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STONY BROOK, N.Y. (AP) — Joseph Octave scored 24 points as Stony Brook beat Maine 74-72 on Saturday. Octave also added five rebounds for the Seawolves (4-8). Ben Wight shot 4 of 7 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line to add 11 points. CJ Luster II shot 3 for 8 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points. Kellen Tynes led the way for the Black Bears (8-6) with 15 points, four assists, four steals and two blocks. Jaden Clayton added 15 points, four assists and three steals for Maine. AJ Lopez finished with 13 points and four assists. Stony Brook went into halftime leading Maine 34-30. Octave put up 10 points in the half. Octave led Stony Brook with 14 points in the second half as his team was outscored by two points over the final half but held on for the victory. Both teams next play Sunday. Stony Brook visits Albany (NY) and Maine plays Boston University at home. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lynne Roberts wasn’t looking to leave the Utah women’s basketball team. Then she got a call from Los Angeles Sparks general manager Reagan Pebley that changed her thinking. Roberts was introduced Thursday as coach of the Sparks, becoming the second coach to make the leap from college to the WNBA this month. Karl Smesko of Florida Gulf Coast got the Atlanta Dream job last week. “I was 100 percent invested at Utah,” Roberts said. “It just kind of felt like this is a golden opportunity. As a competitor, the chance to coach the best in the world, it’s what I want.” She replaces Curt Miller , who was let go in September and now is general manager of the Dallas Wings. Roberts inherits a team that has a strong young nucleus of Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink and Dearica Hamby. The Sparks have the No. 2 pick in next year’s WNBA draft. “We’ve got kind of a cool combination of some veteran leadership and then we’ve got a really dynamic young group,” Roberts said. “That’s a good roster right there and then we can keep working with it.” Los Angeles finished 8-32 last season for the league’s worst record and has missed the playoffs for four straight years. “I want to compete, I want to win now,” Roberts said. “I know that’s easier said than done, but I’m up for the challenge and I can’t wait to get started.” Roberts is friends with Southern California women’s coach Lindsay Gottlieb and UCLA coach Cori Close. “That was intentional,” Sparks general manager Reagan Pebley said. “That we were bringing somebody into this role that had existing relationships because again this is a community of women’s basketball that is exceptional.” Roberts added, “I want to be the top of that pyramid with the Sparks.” Roberts is returning to her native California. The 49-year-old coach grew up in the Northern California city of Redding. She played college ball at Seattle Pacific and then began coaching at Chico State before moving to Pacific and then Utah. Roberts was 165-116 in nine-plus seasons at Utah and recently signed a six-year extension. She led the team to three straight NCAA Tournament berths and was the Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2023. The Utes have started this season 3-1 and will be coached by Gavin Petersen, who was promoted from associate head coach. “I poured 10 years of my life into that place and I loved it. I loved every minute of it,” Roberts said. “Where we started wasn’t great, where it is now is great and I’m very proud of that.” Roberts said the current upheaval in college basketball including name, image and likeness, the transfer portal and Utah's move to the Big 12 this season had nothing to do with her leaving. “I'm sitting here because it's a chance to coach the best people in the world and win a championship in LA. That's it,” she said. “As a competitor and as someone that kind of thrives in pressure, being in this market, being in LA, it sounds like heaven to me." AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
An Indian-origin man who brutally beat up his girlfriend to death at his home in East Midlands region of England, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a UK court. Police described it as a case of domestic abuse and said it is vital anyone suffering gets the support they need to put a stop before it is too late. Raj Sidpara , a 50-year-old resident of Leicester, was convicted last week of the murder of Tarnjeet Riaz, also known as Tarnjeet Chagger, following a trial at Leicester Crown Court . On Friday, Sidpara was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years behind bars before being considered for parole, according to Leicestershire Police . The couple had been in a relationship for around five months and by the time emergency services were called to his home on Tarbat Road on the afternoon of May 6, Tarnjeet was already dead. Tarnjeet, 44, was found with extensive trauma to her face, as well as multiple broken ribs, when she was found unresponsive by the emergency services, who had been called by Sidpara. Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Intermediate Java Mastery: Method, Collections, and Beyond By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership Validating Your Startup Idea: Steps to Ensure Market Fit By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Advanced C++ Mastery: OOPs and Template Techniques By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Django & PostgreSQL Mastery: Build Professional Web Applications By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Leadership Boosting Startup Revenue with 6 AI-Powered Sales Automation Techniques By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Web Development Java 21 Essentials for Beginners: Build Strong Programming Foundations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By - Study At Home, Quality Education Anytime, Anywhere View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Microsoft Word Mastery: From Beginner to Expert By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Finance AI and Generative AI for Finance By - Hariom Tatsat, Vice President- Quantitative Analytics at Barclays View Program Finance A2Z Of Finance: Finance Beginner Course By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Web Development Master RESTful APIs with Python and Django REST Framework: Web API Development By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy i.e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By - CA Rahul Gupta, CA with 10+ years of experience and Accounting Educator View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI for Everyone: Understanding and Applying the Basics on Artificial Intelligence By - Ritesh Vajariya, Generative AI Expert View Program Marketing Future of Marketing & Branding Masterclass By - Dr. David Aaker, Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, Author | Speaker | Thought Leader | Branding Consultant View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Tabnine AI Masterclass: Optimize Your Coding Efficiency By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program In October, Sidpara admitted the lesser manslaughter charge of causing the injuries to his girlfriend but denied intending to kill her or cause her serious harm. The court heard that his victim was left with "two enormous black eyes", bleeding on the brain and 20 rib fractures, among other injuries. "You have steadfastly refused to explain what you did or why," Judge William Harbage said, addressing the accused in court. "What's clear is that you attacked her in a savage and merciless way; you punched, kicked and stamped on her in a sustained attack," a BBC court report read. The court heard that Sidpara was diagnosed with alcohol dependence syndrome and had 24 previous convictions for 46 offences, including threats to kill and harassment of previous girlfriends and people connected to them. Sidpara's sentencing comes as Leicestershire Police said it has joined organisations across the globe to support "White Ribbon Day", focussed on targeted action around violence against women and girls. "Tarnjeet was killed at the hands of someone she was in a relationship with. Someone who should have supported and protected her, not someone she should have feared would brutally attack her," said Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Emma Matts. "While the person responsible will now spend many years behind bars, Tarnjeet's family are left with so many questions and the overwhelming feeling of wondering if they could have done more. We know domestic abuse is very complex. Often victims don't want to share with family and friends the details of what is happening behind closed doors, let alone with police, but it is vital anyone suffering gets the support they need to put a stop to the abuse before it is too late," she said. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )Comedy Legends Gather! M-1 Grand Prix Makes Waves
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Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Grid Dynamics Holdings, Inc. ( NASDAQ:GDYN – Free Report ) by 1.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,381,429 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,763 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC owned approximately 1.80% of Grid Dynamics worth $19,344,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GDYN. Barclays PLC lifted its position in Grid Dynamics by 173.8% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 111,182 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,556,000 after acquiring an additional 70,579 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Grid Dynamics by 30.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,859,808 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,037,000 after purchasing an additional 675,419 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Grid Dynamics by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,446,130 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,246,000 after purchasing an additional 6,938 shares in the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp grew its stake in Grid Dynamics by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 79,214 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,109,000 after buying an additional 6,151 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP increased its position in Grid Dynamics by 131.5% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 5,236 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,000 after buying an additional 2,974 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.18% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have weighed in on GDYN shares. TD Cowen raised their price target on Grid Dynamics from $16.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Grid Dynamics from $17.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Grid Dynamics from $17.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on shares of Grid Dynamics from $20.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $18.33. Insider Activity at Grid Dynamics In related news, CFO Anil Doradla sold 3,000 shares of Grid Dynamics stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.66, for a total value of $52,980.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 380,282 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,715,780.12. The trade was a 0.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, CEO Leonard Livschitz sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.56, for a total value of $218,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,460,901 shares in the company, valued at $50,390,718.56. This represents a 0.43 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 25,000 shares of company stock worth $399,260. Company insiders own 7.20% of the company’s stock. Grid Dynamics Trading Up 7.7 % Shares of NASDAQ:GDYN opened at $22.70 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.87 billion, a PE ratio of 756.92 and a beta of 1.06. Grid Dynamics Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $9.07 and a 12-month high of $24.16. The business has a 50 day moving average of $18.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $14.63. Grid Dynamics ( NASDAQ:GDYN – Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.09 by $0.01. Grid Dynamics had a net margin of 0.74% and a return on equity of 0.15%. The firm had revenue of $87.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $85.09 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.08 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Grid Dynamics Holdings, Inc. will post 0.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Grid Dynamics Company Profile ( Free Report ) Grid Dynamics Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides technology consulting, platform and product engineering, and analytics services in North America, Europe, and internationally. It offers cloud platform and product engineering services, such as architecting, designing, and building scalable and secure cloud-based platforms and business applications; and AI/machine learning and data platform engineering services that build platforms to facilitate batch and streaming data ingestion, quality governance, orchestration, semantic modeling, observability, and analysis at scale. Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Grid Dynamics What is a buyback in stocks? A comprehensive guide for investors Buffett Takes the Bait; Berkshire Buys More Oxy in December High Dividend REITs: Are They an Ideal Way to Diversify? Top 3 ETFs to Hedge Against Inflation in 2025 Short Selling: How to Short a Stock These 3 Chip Stock Kings Are Still Buys for 2025 Receive News & Ratings for Grid Dynamics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grid Dynamics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Quick Links A unique and useful item for everyday use Airplane tags Model aircraft Apparel Aviation-themed games Literature Merry Christmas It can be very hard to find the right gift for a person. Every gift giver desires to give something that will truly demonstrate how much they appreciate someone and that will truly be appreciated and remembered by the receiver. A good gift demonstrates that the giver is in tune with the receivers' interests and passions and is a token of humility that puts the other person first. Much could be said about gift giving and the thought behind it. Gift giving at Christmas is not merely the exchange of material possessions. Jeffrey A. Tucker writes in The Epoch Times : "The materialism of our times makes it all the more crucial that we understand that it is not ultimately about the thing but the idea. And that idea is the dignity and value of each individual person." Indeed, when all is said and done, it is the thought and the attitude of truly caring for others that matters. So don't stress, it may be really hard to find the perfect gift for an avgeek and that is okay. Don't be afraid to ask them what they would like. In the meantime, here are a few ideas for Christmas gifts that will put a smile on the face of any aviation aficionado. A unique and useful item for everyday use Often, the best gifts are those items that can be used every day yet tips a hat to the person's allegiances and passions. At the Air Hub Store , one can find a variety of Airbus or Boeing themed items that range from unique desktop clocks to pens. One such item is a Boeing-themed travel bag that is sure to remind people of the popular slogan, “if it's not Boeing, I’m not going.” The nylon bag from Red Canoe boasts sturdy handles and an adjustable strap. It measures 26 by 23 by 50 cm, making it a useful size for everyday use. If the Boeing travel bag is not up to one’s taste, they might enjoy the Airbus-themed carbon fiber pen that shows off their loyalty to their favorite manufacturer of airliners. Indeed, pens make a nice gift for everyday use. It is interesting to note how many people value a collection of good pens that show off their loyalties. One pen that any avgeek may enjoy is the P-51 Mustang themed Retro 51 Tornado Fountain Pen. This pen from the Goulet Pen Company “is acid-etched and printed to recreate the iconic WWII fighter plane.” If Fountain pens are not their taste, maybe the slightly less expensive, Corsair-themed or PANAM Clipper Retro rollerball pen will put a smile on their face. Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today. Airplane tags A more recent development, aviation tags have become an increasingly popular gift for airplane enthusiasts. These tags are made from the aluminum skin of retired aircraft. These can range from retired airliners to historic aircraft. Each tag bears the unique features of the airplane it came from. One company, Aviationtag , remarks on this process: “The Aviationtags themselves consist of 100% original and authentic aircraft skin. The origin of the material can be traced back to the original delivery of the aircraft and we always provide our customers with important and interesting information on the history of the aircraft.” Aviationtag offers tags made from the skin of a recently retired Corsair Boeing 747 to aircraft like the historic English Electric Canberra. Another company, Planetags , has a large selection that varies from types such as a scrapped A380 that served with Qantas, a Boeing 727 from Northwest, or an F-14 Tomcat. The selections are diverse, but quantities are limited, making these tags a great collection item. Model aircraft Another great gift that every avgeek will enjoy is a model aircraft. The selections are great. Online stores like the Aircraft Model Store (AMS) in the UK or the Airplane Shop in the USA have a vast collection of model brands, aircraft types, and airline companies to choose from. There are highly detailed models, desktop models, and even toy airplanes for children. AMS and the Airplane Shop also ship worldwide. The price range of aircraft models vary widely and are based on the quality, materials, and detail of the models. Some shops, like Custom Air Models , will build any aircraft the customer desires: “We can build any plane you want... Hand carved from solid mahogany and hand painted to showroom quality. We attach every accessory reproducible for true to life accuracy.” They include every detail right down to the aircraft registration. If someone has a connection to or special memory of a specific airplane, this is the way to go. Apparel When it's cold, a lot of aviators like to wear a classic leather bomber jacket. It's practical and yet stylish, and reminiscent of the days when aviation was a lot more adventurous. That said, a gift an avgeek may appreciate and that is a little more representative of the jet age and those who broke the sound barrier is the Alpha Industries CWU-45 Flight Jacket . This quilted nylon jacket is not only comfortable and stylish, but also very functional and warm. Alpha Industries offers it in black, blue, gey, or tsage gree. The CWU-45 is still issued to pilots in the USAF and USN to this day. When the weather is cold this flight jacket will keep any plane spotter comfortably warm. For those in warmer climates, an airplane-themed polo or button-up shirt such as those sold at Sportys will most certainly draw admiration. There is a wide selection of prints available, but the "Takeoff at Sunset Short Sleeve" shirt will most likely bring a smile. Sportys claims, “it's as comfortable as it is good-looking.” This is the kind of shirt that makes someone want to sit on Maho Beach in Sint Maarten. But if that is not possible, it will turn any beach into a plane spotters paradise. Maho Beach, on the approach path to Princess Juliana International Airport, is indisputably the world's most famous airplane spotting beach. Located on the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten, the spot is a highlight for locals and tourists and famously received Boeing 747 flights from KLM. Beaches surrounding Gibraltar, Cyprus, and Barcelona airports are also popular with plane spotters. Scotland is even home to a beach runway on the Island of Barra. Phuket hosts one of Asia's most famous plane-spotting locations, and rumors of a secret beach near Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport abound.What are some of the best beach-spotting locations you have found? Aviation-themed games For the airplane fan that is ready for some competition, the board game Pan Am is most certain to be a huge hit. Named after the iconic airline, Pan Am is a board game similar to the popular railroad-themed Ticket to Ride, but now the goal is dominance of the world’s air routes. Step back into the golden age of air travel, pioneer routes around the world, trade stocks, earn profits, buy new planes, and do everything that Pan Am did, but don’t go bankrupt. Another game that is proving to be popular (in fact, supply is not keeping up with demand) is called Sky Team. No, this is not named after the airline alliance, rather this is a game for two people. Thirsty Meeples describes the game as : “ a co-operative game, exclusively for two players, in which you play a pilot and co-pilot at the controls of an airliner. Your goal is to work together as a team to land your airplane in different airports around the world.” To play the game, players assign the dice to the correct spaces in order to control the plane to a safe landing. Sky Team comes with multiple airports and scenarios to work through, and additional challenges can be added to the game. Literature One of the greatest aviation books of all time, Ernest K Gann’s Fate is the Hunter is a classic and must-read for any avgeek. Ernest tells of the early days of commercial aviation and describes the life of a commercial pilot in those days when the DC-3 was the world’s most prolific airliner and new things were being learned every day about flight, weather, and limitations. A review from The Chicago Tribune describes this masterpiece of literature: “This purely wonderful autobiographical volume is the best thing on flying and the meaning of flying that we have had since Antoine de Saint-Exupéry took us aloft on his winged prose in the late 1930s and early 1940s.... It is a splendid and many-faceted personal memoir that is not only one man's story but the story, in essence, of all men who fly." Indeed, though this book was written long ago, it is a timeless aviation treasure. Readers will not be able to put this book down as they sit with Ernest in the cockpit and learn what it was like to fly in those days. New prints can still be bought at places like My Pilot Store , but used prints are also abundant. Merry Christmas There are a multitude of great gifts to give to an avgeek. From award-winning IWM Spitfire themed Gin to old airline memorabilia there is no shortage of gifts to be found. Simple Flying has provided just a few ideas here, but even if these items do not match one's particular taste, the stores listed have a wide selection of aviation gear. When all is said and done, it’s the thought that truly matters and while a great deal of time can be taken trying to find the right gift, it’s important to remember that meaningful time in the company of friends is the best gift. In the end, don't fret too much over finding the perfect gift and make sure to give folks your time and attention. That said, regardless of where our readers are in the world, Simple Flying thanks you and wishes you a Merry Christmas and all the best in the coming New Year.
