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Aston Villa’s disallowed goal would have counted in England – Unai EmeryThe population of the world’s 1,000 largest and most important global cities is expected to increase by more than 0.5 billion by 2050. Africa and emerging countries in Asia Pacific are set to experience exponential growth in their populations, while many cities across China, Europe and advanced Asia Pacific will plateau or even decline. By 2050, 70% of the world’s population are expected to live in cities, up from 54% in 2020, driven by both population growth and a continued shift towards urbanization. There are currently 33 megacities worldwide. By 2050, 14 more cities are set to join their ranks, with a total increased population of around 213 million people. Economic growth, largely in the developing economies, is expected to augment this urbanization, boosting the growth of megacities and the brisk scaling up of the world’s population. In support of this, infrastructure development and the growth of the construction sector across the world is expected to continue. Minerals and metals, which play a critical role in construction, will also need to adapt to the new requirements of the world’s growing urban population. New trends in construction and key materials Urbanization and the influx of populations into cities are driving growth, innovation and fresh approaches in building construction. This shift is fuelling demand for new construction methods, such as modular processes, in which buildings are constructed off-site before being transported and assembled at a final location. This makes variation in design and layout easier and is faster than traditional methods. Another growing trend towards lean construction helps construction companies improve their process efficiency and quality while minimizing waste. At the same time as these trends are growing, rapidly expanding cities are introducing new standards and requirements, prompting the construction supply chain to evolve and become more collaborative. Increasing concerns about global warming and the construction sector’s significant greenhouse gas emissions are also growing demand for sustainable and recyclable materials. Lastly, emerging digital trends and evolving workforce patterns are accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), robotics, and other digital tools throughout the industry. In this context, mining and metals play essential roles in modern construction. They can support sustainable, resilient and efficient building practices. They are flexible, adaptable and easily moulded to utilize space, creating new, sustainable production pathways. Steel, for instance, is foundational to the construction sector, especially as cities expand and require strong, durable infrastructure. Steel-intensive designs support scalable buildings, modular construction, energy systems and circularity through reuse and recycling. In countries like India, where construction and infrastructure sectors will likely account for 69% of steel demand by 2034, high-strength steel with enhanced toughness, formability and weldability is becoming vital. Steel manufacturers are also adopting greener production technologies to address global emission concerns. Aluminum is valued for its light weight, strength and corrosion resistance. This makes it highly suitable for flexible, aesthetically appealing and recyclable construction. Its ease of moulding and durability align well with shifting construction patterns that prioritize sustainability. Copper is essential for its durability, antimicrobial qualities and role in building safety due to its resistance to fire and corrosion. With construction accounting for nearly half of all copper usage, demand is set to rise due to increased applications in energy transition technologies like solar power. Other materials like carbon fiber are useful for reinforcing concrete and enhancing structural durability. Its strength, resistance to corrosion and lighter footprint allows carbon fiber to support cost-efficient and environmentally friendly construction methods. Suppliers of key metals like steel, aluminium and copper need to align their processes to address the needs of the rapidly growing infrastructure sector. And as carbon abatement and digitalization increasingly affect the industry, suppliers’ assets, processes and systems must be fine-tuned to address these factors. This is crucial, not just for the industry, but for wider economic development. The construction industry is deeply connected to the broader economy via builders, developers, suppliers and contractors. India’s construction tools and machinery market alone is valued at $14 billion. Key materials like steel, cement and wood – which are labour-intensive to produce and involve long value chains across sectors like metals and logistics – generate $25 billion annually. Image: Created by author using data from Statista While demand for its services is growing due to urbanization and the continued rise of megacities, the construction industry faces several challenges. Here is how the metals and mining sector could play a crucial role in addressing some of these issues: Talent shortages, AI and digital invasion, fewer new hires to further enhance productivity, efficiency and worker safety are some of the concern areas for the construction sector today. Increased hire of data scientists and software developers is being considered by the industry to tackle this. Steel and cement, the key input materials in construction, are high greenhouse gas emitters. Global manufacturers of these materials must focus on asset reconfiguration, investment in new assets and processes to embrace the key principles of sustainability, material cyclicity and emission reductions. Investments, policymaking, partnerships and collaboration are slowly making progress in developing the green steel industry. Construction is facing a shift from tactical procurement designed to meet budgets towards strategic sourcing that reduces complexity, drives value and creates ecosystems of strategic vendors and partners. This will address continued cost pressures, supply chain risks, heightened customer demands and the need for labour, material and technology partners. Metals and mining material suppliers must collaborate with the construction sector to support this strategic sourcing trend. They can do so by providing integrated supply chain solutions, digital platforms for improved transparency and flexible contracting models. This would streamline material flow, enhance data sharing for sustainability and compliance and stabilize costs during periods of market volatility. Construction firms would benefit from reduced complexity, mitigation of supply chain risks and more resilient partnerships. The industry is deploying Industry 4.0 technologies like building information management (BIM), AI and ML, digital twins, as well as remote