NoneFurthermore, China's strong manufacturing sector has been a driving force behind the country's economic resurgence. With global demand for Chinese goods on the rise, exports have increased, contributing to the overall growth of the economy. This has translated into higher profits for Chinese companies, leading to increased stock prices and market capitalization.None
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / December 9, 2024 / Toggle3D.ai (the "Company") (OTCQB:TGGLF)(CSE:TGGL)(FSE:Q0C), a Nextech3d.ai (OTCQB:NEXCF)(CSE:NTAR) spinout is an innovative AI 3D platform harnessing the power of generative AI to convert CAD files, apply stunning 4K texturing, and seamlessly publish superior 4K 3D models announces the departure of Board member Belinda Tyldesley for personal reasons. We thank her for her service! Toggle3d.ai also announced the appointment of Peter Bloch, a successful entrepreneur as new BOD member replacing Mrs. Tyldesley. Bio: Peter Bloch was the Chief Executive Officer of BresoTEC Inc. Mr. Bloch was also the CEO & Chairman of Bionik Laboratories from 2012 to 2018. Mr. Bloch is a CPA, CA, with a track record of building both public and private technology companies, mainly in the life sciences industry. In these roles, Mr. Bloch has secured significant funding for both private and public companies, gained experience with initial public offerings and led a number of acquisitions and partnership transactions. His past 25 years of executive management experience includes serving as Chief Financial Officer and joint interim CEO of Sanofi Canada Inc., the Canadian affiliate of Sanofi -Aventis, a global healthcare leader; Chief Financial Officer of Intellivax Inc., a biotechnology company which was sold to GlaxoSmithKline for $1.75 billion; founder of Tribute Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company; the Chief Financial Officer of Gennum Corporation, a public semiconductor company focused on the TV and medical device market and Chief Financial Officer of Just Energy, a large public electricity and gas company . These companies have ranged in size from start-ups to companies with revenues of over $2 billion. Mr. Bloch also has substantial experience serving on the Board of Directors of both public and private companies. Mr. Bloch also serves as an advisor to Mars Discovery District, a large Canadian incubator for technology companies. About Toggle3D.ai Toggle3D.AI is a leading provider of innovative 3D rendering solutions, dedicated to transforming the way businesses visualize and present their products. Our platform harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to deliver high-quality, customizable images quickly and efficiently, helping e-commerce businesses thrive in a competitive market. Toggle3D.ai Investor Relations Visit the Toggle3D Investor Relations website and sign up for the investor mailing list to receive the latest news, press releases, investor presentations, CEO interviews, financial information and more. Sign up for the investor mailing list - click here Follow Toggle3D.ai on Social Media Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Toggle3D Insta: https://www.instagram.com/toggle3d.ai/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Toggle3D LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/toggle3d-ai/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Toggle3Dai For further information, please contact: Toggle3D.ai Evan Gappelberg Director 866-ARITIZE (274-8493) Forward-looking Statements The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "will be" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the completion of the transaction are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Nextech will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE: Toggle3D.AI Inc. View the original on accesswire.comTHERE used to be a division between the energy company’s information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) networks. However, the digitalisation of generation-transmission-distribution-retail systems has seen the convergence of these ecosystems. While making the organisation more efficient and responsive to stakeholder expectations, it has a downside. The integration of the ecosystems presents a significantly enlarged playground for cyberthreat actors to play hit-and-run games that are nefarious in intent and outcomes. What is alarming is the rise in the frequency and intensity of such cyberthreats and attacks in recent years. This has required the energy sector to scrutinise its readiness in the face of potential cyberattacks, or in some unfortunate cases, in the wake of one. While every part of the value chain is vulnerable, what is of concern is the OT space, which is not as secure as IT. This has now become the focus of energy companies. Energy Malaysia spoke to Rahayu Ramli, Head of Cyber Strategy & Architecture, Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS), who provided insights on how PETRONAS and the energy sector as a whole are securing themselves against existing and oncoming cyberthreats. “The energy industry has been a geo- and socio-political tool for decades, highlighting the influence of the industry on the economy, society and way of life. “The rise of cyberwarfare as a component of national and private arsenals has only amplified the issue, moving from field wars such as in the Gulf States in the nineties to guerrilla tactics in cyberspace today due to pervasive industry digitalisation,” said Rahayu. In the complex energy sector, technology can be divided primarily into IT (for example, laptops, mobile devices, servers, cloud and similar) and OT (for example, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Remote Terminal Units (RTUs), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA), Industrial Control Systems (ICS), Distributed Control Systems (DCS), Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) and similar. Historically, these environments were kept mostly separate. However, the industry is seeing the lines blurring between IT and OT with the increased reliance on digital tools, the cloud, and the growing use of remote operations. There is a definitive increase in the use of Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics, the sharing of OT data, the implementation of ruggedised mobile devices and personal wearables – all extending beyond what used to be a relatively static OT security perimeter. Unfortunately, the convergence of IT and OT ecosystems is also potentially a wonderland of attack vectors and entry points into systems of varying criticality and importance. Cyberthreat actors can range from nation-state