For many women, words from an emboldened fringe of “manosphere” influencers who have seized on Republican Donald Trump ’s presidential win to amplify misogynistic derision and threats online represent a worrying harbinger of what might lie ahead as some men perceive the election results as a rebuke of reproductive and women’s rights. Many of those right-wing influencers have appropriated a 1960s abortion rights rallying cry, declaring “Your body, my choice” at women online and on college campuses. Isabelle Frances-Wright, director of technology and society at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue , a think tank focusing on polarization and extremism, said she had seen a “very large uptick in a number of types of misogynistic rhetoric immediately after the election,” including some “extremely violent misogyny.” The phrase “Your body, my choice” has been largely attributed to an Election Day post on the social platform X from Nick Fuentes, a Holocaust-denying white nationalist and far-right internet personality who dined at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida two years ago (In statements responding to criticism of that event, Trump said he had “never met and knew nothing about” Fuentes before he arrived). Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the UC Davis School of Law, said the phrase transforms the iconic abortion rights slogan into an attack on women. “The implication is that men should have control over or access to sex with women,” said Ziegler, a reproductive rights expert. Fuentes’ post had 35 million views on X within 24 hours, according to a report by Frances-Wright’s think tank. The phrase spread rapidly to other social media platforms. Women on TikTok have reported seeing it inundate their comments. The slogan also has made its way offline with boys chanting it in middle schools or men directing it at women on college campuses, according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue report and social media posts. School districts have sent notices about the language to parents. T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase were pulled off Amazon. Sadie Perez, a 19-year-old political science student in Wisconsin, said she has seen men respond to shared Snapchat stories for their college class with “Your body, my choice.” “It makes me feel disgusted and infringed upon,” she said. “... It feels like going backwards.” Misogynistic attacks have been part of the social media landscape for years. But Frances-Wright and others who track online extremism and disinformation said language glorifying violence against women or celebrating the possibility of their rights being stripped away has spiked since the election. Online declarations for women to “Get back in the kitchen” or to “Repeal the 19th,” a reference to the constitutional amendment that gave women the right to vote, have spread rapidly. In the days surrounding the election, the extremism think tank, which has an office in Washington D.C., found that the top 10 posts on X calling for repeal of the 19th Amendment received more than 4 million views collectively. A man holding a sign with the words “Women Are Property” sparked an outcry at Texas State University . The man was not a student, faculty or staff, and was escorted off campus, according to the university’s president . Anonymous rape threats have been left on the TikTok videos of women denouncing the election results. And on the far-flung reaches of the web, 4chan forums have called for “rape squads” and the adoption of policies in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a dystopian book and TV series depicting the dehumanization and brutalization of women. “What was scary here was how quickly this also manifested in offline threats,” Frances-Wright said, emphasizing that online discourse can have real-world impacts. Previous violent rhetoric on 4chan has been connected to racially motivated and antisemitic attacks, including a 2022 shooting by a white supremacist in Buffalo that killed 10 people . We have launched our year-end campaign. Our goal: Raise $50,000 by Dec. 31. Help us get there. Times of San Diego is devoted to producing timely, comprehensive news about San Diego County. Your donation helps keep our work free-to-read, funds reporters who cover local issues and allows us to write stories that hold public officials accountable. Join the growing list of donors investing in our community's long-term future. The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism reported similar rhetoric, with “numerous violent misogynistic trends” gaining traction on right-wing platforms such 4chan and spreading to more mainstream ones such as X since the election. Throughout the presidential race, Trump’s campaign leaned on conservative podcasts and tailored messaging toward disaffected young men . As Trump took the stage at the Republican National Convention over the summer, the song “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown blared from the speakers. One of several factors to his success this election was modestly boosting his support among men , a shift concentrated among younger voters, according to AP VoteCast, survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. But Trump also won support from 44% of women age 18 to 44, according to AP VoteCast. To some men, Trump’s return to the White House is seen as a vindication, gender and politics experts said. For many young women, the election felt like a referendum on women’s rights and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris ’ loss felt like a rejection of their own rights and autonomy. “For some of these men, Trump’s victory represents a chance to reclaim a place in society that they think they are losing around these traditional gender roles,” Frances-Wright said. None of the current online rhetoric is being amplified by Trump or anyone in his immediate orbit. But Trump has a long history of insulting women , and the spike in such language comes after he ran a campaign centered on masculinity with repeated attacks on Harris over race and gender . “With Trump’s victory, many of these men felt like they were heard, they were victorious,” said Dana Brown, executive director of the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics. Brown said some young men feel they’re victims of discrimination and have expressed mounting resentment for successes of the women’s rights movement, including #MeToo . The tension also has been influenced by socioeconomic struggles. As women become the majority on college campuses and many professional industries see increasing gender diversity, it has “led to young men scapegoating women and girls, falsely claiming it’s their fault they’re not getting into college anymore as opposed to looking inward,” Brown said. Get Our Free Daily Email Newsletter Get the latest local and California news from Times of San Diego delivered to your inbox at 8 a.m. daily. Sign up for our free email newsletter and be fully informed of the most important developments. Sign Up (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Even after dropping to 7-5 following Sunday's 34-26 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Commanders are still in position to make the NFC playoffs. However, the margin is razor thin. Washington now sits only half a game ahead of the Arizona Cardinals for the final Wild Card spot, and 1.5 games ahead of three formidable challengers in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. With the 9-2 Minnesota Vikings and 8-3 Green Bay Packers all but locked into the first two Wild Card spots, it's going to come down to those five teams (along with the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons, should they lose their respective division leads) for the last one. That means the Commanders can't afford to take any more losses like they had on Sunday. Their defeat at the hands of the 4-7 Cowboys was their first truly bad loss this season, and it needs to end up being their only one. Next week, the Commanders get another home matchup against a three-win team in the Tennessee Titans prior to their Week 14 bye. The Titans are riding some momentum after their own upset road win on Sunday, a 32-27 victory over the Houston Texans. That, combined with the Commanders' loss to Dallas, needs to be a wakeup call that no opponent can be taken lightly. Sunday is a must-win for Washington, and following their week off, they may need to go at least 3-1 against the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and Cowboys again to secure a playoff spot. It's very doable, but after Sunday, the Commanders are out of mulligans.ELON MUSK HAS caused uproar after backing Germany’s far-right party in a major newspaper ahead of key parliamentary elections, leading to the resignation of the paper’s opinion editor in protest. Germany is to vote in an early election on 23 February after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed last month in a dispute over how to revitalise the country’s stagnant economy. Musk’s guest opinion piece for Welt am Sonntag – a sister publication of Politico owned by the Axel Springer Group – published in German over the weekend was the second time this month that he has supported the Alternative for Germany, or AfD. “The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the last spark of hope for this country,” he wrote in his translated commentary. He went on to say that the far-right party “can lead the country into a future where economic prosperity, cultural integrity and technological innovation are not just wishes, but reality”. The Tesla Motors chief executive also wrote that his investment in Germany gives him the right to comment on the country’s condition. The AfD is polling strongly, but its candidate for the top job, , has no realistic chance of becoming chancellor because other parties refuse to work with the far-right party. Billionaire Musk, an ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, challenged the party’s public image in his opinion piece. “The portrayal of the AfD as right-wing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!” Musk’s commentary has led to a debate in German media over the boundaries of free speech, with the paper’s own opinion editor announcing her resignation, pointedly on Musk’s social media platform, X. Eva Marie Kogel wrote: “I always enjoyed leading the opinion section of WELT and WAMS. Today an article by Elon Musk appeared in Welt am Sonntag. I handed in my resignation yesterday after it went to print.” A critical article by the future editor-in-chief of the Welt group, Jan Philipp Burgard, accompanied Musk’s opinion piece. “Musk’s diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally wrong,” he wrote. Responding to a request for comment from the German Press Agency, dpa, the current editor-in-chief of the Welt group, Ulf Poschardt, and Burgard – who is due to take over on 1 January – said in a joint statement that the discussion over Musk’s piece was “very insightful. Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression.” “This will continue to determine the compass of the ‘world’ in the future. We will develop ‘Die Welt’ even more decisively as a forum for such debates,” they wrote to dpa.
AP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:34 p.m. EST
US sanctions founder of Georgia’s ruling political partyFirst Bus to install Aberdeen hydrogen refuelling station at depot despite local fearsWe talk about Morse code, named after its inventor, Samuel Morse. However, maybe we should call it Vail code after Alfred Vail, who may be its real inventor. Haven’t heard of him? You aren’t alone. Yet he was behind the first telegraph key and improved other parts of the fledgling telegraph system. The story starts in 1837 when Vail visited his old school, New York University, and attended one of Morse’s early telegraph experiments. His family owned Speedwell Ironworks, and he was an experienced machinist. Sensing an opportunity, he arranged with Morse to take a 25% interest in the technology, and in return, Vail would produce the necessary devices at the Ironworks. Vail split his interest with his brother George. By 1838, a two-mile cable carried a signal from the Speedwell Ironworks. Morse and Vail demonstrated the system to President Van Buren and members of Congress. In 1844, Congress awarded Morse $30,000 to build a line from Washington to Baltimore. That was the same year Morse sent the famous message “What Hath God Wrought?” Who received and responded to that message? Alfred Vail. Telegraphs were first proposed in the late 1700s, using 26 wires, one for each letter of the alphabet. Later improvements by Wheatstone and Cooke reduced the number of wires to five, but that still wasn’t very practical. Samuel Morse, an artist by trade, was convinced he could reduce the number of wires to one. By 1832, he had a crude prototype using a homemade battery and a relatively weak Sturgeon electromagnet. Morse’s original plan for code was based on how semaphore systems worked. Messages would appear in a dictionary, and each message would be assigned a number. The telegraph produced an inked line on a paper strip like a ticker tape. By counting the dips in the line, you could reconstruct the digits and then look up the message in the dictionary. Morse’s partners, Vail and a professor named Gale, didn’t get their names on the patents, and for the most part, the partners didn’t take any credit — Vail’s contract with Morse did specify that Vail’s work would benefit Morse. However, there is evidence that Vail came up with the dot/dash system and did much of the work of converting the hodgepodge prototype into a reliable and manufacturable system. For example, Morse’s telegraph used a pencil to mark paper, while Vail used a steel-pointed pen. The sending key was also Vail’s work, along with other improvements to the receiving apparatus (we’ve seen some nice of this key). As you may have noticed, the length of Morse code characters is inversely proportional to their frequency in English. That is, “E,” a common letter, is much shorter than a “Z,” which is far less common. Supposedly, Vail went to a local newspaper and used the type cases as a guide for letter frequencies. It is worth noting that the code in question isn’t the one we use today. It was “American Morse Code” which was used most often by railroads. The modern International Morse Code is somewhat similar, but several differences exist. The most notable is that dashes are not always the same length. An L is a “long dash,” and a zero is an even longer dash (you occasionally hear this as shorthand on the ham bands if the sender uses a straight key). In addition, some letters use longer than normal spaces. For example, the letters “A” and “B” are exactly like modern code, but the letter “C” is two dots, a double space, and another dot. An “O” is a dot, a double space, and another dot. The gaps and different lengths caused problems with long cables, which led to Friedrich Gerke developing a derivative code in 1848. His code is essentially what we use today and uses a fixed length for dots, dashes, and spaces. There is one exception. The original Gerke code used the long-dash zero. Most of the letters in the International code are the same as the ones in the Gerke code, although when International Morse was codified in 1865, there were a few changes to some letters and numbers. The telegraph was a huge success. By 1854, around 23,000 miles of lines were in operation. Western Union formed in 1851, and by 1866, there was a trans-Atlantic cable. Vail, however, was not a huge success. Morse took on an influential congressman as a partner and cut Vail’s shares in half. That left the Vail brothers with 12.5% of the profits. In 1848, Vail was disillusioned with his $ 900-a-year salary for running the Washington and New Orleans Telegraph Company. He wrote to Morse: He died less than 11 years later, in 1859. Other than researching genealogy, we didn’t find much about what he did in those years. Like most inventions, you can’t just point to one person who made the leap alone. In addition to Vail and his assistant William Baxter, Joseph Henry (the inductor guy) created practical that were essential to the operation of the telegraph. In fact, he demonstrated how an electromagnet could ring a bell at a distance, which is really all you need for a telegraph, so he has some claim, too. Part of the Speedwell Ironworks is now . It might not be a coincidence that the U.S. Army Signal Corps school was located in New Jersey at Camp Alfred Vail in 1919. Camp Alfred Vail would later become Fort Monmouth and was the home to the Signal Corps until the 1970s. These old wired telegraphs made instead of a beep. Of course, wired telegraphs would give way to radio, and telegraphy of all kinds would mostly succumb to digital modes. However, you can still find the occasional .SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy took part in some light throwing on Monday after missing his first career game because of an injury and the 49ers are hoping he can return this week. Purdy hurt his throwing shoulder during a loss to Seattle on Nov. 17. Purdy underwent two MRIs last week that showed no structural damage. But Purdy he felt discomfort after making a few throws at practice on Thursday and was shut down for the game at Green Bay on Sunday that San Francisco lost 38-10 . Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Purdy made it through the session without pain and will rest on Tuesday and hopefully be able to return to practice on Wednesday as the Niners prepare to play at Buffalo this coming week. “We rested it throughout the weekend hoping that would help,” Shanahan said. “He threw lighter today to see if that rest helps and the rest did help him. So we’ll see again, going through the same things we did last week. We’re going to let him rest all the way up to Wednesday. We’ll see how it feels on Wednesday and then we’ll take the exact same course throughout the week. Hopefully it responds better this week than it did last week with the rest.” Brandon Allen went 17 for 29 for 199 yards with a touchdown, an interception and a lost fumble in his first start since the 2021 season. Allen would play once again if Purdy is unable to go on Sunday at Buffalo. Purdy wasn't the only star player missing for the 49ers on Sunday with defensive end Nick Bosa missing the game with injuries to his left hip and oblique and left tackle Trent Williams out with an ankle injury. “Just waiting to see how they respond,” Shanahan said. “They didn’t respond great last week. That’s why they weren’t able to go. Nick and Trent are both in the same boat. ... We’ll evaluate as this week progresses and hopefully it turns a better corner than it did last week.” In other injury news, linebacker Dre Greenlaw will return to practice this week for the first time since tearing his Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl last season. Greenlaw will likely need at least a couple of weeks of practice before being able to return to play. Offensive lineman Jon Feliciano will be shut down for the rest of the season after his knee injury didn't fully heal. Feliciano's three-week practice window ended Monday and the Niners decided to keep him on injured reserve instead of activating him. Left guard Aaron Banks, defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and receiver Jacob Cowing all remain in concussion protocol to start this week and their status is unknown. Right guard Dominick Puni (shoulder) and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (knee) underwent MRIs on Monday and the team is waiting for results. Cornerback Renardo Green (neck) and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee) are day to day. Defensive tackle Kevin Givens is expected to return to practice this week after missing the past four games with a groin injury. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
By KENYA HUNTER, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — As she checked into a recent flight to Mexico for vacation, Teja Smith chuckled at the idea of joining another Women’s March on Washington . As a Black woman, she just couldn’t see herself helping to replicate the largest act of resistance against then-President Donald Trump’s first term in January 2017. Even in an election this year where Trump questioned his opponent’s race , held rallies featuring racist insults and falsely claimed Black migrants in Ohio were eating residents’ pets , he didn’t just win a second term. He became the first Republican in two decades to clinch the popular vote, although by a small margin. “It’s like the people have spoken and this is what America looks like,” said Smith, the Los Angeles-based founder of the advocacy social media agency, Get Social. “And there’s not too much more fighting that you’re going to be able to do without losing your own sanity.” After Trump was declared the winner over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris , many politically engaged Black women said they were so dismayed by the outcome that they were reassessing — but not completely abandoning — their enthusiasm for electoral politics and movement organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote in their communities. They had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Harris, who would have been the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win the presidency. Harris’ loss spurred a wave of Black women across social media resolving to prioritize themselves, before giving so much to a country that over and over has shown its indifference to their concerns. AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy in the United States was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, with Trump set to return to office in two months, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. “America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter. She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different. “That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. ... I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said. AP VoteCast paints a clear picture of Black women’s concerns. Black female voters were most likely to say that democracy was the single most important factor for their vote, compared to other motivators such as high prices or abortion. More than 7 in 10 Black female voters said they were “very concerned” that electing Trump would lead the nation toward authoritarianism, while only about 2 in 10 said this about Harris. About 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, similar to the share that backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump received support from more than half of white voters, who made up the vast majority of his coalition in both years. Like voters overall, Black women were most likely to say the economy and jobs were the most important issues facing the country, with about one-third saying that. But they were more likely than many other groups to say that abortion and racism were the top issues, and much less likely than other groups to say immigration was the top issue. Despite those concerns, which were well-voiced by Black women throughout the campaign, increased support from young men of color and white women helped expand Trump’s lead and secured his victory. Politically engaged Black women said they don’t plan to continue positioning themselves in the vertebrae of the “backbone” of America’s democracy. The growing movement prompting Black women to withdraw is a shift from history, where they are often present and at the forefront of political and social change. One of the earliest examples is the women’s suffrage movement that led to ratification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution , which gave women the right to vote. Black women, however, were prevented from voting for decades afterward because of Jim Crow-era literacy tests, poll taxes and laws that blocked the grandchildren of slaves from voting. Most Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black women were among the organizers and counted among the marchers brutalized on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, during the historic march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery that preceded federal legislation. Decades later, Black women were prominent organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes. In his 2024 campaign, Trump called for leveraging federal money to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government programs and discussions of race, gender or sexual orientation in schools. His rhetoric on immigration, including false claims that Black Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs, drove support for his plan to deport millions of people . Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization. “People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,”’ she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. ... The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.” Some of Trump’s plans affect people in Olivia Gordon’s immediate community, which is why she struggled to get behind the “Black women rest” wave. Gordon, a New York-based lawyer who supported the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential nominee, Claudia de la Cruz, worries about who may be left behind if the 92% of Black women voters who backed Harris simply stopped advocating. “We’re talking millions of Black women here. If millions of Black women take a step back, it absolutely leaves holes, but for other Black women,” she said. “I think we sometimes are in the bubble of if it’s not in your immediate circle, maybe it doesn’t apply to you. And I truly implore people to understand that it does.” Nicole Lewis, an Alabama-based therapist who specializes in treating Black women’s stress, said she’s aware that Black women withdrawing from social impact movements could have a fallout. But she also hopes that it forces a reckoning for the nation to understand the consequences of not standing in solidarity with Black women. “It could impact things negatively because there isn’t that voice from the most empathetic group,” she said. “I also think it’s going to give other groups an opportunity to step up. ... My hope is that they do show up for themselves and everyone else.” Brown said a reckoning might be exactly what the country needs, but it’s a reckoning for everyone else. Black women, she said, did their job when they supported Harris in droves in hopes they could thwart the massive changes expected under Trump. “This ain’t our reckoning,” she said. “I don’t feel no guilt.” AP polling editor Amelia Thomson DeVeaux and Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
TCU's TD barrage breaks open tight game vs. ArizonaThe US State and Treasury departments said they hit Georgian Dream party founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili with penalties “for undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation”, according to a statement. The designation of Mr Ivanishvili is the latest in a series of sanctions the US has placed on Georgian politicians and others this year. Those sanctions include freezes on assets and properties those targeted may have in US jurisdictions or that might enter US jurisdictions as well as travel bans on the targets and members of their families. “We strongly condemn Georgian Dream’s actions under Ivanishvili’s leadership, including its ongoing and violent repression of Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures,” the State Department said in a statement. “The United States is committed to promoting accountability for those undermining democracy and human rights in Georgia.” Mr Ivanishvili is a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia and served briefly as Georgia’s prime minister. In 2012, he founded Georgian Dream, Georgia’s longtime ruling party. Critics have accused Georgian Dream of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted towards Moscow. The party recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBT+ rights, prompting the European Union to suspend Georgia’s membership application process indefinitely. In October, Georgian Dream won another term in a divisive parliamentary election that has led to more mass protests. Last month, the country’s prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced a four-year suspension of talks on Georgia’s bid to join the European Union, fuelling further public outrage.
Stocking up the Oomph Factor( MENAFN - IANS) New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS) Here is a guide to the week ahead for you. This is your forecast for December 2-8 Aries This week, relationships take centre stage, urging you to collaborate and interact with others more than usual. Whether in personal or professional settings, staying fair, avoiding taking sides, and approaching situations with an open mind are important. For job seekers, networking can bring positive changes. Reconnect with mentors or professional contacts and focus on roles that emphasise teamwork. Keep applications polished and targeted. For those employed, flexibility and group work are essential. In love, singles may connect with people who share similar goals, possibly through friends or professional events. Speak your heart if you seek deeper bonds. Couples should focus on mutual appreciation and future planning, ensuring balanced conversations. Tip of the week: Stay fair Taurus This week is all about hard work and dedication. You might feel the pressure to meet demands and deliver results, but balance is key -- ensure you're taking time to rest and recharge. Avoid overloading your schedule by declining unnecessary invitations. Focus on tasks that bring tangible results, and don't overlook your health. This is a great time to address minor health issues or start a new fitness routine. Job seekers should tailor their applications and showcase their reliability, while employees can prove their value through productivity and time management. In love, singles should take a pragmatic approach, focusing on shared values rather than surface-level attraction. You might connect with someone at work or during health-related activities. Wednesday and Sunday bring harmony in love, with earthy colours like green or brown boosting confidence. Tip of the week: Decline unnecessary invitations Gemini This week is about seizing opportunities to excel in both your personal and professional life. You may feel more confident, which will naturally draw people towards you. Use your strengths to support others, and if faced with challenges, try viewing them from a fresh perspective to discover new solutions. For employees, this is a great week to shine at work. Whether through a project, presentation, or innovative solution, your efforts will be recognised, opening doors for promotions or advancements. In love, singles may encounter exciting opportunities to meet someone special, particularly during social events or creative classes. Family life this week will revolve around shared joy and collaboration. Your parents or siblings might seek your creative input, and younger family members will enjoy spending time with you. Tip of the week: Seize new opportunities Cancer This week is a call to nurture your inner self and emotions. You might find yourself drawn to deep thinking and self-care, which can be refreshing and empowering. Use this time to clean and organise your living space or relax and unwind. For job seekers, the influence of the fourth house encourages a strategic and practical approach. Focus on roles that align with your long-term career goals, particularly in stable organisations. Employees should aim for work-life balance, a good time to strengthen ties at home and with colleagues. Singles may feel introspective in love and prefer meaningful connections over fleeting encounters. Let new relationships develop naturally, taking time to build trust and understanding. For students, a disciplined and serene study environment is key. Subjects requiring focus, like history, literature, or psychology, are especially suited to this time. Tip of the week: Nurture yourself Leo This week revolves around embracing life with curiosity and energy. You'll feel motivated to seek new opportunities, develop your skills, and overcome communication challenges. While you may be eager to express your ideas, be mindful not to dominate conversations, which could lead to conflicts. Short-term tasks involving research, writing, or quick decision-making will showcase your problem-solving abilities. Stay organised to avoid burnout and make the most of this productive period. In love, new connections may arise through social events. Don't hesitate to engage in small talk -- it could lead to meaningful relationships. This is a great week for couples to share ideas and discuss future plans, strengthening your bond. Thursday and Saturday are especially favourable for romance. Accessories in orange or gold can boost your confidence. Tip of the week: Develop your skills Virgo This week invites you to reflect on your financial situation and set practical, achievable goals for the future. Whether it's budgeting, saving, or planning investments, align your decisions with your core values. While your self-esteem is likely to get a boost, avoid indulging in overspending or overeating. Focus on long-term stability rather than short-term gains. Use this energy to address areas of insecurity or instability in your life and make positive changes. Employees should prioritise tasks that contribute to job sustainability, such as budgeting, resource management, or strategic planning. In love, singles may seek partners who offer stability and security. Family dynamics will have a practical tone this week. You may assist parents with financial planning or decision-making, while siblings or close relatives could ask you for advice. Offer help where you can, but don't overextend yourself. Tip of the week: Set practical goals Libra This week is all about embracing your talents and stepping into the spotlight. It's a perfect time to make changes that reflect your personal growth, whether starting a new habit, working on an artistic project, or updating your appearance. Let your exterior mirror your interior transformation. Love is in the air for singles, which may naturally draw attention without much effort. Use this time to reflect on what you want in a relationship and let your genuine self shine. Couples can deepen their connection by sharing dreams and aspirations. Romantic efforts on Thursday and Saturday are especially favourable, with thoughtful gestures like handwritten notes or gifts strengthening bonds. Family interactions may require your involvement in resolving issues or supporting loved ones. While this can be fulfilling, remember to set boundaries for yourself. Tip of the week: Start a new habit Scorpio This week is about turning inward and focusing on your personal life. Step back from the hustle and routine, giving yourself space to recharge. Use this time to release burdens and worries that no longer serve you. Avoid overloading your schedule with social or professional commitments, as low energy may make you prefer solitude. Employees should focus on completing pending tasks and quietly reassessing career goals. Avoid workplace conflicts. In love, singles might feel more introspective, focusing on personal growth rather than actively seeking a partner. Tuesday and Saturday favour love and deep blue tones can enhance your energy. Friends may seek your advice and value your perspective, but they may limit interactions to those that truly matter. Tip of the week: Turn inwards Sagittarius This week encourages you to dream big and take meaningful steps toward those dreams. The Sun's energy brings positivity and motivation but also reminds you to stay realistic about what you can achieve within a given timeframe. For job seekers, social interactions and networking are crucial this week. Opportunities may come from events, online platforms, or even through friends and family. Reach out to organisations or individuals you admire; this is an ideal time to build future connections. Singles can expect a passionate week with plenty of chances to meet potential partners, especially through friends or shared hobbies. Couples should use this time to engage in joint activities or discuss shared goals. Family dynamics this week may revolve around group events or shared objectives. Spending time with siblings or cousins will be enjoyable and can strengthen relationships. Tip of the week: Dream big Capricorn This week, you might crave recognition and appreciation for your efforts. Channel this energy into productive activities, focusing on tasks that highlight your skills and dedication. It's an excellent time to reassess your career trajectory and ensure you're heading in the right direction. This is a great time for job seekers to target roles aligned with their long-term career goals. Demonstrating your competence and willingness to work will attract potential employers. Leverage your connections, as networking could open doors. In love, singles may feel less romantic as career priorities centre stage. However, you could encounter someone who values ambition and perseverance. Engage in conversations with an open mind; they might lead to meaningful connections. Your parents may seek your guidance, and your siblings or close relatives could ask you for advice. Your steady and methodical nature will provide comfort and solutions. Tip of the week: Reassess your strategy Aquarius This week is about exploring new possibilities and shifting your perspective on life. You may feel inspired to seek change by pursuing opportunities or rethinking your goals. While the desire for something new is strong, approach decisions with wisdom and avoid acting impulsively. For employees, the Sun boosts your motivation to innovate and progress. Pitching creative ideas or taking on challenging projects will impress your superiors. Workshops, conferences, or business trips could lead to valuable new experiences and opportunities for growth. In love, singles may find themselves drawn to someone with shared interests or a unique outlook on life. A conversation about travel or philosophy could spark a deeper connection. This is an excellent time for couples to bond over shared activities or mutual interests. Planning a trip or discussing future dreams can bring you closer. Monday and Friday are favourable for romance, and wearing blue or turquoise will enhance your charm. Tip of the week: Enhance your perspective Pisces This week is about confronting fears and resolving unresolved emotional issues. It's a transformative time to release burdens and make space for growth. Avoid being overly controlling. Approach challenges with patience and faith in the process. For job seekers, focus on roles requiring critical thinking, responsibility, and collaboration. Employees may face restructuring or new responsibilities, paving the way for career transitions, promotions, or growth. Embrace accountability and long-term planning. In love, singles may focus on healing or self-growth, while couples can deepen intimacy by sharing fears and dreams. Communication strengthens bonds, especially on Wednesdays and Sundays. Wear deep red or burgundy for emotional balance. Family discussions may involve sensitive topics like money or inheritance, requiring tact. Lean on loved ones and friends for support. Tip of the week: Confront your fears (Neeraj Dhankher is an astrologer proficient in Vedic, KP, and Nadi astrology. He is the founder and CEO of Astro Zindagi. The observations are made by the writer based on his analysis) MENAFN30112024000231011071ID1108942188 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Replica enables Fortune 100 financial, business and healthcare institutions and Federal agencies such as the US Army and Defense Innovation Unit to securely engage in high risk cyber activities without compromising productivity. FALLS CHURCH, Va. , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Grey Market Labs (dba Replica Cyber ), a pioneering leader in cybersecurity solutions, proudly announces it has secured $8M in Series A funding led by Capri Ventures, with participation from Blu Ventures and AFG to accelerate adoption of its groundbreaking platform - Replica. This strategic investment will enable the company to advance its mission of delivering Secure Environments-as-a-Service, bringing unparalleled privacy and security in an increasingly vulnerable digital landscape. With this round, Andy Brown , CEO of SandHill East , former CTO of UBS, and current board member of ZScaler and PureStorage, will be joining the Board of Directors as will Dennis Shaya , Partner at Capri Ventures. In addition, Don Duet , Former Head of Technology at Goldman Sachs, and Tim Estes , founder of Angel Kids AI and former CEO at Digital Reasoning, will be joining the advisory board, complementing an already strong team including: Christopher Caine (CEO – Mercator XXI), Gary Cubbage (fmr. EVP – Booz Allen Hamilton ), Nick Donofrio (fmr. EVP Innovation – IBM), Todd Helfrich (VP Federal – Censys). The Replica platform offers Secure Environments-as-a-Service, revolutionizing how organizations protect and enable high risk activities. This includes targeting Russian misinformation campaigns in Ukraine , safe testing of new tech with proprietary data, disrupting financial scams and fraud aimed at seniors, and identifying and mitigating insider threats within organizations, among other scenarios. By integrating patented technology, intelligence tradecraft, and Zero Trust architecture, Replica quickly creates realistic IT environments that encompass hardware, operating systems, applications, networks, and data layers. This innovative solution not only protects user and organizational privacy but also delivers the data, tools and workflows needed for users to be productive in their most sensitive work. Kristopher Schroeder , CEO of Grey Market Labs, emphasized the significance of this funding round: "Replica is the culmination of over 20 years of experience in embedded tradecraft, intelligence operations, and cutting edge software. Our engineering team, with extensive backgrounds in offensive and defensive cyber warfare, has developed a product that is comprehensive with the protection and efficiency needed for today's enterprises and their users." Schroeder goes on to say, "This funding will allow Grey Marketing Labs to accelerate our vision to deliver even more impactful solutions for our customers." Capri Ventures, the lead investor in this funding round, expressed their excitement about partnering with Replica. "We are thrilled to support Grey Market Labs in their mission to redefine cybersecurity with the Replica platform," said Dennis Shaya , Partner with Capri Ventures. "Their innovative approach and deep expertise position them as a frontrunner in the industry, especially financial services, and we believe this partnership will drive significant advancements in digital privacy and security." Available as both a SaaS product and a hosted service, Replica enables secure work even in a global ecosystem, while reducing burden on the IT organization. The platform's flexible architecture supports rapid deployments (noted as some of the fastest in Financial Services), continuous updates, and seamless integration with existing enterprise services, including single-sign-on, proxies, and data governance. Additionally, Replica offers rich audit and reporting functionalities to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and provide the critical observability needed for leadership. Replica has solved critical problems for major Banks, Health Systems, Global Consulting, and Governments with use cases like: Protected Research (deep/dark web, social, automated collects, OSINT), Isolating Acquired (M&A) tech and activities, Advanced Sandboxing for Malware/ Unknown Files , Complex Training Environments, Enabling Fraud /Cyber Investigations, Secure DevOps with Data Controls, Intellectual Property Sharing and Protection, and more. With this new round of funding, Replica is poised to expand its value to customers, enhance its offerings, and further solidify its position as a leader redefining how to protect and enable high-risk activities. For more information about Replica, please visit ReplicaCyber.com . About Grey Market Labs Founded as Grey Market Labs® (dba Replica Cyber ), a Certified B-Corp with the mission to protect life online. Our work protecting the United States from foreign intelligence evolved to the creation of ReplicaTM, the world's first Secure Environments-as-a-Service platform. This patented SaaS platform simplifies creation of comprehensive hybrid-computing systems, delivering privacy and security while giving control to business users and reducing the burden on IT by 99.73%. We have solved critical problems for major Banks, Health Systems, Global Consulting, and Governments with use cases like: Protected Research (deep/dark web, social, automated collects, OSINT), Isolating Acquired (M&A) tech and activities, Advanced Sandboxing for Malware/ Unknown Files , Complex Training Environments, Enabling Fraud /Cyber Investigations, Secure DevOps with Data Controls, and more. For anyone that has tried to build complex, secure systems and platforms - Replica replaces this expensive work with the automation of secure environments. About Capri Ventures Capri Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm focused on Enterprise Technology. The team is composed of former software executives and leaders from Fortune 500 enterprises, bringing significant resources early in a company's lifecycle to help drive commercialization and market adoption. About AFG Partners AFG Partners < https://www.afgvc.com/ > is an Asian-based VC fund investing in B2B fintech and enabling tech startups addressing the critical needs of financial institutions and corporates globally, particularly in Asia . A core part of the strategy is to invest and help companies in Europe and the US who are interested in expanding across Asia via our network of LPs and ecosystem partners. Previous investments of the principals include N26, Unit, Blockdaemon, Airbnb, Transferwise, Gocardless and Wefox amongst others. About Blu Ventures Blu Ventures, a venture capital firmed based in Washington, DC , provides strategic funding and expert guidance in Seed to Series A companies in cybersecurity, healthtech, and B2B software startups. Blu leverages the deep domain expertise of its partners—all former operators with extensive industry experience—to empower visionary entrepreneurs. Learn more at www.bluventureinvestors.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grey-market-labs-announces-8m-series-a-funding-led-by-capri-ventures-to-accelerate-growth-of-its-replica-platform---first-of-its-kind-secure-environment-as-a-service-302313584.html SOURCE Grey Market LabsResidents and merchants are hopeful 2025 will bring good fortune to Wortley Village in the wake of two devastating fires. Thankfully for them, a building lost will soon rise again. In April 2023, the popular Black Walnut Café went up in flames. It is a moment forever etched in the mind of its co-owner, Mandy Etheridge. “I’ll just never forget that phone call," said Etheridge, reflecting on a phone call in the middle of the night from her brother. "’Mandy, Wortley is burning,’ he said. That will stick with me forever.” The 1880s building was destroyed in the blaze, later determined to be arson. Days later, Etheridge and her brother, the other co-owner, promised to rebuild. But it has been a long process. “It felt like a never-ending battle, really", she told CTV News London. But with construction activity at the site, excitement is growing amongst villagers. Mandy Etheridge, co-owner of the Black Walnut Café, seen on Dec. 27, 2024. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London) “It's really great to see things are progressing in terms of the rebuild. and it'll be wonderful to have that pillar of the community back," said longtime Wortley Village resident Hayley Baker. Etheridge said the new Black Walnut Café will resemble its predecessor in many historical aspects when it reopens this coming October, “We never wanted the old building to go away. And so, we wanted to keep it like a homage to what it was. And hopefully, do it justice.” Yet, as the rebuild begins, the Wortley Village community continues to absorb another devastating fire . The blaze on Nov. 28 destroyed one business and damaged two others. “I couldn't believe it. Like, I don't know why this seems to be happening," commented Etheridge to the fire impacting her neighbours. The blaze is also being treated as an arson. While upsetting for Etheridge, she is trying to hold on to optimism as her corner of the village rises again with the community's support. “We can’t be more thankful for their support and encouragement over the past two years of this process,” she said. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. Editor's Picks Here Are All The Best Amazon Boxing Day Deals You Can Find On Beauty Products In Canada These Walking Pads Will Help You Get 10,000 Steps Every Day (And They're On Sale In The Name Of Boxing Day) 10 Family Calendars And Planners That'll Help You Keep Track Of Everything In The New Year Home If You're Headed Somewhere Warm On Vacation, Don't Forget To Pack These 16 Things Our Guide To The Best Snow Shovels In Canada In 2024 (And Where To Get Them) 14 Of The Best Home Security Devices You Can Find Online Right Now (And They've Got The Reviews To Prove It) Gifts The Clock Is Ticking — Shop These 25 Last-Minute Amazon Prime Gifts Now If You Have An Amazon Prime Account, These 70+ Crowd-Pleasing Gifts Will Still Arrive Before Christmas If You Have An Amazon Prime Account, These 50 Brilliant Stocking Stuffers Will Still Arrive Before Christmas Beauty 20 Products Your Dry, Dehydrated Skin Will Thank You For Ordering 14 Hydrating Face Masks That’ll Save Your Skin This December 12 Budget-Friendly Products To Add To Your Winter Skincare Routine Deals 11 Bestselling Coffee Makers And Espresso Machines You Can Get On Sale Right Now Don’t Walk, Run! These LEGO Kits Are On Sale For Boxing Day 2024 The Waterpik Advanced Water Flosser Will Make Cleaning Your Teeth So Much Easier — And It's 41% Off For Boxing Day London Top Stories Sarnia police respond to Christmas Day stabbing, robbery Wortley Village business pillar to rise again as 'homage to what it was' How do I get rid of my Christmas tree? Port Elgin, Ont. woman named Canada's Favourite Crossing Guard Police warn of dangers of ice after someone falls through SIU investigating after arrested suspect hospitalized These are Dr. Theresa Tam's top health concerns for Canada in 2025 Industrial building fire results in $250,000 of damages CTVNews.ca Top Stories Conservatives call for no-confidence vote by late January Conservative MP Jonathan Williamson says he'll get the ball rolling early in the New Year on no-confidence vote that could bring down Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government in a little more than a month. Whooping cough is on the rise in the States. What's happening in Canada? Canadian health officials say they're seeing spikes in whooping cough cases in parts of the country as the U.S. deals with case numbers not seen in more than a decade. Five southern Ont. hunters fined $37K for moose hunt offences in northern Ont. A multi-year moose hunting investigation resulted in five people being convicted of moose hunting offences and fined a total of $37,000, plus $9,250 in victim surcharges. Halifax Thunderbirds player Tyson Bell suspended, cited for assault in Colorado The Halifax Thunderbirds has suspended player Tyson Bell following an alleged assault in Colorado. 9-year-old girl dead in Calgary Boxing Day crash A nine-year-old girl has died in hospital after the vehicle she was in was struck by a driver in a stolen vehicle fleeing from police. Freezing drizzle, brutal cold: Weekend weather forecast wrap From freezing rain to brutal cold, wintry conditions are in the forecast across Canada this weekend. Azerbaijani and U.S. officials suggest plane that crashed may have been hit by weapons fire Russian air defence systems may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner this week, a U.S. official said Friday after an Azerbaijani minister also suggested the plane was hit by a weapon, citing expert analysis and survivor accounts. Northern Ont. police shoot man carrying a shotgun on Hwy. 11/17 The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating after a police office near Thunder Bay, Ont., shot and wounded a man who fired on a police cruiser with a shotgun. Bloc Quebecois as official Opposition? Leader says Canadians 'don't have to fear us' Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet says he's staying modest about the prospect of his party forming official Opposition in the next federal election, though it would be a 'spectacular' result. Kitchener Fire rips through former Peter Hay Knife Company building in Cambridge Emergency responders were called to a fire in Cambridge on Thursday as flames ripped through the building that formerly belonged to the Peter Hay Knife Company. Guelph Police looking for man as part of fraud investigation Police in Guelph have released several photos in an attempt to identify a man connected to a fraud investigation. Sawed-off shotgun and three knives seized during Cambridge arrest Two people from Thunder Bay are facing drug trafficking and weapons charges after they were arrested in Cambridge. Barrie Are your bins still at the curb? Here are the changes to curbside collection Curbside collection is delayed by one day this week due to the holidays. Program offers to help cover costs of snow removal for eligible residents Eligible residents in Wasaga Beach can apply for some financial help with snow removal this winter. Search for missing man in Barrie ends The search for a man reported missing on Christmas Eve this week has ended. Windsor Identity of 'suspected prowler' wanted The Windsor Police Service is looking for help identifying a suspect involved in a prowler incident. City of Windsor looks to reduce wastewater charges The City of Windsor is making a change in the new year in an effort to reduce your wastewater charges on your water bills. Hockey for Hospice tournament returns for 28th year The Hockey for Hospice tournament is returning to Windsor-Essex, spanning over three days. Northern Ontario Five southern Ont. hunters fined $37K for moose hunt offences in northern Ont. A multi-year moose hunting investigation resulted in five people being convicted of moose hunting offences and fined a total of $37,000, plus $9,250 in victim surcharges. Five-vehicle crash closes Hwy. 11 in New Liskeard A collision involving five vehicles closed Highway 11 in both directions Friday morning between Golf Course Drive in New Liskeard and Highway 66 in Kenogami. Freezing rain warning in effect for Sudbury Environment Canada extended a freezing rain warning Friday for Greater Sudbury. Sault Ste. Marie NEW | Alleged impaired driver crashes into police cruiser on Boxing Day While on general patrol in northwestern Ontario on Boxing Day, an Ontario Provincial Police officer’s vehicle was struck. Five southern Ont. hunters fined $37K for moose hunt offences in northern Ont. A multi-year moose hunting investigation resulted in five people being convicted of moose hunting offences and fined a total of $37,000, plus $9,250 in victim surcharges. Northern Ont. police shoot man carrying a shotgun on Hwy. 11/17 The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating after a police office near Thunder Bay, Ont., shot and wounded a man who fired on a police cruiser with a shotgun. Ottawa NEW | Seeking solutions to the troubles facing downtown Ottawa Rideau Street was once the heart of the capital's shopping district. For decades, people came from all over the region to shop, but with changing habits and the recent revolution in online shopping, many no longer head downtown to find that special item. Police identify victim of Christmas Day homicide in Hintonburg, charge suspect The Ottawa Police Service says the victim who had been killed on Christmas Day in Hintonburg has been identified. What's open and closed in Ottawa over the holidays CTVNewsOttawa.ca takes a look at what's open and closed over the Christmas and New Year's holidays this year. Toronto 3 men wanted after Pickering business set on fire twice in one month Two fires at a business in Pickering in May have police on the lookout for three suspects wanted for arson. Man arrested after alleged choking and armed robbery in downtown Toronto Police have arrested a man after an alleged assault and robbery in downtown Toronto on Christmas Eve. Free Wi-Fi service in TTC subway stations ends Free Wi-Fi in TTC subway stations has ended. As of Friday, riders could no longer access TConnect service. Montreal After cold, snowy Christmas, temperatures to rise across southern Quebec for new year After a cold, snowy Christmas, temperatures are set to rise across southern Quebec to bring in the new year. Tugboats, crews try to refloat ship stuck in St. Lawrence River near Montreal A team of tugboats is being deployed to refloat a ship that has been stuck in the St. Lawrence River northeast of Montreal since Christmas Eve. Should Quebecers consider earthquake home insurance? Experts weigh in You may not notice the rumbling and the shaking, but hundreds of earthquakes hit eastern Canada every year. Atlantic Man found dead inside tent in Dartmouth, police investigating Halifax Regional Police is investigating a sudden death in Dartmouth, N.S. 'Nobody should have to go through that': N.B. family grieving father, daughter killed in crash A New Brunswick family is grieving the loss of a father and daughter in a crash. Freezing drizzle, brutal cold: Weekend weather forecast wrap From freezing rain to brutal cold, wintry conditions are in the forecast across Canada this weekend. Winnipeg Man found dead after skid steer falls through ice: Manitoba RCMP A 58-year-old man is dead after a skid steer fell through the ice on a Manitoba pond on Christmas Eve. Conservatives call for no-confidence vote by late January Conservative MP Jonathan Williamson says he'll get the ball rolling early in the New Year on no-confidence vote that could bring down Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government in a little more than a month. Winnipeg police arrest fifth person in drug trafficking investigation; sixth suspect still at large The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) has made a fifth arrest in a drug trafficking investigation but is still searching for a sixth suspect. Calgary 9-year-old girl dead in Calgary Boxing Day crash A nine-year-old girl has died in hospital after the vehicle she was in was struck by a driver in a stolen vehicle fleeing from police. Calgary woman killed in Saskatchewan highway crash A 25-year-old woman from Calgary was killed in a crash on Highway 7, west of Rosetown, Saskatchewan on Christmas Eve. Malfunctioning lithium battery pack results in evacuation of WestJet Executive Lounge Friday A malfunctioning lithium battery sparked concern Friday morning in the WestJet Executive Lounge at Calgary International Airportt. Edmonton Premier Smith proud of Alberta's 'major transformation' of health care in 2024 Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says transforming the province's health-care system defined her government in 2024. Cell phone scam costs Edmontonians $600K: EPS Edmonton police are warning residents about a cell phone scam that has so far defrauded victims of more than $600,000. 1 injured in northside hit-and-run: EPS Edmonton Police Service are investigating a hit-and-run on the north side of the city Friday morning. Regina 'Something that connected us all': For 53 years, Sask. family celebrates holidays with street hockey game For over 50 years, Stephen Lentzos and his family have celebrated Christmas Day with a street hockey game. Regina police launch homicide investigation after injured man dies at scene Regina police have launched a homicide investigation following the death of a man found gravely injured Thursday evening. Travel not recommended for parts of Saskatchewan under risk of freezing rain Travel advisories are in effect for parts of south and central Saskatchewan on Friday, with icy roadways and the risk of freezing rain making for dangerous driving conditions. Saskatoon Calgary woman killed in Saskatchewan highway crash A 25-year-old woman from Calgary was killed in a crash on Highway 7, west of Rosetown, Saskatchewan on Christmas Eve. Travel not recommended for parts of Saskatchewan under risk of freezing rain Travel advisories are in effect for parts of south and central Saskatchewan on Friday, with icy roadways and the risk of freezing rain making for dangerous driving conditions. Raised in Sask. after his family fled Hungary, this man spent decades spying on communists for the RCMP As a Communist Party member in Calgary in the early 1940s, Frank Hadesbeck performed clerical work at the party office, printed leaflets and sold books. Vancouver B.C. man charged with dangerous driving after elderly Good Samaritan killed in crash A man is facing multiple charges of dangerous driving following a collision that led to the death of an 80-year-old Good Samaritan on Vancouver Island, B.C. Whooping cough is on the rise in the States. What's happening in Canada? Canadian health officials say they're seeing spikes in whooping cough cases in parts of the country as the U.S. deals with case numbers not seen in more than a decade. Vees ready to resume hot streak following Christmas break with games Saturday and Sunday at SOEC While you never want to take a break when your team is playing the best hockey of the season, head coach and general manager Fred Harbinson said it’s also nice for his players on the Penticton Vees to go home, visit family and friends and get their mind off hockey for a few days. Vancouver Island Year-end interview: John Rustad on B.C. Conservatives' remarkable 2024 It's been quite the year for B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad – his party soaring from less than two per cent of the popular vote and no seats in the 2020 election to nearly winning this year’s election. B.C woman awarded nearly $750K in court case against contractor A B.C. woman has been awarded nearly $750,000 in damages in a dispute with a contractor who strung her along for a year and a half and failed to complete a renovation, according to a recent court decision. Avalanche risk 'extreme' for parts of B.C. coast The avalanche danger rating for mountains on B.C.’s South Coast was “extreme” on Boxing Day, according to Canada’s non-profit forecaster. Stay ConnectedAir Peace Chairman, Allen Onyeama admits his airline staff violate regulations – NCAA claimsSputnik Africa , curious about how AI envisions the continent’s near future, asked an AI system to predict the key trends shaping Africa in 2025. From geopolitical shifts to digital revolutions, here is what the AI foresees for Africa's continued transformation: African nations are set to enhance their presence on the global stage. Countries will push for greater representation in international institutions such as the UN and the World Trade Organization. South Africa, leveraging its leadership in the G20, is expected to champion Africa’s collective interests and amplify its voice in global discussions. The healthcare sector will undergo significant advancements, with investments in telemedicine, vaccine production, and infrastructure improving access to medical care. Digital technologies will play a transformative role in expanding online education and healthcare services, particularly in underserved areas. The African Continental Free Trade Area is forecasted to be a game-changer, boosting intra-regional trade, encouraging local production, and reducing dependence on imports. This economic integration will be critical for fostering resilience and growth. Artificial intelligence will increasingly find applications in agriculture, healthcare, and resource management. The emphasis on sustainable agricultural practices will grow as nations work toward ensuring food security for their rapidly expanding populations. Africa’s GDP is projected to grow by 4.0% in 2025, driven by sectors such as agriculture, technology, and services. Emerging markets like Rwanda and Ethiopia are expected to gain momentum, while established economies like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa will continue to lead. Investments in infrastructure and digital transformation will be pivotal in sustaining this growth. The digital transformation sweeping across Africa shows no signs of slowing. By 2025, mobile payment services and digital wallets are expected to handle transactions worth over $500 billion. The rapid adoption of smartphones and mobile internet will fuel e-commerce growth, while advancements in AI, blockchain, and renewable energy promise to revolutionize the continent further. Africa remains the fastest-growing continent demographically. By 2025, urbanization will rise significantly, presenting challenges for infrastructure and services while also driving economic development. With a young, dynamic population, the continent is poised to harness its demographic dividend for growth and innovation.
The Ultimate Ranking Of Aldi Pasta SaucesThe National Honor Society chapter at Temple High School wants to bring holiday cheer to residents of Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center. It is a mission they look to accomplish through donated items — including personal care items such as lotions and lip balms, comfortable and fuzzy holiday socks, card games, small notebooks — that will be placed into care packages. Each care package will feature a customized holiday card that 150 Temple High School Honor Society members will have a hand in creating. “I really hope that people in the hospital feel more connected to the community,” Reeva Guleria, a Temple High School senior who serves the chapter as secretary, said. “Especially when you are in the hospital for a really long, extended time, you don’t have that personal connection with society or the community outside the hospital. We hope that putting together these packages will help them feel that connection.” There is a goal to create 64 care packages — one students believe they can to achieve. “We have had a really good influx of items and volunteers coming in and people are really getting invested in this project,” Jayden Bihl, a Temple High School senior who serves as president, said. “We have seen a lot of people who are not in NHS donate, and that is really good because we are getting a lot of school input and not just from our club. I want the families to feel like they can have some sort of celebration for the holidays.” This latest service project was spurred by a Temple High School Honor Society member who has lived through personal health challenges. Staci Bangsund, a Temple High School teacher who serves as the chapter sponsor, credited the chapter’s leadership. “I really love seeing the students get involved this way,” she said. “All of the students in NHS are highly driven academically. At Temple High School, we are not only providing an outstanding education for these kids (and) we are not only hoping that they go do outstanding things for themselves. The ultimate goal of education is to equip students to use their minds, creativity and education to go out and make the world a better place.” The National Honor Society chapter will accept donations through Tuesday before they spend a couple of days packaging the items and taking them to Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center on Friday. “It is wonderful to see them seeing the purpose of their education in action and positively impacting their community,” Bangsund said. “I know that they will take this spirit of service with them as they continue.”
NVIDIA Rockets Ahead! The Future of Gaming Changes ForeverEngland have thrown Jacob Bethell in at the deep end after asking the 21-year-old to bat at number three on his Test debut against New Zealand this week. The tourists were forced into an eleventh-hour rethink after wicketkeeper Jordan Cox was ruled out of the series with a broken thumb and have responded with a typically bold gambit, handing the gloves to Ollie Pope and a key role to the untried Warwickshire player. Bethell has just picked up a £250,000 Indian Premier League deal with Royal Challengers Bangalore but has played only 20 first-class matches with a modest average of just 25.44 and has never scored a professional century. He has also never batted at number three in red-ball cricket, a pivotal position he will now occupy against the in-form Black Caps in Christchurch in the first Test, which begins at 10pm GMT on Wednesday night. The Barbados-born left-hander made his first international appearance in September and has already won 15 caps in limited-overs cricket, enjoying a couple of thrilling cameos along the way and earning a place on the recent tour of the West Indies. It was thought he would have to wait for his first taste of Test cricket but Cox’s injury forced England’s hand. They might easily have slotted the newcomer into the middle order but, after allowing Pope to move down to number six after stepping up behind the stumps, they opted to catapult Bethell up the order rather than promote Joe Root or Ben Stokes, with the skipper moving down to seven. Root, who will win his 150th cap at Hagley Oval, gave a ringing endorsement of Bethell’s potential to rise to the challenge. “I love the look of him as a player. I’m really looking forward to watching him do his stuff,” he said. “He’s full of confidence, he’s got great ability and a really well rounded game. He’s a mature head on young shoulders and I think he has all the components to set him up nicely to be successful in this format and at this level. “He plays very well square of the wicket and if he gets in on a wicket like that he could be very destructive. It’s a really exciting opportunity for us to see a young player coming in hopefully doing something really special at the start of his career.” Stokes will back up a three-pronged pace attack of Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson, with Shoaib Bashir retained as first-choice spinner.Labour MP for Cardiff West, Alex Barros-Curtis, said warnings should have been “amber or red”, as Mr Reed told MPs that more flooding is “likely”. Hundreds of homes were left under water, roads were turned into rivers and winds of more than 80mph were recorded across parts of the UK. More than 130 flood warnings and 160 alerts remained in place across the UK on Monday. In the Commons on Monday, Mr Barros-Curtis asked: “Can I ask that the Secretary of State speak to his Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) colleagues to carefully look into the role of the Met Office here? “It is clear that their response was slow and that there was a clear underestimation of the impact of Storm Bert. “They put it yellow rather than amber or red. Our constituents have been let down by this incompetence before, and it cannot keep happening.” Mr Reed said: “In most parts of the countries that were affected, warnings were given with adequate time for people to prepare and I would encourage people to sign up on the Defra website, or the Environment Agency website for warnings and alerts if they live in an area that could be affected by flooding. “I’m aware of the particular concern that he mentions regarding the Met Office, and I will indeed be speaking to colleagues in DSIT as they review the circumstances of that and look at how the situation can be improved for future events of this kind.” During his update to the House, the Environment Secretary said that more flooding this week is “likely” but its impact “should be less severe” than has been seen. He said: “Around 28,000 properties are being protected by Environment Agency flood defences. “Unfortunately, an estimated 107 properties have flooded across England, principally from river and surface water flooding.” He added: “The Environment Agency and local responders have also been busy protecting properties elsewhere in England, including flooding from the River Teme in Tenbury Wells where around 40 properties have flooded. “The river has now peaked and local responders will be focusing on the lower reaches of rivers over the next few days.” He further stated: “Further flooding is sadly likely over the next few days as water levels rise in slower flowing rivers such as the Severn and the Ouse. “The Environment Agency anticipates that any impacts should be less severe than we have seen in recent days.” Mr Reed also described the flood defences they inherited from the previous government as being “in the worst condition on record following years of underinvestment”. He added: “Over 3,000 of our key flood defences are below an acceptable standard. “That is why we are investing £2.4 billion over the next two years to build and maintain flood defences.” Elsewhere in the session, Labour MP for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana, was among the MPs to call for a legal duty on fire services to respond to flooding. She said: “I want to express my solidarity and thanks to all of our emergency services, including firefighters on the front line. “Extreme weather events are on the rise and becoming ever more frequent due to climate change, highlighting the urgent need for proper funding and resources. “England is the only part of the UK without a statutory duty for flooding, leaving fire services underfunded and under-resourced to respond effectively. This must change, as the FBU (Fire Brigades Union) has long called for.” “When will the Government finally provide a statutory duty for Fire and Rescue authorities to respond to flooding incidents in England?” Mr Reed replied: “The fire and rescue authorities have the powers to intervene, but she’s quite right to point out there’s not a duty, and officials in my department, working with the Home Office, will review that to see that that remains appropriate.” Conservative MP for Mid Buckinghamshire Greg Smith said some communities in his constituency are flooding “for the first time in decades” as he accused the Government of wanting to “concrete over the countryside”. He said: “That is a result of some of the big infrastructure we are seeing being built, particularly HS2 where they will concrete over a field completely, it seems, unaware that that will have a knock-on effect to farmland next door. “So will the Secretary of State commit to working with the Transport Secretary (Louise Haigh) and I also suggest the Deputy Prime Minister (Angela Rayner) given their plans to concrete over the countryside to ensure that where construction takes place proper, and I really mean proper, flood mitigation measures are put into place.” Mr Reed replied: “This needs to operate across Government, and we will have those conversations and ensure that measures are put in place to support communities as much as is possible from the more severe weather events that we’re seeing as a result of climate change.”N-Dubz star Tulisa Contostavlos is starring on this year's series of ITV I'm A Celebrity, and viewers have flocked to social media to ask the same question about the London-born singer. I'm A Celebrity 2024 has already reached the elimination stage, with Loose Women star Jane Moore being the first celeb to leave the jungle in Friday night's episode. Now only 11 campmates are left battling it out to earn the title of King or Queen of the Jungle. READ MORE: I'm A Celebrity viewers say 'you what' as they respond to Jane Moore's first comments after elimination Alongside Tulisa, radio DJ Dean McCullough, Love Island star Maura Higgins, WAG Coleen Rooney and seven other celebs remain in the jungle, competing in gruelling challenges and surviving off rations in the Australian wilderness. The N-Dubz singer has competed in multiple Bushtucker trials during her jungle experience including an eating task dubbed by fans as the "worst trial ever" during Saturday night's episode. As well as sharing their disgusted reactions to the challenge, where Tulisa and writer Rev Richard Coles had to eat huntsman spiders, mouse tails, fermented duck eggs and more, viewers have taken to social media to ask one important question. I'm A Celeb fans have taken to X, formerly Twitter , to ask how Tulisa has maintained her lash extensions after living in the jungle for nearly two weeks. @LanaJT92 wrote on X: "Whoever is Tulisa’s eye lash tech is 10/10 because her lashes are flawless still in the jungle after a few weeks #ImaCeleb", and @Tiatia2000 added: "Who is Tulisa’s lash tech because her lashes are still looking so good after being in a literal jungle for almost 2 weeks #imaceleb". @BelleWalksXx commented: "The real question is where’s Tulisa getting her lashes done, because those gals haven’t moved", and @DPC123 asked: "How have Tulisa's lashes stayed on so long ? #ImaCeleb". Fans are amazed by the state of Tulisa's lash extensions after two weeks of living in the Australian jungle (Image: James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutterstock) @millie_si said: "#ImACeleb HOW ARE THOSE LASHES LASTING SO LONG??!!", and @caseycam__ asked: "How does Tulisa still have a full set of lash extensions two weeks into the show? #ImACeleb". And @Nic_NikI added: "don’t know who tulisa’s lash tech is but the woman has worked miracles. Not a single lash put of place the last two weeks #ImACeleb". Tulisa has become a fan favourite in the show, after being away from the public eye for many years since she stopped being a judge on the show X-Factor. As of Thursday night, viewers are no longer voting for which celeb they want to see take part in the Bushtucker trials, but are instead voting for their favourite campmates. The celebs who receive the fewest votes will face elimination. Hosts Ant and Dec revealed that the second elimination will take place on Sunday night's episode of I'm A Celeb, and voting is now open to the public.
Liverpool and Northern Ireland defender Conor Bradley is set for an extended spell on the sidelines Northern Ireland’s Conor Bradley is dealing with the agony of being ruled out of action for up to six weeks – just days from the high of inspiring Liverpool to Champions League success against Real Madrid. Bradley, whose crunching tackle on French superstar Kylian Mbappe went viral on social media and had the Kop chanting his name, played a crucial role as Arne Slot’s men strode to a statement 2-0 victory.Thanksgiving could provide the Lions an exciting chance for breakout day for a player with both Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond potentially out with injuries
From the 'godfathers of AI' to newer people in the field: Here are 17 people you should know — and what they say about the possibilities and dangers of the technology.
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 27th Dec, 2024) The 11th edition of the EcoWASTE Exhibition and Forum in is returning next month and is set to solidify its role as a regional leader in sustainable waste management. Hosted by Masdar during Sustainability Week as part of the Future Energy Summit, the will run 14-16 2025 at the National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) and aims to galvanise global and regional leaders, environmental experts, and innovators to advance actionable solutions to one of the ’s most pressing climate challenges. EcoWASTE 2025 will champion innovation in the prevention, collection, and management of organic waste, a critical pillar in the global sustainability agenda. EcoWASTE will convene a broad spectrum of stakeholders, policymakers and leaders to waste management specialists and providers. Ali Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and CEO of Tadweer Group, said, “Tadweer Group’s mission is to redefine waste as a valuable resource by leveraging cutting-edge and fostering global collaboration to drive sustainable . Our role as a strategic sponsor of this renowned platform for over a decade reflects our unwavering commitment to this vision. By transforming waste challenges into opportunities, we can emphasise that innovation and collaboration are key to unlocking a sustainable future. "At EcoWASTE 2025, we aim to accelerate technological advancements, strengthen international partnerships, and reaffirm our dedication to global growth. Together, we will champion waste as a vital alternative resource which plays a pivotal role in achieving a net-zero .” Tadweer will also foster sector innovation by staging a Waste-to-Art competition, celebrating creative recycling, and providing insights into its waste-to-energy and sustainable aviation fuel projects. Through keynote addresses, panel discussions, fireside chats, and showcases, participants will explore cutting-edge approaches to issues such as methane mitigation, landfill diversion, and circular economy integration. Also being explored through the conference tracks are circular economy metrics, future waste challenges emerging industries such as EV batteries and solar panels, zero waste as a policy, and waste-to-energy updates on integrating energy recovery into circular systems. The opening keynote discussion on day one will look specifically at tangible targets in the circular economy and how decisions made in the early stages of conceptualisation are crucial to ensure long-term goals are achieved. Leen AlSebai, General Manager of RX East and Head of the Future Energy Summit, said, “An exhibitor line-up of game-changing pioneers and disrupters will see the 11th edition of EcoWASTE transform into a laboratory of innovation and partnerships, while our speaker line-up is perfectly placed to drill down on what is currently needed to ensure both private and public sectors are well positioned to tackle circular economy and future waste challenges."