project monitoring using sensors, robotics and drones. This enables data-driven decisions, drives dynamic scheduling and reduces budget and schedule variances – often across multiple sites. Metals suppliers can collaborate on this kind of digitalization by sharing data and knowledge. This would help improve scheduling and maintenance systems, providing visibility and operational improvements across the building lifecycle and improving overall process efficiencies. This kind of construction leads to better design, quality control and shorter turn around times. But it requires a strategic ecosystem of collaborative vendors and partners, and the evaluation of long-term manufacturing operations. Manufacturers of flexible and adaptable metals and materials such as steel and aluminium will be a crucial part of this ecosystem as it develops to address demand for modular construction. Urbanization – and the growing demand for infrastructure that it creates – is triggering various changes and growth opportunities for the construction sector. Alongisde emerging trends like modular, leaner and sustainable construction, digitalization is also reshaping the industry. Metals and materials suppliers are evolving their technologies accordingly, and the industry is embracing key enablers like digital enhancements and supplier collaboration to meet these challenges head on. Collaboration between the construction industry and metals and materials suppliers of steel, aluminium, copper and others will ensure these industry sectors can all cater to and benefit from these emerging economic trends. Source: World Economic Forum
NoneMajor changes on how much political donors can help finance election campaigns are off the table for the rest of the year. The federal government has been unable to reach a deal with the coalition on setting a $20,000 limit on how much an individual can donate to candidates, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher says. There was hope the reforms could pass federal parliament by the end of the year, with Thursday being the last sitting day before MPs and senators leave Canberra for the summer break. Senator Gallagher said she was confident a deal could be struck in the new year before the next election, due to be held by May. "We want to have donation caps, we haven't been able to land it," she told ABC Radio on Thursday. "We will try and deal with this in February because we're really, really, very keen to get this done before the election. "We want to get big money out of politics." The laws would be due to come into effect by mid-2026, and would not be used during the upcoming election. The reforms would also see donations of more than $1000 forced to be disclosed in real time. Political parties would have a spending cap of $90 million, while special interest groups such as unions or Climate 200 would have a limit of $11 million. Concerns had also been raised about an $800,000 cap per electorate. Senator Gallagher said Special Minister of State Don Farrell would continue negotiations on the electoral reforms in coming months. "We haven't been able to land it in this week, there were some last minute amendments," she said. "Senator Farrell will ... reach out over summer and try, there's a lot of bills that will still be important."
Electric Vehicle Beauty Market Unidentified Segments - The Biggest Opportunity Of 2024WASHINGTON , Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has selected Nova Space Solutions, LLC of Anchorage, Alaska , to provide operations, services, maintenance, and infrastructure support for NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi , and NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans . The Combined Operations, Services, Maintenance, and Infrastructure Contract is a cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price, and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract that has a value of approximately $822.7 million . The performance period begins July 1, 2025 , and extends eight years and three months, with a 15-month base period, followed by a one-year option period and three two-year option periods. Under the contract, Nova Space Solutions will be responsible for contract management, logistics, safety, health and environmental compliance, engineering and manufacturing support services, site services, facility operations and maintenance services, and environmental services and program management. NASA's Stennis Space Center is the nation's largest propulsion test site, with infrastructure to support projects ranging from component and subscale testing to large engine hot fires. Researchers from NASA, other government agencies, and private industry use NASA Stennis test facilities for technology and propulsion research and developmental projects. NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, managed by the agency's Marshall Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama , is the nation's premier site for manufacturing and assembly of large-scale space structures and systems. For information about NASA and other agency programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-awards-operations-services-maintenance-and-infrastructure-contract-302325313.html SOURCE NASA
Judge rejects request to sideline SJSU volleyball playerPair of original MLS clubs to play for Cup title
A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women's volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. The ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to compete in the Mountain West Conference women's championship opening this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by nine current players against the Mountain West Conference challenging the league's policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans woman volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player's name because she has not commented publicly on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Crews' ruling referred to the athlete as an "alleged transgender" player and noted that no defendant disputed that the San Jose State roster includes a transgender woman player. San Jose State will "continue to support its student-athletes and reject discrimination in all forms," the university said in a statement, confirming that all its student-athletes are eligible to participate under NCAA and conference rules. "We are gratified that the Court rejected an eleventh-hour attempt to change those rules. Our team looks forward to competing in the Mountain West volleyball tournament this week." The conference did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The players filed a notice for emergency appeal with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Crews said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a loss in league standings. He also refused a request to re-seed the tournament without the forfeited losses. The judge said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 — making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season's awareness of her reported identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a major election year. Crews' ruling also said injunctions are meant to prevent harm, but in this case, he argued, the harm has already occurred. The games have been forfeited, the tournament has been seeded, the teams have made travel plans and the participants have confirmed they're playing. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. Colorado State is seeded first and San Jose State, second. The teams split their regular-season matches and both get byes into Friday's semifinals. San Jose State will play the winner of Wednesday's match between Utah State and Boise State — teams that both forfeited matches to SJSU during the regular season. The conference tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. San Jose State coach Todd Kress, whose team has not competed in the national tournament since 2001, has said his team has been getting "messages of hate" and that has taken a toll on his players. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official conference standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada's players stated they "refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes," without elaborating. Nevada did not qualify for the conference tournament. The nine current players and others now suing the Mountain West Conference, the California State University Board of Trustees and others include San Jose State senior setter and co-captain Brooke Slusser. The teammate Slusser says is transgender hits the volleyball with more force than others on the team, raising fear during practices of suffering concussions from a head hit, the complaint says. The Independent Council on Women's Sports is funding a separate lawsuit against the NCAA for allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Both lawsuits claim the landmark 1972 federal antidiscrimination law known as Title IX prohibits transgender women in women's sports. Title IX prohibits sexual discrimination in federally funded education; Slusser is a plaintiff in both lawsuits. Several circuit courts have used a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to conclude that discriminating against someone based on their transgender status or sexual orientation is sex-based discrimination, Crews wrote. That means case law does not prove the "likelihood of success" needed to grant an injunction. An NCAA policy that subjects transgender participation to the rules of sports governing bodies took effect this academic year. USA Volleyball says a trans woman must suppress testosterone for 12 months before competing. The NCAA has not flagged any issues with San Jose State. The Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the team cancellations, citing fairness in women's sports. President-elect Donald Trump likewise has spoken out against allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Crews was a magistrate judge in Colorado's U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him as a federal judge in January. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Global Peptide Supplements Market To Reach USD 10,096.4 Million By 2034, Driven By 10.5% CAGR And Advancements In Regenerative Health Solutions
Federal loan to struggling EV automaker under fireA judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women's volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. The ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to compete in the Mountain West Conference women's championship opening this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by nine current players against the Mountain West Conference challenging the league's policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans woman volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player's name because she has not commented publicly on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Crews' ruling referred to the athlete as an "alleged transgender" player and noted that no defendant disputed that the San Jose State roster includes a transgender woman player. San Jose State will "continue to support its student-athletes and reject discrimination in all forms," the university said in a statement, confirming that all its student-athletes are eligible to participate under NCAA and conference rules. "We are gratified that the Court rejected an eleventh-hour attempt to change those rules. Our team looks forward to competing in the Mountain West volleyball tournament this week." The conference did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The players filed a notice for emergency appeal with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Crews said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a loss in league standings. He also refused a request to re-seed the tournament without the forfeited losses. The judge said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 -– making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season's awareness of her reported identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a major election year. Crews' ruling also said injunctions are meant to prevent harm, but in this case, he argued, the harm has already occurred. The games have been forfeited, the tournament has been seeded, the teams have made travel plans and the participants have confirmed they're playing. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. Colorado State is seeded first and San Jose State, second. The teams split their regular-season matches and both get byes into Friday's semifinals. San Jose State will play the winner of Wednesday's match between Utah State and Boise State — teams that both forfeited matches to SJSU during the regular season. Boise State associate athletic director Chris Kutz declined to comment on whether the Broncos would play SJSU if they won their first-round tournament game. Utah State officials did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. The conference tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. San Jose State coach Todd Kress, whose team has not competed in the national tournament since 2001, has said his team has been getting "messages of hate" and that has taken a toll on his players. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official conference standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada's players stated they "refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes," without elaborating. Nevada did not qualify for the conference tournament. The nine current players and others now suing the Mountain West Conference, the California State University Board of Trustees and others include San Jose State senior setter and co-captain Brooke Slusser. The teammate Slusser says is transgender hits the volleyball with more force than others on the team, raising fear during practices of suffering concussions from a head hit, the complaint says. The Independent Council on Women's Sports is funding a separate lawsuit against the NCAA for allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Both lawsuits claim the landmark 1972 federal antidiscrimination law known as Title IX prohibits transgender women in women's sports. Title IX prohibits sexual discrimination in federally funded education; Slusser is a plaintiff in both lawsuits. Several circuit courts have used a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to conclude that discriminating against someone based on their transgender status or sexual orientation is sex-based discrimination, Crews wrote. That means case law does not prove the "likelihood of success" needed to grant an injunction. An NCAA policy that subjects transgender participation to the rules of sports governing bodies took effect this academic year. USA Volleyball says a trans woman must suppress testosterone for 12 months before competing. The NCAA has not flagged any issues with San Jose State. The Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the team cancellations, citing fairness in women's sports. President-elect Donald Trump likewise has spoken out against allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Crews was a magistrate judge in Colorado's U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him as a federal judge in January. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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Hubris is the characteristic of demagogues and autocrats. Chaos, paralogism and the eclipsis of democracy should not become the antidote to political ethos, symmetry, logic and harmony. In the Bible’s, the Talmud’s and the Koran’s historic gaia, the oikos of the Israelis and the Palestinians, the ellipsis of anthropocentric policies and the catachresis of polemical rhetoric and practices, should not become the canon. Peace and empathy cannot be an anathema. Tragedy and catastrophe prevail in the Ukrainian polis –martyrs of Mariupol, Kyiv, Kherson, Kharkiv and many others. Episodes of despotic apophasis and the antidrome to democracy. The pandect of Russia’s pathetic polemics result from monocratic and autocratic policies. They aim at expanding the spheres of energy, emporium and echo the geopolitics aiming at the dichotomy of Europe. Peace can be elliptic, shattered or glοοmy. Yet, “true peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” This is my preferred definition proposed by Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace is not the prologue or the epilogue to an armed conflict and should not be confronted to a truce or to a ceasefire. There is no genuine peace while your neighbor illegally occupies your territory or threatens you daily with the declaration of war (casus belli). Peace is based on international law and justice. Therefore, peace cannot be limited to a ceasefire agreement between the aggressor and the aggressed. Ukraine should not be compelled by Kremlin or advised tomorrow by its Euro-Atlantic friends who today help them to preserve their territorial integrity to concede territory, sovereignty or its residuals. Such an “occupy my territory for peace” agreement exclusively rewards the aggressor. Yes to pragmatism, no to unprincipled docility. If defeatism, fatigue and docility prevail only a handful of states will feel and be secure. Six points on the Western Balkans: 1. Notwithstanding gentle talk, our region will not look much different tomorrow unless a genuine sense of political accountability is developed. Politics is meant to serve, not the other way around. Change will require the eradication of unreliable and corrupted politics. Political egotism, nepotism and corruption adversely affect legitimate citizen aspirations and expectations. In some cases leaders appear to be failing their peoples, jeopardizing thus the European Union accession process. 2. An unprecedented population exodus – mostly of the young, educated, skillful and talented generation – from Western Balkan countries shows an alarming lack of confidence and trust. Those political leaders appealing to them to return back home are those who are mostly responsible and should be held accountable for this exodus, generally faced with fatalism and apathy. 3. The rule of law and independent judiciaries are needed as in much of the Western Balkans the courts are subject to political and partisan influence. In one case (Albania) a special anticorruption court was misused to persecute and sentence the elected ethnic minority mayor. 4. Today’s regional architecture is founded on a set of agreements and treaties – including the Dayton and Paris accords, the Ohrid and Prespa agreements and the arrangements between Belgrade and Pristina. Therefore, their systemic and systematic violation leads to crisis and potential instability. 5. Initiated by the June 2003 Thessaloniki Summit, the EU accession process offers the appropriate stick-and-carrot policy. Aristotle put it well in his “Nicomachean Ethics”: “Impose punishments and penalties upon malefactors and bestow honors on those doing fine actions.” Compliance to the conditionality will be rewarded. Any deviation will be reprimanded. 6. Fresh ideas and talk for new changes in borders in Southeast Europe, including territory and population swaps, will open the Pandora’s box in Europe. It will become pandemic. The bad precedent will become the prototype. It always starts from a known beginning but goes on with an unpredictable end. I am aware of arguments echoing that history recent or past and relevant agreements were unfair. This is exactly the “rationale” behind Mr Putin’s revisionist dogma and expansionism in Europe. Border arrangements, territory and population swaps may not stand and may not be recognized unless they are: a) Proposed and approved by the United Nations Security Council; b) Take the shape of a multilateral treaty and are endorsed by the means of a relevant UNSC Resolution with the formal consent of directly interested and concerned parties. Attachment to the principles and purposes enshrined in the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and in the November 1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe, adopted in the aftermath of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, has eroded. Restoring the international collective security system has a name: the United Nations. As long as the permanent members of Security Council are reluctant or unable to act as mandated by the charter, it will be impossible to prevent threats against peace, justice and stability. The Aristotelian metron and ethics are the antidote to hubris. Alexandros P. Mallias is a former ambassador of Greece to Washington, Skopje and Tirana. The comment is based on his remarks at the relevant High-Level international conference organized by Greece’s Ministry of National Defense on November 28.