DUP minister rejected suggestion licensing laws could be relaxed for jubilee$25 million World Cup training field upgrades head to Vancouver Park Board
LONDON — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor "brutally raped and battered" her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after deliberating about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the "modest award." Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. "She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice," she said. "I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served." The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. "He's not a man, he's a coward," attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. "A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is." Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him "no" as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, "now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times," referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. "I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn't tell anyone so he wouldn't hurt me again," she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman's complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said "she never said 'no' or stopped" and testified that everything she said was a lie. "It is a full blown lie among many lies," he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. "How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings." McGregor's lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. "You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise," attorney Remy Farrell said. "I'm not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch." The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor's arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked "happy, happy, happy." McGregor said he was "beyond petrified" when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions. The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor's friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
By MICHELLE L. PRICE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift. His presidential transition team did not respond to questions about positions on visas for highly skilled workers or the debate between his supporters online. Instead, his team instead sent a link to a post on X by longtime adviser and immigration hard-liner Stephen Miller that was a transcript of a speech Trump gave in 2020 at Mount Rushmore in which he praised figures and moments from American history. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. Related Articles National Politics | Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office National Politics | Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death row His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.Maryland sues maker of Gore-Tex over pollution from toxic 'forever chemicals'
Authored by James Galbraith via TheNation.com, A large majority of voters gave the Biden administration a failing grade on the economy. For the sake of future policy battles, it is worthwhile to try to understand their reasons... One cannot fault Jared Bernstein, lead architect of “Bidenomics,” for feeling a measure of “ guilt, confusion ” over Donald Trump’s defeat of Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Bernstein says—and I believe him—that the daily mission of Biden’s economists was to improve the lives of the American working class. Not to be rewarded with a vote of “Good job, and carry on” must be a bitter blow. Yet there is very little evidence that disappointment with the economy decided the election. According to an NBC exit poll , only 6 percent of Biden’s 2020 supporters switched to Trump in 2024, and their numbers were partially offset by 4 percent of Trump’s 2020 voters who went to Harris. The difference is trivial, and we have no reason to think it was concentrated in the swing states; Trump gained far more ground in states where the outcome was not in doubt. The fundamental driving force in this election was differential turnout. In a voting-eligible population that grew by 4 million, Trump gained 2 million votes while Harris lost 7 million compared to Biden in 2020. Moreover, Biden’s victory was a unique surge, many of whose sources can be traced to the pandemic. Perhaps the most important was the unprecedented ease of voting, thanks to measures which did not recur in 2024. But the precise motives of nonvoters are unknown; they do not show up in exit polls. Voter suppression—an endemic feature of American elections—differential voter mobility between election dates (poorer people and students move more), demographic turnover, and anger over specific issues all doubtless played a role. That said, polls do establish that a large majority of voters gave Bidenomics a low grade. A sense of failure weighs on Bernstein and his colleagues, despite their good intentions and best efforts. They were repudiated—so say the polls—and for the sake of future policy battles, it is worthwhile to try to understand why. It is no help to argue, as Paul Krugman did , that voters are not competent to judge their own interests and well-being. Krugman faults the voters, in effect, for failing to accept the superior wisdom of a columnist at The New York Times . But it is a precept of democracy (and of free market economics) that voters (and consumers) do know their interests. To refuse this precept is to deny the point of democracy, in which case there is no good reason to go on having elections. Or markets, either. If voters are unhappy with the good readings on standard indicators—unemployment, the monthly inflation rate, economic growth— it must be because those indicators no longer connect to their sense of well-being. I have written on this before. In particular, low unemployment rates may reflect widespread disaffection with bad