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Money manager Betashares plans Asian expansion after blockbuster yearPakistan’s 'brain rot' A trial of methods to enforce law will start in January We are increasingly living in a post-truth world. But what does it mean? Well, Oxford Dictionaries define it “as relating to and denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotions and personal belief”. There is a reason why I am reminded of this term – or word. Post-truth was chosen as the word of the year in 2016, after the word’s proliferation in the first election of Donald Trump as the president of the United States. He was characterised as engaging in a ‘war on truth’. There is no obvious connection between that 2016 word of Oxford Dictionaries and the word chosen this year, when Trump has been re-elected. In any case, the Oxford Dictionaries word for 2024 is ‘brain rot’. There were other words to choose from, such as ‘lore’, ‘demure’, ‘romantasy’, ‘dynamic pricing’, and ‘slop’. ‘Brain rot’ is a slang term for supposed mental damage done by overconsumption of trivial online content. It relates to how social media is being used in most countries of the world. We, in Pakistan, have our own problems in this context. And there have been reports this week to underline this issue. Social media, of course, is an integral part of the lives of most people around the world, including in Pakistan. It serves many purposes. What has become a major concern is that it also dispenses disinformation, misinformation and fake news. The advent of Artificial Intelligence has changed the very nature of the game. It is hard to distinguish between what is real and what is not. I confess to not having much understanding of these matters and have no presence on any social media platform beyond WhatsApp. For this reason, I do not fully comprehend the measures enforced by authorities to curtail freedom in the digital domain and to regulate social media. The thoughts that I have at this time relate to reports I have read this week – including on the net – about the impact of social media on mental health. I am not aware of any professionally conducted study of the impact of social media in Pakistan. What we know is that in the political arena, the PTI has excelled in using social media as a weapon. The party has ‘keyboard warriors’ that have attracted the wrath of the ruling authorities. On Thursday, a statement of ISPR, issued after the 84th Formation Commanders’ Conference at the GHQ, decried a social media campaign to spread allegations of protesters’ killings during the PTI demonstration in Islamabad last week. The statement labelled it as a “pre-planned, coordinated, and premeditated” propaganda effort aimed at sowing discord between the military and the public”. There was a reference to how PTI activists residing abroad use social media in a column Ansar Abbasi wrote this week in this paper. The leading investigative reporter said that the PTI leadership has become a hostage to this group. He said that the campaign of overseas supporters and social media activists of the PTI against the military and the army chief is creating challenges for the party. Take this as evidence of the power of social media in today’s political landscape. Now, let me return to the larger perspective of how the mental health of individuals and societies is affected by social media. It is argued by one analyst that social media is a problem because it gives stupid people power. It allows dumb people to think that they are clever. One question that is seriously posed is this: does the use of social media decrease your IQ over time? An IQ researcher cites increased consumption of digital media and entertainment as well as less time spent reading and writing as likely factors behind falling IQ scores in the United States. A psychologist associated with the Oxford University Press said that the popularity of the word – brain rot – is a ‘symptom of the time we’re living in’. Brain rot is defined as the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material considered to be trivial or unchallenging. The word gained traction on social media among Gen Z and Gen Alpha communities but is now being used in the mainstream as a way to describe low-quality, low-value content found on social media. A statement by the Oxford University Press, publisher of Oxford Dictionaries, said that the chosen word “describes our dissatisfaction with the online world and it is a word that we can use to bundle our anxieties that we have around social media”. One important development relating to the use of social media was recorded last week when Australia approved a social media ban for children aged under 16. This happened after an emotive debate that has gripped the nation. The law forces the tech giants – from Instagram and Facebook to TikTok – to stop minors from logging or face huge fines. A trial of methods to enforce the law will start in January. This will be a test case for a growing number of governments which have legislated or