Proposed Australia law would fine Big Tech over digital competitionIn conclusion, China Life Insurance's robust performance in accumulating original insurance premium income of approximately 644.3 billion RMB in the first 11 months, with a year-on-year growth of 4.8%, underscores its resilience, adaptability, and strategic focus on innovation and customer-centricity. As a leader in the Chinese insurance industry, China Life Insurance continues to set high standards for excellence and remains committed to serving the financial protection needs of individuals and families across the country.
Notable quotes by Jimmy CarterIn the end, football is a game of unpredictable twists and turns, where the tides can change in an instant. As Real Madrid and Inter Milan lock horns in a battle of wills, one thing is certain – only one team will emerge victorious, while the other will be left to ponder what could have been. For football fans around the world, this clash of titans promises to be a spectacle full of drama, passion, and unforgettable moments. Let the games begin!
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings were ready to start their postgame ritual in honor of a ninth consecutive victory before realizing Sam Darnold was still missing from the raucous locker room because he was finishing his interview with the TV broadcasting crew. He was well worth the wait, on so many levels. Darnold added another exploit to his career-altering season, passing for a personal-best 377 yards and three touchdowns as the Vikings hung on to beat the Green Bay Packers 27-25 on Sunday and moved tantalizingly close to the NFC's top seed for the playoffs. “Just to see how he's ultimately been able to maximize everything about his opportunity, our football team loves him for it,” coach Kevin O'Connell said. “I've had an absolute blast coaching him.” The Vikings (14-2) set up a final-week showdown in Detroit for both the NFC North title and the first-round-bye-plus-home-field-advantage package that comes with the best record in the conference, finishing 7-1 at U.S. Bank Stadium where their blitz-fueled defense has fed well off the deafening crowd. “Playing here, our opponents feel that,” said linebacker Blake Cashman, who had a team-leading 11 tackles and 11⁄2 sacks to help keep Packers quarterback Jordan Love from ever finding a rhythm. Darnold hit Jalen Nailor, Jordan Addison and Cam Akers for scores to raise his passing touchdown total to 35, the fourth-most in NFL history by a player in his debut season with a team. When Darnold jogged into the locker room after his interview with, of all people, Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion and now the lead analyst on Fox, he was doused in water by his teammates and hoisted in the air. “It was just mayhem,” Darnold said, smiling wide. “I think I blacked out when Aaron Jones grabbed me and lifted me up.” Love’s only touchdown pass for the Packers (11-5) came with 2:18 left, a 3-yard toss to Malik Heath that trimmed their deficit to two points and reignited the “Go Pack Go!” chants from the green-clad fans mixed in among the purple in another classic edition of this divisional rivalry. Despite another fierce climb out of a gaping hole against Minnesota this season, following a 31-29 loss in Green Bay on Sept. 29 that started with a 28-0 deficit, the Packers fell to a troubling 0-5 against the top three teams in the NFC. “We know what type of team we are,” Love said. “There’s just a lot of stuff to clean up.” The Packers were swept by the Lions, too, and lost their opener in Brazil to the Eagles. “I can’t sit up here and say, ‘Yeah, we’re on the same level,' if we ain’t beat them,” safety Xavier McKinney said. “We've got to be more on our details. We've got to play cleaner. We've got to start faster.” Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson rushed for second-half touchdowns to fuel the late surge by the Packers after Will Reichard’s second missed field goal of the game for the Vikings with 9:18 remaining prevented them from pushing the lead to 20. But with the score too close for comfort and the Packers holding all their timeouts before the two-minute warning, O'Connell didn't hesitate to trust Darnold to win it. Darnold ran bootlegs for completions for two vital first downs, one to fullback C.J. Ham and one on third-and-2 that Akers snagged just before it hit the turf to force the Packers to use their final timeout. On the play before that, Darnold hit Justin Jefferson in tight coverage for 9 yards on another rollout. “We can be aggressive, but he's still going to be a great decision-maker,” O'Connell said. “He's playing quarterback at a very, very high level.” Good company Darnold went 33 for 43 with one interception as the Vikings ran 70 plays for 441 yards, their second-highest total of the season. He passed Brett Favre (33, Vikings, 2009) and Vinny Testaverde (33, Ravens, 1996) for fourth place in touchdown passes in a debut season. The third overall pick in the 2018 draft by the Jets trails only Matthew Stafford (41, Rams, 2021), Brady (40, Buccaneers, 2020) and Peyton Manning (37, Broncos, 2012). Stafford and Brady won the Super Bowl those years. Manning is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Injury report Packers: WR Christian Watson (knee) was inactive. LB Quay Walker (ankle) missed his second straight game and CB Jaire Alexander (knee) was sidelined for the sixth consecutive game and the ninth time this season. ... Two backups, FS Zayne Anderson and DE Brenton Cox, entered the concussion protocol during the game and did not return. Vikings: Jones (quadriceps) was pulled in the fourth quarter as a precaution, O'Connell said. ... OLB Patrick Jones (knee) limped off after Packers TE Tucker Kraft delivered a low, diving block that drew loud boos after the replay was shown on the video board but no penalty. Up next The Packers host Chicago to finish the regular season next weekend, when the Vikings visit Detroit. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLMaybe it’s because there are so many games, or maybe it’s because the rise of digital distribution and subscriptions means there are more sub-groups of game-players and fewer massive mainstream hits, but it feels like this year the “best games” lists are more diverse and individual than ever. Even as someone who tries to play broadly across all platforms, there are some games cropping up on end-of-year lists that I didn’t play, and some of the best ones I did play draw blank looks when I discuss them with others. So, while it’s impossible to make anything approaching an objective list of the best, I’ve attempted it anyway. Here they are in no particular order. I didn’t have ‘help a rapping tree’ on my 2024 bingo card, but I’m glad it happened. Astro Bot PS5 At once a celebration of PlayStation’s 30-year history and a whimsical Nintendo-style platformer the likes of which the brand has never seen before, Astro Bot is a beautiful theme park of running and jumping, filled with hidden depth, incredible gimmicks and great music. I’m not a huge fan of the emotionless robot protagonist or the Sony branding, but the combination of flawless gameplay design, hilarious environments, oodles of nostalgia and cutting-edge tech puts this on par with some of Mario’s most memorable outings. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Side-scrolling platform adventure games are ubiquitous and there were heaps of good ones this year, but the best was also a return to relevance for a beloved franchise. The fictional Mount Qaf is a wonderful setting that blends Iranian history and Arabian mythology with the series’ penchant for vicious traps and time distortion, while new protagonist Sargon brings a fresh and edgy vibe that marries the acrobatic focus of the Sands of Time trilogy with the methodical platforming of older Prince adventures. By invoking familiar poker hands, Balatro brings the satisfying hook of a rougelite game to a wider pool of players who have no idea what that is. Balatro Android, Apple Arcade, iOS, PC, PS5, Switch Xbox In an industry plagued by gambling disguised as play, it’s gratifying that one of this year’s most successful games employs the aesthetic of cards and casinos with no gambling to be found. Upgrade and augment your deck with special powers and tarot effects, stack up game-changing jokers to synergise with your favourite cards, and try to break the game with impossibly powerful poker hands. The work of one individual developer, it’s incredible, and arguably addictive, but you’ll pay no more than the purchase price. Super Mario Party Jamboree Switch Mario Party is a dependable choice for casual group play or a family game night. But, unexpectedly, Jamboree is the absolute height of the series. There are heaps of playable characters, more than 100 great new minigames, seven unusually interesting and diverse game boards and extra modes for playing on your own or online with randos. But the icing on the cake is the ability to enforce “pro mode” to make the winner less chance-based, opening up the possibility of truly competitive play, and it’s so much fun. It may take its broad structure from one third of a decades-old game, but Rebirth has plenty original to say. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth PS5 I was expecting a middle chapter for Square’s epic three-part remake of a 1997 classic, but this turned out to be so much more. From the layered character customisation and combat systems that feed seamlessly into one another, to the completely optional collectible card game that I quickly became obsessed with, this is unexpectedly a much broader, deeper and more open game than its predecessor. An astonishing RPG that more than stands on its own merits, and even overshadows part one for ambition and creativity, it’s a remarkable achievement. Star Wars Outlaws PC, PS5, Xbox A streamlined and multi-planet take on Ubisoft’s familiar open-world action, paired with an original-trilogy-era Star Wars tale that follows an up-and-coming scoundrel rather than a Jedi or Imperial, Outlaws has everything a long-suffering franchise fan could hope for in a sandbox scum and villainy game. The overarching story is a bit of a letdown, but the main appeal here is simply being able to exist in this rich and incredibly well-realised universe, being a dirtbag and pulling off heists. Fans of Monty Python or The Mighty Boosh will find a lot to love exploring Barnsworth. Thank Goodness You’re Here PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox A cartoony and hilariously vulgar adventure set in a small northern England town, this is a point-and-punch exploration game that’s fondly reminiscent of classic daft British sketch comedy, with heaps of funny visuals and sound effects plus the voice talents of Matt Berry and others. Mechanically it couldn’t be simpler, but the writing and timing are masterful. From an unexpected exposed penis in a seagull-gathering side-mission to a prolonged sequence combining fish and cigarettes, it’s crassly artful and unforgettable. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Switch Despite her name being in the titles, Princess Zelda has had few starring roles in Nintendo’s beloved adventure epics. This game marks a change in that regard, and introduces a brilliant new approach to items and combat where Zelda can copy and paste objects and enemies to fight and solve puzzles, but it’s otherwise business as usual for the series; this is a beautiful, joyful and surprising fantasy world to explore, with just the right mix of nostalgia and innovation. Eventually you’ll be filling out pages of details before you can even grasp the nature of the crime you’re supposed to be solving. And you’ll be loving it. The Rise of the Golden Idol Netflix, PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox The first Golden Idol was a wonderfully epic tale of paranormal serial murder, and Rise is even better. Set 200 years later, you’re tasked with solving 20 crimes, each painted as a beautifully grotesque painted moment. You analyse the scene to collect clues, words and names, then use those to fill in the blanks and uncover the truth. It’s like a multidimensional murder sudoku, which only gets more complex and tells a compelling alternate history detective story. Dragon Age: The Veilguard PC, PS5, Xbox Bioware is responsible for some of the greatest role-playing games ever, but this is their best in more than a decade. The narrative and fantasy settings are incredible, and the action-focused combat feels great, but the true strength is in the constant choice-making that affects your friendships in real and unexpected ways. Early on, the game makes you choose between two companions, the consequence of which leaves one with permanent visible bruises and scars for the rest of the game. This is Dragon Age telling you how it’s going to be. Unicorn Overlord has the familiar Vanillaware look, but it may be the studio’s deepest game yet. Unicorn Overlord PS5, Switch, Xbox Vanillaware has spent two decades crafting interesting and complex games with astounding hand-drawn art. The studio has a cult following but I think Unicorn Overlord might be its first true breakout hit. It’s a twist on the traditional turn-based tactical RPG, where instead of just skirmishing you define the parameters of each unit’s actions and priorities ahead of time, and then watch as they play out in battle. And, of course, it’s gorgeous. Sonic x Shadow Generations PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Since 2011’s excellent Sonic Generations was already a reimagining of the series’ high points, half of this new package is arguably remaking remakes. But the other half — an all-new campaign featuring Shadow the Hedgehog — contains some of the most excellent 3D Sonic gameplay ever made. It serves as a great introduction to the character alongside his big-screen debut, but it also presents his tortured backstory and most memorable game moments in a surprisingly cohesive and enjoyable manner. No combat, no explanations, just a blob in a cursed VHS tape of ghostly animals. Animal Well PC, PS5, PS Plus, Switch, Xbox Animal Well , another amazing work from a solo developer, is on the surface a stunning CRT-filtered Metroid-like with a spooky animal theme. But dig a little deeper past the cursed herons and sleepy capybara and you’ll find a complex latticework of puzzles combined with interesting power-ups, a focus on physics play and a near total lack of combat. Some secrets require specific power-ups from around the world (a yo-yo, a slinky, a frisbee), while others need lateral thinking or knowledge gleaned from other areas. UFO 50 PC A package of 50 new games, styled and presented as a library of retro titles by a fictional company for their fictional home computer, this compilation evokes the feeling of finding a dusty 1980s machine and a box full of disks, and putting them in to see what you find. The games are all surprisingly full in scope, and they run the genre gamut from beat-em-ups to top-down driving games to narrative horror. Best of all are the two-player options, which offer a peerlessly strange retro bonding experience. The Great Circle takes Indy to many cultural epicentres around the globe, from Italy to Egypt to the Himalayas and more. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Game Pass, PC, Xbox Games based on movie franchises can go very wrong, but MachineGames (the Swedish studio known for the Nazi-hunting 2010s Wolfenstein series), had a clear vision for the world’s most famous archeologist . Each level is an exploratory puzzle with dozens of smaller riddles within, filled with fascists to sneak around and artefacts to recover. Combat is slapstick, gunplay is scarce, the iconic whip gets plenty of creative use and voice actor Troy Baker puts in an astonishing Harrison Ford impersonation. The narrative overall (concerning a trek across the globe to stop the Nazis achieving a mystical power) is the best the franchise has seen since 1989. Get news and reviews on technology, gadgets and gaming in our Technology newsletter every Friday. Sign up here. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Video games Tim Biggs is a writer covering consumer technology, gadgets and video games. Connect via Twitter or email . Most Viewed in Technology Loading
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No water left in system: MuradOct. 1, 1924: Born James Earl Carter Jr. in Plains, Georgia, eldest of Lillian and James Earl Carter’s four children. 1928: The family moves to a farm in Archery, a largely Black community a few miles from Plains. The shotgun-style house had no running water or electricity when they moved in. June 1941: Jimmy, 16, graduates from Plains High School and briefly attends Georgia Southwestern College and then Georgia Tech, preparing to fulfill his dream of entering the U.S. Naval Academy. June 5, 1946: Graduates from Naval Academy and enters service until 1953. July 7, 1946: Marries Rosalynn Smith. 1953: Returns home to take over the family farming businesses. 1955: First political election victory: chairman of Sumter County Board of Education. 1962: Wins a seat in the state Senate and holds it through 1966. Nov. 3, 1970: Wins Georgia gubernatorial election. Dec. 12, 1974: Announces presidential bid, prompting the response, “Jimmy Who?” Nov. 2, 1976: Defeats Gerald Ford for presidency. Jan. 20, 1977: Sets the tone of his administration by walking from the Capitol to the White House after swearing-in. June 16, 1978: Signs Panama Canal treaties to transfer control of the canal to Panama. Aug. 15, 1978: Signs legislation designating the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Sept. 17, 1978: Brings Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat together to sign the Camp David Accords. Nov. 4, 1979: Iranians take 66 Americans hostage at U.S. Embassy in Tehran. January 1980: Following the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan in late December 1979, Carter decides U.S. athletes will not attend the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. April 17, 1980: Carter announces that an economic recession has begun. April 25, 1980: Helicopter mission to rescue Iranian hostages fails. Nov. 4, 1980: Loses presidential election to Ronald Reagan. Jan. 20, 1981: Minutes after Reagan becomes president, hostages are released from Iranian soil. September 1984: The Carters donate a week of their time to build Habitat for Humanity houses. It turns into the annual Jimmy Carter Work Project. October 1984: Groundbreaking for the Carter Center in Atlanta. It opens two years later. 1987: Carter Center’s Global 2000 project joins the fight against Guinea worm disease, a parasitic affliction attacking millions of people a year in developing countries. May 7, 1989: Carter through the Carter Center monitors fairness of Panama’s elections, a role he would repeat in Nicaragua (February 1990), Haiti (December 1990), Guyana (1992, 2001), Paraguay (1993), Venezuela (1998), Peru (2001) and more than 100 other countries. Oct. 25, 1991: Announces the Atlanta Project to tackle inner-city problems. June 1994: Plays key role in nuclear disarmament talks in North Korea. Sept. 17, 1994: Heads delegation to Haiti that arranges terms to avoid U.S. invasion and return President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power. Oct. 1, 1996: National Park Service opens Carter museum in the former Plains High School on his 72nd birthday. April 3, 1998: At the seventh and final African Conference on Guinea Worm Eradication, Carter is knighted by Mali for his successful efforts to drastically reduce the number of cases worldwide. August 1999: The Carter Center turns the Atlanta Project program over to Georgia State University’s Neighborhood Partnership Resource Collaborative. Aug. 9, 1999: Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom along with Rosalynn. Oct. 19, 2000: Announces that he and Rosalynn no longer will be members of the Southern Baptist Convention, which he believes has grown too “rigid.” May 12-17, 2002: Visits Cuba with Rosalynn and Carter Center members. Makes a speech on Cuban television in which he calls for democratic reforms in Cuba and an end to the U.S. trade embargo. Oct. 11, 2002: Wins the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. He later donates $370,000 of his $1 million award to the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Human Development at Georgia Southwestern State University. May 2003: Works behind the scenes on the Georgia state flag change to stave off a statewide referendum on the Rebel battle emblem. Jan. 25, 2004: Travels to Venezuela to meet with President Hugo Chavez, opposition leaders and others in the politically divided nation of 24 million. June 5, 2004: Christens the USS Jimmy Carter, the Navy’s latest nuclear vessel, a $3.3 billion submarine. July 26, 2004: Delivers a stinging condemnation of the Bush administration addressing the Democratic National Convention, saying the “nation’s soul” is at stake in the November election. August 2004: Leads the team monitoring the vote to recall Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Sept. 7, 2004: Blasts fellow Georgian and former Gov. Zell Miller in a two-page letter for his “rabid and mean-spirited speech” to the Republican National Convention in New York. Sept. 27, 2004: Harshly accuses Florida officials of not doing enough to fix their election system following the 2000 presidential election. October 2004: Along with 2,000 volunteers, travels to Puebla, Mexico, as part of the Jimmy Carter Work Project to build 75 houses in one week through Habitat for Humanity. January 2005: Along with the National Democratic Institute, observes election of the new president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. June 6, 2005: Declares that the United States should close its prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and that the Bush administration was wrong to say parts of the Geneva Conventions do not apply to at least 520 “enemy combatants” from about 40 countries held there. Oct. 10, 2005: Heads a team of election observers from his center and the National Democratic Institute, another U.S. group, to monitor Liberia’s first presidential election since a 14-year civil war ended. November 2005: His book “Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis” becomes the quickest-selling of his 20 books to date. In it, he takes aim at fundamentalism, environmental decay, the Iraq War and the Bush administration’s record on human rights. March 22, 2006: Along with co-leader of a bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, announces that states should require voters to show photo IDs and to let them see paper ballots at electronic polling places. May 24, 2006: Praises the Bush administration’s immigration policies but remains sharply critical of its human rights record in the war on terror. June 1, 2006: Toasts Jane Fonda at her celebrity roast at the Georgia Aquarium. November 2006: His book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid” draws criticism upon its release. Critics contend he unfairly compared Israeli treatment of Arabs in the West Bank and Gaza to legalized racial oppression that once existed in South Africa. January 2007: 14 Carter Center advisers resign because of the book. August 2007: Jonathan Demme’s documentary “Jimmy Carter Man From Plains” premieres, chronicling Carter’s book tour and the controversy. 2007: Carter joins The Elders, a group of former world political leaders such as Nelson Mandela, who work on promoting peace and human rights. April 18, 2008: Defies U.S. and Israeli warnings to meet with the exiled leader of Hamas and his deputy, two men the U.S. government had labeled terrorists. U.S. officials were critical. Carter said he failed to convince the top Hamas boss to stop rocket attacks on Israel, adding, “I did the best I could.” Oct. 10, 2008: During a stop in Brussels, Carter blames the “atrocious” economic policies of President George W. Bush for the beginning of the Great Recession. Jan. 7, 2009: Joins President-elect Barack Obama, President George W. Bush and former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush at the White House for a historic meeting. Some said the body language during photo ops suggested chilly relations between Carter and the others. June 2009: Carter and a team of observers monitor parliamentary elections in Lebanon, the 76th election monitored by the Carter Center. June 13, 2009: The Palestinian government honors Carter during his visit to the region, and he pledges his “assistance, as long as I live, to win your freedom, your independence, your sovereignty and a good life.” Sept. 14, 2009: Jody Powell dies, a year after Hamilton Jordan succumbed to cancer. The two Georgians were Carter’s closest political advisers. “Jody Powell knows me better than anyone except my wife,” Carter once said. Oct. 1, 2009: Carter Center reopens after an extensive, $10 million renovation. August 2010: Travels to North Korea to secure release of Aijalon Gomes, an American who was accused of crossing the border the previous winter. September 2010: His latest book, “White House Diary,” is based on edited journal entries from his time in the White House. While promoting the book, Carter stirs controversy by saying his post-presidential career was “probably superior” to that of other ex-presidents. He later said he only meant he has had more opportunities to do good works. Jan. 14, 2013: Carter visits Colombia at the request of the country’s president to brief on the peace talks with rebels and other issues. 2013: The Carters’ grandson, Atlanta attorney Jason Carter, decides to leave his state Senate seat to run unsuccessfully for governor in 2014. Jimmy Carter helps campaign. July 31, 2013: Carter visits Colombia, the first Western country to be certified as free from river blindness, for which the Carter Center provided support. August 2014: Carter was joined by another “Elder,” Mary Robinson, during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, with the pair pressing for the inclusion of Hamas as an actor in peace talks with Israel, recognition of the group as a legitimate political entity and the lifting of the siege of Gaza. May 15, 2015: Carter visits Guyana for election monitoring. Aug. 12, 2015: Carter undergoes surgery to remove a mass from his liver and discovers he had cancer. It had spread to his brain. December 2015: Carter announces he is cancer free. July 13, 2017: Carter is admitted to a hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba, after becoming dehydrated while working outdoors for Habitat for Humanity. He is released the following day. June 2019: Carter calls President Donald Trump “a disaster,” during one of his public addresses in Atlanta, and in Virginia he questioned the legitimacy of Trump’s election because of Russian interference. August 2020: The Carter Center launches a program to strengthen and build confidence in the U.S. election system prior to the presidential election. February 2023: Jimmy Carter enters home hospice care in Plains. Nov. 19, 2023: Rosalynn Carter, his wife of 77 years, dies in Plains. She was 96 years old. Oct. 1, 2024: Jimmy Carter turns 100. Dec. 29, 2024: Carter dies at age 100. ©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Srinagar, Dec 29: The technological revolution has transformed every aspect of human life. From food to pharmaceuticals, everything is now available at your fingertips. While the internet has made life easier, it has notably reduced the earning prospects of local shopkeepers in Kashmir. “The Internet took away 70 percent of our customers,” says Mehraj-ud-din, a cosmetic shop owner in downtown Kashmir. E-commerce portals provide various benefits like home delivery, easy returns, festive discounts, and seasonal sales. For many, the comfort of shopping from home outweighs the hassle of visiting a local market. “How can our small shops compete with giants like Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra!” laments Manzoor Qadri, a Lalchowk electronic shop owner. Although companies like Zepto and Blinkit have yet to dominate the market for daily essentials in Kashmir, other online business giants have created loyal customer bases in both urban and rural areas. “The best service provided by online businesses is their return and refund policy. Local shops don’t give us any such service,” says Mehjabeena, a local online shopper. While digital business models have created favourable avenues for aspiring entrepreneurs, older shopkeepers often struggle to adapt. “I don’t know how to use computers and social media. I have never been to school,” says Muhammad Ismail, a 60-year-old textile shop owner. To address this digital divide, the Government of India has launched schemes like Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) and National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM) to promote digital literacy. The lack of digital education is more prevalent in rural areas. According to national data, 67 percent of the urban population uses the internet, while the percentage drops to 31 percent in rural areas. Beyond digital literacy, the lack of resources to build digital infrastructure remains an obstacle. “I have a small hosiery shop. How will I spend thousands of rupees for computer and internet services?” asks Bilal Ahmed Reshi, a local shopkeeper from uptown. Meanwhile, younger entrepreneurs in Kashmir are flourishing. “My whole business runs through Instagram,” says Aisha, a small boutique owner from uptown. In many cases, younger generations operate their enterprises solely through smartphones. The reluctance to embrace digital tools has become a primary factor in the declining sales of various age-old businesses. While digital media has undoubtedly helped businesses grow by leaps and bounds, necessary steps need to be taken to reduce the digital divide created by various factors on the ground.Debenhams drops 40% off 'fabulous' £261 shower tower described as a 'splendid bit of kit'U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine is aiming to reduce political polarization by convening a group of bipartisan lawmakers to examine current electoral methods and recommend changes. This week, Golden, a Democrat, introduced a resolution with another Democratic representative, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, to convene this 14-member select committee to assess the effectiveness of the U.S. electoral system and report possible reforms back to Congress and the president. “Our goal with this bill is to kick-start a conversation about what can be done to improve our electoral process,” Golden wrote in a statement to Maine Morning Star. “Conversations like this and questions like the ones we’re posing are most likely to gain traction after an election — as you can see by all the very public soul-searching and introspection that’s played out in the media every day since November 6. I’m heartened by the interest this bill has received both in D.C. and back home, and hopeful that some good will come out of it.” It quickly became clear to Gluesenkamp Perez upon arriving in Congress that structural reforms were needed to incentivize nonpartisan collaboration “to deliver for our communities priorities, not just a political agenda,” she wrote to the Maine Morning Star. “These structural problems won’t be solved with inside-the-box thinking or by defending the status quo.” Among the possible reforms listed in the resolution are expanding the size of the U.S. House, forming independent redistricting commissions and replacing the winner-take-all electoral system with one that includes multi-member districts with proportional representation. “Fixing our laws to make government more representative doesn’t just sound great on paper: states like Maine have already proven it works,” Golden wrote in a statement when announcing the legislation. Golden’s spokesperson Mario Moretto said Maine’s semi-open primaries, which began this past spring , are one example Golden believes to be a successful reform. Maine is also one of two states that does not use the winner-take-all electoral system. Instead, Maine splits its electoral votes, with two awarded to the candidate who wins the overall popular vote and then each congressional district