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Australians doubt Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s world-leading plan to ban children from social media will work, and fewer than half would be willing to hand over their ID to tech companies if required under the new laws. While findings from the latest Resolve Political Monitor show most Australians support the idea of banning social media for people under 16 years of age – which became a major plank of Albanese’s policy agenda in the second half of this year – they lack faith the government can execute it. Resolve suggests most Australians back a social media block on teenagers – but are not sure if it will work. Credit: iStock, Nathan Perri The findings highlight a risk for Labor and scepticism among voters as Albanese heads to the next election pursuing a broader tech crackdown, including a fresh proposal last week to force social media companies to pay for journalism through a new bargaining incentive. The government has pitched itself as acting on reports of bullying, aggression, sexualisation and other challenges faced by young people on social media, as well as declining mental health. “Parents are worried sick about this,” Albanese said earlier this year. “The safety and mental and physical health of our young people is paramount.” Most people agree: 58 per cent of people support the policy, including 67 per cent of Labor voters and 59 per cent of Coalition voters. Just 18 per cent don’t like it, and 24 per cent are unsure. But Australians have low confidence it will work. As the world watches what happens next , 68 per cent of people said they didn’t expect it would be effective. Similar overseas schemes, such as the UK’s attempt to stop children watching online porn, have been unsuccessful . Albanese has conceded new laws won’t “fix everything immediately”. “We have laws such as people can’t buy alcohol if they’re under 18, and from time to time that can be broken. But those laws set what the parameters are for our society, and they assist in ensuring the right outcomes,” he said last month. Just a quarter of voters surveyed thought the plan could be executed effectively, and only 4 per cent were “very confident”. Most others – 68 per cent – did not think it would work. Just 8 per cent were unsure. Parents were more likely to support banning children from social media, with 62 per cent in favour compared with 54 per cent of people without children. But they were less confident it could be put into practice: only 24 per cent of parents had any confidence in its efficacy, compared with 26 per cent without children. The federal government did not stipulate how the ban should be enforced as it raced through legislation by year’s end. Instead, it will leave that decision up to the big technology companies and slap them with fines of up to $50 million if they fail to keep children off their platforms. Some conservative MPs and digital rights activists have raised concerns about whether age-assurance technologies would need to be backed up by a digital ID, though Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has said people would not have to upload proof of identity directly to social media platforms. Voters surveyed in the Resolve poll were split over whether they would hand their ID to social media platforms if required, with 42 per cent saying they were likely to do so but 45 per cent expressing reluctance. Labor voters were most likely to comply, with 49 per cent saying they’d hand over identification if required, compared with 37 per cent who did not want to. Coalition voters were less keen, with 43 per cent willing to comply and 45 per cent reluctant. People who did not vote for the major parties were least likely to say they would hand over ID: 51 per cent were reluctant, compared with 36 per cent who would comply. Even though parents were more supportive of the plan, they were less likely than people without children to want to hand over identification (43 per cent versus 41 per cent). However, handing over ID is not the only method social media companies could use to comply with the legislation. Tony Allen, who leads the company that will trial technologies for the government, told this masthead there were three toolkit options for social media platforms. The first is age verification: using a digital ID, driver’s licence, passport or other records. This could be done by third parties to avoid directly handing IDs to social media companies. The second option is age estimation: tools that analyse biological or behavioural features that change with age, such as the depth of a person’s voice or their wrinkles. The third is age inference, which assumes someone’s age based on information, such as their purchase history or online activity. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter .More than $225 million allocated to support rural law enforcementSamsung Galaxy Ring 2 Could Debut During Unpacked 2025: Will It Come With Smarter AI?
President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case and was written by D. John Sauer, Trump’s choice for solicitor general. The argument submitted to the court is the latest example of Trump inserting himself in national issues before he takes office. The Republican president-elect has already begun negotiating with other countries over his plans to impose tariffs, and he intervened earlier this month in a plan to fund the federal government, calling for a bipartisan plan to be rejected and sending Republicans back to the negotiating table. Trump has also reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined the app during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, by pushing content that was often macho and aimed at going viral. He said earlier this year that he still believed there were national security risks with TikTok, but that he opposed banning it. This month, Trump also met with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. The filings Friday come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. The law was was signed by President Joe Biden in April after it passed Congress with broad bipartisan support. TikTok and ByteDance filed a legal challenge afterwards. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute, leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.” In their brief to the Supreme Court on Friday, attorneys for TikTok and its parent company ByteDance argued the federal appeals court erred in its ruling and based its decision on “alleged ‘risks’ that China could exercise control” over TikTok’s U.S. platform by pressuring its foreign affiliates. The Biden administration has argued in court that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its connections to China. Officials say Chinese authorities can compel ByteDance to hand over information on TikTok’s U.S. patrons or use the platform to spread or suppress information. But the government “concedes that it has no evidence China has ever attempted to do so,” TikTok’s legal filing said, adding that the U.S. fears are predicated on future risks. In its filing Friday, the Biden administration said because TikTok “is integrated with ByteDance and relies on its propriety engine developed and maintained in China,” its corporate structure carries with it risk.AP Trending SummaryBrief at 6:06 p.m. EST
An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look onArticle content Here’s the latest news concerning climate change and biodiversity loss, from the steps leaders are taking to address the problems to all the latest science. • Rising sea levels could put Vancouver’s airport underwater • Conserving just five per cent of watersheds can protect cities from floods: UBC study • Canadians to spend $801 more on food in 2025 as climate, Trump affect prices: report Human activities like burning fossil fuels and farming livestock are the main drivers of climate change, according to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This causes heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere, increasing the planet’s surface temperature. The panel, which is made up of scientists from around the world, has warned for decades that wildfires and severe weather, such as B.C.’s deadly heat dome and catastrophic flooding in 2021, would become more frequent and more intense because of the climate emergency. It has issued a “code red” for humanity and warns the window to limit warming to 1.5 C above pre-industrial times is closing. According to NASA climate scientists, human activities have raised the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide content by 50 per cent in less than 200 years, and “there is unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate.” • The Earth is now about 1.3 C warmer than it was in the 1800s. • 2023 was hottest on record globally, beating the last record in 2016. However scientists say 2024 will likely beat the 2023 record. • Human activities have raised atmospheric concentrations of CO2 by nearly 49 per cent above pre-industrial levels starting in 1850. • The world is not on track to meet the Paris Agreement target to keep global temperature from exceeding 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, the upper limit to avoid the worst fallout from climate change including sea level rise, and more intense drought, heat waves and wildfires. • On the current path of carbon dioxide emissions, the temperature could increase by as much 3.6 C this century, according to the IPCC. • In April, 2022 greenhouse gas concentrations reached record new highs and show no sign of slowing. • Emissions must drop 7.6 per cent per year from 2020 to 2030 to keep temperatures from exceeding 1.5 C and 2.7 per cent per year to stay below 2 C. • 97 per cent of climate scientists agree that the climate is warming and that human beings are the cause. (Source: , , , , ) Vancouver International Airport is at risk of flooding due to climate change, according to a new Senate report that looks at critical transportation infrastructure across Canada to assess how it will fare in the changing climate. Vancouver’s airport, Canada’s second-busiest airport, is on Sea Island in the Fraser River delta, surrounded by 22 kilometres of dikes to keep the river and sea water at bay. But with sea levels estimated to rise by at least one metre in the next 75 years and an anticipated increase in extreme precipitation and storm surges, the report says the island could flood. “The state of the Vancouver airport is Vancouver’s problem, it’s Richmond’s problem, but it’s also a problem for every person in Western Canada who drives through there — and it’s a really important freight airport too,” said Sen. Paula Simons, one of 10 members of the standing Senate committee on transport and communications, which wrote the report. “This isn’t just a question of your ability to go to Maui. It’s a question of how we get goods and services across the Pacific to Asian markets and how we bring our imports in.” Simons was shocked to learn the bustling, economically vital airport is at risk. “As an Edmontonian and a Westerner, I had no idea how vulnerable the Vancouver airport really was,” Simons said. “I was absolutely thunderstruck to realize how vulnerable it is because it’s built on an island. And it’s lovely, but it creates an inherent risk at a time when sea levels are rising.” Food prices in Canada are likely to increase by three to five per cent next year, according to a newly released report, but wild cards like climate change and Donald Trump could have unforeseen impacts. That’s the conclusion of the 15th annual food price report released Thursday by a partnership that includes researchers at Dalhousie University, the University of Guelph, University of Saskatchewan and University of British Columbia. The report’s authors used three different machine learning and AI models to make their predictions, and concluded a Canadian family of four can expect to spend $16,833.67 on food in 2025 — an increase of up to $801.56 from last year. Though it still marks a rise in grocery bills, the rate of food price growth has moderated since the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when rampant inflation meant Canadians suffered through double-digit year-over-year food price increases. “It would be fantastic if it was even lower, but you know, it’s a step in the right direction,” said Stuart Smyth, the University of Saskatchewan’s campus lead on the project. “I think that consumers can hopefully look forward to a little bit of a flattening out in terms of food price increases for the coming year.” The B.C. government has scheduled a news conference Monday to make a significant announcement about B.C. Hydro’s competitive call for power. Premier David Eby, along with Adrian Dix, minister of energy and climate solutions, Tamara Davidson, minister of environment and parks, and Chris O’Riley, president of B.C. Hydro will make the announcement at 12:30 p.m. In September, it had received 21 applications from independent power producers proposing to supply up to 9,000 gigawatt hours per year of electricity to the utility — enough to power some 800,000 homes — three-times the 3,000 gigawatt hours it sought. This call for power lands at a volatile time for the utility. Successive years of drought that slowed inflows to Hydro’s key reservoirs left it a net importer of electricity in its 2023-24 fiscal year, which ended in March with the corporation importing about 20 per cent of its electricity needs. That has carried over into Hydro’s 2024-25 fiscal year, with its first-quarter financial report showing that it needed imports to fill 17 per cent of B.C.’s needs for the three months between the end of March and beginning of July. B.C.’s Energy Ministry has said Hydro’s critics who warn the utility will run short of power as soon as 2026 rely on “inaccurate assumptions” that underestimate its ability to generate electricity over the summer. Researchers at the University of B.C. say there’s a nature-based way to protect cities from floods, like the 2021 catastrophic flooding in B.C. or more recently the deadly floods that wiped out towns in Spain. A UBC study says preserving just five per cent of watersheds and two per cent of Canada’s land could shield more than half of urban floodplains, saving lives, crops and infrastructure. Matthew Mitchell, the study author who is a UBC forestry expert, says this is the first research of its kind in Canada to explore how ecosystems function as natural flood buffers. Key ecosystems safeguard 54 per cent of built-up areas and 74 per cent of cropland in floodplains, according to the study. When these areas are preserved, they absorb water, slow run-off and reduce the strain on flood defences,” said Mitchell. “Trees and vegetation can capture that rainfall as it comes down. But also one of the major ways beyond that is the soil and having places where it’s not impervious, it’s not pavement or concrete,” he said. “The soil really absorbs and slows it down. So when we get these atmospheric river events there’s a capacity to slow that down and release the water over a longer amount of time, rather than all at once.” Canada faces numerous challenges because of climate change, human alteration of rivers, watersheds and floodplains. With weather patterns shifting fast, projections call for more flooding across the country, which means governments must look at protecting natural ecosystems as part of its adaptation strategy, the study concludes. Two University of B.C. professors have each been awarded $1 million grants from the inaugural Wall Legacy Awards funded by the Peter Wall Endowment. Michelle Tseng, an assistant professor of zoology, will receive the grant for her research on butterflies and biodiversity. Law professor Stepan Wood receives it for his work on how Indigenous and settler laws can work together to promote healthier relationships between humans and nature, and between settler and Indigenous societies, UBC announced Tuesday. Postmedia interviewed Tseng earlier this year after her team noted an estimated 60 per cent drop in observations of cabbage white butterflies across Metro Vancouver this season. Tseng said there are several reasons this could be happening such as a cooler, wetter spring, or it could be related to climate change and extreme changes in temperature, or from spraying invasive species. But scientists want to study this decline to find out for sure. Wood said his work is about bridging two global movements — the ‘rights of nature’ movement and the Indigenous revitalization movement. “You can’t have reconciliation between humans and the Earth without reconciliation between settler and Indigenous societies, and vice versa. The key to both is respect — respect for all beings, and respect for Indigenous laws,” he said in a statement provided by UBC. Negotiators working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution for a week in South Korea won’t reach an agreement and plan to resume the talks next year. They are at an impasse over whether the treaty should reduce the total plastic on Earth and put global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used to make plastics. The negotiations in Busan, South Korea, were supposed to be the fifth and final round to produce the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution, including in the oceans, by the end of 2024. But with time running out early Monday, negotiators agreed to resume the talks next year. They don’t yet have firm plans. More than 100 countries want the treaty to limit production as well as tackle cleanup and recycling, and many have said that is essential to address chemicals of concern. But for some plastic-producing and oil and gas countries, that crosses a red line. For any proposal to make it into the treaty, every nation must agree to it. Some countries sought to change the process so decisions could be made with a vote if consensus couldn’t be reached and the process was paralyzed. India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait and others opposed changing it, arguing consensus is vital to an inclusive, effective treaty. The world’s top court has begun hearing evidence in a significant case that may clarify the legal responsibilities of governments in relation to climate change, this week. The International Court of Justice in The Hague will hear testimony from nearly 100 countries including Vanuatu, the Pacific island nation that initiated the effort to get a legal opinion, the report said. The hearing will attempt to answer key questions as to what countries should do to fight climate change and, critically, what should they do to repair damages linked to rising temperatures, it added. While the outcome is not legally binding, it could give extra weight to climate change lawsuits all over the world, the BBC writes. The European Union agreed to delay by a year the introduction of new rules to ban the sale of products that lead to massive deforestation, caving in to demands from several producer nations from across the globe and domestic opposition within the 27-nation bloc. Officials said Wednesday that the EU member states, the EU parliament and the executive Commission reached an agreement in principle following weeks of haggling whether the initial rules would have to be watered down even further than the simple delay by one year. Originally, it was supposed to kick in this month. The deforestation law is aimed at preserving forests on a global scale by only allowing forest-related products that are sustainable and do not involve the degradation of forests. It applies to things like cocoa, coffee, soy, cattle, palm oil, rubber, wood and products made from them. Deforestation is the second-biggest source of carbon emissions after fossil fuels. The lead negotiator among the different EU institutions, Christine Schneider, called the delay to implement nature protection rules “a victory,” adding it would give foresters and farmers protection from “excessive bureaucracy.” Starting Jan. 1, every company in Italy must buy insurance to protect its assets from floods, landslides and other natural hazards that have become more common thanks to global warming. It’s the latest sign of Europe’s rising anxiety about climate change. As the fastest-warming continent, its climate losses have increased by 2.9 per cent a year from 2009 to 2023, according to the European Environment Agency. This year alone saw epic wildfires in Greece, a crippling drought in Sicily and costly floods in the U.K., Central Europe and Spain. And there’s still a month left. The biggest danger in Italy is flooding. Companies affected by such events face a 7 per cent higher probability of going bust, and those that survive typically suffer a 5 per cent average decline in revenue within three years, according to a 2024 study published by the country’s central bank. Most Italian businesses — especially small and mid-sized ones — have no protection at all. The new law will require companies to buy coverage and insurers to write policies or face fines. The plan is backed by a €5 billion reinsurance fund, set up by a state-controlled financial institution. But there are rumblings the plan’s rollout may be delayed. One concern is that one big catastrophe could overwhelm the new fund. Another is that insurers will abandon the country’s riskiest areas, as is happening in the US. Standing shoulder to shoulder with his employees, Chris Wright, chief executive officer of oilfield services company Liberty Energy Inc., held up his glass in a toast. “To your health and the longer lives and healthier lives of billions of people around the world from oil and gas,” Wright said. Then he gulped down a shot of fracking fluid. By quaffing the chemical cocktail of water, bleach, soap and other substances in a 2019 Facebook video, Wright, Donald Trump’s nominee for energy secretary, sought to refute fracking opponents who argued it would poison aquifers. Five years later, the stunt suggests how he might carry out US energy policy: with a flair for showmanship and an appetite for confrontation. In a slew of TV interviews and speeches, Wright has proclaimed the moral virtues of fossil fuels and championed them as a way to lift people out of poverty. A few years ago, he picked a public fight with The North Face Inc. after the outwear maker declined to make a co-branded jacket with a Liberty competitor because of its oil-industry links. (Wright commissioned billboards that said: “That North Face puffer looks great on you. And it was made from fossil fuels.”) He has called greenhouse-gas reduction goals “perverse,” questioned the environmental benefits of electric vehicles and attacked subsidies for wind and solar projects. His outspokenness is poised to set him apart from Trump’s previous energy secretaries, the comparatively buttoned-up Rick Perry and Dan Brouillette. But Wright, an industry insider who would be taking on his first political role, can be nuanced. A self-professed “nerdy guy,” he frequently gives lectures about the global energy system, using data-heavy charts to illustrate his points. Rather than deny climate change outright, he characterizes it as a “modest phenomenon.”
Drilled since the earliest days of his career to be meticulous, Engrineer Joshua Bingcang’s strong attention to minute details came in handy as he got things done at the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), the Philippines’ most dynamic government-owned and -controlled city builder. Since he took the helm as president and chief executive officer of BCDA in June 2023, the organization celebrated major milestones like the opening of a 20-kilometer road connecting New Clark City to Clark International Airport, the inauguration of the Philippines’ first manufacturing plant for advanced Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries, and the end to a decade-long legal dispute over the management of a 247-hectare property in Camp John Hay in Baguio. Indeed, his ingenuity, grit, and adaptability to solve complex business challenges and get things done were instrumental in BCDA’s successes and challenges. He started at BCDA as a Project Development Officer III in September 1996, he brings to the table decades of institutional knowledge with the BCDA, and know-how in the fields of business development, real estate development, infrastructure development and project management. A native of Pampanga, Bingcang holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines. He took part in the Executive Training Program in Urban Policy and Governance of the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and in the training on Public-Private Partnership from the Harvard Kennedy School, Massachusetts, USA. Prior to his stint as the BCDA chief, he led the completion of some of the organization’s biggest projects: the Subic-Clark-Tarlac-Expressway, the development of Clark Freeport Zone, the first phase of the National Government Administrative Center in New Clark City, and the expansion of Clark International Airport. Born and raised in Pampanga, Bingcang understands the needs of local communities affected by BCDA’s development projects. Under his leadership, BCDA’s first few big, bold moves for Clark are to ensure that the current and future workers can live near their workplace through inclusive and affordable housing, address the need for more efficient connectivity through building transit-oriented developments in and around Clark and expanding the capacity of the Clark International Airport to cater to mega investments from across the country. Academic and government institutions like the National Academy of Sports, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines, and the Philippine Space Agency are setting up offices and campuses in New Clark City. Big names from different industries here and abroad, like Hann Development Corporation, Banyan Tree Group, Skyblue Golf Course, Narra Technology Park, Filinvest, and StB Giga are also forging ahead with their developments in New Clark City. In the past few months, the BCDA Group made strides as it signed three global logistics giants — FedEx, UPS and Lufthansa to expand in Clark. In New Clark City alone, Bingcang told Daily Tribune’s weekly show Straight Talk, that the new metropolis has attracted P143.22 billion worth of investments since its master plan was finalized in 2017. About P18 billion of which were already infused in the new metropolis. One Clark vision Looking ahead, the BCDA chief said during that his organization is aggressively pushing the development of New Clark City, Clark International Airport, and Clark Freeport Zone to position the whole of Clark as Asia’s next investment and tourism destination. This forms part of BCDA’s ongoing efforts to support the Marcos administration’s 8-point socio-economic agenda as reflected in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028. “This will give us the scale that will put Clark on par with — if not ahead — of development projects in its ASEAN neighbors,” Bingcang said. “Right now, we are gearing to implement more game-changing projects, some of which are crucial to the development of the Luzon Economic Corridor, a massive joint undertaking of the Philippines, US, and Japan,” Bingcang said in the interview. These are the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Railway Project, the expansion of the Clark International Airport, and the Clark National Food Hub. “These BCDA projects will help position the region as a key player in the nation’s economic transformation.” Skilled at collaborating to collectively address challenges, Bingcang understands that it takes an interdisciplinary team with a diversity of skills and expertise to create success. This is why he has established and continues to build BCDA’s network across the public and private sectors, both domestic and foreign. For instance, the BCDA is set to sign a deal with a Japanese firm to develop another industrial hub in New Clark City. It has also signed partnerships with Korean experts for the development of inclusive housing within the metropolis, among other smart city initiatives. BCDA is driving forward an ambitious portfolio of projects designed to redefine urban living in Central and Northern Luzon. Among these projects are the development of 44.8-hectare New Clark City Central Park, Clark integrated public transportation system, multimodal transport hubs and transit-oriented development, industrial parks, the smart estate management of New Clark City, a district cooling system, as well as the establishment of a passive ICT infrastructure in New Clark City to ensure enhanced internet connectivity for its existing and future locators. A world-class medical facility in Clark, which will be partially opened in two years, will make medical treatment faster and more accessible to those who wish to live and/or work in the metropolis. “The core principle behind our developments is simple but profound — cities must be designed for the people who live in them and the planet they inhabit. This commitment ensures that Clark will thrive for generations to come, balancing growth with sustainability,” Bingcang said. By developing smart and livable cities, we can continue fulfilling our commitment to strengthening the capabilities of the nation’s armed forces. From May 1993 to December 2023, BCDA’s contribution to the AFP reached P59.71 billion. Of this amount, P48.59 billion is earmarked for the AFP Modernization Program and P11.12 billion for the replication of military facilities in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City and Villamor Air Base, Pasay City.
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Iran rejects E3 accusations against country’s peaceful nuclear programSouth Korea’s Yoon survives impeachment move, party leader says president will resignNASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Justin Thomas was long off the tee and made a few long putts on the back nine to overtake Scottie Scheffler with a 6-under 66 and build a one-shot lead Saturday over golf's best player going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge. Thomas is trying out a 46-inch driver — a little more than an inch longer than normal — that he previously used for practice at home to gain speed and length. He blasted a 361-yard drive to 8 feet on the par-4 seventh hole and led the field in driving distance. But it was a few long putts that put him ahead of Scheffler, who had a 69. Thomas was on the verge of falling two shots behind when he made an 18-foot par putt on the par-3 12th hole. On the reachable par-4 14th, he was in a nasty spot in a sandy area and could only splash it out to nearly 50 feet. He made that one for a most unlikely birdie, while behind him Scheffler muffed a chip on the 13th hole and made his lone bogey of a windy day. Scheffler never caught up to him, missing birdie chances on the reachable 14th and the par-5 15th. Thomas hit his approach to 3 feet for birdie on the 16th after a 343-yard drive. Scheffler made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th to close within one. Scheffler missed birdie chances on the last two holes from the 10-foot and 15-foot range, while Thomas missed an 8-foot birdie attempt at the last. “I had a stretch at 13, 14, 15 where I felt like I lost a shot or two there, but outside of that I did a lot of really good things today,” Scheffler said. Thomas hasn't won since the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, and a victory at Albany Golf Club wouldn't count as an official win. But the two-time major champion has made steady progress toward getting his game back in order. “I'm driving it great. I've had a lot of confidence with it,” Thomas said of his longer driver. “I feel like I've been able to put myself in some pretty good spots going into the green. I’m still not taking advantage of some of them as much as I would like, but that’s golf and we're always going to say that.” Thomas was at 17-under 199 and will be in the final group Sunday with Scheffler, who is trying to end his spectacular season with a ninth title. Tom Kim put himself in the mix, which he might not have imagined Thursday when he was 3 over through six holes of the holiday tournament. Kim got back in the game with a 65 on Friday, and then followed with 12 birdies for a 62. He had a shot at the course record — Rickie Fowler shot 61 in the final round when he won at Albany in 2017 — until Kim found a bunker and took two shots to reach the green in making a double bogey on the par-3 17th. Even so, he was only two shots behind. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley (68) was four back. “Feel like I’ve been seeing signs of improvement, which is what you want and that’s all I can do,” Thomas said. “I can’t control everybody else or what’s going on, I’ve just got to keep playing as good as I possibly can and hope that it’s enough come Sunday.” AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron expressed “gratitude” Saturday to those who saved, helped and rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral. “I stand before you ... to express the gratitude of the French nation,” Macron said at the reopening ceremony. “Tonight, the bells of Notre Dame are ringing again. And in a moment, the organ will awaken,” sending the “music of hope” to Parisians, France and the world. Macron spoke in front of 1,500 guests invited to celebrate the restoration of Paris’ 12th-century cathedral which was nearly destroyed by a fire in 2019. They included world leaders like President-elect Donald Trump , U.S. first lady Jill Biden, Britain’s Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. PARIS (AP) — Howling winds couldn’t stop Notre Dame Cathedral ’s heart from beating again. With three resounding knocks on its doors by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, wielding a specially designed crosier carved from fire-scorched beams, the monument roared back to life Saturday evening. For the first time since a devastating blaze nearly destroyed it in 2019, the towering Gothic masterpiece reopened for worship, its rebirth marked by song, prayer, and awe beneath its soaring arches. The ceremony, initially planned to begin on the forecourt, was moved entirely inside due to unusually fierce December winds sweeping across the Île de la Cité, flanked by the River Seine. Yet the occasion lost none of its splendor. Inside the luminous nave, choirs sang psalms, and the cathedral’s mighty organ, silent for nearly five years, thundered to life in a triumphant interplay of melodies. The restoration, a spectacular achievement in just five years for a structure that took nearly two centuries to build, is seen as a moment of triumph for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline — and a welcome respite from his domestic political woes . The evening’s celebration, attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, underscored Notre Dame’s enduring role as both a spiritual and cultural beacon. Observers see the event as Macron's, and his intention to pivot it into a fully fledged diplomatic gathering, while highlighting France’s ability to unite on the global stage despite internal political crises. Monumental feats of restoration Inside, 42,000 square meters of stonework — an area equal to six soccer pitches — were meticulously cleaned, revealing luminous limestone and intricate carvings. Overhead, 2,000 oak beams, nicknamed “the forest,” were used to rebuild the spire and roof, restoring the cathedral’s iconic silhouette. The thunderous great organ, with 7,952 pipes ranging from pen-sized to torso-wide, resounded for the first time since the fire. Its newly renovated console, boasting five keyboards, 115 stops, and 30 foot pedals, was a marvel of restoration, reawakening a cornerstone of Notre Dame’s identity. Guests gradually filing into the cathedral for the evening reopening ceremonies were awestruck by the renovated interiors, many whipping out cellphones to capture the moment. “It’s a sense of perfection,” said François Le Page of the Notre Dame Foundation, which raised nearly half of the €900 million ($950 million) in donations for the restoration. He last visited in 2021, when the cathedral was cloaked in scaffolding. “It was somber,” he said. “It’s night and day.” The Rev. Andriy Morkvas, a Ukrainian pastor who leads the Volodymyr Le Grand church in Paris, reflected on his first visit to Notre Dame in over a decade. “I didn’t recognize it,” he said. “God is very powerful; He can change things.” He expressed hope that the cathedral’s revival could inspire peace in his homeland, drawing strength from the presence of Ukraine’s president. “I think that will have a big impact,” he said. “I hope Notre Dame and Mary will help us resolve this conflict.” The reopening of Notre Dame comes at a time of profound global unrest, with wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East. For Catholics, Notre Dame’s rector said the cathedral “carries the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and embracing presence.′′ “It is a magnificent symbol of unity,” Dumas said. “Notre Dame is not just a French monument—it is a magnificent sign of hope.” The international range of dignitaries coming to Paris underline the cathedral’s significance as a symbol of shared heritage and peace. Canadian visitor Noelle Alexandria, who had traveled to Paris for the reopening, was struck by the cathedral’s ability to inspire. “She’s been nearly ruined before, but she always comes back,” Alexandria said. “Not many of us could say the same after such tragedy, but Notre Dame can.” Historical details enrich the occasion Guests entered through Notre Dame’s iconic western façade, whose arched portals adorned with biblical carvings were once a visual guide for medieval believers. Above the central Portal of the Last Judgment, the Archangel Michael is depicted weighing souls, as demons attempt to tip the scales. These stone figures, designed to inspire both awe and fear, set the stage for a ceremony steeped in history. Inside, the hum of hundreds of guests awaiting the service filled the cathedral with human sounds once more — a stark contrast to the construction din that echoed there for years. Tuners restoring the great organ often worked through the night to find the silence needed to perfect its 7,952 pipes, ranging from pen-sized to torso-wide. Notre Dame echoed to the sound of a sustained standing ovation after the showing of a short movie that documented the gargantuan rebuilding effort. Outside, the word “MERCI” — thank you — was projected against the cathedral’s iconic western facade. The movie showed the terrible wounds left by the inferno — the gaping holes torn into its vaulted ceilings and the burned roof. But that was followed by images of all types of artisans, many using traditional handicraft techniques, who collectively restored Notre Dame to look better now than ever. "We went from night to light," said one of the workers in the movie. Macron's political woes The celebration is expected to give a much-needed boost to embattled Macron, whose prime minister was ousted this week , plunging the nation’s politics into more turmoil. The French president, who has called Notre Dame's reopening “a jolt of hope,” will address the gathering. He had hoped the occasion would briefly silence his critics and showcase France’s unity and resilience under his leadership. Macron's presidency now faces its gravest crisis after the government's collapse this week in a historic no-confidence vote that toppled Prime Minister Michel Barnier. The vote followed months of political gridlock after snap elections in June. Calls are now growing louder from opposition forces for Macron to resign. But he vowed Thursday to remain in office until the end of his term in 2027, and said he'll name a new prime minister within days. As France struggles with economic woes and social unrest, Notre Dame's rebirth celebrations form a stark contrast. Security is tight for this global event Security will be high through the weekend, echoing measures taken during the Paris Olympics earlier this year. The Île de la Cité — the small island in the River Seine that is home to Notre Dame and the historic heart of Paris— is closed to tourists and non-residents. Police vans and barriers blocked cobblestoned streets in a large perimeter around the island, while soldiers in thick body armor and sniffer dogs patrolled embankments. A special security detail is following Trump. Public viewing areas along the Seine’s southern bank will accommodate 40,000 spectators, who can follow the celebrations on large screens. For many, Notre Dame’s rebirth is not just a French achievement but a global one — after the reopening, the cathedral is set to welcome 15 million visitors annually, up from 12 million before the fire. ___ Sylvie Corbet, Yesica Brumec, Marine Lesprit and Mark Carlson in Paris contributed. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through The AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Thomas Adamson And John Leicester, The Associated PressMONTREAL — The Vegas Golden Knights exploded for five unanswered goals in the second period to roll over the Montreal Canadiens 6-2 on Saturday night. Tomas Hertl, Callahan Burke, Ivan Barbashev, Tanner Pearson and Keegan Kolesar each scored. Montreal’s Emil Heineman and Jayden Struble scored in the third before Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel collected his seventh of the season. Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill stopped 15 of 17 shots. Montreal’s Sam Montembeault gave up five goals on 25 shots before he was replaced in the third period by Cayden Primeau, who turned away two of three shots. Takeaways Golden Knights: Vegas recovered from losing back-to-back games earlier in the week with a second straight road win. Eleven different players registered at least a point in Montreal. Canadiens: The even-strength play that helped Montreal win four of five games vanished as the Canadiens regressed to its early season disarray at both ends of the ice. Key moment Less than a minute after falling behind 2-0, Montreal turned the puck over at the offensive blue line and Barbashev scored on a two-on-one rush. Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) stops Montreal Canadiens' Nick Suzuki (14) as Knights' Noah Hanifin (15) defends during first period NHL hockey action in Montreal, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Credit: AP/Graham Hughes Key stat Montreal allowed five or more even-strength goals for the sixth time this season. Up next The Golden Knights continue their road trip Monday in Philadelphia. Montreal hosts the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday.