Tech firms say using centralised blockchain to control spam impossible for OTTsNovember 30 - Micah Peavy had 24 points and eight assists to power Georgetown to a 100-68 win over Albany Saturday in Washington, D.C. Thomas Sorber contributed 14 points and 13 rebounds for his third double-double this season as Georgetown (6-1) won its fourth straight. Malik Mack added 16 points for Georgetown, which made 63.1 percent of its shots, including 9-of-22 (40.9 percent) of its attempts from 3-point range. Kheni Briggs and Amar'e Marshall scored 17 points each for Albany (5-3) in the first-ever meeting of the teams. Justin Neely added 12 points for the Great Danes who were without two of their top four scorers, Byron Joshua and DeMarr Langford Jr. Albany hit 35.7 percent of its shots from the floor and 7-of-22 (31.8 percent) from deep. They also hit all 18 of their free throws in the first half, finishing 21-of-24 from the line. Peavy also had four steals and three blocks to pace the Hoyas defense, which forced 18 turnovers. In the opening minutes, Peavy tallied half of the points in a 12-0 run, but Albany weathered it by going on its own 10-2 sprint, with Briggs supplying the final six points to put the Great Danes up 19-16. Georgetown answered in kind, reeling off 13 straight points. Sorber started the rush with a three-point play and he closed it with a perimeter 3 as the Hoyas took a 29-19 lead. Late in the half, Peavy drained 3-pointers to start and finish a 10-point spree, which gave the Hoyas a 14-point lead on their way to a 49-35 advantage at the break. Undermanned Albany never challenged in the second half. A 15-point blitz by Georgetown expanded the lead to 32 points. Drew Fielder, who finished with 10 points, started the run with a three-point play. Mack added his own three-point play in the run plus a trey. Jordan Burks, who finished with 11 points, closed it out with a fastbreak slam after a steal and a feed from Peavy as the Hoyas took a 74-42 lead with 13:11 left. Peavy maxed out the Hoyas lead at 40 points midway through the half when he drained a triple that made it 86-46. Georgetown hit the century mark in emphatic fashion as reserve Drew McKenna threw down a slam-dunk with 1:44 left. --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
( MENAFN - Live Mint) Salman Rushdie's most controversial or rather“blasphemous” novel, 'The Satanic Verses', that galvanised communities against the author is now on bookstands in India after 36 years after the ban on the book was lifted following a court ruling. India banned 'The Satanic Verses' in 1988 after a community found it as 'blasphemous'. The Delhi High Court lifted the ban on Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses', observing that the government was unable to produce the original notification that imposed it in 1988. In a post on X, Bahrisons Bookseller said,“@SalmanRushdie 's The Satanic Verses is now in stock at Bahrisons Booksellers ! This groundbreaking & provocative novel has captivated readers for decades with its imaginative storytelling and bold themes.” “It has also been at the center of intense global controversy since it's release, sparking debates on free expression, faith, & art. Whether you're discovering it for the first time or revisiting its pages, this literary triumph is one that challenges and inspires,” it said. While hearing a 2019 case challenging the import ban of the book in India on November 5, the Delhi court was told that the import ban order“was untraceable and, therefore could not be produced.” To this, the court said it had“no other option except to presume that no such notification exists.” Uddyam Mukherjee, lawyer for petitioner Sandipan Khan, said,“The ban has been lifted as of Nov. 5 because there is no notification.” Salman Rushdie's fictional novel 'The Satanic Verses' ran into a global controversy shortly after its publication in September 1988 allegedly over some passages on Prophet Muhammad termed as“blasphemous”. MENAFN24122024007365015876ID1109028638 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
LONDON (AP) — Edinburgh Airport was shut down by an unspecified information technology issue Sunday afternoon, causing headaches for passengers at the start of the busy holiday travel season. All flights into and out of Scotland’s busiest airport were grounded at 4:15 p.m. local time, with some incoming flights diverted to Glasgow Airport about 50 miles away. Edinburgh airport said engineers were working to resolve the issue. “Passengers are asked to check the status of their flight with the airline they are flying with before traveling to the airport,’’ the airport said in a statement.None
By Prince Charles Dickson The Latin axiom “Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges” rings painfully true for Nigeria. It translates to “the more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.” This adage seems to encapsulate the nation’s convoluted legal landscape, a labyrinth of statutes that often serve as tools for manipulation rather than instruments of justice. Nigeria, a nation blessed with abundant resources, has been plagued by endemic corruption for decades. This scourge has permeated every facet of society, from government institutions to the private sector. However, the problem isn’t merely the absence of ethical conduct; it’s also the overabundance of laws that are frequently ignored or selectively enforced. The Nigerian legal system is a complex web of statutes, regulations, and by-laws. The sheer volume of legislation can be overwhelming, even for legal professionals. So, let me address just one concern: our tax laws. The Nigerian government’s recent push for tax reform has ignited a firestorm of controversy, with proposed tax bills threatening to further burden an already struggling populace. The core of the issue lies in the perceived excessive taxation and the potential for increased government overreach. At the heart of the debate are several key bills, including the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill. These bills aim to overhaul Nigeria’s tax system, with proponents arguing that they will modernize the system and boost government revenue. However, critics contend that these measures will disproportionately impact the middle class and small businesses, further stifling economic growth. One of the most contentious aspects of the proposed reforms is the expansion of the tax net to include previously exempt sectors and individuals. This has raised concerns about the government’s ability to effectively monitor and enforce these new taxes, potentially leading to increased corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency. Additionally, the proposed establishment of a new tax authority, the Nigeria Revenue Service, has sparked fears of increased surveillance and potential abuses of power. The timing of these proposed reforms has also come under scrutiny, with many arguing that they are ill-timed given the current economic climate. With rising inflation, unemployment, and poverty rates, many Nigerians fear that additional tax burdens will further erode their purchasing power and exacerbate social unrest. Meanwhile, sometime last week, a military convoy had an altercation with a civilian driving and overtaking. Whatever the real story was, the civilian was brutalized. Nigerians then went ahead especially those justifying the military right to brutality to reel out laws— Overtaking Military Convoy: Consequences Under Nigerian Law Overtaking a military convoy is a serious offense in Nigeria, punishable under various laws. This article examines the consequences of overtaking a military convoy under Nigerian law. Relevant Laws The Armed Forces Act (AFA) 2004: Section 119 prohibits obstructing or interfering with military operations, including convoys. The Road Traffic Act 2004: Section 35 prohibits reckless driving, including overtaking military convoys. The National Security Agencies Act 2004: Section 15 empowers security agencies to take necessary actions to maintain national security. Consequences of overtaking military convoy · Arrest and Detention: Security personnel may arrest and detain anyone who overtakes a military convoy. · Prosecution: Offenders may be prosecuted under the AFA, Road Traffic Act, or National Security Agencies Act. · Imprisonment: Conviction may result in imprisonment for up to 5 years (AFA) or 2 years (Road Traffic Act). · Fine: Offenders may be fined up to ₦50,000 (AFA) or ₦20,000 (Road Traffic Act). · Vehicle Confiscation: The vehicle used to overtake the convoy may be confiscated. · Tort Liability: Offenders may be liable for damages or injuries caused to military personnel or equipment. Court Rulings In Aoku v. State (2017), the Court of Appeal upheld a 5-year imprisonment sentence for overtaking a military convoy. Precautions to avoid consequences: Exercise caution when approaching military convoys; maintain a safe distance; follow traffic rules and regulations; avoid reckless driving. Overtaking a military convoy is a serious offense in Nigeria, carrying severe consequences under various laws. It is essential to exercise caution and respect military operations to avoid prosecution and punishment. Apart from the precautions everything in the piece is at best hogwash, some of those laws don’t even exist, but sadly it speaks to the legal proliferation I am referring to which leads to several unintended consequences. The nation suffers legal uncertainty as a result of conflicting laws. The sheer number of laws often leads to inconsistencies and contradictions, creating confusion and uncertainty for citizens and businesses alike. These laws have plenty overlapping jurisdictions and multiple agencies may have overlapping regulatory authority, leading to bureaucratic hurdles and delays. Whether it is LASTMA or FRSC and federal and local roads, or it is sharia or canon law. With selective enforcement, law enforcement agencies may prioritize certain laws over others, leading to selective justice and undermining the rule of law. These laws open the doors for corruption and abuse of power, as opportunities for bribery and extortion, corrupt officials to demand bribes or extort money from citizens and businesses. Leaving rooms open for Impunity for the Powerful as wealthy and influential can often use their connections to circumvent the law or delay legal proceedings. The sheer volume of laws can make it difficult to hold public officials accountable for their actions. Sometimes in corruption cases when citizens hear the judgments passed you wonder under which law. Do I need to emphasize how these laws stifle innovation and entrepreneurship, hindering economic growth, as a result of these regulatory burdens with red-tape, bureaucratic hurdles and delays that discourage foreign investment and hinder domestic businesses, we hardly make progress. All these laws make it difficult for businesses to plan and invest, leading to economic stagnation. When laws are not enforced or are selectively applied, citizens lose faith in the legal system and the government, leading to erosion of public trust, cynicism and distrust. Whether it is a tax law, or a traffic law, our laws need simplification and codification, we need to combine overlapping and contradictory laws into a more streamlined and coherent legal framework. There is need for loads of review and repeal by identifying outdated and unnecessary laws to reduce the regulatory burden. Currently, there is no effective enforcement. There is need to strengthen law enforcement agencies, with the resources and training they need to enforce the law effectively. Ensuring independence of the judiciary and protecting judges from political interference is paramount. Then we need robust accountability mechanisms to hold public officials accountable for their actions. Let me add that half of the problems of these laws are lack of public participation. Involve citizens in the law-making process to ensure that laws reflect their needs and concerns. Promote legal literacy to empower citizens to understand their rights and responsibilities, because just as the proposed tax bills have ignited a fierce debate across various sectors of Nigerian society, with civil society organizations, labor unions, and business groups voicing their concerns. The government continues to push for these reforms, the truth is that you cannot strike a balance between generating revenue and ensuring that the tax burden is distributed fairly and equitably with a populace that does not know what the law is about. By addressing the root causes of the problem, Nigeria can break free from the cycle of corruption and create a more just and equitable society. The path to progress lies in simplifying the legal framework, strengthening law enforcement, and fostering a culture of accountability and transparency, will Nigeria win these legal cycles—only time will tell. * Dr Dickson, a peace practitioner and policy analyst, writes from Jos, Plateau State. XXXHimachal CM announces new sub-tehsil in Loharghat
Running back J.K. Dobbins suffered an MCL injury midway through the year, but the Chargers starter should return to the field before long. Recently activated from the injured reserve, Dobbins began the season fighting for the starting job with fellow former Raven Gus Edwards . While the two split carries early in the season, Dobbins quickly earned the starting job and never looked back. Through the first 11 games of the season, the former second-round pick recorded 158 carries for 766 yards and eight touchdowns, good for 4.8 yards per attempt. Unfortunately, the injury bug bit, landing Dobbins on the injured reserve. However, the Chargers activated his practice window, which means he should be back on the field for the start of the playoffs. Based on potential seeding, there’s a decent chance Dobbins makes his return against his old team, the Baltimore Ravens. J.K. Dobbins Could Get Revenge Against Ravens With Chargers Return J.K. Dobbins entered the league as a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft . Selected by the Baltimore Ravens, the Ohio State product impressed as a rookie, averaging 6.0 yards per attempt while splitting work with Edwards and veteran Mark Ingram. After Ingram departed in 2021, Dobbins had a clear path to the unquestioned starting job. Unfortunately, a knee injury sidelined him for all of 2022 and limited him to eight games in 2023. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Dobbins tried to secure an extension prior to the start of the 2024 season. Unfortunately, nothing came of his request and the running back entered the season hoping to prove himself. That didn’t happen, as he tore his Achilles during Week 1. Historically considered the kiss of death to running backs , Baltimore believed Dobbins would never return to form, allowing him to walk in free agency while bringing in superstar Derrick Henry . While his MCL injury sidelined him for part of the season, Dobbins proved he could return to form with the Chargers. While every player brings their best to the postseason, the Wild Card round could be personal for Dobbins. Playoff Seeding As of this posting, the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers are the fifth and sixth seeds in the playoff picture , respectively. If this remains the case heading after Week 18, then the earliest these teams could face off is in the AFC Championship Game . However, there is a decent chance the seedings change between now and the end of the regular season. At 10-5, the Ravens are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the AFC North lead. While Pittsburgh has the tiebreaker, the final two games could determine who hosts a playoff game. Baltimore finishes the season with two winnable matchups against a banged-up Houston Texans squad and Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s Cleveland Browns . Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has to play the Kansas City Chiefs and a desperate Cincinnati Bengals squad. If the Ravens win out and the Steelers lose a game, then Baltimore will win the AFC North and likely claim the third seed in the playoff picture. This means they will host the sixth seed in the Wild Card round, which could easily be the Chargers. While the Ravens should be favored in this matchup, Dobbins will do everything in his power to make sure the Chargers don’t go down without a fight. This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.The New York Yankees acquired closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday in exchange for left-hander Nestor Cortes, a prospect and cash considerations. Williams, a 30-year-old right-hander, is a two-time All-Star (2022, 2023) and former National League Rookie of the Year with 68 saves and a 1.83 ERA in six seasons with Milwaukee. Cortes, also 30, was an All-Star in 2022 and is coming off a 9-10 season with a 3.77 ERA in 31 games (30 starts) for New York. He is 33-21 with a 3.80 ERA in 135 games (86 starts) with three teams since 2018. Caleb Durbin, a 24-year-old infielder, batted .275 with 10 homers, 60 RBIs and 31 stolen bases in 90 games across three levels in the minors in 2024. The Brewers also received $4.5 million from the Yankees in the transaction, USA Today reported. Williams' final season with Milwaukee was bookended by an injury and a disastrous blown save. He began the season on the injured list with a stress fracture in his back and did not pitch in the majors until July 28. Once healthy, Williams posted a 1.25 ERA in 22 relief appearances to help Milwaukee win its second straight NL Central title. Williams secured the save in Game 2 of the Brewers' wild-card series against the visiting New York Mets but imploded in the decisive Game 3 the next night. He entered in the ninth with a 2-0 lead before surrendering four runs, including Pete Alonso's go-ahead three-run homer, as New York rallied to win 4-2. --Field Level Media
The University of NSW has signed an Australian-first deal with ChatGPT to roll out a special version of the technology on campus, as universities increasingly embrace AI and acknowledge bans are no longer viable despite fears of a “new wave” of cheating. The deal with ChatGPT would allow students, academics, and staff to use the tool securely, ensuring any information shared with the chatbot remained private and was not used to train AI models. UNSW students Matthew Kuk and Gemma Ahearne have found benefits in using AI to enhance their study. Credit: Rhett Wyman It comes after the University of Sydney overhauled its cheating policy to allow the use of AI in all assessments not held in exam-like conditions, in a sign institutions were conceding they could not control students’ use of the rapidly evolving technology. UNSW’s deal with ChatGPT – a chatbot widely used to answer questions, generate ideas and write content – will start with a pilot across about 500 staff and students with the view of rolling it out more widely. It is the first Australian university to introduce ChatGPT Edu – a tool specifically built for higher education – joining other institutions including Arizona State, Oxford and Columbia. UNSW has paid the US company behind the chatbot, OpenAI, to deploy the tool, but would not reveal how much. Third-year UNSW law and commerce student Matthew Kuk welcomed the move, saying it could make the technology more accessible by eliminating the need for students to pay for the premium version, ChatGPT4. He regularly uses it to summarise papers he doesn’t have time to read in full and to help understand difficult ideas. UNSW student Gemma Ahearne. Credit: Rhett WymanFormer lawmaker Mary Murphy, longest-serving woman in Minnesota House, suffers stroke
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Washington State University Vancouver students will soon transform a local art installation into an interactive educational experience, bridging the gap between art, technology and language at the Woodland Community Library . Suspended above the children’s room in the Woodland Community Library is “Phonic Bloom,” an art installation created by Portland-based studio Superfab. This piece repurposed recycled books into a vibrant hanging garden, visually symbolizing the sounds of the International Phonetic Alphabet. Each color-coded bloom represents syllables common to local languages: red for English, yellow for Spanish and blue for Salish — the language spoken by the Cowlitz Tribe for thousands of years. The installation was developed in collaboration with Portland State University linguist Janet Tom Cowell, who worked with Superfab to highlight the shared phonetic elements across these languages. Washington State University Vancouver student and experience team lead James Lesperance showcases a prototype for an app designed to bring an art installation to life through augmented reality during a presentation at WSU Vancouver on Wednesday, Dec. 11. The app allows visitors to interact with an art piece called “Phonic Bloom” at the Woodland library, providing a deeper understanding of phonics in multiple languages. This “data sculpture,” as WSU professor and Digital Technology and Culture lead Dene Grigar explained, presented a special opportunity for her students — developing an augmented reality mobile app to teach visitors about phonics using the installation. Augmented reality uses technology to blend digital content with the real world. The WSU students' app brings “Phonic Bloom” to life similar to the popular mobile app “Pokémon Go.” Visitors can point their phones at the sculpture to see a digital recreation of the garden appear on their screens. Guided by “Bea,” a friendly bee mascot voiced by design team member Bea Calces, users can interact with virtual blooms to learn about the corresponding phonetic sounds. The app features audio and visual representations, including animations of the human vocal system producing sounds like “la” and “shaw.” Mailei Brodniak, the student project manager, described their mission as developing and promoting a mobile app to educate young audiences about phonics. The task came with a steep learning curve, as the team first had to familiarize themselves with the intricacies of phonics before beginning. The students had 16 weeks — one semester — to complete their work. “We had the job of taking that sculpture and then bringing it down to our level and making it so that people from children to families could interact with it and actually understand what it’s saying,” Brodniak said Each year, Digital Technology and Culture students are tasked with a 16-week project using their skillsets to showcase their work on resumes or portfolios. The students learn a variety of skills ranging from videography to game design, choosing one category to be their “superpower.” Their main chosen skill is their focus for the senior project, giving students a chance to add to their portfolio before graduation. “The senior seminar is like a finishing school slash boot camp ... getting them to polish themselves, refine their skills and begin to feel confident so they can have a successful interview. It’s about turning out successful thinkers, makers and doers,” Grigar said. The senior seminar split its 18 students into four teams: • A design team, which conceptualized the app’s appearance and functionality • An experience team, which developed the app, implementing its interactive features • A web development team, which created a complementary website detailing the project’s history and features. • A social media team, which promoted the project across social media The design and experience teams crafted 15 unique 3D models, 26 animations and 20 audio components, supported by over 2,000 lines of code for the project. Student Evan Leyden took on the intricate task of animating a realistic depiction of human vocal anatomy for the app. “I spent over 12 hours just researching the kinematics of how we actually move everything inside our mouth to make sure that the animation was accurate, as well as looking for just the right [animation] plug-in [so] this [Magnetic Resonance Imaging] has fully articulated lips, tongue, velum, jaw and larynx,” Leyden said. The web development team supplemented the app with an interactive website, featuring an interactive phonetic chart and resources about the installation. Meanwhile, the social media team chronicled the project’s development across Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, garnering over 200,000 views and 2,000 engagements. In a Dec. 11 presentation at WSU Vancouver, students demonstrated the fully functional mobile app as attendees watched the interactive experience. Brodniak emphasized the teamwork that was key to the project’s success. “The thing I’m most proud of is how everyone just came together. Everyone communicated so well, and everyone was so friendly with each other. There’s a lot of unity, which you would hope for since we’re making a project about community, but we were able to foster one,” She said. As part of their coursework, each student incorporated their contributions into their resumés and portfolios, participating in mock interviews with local employers. Brodniak, who also worked on the social media team, plans to pursue roles in social media or project management. “This experience gave me a lot of confidence in being a project manager, so I wouldn’t be opposed to working in the management side of things either,” she added. “There is so much here that we created and that we can bring with us moving forward into the career space.” The Phonic Bloom app will launch by the end of 2024. Readers can download the app and learn more about the project at dtc-wsuv.org/projects/phonic-bloom/index.html . The Phonic Bloom art piece can be found at the Woodland Community Library, which is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 411 Lakeshore Dr. Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox.Article content TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP) — Mexican immigration authorities have broken up two small migrant caravans headed to the U.S. border, activists said Saturday. Recommended Videos Some migrants were bused to cities in southern Mexico, and others were offered transit papers. The action comes a week after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to slap 25% tariffs on Mexican products unless the country does more to stem the flow of migrants to the U.S. border. On Wednesday, Trump wrote that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had agreed to stop unauthorized migration across the border into the United States. Sheinbaum wrote on her social media accounts the same day that “migrants and caravans are taken care of before they reach the border.” Migrant rights activist Luis Garcia Villagran said the breaking-up of the two caravans appeared to be part of “an agreement between the president of Mexico and the president of the United States.” The first of the caravans started out from the southern Mexico city of Tapachula, near the border with Guatemala, on Nov. 5, the day Trump was elected. At its height it had about 2,500 people. In almost four weeks of walking, it had gone about 270 miles (430 kilometers) to Tehuantepec in the state of Oaxaca. In Tehuantepec, Mexican immigration officials offered the tired migrants free bus rides to other cities in southern or central Mexico. “They took some of us to Acapulco, others to Morelia, and others from our group to Oaxaca city,” said Barbara Rodriguez, an opposition supporter who left her native Venezuela after that country’s contested presidential elections earlier this year. Rodriguez said by telephone she later caught a bus on her own to Mexico City. In a statement Saturday, the National Immigration Institute said the migrants voluntary accepted bus rides “to various areas where there is medical assistance and where their migratory status will be reviewed,” and said “upon accepting (the rides), they said they no longer wanted to face the risks along their way.” The second caravan of about 1,500 migrants set out on Nov. 20 and made it about 140 miles (225 kilometers) to the town of Tonala, in Chiapas state. There, authorities offered a sort of transit visa that allows travel across Mexico for 20 days. Sheinbaum has said she is confident that a tariff war with the United States can be averted. But her statement — the day after she held a phone call with Trump — did not make clear who had offered what. Apart from the much larger first caravans in 2018 and 2019 _ which were provided buses to ride part of the way north — no caravan has ever reached the U.S. border walking or hitchhiking in any cohesive way, though some individual members have made it. For years, migrant caravans have often been blocked, harassed or prevented from hitching rides by Mexican police and immigration agents. They have also frequently been rounded up or returned to areas near the Guatemalan border.
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