Buy Smarter: The Consumer Guide to Smart TVsKABUL (Amu Tv): Food insecurity in Afghanistan remains a pressing concern as 14.8 million people are projected to face critical shortages during the winter months, the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said. The figure accounts for 32 percent of the Afghan population, who will require urgent humanitarian food assistance from November 2024 to March 2025. UNICEF’s report underscores the challenges facing the nation, citing a fragile economy, limited access to basic services, and the lingering effects of 40 years of conflict. These issues are compounded by natural disasters, climate shocks, and shifting political dynamics in the region. Afghan returnees face heightened challenges The humanitarian crisis is exacerbated by the ongoing influx of Afghan returnees from Pakistan. Since mid-September 2023, more than 758,000 individuals have been registered crossing back into Afghanistan. UNICEF has been providing aid at border points like Torkham and Spin Boldak, offering health services, polio vaccination campaigns, clean water and sanitation (WASH), nutrition programs, and child protection interventions. “UNICEF continues to support the response,” the report stated, emphasizing the agency’s efforts to mitigate the growing humanitarian challenges. Voices of Hardship The report also highlighted the human toll of the crisis, with individuals like Mahboba, a former employee of a private organization in Badghis, offering a glimpse into life under Taliban rule. “For five or six years, I worked and earned 21,000 Afghanis a month. I was the sole breadwinner for my family,” she said. “But for the past two years, the Taliban have prohibited me from working. Now, I can’t even provide one meal a day for my children.” Mahboba, who cares for a family of five, described the winter as a season of unbearable sorrow. “We don’t have proper food to eat. Winter has come, and we don’t know what to eat, what to wear, or what to do. There is absolutely no way forward,” she said. Others share similar struggles. In Herat, a resident described waiting in vain for work each day. “There are eight people in my family, and there’s no labor available,” he said. “The price of rice, oil—everything—has gone up. We can’t afford it.” Abdullah, a resident of Kabul, spoke of the desperate measures families are taking. “I dismantled my chair to keep my forty-day-old baby warm because we don’t have coal,” he said. “Since morning, I’ve only earned ten Afghanis. How can we survive this way?” Shrinking aid amid funding shortages The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that the situation may worsen, as millions of Afghans are set to endure a harsh winter without adequate food assistance. Severe funding shortages mean the agency will only be able to support six million people this winter, leaving millions more without help. UNICEF noted that Afghanistan remains the second-largest humanitarian crisis in the world, with more than half the population in need of aid. While conflict has subsided, the drivers of need have shifted toward economic hardship and climate-induced shocks, compounded by significant operational barriers for aid organizations. As Afghans face another winter of struggle, the international community’s ability to sustain critical aid programs is being stretched thin, raising concerns about the nation’s long-term recovery prospects.
Top ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen has left the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships after refusing to change out of the jeans he wore to the competition, the International Chess Federation said. or signup to continue reading The federation said in a Friday statement that its regulations include a dress code that bars participants from wearing jeans at the event. "The Chief Arbiter informed Mr Carlsen of the breach, issued a $US200 ($A322) fine, and requested that he change his attire," the federation said in the statement posted to its website. "Unfortunately, Mr Carlsen declined, and as a result, he was not paired for round nine. This decision was made impartially and applies equally to all players." The 34-year-old Norwegian chess grandmaster said in a video from his Take Take Take chess app that he posted on the social platform X that he accepted the fine. But he refused to change his pants before quitting the competition in New York. "I said, 'I'll change tomorrow if that's OK," Carlsen said in the video. "But they said, 'Well, you have to change now.' At that point it became a bit of a matter of principle for me." The federation said in its statement that the dress code is "designed to ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants." It said fellow participant Ian Nepomniachtchi was also fined earlier Friday for breaching the dress code by wearing sports shoes. "However, Mr Nepomniachtchi complied, changed into approved attire, and continued to play in the tournament," the statement said. "These rules have been in place for years and are well-known to all participants and are communicated to them ahead of each event." Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . AdvertisementThe University of Colorado Boulder has created a free resource to help people recover their loved ones' digital accounts or make plans for their own after death.
Many people will think that getting a gaming monitor is as easy as walking into the shop and buy the best one available, or the best that your budget can afford. The truth is that your PC setup and the games you play have an important role in deciding your next gaming monitor. A mismatch can lead to performance bottleneck or wasted resources. This guide show you how to find the perfect gaming monitoring optimized for your PC setup and games. If you think CPUs and GPUs are the main bottlenecking components in your PC setup, you’d be surprised how big of an impact the monitor can make. Those high frames from your powerful GPU are nothing if your monitor can’t keep up with them. You need to match the performance of your PC with the monitor’s capabilities to ensure the monitor can display everything the PC outputs. To the contrary, if you buy a more powerful monitor that your PC is not able to keep up with, you are wasting your money. For example, even if your GPU can run your favorite game at 240 FPS, you will only see 60 frames if your monitor refresh rate is 60Hz. Furthermore, if your GPU struggles to output 60 FPS at a 1920 x 1080 resolution, the game will probably be unplayable on a 2K or 4K resolution monitor. You need to make sure your PC can run your games at your desired FPS and resolution, then buy a monitor that supports that resolution and refresh rate. The game’s frame rate and monitor’s refresh rate need to match to avoid screen tearing and wasted resources. If your PC is capable of running a game at a high FPS, like 120 or 240, look for monitors with 144 Hz or 240 Hz high refresh rates for the best results. Otherwise, your PC will keep generating high frames that your monitor can’t show, forcing you to use V-sync or G-sync and limit your PC’s capabilities. You can use the PCGameBenchmark web tool to get an idea of how much FPS your PC can offer for your games. In the right panel, enter your PC details, like CPU name, GPU name, RAM, etc., and click on What Games Can My PC Run . Use the search bar at the top to find your game, and scroll down to the frame rate bar graph section on the game’s page. You’ll see graphs for the CPU, GPU, and RAM, showing how strong or weak your setup is compared to the game’s recommended specs. A performance of over 150% for both CPU and GPU is usually an indication that the game should run between 100 and 150 FPS. If your PC can handle the game at a high FPS, you should look for a similarly higher refresh rate in the monitor. Screen resolution matters a lot when it comes to GPU performance. The bigger the screen resolution, the harder the GPU will have to work to fill up those pixels. Using 1920 x 1080 as standard, if you intend to get a higher resolution monitor, like 2560 x 1440 (2K) or 3840 x 2160 (4K), you should expect a drop in performance. How much drop you’ll see depends on your GPU and the game you are playing. Usually, the drop is between 15% and 30% when going from 1920 x 1080 to 2560 x 1440. This drop increases the higher you go. Overall, if you intend to run the game at one or two resolution levels above 1920 x 1080, then your GPU should be able to deliver 40% to 70% more frames than required at 1920 x 1080. Of course, that is only if the GPU can handle the higher resolution in the first place. Make sure you check maximum resolution support in the GPU manual. Panel technology matters as well, depending on the type of games you intend to play on the PC. Whether you play games with beautiful graphics and immersive gameplay or competitive titles where fast response is crucial, panel technology can make a huge difference. There are four panel types to consider for gaming: Choose one of the above panels, depending on your budget and the type of games you intend to play on the PC. Currently, 16:9 and 21:9 are the go-to aspect ratios for gaming. 16:9 is the standard for most monitors, offering a good balance between width and height. 21:9 are ultrawide monitors that offer wider displays, leading to a bigger field of view (FOV) in many games. If you play games with fixed FOV, you might prefer ultrawide monitors as they allow you to view more content. However, if you choose an ultrawide monitor, it will have more pixels horizontally, which your GPU will have to work harder to fill. For example, an ultrawide resolution of 3440 x 1440 has approximately 34% more pixels than a standard 2560 x 1440 resolution. If you choose ultrawide, then expect to see a further 15% to 25% drop in FPS. By considering the key specs and features discussed here, you can avoid a monitor bottleneck or overspending on one your PC can’t fully utilize. Apart from these main specs, there are other features and perks to consider when buying a monitor , such as a curved or flat screen . Image credit: Flickr . All screenshots by Karrar Haider. Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox Karrar is drenched in technology and always fiddles with new tech opportunities. He has a bad habit of calling technology “Killer”, and doesn't feel bad about spending too much time in front of the PC. If he is not writing about technology, you will find him spending quality time with his little family.An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump’s political coalition
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shareholder rights law firm Johnson Fistel, LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors of Humacyte, Inc. (NASDAQ: HUMA). The lawsuit seeks to recover losses on behalf of investors who acquired securities between May 10, 2024 and October 17, 2024. Investors have until January 17, 2025, to apply to the Court to be appointed as lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. If you incurred significant losses and want to act as the lead plaintiff in the Humacyte class action lawsuit or determine if you are eligible to receive a potential recovery of your losses, please submit your details here: https://www.johnsonfistel.com/investigations/humacyte Contact for More Information: James Baker, (619) 814-4471, jimb@johnsonfistel.com or fjohnson@johnsonfistel.com According to the lawsuit, during the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Humacyte’s Durham, North Carolina facility failed to comply with good manufacturing practices, including quality assurance and microbial testing; (2) the Food and Drug Administration’s (“FDA”) review of the Biologics License Application (“BLA”) would be delayed while Humacyte remediated these deficiencies; and (3) as a result, there was a substantial risk to FDA approval of Acellular Tissue Engineered Vessel (“ATEV”) for vascular trauma; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendants’ positive statements about Humacyte’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. Investor Action Steps: Shareholders who incurred losses during the class period, have until January 17, 2025 , to move the court to become a lead plaintiff in this action. A lead plaintiff will act on behalf of all other class members in directing the class-action lawsuit. The lead plaintiff can select a law firm of its choice to litigate the class-action lawsuit. An investor's ability to share any potential future recovery of the class action lawsuit is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. About Johnson Fistel, LLP | Top Law Firm, Securities Fraud, Investors Rights: Johnson Fistel, LLP is a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm with offices in California, New York, Georgia, and Colorado. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits. We also extend our services to foreign investors who have purchased on US exchanges. Stay updated with news on stock drops and learn how Johnson Fistel, LLP can help you recover your losses. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.johnsonfistel.com . Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices. Johnson Fistel, LLP has paid for the dissemination of this promotional communication, and Frank J. Johnson is the attorney responsible for its content. Contact: Johnson Fistel, LLP 501 W. Broadway, Suite 800, San Diego, CA 92101 James Baker, Investor Relations or Frank J. Johnson, Esq., (619) 814-4471 jimb@johnsonfistel.com or fjohnson@johnsonfistel.comNew 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns
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What we know about the Jeju Air plane crash in South KoreaSyrian insurgents reach the capital's suburbs. Worried residents flee and stock up on supplies BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria is gaining speed with news that they have reached the suburbs of the capital of Damascus. The government on Saturday was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels’ moves around Damascus were reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander. They came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions. The factions are by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on PARIS (AP) — France’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral has formally reopened its doors for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019. The five-year restoration is widely seen as a boost for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline, and brings a welcome respite from his domestic political woes. World leaders, dignitaries, and worshippers gathered on Saturday evening for the celebrations under the cathedral's soaring arches. The celebration was attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. For Catholics, Notre Dame’s rector said the cathedral “carries the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and embracing presence.′′ Trump is welcomed by Macron to Paris with presidential pomp and joined by Zelenskyy for their talks PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with a full a dose of presidential pomp. And they held a hastically-arranged meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a day that's mixing pageantry with attention to pressing global problems. The president-elect's visit to France is part of a global a celebration of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire. Macron and other European leaders are trying to win Trump’s favor and persuade him to maintain support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Trump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is making threats, traveling abroad, and negotiating with world leaders. He has more than a month-and-a-half to go before he’s sworn in for a second term. But the president-elect is already moving aggressively to not only fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but also to try to achieve his priorities. In recent days, Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, two of the country’s largest trading partners. That led to emergency calls and a visit. And he's warned of “ALL HELL TO PAY” if Hamas doesn't release the hostages still being held captive in Gaza. South Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over short-lived martial law SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol has avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law. Most of Yoon's ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea. A survey suggests a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party. But the party also apparently fears losing the presidency to liberals. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. UnitedHealthcare CEO's shooting opens a door for many to vent frustrations over insurance The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare's CEO has opened the door for many people to vent their frustrations and anger over the insurance industry. The feelings of exasperation, anger, resentment, and helplessness toward insurers aren’t new. But the shooting and the headlines around it have unleashed a new wave of patients sharing such sentiments and personal stories of interactions with insurance companies. Conversations at dinner tables, office water coolers, social gatherings and on social media have pivoted to the topic. Many say they hope the new amplified voices can bring about change for companies often accused of valuing profits over people. 100-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor recalls confusion and chaos during Japanese bombing 83 years ago PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — The bombing of Pearl Harbor 83 years ago launched the United States into World War II. Two survivors are planning to return to the Hawaii military base on Saturday for a remembrance ceremony on the attack's anniversary. They are each over 100 years old. They will join active-duty troops, veterans and members of the public for a remembrance ceremony hosted by the Navy and the National Park Service. A third survivor was planning to join them but had to cancel due to health issues. The bombing killed more than 2,300 U.S. servicemen. An explosion destroys an apartment block in a Dutch city, killing at least 3 and injuring others THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An explosion and fire has rocked a neighborhood in the Dutch city of The Hague, killing three people and injuring other people and destroying several apartments. The cause of the disaster is unclear. Emergency authorities said four people were rescued from the rubble and taken to the hospital. The mayor said rescuers were no longer looking for survivors but for eventual bodies, but could not specify how many people might still be unaccounted for. Residents of the northeastern neighborhood of Mariahoeve in The Hague heard a huge bang and screams before dawn. Dutch authorities have deployed a specialized urban search and rescue team to find victims. How 'Mufasa' rose with Aaron Pierre and Blue Ivy's voices along with new Lin-Manuel Miranda music SAN DIEGO (AP) — When Aaron Pierre was cast as Mufasa, the weight of following in the late James Earl Jones’ legendary footsteps was enough to rattle any actor. But instead of letting the pressure roar too loudly, he harnessed his nerves to breathe fresh life into his young lion character. Pierre found parallels between himself and his character while filming his leading role in “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which opens in theaters Dec. 20. He took the reigns as the new voice of Mufasa after Jones played the iconic King Mufasa in both the 1994 and 2019 versions of Disney’s “The Lion King.” The prequel offers a fresh exploration into Mufasa’s origin story.NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will arrive in Türkiye's capital Ankara on Monday to hold meetings with Turkish officials, the military bloc said in a statement on Friday, amid rising tensions with Russia. During his visit, Rutte will meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Defense Minister Yaşar Güler. Rutte’s itinerary also includes engagements with the representatives of Türkiye’s defense industry and a visit to the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) facilities. He will also lay a wreath at Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Türkiye. The visit will mark Rutte’s first official visit to Ankara since assuming his role as secretary-general. Turkish officials have been warning both Russia and Western countries about the threat of a nuclear war. On Tuesday, President Erdoğan called on NATO to carefully review and consider Russia's statement on modifying its nuclear doctrine, as he said that Russia had to take steps to protect itself. The Kremlin on Friday said Russia's launch of an experimental ballistic missile against Ukraine should be understood as a warning to the West, as Rutte convened a key meeting to discuss the implications of the strike. Russian President Vladimir Putin said six non-nuclear warheads hit the industrial city of Dnipro in eastern Ukraine on Thursday morning. Putin threatened to use the new weapon, called Oreshnik, in more attacks. In a video address, he said the missile travels at hypersonic speed and cannot be intercepted.