awards one to the candidate who secured the most votes in that district. While Democratic nominee Kamala Harris won Maine’s statewide vote on Nov. 5, its northernmost region, the 2nd Congressional District, went for President-Elect Donald Trump . That same district also voted to reelect Golden, results that were also born out in 2016 and 2020 when Trump ran for president. While both Democrats, Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez are considered moderates who have consistently proved victorious in Trump country. The 3rd Congressional District in southwest Washington, which Gluesenkamp Perez represents, also went for Trump this year, as it did the last two times he ran. When first elected in 2022, the Democratic congresswoman flipped a congressional seat that was held by Republicans for more than a decade. In the lead up to Nov. 5, both representatives declined to tell their constituents who they were voting for for president. Golden said his refusal to endorse was because he was running to represent all people in his district, regardless of who they pick for president. Meanwhile, the Republicans who unsuccessfully challenged Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez in their reelection bids had been endorsed by Trump . The realpolitik of Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez’s candidacies offer a contrast to the growing hyper-partisanship across the nation. When asked about any lessons their candidacies provide for bucking partisanship and polarization, Moretto said Golden believes place-based politics are an antidote to both. “Maine’s 2nd Congressional District is a special place not because it is superior to other places, but because it’s different,” Golden wrote in a blog post in July. “Our communities have more in common with each other than with places in other parts of the country, but even within our vast district, towns and cities have unique identities that are worth honoring. For a member of Congress, place-based politics is about fighting for, and protecting, the things that make your district special.” However, Golden added that he is not saying political parties don’t matter. “I’m a Democrat because I believe in the power and necessity of unions, in civil rights and in equality,” he wrote. “Place-based politics is about keeping an eye on what makes our places special, the way of life created and sustained within them, and fighting to honor them regardless of whatever partisan loyalties or affiliation you may bear.” Gluesenkamp Perez wrote to Maine Morning Star that in communities like hers, “we don’t etch an R or a D on our gravestone.” Rather, she wrote, “90% of us agree on 90% of the issues, especially local priorities that affect us most on a daily basis. Stronger, more direct representation has the power to bridge political divides and ensure more lawmakers remain accountable to their communities.” The representatives also said they proposed a bipartisan committee, as opposed to legislation, to bring both parties together to identify solutions. “As Rep. Golden has said before, no one party has a monopoly on good ideas,” Moretto said. Gluesenkamp Perez similarly explained, “Rather than D.C. dictating that it already knows the answers — a select committee will more effectively hear from voices reflective of America, weigh the benefits of different approaches, and establish a bipartisan way forward, which is the only way forward.” More than 170 political scientists agree that forming a bipartisan committee is the right path forward. They wrote a letter of support for the resolution to members of the House, calling the U.S. electoral system outdated and one that promotes an “us” versus “them” approach to politics. “Changing how we elect our representatives can promote cooperation, temper polarization, and generate more consensus-building in policymaking,” the political scientists wrote. Citing America’s long history of electoral system reform — such as the U.S. House regularly expanding its size earlier in its history and Progressive Era changes that remain, such as primary elections — they added, “Through thoughtful, bipartisan study, this resolution would embrace America’s tradition of reform.” This article was first published by the Maine Morning Star , part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
After Byron Murphy II became the first Seahawk selected in the Mike Macdonald era, general manager John Schneider declared that “we had him graded as the best defensive player in the draft.” Exactly eight months later, Murphy — a 6-foot, 306-pound defensive tackle — has made a statistically modest impact in Seattle. The DeSoto, Texas, native missed three games (all losses) because of a hamstring injury, otherwise offering 34 tackles, two tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. That half-sack came in the Seahawks’ second game of the season, more than three months ago. On Monday morning, Murphy sat in a three-way tie for 14 th in DraftKings’ NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds (+6000), despite being drafted behind only Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu. Rams outside linebacker Jared Verse (63 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles), Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (41 tackles, 10 tackles defended) and Dolphins linebacker Chop Robinson (22 tackles, 7 TFL, 6 sacks) are the front-runners for that heralded hardware. So, is Murphy — the 2023 Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year — slogging through a disappointing debut? He does not see it that way. “I feel like I’ve been playing pretty good. I feel like I’ve been having a great season,” Murphy said last week, before Seahawks’ 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. “I feel like I’ve been doing what’s asked of me. I’ve been doing a good job.” At his position specifically, statistics can deceive, as an ability to absorb double-teams allows others to gobble up the glory. Still, fellow interior defensive linemen Leonard Williams (54 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 1 interception) and Jarran Reed (43 tackles, 4 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble) have more effectively stuffed the stat sheet. You’d love more destructive plays — sacks, tackles for loss, forced fumbles, etc. — from the No. 16 overall pick. But Macdonald echoed his 22-year-old rookie’s assessment. “I think Murph’s playing really good football right now,” Macdonald said last week. “I think we’re narrowing down what his sweet spot is in terms of what we’re asking him to do on a week to week basis, but this guy prepares really hard — not like a rookie. He’s kind of like a vet. He’s been doing that since he walked in the door, and he’s playing really physical, decisive. “But to take his game to the next level, we’d like to get him some more pass-rush opportunities. It’s easier said than done, because those are going to come from guys that are also playing well. So when those things come, take advantage of them, just like he is. But I think he’s pushing the pocket really well.” On Sunday, Murphy pushed the pocket. Then he paid the price. Trailing 24-20 with 4:03 left, Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold took a shotgun snap and was enveloped by Murphy and defensive end Dre’Mont Jones for an eight-yard sack. But the referees ruled that M urphy had caught Darnold’s face mask while dragging him to the turf, and Minnesota struck for the fatal 39-yard touchdown on the next play. “The guy’s fighting his tail off to get to the quarterback,” Macdonald said of Murphy’s effort that preceded the penalty. “Those are the inches [between winning and losing] we’re talking about. We could have had a third-and-18 with two downs to go to try and seal it, and all of a sudden two plays later we’re down three. That’s how close we are. But we’re not there yet, obviously.” Those are also the inches between a banner rookie season, and a more unsatisfying result. Still, Murphy’s ability remains exceedingly obvious, even if his statistics have yet to follow suit. The explosiveness, the low center of gravity, the 300-plus pounds of twitch and fury, the motor — it’s all still there. This is not a mirage of impressive measurables, a missed draft pick or a soon-to-be bust. It’s a volcano that’s begun to bubble but has yet to actually erupt. “It could be a bit frustrating. But for me it’s not, because I know I’m helping free other teammates around me,” Murphy said of the absence of individual results. “Everybody else gets opportunities to make plays, and that’s all that matters. It’s a team, and I’m all for the team. As long as we get the win and play good, execute, that’s all that matters to me.” So, what of the Seahawks’ collective success? Through 15 games, they sit 13 th in the NFL in scoring defense (22.7 points allowed per game), 17 th in total defense, 17 th in sacks (35), 18 th in rushing defense (124.4 yards allowed per game), 22 nd in opponent yards per carry (4.6) and 27 th in tackles for loss (63). At 8-7, Seattle must record road wins against the Bears and Rams to keep its fading playoff hopes from perishing. (If you were wondering, the 4-11 Bears have surrendered 60 sacks, fewer only than the Browns’ 63.) As a player, and as a team, the results have been decidedly mixed. These are the inches between a division title and a postseason snub. But regarding the rookie: don’t form concrete conclusions from a face-mask penalty or a slow statistical start. It’ll take more than a game, or play, or season, to determine if Murphy really is the best defensive player in the draft.Clara Strack and Georgia Amoore each scored 21 points on Saturday to help No. 16 Kentucky beat visiting Western Kentucky 88-70 in Lexington. Teonni Key netted 15 points, Amelia Hassett paired nine points with 12 rebounds and Saniah Tyler scored 11 off the bench for the Wildcats (11-1), who won their fourth straight game. The Lady Toppers (9-3) got 18 points from Alexis Mead, 14 from Acacia Hayes, 11 from Destiny Salary and 10 from Josie Gilvin. Western Kentucky has lost three of five following a 7-0 start. Kentucky used a 9-0 run in the second quarter to take a double-digit lead that it held for the rest of the game. Strack bookended the surge with a layup and a 3-pointer that pushed the hosts ahead 36-22 with 1:01 remaining in the first half. The Wildcats' lead peaked at 23 points after Amoore scored five straight late in the fourth quarter to make it 88-65. Saturday marked the final nonconference game for both teams this season. Kentucky hosts Mississippi State to begin Southeastern Conference play on Thursday, while Western Kentucky starts its Conference USA slate by hosting Liberty the same night. --Field Level MediaFW Thorpe (LON:TFW) Shares Up 1.3% – Still a Buy?