ) Buy Bitcoin 8,108,952 ( 0.5% ) Buy Tether 85 ( 0.03% ) Buy ETH 2.0 promises to reduce transaction costs and increase throughput, addressing the challenges Ethereum faced in its early years. This scalability is crucial for DeFi, NFTs, and gaming applications. As Ethereum continues to dominate the smart contract space, its vast network of developers and users makes it a staple for any serious crypto investor. Did you Know? The world of cryptocurrencies is very dynamic. Prices can go up or down in a matter of seconds. Thus, having reliable answers to such questions is crucial for investors. View Details » Solana (SOL) – Lightning-Fast Transactions and Growing Ecosystem Solana has become a strong competitor to Ethereum, particularly in the DeFi and NFT spaces, due to its ability to process up to 65,000 transactions per second (TPS). This high throughput, combined with low transaction fees, has made Solana a favorite among developers seeking faster, cost-effective alternatives to Ethereum. Stock Trading Masterclass on Value Investing and Company Valuation By - The Economic Times, Get Certified By India's Top Business News Brand View Program Stock Trading Market 104: Options Trading: Kickstart Your F&O Adventure By - Saketh R, Founder- QuickAlpha, Full Time Options Trader View Program Stock Trading Technical Analysis for Everyone - Technical Analysis Course By - Abhijit Paul, Technical Research Head, Fund Manager- ICICI Securities View Program Stock Trading Stock Markets Made Easy By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Stock Trading Renko Chart Patterns Made Easy By - Kaushik Akiwatkar, Derivative Trader and Investor View Program Stock Trading Market 101: An Insight into Trendlines and Momentum By - Rohit Srivastava, Founder- Indiacharts.com View Program Stock Trading Markets 102: Mastering Sentiment Indicators for Swing and Positional Trading By - Rohit Srivastava, Founder- Indiacharts.com View Program Stock Trading Dow Theory Made Easy By - Vishal Mehta, Independent Systematic Trader View Program Stock Trading Market 103: Mastering Trends with RMI and Techno-Funda Insights By - Rohit Srivastava, Founder- Indiacharts.com View Program Stock Trading ROC Made Easy: Master Course for ROC Stock Indicator By - Souradeep Dey, Equity and Commodity Trader, Trainer View Program Stock Trading Heikin Ashi Trading Tactics: Master the Art of Trading By - Dinesh Nagpal, Full Time Trader, Ichimoku & Trading Psychology Expert View Program Stock Trading RSI Made Easy: RSI Trading Course By - Souradeep Dey, Equity and Commodity Trader, Trainer View Program Stock Trading Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By - Dinesh Nagpal, Full Time Trader, Ichimoku & Trading Psychology Expert View Program While Solana has faced network outages in the past, it has bounced back with robust development and an expanding ecosystem. Its scalability and efficiency make it ideal for applications requiring high-speed transactions, such as decentralized exchanges (DEXs), gaming platforms, and NFTs. As the Solana ecosystem grows, SOL could see significant appreciation, making it a strong contender for exponential returns. Cardano (ADA) – A Research-Driven Blockchain with Massive Potential Cardano follows a unique, academic approach to blockchain development, focusing on peer-reviewed research to create a secure, scalable platform for decentralized applications. The Ouroboros Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism is designed to be energy-efficient and secure, emphasizing long-term sustainability. Cardano’s smart contract functionality, introduced with the Alonzo upgrade, positions it as a competitor to Ethereum in the dApp and DeFi space. The upcoming Hydra scaling solution promises to significantly increase transaction speeds, further boosting Cardano’s potential. With a strong development team, long-term vision, and a steadily growing ecosystem, ADA has the potential to become a major player in the blockchain space. Avalanche (AVAX) – A High-Performance Blockchain for DeFi Avalanche aims to solve Ethereum’s scalability problems by offering faster transaction speeds and lower fees. With over 4,500 transactions per second (TPS), Avalanche has become a top choice for DeFi projects in need of high throughput and low costs. The Avalanche ecosystem has expanded rapidly, with numerous DeFi platforms, NFTs, and decentralized applications launching on the blockchain. Its unique subnet architecture allows developers to create custom blockchains optimized for specific use cases, enhancing flexibility and scalability. The AVAX token has seen strong price growth, and its ongoing ecosystem expansion makes it a top contender for investors seeking substantial gains. Polkadot (DOT) – Enabling Interoperability Between Blockchains Polkadot’s standout feature is its focus on interoperability. It allows different blockchains to communicate, facilitating seamless data and asset exchange across various networks. This interoperability positions Polkadot as a key player in the future development of Web3 and decentralized applications. Polkadot’s network consists of a central Relay Chain and several Parachains, which can operate independently yet work together. This flexibility allows for high scalability and customization, making it attractive to developers. The DOT token plays a central role in governance, staking, and connecting Parachains. As more projects integrate into Polkadot’s ecosystem, the DOT token could experience significant appreciation. Polygon (MATIC) – Scaling Ethereum for Mass Adoption Polygon (formerly Matic Network) has become one of the most successful Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solutions, addressing Ethereum’s scalability issues by enabling the creation of Ethereum-compatible blockchains. Polygon’s solutions drastically reduce transaction fees and increase throughput, making it ideal for DeFi, NFT, and gaming sectors. Polygon has become a go-to solution for Ethereum-based applications seeking scalability without sacrificing security. As Ethereum continues to grow, Polygon’s role in scaling it for mass adoption will be vital. With a growing ecosystem, Polygon is a top altcoin to watch in 2024. While Bitcoin remains the dominant force in the crypto market, altcoins like Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, Avalanche, Polkadot, and Polygon are carving out their niches. These projects offer scalability, interoperability, and sustainability, presenting compelling investment opportunities. As 2024 unfolds, these cryptocurrencies are likely to continue making waves, offering both short- and long-term profit potential for savvy investors. (Dr Sathvik Vishwanath is CEO and co-founder of Unocoin) (Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times) (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel )
NoneWASHINGTON: Jimmy Carter, the earnest Georgia peanut farmer who as US president struggled with a bad economy and the Iran hostage crisis but brokered peace between Israel and Egypt and later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work, has died, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Sunday (Dec 29). He was 100. A Democrat, he served as president from January 1977 to January 1981 after defeating incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford in the 1976 U.S. election. Carter was swept from office four years later in an electoral landslide as voters embraced Republican challenger Ronald Reagan, the former actor and California governor. Carter lived longer after his term in office than any other US president. Along the way, he earned a reputation as a better former president than he was a president - a status he readily acknowledged. His one-term presidency was marked by the highs of the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, bringing some stability to the Middle East. But it was dogged by an economy in recession, persistent unpopularity and the embarrassment of the Iran hostage crisis that consumed his final 444 days in office. In recent years, Carter had experienced several health issues including melanoma that spread to his liver and brain. Carter decided to receive hospice care in February 2023 instead of undergoing additional medical intervention. His wife, Rosalynn Carter, died on Nov. 19, 2023, at age 96. He looked frail when he attended her memorial service and funeral in a wheelchair. Carter left office profoundly unpopular but worked energetically for decades on humanitarian causes. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 in recognition of his "untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." Carter had been a centrist as governor of Georgia with populist tendencies when he moved into the White House as the 39th U.S. president. He was a Washington outsider at a time when America was still reeling from the Watergate scandal that led Republican Richard Nixon to resign as president in 1974 and elevated Ford from vice president. "I'm Jimmy Carter and I'm running for president. I will never lie to you," Carter promised with an ear-to-ear smile. Asked to assess his presidency, Carter said in a 1991 documentary: "The biggest failure we had was a political failure. I never was able to convince the American people that I was a forceful and strong leader." Despite his difficulties in office, Carter had few rivals for accomplishments as a former president. He gained global acclaim as a tireless human rights advocate, a voice for the disenfranchised and a leader in the fight against hunger and poverty, winning the respect that eluded him in the White House. Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts to promote human rights and resolve conflicts around the world, from Ethiopia and Eritrea to Bosnia and Haiti. His Carter Center in Atlanta sent international election-monitoring delegations to polls around the world. A Southern Baptist Sunday school teacher since his teens, Carter brought a strong sense of morality to the presidency, speaking openly about his religious faith. He also sought to take some pomp out of an increasingly imperial presidency - walking, rather than riding in a limousine, in his 1977 inauguration parade. The Middle East was the focus of Carter's foreign policy. The 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty, based on the 1978 Camp David accords, ended a state of war between the two neighbors. Carter brought Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland for talks. Later, as the accords seemed to be unraveling, Carter saved the day by flying to Cairo and Jerusalem for personal shuttle diplomacy. The treaty provided for Israeli withdrawal from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and the establishment of diplomatic relations. Begin and Sadat each won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1978.By the 1980 election, the overriding issues were double-digit inflation, interest rates that exceeded 20% and soaring gas prices, as well as the Iran hostage crisis that brought humiliation to America. These issues marred Carter's presidency and undermined his chances of winning a second term. HOSTAGE CRISIS On Nov 4, 1979, revolutionaries devoted to Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had stormed the US Embassy in Tehran, seized the Americans present and demanded the return of the ousted shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was backed by the United States and was being treated in a US hospital. The American public initially rallied behind Carter. But his support faded in April 1980 when a commando raid failed to rescue the hostages, with eight US soldiers killed in an aircraft accident in the Iranian desert. Carter's final ignominy was that Iran held the 52 hostages until minutes after Reagan took his oath of office on Jan 20, 1981, to replace Carter, then released the planes carrying them to freedom. In another crisis, Carter protested the former Soviet Union's 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by boycotting the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. He also asked the U.S. Senate to defer consideration of a major nuclear arms accord with Moscow. Unswayed, the Soviets remained in Afghanistan for a decade. Carter won narrow Senate approval in 1978 of a treaty to transfer the Panama Canal to the control of Panama despite critics who argued the waterway was vital to American security. He also completed negotiations on full US ties with China. Carter created two new US Cabinet departments - education and energy. Amid high gas prices, he said America's "energy crisis" was "the moral equivalent of war" and urged the country to embrace conservation. "Ours is the most wasteful nation on earth," he told Americans in 1977. In 1979, Carter delivered what became known as his "malaise" speech to the nation, although he never used that word. "After listening to the American people I have been reminded again that all the legislation in the world can't fix what's wrong with America," he said in his televised address. "The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America." As president, the strait-laced Carter was embarrassed by the behavior of his hard-drinking younger brother, Billy Carter, who had boasted: "I got a red neck, white socks, and Blue Ribbon beer." "THERE YOU GO AGAIN" Jimmy Carter withstood a challenge from Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination but was politically diminished heading into his general election battle against a vigorous Republican adversary. Reagan, the conservative who projected an image of strength, kept Carter off balance during their debates before the November 1980 election. Reagan dismissively told Carter, "There you go again," when the Republican challenger felt the president had misrepresented Reagan's views during one debate. Carter lost the 1980 election to Reagan, who won 44 of the 50 states and amassed an Electoral College landslide. James Earl Carter Jr was born on Oct 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, one of four children of a farmer and shopkeeper. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946, served in the nuclear submarine program and left to manage the family peanut farming business. He married his wife, Rosalynn, in 1946, a union he called "the most important thing in my life." They had three sons and a daughter. Carter became a millionaire, a Georgia state legislator and Georgia's governor from 1971 to 1975. He mounted an underdog bid for the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination, and out-hustled his rivals for the right to face Ford in the general election. With Walter Mondale as his vice presidential running mate, Carter was given a boost by a major Ford gaffe during one of their debates. Ford said that "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration," despite decades of just such domination. Carter edged Ford in the election, even though Ford actually won more states - 27 to Carter's 23. Not all of Carter's post-presidential work was appreciated. Former President George W Bush and his father, former President George HW Bush, both Republicans, were said to have been displeased by Carter's freelance diplomacy in Iraq and elsewhere. In 2004, Carter called the Iraq war launched in 2003 by the younger Bush one of the most "gross and damaging mistakes our nation ever made." He called George W. Bush's administration "the worst in history" and said Vice President Dick Cheney was "a disaster for our country." In 2019, Carter questioned Republican Donald Trump's legitimacy as president, saying "he was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf." Trump responded by calling Carter "a terrible president." Carter also made trips to communist North Korea. A 1994 visit defused a nuclear crisis, as President Kim Il Sung agreed to freeze his nuclear program in exchange for resumed dialogue with the United States. That led to a deal in which North Korea, in return for aid, promised not to restart its nuclear reactor or reprocess the plant's spent fuel. But Carter irked Democratic President Bill Clinton's administration by announcing the deal with North Korea's leader without first checking with Washington. In 2010, Carter won the release of an American sentenced to eight years of hard labour for illegally entering North Korea. Carter wrote more than two dozen books, ranging from a presidential memoir to a children's book and poetry, as well as works about religious faith and diplomacy. His book Faith: A Journey for All, was published in 2018.
Founder of proposed cannabis facility in Le Sueur waits for next steps in stalled licensing lottery
The suspect in the high-profile killing of a health insurance CEO that has gripped the United States graduated from an Ivy League university, reportedly hails from a wealthy family, and wrote social media posts brimming with cerebral musings. Luigi Mangione, 26, was thrust into the spotlight Monday after police revealed he is their person of interest in the brutal murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a father of two, last week in broad daylight in Manhattan in a case that laid bare deep frustration and anger with America's privatized medical system. News of his capture in Pennsylvania -- following a tip from a McDonald's worker --triggered an explosion of online activity, with Mangione quickly amassing new followers on social media as citizen sleuths and US media tried to understand who he is. While some lauded him as a hero and lamented his arrest, others analyzed his intellectual takes in search of ideological clues. A photo on one of his social media accounts includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine. No explicit political affiliation has emerged. Meanwhile, memes and jokes proliferated, many riffing on his first name and comparing him to the "Mario Bros." character Luigi, sometimes depicted in AI-altered images wielding a gun or holding a Big Mac. "Godspeed. Please know that we all hear you," wrote one user on Facebook. "I want to donate to your defense fund," added another. According to Mangione's LinkedIn profile, he is employed as a data engineer at TrueCar, a California-based online auto marketplace. A company spokesperson told AFP Mangione "has not been an employee of our company since 2023." Although he had been living in Hawaii ahead of the killing, he originally hails from Towson, Maryland, near Baltimore. He comes from a prominent and wealthy Italian-American family, according to the Baltimore Banner. The family owns local businesses, including the Hayfields Country Club, its website says. A standout student, Mangione graduated at the top of his high school class in 2016. In an interview with his local paper at the time, he praised his teachers for fostering a passion for learning beyond grades and encouraging intellectual curiosity. A former student who knew Mangione at the Gilman School told AFP the suspect struck him as "a normal guy, nice kid." "There was nothing about him that was off, at least from my perception," this person said, asking that their name not be used. "Seemed to just be smiling, and kind of seemed like he was a smart kid. Ended up being valedictorian, which confirmed that," the former student said. Mangione went on to attend the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, where he completed both a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science by 2020, according to a university spokesperson. While at Penn, Mangione co-led a group of 60 undergraduates who collaborated on video game projects, as noted in a now-deleted university webpage, archived on the Wayback Machine. On Instagram, where his following has skyrocketed from hundreds to tens of thousands, Mangione shared snapshots of his travels in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. He also posted shirtless photos flaunting a six-pack and appeared in celebratory posts with fellow members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. However, it is on X (formerly Twitter) that users have scoured Mangione's posts for potential motives. His header photo -- an X-ray of a spine with bolts -- remains cryptic, with no public explanation. Finding a coherent political ideology has also proved elusive, though he had written a review of Ted Kaczynski's manifesto on the online site goodreads, calling it "prescient." Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, carried out a string of bombings in the United States from 1978 to 1995, a campaign he said was aimed at halting the advance of modern society and technology. Mangione called Kaczynski "rightfully imprisoned," while also saying "'violence never solved anything' is a statement uttered by cowards and predators." According to CNN, handwritten documents recovered when Mangione was arrested included the phrase "these parasites had it coming." Mangione has also linked approvingly to posts criticizing secularism as a harmful consequence of Christianity's decline. In April, he wrote, "Horror vacui (nature abhors a vacuum)." The following month, he posted an essay he wrote in high school titled "How Christianity Prospered by Appealing to the Lower Classes of Ancient Rome." In another post from April, he speculated that Japan's low birthrate stems from societal disconnection, adding that "fleshlights" and other vaginal-replica sex toys should be banned. ia/nro/dw‘Extremely ironic': Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO slaying played video game killer, friend recalls
Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for intel chief, faces questions on Capitol Hill amid Syria falloutCelularity Inc. Announces Receipt of Nasdaq Notification
It's been a long road back to the highest levels of motorsport for Canadian driver Robert Wickens. Six years after he was paralyzed in a violent wreck, Wickens will again be behind the wheel against some of the best drivers in North America. Wickens, from Guelph, Ont., was named the newest driver for DXDT Racing earlier this week, moving the 35-year-old up to IMSA GTD competition for 2025, the highest class on the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series. His promotion was made possible by a new hand control braking system created by Bosch Electronics, with help from GM Motorsports and Corvette Racing/Pratt Miller. "It's not going to be easy but I wanted to get to the highest levels of motorsport again because, frankly, that's where I was when I was injured," said Wickens, who crashed at Pocono Raceway in 2018 during IndyCar's ABC Supply 500. "But not only that, I want to prove to myself and other generations of people with disabilities that you can really do anything. "Maybe you're having a hard time getting back to your place of work after a life-altering accident and — whatever your discipline, it doesn't even have to be athletics — but I know it's possible as long as you align yourself with a strong support system." For Wickens, that's been his wife Karli Wickens, his family and, in his professional life, organizations like Bosch and GM. Wickens's crash left him with a thoracic spinal fracture, a neck fracture, tibia and fibula fractures to both legs, fractures in both hands, a fractured right forearm, a fractured elbow, four fractured ribs, a pulmonary contusion, and an indeterminate spinal injury that combined to make him a paraplegic. As he has slowly recovered some movement in his legs, Wickens has eased back into motor racing. He drove the parade lap of the 2019 Honda Indy Toronto, competed in the IndyCar iRacing Challenge during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and then in January 2022 it was announced he would drive in the Michelin Pilot Challenge for Bryan Herta Autosport. He and co-driver Mark Wilkins won twice in the Michelin Pilot Challenge's TCR category with three podiums in 2022. In 2023 the pairing didn't win, but they reached the podium seven times to earn the TCR championship. All of Wickens's post-accident cars have been fitted with hand controls. Those conventional systems rely on paddles around the steering wheel that activate pneumatics that then press the foot pedals. Hand controls like that are acceptable for regular road vehicles and even lower levels of motorsports but in the highest classes, like IMSA GTD where cars top out at more than 280 kilometres, the lag between the driver toggling the paddle and the car responding is unacceptably slow. That's where the Bosch electronic system comes in, with the controls linked directly to the car's braking system, removing the pneumatics as an intermediary. "When you hit the brakes to slow the car down for each corner that was always a big challenge for me where (with) the Bosch electronic system, the latency is milliseconds not tenths of a second," said Wickens. "It's basically as accurate as I would be if I was an able-bodied driver wanting to apply the brake. "Honestly, it's just better in every facet imaginable. It's just been a true blessing." Advances in physical rehabilitation from spinal cord injuries as well as the ongoing development of vehicle technology has made Wickens's return to competitive motorsport possible. "I'm very fortunate in the timing of my paralysis and my career," Wickens said Wednesday from Tampa, Fla. "If this was even a decade ago we'd be having a very different conversation today." The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship has four classes of vehicles: two sports prototype categories and two grand tourer classes. GTD is considered the highest of the four classes because each team must have at least a silver or bronze driver and more than one platinum-rated driver on a team is prohibited. "I want to win," said Wickens. "I think the big thing for me on this journey back was I wanted to race again because I truly felt like I could still win. "I want to raise awareness for spinal cord injury and disability, not by just being a participant, but by being the guy. I want to win races, fight for podiums, win championships, every time I'm sitting in the car." Wickens said he won't just be a role model for people living with paralysis or other mobility disabilities, but the technology his car will employ in 2025 will likely become commercially available for use in road vehicles. "Motorsports and the automotive racing industry were founded to be a proving ground for everyday automotive vehicles," he said. "From there you make road cars and road safety better. "Hopefully we can provide the technology and have regularly available components that can make any race car accessible for anyone that needs hand controls or any other form of disability." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024. Follow jchidleyhill.bsky.social on Bluesky. John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian PressIt's been a long road back to the highest levels of motorsport for Canadian driver Robert Wickens. Six years after he was paralyzed in a violent wreck, Wickens will again be behind the wheel against some of the best drivers in North America. Wickens, from Guelph, Ont., was named the newest driver for DXDT Racing earlier this week, moving the 35-year-old up to IMSA GTD competition for 2025, the highest class on the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series. His promotion was made possible by a new hand control braking system created by Bosch Electronics, with help from GM Motorsports and Corvette Racing/Pratt Miller. "It's not going to be easy but I wanted to get to the highest levels of motorsport again because, frankly, that's where I was when I was injured," said Wickens, who crashed at Pocono Raceway in 2018 during IndyCar's ABC Supply 500. "But not only that, I want to prove to myself and other generations of people with disabilities that you can really do anything. "Maybe you're having a hard time getting back to your place of work after a life-altering accident and — whatever your discipline, it doesn't even have to be athletics — but I know it's possible as long as you align yourself with a strong support system." For Wickens, that's