jobs; a low inflation rate does not reverse past price increases; and the incomes from growth may flow to profits and capital gains. These indicators are not useless—if they were bad, the situation would be even worse—but a good showing on them is insufficient. What did happen under Biden was a decline in real incomes - in household purchasing power. Prices had risen sharply in 2021–22, and even though the inflation rate was transient—contrary to screams from economists—the change in price levels was not. Wages struggled to catch up. Many people living on savings and pensions never did. While the White House moved quickly to bring down gas prices with oil sales from the Strategic Reserve, it did little to stop firms from padding their margins . Profits surged, as did rents , land prices, and the stock market . The Biden economists had overlooked a fundamental fact, which is that the ultimate benefit of any “stimulative” policy flows to those with market power—to land and to capital—regardless of how it may be distributed at first. In his interview with The New York Times , Bernstein accepted Larry Summers’s critique that Biden’s early fiscal policy had been too loose, unleashing inflation. But that critique was wrong then and it’s still wrong. Summers’s argument rests on a notion of working households living hand-to-mouth who would presumably rush to the grocery (and to the bars) with any extra cash they might receive. American households no longer function that way. They have budgets, bills, bank accounts, and habits. They took Covid relief as the buffer it was meant to be, saved what they did not need at once, and drew down those savings over time. Increased consumption (and investment in durable goods, like new cars and houses, as well as stocks and land) was largely limited to wealthy households , who were not the main recipients of Covid aid. Such households had free cash because they couldn’t spend their existing incomes, as they normally would, on services. And they had the extra benefit, for a time, of ultra-low interest rates. Pressure from voices like Summers led to an early curtailment of direct Covid relief, which fell just as prices rose. It is a shocking fact that while during Covid child poverty rates and food insecurity declined , those rates returned to pre-Covid levels when the benefits ended. Should we really be surprised that the affected families, having briefly tasted a better life for their children, were unhappy? At the same time, jobs were beginning to come back—but what jobs? In economic mythology, American life centers on work—on character-building, strength-testing, skill-demanding engagement with the physical world, on the farm, the range, the factory, the construction site or the open road. But most jobs today aren’t like that; practically all new jobs in America for the past 60 years have been in services—in shops, offices, restaurants; in accounting, bookkeeping, maintenance, and other minor professions. Most such jobs are neither secure nor well-paid, and it often takes two or more to sustain a middle-class household. Costs of commuting and child care make many secondary jobs barely profitable to hold. Covid relief and enforced unemployment gave many Americans a break, which they used to reassess their relationship to work. Many decided not to return, which is why the jobless rate fell and remained low , even though the employment-to-population ratio never fully recovered. As the economy began to open up again, employers needed workers. Vacancies rose. What to do? The option of raising wages (and improving working conditions) is never attractive, since the gains must be given to all workers, not merely those newly hired or rehired. The alternative is to put a squeeze on those who have left the labor force until they feel the pinch and come back, hat in hand, seeking a job. And this could be done, with the complicity of the Biden team, by letting Covid benefits expire , and by hiking interest rates . Price increases, directly boosting profits , also added to the pressure on the not-employed. Is it a surprise that people do not like being pressured to take “ bullshit jobs ”? Meanwhile, Biden’s policies aimed at industry, infrastructure, and the environment came into play; so did the endless flow of weapons for Ukraine. Whatever the long-term merits (or demerits) of these programs, their political impact was next to nil. Infrastructure goes unnoticed except as an annoying obstacle to the daily commute. Energy (if it works) feeds into an existing grid and arrives invisibly. American chips and other artifacts of the great “war” with China evoke no pride among ordinary consumers of the smartphone. Why should they? The total growth of manufacturing jobs since 2020 has amounted, so far, to at most a few hundred thousand —scarcely a month’s normal growth of jobs in America. Construction jobs are up by about 800,000 —but many of those are filled by migrants. There is almost no visible positive effect on any part of American economic life, outside the market caps of a few companies—which, like all companies, are owned mainly by the rich. The final and fatal blow to Bidenomics was the support given by the White House to the Federal Reserve, once the central bank started raising interest rates in March, 2022. Early on, President Biden gave his blessing —“Fighting inflation is the Fed’s job”—while also ducking his own responsibility to act against surging prices. Interest rates proved irrelevant to the “inflation fight”—they failed to slow economic growth or goose unemployment—but they froze up the housing market , made life miserable for small business, and undercut the viability of long-term investments, including renewable energy projects. Meanwhile, vast sums flowed in payments to banks on their reserves and to the tiny minority with large holdings of Treasury bills. The Biden economists never challenged these