said they plan to legislate an age restriction on social media amid concern about its mental health impact on young people. On this subject, I have seen several references to a book published earlier this year. It is ‘The Anxious Generation’ by a renowned American social scientist, Jonathan Haidt. Its sub-heading is: ‘How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness’. The book’s focus is on the spread of smartphones and social media among children. The Guardian, in its review, called the book “an urgent and persuasive warning about the toll of ‘phone-based’ childhoods”. The review notes that at the start of the 2010s, rates of teenage mental illness took a sharp upward turn, and they have been rising ever since. I wonder if educators and parents in Pakistan have any plans to keep smartphones at least out of schools. The writer is a senior journalist. He can be reached at: ghazi_salahuddin@hotmail.com
Percentages: FG .522, FT .722. 3-Point Goals: 14-26, .538 (Pinzon 4-5, Withers 4-9, Evans 3-5, Farris 2-5, Mitchell 1-2). Team Rebounds: 3. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 6 (Cramer 3, Withers 2, Mitchell). Turnovers: 20 (Pinzon 7, Withers 4, Evans 2, Farris 2, Mitchell 2, Timberlake 2, Cramer). Steals: 5 (Mitchell 2, Farris, Pinzon, Withers). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .425, FT .731. 3-Point Goals: 4-19, .211 (Lorick 1-1, C.Williams 1-2, Weston 1-5, Wood 1-5, Jackson 0-3, Nkrumah 0-3). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 2 (Langlais, Nkrumah). Turnovers: 10 (Lorick 3, Langlais 2, Weston 2, C.Williams, Jackson, Wood). Steals: 14 (Weston 6, Jackson 3, C.Williams 2, Lorick 2, Nkrumah). Technical Fouls: None. A_268 (10,928).Forthright and fearless, the Nobel Prize winner took pot-shots at former prime minister Tony Blair and ex-US president George W Bush among others. His death came after repeated bouts of illness in which images of the increasingly frail former president failed to erase memories of his fierce spirit. Democrat James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr swept to power in 1977 with his Trust Me campaign helping to beat Republican president Gerald Ford. Serving as 39th US president from 1977 to 1981, he sought to make government “competent and compassionate” but was ousted by the unstoppable Hollywood appeal of a certain Ronald Reagan. A skilled sportsman, Mr Carter left his home of Plains, Georgia, to join the US Navy, returning later to run his family’s peanut business. A stint in the Georgia senate lit the touchpaper on his political career and he rose to the top of the Democratic movement. But he will also be remembered for a bizarre encounter with a deeply disgruntled opponent. The president was enjoying a relaxing fishing trip near his home town in 1979 when his craft was attacked by a furious swamp rabbit which reportedly swam up to the boat hissing wildly. The press had a field day, with one paper bearing the headline President Attacked By Rabbit. Away from encounters with belligerent bunnies, Mr Carter’s willingness to address politically uncomfortable topics did not diminish with age. He recently said that he would be willing to travel to North Korea for peace talks on behalf of US President Donald Trump. He also famously mounted a ferocious and personal attack on Tony Blair over the Iraq war, weeks before the prime minister left office in June 2007. Mr Carter, who had already denounced George W Bush’s presidency as “the worst in history”, used an interview on BBC radio to condemn Mr Blair for his tight relations with Mr Bush, particularly concerning the Iraq War. Asked how he would characterise Mr Blair’s relationship with Mr Bush, Mr Carter replied: “Abominable. Loyal, blind, apparently subservient. “I think that the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world.” Mr Carter was also voluble over the Rhodesia crisis, which was about to end during his presidency. His support for Robert Mugabe at the time generated widespread criticism. He was said to have ignored the warnings of many prominent Zimbabweans, black and white, about what sort of leader Mugabe would be. This was seen by Mr Carter’s critics as “deserving a prominent place among the outrages of the Carter years”. Mr Carter has since said he and his administration had spent more effort and worry on Rhodesia than on the Middle East. He admitted he had supported two revolutionaries in Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo, and with hindsight said later that Mugabe had been “a good leader gone bad”, having at first been “a very enlightened president”. One US commentator wrote: “History will not look kindly on those in the West who insisted on bringing the avowed Marxist Mugabe into the government. “In particular, the Jimmy Carter foreign policy... bears some responsibility for the fate of a small African country with scant connection to American national interests.” In recent years Mr Carter developed a reputation as an international peace negotiator. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his commitment to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, his work with human rights and democracy initiatives, and his promotion of economic and social programmes. Mr Carter was dispatched to North Korea in August 2008 to secure the release of US citizen Aijalon Mahli Gomes, who had been sentenced to eight years of hard labour after being found guilty of illegally entering North Korea. He successfully secured the release of Mr Gomes. In 2010 he returned to the White House to greet President Barack Obama and discuss international affairs amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula. Proving politics runs in the family, in 2013 his grandson Jason, a state senator, announced his bid to become governor in Georgia, where his famous grandfather governed before becoming president. He eventually lost to incumbent Republican Nathan Deal. Fears that Mr Carter’s health was deteriorating were sparked in 2015 when he cut short an election observation visit in Guyana because he was “not feeling well”. It would have been Mr Carter’s 39th trip to personally observe an international election. Three months later, on August 12, he revealed he had cancer which had been diagnosed after he underwent surgery to remove a small mass in his liver. Mr Obama was among the well-wishers hoping for Mr Carter’s full recovery after it was confirmed the cancer had spread widely. Melanoma had been found in his brain and liver, and Mr Carter underwent immunotherapy and radiation therapy, before announcing in March the following year that he no longer needed any treatment. In 2017, Mr Carter was taken to hospital as a precaution, after he became dehydrated at a home-building project in Canada. He was admitted to hospital on multiple occasions in 2019 having had a series of falls, suffering a brain bleed and a broken pelvis, as well as a stint to be treated for a urinary tract infection. Mr Carter spent much of the coronavirus pandemic largely at his home in Georgia, and did not attend Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration in 2021, but extended his “best wishes”. Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Mr Carter during his term as US president, died in November 2023. She had been living with dementia and suffering many months of declining health. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” Mr Carter said in a statement following her death. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”
BRYANT 97, TENNESSEE STATE 85
Provident Bancorp, Inc. Adopts Stock Repurchase ProgramCLEMSON 75, PENN STATE 67None
《TAIPEI TIMES》 Martial law must not be repeated: Lai
Jimmy Carter, a one-term president who became a globe-trotting elder statesman, dies at 100Provident Bancorp, Inc. Adopts Stock Repurchase Program
Croatia’s incumbent president wins most votes at polls but still faces runoffPublished 5:19 pm Tuesday, November 26, 2024 By Associated Press Associated Press EAGAN — The game had suddenly gone sideways for the Minnesota Vikings, their 11-point lead on the Chicago Bears having evaporated in the closing seconds. They straightened it out in overtime, no sweat, because Sam Darnold simply hasn’t been fazed. Save for his occasional rash of turnovers, in games the Vikings still managed to win, Darnold proved again on Sunday in defeating the Bears that he’s directing a passing attack with the potential to be one of the NFL’s most potent. “I think he’s a mentally tough guy. I think he’s a physically tough guy. I think he’s confident in the guys around him, and I think he’s confident in our system,” coach Kevin O’Connell said after the 30-27 victory. “I think when he just continues to play quarterback at a high level, I think we’re a tough team.” After the defense forced the Bears to punt on the opening possession of overtime, Darnold led the Vikings on a 68-yard drive to set up the game-ending field goal while overcoming a 7-yard sack on the first play and two subsequent setbacks with a false start and a holding penalty. On third-and-10 from the 21, he hit Jordan Addison near the sideline for 13 yards. On first-and-15 from the 29, Darnold threaded a throw to Justin Jefferson for 20 yards after he’d muscled his way through Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson on a post route for the clutch catch after he’d been all but silenced all afternoon by a defense determined to constantly bracket him with double coverage. On second-and-11 from the 48, Darnold connected with a wide-open T.J. Hockenson underneath for 12 yards. Then two plays later off a second-and-8 play-action fake, he found Hockenson again on a deep corner route for 29 yards to put Parker Romo in prime position for the walk-off winner. “Just execute. It’s as simple as that. Just one play at a time,” said Darnold, who went 22 for 34 for 330 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover. “I think I tell the guys that every single time in the huddle, but that’s my mindset every single time I’m out there on the field, especially in that situation.” Even when Jefferson continues to draw an extraordinary amount of coverage, the Vikings with Addison, Hockenson, Aaron Jones and the rest of their crew running O’Connell’s system have proven they have an offense that can go win a game when it’s required. That wouldn’t be possible without Darnold, whose career rebirth has helped spark the Vikings (9-2) become one of the league’s biggest surprises in what’s now its most difficult division. “He’s cool, calm, collected,” Hockenson said. “That’s what you want as the leader of the huddle.” What’s working The Vikings’ defense ranks ninth in the league on third downs, allowing a conversion rate of 34.5% after limiting the Bears to a 6-for-17 performance. The Vikings are tied for first on fourth downs with an allowance of 36.4% after the Bears went 2 for 3. Both conversions came in the fourth quarter during touchdown drives. The Vikings also rank fourth in the NFL in opponent points per drive (1.52). What needs help The Vikings had seven possessions that crossed the 20-yard line in Chicago, but only three of them yielded touchdowns. Their lone turnover was the type of game-altering giveaways they’ve struggled to eliminate this month, a fumble by Aaron Jones at the 1-yard line that ruined a promising first drive. The Vikings are tied for 20th in the league in red zone touchdown rate (53.9%) and are 17th in goal-to-go touchdowns (72%). Stock up Addison had eight catches for 162 yards, both career highs, and a touchdown on nine throws from Darnold. The second-year wide receiver has had a quieter season than his rookie year, but he stepped up in a significant way on an afternoon when Jefferson was as smothered by the opposing secondary as ever. Stock down TE Johnny Mundt had the onside kick glance off his shin as he charged toward the coverage, and the first kicking team recovery in the NFL this season helped the Bears extend the game. Mundt also had the false start on the overtime drive. His lone catch was a 7-yard gain when he was stopped short of the goal line, one play before the lost fumble. Mundt played 33 of 71 snaps and Hockenson took 48 snaps with Oliver out. Injuries The Vikings lost LT Cam Robinson (foot) and LB Ivan Pace (hamstring) to injuries in the first quarter against the Bears, and O’Connell said on Monday those players were still in “evaluation mode.” Oliver (ankle) will have an opportunity to return after being sidelined last week. Key number 101.7 — Darnold’s passer rating, which ranks ninth in the NFL. Darnold has posted a 100-plus passer rating in nine of 11 games this season. He had only 12 such performances in 56 career starts before joining the Vikings. Up next The Vikings have four of their next five games at home, starting with Arizona (6-5) this week, Atlanta (6-5) on Dec. 8 and a rematch with Chicago (4-7) in a Monday night game on Dec. 16.
is starting a fresh chapter — both literally and figuratively — sporting a new brunette look and . The 66-year-old former talk show host has and appears to have marked the transition with a bold new look. In an Instagram Reel shared by ’s pub The Farmer’s Dog and singer on November 13, DeGeneres was spotted enjoying an intimate live music session alongside her wife, , 51, and friends. The clip shows Imbruglia singing with the crowd before panning to DeGeneres, who waves to the camera — sporting a surprising transformation. Gone is her famous platinum blonde hair; in its place, a shorter, darker hairstyle. On November 21, confirmed DeGeneres had officially moved to England’s celeb-loved Cotswolds region, where she and de Rossi have already embraced their new community. “Ellen was in England house hunting in the beginning of October,” a source said. “She ended up finding a house that she loved and purchased it shortly after.” DeGeneres’s pub outing included rubbing elbows with Clarkson’s wife Lisa Hogan, James Blunt and The Corrs, who performed that evening. The pub is quickly becoming a hotspot for the couple’s low-key social life. DeGeneres’ lifestyle change comes two years after — which ran for 19 seasons — wrapped in May 2022, following allegations of a toxic workplace environment that surfaced in 2020. The controversy began with a July 2020 , where current and former employees anonymously shared troubling accounts, including claims of being penalized for taking medical leave, racial microaggressions, and fears of retaliation for raising complaints. In a May 2021 appearance on , DeGeneres addressed the fallout, telling Savannah Guthrie, “I really didn’t understand it; I still don’t understand it. It was too orchestrated; it was too coordinated.” This year, DeGeneres reflected on her exit from the spotlight in her Netflix comedy special, “Let me catch you up on what’s been going on with me since you last saw me,” she quipped. “I got chickens. Oh yeah, and I got kicked out of show business for being mean.” Doubling down on her decision to leave fame behind, she declared, “This is the last time you’re going to see me. After my Netflix special, I’m done.”
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