adversaries, who seek to disrupt the critical infrastructure of their foes (and allies), to hacktivists who seek to make political statements about the environment, economics or society in general. OT space vulnerability In many energy companies, there is a re-examination of the segregated approach by which OT landscapes have been previously designed and protected. “IT security has been an aspect of technology operations for decades. On the other hand, OT cybersecurity as a specific practice is a relatively new focus,” said Rahayu. “As such, there is renewed interest to ramp up security in the OT space, with new startups, products and investment channelled towards mitigating existing and oncoming cyberthreats. It is an exciting but also an unpredictable space to be in at the moment.” Besides external factors, internal ways of working may also contribute to the vulnerabilities within the connected IT and OT ecosystem, where system availability is critical and downtime avoidance is paramount. While digital transformations have spurred innovation and accelerated technological advances, the speed of application and pressure of delivery has often caused system security to take a back seat. “Eventually, it is addressed but often after a system is live and operational, and in some unfortunate cases, only after a breach or incident has occurred,” pointed out Rahayu. Additionally, increased digitalisation across a supply chain of vendors and partners is creating flexibility and options in products and services. The flip side is that it expands the exposure to unfortunate breaches or incidents, starting at one supplier and cascading down the network of companies and users. Polycrisis scenario The “Global Risks Report 2023” published by the World Economic Forum introduced the term “polycrisis”, which translates to “a cluster of related global risks with compounding effects, with an overall impact that exceeds the sum of each part”. The energy industry is no stranger to this scenario, given its volatility and uncertainty in recent years resulting from the energy transition and rapid digitalisation. The global risk scenario also includes cyber risks that are borderless. The industry as a whole expects cyberthreats to continue to increase against IT and OT assets and operations, as energy companies become more reliant on connected digital technologies to operate. Individual companies have embarked on their own journey to reevaluate and improve their security posture, acknowledging that the support required to do so is not purely driven by technology, but more importantly, must also be supported by education of the entire organisation, and a continuous review and revamp of its security capability and requirements. The work cannot be done in silo either. It requires support and collaboration across the industry to minimise blind spots that may affect everyone in the industry and the communities that interact with them. Rahayu said, “At PETRONAS, we have various cybersecurity memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with vendors to help us better focus our efforts in designing a more secure OT technology. “We also engage with other industry players for knowledge exchange and upskilling. In addition, we work closely with non-profits and academia to raise awareness on the importance of cybersecurity, of how it applies to our daily lives and to also scout for potential talent. “The general aim of these types of collaboration is that the integration of the IT and OT ecosystem across people, processes and technology will eventually lead to an equilibrium of a hybrid-skilled cybersecurity workforce (within and beyond PETRONAS), creating a more sustainable loop to manage and respond to any cyberthreat that may appear on the immediate horizon,” she added. Securing the cyberspace environment From the onset of its digital transformation journey in 2017, PETRONAS recognised the importance of establishing a cyber secure environment across the entire organisation. “It was the prerequisite for PETRONAS going digital,” said Rahayu. “As the organisation became more data-driven in decision making and needed to incorporate new and different technologies more rapidly into various portfolios, it made sure that every move was made securely. This approach became one of the cornerstones of the PETRONAS digital transformation strategy. “It saw the establishment of the PETRONAS cybersecurity function as a single point of accountability to oversee IT and OT – to govern, steer and shape the minimum requirements to sustain the targeted level of cybersecurity maturity,” she added. PETRONAS embraces OT security through the secure-by-design approach, with cybersecurity-related requirements as part of the PETRONAS Technical Standards (PTS). It began with a focused project known as the real-time OT (RTOT) programme, to design and implement a new standard, architecture and roadmap to manage its IT and OT patch management and OT asset management in near real-time. “Our OT footprint is large, thus we focused on assets considered to be the crown jewels of the organisation and continue to deploy this programme across our local and international sites,” said Rahayu. When PETRONAS completes the initial RTOT programme, it will continue to expand secure capability into other aspects of OT. “Identity is a complex area within OT,” added Rahayu. “It is an area of particular concern given the distributed nature of our OT systems. “While IT has always had the advantage in establishing more robust identity and access management, we are exploring ways to do the same for our OT environment and are working towards eliminating the use of shared accounts, establishing proper identity governance and ensuring secure remote access.” There is also emphasis on having a robust all-encompassing cybersecuritygovernance structure. The launch of the organisation-wide Enterprise Cyber Security Governance Framework (ECSGF) was followed by a customised OT programme in early 2023, underscoring its importance as well as its vulnerability. As a result, cybersecurity risk assessments are now part of the Management of Change (MOC) process for both greenfield and brownfield projects to guide design in the OT environment. These initial steps have laid the foundation for the real-time visibility of PETRONAS’s assets and cyber vulnerabilities in order to remediate based on the business criticality. Meanwhile, employees and other stakeholders are continuously kept up to date on secure behaviours through the Human Firewall programme, which emphasises the need for staying alert at work, home and play. This programme is run through a combination of training, communication and community engagements, and supported by an extensive network of cybersecurity change agents who champion the message and awareness across our business and sites. There is also continuous staff training to ensure they have the appropriate cybersecurity knowledge to support their day-to-day work. For example, business system owners are required to attend training on cyber risk management for the systems they oversee; lead OT focals at site are assigned training on OT cybersecurity upon joining and refreshed every two years to ensure they have the latest cybersecurity knowledge with respect to the systems that they work with. Protecting hotspots PETRONAS uses a risk-based approach to cybersecurity that allows it to identify critical systems effectively, thus enabling “hotspots” to be more rigorously protected, while ensuring that there are safeguards in place at every level of the company’s technological (defence-in-depth) and organisational landscape. This involves organisation-wide governance and policies as well as continuous education and awareness across the employee population. A primary concern is the OT environment, where complex systems have a much longer lifespan and maintenance/ updates require meticulously scheduled downtimes in very specific parts of the year. This is one of the main reasons why PETRONAS has deployed the RTOT programme as a priority to enhance security practices, address potential vulnerabilities and minimise the impact of cyberthreats. At the other end of the spectrum, it has been consistently shown that people remain one of the biggest weak points in any organisation. Social engineering through methods such as phishing remains a primary way into a company’s systems. According to the Cofense Phishing Report 2022, 67% of all phishing attempts are meant to steal login and password details from their victims. This is so prevalent that it is estimated that more than 90% of company networks around the world can be penetrated by cybercriminals. Breaches can occur in IT or OT in this manner, and while threat actors may not gain immediate access to a given critical system, gaining a foot in the door through an employee’s login credentials may be sufficient to drop malware, trigger a ransomware attack, or stage a long-term reconnaissance programme by lurking in their victim’s environment, an example of what’s known as Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), which can lead to even more malicious activity like data theft. Rahayu added, “I can tell you that phishing attempts remain a constant. ‘Think before you click’ is one of PETRONAS’ main cybersecurity taglines, and we also regularly see threats through potentially exploitable vulnerabilities in both new applications and older systems. “Part of being secure is accepting that threat actors have a lot of patience and creativity when it comes to planning attacks, which now is even simpler with the use of AI-augmented tools. “They also have no shame in sharing their methods, for example, entire businesses have been set up around ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS). So, one type of safeguard is never enough, and it is crucial that security is designed and applied through an enterprise lens and as an integrated part of the organisation’s strategy and operations.” Reality checks by government and industry In Malaysia, the National Critical Information Infrastructure (NCII) has been a codified priority since 2006, when the National Cyber Security Policy (NCSP) was initially developed. The energy sector features prominently among the 11 sectors identified in the NCSP. In recent years, there have been specific events that have triggered more immediate actions to re-examine the security posture of complex cyber-physical systems. These are wake-up calls, urging both proactive and defensive actions against the evolving threat landscape. While attacks such as Stuxnet on Iran’s nuclear centrifuges and the NotPetya ransomware attack may no longer be considered part of recent memory, Governments and businesses around the world are constantly kept alert by the continuous wave of cyber incidents. Among the recent newsmakers are the Solarwinds supply chain breach in 2020; the Colonial Pipeline ransomware incident and Kaseya supply chain breaches in 2021; and the MOVEit data breach in 2023 that affected hundreds of organisations and millions of individuals. The energy sector has moved towards deeper conversations regarding cybersecurity to better understand the threats that the community may face collectively. Organisations have become more open to collaboration and knowledge sharing, contributing experiences and lessons learnt to conversations across critical infrastructure forums such as those led by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and the US National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE). In 2022, the World Economic Forum launched the initiative “Cyber Resilience in the Oil and Gas Industry” as a collaboration with more than 50 companies and Government Agencies, with the goal of establishing a blueprint for governing and managing cyber risk and unifying its approach to safeguard digital infrastructure and assets. The Energy Benchmarking Group (previously known as Oil & Gas Benchmarking Group, or OGBG), provides an avenue for energy companies to review their operational benchmarks against others in the industry, while hosting strategic conversations around key topics such as safety and security. In Malaysia, there are ongoing discussions and planning to protect the country’s National Cybersecurity Information Infrastructure (NCII). There is also close collaboration with the ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence for upskilling and knowledge sharing of regional talent and capabilities. Operationally, NCII stakeholders work closely with the relevant Government Agencies to ensure accurate and timely incident reporting, and to establish and maintain organisational certifications such as the ISMS ISO 27001. Malaysian energy companies are also known to collaborate with the Department of Standards Malaysia to adopt the IEC 62443 Standards to be part of the Malaysian Standards (MS). The aim of this initiative is to ensure that the standards are more accessible and affordable to local industry players, not just the end users but system integrators and vendors as well. “In the event of a cyberattack, the ability to respond and recover quickly is heavily dependent on the strong fundamental capability to identify, detect and protect the target,” adds Rahayu. The Energy Commission’s Perspective “Our regulator to ensure a secure, uninterrupted, and reliable power supply ecosystem as stipulated by the Electricity Supply (Amendment) Act 2015 that governs the Malaysian electricity supply industry,” says Khairol Fahami, Senior Deputy Director of the Information Management and Technology Unitof the Energy Commission. “The Commission expects industry players to follow proper guidelines where cybersecurity is concerned but on the whole it is up to the them to decide what works best. Companies are strongly encouraged to follow global best practices for cybersecurity,” says Khairol. “Unfortunately, the rapid convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) networks have given rise to unprecedented challenges,” he points out. “Many in the energy sector feels that cyberattacks can just strike upon them without any prior warning. What can energy companies do to protect themselves from cybersecurity attacks? The mostcrucial step is to identify areas that are vulnerable to attack and strengthen them. “From the Commission’s perspective, organisations must make the right investments to strengthen theirsecurity ecosystems. They should also have in place the correct policy and strategy to ensure the agility and flexibility to recover quickly in the event of an attack. Among their priorities should be institutional cyber hygiene. Poor cyber hygiene includes weak passwords or the lack of passwords, outdated software or poor physical security,” says Khairol. Institutional cyber hygiene is a priority at the Commission, which undergoing its digitalisation programme. As a standard practice, the Information Management and Technology Unit has a strict schedule to remind staff to change passwords and to monitor and check their emails for the slightest aberration. Regular education and engagement sessions are also held to ensure everyone plays a role in cybersecurity and befully aware of the threats that are lurking in cyberspace. “As a policy, the Commission adopts a ‘Zero Trust’ approach where cybersecurity is concerned. Anyone, willing or unwilling – or, in some cases, unknowing – could be the weak link in the cybersecurity chain,” he says. Rahayu Ramli, Head of Cyber Strategy & Architecture, Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS),
The seamless integration of HarmonyOS across smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, smart TVs, and other connected devices is reshaping the digital landscape in Fujian. Users can now enjoy a seamless and consistent user experience across different devices, enabling greater convenience and efficiency in their daily lives.
Inside the Gaetz ethics report, a trove of new details alleging payments for sex and drug use
Xue Jianing visited Zhao Lusi again, Netizens: Being together with good friends is truly the best thing
The inclusion of OW tactics 303 in "Marvel Frontline" has stirred excitement among gamers who are familiar with its effectiveness. Many have welcomed the news, eager to test their skills and employ the well-known tactics in a new and thrilling setting. However, others have expressed concern, fearing that the game may be treading familiar ground and risking a sense of déjà vu.Cowboys vs. Commanders already feels like a humongous loss for Dallas and it's not even Sunday yet
In the latest update of the ITTF world rankings, the top 30 players in both the men's and women's singles categories have maintained their positions with no changes. This indicates the strong and consistent performances of these elite athletes on the international stage. Meanwhile, the rise of Hong Kong's leading female player, Doo Hoi Kem, has caught the attention of the table tennis community as she climbed 2 spots to reach a career-high world ranking of 35.In this article GOOGL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Google Quantum AI's "Willow" chip in an undated handout photo obtained by Reuters on Dec. 6, 2024. Google | Via Reuters Google's recent announcement of the arrival of Willow , a quantum chip that has reduced the error tendencies of some of its predecessors, is a milestone in the effort to bring quantum computing into the real world, and in the years ahead, it could change the way we think about the risk in cryptocurrencies. Willow's speed is almost incomprehensible — according to Google , it's able to perform a computation in under five minutes that would take one of today's fastest supercomputers 10 septillion years to solve. Ten septillion is 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years. But the accuracy of quantum computing has, until now, also been a big issue, with quantum like a garden hose on full blast with no one holding it: the water is coming out fast, but its aim is not consistently accurate. Willow's combination of speed and accuracy could theoretically provide hackers with the tools to unlock the algorithms that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are built upon. Qubits and bitcoin can coexist, for now If you don't understand (not many people do) what makes up quantum computing — qubits — security company DigiCert's industry technology strategist, Tim Hollebeek, has a simplified way of thinking about the breakthrough. He says imagine a maze and how a classical computer would try to find its way through the maze from start to finish. It would try one potential path at a time. "A quantum computer would be able to try each path at the same time, resulting in a much faster solution," Hollebeek said. While Willow may not be ready for real-world applications yet, Willow's speed and accuracy will help pave the way for larger-scale quantum computers. "Part of the issue with qubits is that they are unstable and produce errors. This chip has significant error correction capabilities, which mitigates some of the qubit issues," Hollebeek said. That means chips improving upon Willow's breakthrough will be able to help hackers target crypto — but at least for the moment, the concern is only theoretical. "Quantum computers can theoretically solve this much faster and pose a threat to today's cryptographic algorithms if a quantum computer with sufficient qubits could be developed," Hollebeek said. But he added that the real-world reason for breathing easier today if you own crypto is simple. "None exist today and are not expected for at least another 5, 10, 15 years," he said, with the fastest five-year timeline contingent on some unforeseen technological breakthrough. A decade-long lead for crypto A Google spokesman told CNBC that Willow and crypto can coexist. "The Willow chip is incapable of breaking modern cryptography," he said, adding that it is also the view of Google that quantum technology with that capability is still years off. In fact, according to Park Feierbach, an expert in decentralized finance technology who is CEO of Radiant Commons, even if Willow can drastically increase the speed at which crypto could be broken, it would still take several times the age of the universe for the quantum chip to do it. According to NASA, the universe is 13.7 billion years old. "There's almost no reason to deploy Willow on this technology in a way that could make tractable progress. It would simply still take too long," Feierbach said. "Estimates are we're at least 10 years out from breaking RSA, and that around 4 million physical qubits would be required to do this," the Google spokesman said. RSA is an encryption system used in cryptocurrencies. For reference, Google's processors are now on the scale of about 100 physical qubits. 'Quantum-safe' algorithms The Google spokesman stressed that the timeline for quantum breakthroughs has been widely shared and Willow has not changed it. "Google is on track with our planned roadmap," he said. "The security community has long been aware of the projected timeline to break asymmetric encryption, and has been working on defining standards and collaboratively implementing new algorithms that will resist attacks by both classical and quantum computers," the spokesman added. Indeed, Hollebeek says that the crypto industry is working on "quantum-safe" crypto. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released several quantum-safe algorithms that are resistant to attacks by future quantum computers, Hollebeek said, and NIST has a timeline for governments and industry to deploy these algorithms to ensure the safety of the nation's and businesses secrets. "Google and other industry leaders have supported standardization and experimented with the algorithms in their draft form," the Google spokesman said. Despite how efficient quantum is at unlocking algorithms (traditional crypto equations based on factoring huge prime numbers), it isn't infallible, and that is where the promise lies in quantum-safe crypto. "They're really, really good at some things, but not everything," Hollebeek said, noting that breaking conventional asymmetric cryptography just happens to be one of the things they are really good at. "Luckily, there are other hard math problems they are bad at, and asymmetric cryptography can be updated to use those hard math problems instead of factoring," he said. Taqi Raza , assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said existing cryptos will have to evolve to ward off qubits. "As the potential for quantum computers to break existing cryptography becomes more of a concern, new cryptocurrencies specifically designed to be quantum-safe could be developed. These new quantum cryptos would integrate PQC, cryptographic algorithms that are resistant to the computational power of quantum computers," Raza said. Jeremy Allaire, co-founder, chairman & CEO of digital currency company Circle, told CNBC in an interview last week that the risk is real, but his view of the future remains focused on the opportunities that will evolve. "The bottom line is quantum crypto means that you can both unlock things more easily, things that had bad old locks, but you can also create better locks," Allaire said. "So quantum crypto – this quantum is going to be actually a huge turbocharge to crypto computing, to crypto applications, and to crypto money." Raza thinks that ultimately the more sweeping changes wrought by quantum computing will occur beyond crypto. Breakthroughs will make devices and software faster, revolutionize AI, and improve data security with ultra-secure encryption methods. In everyday life, there will be advances in computing, healthcare, energy, and security, Raza said, and as a result, it is not the crypto industry we should be thinking about in isolation while these changes are still developing. "They will likely transform industries," he said. watch now VIDEO 6:25 06:25 Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire: We don't have sound money principles embedded in our monetary system Squawk Box
In today's fast-paced world, where time is of the essence, traditional laundry methods can often feel like a burden. However, with the advancement of technology and the introduction of innovative appliances like the Samsung AI Black Diamond Heat Pump Washer-Dryer, doing laundry is no longer a time-consuming chore but a seamless and efficient process that liberates our hands and time.A Youtuber who has travelled to some of the most dangerous countries in the world is now planning to visit North Korea. Callum Mills, 32, enjoys places where there is a higher element of risk such as active war zones or political instability, including Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Ukraine. He has met drugs lords, the Taliban, stood on Saddam Hussein's Palace and had dinner with gang members in Brazil. The traveller saw a Banksy original wall mural in the West Bank in Palestine and visited compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and even met Pablo Escobar's brother Roberto Escobar while on a trip in Medellin, Colombia. Now, Callum is now planning his next trip - to North Korea. He says he became "addicted" with danger tourism after exploring the most obscure places in Egypt during Covid. Since then, the adrenaline junkie has been to countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Ukraine. However, Callum says it is not the danger that fascinates him as all his trips are about connecting with different cultures and meeting new people. He said: "It is hard for people to understand this - it does become an addiction you seek the adventure and that feeling of being on edge. Their representation is always negative - I wanted to go there and connect with people locally. "I like to roam about and see what happens. I would always buy a one day flight. I like to get to the more obscure places that are not touristy. I've been asked this many times - about how I get to see some of the things that I do. I always say, 'I just speak to people'. "There have been incredible people who I've spoken to, with some people teaching me a lot about things. Getting to visit all these countries, people and areas has delivered a better education than school ever did." Callum - also known as Callum Abroad on YouTube - was in his second year of nursing degree at the University of the West of Scotland when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. His classes were being cancelled and he could not attend university so he decided to check what flights were available from Scotland. He said: "The longer I spent at home the more restless I became. The only flight I could take was Cairo in Egypt - and I never looked back I just kept doing. "It wasn't because I had a keen interest in Cairo. I wanted to see something a bit different - not just the pyramids. I decided to go to "Garbage City" as the locals call it. It didn't go well with the locals - I was told I was going to be attacked. "I found it pretty interesting - they go round the city and collect all the garbage before taking it back to their community to be sorted." After the first trip at the age of 28 he never returned to university as the more he travelled the more people were interested in what he was doing. Next, he packed his bags and travelled to Syria as he "wanted to show people what the world is really like." However his travels ended up being featured all over the news when he shared a video of what it is like to enter the boarders in Syria. He said: "My social media went crazy. I was being wanted because I exposed what it was like to enter the borders - where you had to pay soldiers to enter the borders." But despite this Callum says he "loved" his time in the country as the locals were "fantastic". "People think it is a complete war zone. But once you get there people are really nice," he added. "The media and the west forget sometimes that people in these countries are just ordinary people." Pakistan was the next country on the list - which is now Callum's favourite destination and he has been there six times already. He explained how he understands why some people would feel "intimidated" in Pakistan. Callum continued: "Both of my arms are filled with tattoos - but people just look at you because they are curious. I go to a lot of weddings there - it is countless the number of weddings I go to." Callum shares most of his experiences in his YouTube channel. And after meeting with drugs gang in Barcelona and Bogota he took a flight to Medellin in Colombia and even met Roberto Escobar, brother of Pablo Escobar. He said: "I chatted with him while his wife translating what I was saying. We got a picture together. I don't tend to plan things in my travels - I just plan things as I go. That's the beauty of it." In June 2023 the Coatbridge native decided to travel on a 40-hour train from Romania to Moldova and then by a bus to get him in Ukraine. Bombs dropping in the Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Odesa is one such moment that sticks in Callum's mind. "I could hear the bombs dropping off behind me when I got to Kherson. There was a time I had to take a second because I felt very emotional," he said. "A lot of people said they are prepared to die in Odesa. They don't think the Russians will stop until they get Odesa - that was a common theme I was getting from people. I just wish the war would stop killing each other - the level of devastation is bad." He added: "The bomb sirens were going off doing the day and the night - when the siren goes off people don't panic. I think it has got to the point where it is numb to them." In Afghanistan, he says he was taken away for questioning by the Taliban and asked him to convert to Islam. "I took the land border from Pakistan - it is very strict and it is a bit hectic there is a lot of screaming and shouting," he said. "The Taliban came up for me and I remember I was a bit nervous and only of them spoke English and the other didn't. I was making small talk with them. In Afghanistan it was my first interaction with the Taliban. They were asking me where I was from, asking if I was in the military or my family. Asked if I was Muslim and then they shook my hand." In Bogota's Bronx in Colombia he met gang members who told their stories. This happened while he was beside a crocodile and they said they would get the reptile to bite the limbs off of other gang members if they caught them. The UK Foreign Office advises against everything but essential travel to North Korea, but Callum is "desperate" to go. The country ruled by the Kim family since 1948 has been widely condemned for abusing human rights violations. Callum said: "I am prepared for any backlash I get and I want to see it with my own eyes. Nobody in the west was allowed in for five years. I wanna see the capital. It's a chance to speak to a North Korean - it would be great if I could do it. "I understand that it will be a challenge and I can take that on board - I am aware of the hardships people in North Korea face. I know some people might think that it's wrong to travel to North Korea however as someone who's got a desire to travel and see the world, I would hope people can understand that. "It's like when a car has a bump on the motorway, people tend to slow down and look because they are curious." However, Callum admits he doubts this will be possible in North Korea due to the strict guided nature of the tours. He said: "I think when you go to these countries you have to follow the rules. Don't go and break the rules in these countries. As long as I conduct myself in a proper manner I am pretty confident. It'd be good to have the human perspective and see it with my own eyes." According to the government the level of tension on the Korean Peninsula remains high. Although daily life in the capital city, Pyongyang, may appear calm, the security situation can change quickly with no advance warning about possible actions by the authorities. This poses significant risks to British visitors and residents, as stated by the Foreign Office. Information about his travels are at the YouTube at Callum Abroad, as well as on Twitter through his @CallumAbroad account.
Manchester City, on the other hand, could target La Liga stars such as Darwin Nunez of Benfica and Dusan Vlahovic of Fiorentina as potential striking options. Both young forwards have showcased their goal-scoring prowess and could provide the cutting edge that Manchester City have been missing in Aguero's absence. In defense, players like Pervis Estupinan of Villarreal and Robin Le Normand of Real Sociedad offer quality alternatives to shore up Manchester City's backline.
Odisha Parba 2024 begins at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi
Looking back, Liverpool can count themselves lucky for making the right call at the right time. While it may have been a difficult decision to part ways with a once-revered player, it ultimately proved to be the best move for the club. As for Player X, his story serves as a cautionary tale of how quickly fortunes can change in the world of football and the importance of adapting to stay relevant.
Ten years behind bars had not broken him. It had only made him stronger.
One of my top shows of 2024 actually premiered in 2021. That’s because it took a couple of years for the Australian series “The Newsreader” to make its way Stateside. Alas, it was only legal to stream in the U.S. for a handful of weeks in September and then — pffft! — it was gone before most people had even heard of it. Well, I have great news. The show will be available once again, this time via Sundance Now (accessible through the AMC+ streaming platform), which has licensed the first season. Premiering Dec. 19, it stars Anna Torv (“Fringe”) and Sam Reid (“Interview with the Vampire”) as TV reporters in Melbourne, circa 1986. At the outset, Reid’s character exudes big loser energy, which is such an amusing contrast to his work as Lestat. The show is unexpectedly funny and terrifically Machiavellian in its portrayal of small-time office politics, and I’m thrilled audiences in the U.S. will get another shot at watching it. Overall, 2024 offered a modestly better lineup than usual, but I’m not sure it felt that way. Too often the good stuff got drowned out by Hollywood’s pointless and endless pursuit of rebooting intellectual property (no thank you, Apple’s “Presumed Innocent” ) and tendency to stretch a perfectly fine two-hour movie premise into a saggy multi-part series (“Presumed Innocent” again!). There were plenty of shows I liked that didn’t make this year’s list, including ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and CBS’ “Ghosts” (it’s heartening to see the network sitcom format still thriving in the streaming era), as well as Netflix’s “A Man on the Inside” (Ted Danson’s charisma selling an unlikely premise) and Hulu’s “Interior Chinatown” (a high-concept parody of racial stereotypes and cop show tropes, even if it couldn’t sustain the idea over 10 episodes). Maybe it just felt like we were having more fun this year, with Netflix’s “The Perfect Couple” (Nicole Kidman leading a traditional manor house mystery reinterpreted with an American sensibility) and Hulu’s “Rivals” (the horniest show of 2024, delivered with a wink in the English countryside). I liked what I saw of Showtime’s espionage thriller “The Agency” (although the bulk of episodes were unavailable as of this writing). The deluge of remakes tends to make me cringe, but this year also saw a redo of Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley” on Netflix that was far classier than most of what’s available on the streamer. Starring Andrew Scott, I found it cool to the touch, but the imagery stayed with me. Shot in black and white, it has an indelible visual language courtesy of director of photography Robert Elswit, whether capturing a crisp white business card against the worn grain wood of a bar top, or winding stairways that alternately suggest a yawning void or a trap. As always, if you missed any of these shows when they originally premiered — the aforementioned titles or the Top 10 listed below — they are all available to stream. Top 10 streaming and TV shows of 2024, in alphabetical order: The least cynical reality show on television remains as absorbing as ever in Season 4, thanks to the probing questions and insights from the show’s resident therapist, Dr. Orna Guralnik. Everything is so charged. And yet the show has a soothing effect, predicated on the idea that human behavior (and misery) isn’t mysterious or unchangeable. There’s something so optimistic in that outlook. Whether or not you relate to the people featured on “Couples Therapy” — or even like them as individuals — doesn’t matter as much as Guralnik’s reassuring presence. Created by and starring Diarra Kilpatrick, the eight-episode series defies categorization in all the right ways. Part missing-person mystery, part comedy about a school teacher coming to grips with her impending divorce, and part drama about long-buried secrets, it has tremendous style right from the start — sardonic, knowing and self-deprecating. The answers to the central mystery may not pack a satisfying punch by the end, but the road there is as entertaining and absorbing as they come. We need more shows like this. A comedy created by and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez (of the antic YouTube series “The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo”), the show has a sensibility all its own, despite a handful of misinformed people on social media calling it a ripoff of “Abbott Elementary.” There’s room enough in the TV landscape for more than one sitcom with a school setting and “English Teacher” has a wonderfully gimlet-eyed point of view of modern high school life. I’m amused that so much of its musical score is Gen-X coded, because that neither applies to Alvarez (a millennial) nor the fictional students he teaches. So why does the show feature everything from Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” to Exposé’s “Point of No Return”? The ’80s were awash in teen stories and maybe the show is using music from that era to invoke all those tropes in order to better subvert them. It’s a compelling idea! It’s streaming on Hulu and worth checking out if you haven’t already. A one-time tennis phenom accuses her former coach of coercing her into a sexual relationship in this British thriller. The intimacy between a coach and athlete often goes unexplored, in real-life or fictional contexts and that’s what the show interrogates: When does it go over the line? It’s smart, endlessly watchable and the kind of series that would likely find a larger audience were it available on a more popular streamer. There’s real tenderness in this show. Real cruelty, too. It’s a potent combination and the show’s third and strongest season won it an Emmy for best comedy. Jean Smart’s aging comic still looking for industry validation and Hannah Einbinder’s needy Gen-Z writer are trapped in an endless cycle of building trust that inevitably gives way to betrayal. Hollywood in a nutshell! “Hacks” is doing variations on this theme every season, but doing it in interesting ways. Nobody self-sabotages their way to success like these two. I was skeptical about the show when it premiered in 2022 . Vampire stories don’t interest me. And the 1994 movie adaptation starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt wasn’t a persuasive argument to the contrary. But great television is great television and nothing at the moment is better than this show. It was ignored by Emmy voters in its initial outing but let’s hope Season 2 gets the recognition it deserves. Under showrunner Rolin Jones, the adaptation of Anne Rice’s novels is richly written, thrillingly inhabited by its cast and so effortlessly funny with a framing device — the interview of the title — that is thick with intrigue and sly comedy. I wouldn’t categorize the series as horror. It’s not scary. But it is tonally self-assured and richly made, rarely focused on the hunt for dinner but on something far more interesting: The melodrama of vampire existence, with its combination of boredom and lust and tragedy and zingers. Already renewed for Season 3, it has an incredible cast (a thrilling late-career boost for Eric Bogosian) and is well worth catching up with if you haven’t already. It’s been too long since the pleasures of banter fueled a romantic comedy in the spirit of “When Harry Met Sally.” But it’s all over the place in “Nobody Wants This,” one of the best shows on Netflix in recent memory. Renewed for a second season, it stars Kristen Bell as a humorously caustic podcaster and Adam Brody as the cute and emotionally intelligent rabbi she falls for. On the downside, the show has some terrible notions about Jewish women that play into controlling and emasculating stereotypes. You hate to see it in such an otherwise sparkling comedy, because overall Bell and Brody have an easy touch that gives the comedy real buoyancy. I suspect few people saw this three-part series on PBS Masterpiece, but it features a terrific performance by Helena Bonham Carter playing the real-life, longtime British soap star Noele “Nolly” Gordon, who was unceremoniously sacked in 1981. She’s the kind of larger-than-life showbiz figure who is a bit ridiculous, a bit imperious, but also so much fun. The final stretch of her career is brought to life by Carter and this homage — to both the soap she starred in and the way she carried it on her back — is from Russell T. Davies (best known for the “Doctor Who” revival). For U.S. viewers unfamiliar with the show or Gordon, Carter’s performance has the benefit of not competing with a memory as it reanimates a slice of British pop culture history from the analog era. The year is 1600 and a stubborn British seaman piloting a Dutch ship washes ashore in Japan. That’s our entry point to this gorgeously shot story of power games and political maneuvering among feudal enemies. Adapted from James Clavell’s 1975 novel by the married team of Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, it is filled with Emmy-winning performances (for Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada; the series itself also won best drama) and unlike something like HBO’s far clunkier “House of the Dragon,” which tackles similar themes, this feels like the rare show created by, and for, adults. The misfits and losers of Britain’s MI5 counterintelligence agency — collectively known as the slow horses, a sneering nickname that speaks to their perceived uselessness — remain as restless as ever in this adaptation of Mick Herron’s Slough House spy novels. As a series, “Slow Horses” doesn’t offer tightly plotted clockwork spy stories; think too deeply about any of the details and the whole thing threatens to fall apart. But on a scene-by-scene basis, the writing is a winning combination of wry and tension-filled, and the cumulative effect is wonderfully entertaining. Spies have to deal with petty office politics like everyone else! It’s also one of the few shows that has avoided the dreaded one- or two-year delay between seasons, which has become standard on streaming. Instead, it provides the kind of reliability — of its characters but also its storytelling intent — that has become increasingly rare. Nina Metz is a Tribune critic.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government on Monday survived a third vote of no confidence in as many months, brought by his main Tory rival. The minority Liberal government got the support of the New Democratic Party (NDP), a small leftist faction once aligned with the ruling Liberals, to defeat the motion 180-152. The text of the proposition echoed NDP leader Jagmeet Singh's own past criticisms of Trudeau since breaking off their partnership in late August, calling him "too weak, too selfish." Neither Singh nor Trudeau were present for the vote. The House of Commons has been deadlocked most of this fall session by an unprecedented two-month filibuster by the Conservatives. But Speaker Greg Fergus, in a rare move, ordered a short break in the deadlock to allow for this and other possible confidence votes, and for lawmakers to vote on a key spending measure. MPs are scheduled to vote Tuesday on the spending package, which includes funds for social services, disaster relief and support for Ukraine. With a 20-point lead in polls, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has been itching for an election call since the NDP tore up its coalition agreement with the Liberals. But the NDP and other opposition parties, whose support is needed to bring down the Liberals, have so far refused to side with the Conservatives. Two no-confidence votes brought by the Tories in September and October failed when the NDP and the separatist Bloc Quebecois backed the Liberals. In Canada's Westminster parliamentary system, a ruling party must hold the confidence of the House of Commons, which means maintaining support from a majority of members. The Liberals currently have 153 seats, versus 119 for the Conservatives, 33 for the Bloc Quebecois, and the NDP's 25. Trudeau swept to power in 2015 and has managed to hold on through two elections in 2019 and 2021. amc/bs/bjtIn conclusion, the surge in second-hand housing transactions in the Beijing property market reflects a combination of factors, including strong demand, stable prices, urban renewal projects, and infrastructure developments. This trend has created opportunities for both buyers and sellers to engage in active transactions, explore diverse housing options, and capitalize on the vibrant real estate market. As the market continues to evolve and adapt to changing conditions, stakeholders in the Beijing property market should stay informed, proactive, and strategic in navigating the complexities of buying and selling second-hand homes.Title: Ten Years Behind Bars: The Journey of a Freed Prisoner Who Ran While Asking What Happened