arrangements. They hewed to the craven orthodoxy, dominant among Democrats since the time of Robert Rubin, that the Fed’s independence is sacrosanct . But the entire point of an “independent” central bank is to defeat any economic program that serves the people to the inconvenience of Big Finance. To be fair, since at least the 1990s all Democratic administrations have been paralyzed by the schizoid division of the party itself. Democrats have come to depend on funding from oligarchs—in banking, technology, entertainment, and other elite sectors. Votes, however, must still be gathered from low-income (and especially minority) communities, who form a large part of what is called the American “working class.” But except in extraordinary conditions this group gets little from the government (apart from pandering to identity ), and what it does get—for instance, the Earned Income Tax Credit —is often as invisible as possible, to minimize political opposition. The pandemic allowed a dramatic exception, briefly revealing how conditions could be transformed by a radical policy. But instead of capitalizing on this event, Biden’s team steered for a return to normal. Meanwhile, Biden pursued an aggressive campaign of confrontation and escalation in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the economic combat with China—unwinnable wars on three fronts. So while I do not think it fair to blame Bernstein and his colleagues for the Harris defeat, that most Americans do not think of the Biden years as an era of happy prosperity should be no surprise.Your black plastic kitchen utensils aren’t so toxic after all. But you should still toss them, group says
Irish MFA expresses condolences to Azerbaijan over plane crashBy Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times A recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere , experts from the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future said they detected flame retardants and other toxic chemicals in 85% of 203 items made of black plastic including kitchen utensils , take-out containers, children’s toys and hair accessories. The study initially said the potential exposure to chemicals found in one of the kitchen utensils approached the minimum levels the Environmental Protection Agency deemed a health risk. But in an update to the study, the authors say they made an error in their calculations and the real levels were “an order of magnitude lower” than the EPA’s thresholds. The error was discovered by Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society in Canada. In a blog post, Schwarcz explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it’s actually about one-tenth of that. Though Schwarcz said the risks outlined in the study aren’t enough for him to discard his black plastic kitchen items if he had them, he agreed with the authors that flame retardants shouldn’t be in these products in the first place. “The math error does not impact the study’s findings, conclusions or recommendations,” said Megan Liu, a co-author of the study who is the science and policy manager for Toxic-Free Future . She added that any traces of flame retardants or toxic chemicals in cooking utensils should be concerning for the public. Flame retardants are getting into commonly used items because black-colored products are being made from recycled electronic waste, such as discarded television sets and computers, that frequently contain the additives. When they’re heated, the flame retardants and other toxic chemicals can migrate out. If you’re wondering whether your old black plastic spoon or other utensils are a part of this group, Liu shared some more guidance. It’s nearly impossible to know whether a black plastic product is contaminated. That’s because these products that include recycled e-waste don’t disclose a detailed list of all ingredients and contaminants in the product. Liu said it’s also unclear how many types of flame retardants are in these black plastic products. Some of the products that researchers tested in this recent study “had up to nine different harmful chemicals and harmful flame retardants in them,” she said. Anytime you’re looking for the type of recycled plastic a product is made of you’re going to look for a number within the chasing arrows (that form a triangle) logo. Recycling symbols are numbered 1 to 7 and we commonly associate the numbers with what we can toss in our blue recycling bins. The 1 through 7 numbers stand for, respectively, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or Styrofoam, and miscellaneous plastics (including polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass and nylon). The study found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in polystyrene plastic, which is labeled with the number 6, said Liu. There isn’t a definitively timeline of when recycled electronic-waste started to be incorporated into black plastic products specifically, but e-waste started to get recycled in the early 2000s, Liu said. The way computers, cellphones, stereos, printers and copiers were being disposed of previously was to simply add them to a landfill without reusing salvageable parts. But as the National Conference of State Legislatures notes, electronics production required a significant amount of resources that could be recovered through recycling. Recovering resources such as metals, plastics and glass through recycling used a fraction of the energy needed to mine new materials. However, the study pointed out that flame retardants and other chemical contaminates have been detected in and near e-waste recycling facilities, in indoor air and dust at formal e-waste recycling facilities in Canada, China, Spain and the U.S. It also noted contamination in soil samples surrounding e-waste recycling sites in China and Vietnam. The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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The year 2025 promises to be a pivotal moment for humanoid robots, with remarkable advancements and fierce competition shaping the future of robotics. Boston Dynamics recently introduced their cutting-edge all-electric Atlas robot to the world, bringing new life to its series and marking the end of its well-known hydraulic predecessor, the HD Atlas. This innovative design enables the Atlas to perform movements with unprecedented agility, impressing enthusiasts and experts alike. Atlas: The new Atlas robot boasts a sophisticated “head” equipped with cameras, allowing it to undertake tasks by seeing and reacting to its environment. What separates Atlas from the pack is its ability to maneuver in extraordinary ways, seemingly achieving feats beyond human capability. Unitree’s Competitor: Meanwhile, the Unitree G1 strides into the spotlight with its compact and versatile design. Thanks to its ability to fold down to under three feet, the G1 is convenient for transportation and storage, making it an attractive option for various applications. Several companies, including Figure, Agility Robotics, and 1X, are establishing strategic partnerships with tech giants Nvidia and OpenAI to enhance their robots with advanced software and hardware. These collaborations aim to accelerate the development of robots that can effectively execute complex tasks. On a different path, Tesla is leveraging its expertise from automotive technology by repurposing its data and software into its Optimus robot project. This unique approach could redefine how robots integrate into everyday life. With industry leaders pushing the boundaries and creating alliances, 2025 is set to deliver impressive new robotic capabilities, bringing the technological future into the present. Revolutionizing Robotics: The Unveiled Secrets of 2025 The year 2025 heralds a transformative era in the realm of humanoid robots, characterized by unparalleled innovations and strategic alliances that promise to redefine the boundaries of technology. With competitors like Boston Dynamics, Unitree, and key industry players pushing the envelope, the landscape of robotics is on the cusp of a significant evolution. The latest iteration of Boston Dynamics’ Atlas is a paradigm of agility and adaptability. This all-electric model, equipped with a sophisticated visual interface—resembling a “head” packed with cameras—enables Atlas to navigate and interact with its surroundings with a level of dexterity previously unseen. Such advancements are setting new benchmarks in robotics, offering robots capabilities that simulate, and sometimes surpass, human-like motion. In contrast, the Unitree G1 robot brings versatility to the forefront with its innovative design, allowing it to fold into a compact structure of under three feet. This feature not only simplifies transportation and storage but also expands potential use cases across various sectors, including warehousing, healthcare, and personal assistance. The robotics sector is also witnessing savvy alliances, with companies like Nvidia and OpenAI playing pivotal roles. By partnering with firms such as Figure, Agility Robotics, and 1X, these tech giants are supercharging the software and hardware that propel robotic functions to greater heights. Such collaborations are poised to accelerate the creation of robots that can tackle increasingly complex and nuanced tasks, pushing the envelope on what’s possible. Tesla has adopted a novel path by infusing its automotive expertise into the development of the Optimus robot. This approach leverages Tesla’s vast data resources and sophisticated software, potentially redefining how humanoid robots are integrated into everyday life scenarios. This strategy not only underscores Tesla’s innovative vision but also highlights the growing cross-industry pollination of technologies. As these technological titans continue to advance their robotic creations, several emerging trends are worth noting. The focus is increasingly on sustainability, efficiency, and real-world applications, making these robots not just a marvel of engineering but a practical part of daily life in sectors like healthcare, logistics, and personal security. 2025 is set to turn imagination into reality by evolving robots from mere mechanized novelties to indispensable tools capable of enhancing the human experience. With breakthroughs on the horizon and strategic alliances in place, the future of robotics is not just promising; it’s inevitable.
The Latest: Suspect in United Healthcare CEO's killing charged with weapons, forgery, other chargesPrincess Kate was reportedly seen to be attending the traditional Christmas Day service at the St Mary Magdalene Church located in Sandringham while showcasing a radiant smile in spite of a severely challenging year which was marked by her recent battle with cancer, reported USA Today. ET Year-end Special Reads It's all Gucci for Indians' luxury craving even as economy shows wrinkles Investing in 2025: Will domestic funds continue to counter FPI sell-offs amid rising valuations? 2024 exposed the underbelly of India's Silicon Valley According to USA Today, following the completion of her chemotherapy treatment, Princess Kate returned to royal duties while appearing alongside her family which included Prince William and their children namely Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Dressed in a dark green coat and beret, Princess Kate was seen to be carrying lovely flowers as she arrived for the service, noted USA Today. The British Royal Family actually gathered to celebrate Christmas together while reflecting a sense of unity and support during an extreme difficult time. This very Christmas eventually marks a pretty significant moment for Princess Kate, who has shared that the past year has been incredibly tough for both her and her family. During her previous statements, Princess Kate actually expressed relief at completing her treatment and emphasized her focus on healing and staying cancer free. In spite of all the severe challenges which she faced, the presence of Princess Kate at the Royal Christmas service actually symbolizes hope and resilience. 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Princess Kate was reportedly seen to be attending the traditional Christmas Day service at the St Mary Magdalene Church located in Sandringham while showcasing a radiant smile in spite of a severely challenging year which was marked by her recent battle with cancer. How did Princess Kate look at the Sandringham Christmas Service of the British Royal Family? Princess Kate was seen to be dressed in a dark green coat and beret while she was also spotted to carry some flowers as she was arriving for the service. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
