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" Abang Adik " ( Malaysia ) Takes Home Snow Leopard for Best Film Wu Kang -ren ( " Abang Adik " ) Named Best Actor Diamond Bou Abboud ( "Arze" ) Wins Best Actress Sergei Bodrov Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award HOLLYWOOD, Calif. , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 10th annual Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) announced its winners at a star-studded Closing Night Gala Awards Ceremony Thursday, November 21 , at the Culver Theater. Over 60 films and special screenings, including 24 Academy Award submissions for Best International Feature Film, were presented over the nine days of the AWFF, held November 13 - 21. The ceremony was hosted by Kyrgyz director and actress Elnura Osmanalieva and TV host, Golden Globe member, filmmaker and actor Mico Saad . FOR PHOTOS: CLICK HERE The Main Competition presented a series of exclusive Snow Leopard Awards with the assistance of Iris Wang , Jury President, producer ("Kung Fu Yoga," "The Composer"). Crime/drama " Abang Adik " ( Malaysia ), directed by Jin Ong , won the Snow Leopard Award for Best Film . The film also won the Snow Leopard Best Actor Award for Wu Kang -ren . The Snow Leopard for Best Actress went to Diamond Bou Abboud for the social dramedy "Arze" ( Lebanon ), directed by Mira Shaib . The Snow Leopard Special Jury Prize went to family drama " In the Arms of the Tree" ( Iran ) directed by Babak Khajeh Pasha . The Snow Leopard Panavision Award for Best Cinematography , along with a $45,000 Panavision Camera Package Grant, was awarded to cinematographer Zhanrbek Yeleubek for Kazakhstan's coming of age drama " Bauryna Salu, " and accepted by the film's director Askhat Kuchinchirekov and producer Dias Feld. The Snow Leopard Audience Award went to " The Glassworker " ( Pakistan ), directed by Usman Riaz . Writer, director and producer Sergei Bodrov ("Mongol," "Prisoner of the Mountains") received the AWFF Lifetime Achievement Award . The award was presented by Kazakhstan actress Ayanat Ksenbai ("About Mannequin"). Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Ho-Sun Chan ("Warlords," "Comrades: Almost a Love Story ") was presented with the Outstanding Cinematic Achievement Award by producer Andre Morgan ("The Cannonball Run," "The Warlords"). The Rising Star Award went to Filipino actress Kathryn Bernardo ("The Hows of Us," "Hello, Love, Goodbye") presented by actress Kieu Chinh ("The Joy Luck Club," "Hamburger Hill"). Executive Director Georges N. Chamchoum said, "There is always a beginning and end to everything—except at the Asian World Film Festival. This 10 th Anniversary year was filled with inspiring milestones, discovery, joy, and thrills! The myriads of movies we screened, the special country spotlights and the dedicated filmmaker panels, have brought the richness of our heritage to the forefront. Asia is a wellspring of incredibly talented filmmakers, offering valuable lessons, especially in this age of technology. The AWFF continues to showcase exceptional movies filled with heart, soul, and captivating storytelling. Onward to November 2025!" The Bruce Lee Award , in partnership with the Bruce Lee Foundation, was presented to martial artist and actor Mark Dacascos ("Brotherhood of the Wolf," " John Wick : Chapter 3 – Parabellum") by Lee's daughter Shannon Lee , CEO of the Bruce Lee Foundation. The Asian Vision Best Film Award was given to "Night Courier" ( Saudi Arabia ), directed by Ali Kalthami. The Short Film Jury composed of filmmakers and industry professionals from the U.S. and abroad, was headed by Jury President, Head of HDR Content Workflow, Barco) Joachim Zell . The Best Short Film , with a prize of a $15,000 Panavision Camera Package grant, went to " Lullaby" (UK/ Vietnam ) directed by Chi Thai . The award was presented by producer Zhu Xufang and accepted by actress Mai Thu Huyen ("A Fragile Flower," "Kieu"). A Special Mention was given to " Mar Mama " (Palestine), directed by Majdi El Omari . The complete awards list is as follows: SNOW LEOPARD COMPETITION AWARDEES Best Picture : " Abang Adik " ( Malaysia ) directed by Jin Ong Best Actor: Wu Kang -ren in " Abang Adik " ( Malaysia ) Best Actress: Diamond Bou Abboud in "Arze" ( Lebanon ) Panavision Best Cinematography: Zhanrbek Yeleubek for "Bauryna Salu" ( Kazakhstan ) Special Jury Prize: " In the Arms of the Tree" ( Iran ) directed by Babak Khajeh Pasha Audience Award: " The Glassworker" ( Pakistan ) directed by Usman Riaz SNOW LEOPARD HONORARY AWARDS Lifetime Achievement Award – Sergei Bodrov Outstanding Cinematic Achievement – Peter Ho-Sun Chan Rising Star Award – Kathryn Bernardo ASIAN VISION BEST FILM AWARD: "Night Courier" ( Saudi Arabia ) directed by Ali Kalthami AWFF BRUCE LEE AWARD (in partnership with the Bruce Lee Foundation) Mark Dacascos SHORT FILM FINALISTS Best Short Film: " Lullaby" (UK/ Vietnam ) directed by Chi Thai Special Mention: " Mar Mama " (Palestine) directed by Majdi El Omari The AWFF series of Snow Leopard Awards is bestowed in partnership with The Snow Leopard Trust to raise awareness for the endangered snow leopard and their Asian ecosystem. AWFF SPONSORS The Asian World Film Festival is proudly sponsored by Aitysh Film, Pechanga Casino Resort, Panavision, Bruce Lee Foundation, Korean Cultural Center ( Los Angeles ), Korean Film Council (KOFIC), Taiwan Academy ( Los Angeles ), Hollywood Arab Film Association ( Los Angeles ), Vietnam Cinema Association ( Hanoi, Vietnam ), Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, Kyrgyz Film, Ministry of Culture & Tourism Republic of Turkiye, Directorate General of Cinema (Turkiye), Republic of Turkiye Los Angeles Consulate General, Beirut Film Association ( Lebanon ), Meihodo ( Japan ), MoRedii, Culver City Arts Foundation, CAPE ( Los Angeles ), AARP ( California ), Blackmagic Design, Emporium Thai ( Los Angeles ), NAMOO ( Marina Del Rey ), Jackson Market & Deli (Culver City, Shin Beijing ( Los Angeles ), H.C. Foods and Asahi Beer , among many others. ABOUT THE ASIAN WORLD FILM FESTIVAL (AWFF) Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024, the Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) was founded by Kyrgyz public figure Sadyk Sher-Niyaz to bring the best of Asian cinema to Los Angeles and to strengthen ties between the Asian and Hollywood film industries. The festival screens feature films from more than 50 countries, spanning from Japan to Turkey and Russia to India and Southeast Asia . As of 2024, AWFF is the only Los Angeles -based festival that showcases most Asian submissions Academy Award ® and Golden Globe ® for Best International Feature Film and Best Motion Picture - Non-English Language respectively. AWFF is a non-profit organization under Aitysh USA . Follow AWFF on: Website: https://www.asianworldfilmfest.org/ X (formally Twitter): https://twitter.com/asianworldff Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AsianWorldFilmFest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asianworldff/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@asianworldfilmfestival3974 Media Contact: Rick Markovitz 818-421-3334 386812@email4pr.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/10th-annual-asian-world-film-festival-announces-winners-at-closing-night-gala-302314470.html SOURCE Asian World Film Festival © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.The Dakar Rally returns to provide one of motorsport's toughest tests for human and machine in January, with Saudi Arabia again hosting the challenge. It may not be the event it once was when run through Africa to the Senegalese capital [the event's name gives it away] but the test remains one that requires ultimate performance and robustness to overcome. Relevance remains for manufacturers looking to prove their mettle in the rally raid theatre, with Toyota, Ford and Mini all competing in the World Rally-Raid Championship's (WR2C) Cars class - as well as privateer Volkswagens, which are offshoots of the old works team. REPORT: Dacia cools Dakar expectations after debut 1-2 at Rallye du Maroc For the 2025 edition, there's a surprise name aiming for glory: Dacia. The small Romanian manufacturer is taking on the giants and aiming to make history when the Dakar Rally starts on 3 January. Motorsport.com was invited to visit the factory of technical partner Prodrive, ahead of its quest for glory. Why Dacia is tackling Dakar Dacia is very cynical in its business model. It offers affordable cars to its consumers, including only what it needs within its model range to keep costs down, rather than adding all the gadgets and gizmos we have come to expect in our road cars. Yet with a mission statement that includes focusing on its sustainability and remaining 'Eco-Smart', the Dakar project actually presents a number of important testbeds for the brand. "Our ambition within the Dakar project is obviously to win, first and foremost," says Dacia UK and Ireland brand director Luke Broad, who is aware this is no easy task for a brand at the first time of asking. "But we also see it as an effective outdoor technical laboratory. The idea is to take our learnings within Dakar with a view to eventually seeing some of the innovations that we put in this car in our road cars. Dacia Sandrider has been in development for much of 2024 ahead of debut on Dakar in January Photo by: Dacia "It's also a place for us to experiment with sustainable fuels because, as a brand, we're not about going into the desert and polluting it. We are going to do it in a very sustainable way, and that fits under our Eco-Smart brand." Those sustainable fuels will come through a partnership with Saudi-based company Aramco, which has been working on a similar project with Formula 1 as the world championship ushers in a sustainable future in 2026. Technical director Philip Dunabin says that while certain instances of technology transfer between the Dakar project and Dacia's road-car business "are not really very visible", they are still significant. If a partnership with Prodrive wasn't enough to make you believe Dacia was taking this seriously, then the crews that will get to grips with the three-car entry should "Dacia has been working on pigments and resin, in this case in the carbon fibre," he explains. "These are pigments that are intended to reduce infrared absorption, intended to keep temperatures lower in the cars. Those have got applications for them in terms of pigment arrangement in road cars. "They have also brought very matte, IR-reflecting [infra-red] paint that they will be using in the future in road cars. We use it here in things like the dashtop for low reflection, low glare from the windscreen. "There are elements that are not in the car yet in terms of to do with materials for the seats and so on, which have come directly from Dacia road cars and of course, there is the work they are helping us do with sustainable fuels with the partnership with Aramco." Dunabin and team principal Tiphanie Isnard are leading the Prodrive effort - officially called the Dacia Sandriders. The British operation that conquered the World Rally Championship with Subaru provides the motorsport expertise needed to help the programme shortcut its learning curve. Sandriders technical director Dunabin has joined the project from Alpine, evidencing its support for the programme Photo by: Dacia "When we are doing things in Dacia, we need to do well with the best specialist around us, so [that's] why we are here with Prodrive, it is one of the most successful companies in motorsports," says Isnard. "For us, it's the best partner as the technical provider for all the development." A strong three-pronged line-up If a partnership with Prodrive, which has tackled Dakar on the past four years with the BRX Hunter and managed two runner-up finishes, wasn't enough to make you believe Dacia was taking this seriously then the crews that will get to grips with the three-car entry should. Five-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah is joined by navigator Edouard Boulanger in car #200 as he attempts to close on Stephane Peterhansel's record of eight wins in the Cars category. One of rallying's most famous names, Sebastien Loeb, returns for another crack at getting his first Dakar win after finishing third in 2024. The three-time runner-up, twice with Prodrive, will be partnered in his #219 car by Fabian Lurquin, while the youth of the team comes in the form of Cristina Gutierrez, who raced with Loeb in the Prodrive-run X44 Extreme E team. The Spaniard, who won the Challenger (T3) class on the 2024 Dakar, is joined by Pablo Moreno in the #212 entry. The drivers have long been assisting with the development of the entire project, with Isnard telling Motorsport.com: "They were really involved from the beginning, they jumped in the car as quick as they could. They want to be a part of the first day of the car. "They quickly react and give feedback, which is positive, but also on what we need to improve and they call me, even on bank holidays in France - one was in the pool! But they all the time have questions and ask how the team is, what are the changes, what will be the car for Dakar." Having explained how the drivers used virtual headsets to get a feel for the inside of the cockpit when at the headquarters early on, Isnard adds: "From the beginning, the project was built with the crew in the Dacia design office. [We] said 'what do you want' and then built the design of the car around them. It is their office, so it's really important for the driver and navigator as a part of the performance." Integration between driver and team extends far past just the technical development at the start of the project. Teams essentially live together in bivouacs during the Dakar rally, so egos have to be left at the door. On Loeb in particular, chief mechanic Alistair 'Stretch' Gibson could only hail the Frenchman. Gibson has enjoyed working with Loeb, who is bidding to add a first Dakar win to his bulging CV Photo by: Dacia "He's great," says Gibson, unrelated to namesake Alastair who worked for the Prodrive-run BAR Formula 1 team in the noughties. "He is the person you see on the telly. He is shy, he is quiet, but he is actually really easy and simple to work with. He's not demanding. I was quite surprised; I expected a troublesome time, but it was completely the opposite. He just wants to get in the car and drive. Once the number is on the door, he wants to go and win. "It's a different breed of driver that wants to do Dakar and all these different demands of 'I want these drinks or those grapes' is out the window because you can't have it - it's not there. We sit and we eat together, there's not a special catering out the back for the drivers. We sit and eat together and all the teams from the whole bivouac are all together." While Loeb and Al-Attiyah will take the headlines from the line-up, the team is by no means expecting Gutierrez to simply make up the numbers. "We want a rising young driver to have with two experienced drivers. When we saw the [test] results, it was quite simple, Christina was the best one" Tiphanie Isnard "I wouldn't discount Cristina," insists Gibson. "We saw through the testing phase that she is pretty determined and pretty good at what she does. "She certainly earned the respect of the team around her with her performance in the test. It's not easy in Morocco and she was pretty tough, really good pace and good feedback. We were really impressed with her." In that test-run during the Rallye du Maroc, where the squad finished 1-2 on debut with Al-Attiyah and Loeb, Gutierrez was helping the team run shelf-life experiments, using components that had been used in previous tests to help discover durability levels of different parts - a vital mission as part of Dakar preparation. While using a female driver as well as a female team principal is a strong commercial move, Isnard is adamant this had no bearing on Gutierrez getting the nod. "The choice was quite simple," she says. "We want a rising young driver to have with two experienced drivers. When we saw the [test] results, it was quite simple, Cristina was the best one. She is a woman, that's great, but that was not the first choice." Gutierrez joins the programme after taking a class victory on the 2024 Dakar Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool Alpine's assistance to realise Dacia dreams While the Prodrive link-up and crew line-up makes the operation at least competitive, the Dacia Sandriders still have to take on the might of manufacturers that have been Dakar incumbents in recent times, not least in Toyota. But, being part of the Renault Group, Dacia has been able to take on expertise both in personnel and physical materials which will help accelerate its effort. Dunabin and Isnard are both Alpine Racing team members who have been designated to the project. "Within the Renault Group, the motorsport resource is Alpine Racing," Dunabin explains, "that looks after Formula 1, WEC, Formula E - where it looks after the programme for Nissan - rally with Renault Clios, Rally3, one-make championships and circuit racing. All of that expertise in motorsport is held within Alpine. "So it is natural that Dacia came to Alpine to say 'we want to use Alpine as the motorsport expertise for handling our rally raid programme'. That's where Tiphanie and myself come from. We work exclusively for Dacia, but we actually work for Alpine. "There's an awful lot of expertise. Recently, we have done things like materials analysis within Alpine for things on this car, electronics analysis [too]. There is a whole technical resource within Alpine that is a disposition of this programme. "When you make a road car, you don't pretend to do everything yourself anyway. Dacia is not going to make a steering rack, it is going to know who it wants to go to to install that. It is the same sort of thing in this arrangement. Prodrive have expertise in motorsport, they have an understanding of rally raid. You then have supervision from Alpine representing Dacia and Dacia utilises all of this resource to maximise the benefit for their programme." Speaking to Motorsport.com's Italian sister site during a Dacia Sandriders event in Italy, Loeb put his enthusiasm for the project down to the involvement of both Renault and Prodrive. “In the past months I had to make a choice," he related. "I had to choose a major project because my intention was still to race in the Dakar and the Dacia project seemed to me the best. "This is all because of the ambitions of the brand, of the manufacturer, which involved me in the project. Although it is its first sports project in the discipline, it has a huge, visible, tangible motivation. Significant expertise from the BRX project has transferred to the Dacia programme, including its driving strength Photo by: A.S.O. "Then I know several people involved; Bruno Famin, the boss of Renault Group as far as motorsport is concerned. I also know Prodrive well, with whom I raced in the Dakar and in the World Rally Raid during the last two seasons. I thought starting a project from scratch with these people involved was a good thing; they could use our experience made in the past to make a very competitive car.” Can Dacia conquer the challenge of Dakar? However competitive the car is on paper, or how strong the line-up and pedigree of the entire squad may be compared to rival outfits, the real test is the conditions faced in Saudi Arabia. Almost 8,000km will be covered across 12 stages which will take in gruelling terrain in the desert heat - and cold - of the Middle Eastern Kingdom, including the daunting 48-hour, 1057km endurance stage. With bivouacs set up each night, any repairs to cars must be done while exposed to the elements. "The sandstorm is the worst environment to work in," Gibson explains. "You can cope with the rain and the cold and the heat, but the sandstorm is definitely the worst, especially if it is a gearbox or a major component that needs working on. It does happen, and you just have to get on with it." "The easiest thing to do with Dakar is to screw up. It is incredibly difficult to do a Dakar when you don't have problems" Philip Dunabin "We try to avoid opening a gearbox or engine in that sort of situation, or any air intakes. But sometimes, you just have to get on with it. With the tents, we can try and pull the sides down. "Thankfully, it doesn't happen that often. Only twice in the last four years have we had a really bad sandstorm in the bivouac, so they do come. It does present challenges in many ways, from the tents themselves, or the trucks or the generators - it is just a feature of the landscape." With the 1-2 finish in Morocco proving the car's speed, focus since then has been on ensuring the reliability is up to scratch to avoid a repeat of cooling issues. "A lot of the stuff in terms of the cooling in Morocco was to do with the reliability side than anything else," says Dunabin. "We had incidents where fans would drop out, that sort of thing. If you lose one of the fans out of the system, then the car tends to get a bit too hot. So most of what we have been concentrating on is on the reliability side. Encouraging debut in Morocco is not giving way to overconfidence, although Dunabin hopes cooling issues have been remedied Photo by: Motorsport.com "Obviously we finished first and second, we won three out of five stages. We were never very far away from the front of the field and there were one or two subjects where we sailed a bit too close to the wind. Those subjects are things we have been working on to get right for Dakar." While the result in Morocco puts Dacia Sandriders in a strong position to ink its name into the Dakar history books, there is no complacency being allowed to creep in. "The easiest thing to do with Dakar is to screw up," cautions Dunabin. "It is incredibly difficult to do a Dakar when you don't have problems, you don't make any mistakes - no driving mistakes, no navigational mistakes, no technical error, no finger trouble. It's an event that is two weeks on, the days are long and everybody gets very tired. The vigilance that is needed to deliver a Dakar is really at the top level. "The fact we won in Morocco is great, fantastic for Dacia - they have manufacturing plants in Morocco, they are by far and away number one in terms of the sales in Morocco and it couldn't be any better for the Dacia people in Morocco to have the car arrive and win the rally. But no, I don't think there's any complacency. We can absolutely not assume we can go to Dakar and just trundle around. It will be hard." Can a Dacia win the Dakar Rally? Photo by: DaciaMILWAUKEE (AP) — Erik Pratt had 20 points to help Milwaukee defeat North Central College 92-57 on Sunday. Pratt shot 5 for 9 (3 for 7 from 3-point range) and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line for the Panthers (9-4). Jamichael Stillwell scored 12 points and added 10 rebounds. Learic Davis had 12 points and went 6 of 9 from the field (0 for 3 from 3-point range). The Cardinals were led in scoring by Sean Molloy, who finished with eight points. James Bullock and Drew Gaston scored seven each. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Erik Pratt scores 20 as Milwaukee defeats North Central College 92-57
As New Hampshire prepares to launch a commission to study the problem of wrong-way drivers on the state's roads, other New England states have used technology to try to make roads safer. Half the states in New England have some kind of wrong-way driver detection systems set up in problematic areas, but New Hampshire is not one of them. Those that have such systems say the proof that they work is in the numbers. "The first project went live in 2015, so we're creeping up on 10 years of having the first devices," said Steven Pristawa, Rhode Island traffic safety engineer. Pristawa said that in that time, there has only been one injury and no fatal wrong-way crashes in the 28 problem areas in Rhode Island where the systems have been installed. >> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play As TikTok bill steams forward, online influencers put on their lobbying hats to visit Washington
The sprawling, windowless warehouses that hold rows of high-speed servers powering almost everything the world does on phones and computers are increasingly becoming fixtures of the American landscape, popping up in towns, cities and suburbs across the United States. Demand for data centers ballooned in recent years due to the rapid growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and urban and rural governments alike are competing for lucrative deals with big tech companies. But as data centers begin to move into more densely populated areas, abutting homes and schools, parks and recreation centers, some residents are pushing back against the world’s most powerful corporations over concerns about the economic, social and environmental health of their communities. In Northern Virginia, more than 300 data centers dot the rolling hills of the area’s westernmost counties and butt up against wooded bike trails winding through the suburbs. But one of the latest proposals in the area, Plaza 500, would see a 466,000-square-foot facility and adjacent electrical substation built a few hundred feet from townhomes, playgrounds and a community center. The pitch from Starwood Capital Group, the private investment firm founded by billionaire Barry Sternlicht, to Fairfax County officials promised jobs and a significant property tax boost. But data center critics say the incentives aren't enough to counteract the consequences of building the facilities so close to homes. Tyler Ray, a leader in the fight against the Virginia project, worries that more data centers in the area could compromise the already stressed power grid: Over 25% of all power produced in Virginia in 2023 went to data centers, a figure that could rise as high as 46% by 2030 if data center growth continues at its current pace. Some estimates also show a mid-sized data center commands the same water usage every day as 1,000 households, prompting concerns over the cost of water. Ray also frets over air quality, as the massive diesel generators that help power the data centers’ hardware send plumes of toxic pollutants into the atmosphere. Ray and his neighbors tried to stop the development, but their efforts were largely unsuccessful. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in September said all newly proposed data centers must adhere to stricter zoning rules, but the Plaza 500 project was exempt. “I don’t know how a general resident, even someone who has been engaging intently on an issue, has any chance to go up against the data center industry,” Ray said the night the supervisors voted. For local governments, attracting data centers to their municipalities means a financial boon: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in 2024 that Virginia’s current data centers brought in $1 billion in tax revenue. For average-sized facilities, data centers offer a small number of direct jobs – often fewer than 100 positions. Google announced recently that its investment in nearby Loudoun County, which included two data centers, created around 150 direct jobs, a figure that data center opponents say isn’t worth the hassle. But data center advocates argue that the number of indirect jobs like construction, technology support and electrical work make the projects worthwhile. In that same announcement, Google said their investment spurred 2,730 indirect jobs. Kathy Smith, the vice chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, voted in favor of the Plaza 500 proposal because, in her estimation, data center growth is inevitable in the region, and Fairfax County should reap the benefits. “I have a responsibility to step back from what we do and look at the big picture,” Smith said. “Data centers are not going away.” On the other side of the country, in Morrow County, Oregon, Amazon Web Services has built at least five data centers surrounding the 4,200-person town of Boardman, nestled among vast stretches of farmland flecked with mint patches and wind turbines, next to the Columbia river. Last year, AWS paid roughly $34 million in property taxes and fees stipulated in the agreements after receiving a $66 million tax break. Those payments, in addition to $1.7 in charitable donations from the company in 2023, have been instrumental in updating infrastructure and bolstering services. These funds have gone toward a new ladder fire engine, a school resource officer and $5,000 grants for homebuyers so far totaling at least $2.8 million. “This road right here? Wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for AWS,” said Boardman Mayor Paul Keefer, riding in the passenger seat of Police Chief Rick Stokoe’s cruiser, pointing out the window at construction workers shifting dirt and laying pavement. AWS has cultivated relationships with local officials including Keefer and Stokoe, who have both been in positions to vote on whether to authorize tax breaks with the company. Some former county commissioners and residents worry that those relationships are too cozy. Kevin Miller, AWS’s vice president of global data centers, said in an interview with the Associated Press that “our interest is in being a model corporate citizen, to really be partners with those communities.” Skepticism of the deals started years ago, when three formerly elected officials allegedly helped approve data center deals while also owning a stake in a company that contracted with AWS to provide fiber optic cables for the data centers. In June, they each paid $2,000 to settle an ethics complaint. Those officials are no longer in office. But the latest data center deal struck between Morrow County officials and AWS, which gives the company an estimated $1 billion in tax breaks spread over the 15 years to build five new data centers, again raised eyebrows. Two former Morrow County Commissioners, Jim Doherty and Melissa Lindsay, pushed unsuccessfully in 2022 for AWS to pay more in taxes in new data center negotiations. “We didn’t want to blow it up. We didn’t want to run them off,” said Lindsay. “But there were better deals to be made.”
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The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is considering automation and the introduction of an Artificial Intelligence chatbot to "enhance transparency and efficiency in pilgrim services" at the Sri Venkateswara Temple, an official said on Sunday. TTD Executive Officer J Syamala Rao stated that the temple administration is exploring "futuristic technologies" to expedite accommodation, darshan, and other services while improving overall transparency and efficiency. "To accelerate accommodation, darshan, and other services for the multitude of visiting pilgrims and to enhance transparency and efficiency, TTD is considering automation instead of manual operations. We are also exploring the introduction of an AI chatbot for pilgrim services," Rao said while addressing reporters at Annamaiah Bhavan in Tirumala. According to the EO, TTD’s ultimate goal is to "enrich the pilgrim experience while leveraging technology,"all the while safeguarding "the spiritual and cultural sanctity" of Tirumala for future generations. Rao further noted that the temple administration is aligning with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s vision of blending "traditional aesthetics with modern functionality" in Tirumala’s development. He added that TTD aims to position the world’s richest Hindu temple as a model pilgrimage center under its "Vision 2047," in alignment with the state government’s 'Swarna Andhra-2047' initiative. The vision emphasises planned development, environmental management, and heritage conservation in Tirumala, Rao added. Read more: Tirupati temple board to use AI to cut darshan timeAnd even when the Chicago Bears brain trust decided they no longer could justify keeping Matt Eberflus as head coach of their team, they still waited until he conducted one more news conference — telling us everything was fine and he was preparing for next week’s game against the San Francisco 49ers — before they actually pulled the trigger. Remember, this is an operation worth an estimated $6.4 billion, not a local hardware business trying to decide whether a store clerk should be let go for putting the wingnuts and screws in the wrong aisle. Fittingly, the Bears were the Bears until the last drop. “It’s been a normal operation,” Eberflus said Friday morning on a Zoom call with reporters before being Zoomed out of the NFL. The sad part is the Bears truly believe they are a normal operation when it’s quite obvious they’re the laughingstock of football. Who else would let Eberflus continue to fail time and time again after he repeatedly proved he wasn’t fit for the job. His .304 winning percentage was third-worst in Bears history, ahead of only John Fox (.292) and Abe Gibron (.274). And at least Abe had Melody to help take our minds off all the losing. (Google it, kids.) Eberflus’ days had been numbered since the Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders. The 19-3 loss to the lowly New England Patriots on Nov. 10, in which he and his team were booed off the field, would’ve been a perfect time to say sayonara. The Bears had eight games remaining to try to salvage the season, and at 4-5 there was still some hope it could be done. But, no, the McCaskeys don’t fire head coaches in season, we’ve been told a thousand times. Instead they got rid of the sacrificial goat, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who was replaced by Thomas Brown . Fans would have to suffer through three more brutal endings before George McCaskey finally got it into his head that this marriage was not going to work. The Thanksgiving Day clock blunder will be remembered as the fatal blow, of course, because we all watched in a collective stupor as the clock ticked down and Caleb Williams kept barking out signals, seemingly oblivious to the fact the game was about to end. Even your Aunt Martha, who doesn’t know a football from a drumstick, was yelling: “What is he doing, for crying out loud?” It made for an unforgettable Thanksgiving, with everyone in the living room calling for Eberflus’ head. Then came the “everything is fine” news conference Friday morning that made it appear as though the Bears were actually trying to gaslight their fans. I’m not sure what made McCaskey agree to change the long-standing policy — whether it was Jimmy Johnson’s rant or a tweet by The Wieners Circle — but whoever it was should get a medal of valor for saving the city from a mass mental breakdown. We all saw this coming, except perhaps the Three Amigos: McCaskey, Warren and Poles . That still doesn’t make it any more palatable. Related Articles Chicago Bears | Matt Eberflus’ Chicago Bears timeline: 32 losses, multiple coach firings and too many late-game missteps Chicago Bears | Chicago Bears fire Matt Eberflus — the 1st time they’ve dismissed a head coach during a season Chicago Bears | Column: In promoting Thomas Brown to interim head coach, are the Chicago Bears putting Caleb Williams’ development at risk? Chicago Bears | Column: After Matt Eberflus’ firing, the onus is on Kevin Warren and Ryan Poles to put the Chicago Bears on the right path Chicago Bears | Another critical breakdown for the Chicago Bears. Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Week 13 loss on Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving hangover firing bookends the most famous “hiring” in Bears history, when Mike McCaskey told the media Dave McGinnis would be the head coach before actually informing McGinnis, thus losing both the coach and the rest of his own dwindling credibility. That embarrassing moment would be the lowlight of Mike McCaskey’s career, just as this will be remembered as George’s unshining moment. How will Eberflus be remembered? Was he a poor man’s Pedro Grifol or a poorer man’s Jim Boylen? Until Thursday’s debacle, perhaps the moment that best epitomized the Eberflus era was, during a lopsided loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in October 2023, when he threw the red challenge flag after the Bears scored a meaningless touchdown late in the game. He meant to throw it before the play, but Eberflus was never one to react quickly to any situation. And because there wasn’t any video replay of the actual touchdown, it was no harm, no foul. What comes next for Bears fans is the hard part. Do they trust these executives to hire the right replacement? Almost as much as they trust Mayor Brandon Johnson to manage the city budget . The easiest solution is to throw money at Bill Belichick and see if he bites. If Williams is truly a game-changing quarterback then it makes sense to give the keys to the guy who coached the greatest quarterback of his generation. But making sense is not really the Bears’ thing, so expect them to go for someone they don’t have to give any real power to and will be blander than their last five coaches combined. Someone disposable by 2027. It’s just normal operating procedure at Halas Hall.
US coach Emma Hayes admits to anthem uncertainty ahead of England stalemateDETROIT (AP) — Brandon Noel's 26 points helped Wright State defeat Detroit Mercy 80-72 on Saturday. Noel had seven rebounds for the Raiders (6-5, 1-1 Horizon League). Jack Doumbia scored 21 points while shooting 8 of 16 from the field and 5 for 6 from the line and added 13 rebounds and three blocks. Alex Huibregste shot 5 of 10 from the field, including 2 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 5 from the line to finish with 17 points, while adding six assists. The Titans (5-6, 1-1) were led in scoring by Orlando Lovejoy, who finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Detroit Mercy also got 12 points from Nate Johnson. Grant Gondrezick II also recorded 11 points and two steals. Wright State's next game is Wednesday against Marshall at home. Detroit Mercy visits Davidson on Saturday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Samtang mas nagkahiusa na ang generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) sa trabaho ug katilingban, ang GCash nga nag-unang finance app sa Pilipinas ug pinakadako nga cashless ecosystem naggamit niini alang sa maayong katuyoan. Pinaagi sa Fuse nga lending arm niini, naghatag ang GCash og kahigayunan sa mga Pilipino nga makadugang og akses sa serbisyo pinansyal pinaagi sa pagwagtang sa mga babag sa tradisyonal nga sistema sa pagpautang. Gumikan sa AI, mas gipadali pa kini sa GCash pinaagi sa pagpalambo sa credit scoring ug collections aron mas daghang Pilipino ang makab-ot ang ilang mga tumong sa pinansyal. AI has transformed our loan scoring and collections, making credit more accessible and repayments easier,” matod sa Fuse Lending President ug CEO Tony Isidro. “By using AI to assess the user’s eligibility and streamline collections, we’re able to offer a more ethical and efficient lending experience and better serve millions of Filipinos.” Nagpabiling babag ang dili patas nga akses sa utang sa mas lapad nga financial inclusion sa Pilipinas. Kasagaran, ang pag-apruba sa utang gikan sa tradisyonal nga mga bangko ug financial institutions nagkinahanglan og credit history, kolateral, ug pagpakita sa kita nga nagbilin nga dili kwalipikado sa daghang mga Pilipino nga anaas ubos nga socio-economic lebel. Daghan usab ang naglikay sa proseso sa pag-aplay alang sa utang tungod sa taas nga mga proseso ug daghan nga papeles. Daghang Pilipino ang nag-atubang sa mga kalisod sa pinansyal ug mobalik sa mga informal nga nagpautang aron mangayo og tabang. Sa 2022 Financial Inclusion report sa Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, gipakita nga bisan pa man nagkadaghan ang mga nangutang sa miaging mga tuig, kapin sa katunga kanila nagakuha gihapon og utang gikan sa mga “five-six” o loan sharks. Ang mga nagpautang nga ingon niini kasagaran nagpatong og taas kaayong interes nga mas nakapalisod sa mga nangutang nga makagawas sa ilang utang. Ang GCash nagatubag niini nga isyu pinaagi sa lending arm niini nga Fuse diin naghatag og lainlaing loan products sama sa GLoan, GCredit, GGives, GLoan Sakto, ug Borrow Load. Sukad sa pagsugod niini, nakahatag na ang GCash og kapin Php155 bilyon nga utang ngadto sa kapin 5.4 milyunes ka Pilipino lakip na ang gagmay nga negosyante sama sa mga tag-iya sa sari-sari store ug mga magpapatigayon sa merkado. Tungod niini, halos 9 sa 10 nga nangutang sa GCash ang nilukat gikan sa informal lending ug midangat ngadto sa digital nga mga opsyon. Aron mapadali ang sistema sa pagpautang, ang GCash naggamit og AI aron masuta ang loan eligibility nga dili magdepende sa tradisyonal nga requirement sama sa dokumentasyon o kolateral nga kasagarang kinahanglanon sa mga tradisyonal nga nagpautang. Pinaagi sa scoring technology sa app nga nag-analisa sa transaction history sa mga user sulod sa app, nagmugna ang GCash og personalized trust score base sa milyon-milyong nangagi nga transaksyon. Kini naghatag og higayon alang sa usa ka bag-ong grupo sa mga Pilipino nga makasulay sa pormal nga utang sa unang higayon. Ang GCash usab naghatag og fully digital nga proseso sa pagkuha sa utang nga nagtugot sa users nga magbayad sa ilang utang bisan asa ug bisan kanus-a basta makasulod lang sila sa app. Ang GCash usab naggamit og smart auto-debit aron matabangan ang mga kustomer nga malikayan ang dili pagbayad o ang pagkuha og late penalty charges ug dugang bayrunon. Aron mas paspas pa ang koleksyon, nipailaila ang Fuse og human-like conversational Voice AI o VoiceBot nga gitawag og Gina nga makig-estorya sa mga kliyente sa pagpautang sa dako nga scale. Doble ang kapasidad ni Gina sa calling team ug nakatabang na sa mga nangutang nga makapaas sa ilang mga wala mabayari. “GCash through its lending arm, Fuse is grounded by these principles: fair and flexible loans, ethical collection, and lending at scale,” matod ni Isidro. “Millions of Filipinos were able to gain access to these thanks to GCash, and through AI, we hope to unlock even more possibilities for digital financial inclusion in the Philippines, in the vision of Finance for All.” / PR
1 Unstoppable Vanguard ETF I'm Stocking Up On in 2025 - The Motley FoolThe Kansas City Chiefs won their fifth-straight game on Saturday, defeating the Houston Texans to stay undefeated at home. The Chiefs didn't escape the game without an injury, though. Starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor left the game in the second half with a knee injury and didn't return. Sophomore tackle Wanya Morris came in the game in his place and didn't allow a pressure in the 20 snaps that he played. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.The sprawling, windowless warehouses that hold rows of high-speed servers powering almost everything the world does on phones and computers are increasingly becoming fixtures of the American landscape, popping up in towns, cities and suburbs across the United States. Demand for data centers ballooned in recent years due to the rapid growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and urban and rural governments alike are competing for lucrative deals with big tech companies. But as data centers begin to move into more densely populated areas, abutting homes and schools, parks and recreation centers, some residents are pushing back against the world’s most powerful corporations over concerns about the economic, social and environmental health of their communities. In Northern Virginia, more than 300 data centers dot the rolling hills of the area’s westernmost counties and butt up against wooded bike trails winding through the suburbs. But one of the latest proposals in the area, Plaza 500, would see a 466,000-square-foot facility and adjacent electrical substation built a few hundred feet from townhomes, playgrounds and a community center. The pitch from Starwood Capital Group, the private investment firm founded by billionaire Barry Sternlicht, to Fairfax County officials promised jobs and a significant property tax boost. But data center critics say the incentives aren't enough to counteract the consequences of building the facilities so close to homes. Tyler Ray, a leader in the fight against the Virginia project, worries that more data centers in the area could compromise the already stressed power grid: Over 25% of all power produced in Virginia in 2023 went to data centers, a figure that could rise as high as 46% by 2030 if data center growth continues at its current pace. Some estimates also show a mid-sized data center commands the same water usage every day as 1,000 households, prompting concerns over the cost of water. Ray also frets over air quality, as the massive diesel generators that help power the data centers’ hardware send plumes of toxic pollutants into the atmosphere. Ray and his neighbors tried to stop the development, but their efforts were largely unsuccessful. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in September said all newly proposed data centers must adhere to stricter zoning rules, but the Plaza 500 project was exempt. “I don’t know how a general resident, even someone who has been engaging intently on an issue, has any chance to go up against the data center industry,” Ray said the night the supervisors voted. For local governments, attracting data centers to their municipalities means a financial boon: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in 2024 that Virginia’s current data centers brought in $1 billion in tax revenue. For average-sized facilities, data centers offer a small number of direct jobs – often fewer than 100 positions. Google announced recently that its investment in nearby Loudoun County, which included two data centers, created around 150 direct jobs, a figure that data center opponents say isn’t worth the hassle. But data center advocates argue that the number of indirect jobs like construction, technology support and electrical work make the projects worthwhile. In that same announcement, Google said their investment spurred 2,730 indirect jobs. Kathy Smith, the vice chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, voted in favor of the Plaza 500 proposal because, in her estimation, data center growth is inevitable in the region, and Fairfax County should reap the benefits. “I have a responsibility to step back from what we do and look at the big picture,” Smith said. “Data centers are not going away.” On the other side of the country, in Morrow County, Oregon, Amazon Web Services has built at least five data centers surrounding the 4,200-person town of Boardman, nestled among vast stretches of farmland flecked with mint patches and wind turbines, next to the Columbia river. Last year, AWS paid roughly $34 million in property taxes and fees stipulated in the agreements after receiving a $66 million tax break. Those payments, in addition to $1.7 in charitable donations from the company in 2023, have been instrumental in updating infrastructure and bolstering services. These funds have gone toward a new ladder fire engine, a school resource officer and $5,000 grants for homebuyers so far totaling at least $2.8 million. “This road right here? Wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for AWS,” said Boardman Mayor Paul Keefer, riding in the passenger seat of Police Chief Rick Stokoe’s cruiser, pointing out the window at construction workers shifting dirt and laying pavement. AWS has cultivated relationships with local officials including Keefer and Stokoe, who have both been in positions to vote on whether to authorize tax breaks with the company. Some former county commissioners and residents worry that those relationships are too cozy. Kevin Miller, AWS’s vice president of global data centers, said in an interview with the Associated Press that “our interest is in being a model corporate citizen, to really be partners with those communities.” Skepticism of the deals started years ago, when three formerly elected officials allegedly helped approve data center deals while also owning a stake in a company that contracted with AWS to provide fiber optic cables for the data centers. In June, they each paid $2,000 to settle an ethics complaint. Those officials are no longer in office. But the latest data center deal struck between Morrow County officials and AWS, which gives the company an estimated $1 billion in tax breaks spread over the 15 years to build five new data centers, again raised eyebrows. Two former Morrow County Commissioners, Jim Doherty and Melissa Lindsay, pushed unsuccessfully in 2022 for AWS to pay more in taxes in new data center negotiations. “We didn’t want to blow it up. We didn’t want to run them off,” said Lindsay. “But there were better deals to be made.”