Minutes of an Executive meeting from June of that year state further action would be considered “as appropriate” if the DUP went ahead with a threat to rotate its ministers. The minutes are within files which have been declassified at the Public Record Office in Belfast. Devolved powersharing had been restored to Northern Ireland in May 2000 when Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble had received the backing of his party to go back into the Assembly, despite there having been no decommissioning of IRA arms at that point. Then DUP deputy leader Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds took up the offices as ministers for regional development and social development, but refused to attend Executive meetings due to the presence of Sinn Fein ministers. The party also said it would rotate its ministerial posts to prevent other parties from taking them. A minute of an Executive meeting on June 8 said Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds had refused a request from First Minister Mr Trimble and deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon to meet with them “to discuss recent public comments by the DUP concerning their positions as ministers”. The minute records that the Executive endorsed a proposal from the First and deputy First Ministers to write again to the two DUP ministers setting out sanctions against them. It says: “The First Minister and and Deputy First Minister would assume responsibility for representing the Executive Committee on transport matters at the British-Irish Council in place of the Minister for Regional Development. “The Minister for Social Development and the Minister for Regional Development would not be nominated to attend meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee. “Pending the receipt of satisfactory assurances from DUP Ministers regarding the confidentiality and integrity of Executive Committee business, the Minister for Social Development and Minister for Regional Development would not receive Executive Committee papers as of right. “The First Minister and Deputy First Minister would seek briefing, as appropriate, from officials in the Department for Regional Development and Department for Social Development.” The minute continues: “If the DUP carried out their threat to change the holders of the two Ministerial offices on a frequent basis, the Executive Committee would consider other action as appropriate.” Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds resigned as ministers on June 27 and were replaced by party colleagues Gregory Campbell and Maurice Morrow. A minute from an Executive meeting that day says: “The Executive Committee noted that the Minister for Social Development and Minister for Regional Development would be resigning their posts that afternoon, and expressed concern at the proposed rotation of the ministries held by their Party Members.”
PNY has just unveiled its new CS2150 M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen5 SSD, in both 1TB and 2TB capacities with read speeds of up to 10.3GB/sec (10,300MB/sec) and pricing that starts at just $99. Check it out: The new PNY CS2150 Gen5 SSDs feature sequential reads of up to 10,300MB/sec and write speeds of up to 8600MB/sec, offering blistering performance that won't break the bank. The company says that its groundbreaking solution "elevates computing performance to new heights". PNY talks about its new CS2150 Gen5 SSD, saying it's: "perfect for professionals, tech enthusiasts, content creators, and anyone demanding top-tier storage performance, the CS2150 sets a new standard for speed and efficiency". PNY is slowly filling out its stack of products, with the new CS2150 Gen5 SSD using Microsoft DirectStorage tech inside of Windows 11 that boosts game load times and enhances image quality. The company recommends combining its XLR8 Gaming DDR5 memory and its GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 16GB XLR8 VERTO EPIC-X RGB Overclocked Triple Fan graphics card.The murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan involved the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) to identify his killer, but challenges hindered its success. Partial images of the suspect captured on some of the more than 15,000 various advanced surveillance systems and security cameras (including from inside taxis and drones) throughout New York City (NYPD) failed to capture the suspect’s full facial features, limiting the effectiveness of the technology in isolating the suspect’s identity. After five days and no success in identifying their suspect using FRT, the NYPD released yet more photos it said were the clearest it had of the suspect to solicit information from the public. It was those photos that led to a public tip that the suspect appeared to be the same man who was being observed in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania about 200 miles from New York City. That man, identified as Luigi Mangione, was promptly detained by local police and eventually charged with Thompson’s murder. “That photo has been seen more times than in your average homicide,” former Philadelphia police officer and a criminal justice professor at The Citadel Sean Patrick Griffin Monday. The added that, “In the end, it was the simple act of distributing photos – not sophisticated facial recognition technology – that led the police to the man who has been charged in the fatal shooting ... For experts, the case was a reminder of how – even as facial recognition technology grows more sophisticated – distributing photos and relying on the public to recognize a face can still play a critical role in investigations.” magazine’s : “ .” But even if the NYPD had had a clear facial image of the suspect, it would only have been useful if the suspect’s face was in its criminal database, the New York Department of Motor Vehicles’ biometric database, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Next Generation Identification (NGI) database, the Department of Homeland Security’s Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT), or the Department of Defense’s Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS). While facial recognition technology has been widely employed by law enforcement to identify suspects, its role in identifying Mangione was ineffective. But perhaps not solely because of the technology’ shortcomings. Legal and privacy issues and federal and interstate database connectivity restrictions also may have played a role. Officially, the NYPD says its primary facial recognition tool is provided by . However, the department acknowledges the use of other tools for specific purposes and has faced criticism for a lack of transparency and comprehensive oversight regarding AI technologies. DataWorks’ FaceCompare Plus provides morphological facial comparison of any two facial images side-by-side, without the need for a full facial recognition system. But, again, Mangione’s photo or photos would have to have already been in the NYPD’s or other state and federal databases to be useful. “Most Americans may believe that law enforcement has images on everybody in the United States. That’s very much not true,” CEO Donnie Scott was . “If he happens to not be a resident of New York who happens to not have been arrested before, odds are he’s not going to be in their criminal database or their mugshot repository.” Scott further emphasized that “the state of New York does not have access to the DMV database for law enforcement purposes by statute. It requires cooperation and information sharing and a reason and willingness by the respective agencies to be allowed to share that by law.” Similarly, NYPD – and many other law enforcement agencies nationwide – do not have immediate access to one another’s databases, least of all their state’s DMV database. Neither does one state have access to another state’s DMV photo repository. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) does, and it confirmed its involvement in the investigation of Thompson’s murder as it joined efforts with the NYPD after the incident, which took place outside a Manhattan hotel. The FBI assisted in the manhunt for the suspect by leveraging its resources to track leads and identify the perpetrator. It’s not known if the FBI’s efforts resulted in some database photo match. The FBI has access to state law enforcement criminal databases and DMV records, but this access is regulated and governed by federal and state laws, often through cooperative agreements. The FBI operates the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Network which includes systems like the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). State and local law enforcement agencies input and access data on the NCIC, and the FBI can use this data for its investigations. The CJIS network also connects state and local databases to the FBI, enabling data-sharing across jurisdictions. As for DMV Records, the FBI can access these records for investigations, often through the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, which permits such access for legitimate law enforcement purposes. Through the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, the FBI can request state-level DMV data, which includes driver license information and vehicle registrations. Access though often depends on agreements between state law enforcement agencies and the FBI. States maintain their own databases but grant access to the FBI when investigations require it, under established protocols. Access is also closely monitored to ensure compliance with privacy laws, and misuse of these systems can result in significant penalties. In the end, however, it was partial photos of the suspect that the NYPD provided to the public through the media that resulted in Mangione’s arrest – that, after the NYPD had made a big deal about its investigation. Former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly told FOX Business early on that he believed the suspect would be caught “fairly soon” and that “facial recognition is effective, and I would hope that it’s being used in this case.” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny added early on in the investigation, however, that police so far hadn’t been able to ID him using facial recognition, possibly because of the partial images or limitations on how the NYPD is allowed to use the technology. While facial recognition has evolved significantly, modern systems still have difficulty handling all the challenges like surgical masks, balaclavas, or partial images, which have varying degrees of success. Facial recognition systems still face significant challenges when analyzing partial images that are obstructed by masks or balaclavas. While advanced systems can focus on visible features like eyes, eyebrows, and facial contours, accuracy diminishes when large parts of the face are hidden. Performance depends on factors like resolution, image quality, and the algorithms used. Some systems trained for such scenarios have improved recognition rates, leveraging AI models that extract additional clues from limited data. However, the success rate often remains significantly lower compared to unobstructed images. Studies that were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic showed accuracy drops ranging from 5% to 50%, depending on the system and the coverage of the face. Many systems have been updated to accommodate masked faces by focusing on visible features like the eyes, eyebrows, and forehead, and some companies, like and Huawei, have claimed that their technologies achieve 90% -95% accuracy . Advanced systems using 3D mapping and infrared imaging can bypass some of the limitations of traditional 2D recognition, and some AI models that have been trained with extensive datasets, including masked faces, perform better than those trained on unmasked datasets. Feature-based matching uses algorithms to analyze parts of the face that are visible (e.g., eyes, forehead) and compare them with a database, relying heavily on unique features like the shape of the eyes or eyebrows. However, the fewer visible features, the lower the accuracy. Most systems see a significant drop in performance when more than 30% to 50% of the face is obscured. FRT ystems also frequently struggle with extreme angles or occlusions, as partial images introduce uncertainty. Advanced techniques like pose normalization or multi-shot analysis (combining multiple partial images) can help mitigate these issues. AI models, particularly convolutional neural networks (CNNs), have shown considerable promise in identifying individuals with partially obscured faces. These models are designed to focus on specific facial features that remain visible, such as the eyes, eyebrows, and forehead. They can also use contextual clues and patterns from datasets trained on partially masked faces. However, their success rate depends on the extent of obstruction, quality of the image, and robustness of the training dataset. State-of-the-art models achieve higher accuracy but still face challenges under poor lighting, movement, extreme angles, or significant obstructions. Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) can be highly effective in assisting facial recognition for partially obscured faces by reconstructing or inferring missing portions of a face by generating plausible approximations based on training data. This reconstruction allows other recognition systems to analyze a complete or near-complete representation of the face. However, while GAN-enhanced systems can improve identification rates, their accuracy depends on the quality of the training data and the degree of obstruction of a person’s face. GANs also face risks of introducing artifacts or false positives if misused. The exact number of facial recognition systems using CNNs in law enforcement though is difficult to pinpoint due to their proprietary nature and varied implementations. However, major providers like , , , and employ CNN-based algorithms in systems widely adopted by law enforcement agencies globally. While Clearview AI, for instance, uses a CNN to analyze over v from public sources, even with partial or low-quality images, it isn’t known whether any of the numerous photos of Mangione found on social media and other online public sources after he was identified are included in its database, or whether its CNN would have been able to identify him as a possible match. Overall, while FRT has made strides in addressing its many challenges, performance can vary widely depending on the specific system and context. Meanwhile, discussions about facial recognition and data-sharing frameworks continue in the broader context of law enforcement technology and privacy debates, with calls for stronger regulation and training to address privacy and civil rights concerns. Efforts to legislate or regulate facial recognition in the U.S. remain contentious. Some lawmakers and advocacy groups push for stricter limits or bans on certain uses, citing privacy concerns and the potential for misuse. On the other hand, others advocate for better integration and use of this technology for national security and crime prevention, though this, too, is often met with privacy-focused resistance. In the wake of Thompson’s murder and the inability of FRT to identify Mangione, expect this debate to only grow louder – on both sides. Several federal law enforcement officials expressed in private they are worried that there will be copycats, especially given the surprising level of galvanized public support from the right and the left – elites versus the little guy – for what Mangione did. “This reverse outrage,” as one official described it, “is truly troubling. I would expect some sort of political response that tears down restrictions” on the use of facial recognition “going forward.” | | | | | | | | | |
Andrej Jakimovski hit a layup with 8 seconds left, and Colorado upset No. 2 UConn 73-72 in the consolation bracket of the Maui Invitational on Tuesday in Lahaina, Hawaii. Colorado (5-1) rallied from down 11 in the first half to get the win over the two-time defending national champions Huskies. Jakimovski finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds and Julian Hammond III and Elijah Malone each scored 16 for the Buffaloes, who advanced to the fifth-place game in Maui on Wednesday. Down 72-71, Jakimovski drove the right side of the lane and made a scoop shot as he was falling down. UConn called timeout to set up the final play but Hassan Diarra missed a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left. Liam McNeeley led UConn with 20 points, Solo Ball scored 16 and Diarra finished with 11. The Huskies (4-2) lost two straight for the first time since dropping three in a row from Jan. 11-18, 2023. Colorado trailed by eight at halftime and Diarra hit two 3-pointers early in the second half that made it 46-37. The Buffaloes scored the next 11 points to take a 48-46 lead, their first of the game. Hammond bookended that run with a pair of triples. UConn went back in front 55-52 on Tarris Reed Jr.'s driving layup but Malone's bucket with 8:34 left tied it at 59. McNeeley's hook shot gave the Huskies a 63-60 lead before Jakimovski drained a 3-pointer to tie it again with 5:16 left. Ball hit a 3-pointer and a layup to give UConn a five-point lead but Colorado got within 70-69 on two free throws by Malone with 2:04 left. A putback from Jaylin Stewart made it a three-point game with 1:29 remaining. Malone answered with a layup, Javon Ruffin blocked Diarra's shot and Colorado got an offensive rebound with 24 seconds left to set up the winning basket. McNeeley made his first four shots from deep and had 16 points by intermission to lead the Huskies. Colorado had opportunities to make it a close game by halftime but went just 12-for-19 from the foul line and trailed 40-32. UConn attempted only four free throws in the first half and had five players with two or more fouls, including Reed, who had three. --Field Level Media
The decision by Tesco, Musgrave and the BWG Group came after a woman who said Mr McGregor raped her won a civil claim for damages against him. Nikita Hand, who accused the sportsman of raping her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018, won her claim against him for damages in a case at the High Court in the Irish capital. In a statement, a spokesman for Musgrave said: “Musgrave can confirm these products are no longer available to our store network.” The network includes SuperValu, Centra, Daybreak and Mace. A Tesco spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we are removing Proper No Twelve Whiskey from sale in Tesco stores and online.” A spokesperson for BWG Group said: “The products are no longer listed for distribution across our network of Spar, Eurospar, Mace, Londis and XL stores, including Appleby Westward which operates over 300 Spar stores in the south west of England.” It is understood that other retail outlets including Costcutter and Carry Out will also stop stocking products linked to Mr McGregor. He and some of his business partners sold their majority stake in the Proper Number Twelve Irish whiskey brand. He was reported to have been paid more than £103 million from the sale to Proximo Spirits in 2021. On Monday, a popular video game developer decided to pull content featuring the MMA fighter. The Irish athlete has featured in multiple video games, including voice-acting a character bearing his likeness in additional downloadable content in the Hitman series. Mr McGregor’s character featured as a target for the player-controlled assassin in the game. IO Interactive, the Danish developer and publisher of Hitman, said in a statement: “In light of the recent court ruling regarding Conor McGregor, IO Interactive has made the decision to cease its collaboration with the athlete, effective immediately. “We take this matter very seriously and cannot ignore its implications. “Consequently, we will begin removing all content featuring Mr McGregor from our storefronts starting today.” Last Friday, the High Court jury awarded damages amounting to 248,603.60 euros (around £206,000) to Ms Hand. Mr McGregor made no comment as he left court but later posted on social media that he intended to appeal against the decision.Arsenal put on one of the best performances of the Champions League so far to thrash Portuguese side Sporting 5-1 away from home. ( More Football News ) Gabriel Martinelli put Mikel Arteta's side ahead after just seven minutes and they hardly looked back from that point. Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhaes added a second and third respectively before half-time as the visitors did their best to kill the game as a contest. BY Stats Perform Things got a little more competitive when Goncalo Inacio pulled one back for the hosts within two minutes of the restart, but a Bukayo Saka penalty in the 65th minute soon quelled any chance of a comeback. Leandro Trossard got the fifth eight minutes from time after coming off the bench to help Arsenal move above Sporting into seventh place in the 36-team league. Sporting, meanwhile, are one place back on goal difference. With his assist for Kai Havertz tonight, Bukayo Saka is already on 14 goal involvements for the season (all comps). Havertz (9) is second for Arsenal in 2024-25. pic.twitter.com/Xf99Qctdca Data debrief: Arsenal wow in Lisbon Arsenal's 5-1 victory away to Sporting was their biggest away win in the Champions League for 21 years. The result matched that of the scoreline they managed against Inter Milan in 2003. It is a result that is made more impressive given that it is Sporting's first defeat at their own ground in 14 matches in all competitions, and the only home game they have failed to win this season.