AI’s Quantum Leap in 2024: In an era where artificial intelligence is transcending science fiction, groundbreaking advancements are reshaping industries at an unimaginable pace. From virtual assistants with human-like comprehension skills to AI-powered chips processing massive data, the technology is causing ripples across Wall Street. Such innovations have significantly boosted the S&P 500’s impressive rally since late 2022. PwC anticipates a colossal $15.7 trillion economic boost from AI by 2030, underscoring its transformative potential. No longer confined to chatbots, AI is revolutionizing industries—from automating fast-food drive-thrus to enhancing data centers with sophisticated chips. The Investors’ Frontier: While Nvidia has led AI’s ripples, experts suggest the next big wave could emerge from lesser-known entities now leveraging technology to its fullest potential. Two standout contenders are positioning themselves uniquely within the AI ecosystem, offering investors fresh prospects as 2025 approaches. SoundHound AI: This company is quietly transforming the customer interaction landscape with voice AI. In late 2024, SoundHound reported a staggering 89% increase in revenue, signifying growing business adoption. Transitioning from automotive origins to a diversified AI leader, SoundHound’s tech now powers major restaurant chains and branches into financial services and healthcare. Rise of AMD: Emerging as a formidable rival to Nvidia, AMD’s affordable AI chip solutions are winning industry traction. With its data center and AI GPU revenue surging dramatically, AMD, in partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, is setting new benchmarks in chip innovation. Investors seeking exposure to transformative AI trends should watch these companies. SoundHound AI and AMD not only offer compelling growth narratives but are actively redefining industry operations and customer interactions, holding great promise for significant returns in the evolving AI landscape. The Untold Story of AI Revolution: What’s Next in 2024 and Beyond? AI Innovations Transforming the Financial and Tech Landscapes In recent years, artificial intelligence has leapt from the pages of science fiction into real-world applications, significantly reshaping industries globally. The transformative potential of AI is evident in multifaceted applications, from revolutionizing customer service with virtual assistants to enhancing intricate data processing with AI-powered chips. These developments have not only spurred innovation but have also caught the attention of Wall Street, contributing to the impressive rally observed in the S&P 500 since late 2022. AI’s Economic Impact: A Glimpse into the Future According to PwC, artificial intelligence is slated to contribute a staggering $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. This projection highlights AI’s ability to transform not only how businesses operate but also how they interact with consumers. The technology has moved far beyond chatbots, now playing a crucial role in automating sectors like fast food and optimizing data centers with cutting-edge chips. Exploring New Frontiers for Investors While Nvidia has been a dominant force in the AI sector, keen investors are looking toward emerging players that are harnessing the technology in novel ways. As we edge closer to 2025, two companies have positioned themselves notably within the AI landscape, promising exciting new opportunities for investors. SoundHound AI: Leading the Voice AI Charge SoundHound AI is making significant strides in transforming how businesses interact with customers using voice AI technology. By late 2024, the company reported an impressive 89% increase in revenue, signaling robust market adoption across various industries. Transitioning from its automotive roots, SoundHound is now a diversified AI leader, powering everything from major restaurant chains to sectors like financial services and healthcare. This diversification underscores SoundHound’s potential to redefine traditional customer interaction paradigms. AMD: Challenging the AI Chip Market AMD has emerged as a significant competitor to Nvidia, particularly with its affordable AI chip solutions gaining traction in the industry. With remarkable growth in data center and AI GPU revenues, AMD, in collaboration with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, is pushing the boundaries of chip innovation. This partnership highlights how AMD’s strategic innovations are setting new industry standards and disrupting the status quo. Prospects for Investors For investors eager to tap into the transformative AI trends, both SoundHound AI and AMD present compelling growth opportunities. They are at the forefront of redefining industry operations and customer interactions, making them enticing prospects for those seeking to capitalize on the evolving AI landscape. For more insights into AI advancements and investment opportunities, visit SoundHound and AMD .CT REIT: A Very Appealing Dividend Yield With A Low Payout Ratio