President-elect Donald Trump ran on a platform of isolating the US from foreign conflicts like the Ukraine war, increasing tariffs on foreign trade partners, and rebuilding domestic manufacturing. But in recent days he has suggested a more outwardly aggressive approach for his foreign policy. At first, he joked about Canada being an additional US state. Since, he has threatened to take back control of the Panama Canal. He also reiterated a desire from his first term to own the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland, which is not for sale. The US is unlikely to take control of any of these regions. But these statements could indicate that Trump’s “America First” vision includes flexing the superpower’s muscle beyond its borders for US trade and national security interests. On Sunday, Trump told a conservative conference in Arizona that Panama was charging US ships “ridiculous, highly unfair” fees to use its namesake canal. After taking charge of building the canal in the early 20th century, the US turned full control over to Panama in the 1970s via a treaty. But this week, Trump said that if the “rip off” did not stop, he would demand the canal be returned to the US – though he did not specify how. Trump added he did not want the Panama Canal “falling into the wrong hands” and specifically cited China, which has significant interests in the waterway. “There’s a real US national security interest... in controlling its neutrality,” Will Freeman, a fellow on Latin American studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said of Trump’s remarks. “Trump’s statement is mostly about that.” China is the second-largest user of the Panama Canal after the US, according to data. It has major economic investments in the country as well. In 2017, Panama cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognised it as part of China, a major win for Beijing. The Panama Canal is not only essential for US trade in the Pacific, Mr Freeman said – in the event of any military conflict with China, it would be needed to move US ships and other assets. He also noted Trump’s frequent comments about trade partners’ unfair treatment of the US, as well as the president-elect’s pledge to sharply increase tariffs on foreign goods, particularly those from China. Trump’s complaints about shipping fees seemed to reflect his views on trade, Mr Freeman said. While the statements might be “coercive”, said Mr Freeman, it remained to be seen “whether canal authorities lower fees on US cargo in response to the threat”. Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino has released a statement saying that the canal and the surrounding area belonged to his country – and would remain so. Over the weekend, Trump said in a social media post that the US “feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity” for reasons of national security and global freedom. The US maintains Pituffik Space Base in Greenland. The territory is rich with natural resources, including rare earth minerals, and occupies a strategic location for trade as global powers seek to expand their reach in the Arctic Circle. Russia, in particular, sees the region as a strategic opportunity. Trump floated the idea of purchasing Greenland in 2019, during his first term as president, and it never came to fruition. Greenland’s prime minister, Múte B Egede, responded to Trump’s latest comments this week: “We are not for sale and we will not be for sale.” Still, Trump continued emphasising his public statements online. On Truth Social, Trump’s account showed an image of an American flag being planted in the middle of the Panama Canal. His second-eldest son, Eric Trump, posted an image on X that showed the US adding Greenland, the Panama Canal and Canada to an Amazon online shopping cart. For Trump, promises to use America’s might to its advantage helped propel his two successful presidential campaigns. It was a tactic he used during his first presidency, threatening tariffs and the deployment of “armed soldiers” to steer Mexico into beefing up enforcement along its US border. Heading into his second term, Trump could plan to use a similar playbook once he takes office on 20 January. While it remains to be seen what will happen, Denmark has expressed a willingness to work with his administration. It also announced a huge boost in defence spending for Greenland, hours after Trump repeated his desire to purchase the Arctic territory. Source: BBCTyson Fury has lambasted an artificial intelligence judge's scoring of his loss to Oleksandr Usyk, furiously stating, "F*** all computers". The 'Gypsy King' suffered another upset at the hands of his 37-year-old adversary in Saudi Arabia, further tarnishing what was once an impeccable record. Despite a close battle, Usyk retained his WBA, WBO, and WBC titles after a unanimous points decision, which left Fury visibly exasperated. Every judge's scorecard read 116-112 for Usyk, but the controversy didn't end there. Adding insult to injury, an AI-powered fourth judge also deemed Fury the loser . Although this innovative judge played no official role in the fight's outcome, Turki Alalshikh championed what he heralded as a pioneering trial to ensure impartial judgment in boxing . The experimental AI gave Usyk an even wider victory margin at 118-112. Upon hearing about the AI's evaluation, Fury's response was clear and cutting: "F*** all computers," he declared, advocating "More jobs for humans". Fury's criticism did not stop with the digital domain; he was nearly as sceptical of the human judges. He believed he had triumphed when the final bell rang. In a conversation with Sky Sports , Fury expressed his disbelief: "I swear to God, I thought I won by three rounds!" He further vented to ESPN , claiming, "I thought I won the fight again; I was Larry Holmesed again. I was on the front foot the entire time. When you don't get the knockout, this is what can happen." In the build-up to the anticipated match-up between Fury and Usyk, Alalshikh backed an unconventional approach. "For the first time ever, an AI-powered judge will monitor the fight," he declared. "Free from bias and human error." His pursuit of transparency extended to a video message: "For years, boxing has been defined by its glory, but sometimes that glory is clouded by doubt and controversy. Isn't it time for fairness to step into the ring?" The promoter elaborated, adding: "This isn't just AI, it's revolutionizing boxing. It's fairness powered by technology and human expertise." However, Fury was left contemplating the decision when he abruptly exited the ring on Saturday evening, voicing his dismay later to the press: "The judges gave him a Christmas gift. I feel like I won both fights. "I know I had to knock him out, but it's boxing, and this happens. There is no doubt in my mind I won this fight. "Frank [Warren] had me three or four rounds up, and a lot of people had me up by at least two." Yet he refused to dwell negatively on the outcome, conceding: "I'm not going to cry over spilt milk; it's over now. I've been in boxing my whole life, but I'll always feel a little bit hard done by - not a little bit, a lot."
UConn football notes: Joe Fagnano follows plan he didn’t know he neededKathmandu, Dec. 22: Until a few years ago, many of us had to stand for hours in long queues on the streets of Kathmandu Valley to apply for an IPO of companies and even to claim the right shares. But with the change in ICT sector and initiatives to upgrade this system to online, the number of people joining the stock market has increased exponentially. According to CDS and Clearing Limited, 6.451 million de-mat (de-materialised) accounts have been opened so far. The banks and financial institutions have a system in place to buy primary market shares from home through the 'e-ASWA' system brought in collaboration with other bodies. Trade Management System (TMS) has also been developed for buying and selling securities in the secondary market. Likewise, it has now become history that you had to be at the Company Registrar Office either to register or to make an annual update of the company's status, carrying a stack of files. The company registration process would only begin after you submitted a heap of documents such as the letter of administration, rules, and details of all company shareholders (in the case of a public company), and proof of citizenship or other documents of all directors. This situation has now ended. The registration process begins after scanning the certified details and uploading them from your own computer. The company is registered after the concerned office verifies it. After registration, everything from company updates to online work is done digitally. However, there is still a provision to go to the office to get the certificate or get an updated certificate. The company registrar’s office has also started the digital signature system since last July. Using it, a government official anywhere in the world can provide his/her authentication by means of digital signature. This system, implemented voluntarily, is being prepared to be made mandatory in case of registration of public companies in the first phase, and gradually be implemented for the registration of private companies, said Assistant Registrar Basanta Bahadur Khatri of the Office of the Company Registrar, Tripureshoar. He said once this system is fully implemented, service recipients don't need to go to the company office for any company-related work. Progress in e-governance Ramesh Sharma Paudyal, Director General for the Department of Information Technology, under the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, said, “We have realised that some important works had been done in the IT and e-governance part in the last decade. This has brought about extensive improvements in the areas of public services and payment systems.” This is proven by the fact that Nepal secured 119th position in the E-governemnt Development Index (EGDI) out of all UN member nations securing 0.05781 point for the year 2024. This update is being made in every two years. In 2022, Nepal was in 125th rank. The UN e-government survey highlights a global trend of increased investment in digital government technologies and infrastructure. According to Paudyal, over the past few years, banks and financial institutions licensed by Nepal Rastra Bank have revolutionised mobile banking services. The use of 'QR -based' payment for cashless transactions has increased extensively in recent times. This system has not only reduced cash transactions but also payments made through debit cards and credit cards, he added. Foreign switches had to be used for payments made through debit and credit cards, and money was sent abroad for each transaction and these have also decreased tremendously. However, 'QR revolution' has ended the situation of money flowing out of banks and financial institutions in transactions. There is no need to go to the relevant place to make any kind of payment, from drinking water, electricity, internet, telephone, to tax payment. DG Paudyal said, apart from banks, information technology has brought many changes in public administrative services. Management Information System (MIS) has now been implemented in almost all government offices. This has reduced the time taken for service delivery. Payments by government agencies have also gone to e-payment. However, the hassle of having to submit documents provided by one government agency to another government agency and manually uploading details, or scanning documents and uploading them still exists. “The system of having to upload them repeatedly from office to office and verifying details manually is still in place, he said. We must stop this trend of verifying our citizenship certificates already verified by one specific government office because we must accept and believe the change brought about by IT," said Paudyal. DG Paudyal said the concept of digital governance that has come up lately is to end public hassle that service recipients have to undergo. "Until now, the idea was to use ICT in government service delivery. Now onwards, we will move from ICT to IoT (Internet of Things), which means delivery of government service to the house of service seekers through the use of internet,” he claimed. According to him, lately a concept has developed that citizens should not go to government offices, but the government should provide services to the citizens giving access to their gadgets. "We have started calling this digital governance and transformation from e-governance," he said. According to the same concept, the Digital Nepal Framework is also being revised by the Ministry, said Paudyal. He said that until now government services were operated according to the objective of e-governance. Its objective was to use information technology in government office work. However, people had to reach the office physically to get the services. He said, "The journey ahead is towards digitisation and digitalisation of the public services. The objective is not require people to go to government offices, but to bring government services to the houses of the people." DG Paudyal said the concept of integrating all public services through the 'Nagarik App' launched by the government is exemplary. However, several government services are yet to be enlisted and synchronised in this app. One good example of this app, now, is that every citizen when gets logged in to this app, can easily get their personal PAN number within few hours just by uploading their citizenship certificates and photo after it gets verified by the authorities. Practice of e-governance services According to DG Paudyal, e-governance services have now been applied to different public offices like the Department of Immigration where people can get e-visa processing online and even payment for the service, issuance of smart license although its use is yet to come into use in real sense, embossed number plate with planning to surveil all vehicles plying across the country, company registrar’s office, and even issuance of press accreditation card for journalists online, etc., are few examples of application of e-governance. "But government's dream for digitalisation of all these services may still take some years to have all kinds of government services in the hands and internet of public," said Paudyal. Despite the accessibility and sustainability of technology, it is not possible to assume that any technology has been successful. Stakeholders say that it depends on how efficient such use is in terms of time and cost. For example, there is access to radio and television in every household, but people have shifted to internet technology for information and entertainment. Voice calls are accessible everywhere, but people have started talking through means like WhatsApp and Viber. Experts said that despite accessibility, the sustainability of any technology depends on the efficiency. Bijay Limbu Senihang, CEO of Vairav Tech and cybersecurity expert, said that it is true that the country is in pre-digital transformation era, and it is easy to talk about e-governance and digitalisation, but in real sense the government itself is unknown about which sector should be steered into complete digitalisation phase. "Although many things have already been set up in the IT and communication sectors from the government, the central government still lacks specific prioritisation in the IT sector to make one particular sector as fully digital," said Limbu. For example, tourism, health, agriculture and industry have huge potential in terms of revenue generation, but the government has not prioritised these sectors to make them fully digital so that people from across the country get service anytime and from anywhere in the world. Another problem in IT and e-governance is that government hurries in launching and bringing any new technology in Nepal and testing it in public service sectors like in passport, driving license and industry and company registration office, but the digital system adopted in particular offices lacks sustainability of operation for 24 hours. Let's say if anyone visits such offices, they may not get the service in digital platform, courtesy server down or system down," said Limbu. "It seems that there is a lack of a detailed framework and implementation plan from the government regarding the type of digital transformation required in sectors such as education, healthcare, insurance, transportation, industry, and agriculture in our country," he said. As a result, our government offices providing public services often appear disorganised and chaotic, he said. In Nepal, technologies are being implemented without proper infrastructure, laws, and policies in place. For example, the national identity card has been introduced, but the current constitution does not recognise it as equivalent to citizenship. Therefore, its implementation remains uncertain, said Limbu.
Dez White scores 26 and Missouri State beats UCSB 68-56
Octave also added five rebounds for the Seawolves (4-8). Ben Wight shot 4 of 7 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line to add 11 points. CJ Luster II shot 3 for 8 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points. Kellen Tynes led the way for the Black Bears (8-6) with 15 points, four assists, four steals and two blocks. Jaden Clayton added 15 points, four assists and three steals for Maine. AJ Lopez finished with 13 points and four assists. Stony Brook went into halftime leading Maine 34-30. Octave put up 10 points in the half. Octave led Stony Brook with 14 points in the second half as his team was outscored by two points over the final half but held on for the victory. Both teams next play Sunday. Stony Brook visits Albany (NY) and Maine plays Boston University at home. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .