Samsonov stops 31 shots as Golden Knights earn sixth straight win, 3-0 over the FlamesEx-president dies at 100
Two state-run, financially-challenged snow resorts are not for sale, a state government says as it prepares to tender their operating rights. or signup to continue reading Alpine Resorts Victoria, which has overseen Lake Mountain and Mount Baw Baw since 2022, has called for expressions of interest from commercial operators after failing to turn profits at the snowfields. Victorian premier Jacinta Allan flatly denied reports it amounted to a sale. "The reporting that these beautiful locations are being sold is just wrong," she told reporters on Thursday. State agencies with landowner responsibility often partnered with commercial organisations to deliver services, she said. The move was about asking market leaders what they wanted to see and contribute to the resorts, tourism minister Steve Dimopoulos said. "It might be part of the resort," he said. "It might be a business within the resort. It might be a partnership with the state government." According to Alpine Victoria, the will run until the end of January for qualified operators to propose management solutions for one or both resorts, "in their entirety". Lake Mountain, about 120 kilometres from central Melbourne, includes 37 kilometres of cross country trails, tubing and tobogganing. Mount Baw Baw, with its shorter tree-lined runs and snowplay areas, is known as the "nursery" of Victoria's alpine industry, where about half the state's snow lovers got their first taste for the white stuff. Both locations also host summer events, but with less annual snowfall in winter than the major resorts, they fill an important role supplying the snow-play, beginner and day-tripper markets. "One of the critical things that must be remembered is that Mount Baw Baw isn't always about downhill skiing or getting vertical," said Leona Turra, a Baw Baw Stakeholders Association member. "It's also about families being able to throw some snowballs, being able to get on a toboggan - a resort where it's not so prohibitively costly that family groups can't go." Lake Mountain had almost 100,000 visitors in winter 2023, while more than 63,000 visited Baw Baw over more than 94,000 "visitor days", Alpine Resorts' shows. Only Baw Baw offers accommodation, but both resorts lack basic mains power. "The lack of investment by successive governments has meant that Mount Baw Baw has never been able to achieve its potential," Ms Turra said. Snow-making, a critical part of resorts worldwide, has also been lacking despite improving affordability, she told AAP. Any clouds of uncertainty hanging over Mount Baw Baw's future could be devastating for the resort's licensees, their more than $25 million in assets and the roughly $30 million the resort contributes to Gippsland's economy each year. Gippsland, a coal and logging powerhouse for decades, has been hit hard by the rapid transition to renewable energy and a ban on the state's native timber industry, which took effect in January. "For a region to take the hits that we have in terms of our mining industry, our logging industry - now they're talking about a major tourist attraction," Ms Turra said. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement
IBIDEN, the dominant supplier of chip package substrates used in Nvidia’s cutting-edge semiconductors, may need to dial up the pace of production capacity increases to keep up with demand, according to its chief executive officer. Sales of the 112-year-old company’s artificial intelligence (AI) use substrates are robust with customers buying up all that Ibiden has, CEO Koji Kawashima said, adding that that demand is likely to last at least till next year. Ibiden is building a new substrate factory in Gifu prefecture, central Japan, expected to go online at 25 per cent production capacity around the last quarter of 2025 before reaching 50 per cent by March 2026. But that may not be enough, Kawashima said. The company is in talks about when to get the remaining 50 per cent of capacity online. “Our customers have concerns,” he said. “We are already being asked about our next investment and the next capacity expansion.” Ibiden’s clients include Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, Samsung Electronics and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, as well as Nvidia, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Many of them consult with the Japanese company early in product development, because the substrates – which help transmit signals from semiconductors to the circuit board – need to be tailored for each chip. Substrates must be made to withstand the heat of an Nvidia graphics processing unit to form an AI chip package complete with components such as memory. Founded as a power utility company in 1912, Ibiden developed semiconductor expertise through a partnership with Intel that Kawashima cultivated by waiting every day in front of the Santa Clara company to stop engineers and executives for product feedback in the early 1990s. At one point, Intel comprised around 70 per cent to 80 per cent of Ibiden’s revenue from chip package substrates. That fell to around 30 per cent in the fiscal year ended March as the US chipmaker struggled to execute a turnaround that recently saw the ousting of CEO Pat Gelsinger. Reliance on Intel has hurt Ibiden’s stock, down around 40 per cent this year. In October, Ibiden revised down its profit outlook after sluggish demand for components used in general purpose servers outweighed AI server-related growth. But while noting it was important to expand business with chipmakers other than Intel, Kawashima said he was confident Intel will bounce back. “Intel’s overall technology is very sophisticated,” the 61-year-old said. “Intel raised us up and opened so many doors. Our relationship with Intel will always be our treasure, and Intel will forever be an important customer.” With many foreign chipmakers unwilling to transfer their latest technology to the US, Intel is likely to play a key role in Washington’s goal to boost cutting-edge semiconductor production capabilities at home, Kawashima said. Ibiden itself has no manufacturing facilities in the US. It has no plans to build any due to the cost of labour and logistics, Kawashima said, irrespective of US president-elect Donald Trump’s plans to impose tariffs on a wide range of products. All of Nvidia’s AI semiconductors now use Ibiden’s substrates, although Taiwanese rivals such as Unimicron Technology are eyeing the field. But it will not be easy to break Ibiden’s position as a dominant supplier, according to Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda. “Nvidia’s AI chips need sophisticated substrates, and Ibiden is the only one that can mass produce them at a good production yield,” he said. “Taiwanese competitors won’t be able to take Ibiden’s share away by much.” AI semiconductors earn more than 15 per cent of Ibiden’s sales of around 370 billion yen (S$3.2 billion), with that percentage expected to rise further. Nvidia said it’s begun full production of its next-generation Blackwell chips after encountering some initial technical challenges. Over the long term, Nvidia may face growing competition from application-specific chips by Marvell Technology and Broadcom as well as in-house silicon from Alphabet’s Google and Microsoft. In theory, Ibiden should be able to accommodate them all, as AI chip package design and material will likely remain similar to Nvidia’s, according to Kawashima. BLOOMBERGB.C. NDP government, Greens forge confidence agreement with 'shared priorities'
Developers will have to show that their project either helps reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste going to landfill, or replaces an older, less efficient incinerator. The move forms part of the Government’s drive to increase recycling rates, which have held at about 45% of household waste since 2015. Environment minister Mary Creagh said: “For far too long, the nation has seen its recycling rates stagnate and relied on burning household waste, rather than supporting communities to keep resources in use for longer. “That ends today, with clear conditions for new energy from waste plants – they must be efficient and support net zero and our economic growth mission, before they can get the backing needed to be built.” Developers will also have to ensure their incinerators are ready for carbon capture technology, and demonstrate how the heat they produce can be used to help cut heating bills for households. The Government expects that its “crackdown” on new incinerators will mean only a limited number are built, while still reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill and enabling the country to process the waste it produces. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the country was almost at the point where it had enough waste facilities to handle non-recyclable rubbish, and so had limited need for new incinerators. But the proposals stop short of the plans included in the Conservatives’ 2024 manifesto, which committed to a complete ban on new incinerators due to their “impact on local communities” and declining demand as recycling increased.Intel strikes back, calling out high return rate of Qualcomm laptopsJarrod Bowen held Antonio’s number nine shirt aloft after scoring the winner in support of the Hammers striker, who is recovering after a horror car crash on Saturday. Boss Julen Lopetegui said: “He is not in his best moment but he kept his humour. It was a special moment for us. “I think we have a lot of reason to win matches but this was one reason more. He’s alive so we are happy.” MA9 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fXwtdSQWYE — West Ham United (@WestHam) December 9, 2024 West Ham players wore ‘Antonio 9′ shirts while warming up and walking out before kick-off. The shirts will be signed by the players, including Antonio, and auctioned off with the proceeds going to the NHS and Air Ambulances UK. Tomas Soucek headed West Ham into the lead and held up nine fingers to a TV camera. The Czech midfielder told Sky Sports: “He’s been here since I came here. He is really my favourite. I said it would be tough for me to play without him. "He was here since I came and he's really my favourite" Tomáš Souček on dedicating his goal to Michail Antonio ❤️ pic.twitter.com/smNy26wmuX — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 9, 2024 “I was so scared what was going to happen. It was a really tough week for him, his family and us.” Matt Doherty equalised for Wolves, and boss Gary O’Neil felt they should have had two penalties for fouls on Goncalo Guedes and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, both of which were checked by VAR. But Bowen’s winner – O’Neil believed there was a foul in the build-up – condemned Wolves to a 10th defeat of the season and a third in a row. While under-pressure Lopetegui may have earned a stay of execution, O’Neil’s future as Wolves manager is now in serious doubt. “A lot of things went against us but ultimately we have not found a way to turn the game in our favour,” he said. “But the players showed they are still fighting for me, for the fans and the group. “Where does this leave me? In the same place I was. I’m aware of the noise. But if anyone expected this to be easy – I’m happy to be judged on results but it should be done in context. “Whenever this journey ends with Wolves I’ll be proud of it.” There was an acrimonious end to the match as captains Bowen and Mario Lemina scuffled after the final whistle, with the Wolves midfielder angrily shoving people including one of his own coaches, Shaun Derry. “I just went to shake his hand after the game,” Bowen said. “He didn’t want to shake my hand, two captains together just to say ‘well done’ after the game. “I know it’s difficult when you lose. I’ve been on the end of that situation.” O’Neil added: “Mario is calm now. He’s a passionate guy and something was said that upset him. “The instinct of the staff was to make sure he didn’t get into trouble, but he took some calming down.”
ALTOONA, Pa. — After UnitedHealthcare’s CEO was gunned down on a New York sidewalk, police searched for the masked gunman with dogs, drones and scuba divers. Officers used the city's muscular surveillance system. Investigators analyzed DNA samples, fingerprints and internet addresses. Police went door-to-door looking for witnesses. When an arrest came five days later, those sprawling investigative efforts shared credit with an alert civilian's instincts. A Pennsylvania McDonald's customer noticed another patron who resembled the man in the oblique security-camera photos that New York police had publicized. Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry speaks during a press conference regarding the arrest of suspect Luigi Mangione, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Hollidaysburg, Pa., in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) Luigi Nicholas Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, was arrested Monday in the killing of Brian Thompson, who headed one of the United States’ largest medical insurance companies. He remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was initially charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. By late evening, prosecutors in Manhattan had added a charge of murder, according to an online court docket. He's expected to be extradited to New York eventually. People are also reading... 2 Statesville men face murder charges in 2011 shooting death of Joey Brewer Iredell County deputies charge 7 people in drug trafficking investigation 3 men face arson charges in Statesville house fire that severely burned woman 4 pounds of marijuana, gun seized by Mooresville police officers Now streaming and on DVD: 'It Ends With Us' just prompts head shakes Tiny, 4 more dogs seeking homes at Iredell County Animal Services Top vote-getter Houpe: Why am I not chairman of Iredell board of commissioners? Statesville native Tomlin leads Delaware State to MEAC volleyball title, NCAA berth Hear the songs, see Santa at Sunday's Statesville Christmas Parade Families prepare for mass deportations: 'A sad and painful time' 3 Eagle Scouts and 1 grateful Iredell County resident Get to know Mooresville basketball player Cadence Lane Colombia native brings tastes of his homeland to downtown Statesville New school chairman rules 2 fellow board members out of order in Iredell Statesville native's book offers clues to 5 hidden treasures It’s unclear whether Mangione has an attorney who can comment on the allegations. Asked at Monday's arraignment whether he needed a public defender, Mangione asked whether he could “answer that at a future date.” Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after the McDonald's customer recognized him and notified an employee, authorities said. Police in Altoona, about 233 miles (375 kilometers) west of New York City, were soon summoned. This booking photo released Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections shows Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Pennsylvania Department of Corrections via AP) They arrived to find Mangione sitting at a table in the back of the restaurant, wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a laptop, according to a Pennsylvania police criminal complaint. He initially gave them a fake ID, but when an officer asked Mangione whether he’d been to New York recently, he “became quiet and started to shake,” the complaint says. When he pulled his mask down at officers' request, “we knew that was our guy,” rookie Officer Tyler Frye said at a news conference in Hollidaysburg. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a Manhattan news conference that Mangione was carrying a gun like the one used to kill Thompson and the same fake ID the shooter had used to check into a New York hostel, along with a passport and other fraudulent IDs. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione also had a three-page, handwritten document that shows “some ill will toward corporate America." An NYPD police officer and K-9 dog search around a lake in Central Park, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) A law enforcement official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said the document included a line in which Mangione claimed to have acted alone. “To the Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone,” the document said, according to the official. It also had a line that said, “I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.” Pennsylvania prosecutor Peter Weeks said in court that Mangione was found with a passport and $10,000 in cash — $2,000 of it in foreign currency. Mangione disputed the amount. Thompson, 50, was killed last Wednesday as he walked alone to a midtown Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. Police quickly came to see the shooting as a targeted attack by a gunman who appeared to wait for Thompson, came up behind him and fired a 9 mm pistol. Investigators have said “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on ammunition found near Thompson’s body. The words mimic a phrase used to criticize the insurance industry. A poster issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows a wanted unknown suspect. (FBI via AP) From surveillance video, New York investigators gathered that the shooter fled by bike into Central Park, emerged, then took a taxi to a northern Manhattan bus terminal. Once in Pennsylvania, he went from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, “trying to stay low-profile” by avoiding cameras, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said. A grandson of a wealthy, self-made real estate developer and philanthropist, Mangione is a cousin of a current Maryland state legislator. Mangione was valedictorian at his elite Baltimore prep school, where his 2016 graduation speech lauded his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things.” He went on to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a spokesperson said. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media late Monday by his cousin, Maryland lawmaker Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” An NYPD police officer and K-9 dog search around a lake in Central Park, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Luigi Nicholas Mangione worked for a time for the car-buying website TrueCar and left in 2023, CEO Jantoon Reigersman said by email. From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of Honolulu tourist mecca Waikiki. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. "There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, from surfing to romance, Ryan said. “He went surfing with R.J. once but it didn’t work out because of his back," Ryan said, but noted that Mangione and Martin often went together to a rock-climbing gym. NYPD officers in diving suits search a lake in Central Park, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. Although the gunman obscured his face during the shooting, he left a trail of evidence in New York, including a backpack he ditched in Central Park, a cellphone found in a pedestrian plaza, a water bottle and a protein bar wrapper. In the days after the shooting, the NYPD collected hundreds of hours of surveillance video and released multiple clips and still images in hopes of enlisting the public’s eyes to help find a suspect. “This combination of old-school detective work and new-age technology is what led to this result today,” Tisch said at the New York news conference. ___ Scolforo reported from Altoona and Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Contributing were Associated Press writers Cedar Attanasio and Jennifer Peltz in New York; Michael Rubinkam and Maryclaire Dale in Pennsylvania; Lea Skene in Baltimore and Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Things to watch this week in the Big 12 Conference: No. 14 BYU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 14 CFP) at No. 21 Arizona State (8-2, 5-2, No. 21), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) League newcomer Arizona State has a three-game winning streak and BYU is coming off its first loss. The Cougars, after losing at home to Kansas, still control their own destiny in making the Big 12 championship game. They can clinch a spot in that Dec. 7 game as early as Saturday, if they win and instate rival Utah wins at home against No. 22 Iowa State. Arizona State was picked at the bottom of the 16-team league in the preseason media poll, but already has a five-win improvement in coach Kenny Dillingham's second season. No. 16 Colorado (8-2, 6-1, No. 16 CFP) at Kansas (4-6, 3-4), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox) Coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes are in prime position to make the Big 12 title game in their return to the league after 13 seasons in the Pac-12. If BYU and Utah win, Colorado would be able to claim the other title game spot with a win over Kansas. The Buffs have a four-game winning streak. The Jayhawks need another November win over a ranked Big 12 contender while trying to get bowl eligible for the third season in a row. Kansas has won consecutive games over Top 25 teams for the first time in school history, knocking off Iowa State before BYU. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown a touchdown in a school-record 14 consecutive games, while receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel both have more than 800 yards receiving. San Jose State is the only other FBS team with a pair of 800-yard receivers. Becht has 2,628 yards and 17 touchdowns passing for the Cyclones (8-2, 5-2), who are still in Big 12 contention. Oklahoma State goes into its home finale against Texas Tech with a seven-game losing streak, its longest since a nine-game skid from 1977-78. The only longer winless streak since was an 0-10-1 season in 1991. This is Mike Gundy's 20th season as head coach, and his longest losing streak before now was five in a row in 2005, his first season and the last time the Cowboys didn't make a bowl game. ... Baylor plays at Houston for the first time since 1995, the final Southwest Conference season. The Cougars won last year in the only meeting since to even the series 14-14-1. ... Eight Big 12 teams are bowl eligible. As many as six more teams could reach six wins. The Big 12 already has four 1,000-yard rushers, including three who did it last season. UCF's RJ Harvey is the league's top rusher (1,328 yards) and top scorer with 21 touchdowns (19 rushing/two receiving). The others with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons are Texas Tech career rushing leader Tahj Brooks (1,184 yards) and Kansas State's DJ Giddens (1,128 yards). Cam Skattebo with league newcomer Arizona State has 1,074 yards. Devin Neal, the career rushing leader at his hometown university, is 74 yards shy of being the first Kansas player with three 1,000-yard seasons. Cincinnati's Corey Kiner needs 97 yards to reach 1,000 again.