been his wife Karli Wickens, his family and, in his professional life, organizations like Bosch and GM. Wickens's crash left him with a thoracic spinal fracture, a neck fracture, tibia and fibula fractures to both legs, fractures in both hands, a fractured right forearm, a fractured elbow, four fractured ribs, a pulmonary contusion, and an indeterminate spinal injury that combined to make him a paraplegic. As he has slowly recovered some movement in his legs, Wickens has eased back into motor racing. He drove the parade lap of the 2019 Honda Indy Toronto, competed in the IndyCar iRacing Challenge during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and then in January 2022 it was announced he would drive in the Michelin Pilot Challenge for Bryan Herta Autosport. He and co-driver Mark Wilkins won twice in the Michelin Pilot Challenge's TCR category with three podiums in 2022. In 2023 the pairing didn't win, but they reached the podium seven times to earn the TCR championship. All of Wickens's post-accident cars have been fitted with hand controls. Those conventional systems rely on paddles around the steering wheel that activate pneumatics that then press the foot pedals. Hand controls like that are acceptable for regular road vehicles and even lower levels of motorsports but in the highest classes, like IMSA GTD where cars top out at more than 280 kilometres, the lag between the driver toggling the paddle and the car responding is unacceptably slow. That's where the Bosch electronic system comes in, with the controls linked directly to the car's braking system, removing the pneumatics as an intermediary. "When you hit the brakes to slow the car down for each corner that was always a big challenge for me where (with) the Bosch electronic system, the latency is milliseconds not tenths of a second," said Wickens. "It's basically as accurate as I would be if I was an able-bodied driver wanting to apply the brake. "Honestly, it's just better in every facet imaginable. It's just been a true blessing." Advances in physical rehabilitation from spinal cord injuries as well as the ongoing development of vehicle technology has made Wickens's return to competitive motorsport possible. "I'm very fortunate in the timing of my paralysis and my career," Wickens said Wednesday from Tampa, Fla. "If this was even a decade ago we'd be having a very different conversation today." The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship has four classes of vehicles: two sports prototype categories and two grand tourer classes. GTD is considered the highest of the four classes because each team must have at least a silver or bronze driver and more than one platinum-rated driver on a team is prohibited. "I want to win," said Wickens. "I think the big thing for me on this journey back was I wanted to race again because I truly felt like I could still win. "I want to raise awareness for spinal cord injury and disability, not by just being a participant, but by being the guy. I want to win races, fight for podiums, win championships, every time I'm sitting in the car." Wickens said he won't just be a role model for people living with paralysis or other mobility disabilities, but the technology his car will employ in 2025 will likely become commercially available for use in road vehicles. "Motorsports and the automotive racing industry were founded to be a proving ground for everyday automotive vehicles," he said. "From there you make road cars and road safety better. "Hopefully we can provide the technology and have regularly available components that can make any race car accessible for anyone that needs hand controls or any other form of disability." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024. Follow jchidleyhill.bsky.social on Bluesky. John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian PressCelularity Inc. Announces Receipt of Nasdaq NotificationRockwell Automation Inc. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors
Under the aegis of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)inaugurated the 10th edition of India International Science Festival 2024 (IISF 2024), today, 30th November 2024, at IIT Guwahati, in association with Vijnana Bharathi, the nodal institute of the event being CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram. Celebrating India's scientific achievements and fostering innovation, the festival was graced by esteemed dignitaries, including Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam, as the Chief Guest, and Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon’ble Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Govt. of India, who delivered the Presidential address. Other dignitaries included Smr. Dasanglu Pul, Hon’ble Cabinet Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, and Shri Keshab Mahanta, Minister for Science & Technology, Govt. of Assam. Key stakeholders present during the event included Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Hon’ble Secretary, DST; Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Hon’ble Secretary, DBT; Dr. M. Ravichandran, Hon’ble Secretary MoES; Prof. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Hon’ble Secretary, DAE; Dr. Ravi Kota, IAS, Chief Secretary, Govt. of Assam; and Prof. Devendra Jalihal, Director, IIT Guwahati, accompanied by Dr. (Mrs.) N. Kalaiselvi, DG-CSIR; Dr. C. Anandharamakrishnan, Director, CSIR-NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram, and several other distinguished figures from India’s science and technology ecosystem. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Assam, remarked, "IISF 2024 is a celebration of collective efforts in scientific innovation and collaboration. This festival would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the Honorable Prime Minister. IISF 2024 stands as a grand celebration of scientific innovation and collaboration, featuring numerous innovations catering to a diverse audience. It showcases India's remarkable achievements, such as Chandrayaan-2, and includes a science expo that highlights cutting-edge research and technology. The festival promises a dynamic exploration of science through events like the Young Scientists’ Conclave, Science Safari, and Tinker Labs, aimed at igniting curiosity and fostering innovation among students.” Further, he added, "With special features like Nari Shakti celebrating women in STEM, Science Beyond Borders fostering global partnerships, and initiatives like Sagrika and Science Village, IISF 2024 is a true celebration of innovation and sustainability. With India ranking among the top three in scientific research and excelling in startups, we are poised to become a global leader in innovation, supported by being the third-highest producer of PhDs worldwide." Delivering the Presidential Address, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon'ble Minister for Science and Technology, Govt. of India, said, “India’s remarkable growth story is deeply rooted in its advancements in science, technology, and innovation. Over the past decade, under the visionary leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, we have seen a profound transformation across sectors—from the rise of start-ups to revolutionary breakthroughs in biotechnology, space technology, and quantum science. The Northeast region, once on the periphery of development, has become a shining example of growth, embodying both economic progress and scientific innovation. As we approach India@2047, empowering youth and fostering innovation are key. Initiatives like the National Research Foundation and the bioeconomy revolution are driving India toward self-reliance and global leadership, with young innovators leading the way.” A key highlight of the event was the launch of the India Science, Technology & Innovation (ISTI) Portal by Dr. Jitendra Singh. This centralised platform will serve as a comprehensive repository for content related to Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) within India’s ecosystem. With a strong focus on engaging students, scientists, researchers, youth, and the public, the portal will provide access to valuable information on fellowships, scholarships, funding opportunities, and startup initiatives, enabling users to explore and leverage opportunities within India. The four-day festival, running until 3rd December 2024, aims to popularise science and technology across diverse communities. IISF 2024 is expected to attract over 8,000 delegates, researchers, and leading scientific organisations, along with an additional 10,000 students from schools and colleges, fostering collaboration and innovation across disciplines. The event also featured the inauguration of multiple exhibitions by the Hon’ble Chief Guests, highlighting key advancements, such as: Chandrayaan - Museum of The Moon Exhibition: The exhibition, created by British artist Dr. Luke Jerram, features a life-sized, seven-meter replica of the moon with detailed NASA imagery. The exhibition aims to engage the public in discussions about space, exploration, and humanity's connection to the cosmos, highlighting India's Chandrayaan Mission. Science-Technology-Defence-Space Exhibition: Highlighting achievements in defence, space, and science, this expo showcases key initiatives like AatmaNirbhar Bharat and Digital India, with hands-on learning opportunities and networking platforms for young scientists and technologists. Reimagining Bharat Exhibition: Showcasing India's roadmap for a technologically advanced future, this exhibition emphasizes innovations in AI, robotics, quantum computing, renewable energy, and space exploration. It also provides interactive experiences such as live demos and virtual realities. North East Food Street: A culinary celebration of the diverse flavors of the Northeast, offering traditional dishes alongside cultural music, immersing visitors in the region’s rich heritage. Additionally, the day featured several events that provided opportunities for participants to engage directly with the key stakeholders of Indian scientific community, including: Science Institutional Leaders Meet – Vision Sansad – The event brought together leaders from science ministries and industry CEOs to discuss transformative S&T policies and initiatives. Science through Games and Adventures - Science Safari – This first-of-its-kind initiative in the Northeast brought together 173 school science teachers, including 45 from the Northeast, and features innovative educational toys by 20 teacher-entrepreneurs. Round Table on India as the Global Manufacturing Hub through S&T – The discussion features stakeholder from the Government and industries exploring initiatives, policies, and strategies to strengthen India’s manufacturing capabilities and discuss the country’s vision to become a global leader in manufacturing. Students Science & Technology Village – The event will engage 3,000 students from across India, including 75% from the Northeast and border districts offering interactive exhibits, hands-on experiments, educational games, and STEM challenges to ignite curiosity and critical thinking among school students. The festival promises a packed schedule of exhibitions, workshops, and interactive sessions, making IISF 2024 a beacon of inspiration, bridging science, society, and innovation in a meaningful way. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Education and around the world.
Dodgers agree to sign two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell