TSX Fades Tuesday
LSU 109, UCF 102, 3OT
China jails 13-year-olds who murdered classmateAustralian artists are moving away from large record labels and forming unique relationships with fans through social media to gain huge followings. The new trend is seeing Australian emerging artists become social media experts, using TikTok videos and Instagram reels to win over audiences as international artists dominate Aussie charts. Bogan funk band from Melbourne, Playlunch, shot up on social media in 2023 following the release of their hit Soupe Opera, which sampled the classic French stop motion TV show from the 90s. Formed in Melbourne’s east, Playlunch weaves funk and disco influences with Australian culture references, from former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ infamous “get on the beers” comment to Corey Worthington’s “I’ll say sorry but I won’t take my glasses off” interview. Frontman Liam Bell plays guitar, produces music, co-manages the band and works a string of jobs on the side to pay the bills, all while running the band’s social media. The 26-year-old said needing emerging artists to be social media experts is “such a big ask” and can be a “hassle”, admitting he previously resented the expectation. “Being a good performer and just writing and playing music as well as you can is a hard enough endeavour, without having to add to it to be able to become a marketing expert — that’s such a big ask of artists these days,” Bell said. A crowd went wild in Frankston after local band Playlunch divided them into "house colours" in a throwback to Athletics Day at school. However he said the ability to control the band’s image is liberating and has been a great way to connect with their audience. Recalling a tour of the East Coast back in April, Bell said concert goers had dressed up after catching on to their house colour themed outfits (synonymous with athletics days in Aussie schools), referenced in their song Athletics Day and in videos posted to social media. “They were so excited to see us – they were lined up, they were wearing costumes ... they’re proper fans,” he said. The content Playlunch posts ranges from clips from their shows and music videos to candid chats, including one from November where Bell gave a shout out to a fan who handed out detention slips at one of their gigs. The slips were scrawled with “detention for outfits being too cool”, “unrealistically funky”, and “landlord gave an eviction” – the latter a reference to their song No Hat No Play. “We didn’t need a record label to help us get this ... this pure relationship between a fan and an artist,” Bell said. “It is truly liberating for artists, if you can make it work, to be in an age where you can do it all yourself and you can be as authentic as you are willing to dare to let yourself be without having any sort of idiot music industry executive saying they know any better, trying to cookie cut you and cut you off at the edges to fit you into some mould of what they think is going to succeed. “There’s just so much other stuff that is so much more real that people have found on social media.” Melbourne band Playlunch shot up on social media last year with their Australiana lyrics and influences, including their hit Soupe Opera, which sampled the classic French stop motion TV show from the 90s. Bell said he previously told himself using social media is “just what we have to do to build an audience, and eventually ... we (will) have that audience and we don’t need to have that same pressure anymore”. “But eventually you realise ‘Oh, the reason things are going well is because we’re putting this much work into social media’. You don’t get off the train,” he said. Q Music and Big Sound chief executive Kris Stewart said it’s “hard to deny” the need for new artists to use social media is “a pain in the a**”, but on the flip side a strong social media presence could give artists more agency over their image and help them get signed to a label. “For some artists it’s a positive, but obviously not for all artists because it expects you to be a lot better at more things than you probably expected to be to start your music career,” Mr Stewart said. “It’s sort of a move away from a tower of large labels, and certainly in Australia the ability for large labels to make a big investment in artists like they do.” He said it’s also a good way for people to “stumble upon” new artists, as algorithms on streaming services aren’t “there to surprise us”, but rather feed people with music and artists they already enjoy, making it difficult for emerging artists to break out. Indie-pop trio The Stamps have also made social media part of their regular routine, with band member Scarlett Graham admitting they spend “a lot of time” creating content to market themselves while having a bit of fun along the way. “I think that if you have control of your social media ... you’re able to attract an audience that is likely going to stick around if you are who you are,” Graham said. “If you’re able to control it yourself, then you’re able to capture the attention of people who absolutely like you for who you are, which I think is nice because then you get people who really do like you, listen and support you.” Having recently signed with the ABC, Bell urged other artists to put their best foot forward and learn how to use editing software. “It will be the best thing you ever do,” Bell said. “It will be a steep learning curve, and it will suck in the beginning, but once you’re good at this, it will just be completely invaluable to your success these days.” Playlunch are expected to drop new music in February 2025, while The Stamps recently dropped their new single Slow Burn.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions spent three months scoring at a historic rate. Now with the weather changing outside, they’re winning with old school football, too. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for two scores , David Montgomery added a third TD run and Detroit's increasingly stingy defense kept the Indianapolis Colts out of the end zone on Sunday, leading the Lions to their ninth straight win, 24-6. “This is, whatever it is, 10 quarters without allowing a touchdown and the three last games in the second half we're not allowing it,” coach Dan Campbell said. “We talk about it all the time — limiting points, play physical style, shut down the run — we were able to do that.” They've been doing it all season in their greatest run in decades, but have been more effective lately and it has shown. The Lions improved to 10-1 for the first time since 1934, their inaugural season in the Motor City. They own the league's longest active winning streak and are 6-0 on the road this season. While the Lions have scored points by the dozens all season, Campbell's preference for physical football means they're equally capable of grinding out wins with the combination of a ball-control offense and an ascending defense that propelled them to this win. Gibbs finished with 21 carries for 90 yards on a day Goff went 26 of 36 with 269 yards and no touchdowns. And for the third straight week, all against AFC South foes, the Lions had a second-half shutout. “If you can win on the road, you're normally a pretty damn good team,” Campbell said. “And we can win on the road.” The Colts (5-7) found out the hard way by losing their second straight home game and for the fourth time in their past five games. Anthony Richardson had another up-and-down game , going 11 of 28 with 172 yards while rushing 10 times for 61 yards. But it was Indy's inability to finish drives with touchdowns that again cost the team. That flaw was evident right from the start when Richardson took the Colts inside the Lions 5-yard line on the game's first series and settled for a short field goal when they couldn't punch it in. “We've got to take advantage of our opportunities,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “This league comes down to inches, it comes down to yards and you've got to take advantage of those opportunities. We've had issues down in the red zone and you have to look at the tape and clean it up.” Detroit made Indy pay dearly for its offensive miscues. Gibbs' 1-yard TD run on the Lions' second series made it 7-3 early in the second quarter and after Indy settled for another short field goal, Montgomery spun his way across the goal line for a 6-yard TD and a 14-6 lead. Detroit's defense made sure that was all the scoring punch it needed. “Those players, we've been around each other long enough, they've been around each other to know exactly what we're looking for,” Campbell said. “We have an identity about us. We know the critical factors as they pertain to winning, and those guys take that stuff serious.” Gibbs' 5-yard TD run late in the third quarter gave Detroit a 21-6 lead and they closed it out with a 56-yard field goal midway through the fourth. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught six passes for 62 yards for Detroit while Michael Pittman Jr. had six catches for 96 yards for Indy despite leaving briefly in the first half with an injured shoulder. Gibbs' first score extended Detroit's league record to 25 consecutive games with a TD run, including the playoffs. He's also the third Lions player with 1,000 scrimmage yards and 10 TDs in each of his first two pro seasons with Detroit, joining Billy Sims and Barry Sanders. Gibbs and Montgomery have each scored at least one TD in the same game nine times. Lions: Things got ugly during a third-quarter flurry. Receiver-punt returner Kalif Raymond (foot), left tackle Taylor Decker (right leg) and Montgomery (shoulder) all left in quick succession. Raymond and Montgomery did not return. Decker did. CB Carlton Davis II left early in the fourth with what appeared to be a left knee injury. Colts: Indy deactivated left tackle Bernhard Raimann (knee), forcing the Colts to again use three rookie linemen. Receivers Ashton Dulin (ankle) and Josh Downs (shoulder) both left in the second half. Downs returned, Dulin did not. Lions: Host Chicago in its traditional Thanksgiving Day game. Colts: Visit New England next Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Celtic legend John Hartson had punch-up with Vinnie Jones to decide who was 'hardest'Cam Carter put LSU ahead for good with a jumper 1:08 into the third overtime and the Tigers came away with a wild 109-102 win over UCF on Sunday in the third-place game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Carter's make sparked a 5-0 spurt for LSU (5-1), which mounted a ferocious second-half rally that began after Darius Johnson drilled a 3-pointer to put the Knights up 52-34 with 12:57 to play in regulation. UCF (4-2) got back within two in the third overtime, but it never found a way to draw even. Vyctorius Miller and Jordan Sears sealed the victory, combining for three buckets down low that gave the Tigers a 106-99 cushion with 17 seconds remaining. Carter was the late-game hero for LSU, scoring the final four points of regulation to forge a 70-70 tie. He also knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:19 left in the first extra session to give the Tigers a 76-75 advantage. Sears gave LSU a four-point edge with a triple of his own with 2:10 to go, but the Tigers failed to stay in front, and UCF's Keyshawn Hall kept the game going by sinking two free throws with six seconds remaining to make it 82-82. Neither team led by more than three in the second overtime, with Hall again coming to the Knights' rescue. He made two layups in the final 52 seconds of the frame to knot things at 93 and send the teams to a third OT. Few could have predicted 15 minutes of extra basketball after UCF put together a 25-3 first-half run that lifted it to a 38-18 advantage with 2:12 left until the break. LSU responded with seven unanswered points, but the Knights still led comfortably, 40-25, at intermission. Sears finished with a game-high-tying 25 points to go along with nine boards, while Jalen Reed recorded a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double for the Tigers. Carter netted 20 points, Miller had 16 and Dji Bailey chipped in 14. Johnson collected 25 points, six rebounds, eight assists and five steals for UCF. Hall totaled 21 points and 10 boards, and Jordan Ivy-Curry supplied 20 points. LSU outshot UCF 43.2 percent to 40.7 percent and had narrow advantages from behind the arc (12 made shots to 10) and the free-throw line (21-18). --Field Level Media
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro has been a target for investigations since his early days in office, and the swarm of cases since his failed reelection bid in 2022 has left him in ever-deeper legal jeopardy. In the latest indictment Thursday, he was accused of to keep himself in the presidency. In another case, the electoral court ruled the far-right leader ineligible to run for office until 2030. There are dozens of other probes that could produce criminal charges at low-level courts, where he could appeal any eventual conviction. But the country’s Supreme Court will have the final say regarding more than five in-depth investigations, including into the alleged coup attempt, which could land the former president behind bars or under house arrest. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing in all of the cases, and his allies have alleged they are political persecution, while recognizing the severity of the legal risks on multiple fronts. Here’s a look at the biggest threats and where they stand: Coup Attempt Federal police on Thursday indicted and 36 others for allegedly attempting a coup to keep him in office after his defeat in the 2022 elections. The indictment is sealed, but among other things authorities had been investigating whether he in which his followers ransacked the Supreme Court and presidential palace in the capital of Brasilia. STATUS: Police sent their findings to Brazil’s Supreme Court, which will refer them to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet. He will either formally charge Bolsonaro and put him on trial, or toss the investigation. Electoral Misdeeds Brazil’s that Bolsonaro used government communication channels in a meeting with diplomats to promote his reelection bid and sow distrust about the vote. The case focused on a meeting the prior year, during which Bolsonaro used government staffers, the state television channel and the presidential palace in Brasilia to tell foreign ambassadors that the country’s electronic voting system was rigged. The ruling rendered him ineligible for office until 2030, although he has insisted that he will run in the 2026 race. The court also found that Bolsonaro abused his power during Brazil’s Independence Day festivities, a month before the election. The ruling didn’t add years to Bolsonaro’s ineligibility, but made any appeal less likely to succeed. A third case is also pending at the court. STATUS: Bolsonaro’s appeal of the initial ruling was denied. Vaccination Fraud Bolsonaro has been indicted for directing an official to tamper with a public health database to make it appear as though he and his 12-year-old daughter had received the COVID-19 vaccine in order to bypass U.S. entry requirements. During the pandemic, he , characterized the choice to receive a shot as a matter of personal freedom and has repeatedly said he never did so. The Bolsonaro of criminal association and inserting false data into public records, which carry maximum penalties of 4 and 12 years in prison, respectively. It was his first indictment since leaving office. STATUS: Brazil’s Supreme Court sent the indictment to the prosecutor-general, who is weighing whether to use it to press charges. Local media reported that he was seeking to consult American authorities about whether Bolsonaro used the forged document to enter the country, and that having done so could result in U.S. legal action. Saudi Jewels Federal Police have probed whether Bolsonaro directed officials to from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, then acted to prevent them from being incorporated into the presidential collection and instead retain ownership for himself. Investigators summoned Bolsonaro for questioning in April and August of 2023. He has returned the jewelry in question. STATUS: The Federal Police indicted Bolsonaro for money laundering and criminal association, according to a source with knowledge of the accusations. A second source confirmed the indictment, although not for which specific crimes. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. Pandemic Sabotage Brazil’s Federal Police is investigating Bolsonaro for inciting crimes against public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, which include encouraging people not to wear masks and causing alarm about non-existent danger of . A Senate inquiry commission also spent months investigating his pandemic-era actions and decisions, and recommended nine criminal charges. Brazil’s former prosecutor-general Augusto Aras, widely seen as a Bolsonaro ally, decided not to file any charges based on the lawmakers’ findings. They have urged his Aras’ successor to reopen the case. STATUS: The investigation is ongoing. Fake News, Digital Militia Brazil’s Supreme Court in 2020 ordered an investigation into a network . The probe has yielded the imprisonment of lawmakers from the former president’s circle and raids of his supporters’ homes. In 2021, Bolsonaro was included as a target. As an offshoot of that probe, the Federal Police is also investigating whether a group operating inside Bolsonaro’s presidential palace produced social media content aimed at undermining the rule of law. The group, allegedly comprised of aides and Bolsonaro’s politician son, has been widely referred to as a digital militia and “the hate cabinet.” STATUS: Both investigations are ongoing. ___ Biller reported from Rio de JaneiroGrant Williams’ season is over. The Charlotte Hornets big man and ex-Boston Celtic has a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the 2024-25 season, ESPN reports . Williams had been starting at center in recent games ami- IaQHBmyp d injuries to Mark Williams — who has yet to debut this season — and Nick Richards. Williams tore his ACL on this play during what became a Hornets loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. Williams’ season ends with averages of 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest through 16 games this season, of which he started seven. The Hornets forward had elevated to 12.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game with 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per contest over his last nine games. Williams had initially left the Celtics to join the Dallas Mavericks in free agency last season but was included in a trade deadline deal where he moved to Charlotte in February, and finished out the season with the Hornets. After leaving Boston, his former team went on to be the 2024 NBA Champions. Williams previously said there is no “bad blood” between him and the Celtics, but an eventual seemingly intentional run-in with Jayson Tatum that Jaylen Brown called a “football play,” seemed to say otherwise. The former Tennessee Volunteer is in his second year of a four-year, $53 million deal, which is fully guaranteed and will see him net $13 million this year.
da-kuk Rigetti Computing ( NASDAQ: RGTI ) represents what I believe is a high-risk, high-reward opportunity in the quantum computing space. In the past six weeks, the share price has increased over 100%, followed by a sharp increase in volume, especially in the last few Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of RGTI either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.Madeline Gaudreau, the widow of Matthew Gaudreau, gave birth to their son, she announced on Instagram on Sunday. The birth of their son, Tripp, comes four months after Matthew Gaudreau and his brother, Johnny, of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, were tragically killed after a vehicle hit them while they were riding their bikes in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, in August. In December, the driver of the vehicle was charged by a grand jury with two counts of reckless vehicular homicide, two counts of aggravated manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence and leaving the scene of a fatal accident, per CNN's Jacob Lev . Matthew was 29 and Johnny was 31. "The National Hockey League family is shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement in August. "While Johnny's infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname 'Johnny Hockey,' he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path." Matthew played professional hockey in the ECHL, spending four years with the Worcester Railers and one season with the Reading Royals. Johnny played 11 seasons in the NHL for the Calgary Flames and the Blue Jackets. He scored 743 points across his career, collecting a career-high 115 during the 2021-22 season.Jimmy Carter, 39th US president, Nobel winner, dies at 100
Deep Dive Into Summit Materials Stock: Analyst Perspectives (11 Ratings)
CLEVELAND (AP) — Chase Robinson had 16 points in Cleveland State's 78-64 victory over Wright State on Sunday night. Robinson shot 6 of 9 from the field, including 2 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 2 for 4 from the line for the Vikings (9-6, 3-1 Horizon League). Dylan Arnett added 14 points while shooting 6 of 9 from the field and also had seven rebounds. Tevin Smith had 12 points and shot 4 for 10 (2 for 6 from 3-point range) and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line. Brandon Noel finished with 20 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks for the Raiders (7-8, 1-3). Jack Doumbia added 19 points and three blocks for Wright State. Michael Imariagbe had nine points and seven rebounds. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Tayshawn Comer scores 18 to lead Evansville past Campbell 66-53
HOUSTON (AP) — Rockets forward Amen Thompson threw Heat guard Tyler Herro to the floor to trigger an altercation that resulted in six ejections in the closing minute of Miami's 104-100 victory over Houston on Sunday. Thompson and Herro became entangled with Miami about to inbound the ball leading 99-94 with 35 seconds left. Thompson grabbed Herro by the jersey and tossed him, with referee Marc Davis describing it as Thompson “body slams Herro .” “I didn’t see it live, but I re-watched it,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “They were in each other’s face, bumping chests a little bit, and one guy’s stronger than the other.” Herro, Thompson, and Udoka were ejected, as were Heat guard Terry Rozier, Rockets guard Jalen Green, and Rockets assistant coach Ben Sullivan. Davis said Green and Rozier escalated the altercation, while Sullivan was assessed a technical foul and ejected for unsportsmanlike comments as the referee was trying to redirect the Rockets' Alperen Sengun. The altercation occurred after Miami had come from 12 points down in the second half to regain the lead with the help of Houston missing 11 straight shots in the fourth quarter. Herro keyed the comeback, leading all scorers with 27 points and adding nine assists and six rebounds. He believed that's what frustrated Thompson. “Guess that’s what’s happens when someone’s scoring, throwing dimes, doing the whole thing,” Herro said. “I’d get mad, too.” Herro said he had never spoken to Thompson, who did not talk to reporters after Sunday’s game, so there was no previous bad blood between the two. “Just two competitors going at it, playing basketball,” Herro said. “It was a regular game that we were playing throughout.” Houston's Fred VanVleet had been ejected just before the fight, with Davis saying VanVleet made contact with him after being called for a 5-second violation. The win for Miami came 24 hours after losing 120-110 in Atlanta. The Heat were missing second-leading scorer Jimmy Butler for a fifth straight game, so Herro was proud of his team played against one of NBA’s best teams this season. “They’re top two, three in the West,” Herro said. “Very good defense. Got a bunch of young, athletic guys that can really play, so that’s a good win for us. That’s a stepping stone. We go 2-1 on the road. Put ourselves in a position to win yesterday, and I like how it’s going. We just got to continue to keep getting better.” The Associated PressVijay pens emotional letter to students over Anna University sexual assault incident
Hezbollah fires more than 180 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, wounding at least 7 BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah has fired at least 185 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, wounding seven people in the militant group's heaviest barrage in several days. The attacks in northern and central Israel happened Sunday in response to deadly Israeli strikes in central Beirut on Saturday. Meanwhile, negotiators pressed on with cease-fire efforts to halt the all-out war. Lebanon's military says an Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center in the southwest killed one soldier and wounded 18 others. Israel's military has expressed regret and said its operations are directed solely against the militants. Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister condemned the latest strike as an assault on the U.S.-led cease-fire efforts. Israel cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) — In the year since the war in Gaza broke out, Israel's government has been cracking down on dissent among its Palestinian citizens. Authorities have charged Palestinians with “supporting terrorism” because of posts online or for demonstrating against the war. Activists and rights watchdogs say Palestinians have also lost jobs, been suspended from schools and faced police interrogations. Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel's population. Many feel forced to self-censor out of fear of being jailed and further marginalized in society. Others still find ways to dissent, but carefully. Israel's National Security Ministry counters that, “Freedom of speech is not the freedom to incite.” Israel says rabbi who went missing in the UAE was killed TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel says the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found, citing Emirati authorities. The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday said Zvi Kogan was killed, calling it a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.” It said: “The state of Israel will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death." Kogan went missing on Thursday, and there were suspicions he had been kidnapped. His disappearance comes as Iran has been threatening to retaliate against Israel after the two countries traded fire in October. The rising price of paying the national debt is a risk for Trump's promises on growth and inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. He also has big debt problem that'll be a hurdle to delivering on those plan. Trump has bold ambitions on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs. But high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government’s existing debt could limit what he’s able to do. The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. Moscow offers debt forgiveness to new recruits and AP sees wreckage of a new Russian missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting debt forgiveness to new army recruits who enlist to fight in Ukraine. The measure, whose final version appeared on a government website Saturday, underscores Russia’s needs for military personnel in the nearly 3-year-old war, even as it fired last week a new intermediate-range ballistic missile. Russia has ramped up military recruitment by offering increasing financial incentives to those willing to fight in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Security Service on Sunday showed The Associated Press wreckage of the new intermediate-range ballistic missile that struck a factory in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday. Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — Forecasters in the U.S. have warned of another round of winter weather that could complicate travel leading up to Thanksgiving. California is bracing for more snow and rain this weekend while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Thousands remained without power in the Seattle area on Saturday after a “bomb cyclone” storm system hit the West Coast earlier in the week, killing two people. Parts of the Northeast and Appalachia also began the weekend with heavy precipitation. Pakistan partially stops mobile and internet services ahead of pro-Imran Khan protest ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan has suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns” as supporters of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan gear up for a protest in the capital. The government and Interior Ministry made the announcement on X, which is banned in Pakistan. Sunday's protest is to demand Khan's release. He has been in prison for more than a year but remains popular. His supporters rely heavily on social media and messaging apps to coordinate with each other. Pakistan has already sealed off Islamabad and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with Khan's power bases. Earth bids farewell to its temporary 'mini moon' that is possibly a chunk of our actual moon CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Earth is parting company with an asteroid that's been tagging along as a “mini moon” for the past two months. The harmless space rock will peel away on Monday, overcome by the stronger tug of the sun's gravity. But it will stick around the neighborhood and pass within 1 million miles of Earth in January. Then it will zoom farther into the solar system and will not return until 2055. Discovered in August, the asteroid will be observed by NASA as it zips by next year. Scientists suspect it may be a boulder that was blasted off the moon during an asteroid impact. Uruguay's once-dull election has become a dead heat in the presidential runoff MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguayans are heading to the polls to choose their next president. In Sunday's election, the candidates of the conservative governing party and the left-leaning coalition are locked in a close runoff after failing to win an outright majority in last month’s vote. It's a hard-fought race between Álvaro Delgado, the incumbent party’s candidate, and Yamandú Orsi from the Broad Front, a coalition of leftist and center-left parties that governed for 15 years until the 2019 victory of center-right President Luis Lacalle Pou — overseeing the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage and the sale of marijuana in the small South American nation. After Trump's Project 2025 denials, he is tapping its authors and influencers for key roles WASHINGTON (AP) — During the campaign, President-elect Donald Trump had hailed what would become Project 2025 as a conservative roadmap for “exactly what our movement will do." Trump pulled an about-face when Project 2025 became a political liability. He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans, even though some were written by his former aides and many allies. Now, after winning the 2024 election, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the effort he temporarily shunned. Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy.EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Tayshawn Comer scored 18 points as Evansville beat Campbell 66-53 on Sunday night. Comer had six rebounds and six assists for the Purple Aces (3-4). Cameron Haffner scored 16 points and added six rebounds. Gabriel Pozzato shot 3 for 5, including 2 for 3 from beyond the arc to finish with 10 points. Jasin Sinani led the way for the Fighting Camels (3-4) with 22 points. Colby Duggan added 11 points and Nolan Dorsey totaled eight points, seven rebounds and four steals. Evansville took the lead with 1:45 left in the first half and never looked back. The score was 34-28 at halftime, with Haffner racking up eight points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Federal prosecutors moved to dismiss the criminal charges against President-elect Donald Trump that accused him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election and to abandon the classified documents case against him, citing longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. The decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had fiercely sought to hold Mr Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president following his election victory this month despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him. The move, announced in court papers, marks the end of the Justice Department’s landmark effort to hold Mr Trump accountable for what prosecutors called a criminal conspiracy to cling to power in the run-up to his supporters’ attack on the US Capitol on January 6 2021. The Justice Department says that Donald Trump cannot be tried in accordance with a policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted (Evan Vucci/AP) Mr Smith’s team emphasised that the move to abandon the prosecutions, in federal courts in Washington and Florida, was not a reflection of their view on the merits of the cases but rather a reflection of their commitment to longstanding department policy. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” the prosecutors wrote in Monday’s court filing in the election interference case. The decision was expected after Mr Smith’s team began assessing how to wind down both the 2020 election interference case and the separate classified documents case in the wake of Mr Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. The Justice Department believes Trump can no longer be tried in accordance with longstanding policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted. Mr Trump has cast both cases as politically motivated and has vowed to fire Mr Smith as soon as he takes office in January. President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on January 20 (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP) However, it quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Mr Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The US Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to US District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Mr Smith’s team filed a lengthy brief in October laying out new evidence they planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will over voters after he lost to President Joe Biden.With the rapid growth of sensor networks, innovative technologies can be created to forecast emergency situations like earthquakes , volcanic eruptions, heart attacks, and buried pipeline failures using artificial intelligence (AI). As the number of sensors rises, various challenges arise, such as higher network load, delayed data transfer, and increased power consumption on the server. To tackle these obstacles, there is a growing demand for in-sensor edge AI devices that integrate AI capabilities within the sensors themselves. Among these, reservoir computing stands out as a highly promising approach designed specifically for time-series data processing with low power consumption. It can be utilized across different frameworks, with physical reservoir computing (PRC) being the most widely recognized. PRC utilizing optoelectronic artificial synapses (junction structures that allow nerve cells to convey electrical or chemical signals to other cells) that emulate human synaptic functions are anticipated to possess unmatched recognition and real-time processing abilities similar to those of the human visual system. Nonetheless, PRC, relying on current self-powered optoelectronic synaptic devices, struggles to process time-series data across various timescales found in signals that monitor infrastructure, the natural environment, and health conditions. Recently, a team of researchers from the Department of Applied Electronics at the Graduate School of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science (TUS), led by Associate Professor Takashi Ikuno, along with Mr. Hiroaki Komatsu and Ms. Norika Hosoda, have unveiled a self-powered dye-sensitized solar cell-based optoelectronic photopolymeric human synapse. This innovative synapse features a controllable time constant that responds dynamically to input light intensity. “In order to process time-series input optical data with various time scales, it is essential to fabricate devices according to the desired time scale. Inspired by the afterimage phenomenon of the eye, we came up with a novel optoelectronic human synaptic device that can serve as a computational framework for power-saving edge AI optical sensors,” Dr. Ikuno explains the motivation behind their research. The innovative solar cell-based device leverages advanced squarylium derivative-based dyes, seamlessly integrating optical input, AI computation, analog output, and power supply functions at the material level. It demonstrates synaptic plasticity when exposed to varying light intensities, exhibiting synaptic characteristics such as paired-pulse facilitation and paired-pulse depression. Researchers illustrated that modifying the light intensity leads to superior computational performance in tasks involving time-series data, regardless of the width of the input light pulse. Moreover, when this device was utilized as the reservoir layer of a photonic reservoir computing (PRC) system, it accurately classified human movements—such as bending, jumping, running, and walking—achieving over 90% accuracy. The power consumption remained at only 1% of what traditional systems require, which would significantly lower the related carbon emissions . “We have demonstrated for the first time in the world that the developed device can operate with very low power consumption and yet identify human motion with a high accuracy rate,” emphasizes Dr. Ikuno. This innovative device paves the way for the development of edge AI sensors for various temporal scales, with potential applications in surveillance cameras, automotive cameras, and health monitoring. According to Dr. Ikuno, “This invention can be used as a massively popular edge AI optical sensor that can be attached to any object or person and can impact the cost involved in power consumption, such as car-mounted cameras and car-mounted computers.” He adds, “This device can function as a sensor that can identify human movement with low power consumption, and thus has the potential to contribute to the improvement of vehicle power consumption. Furthermore, it is expected to be used as a low power consumption optical sensor in stand-alone smartwatches and medical devices, significantly reducing their costs to be comparable or even lower than that of current medical devices.” This innovative solar cell-driven device could hasten the advancement of energy-efficient edge AI sensors with diverse uses. Journal reference: