, /PRNewswire/ -- Representatives from and shared their insights on promoting artificial intelligence (AI) governance and data sharing at a sub-forum of the 20th Beijing-Tokyo Forum in recently. The sub-forum contributed eastern wisdom to AI governance and digital social development, demonstrating the significance of international cooperation for the development of the digital economy, according to Gao Shaolin, advisor at Peking University's Legal Artificial Intelligence Research Center. AI governance framework The participants agreed that the next 10 years will be a critical period for the development of AI. Gao Wen, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), said since State Council issued a guideline on developing AI in 2017, the nation has made significant progress in AI research and development and industrial layout, especially in computing power and 5G network construction. By the end of 2023, had over half of the world's 1.57 billion 5G users, according to the World Internet Development Report 2024. It ranked second globally in AI and computing power scale, which has laid a solid foundation for the rapid development of AI. , project professor at the of Health and Welfare, said it was very meaningful for and to discuss strengthening AI governance rules. , research director of the Nomura Research Institute, echoed his view. He emphasized that the core goal of AI technology is to improve productivity and eliminate obstacles to social development, and called on Chinese and Japanese experts to work together to build an AI governance framework to cope with the global challenges. Deepening international cooperation put forth the Global AI Governance Initiative in October last year. In July, the UN General Assembly adopted a -sponsored resolution on enhancing international cooperation on AI capacity-building. The participants spoke highly of the Global Cross-Border Data Flow Cooperation Initiative recently proposed by . They agreed that AI governance requires global collaboration, especially in the formulation of international standards and the construction of ethical frameworks, where and can play an active role. Ding Wenhua, academician of the CAE, said and have both similarities and differences in technology development and governance priorities, so deepening cooperation will bring unique value to global AI governance. " and should deepen AI technology cooperation between enterprises, work together in AI security research, talent exchange, and jointly explore more possibilities for the application of technology," , president of the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, said. Balancing development & risks AI governance refers to the guardrails established to ensure AI systems and tools remain safe and ethical and respect human rights. , editor-in-chief of Science and Technology Daily, stressed that AI, as a revolutionary technology, has far-reaching impacts on all areas of society and economy. However, its potential risks such as data leakage and the spread of false information should not be ignored. "Technological progress and security ethics should be developed in a balanced way to ensure that AI technology always serves the progress of human civilization," Xu said. AI governance should not only heed the current technological ethics issues, but also prevent possible long-term risks, such as AI going out of human control, according to , senior corporate advisor of NTT DATA. He said AI R&D and application should abide by the principles of fairness, transparency, safety and availability. Yuan Yue, chairman of Beijing Dataway Horizon, shared his view from the perspective of regulatory models. "Policy choices should be based on the current status and goals of national technological development," Yuan said, adding that prefers to provide a more friendly development environment for enterprises while ensuring an effective response to risks. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Science and Technology DailyGogglebox star unrecognisable as she returns from uni to reunite with celeb sister
Mind the Gap: Six Tips to Assess Your Healthcare Coverage Before the New Year
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Returning after the bye week, the Houston Texans welcomed back linebacker Christian Harris and guard Kenyon Green to the practice field on Monday. The window for both to return to the active roster is now open. Harris has been absent since the start of training camp, but Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans likes what he sees from last year's breakout star on his defense. "Christian has done an outstanding job of working off to the side, and our strength and conditioning staff and sports performance staff has done a great job of working with Christian," Ryans said. "Just seeing him back and moving around. He looks like himself physically, and it is just a matter of missing a lot of football and just a matter of him getting back in and getting those mental reps." Harris' potential return could offer a big boost to a Texans defense while starter and team leader Azzez Al-Shaair serves his three-game suspension. When ABC13 asked what kind of impact Harris could make if he's able to return soon, linebacker Henry To'oTo'o said, "Christian at 100%, 70%, 50%, he's amazing." Ryans wouldn't commit to any immediate lineup changes when Harris and Green return to the active roster. "I am not making any decisions here today," Ryans said. But the Texans will certainly put any reinforcements to use as they open a stretch of three games in ten days starting Sunday against a streaking Miami team, followed up by a trip to Kansas City, and a Christmas Day game against Baltimore. For more on this story, follow Greg Bailey on Facebook , X and Instagram .Wedding couple make entry on ‘Animal’ inspired machine gun
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President of Uzbekistan participates in an informal meeting of the CIS heads of stateMind the Gap: Six Tips to Assess Your Healthcare Coverage Before the New Year
A video of a rescue dog fully embracing her new life of love and affection has melted viewers' hearts. Dog owner Renee told Newsweek via TikTok that her now-rescued pit bull Gloria was involved in a "bad" backyard breeding situation in California. At one point in her time there, she had a prolapsed uterus. This occurs when a portion of the uterus protrudes through the cervix, which is most common during or after delivery. The backyard breeder no longer had use for Gloria and sent her to a high-kill shelter . Thankfully, her foster parent saw her story on social media. They reached out to rescues who could step in and save her. Underdog Heroes came to the rescue and Gloria soon went to her foster family for about seven months. Three potential adopters fell through before Gloria's now-owner, Renee, finally welcomed her home. "I saw Gloria on Instagram through her foster and we began chatting and one thing led to another," Renee said. "We drove 8 hours on May 18th to meet them and Gloria and brought her home!" It hasn't been an easy transition, however. Gloria needed time to decompress and learn to trust again, but she has made giant strides since then thanks to the family's patience and the help they received from a trainer. "She is a very sensitive girl and is still learning to trust us and feel at home," she said. "She is THE BIGGEST baby and loves to cuddle more than anything!" The December 15 TikTok video posted to the account @mamarenee0318 shows Gloria accepting gentle face rubs as she sits in a VIP seat. In a state of bliss, Gloria embraced the pets and affection. Gloria didn't want to open her eyes just in case the happy dream would end. It's as if she still can't believe she went from a trauma-filled backyard breeder to a life of love. Viewer Reactions As of Tuesday, the clip amassed over 200,700 views, 21,100 likes and 445 comments. TikTok viewers instantly fell in love with Gloria and filled the comment section with their happiness, as all dogs should get to experience this type of love. "They are the absolute best companions you'll ever find. Gentle house hippos," said one viewer. Another added: "It's like she thinks it's a dream and doesn't want to open her eyes." A third person asked: "Can we rent this dog out.... I could pet this dog for 8 hours straight."
Astronauts have to live in a tiny space, so that space has to be as functional as possible. They also have to be protected from a crazy exterior environment that many times we have never experienced before, so the space has to be well protected and insulated. That type of cross industry, innovative thinking shaped haus.me , a prefabrication company that assembles homes in a factory to be delivered to a site with no work requirements after it arrives. The company’s off-the-grid homes do not need to be connected or plugged in. Haus.me started researching, developing and creating materials, technologies, software, polymer composites, and energy efficiency solutions, and then started creating houses as a demonstration of those ideas. Part of that demonstration was bringing the simplicity and clarity of a nationally approved product to the United States – a concept that few have approached. The product uses the same design for every place in the world, making it able to be installed anywhere regardless of the building code. “It’s over engineered,” says Max Gerbut, founder and CEO of the Ukrainian company who has been studying the global market place. “The German building code is more complex than the U.S., and the Passive House Institute is the most advanced building code, so it is what we use.” His group was inspired to create a new structure resembling airplane and yacht engineering after working with NASA and Berkeley University at the MARS 3D printing project as volunteer engineers. The work resulted in a proprietary carbon fiber polymer composite beamed structure that is light and super strong, so the homes can withstand the worst climate events. The company claims to be the only manufactured home in the U.S. that can stand up to hurricane category five conditions, plus, the structures are fire retardant, and protected with a lifetime water warranty. In colder environments, the homes can handle a snow load of more than 300 pounds per square feet. “We applied our physics ideas and inventions into home manufacturing as a perfect structural material and perfect insulation at the same time,” he wrote. That proprietary engineering led to a carbon fiber insulation that helps the home perform to net zero, or to generate enough energy to cover the needs of the structure. The walls have a thermal resistance or R-value of 80, so the homeowner benefits from energy savings on top of cost savings. “There are some days that the system will not be able to perform,” Gernut said. “Solar energy in January is only 20% of what it is in July. We reduced energy consumption in the home by 20 times. Not by 20%, but by 20 times, with the engineering and design.” His calculations show that the 800-square-foot haus.me mTwo Pro consumes just 27 kWh per day on a -20 degree winter day versus 165 kWh for a same sized house built conventionally. On a 100 degree summer day, the haus.me home operates on about 17 kWh per day, versus 67 kWh for a traditional built home. Both result in significant energy and cost savings. Again, similar to the approach to the rockets we launch into space, his team aims to find and deliver the latest and greatest in technology. The difference between two of the company’s options on one 120-square-foot home is $55,000, and it’s all due to technology. “We are very familiar with the market and the technology in the market and we can show we are the most advanced—we triple the technology in the structure.,” Gernut said referring to the additional cost. Manufacturing The Future Of Housing Haus.me has more than 215 manufacturing partners around the world, manufacturing the several hundred components in each structure. With the company’s expansion to the U.S., it has delivered homes to five different states to date. “Our experience is in industrial engineering,” Gerbut said. “Every screw is designed to be in compliance with building codes. It is like a car manufacturing facility. We receive all components in one place and then it can all be put together with a screwdriver.” Part of the innovativeness of the haus.me model is the way the product comes together, with little need for skilled labor, or labor at all. “The biggest problem in the U.S. is the labor cost,” he said. “Labor cost is about 65%, so when you buy a house for one million dollars, you pay $650,000 for labor. All our components are designed and manufactured in different places, and delivered to our plant. We put it together and all it takes is a screwdriver. Our average labor cost is 9%.” If you buy this house all the rest is materials, technology. haus.me comes in three self-sufficient structure sizes–400, 800 or 1,600 square feet—that can be placed on any foundation. While that alone seems like a very salient sales point – it is even more attractive to think that money isn’t wasted on extra labor, instead that money goes to the home’s technology and energy efficiency. Installed In An Hour Gernut took a page from the pizza delivery book and promotes his 120-square-foot microhaus.me product with the line, “A home can be installed in 60 minutes or it’s free.” Not only is he putting it on the line for the quick installation, he says it can be dropped on any surface, from gravel to sand, or even on a rooftop, with no site preparation. “It also doesn’t need permitting,” he said. “We take care of all hook ups. We can drop it in any backyard in any country in less than an hour. Everything in it is included, the dishes, the furniture, for between $35,000 to $90,000.” The price range represents three distinct models that can serve various needs and give a buyer the opportunity to transition out of renting, own an asset, and have a fairly quick return on investment. The microhaus.me website has a nifty return on investment calculator for the user to do their personalized math. Gerbut says that the units are popular for glamping and for island resorts where development is difficult for conventional construction. What’s the power of a home that doesn’t need permitting? “A solution like microhaus helps with housing affordability and supply, can accelerate bringing supply online, more efficient compliance, and regulatory review by focusing that at the point of production, if municipalities allow for these types of installs,” wrote Ben Allen, a co-founder at the planning review and permitting platform GreenLite . “It should put less regulatory burden on already strained local building departments.” What may appear to be "regulatory hacking," isn’t necessarily a removal of oversight, but can just be that a more efficient compliance review is being conducted. “There is a strong trend in using prefabricated structures or fixtures to accelerate development and use of assets because of deeply felt permitting pain across the country,” Allen said. “These structures are usually inspected and verified to be compliant at the factory or point of production.” It can create big time savings when local authorities honor compliance declarations from other governing bodies, just like the haus.me intended by having a universally approved structure. Allen summarizes that the idea of a permit-free home speaks to the desire to build swiftly, safely, and within a known budget. Shifting where and when a compliance review is conducted, such as during fabrication and prior to shipment, to a more efficient point in development, should be celebrated as long as it’s adequate to ensure safety to people and communities. With many advantages, there are bound to be a few disadvantages. If the volume of homes that don’t need permitting continues to grow, and then are installed without organized community planning or oversight, it could start to strain utilities like power, water, and sewer. One other challenge of this type of product can be transportation costs. But, while sometimes transporting modular units makes them not financially feasible, it doesn’t seem to be a problem with the microhaus. The company has built inventory in Florida and has seen shipping costs typically arrive at less than $5,000 per unit. Embracing The Future Of Housing Gernut says that consumers still are not convinced. “People need to know it is possible to live anywhere in the world,” he said. “We can drop the house anywhere in the world on undeveloped land and it will have zero bills forever. It is already available on the market.” Want to try out the future of housing? No problem. The microhaus is available as an Airbnb stay in California, Florida, and Oregon where it is a guest favorite with close to a 5-star rating from more than 50 reviews.
“We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes — and we must.” Jimmy Carter, at his 2002 Nobel Peace Prize lecture Former President Jimmy Carter, a man who redefined what a post-presidency could be, died Sunday. Dec. 29. He was 100. Carter, who lived longer than any other U.S. president, entered home hospice care in Plains, Georgia, in February 2023 after a series of short hospital stays. Carter had the longest post-presidency of anyone to hold the office, and one of the most active. After a one-term presidency, which ended with low approval ratings, Carter emerged as a champion of human rights and worked for several charitable causes. Carter founded the Carter Presidential Center at Emory University in Atlanta. The center, which began in 1982, is devoted to issues relating to democracy and human rights. The only Georgian ever elected to the White House, Carter left office after a single term that was highlighted by forging peace between Israel and Egypt, but was overshadowed by the Iran hostage crisis. In the decades after, his reputation grew through his and wife Rosalynn Carter’s work at the Carter Center in Atlanta and his philanthropic causes such as Habitat for Humanity. “People will be celebrating Jimmy Carter for hundreds of years. His reputation is only going to grow,” Rice University history professor Douglas Brinkley wrote in his book “The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter.” In 1986, The Carter Center began leading an international campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease. The disease may soon become the second human disease in history, after smallpox, to be eradicated. Since 1984, Carter worked with Habitat for Humanity International, an organization that works worldwide to provide housing for underprivileged people. WASHINGTON – APRIL 27: (FILE PHOTO) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter walks past a Naval Honor Guard during a dedication ceremony for a nuclear submarine bearing his name at the Pentagon April 27, 1998 in Washington, DC. Carter served in the U.S. Navy prior to his political career. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced October 11, 2002 that Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2002. (Photo by Robert Giroux/Getty Images) LAGRANGE, GA – JUNE 10: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalyn attach siding to the front of a Habitat for Humanity home being built June 10, 2003 in LaGrange, Georgia. More than 90 homes are being built in LaGrange; Valdosta, Georgia; and Anniston, Alabama by volunteers as part of Habitat for Humanity International’s Jimmy Carter Work Project 2003. (Photo by Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images) OSLO, NORWAY – DECEMBER 10: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter holds up his Nobel Peace Prize December 10, 2002 in Oslo, Norway. Carter was recognized for many years of public service and urged others to work for peace during his acceptance speech. (Photo by Arne Knudsen/Getty Images) WASHIGTON – NOVEMBER 18: U.S. President George W. Bush (R) stands with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (L), winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, with H. Robert Horvitz, recipient of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine, looking on during a reception for 2002 U.S. Nobel laureates in the White House Oval Office November 18, 2002 in Washington, DC. The official awards ceremony will be held later this year in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Robert Trippett/Getty Images) VIOLET, LA – MAY 21: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter works on the 1,000th home to be built by Habitat for Humanity on the Gulf Coast May 21, 2007 in Violet, Louisiana. Carter made waves May 19 when he said that the Bush administration “has been the worst in history”, in an interview published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) Former US president Jimmy Carter (C) and his wife Rosalynn (R) inspect some of the 32 houses being built for poor families under the Habitat for Humanity campaign at Dong Xa village, in the northern province of Hai Duong on November 18, 2009. The volunteers for Habitat for Humanity will build or repair 166 homes in Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam on the November 15-20 tour, the Atlanta-based Christian group said. AFP PHOTO/HOANG DINH Nam (Photo credit should read HOANG DINH NAM/AFP via Getty Images) PLAINS, GA – OCTOBER 11: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter greets the crowd after a news conference at The Carter Center October 11, 2002 in Plains, Georgia. Carter was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize October 11, 2002 for his efforts to promote human rights and peace mediation efforts, with the Norwegian Nobel Committee adding that his “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter was noted for the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. (Photo by Ken Krakow/Getty Images) NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 12, 2000: (FILE PHOTO) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter walks outside of a Habitat for Humanity home September 12, 2000 in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Carter was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize October 11, 2002 for his efforts to promote human rights and peace mediation efforts, with the Norwegian Nobel Committee adding that his “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter was noted for the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) NEW YORK – OCTOBER 8: (FILE PHOTO) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter leaves a news conference where he and Raymond V. Gilmartin, President and CEO of Merck and Co., presented a model for global health care October 8, 2002 in New York City. Carter was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize October 11, 2002 for his efforts to promote human rights and peace mediation efforts, with the Norwegian Nobel Committee adding that his “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter was noted for the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 23: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter answers a question during a panel discussion at the University of Illinois at Chicago as part of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates on April 23, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. The 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates convenes in Chicago today and runs through Wednesday, April 25. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Former US President and Nobel Prize for Peace winner Jimmy Carter takes part in the building of houses for “Habitat for Humanity International” ONG 25 October, 2004 in Puebla, 110 km west of Mexico City. US President George W. Bush “has been adroit” at exploiting the suffering caused by the September 11 attacks, his predecessor Jimmy Carter said in an interview with the Guardian published Monday. AFP PHOTO/Ronaldo SCHEMIDT (Photo by Ronaldo SCHEMIDT / AFP) (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images) WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 04: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (R) speaks as Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford (L) looks on during a news conference for the kick-off of an all-week construction project to mark the World Habitat Day and the annual Habitat for Humanity Carter Work Project October 4, 2010 in the Ivy City neighborhood of Washington, DC. Carter was recently released from an Ohio hospital after being treated for a viral infection. Under the project a total of 86 homes will be built, rehabilitated or repaired in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota; and Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) WASHINGTON – APRIL 27: (FILE PHOTO) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter walks past a Naval Honor Guard during a dedication ceremony for a nuclear submarine bearing his name at the Pentagon April 27, 1998 in Washington, DC. Carter served in the U.S. Navy prior to his political career. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced October 11, 2002 that Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2002. (Photo by Robert Giroux/Getty Images) James Earl Carter Jr. was born in Plains on Oct. 1, 1924, the first of four children of Earl Carter, a farmer and businessman, and Lillian Gordy Carter, a registered nurse. Related: Jimmy Carter turns 99 with family around him He gained an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduated and joined the Navy submarine branch where in seven years he worked his way into “Rickover’s boys,” the elite nascent unit of America’s nuclear submarine fleet championed by the iconic Admiral Hyman Rickover. Carter was on his way up until a death at home changed his destiny. His father Earl, a farmer, businessman and cornerstone personality in the Plains community, died from cancer. Carter left the Navy and its far-from-Plains postings such as Hawaii, and he, Rosalynn and their growing family returned to Georgia in 1953 to take over the family farming business. It was there he first ran for school board, then state senator. He was elected governor in 1970. Carter served one successful term before launching an improbable bid to become president, winning the Democratic nomination and then defeating Republican President Gerald Ford in November 1976. On his inauguration day, rather than driving past the crowds in an armored limousine, Jimmy and Rosalynn emerged from the car with daughter Amy at their side and walked down Pennsylvania Avenue, holding hands and waving. Carter’s successes included promoting human rights, adding to the national park and preserve system, reestablishing governmental credibility after the Watergate Crisis, and the Camp David Accords, which forged a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. They were overshadowed by trouble at home and abroad. At home, Carter and his advisers, most of them Washington outsiders, met resistance from his own party. Then, in November 1979, Iranian militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took hostages. He tried negotiation, then launched a bold rescue mission that never reached its target because of helicopter failure. He could not resolve the situation until the last day of his administration. Related Articles At home, a foundering economy exacerbated by oil embargoes from Mideast countries and the rise of the Republican Party under Ronald Reagan helped lead to his defeat in November 1980. Carter returned to tiny Plains and used the power of an ex-president’s bully pulpit as the springboard to his last, and, some say, his best act. Carter began volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, a fairly new Americus-based organization, building houses for the poor. Then, together with Rosalynn, he founded the Atlanta-based Carter Center, which focused on making peace and spreading health and democracy around the world. It will carry the couple’s humanitarian and democratic work forward. From his work as president and as the leader of the Carter Center, he won the Nobel Prize, the United National Human Rights Prize and many other notable awards from countries, organizations and world leaders. The Carters both were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. ”Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter,” Clinton said, “have done more good things for more people in more places than any other couple on the face of the Earth.” Rosalynn Carter, Jimmy Carter’s wife of 77 years, died in November 2023 . They are survived by their children Amy, Chip, Jack and Jeff; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. Sources: Cartercenter.org, Plains Historical Preservation Trust, The Associated Press; The Brookings Institution; U.S. Navy; WhiteHouse.gov, GallupTrump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens nextChina launches new compact radiation detection chip for semiconductor self-reliance
Westshore Terminals Investment Co. (WTE) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.38 on January 15th
Abdur Rehman Pakistan, predominantly a Muslim country, has a rich history and heritage of many other religions, such as Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. Among these religions, Buddhism left a rich archaeological and civilisational heritage. Buddha was born in present-day southern Nepal. He travelled through the subcontinent and visited present-day Pakistan during his meditation journey. Consequently, Buddhism flourished in present-day Pakistan, spanning over a millennium. This period left a rich heritage in Pakistan, including philosophy, art, culture, architecture and stupas. This heritage spreads from northern Pakistan to southern Afghanistan. This insight explores how Pakistan’s Buddhist heritage can bridge peace and harmony between Pakistan and Buddhist nations. Buddhism thrived in the Gandhara region, which now encompasses modern-day Peshawar, Swat, and Taxila, from the 2nd century BC to the 8th century AD. This era saw the birth of a remarkable cultural legacy, evident in its architecture and a unique blend of Buddhist and Greek elements. The ruins of Takht-i-Bahi in Swat, dating back to the 1st century (Figure 1), and the Buddhist statues at the Lahore Fort, which contains Buddhist carvings and inscriptions, are a testament to this fascinating blend. The archaeological sites at Taxila further enrich this cultural tapestry. Buddhism is the fourth-largest religion and dominant religion in at least eight countries. Seven countries have more than fifty per cent Buddhist population, which include Cambodia (96%), Thailand (92%), Myanmar (79.8%), Bhutan (75%), Sri Lanka (70%), Laos (66.8%) and Mongolia (53%). According to a Gallup survey 2016, around 58 million Buddhist pilgrims want to visit religious sites. Out of these 58 million, five per cent want to visit Pakistan, which is almost 2.9 million people who want to visit Pakistan. However, according to the foreign ministry, only 1500 people visit Buddhist sites in Pakistan annually. The economic potential of these heritage sites is substantial. In 2022, the World Bank reported that Pakistan attracted US$16 billion in tourist spending, which can reach US$30 billion by 2033. It generated a revenue of US$3.7 billion in 2024, and US$5.533 billion in revenue is expected by 2029. According to Business Recorder, only these Buddhist pilgrims have the potential to generate US$900 million to US$1.3 billion annually. Figure 3 shows the annual expected revenue growth in the tourism industry in Pakistan (including religious tourism). Business Recorder has also claimed that Pakistan can almost double its revenue from tourism. Tourism contributes about 10% to the GDP and employs one in ten people worldwide. However, in 2022, the travel and tourism sector contributed 5.9% to Pakistan’s GDP. The restoration of damaged sites and infrastructure development are necessary to attract tourism. In this regard, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Government has taken many initiatives, like the restoration of the Landi Kotal Stupa and a master plan to restore and preserve Takht-i-Bahi. The government is also working on digitally preserving these stupas and sites in 3D virtual form in collaboration with the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). However, these efforts only preserve the heritage; its marketing to attract tourists must be further enhanced. Promoting Pakistan’s religious tourism sites has remained absent from the country’s social and electronic media due to content creation on more commercially viable niches generating engagement and advertising revenue. It needs a comprehensive strategy. Uxi Mufti observes that religious tourism sites often fail to attract influencers’ attention despite their cultural and historical significance due to their perceived limited monetary potential. To attract more tourists, Pakistan needs to follow a comprehensive strategy. *Pakistan can leverage social media influencers from Buddhist-majority countries to promote its Buddhist heritage by collaborating with content creators in their native languages, such as Chinese influencers sharing in Mandarin clips. *Pakistan can also collaborate with domestic and international television and film industries by incorporating Buddhist stories and showcasing archaeological sites and present-day locations. *The Government needs to develop modern accommodation facilities near these sites, install multilingual signage and information boards to cater to diverse tourists and train local guides. Pakistan can develop a comprehensive public-private partnership approach to promote Buddhist heritage tourism. By integrating government resources with private sector innovations like digital mapping, augmented reality, venture capital investments, cross-border tourism strategies, and multimedia storytelling, the country can transform historical sites into economically viable destinations that attract diverse audiences through sophisticated technological and marketing approaches. Writer can be reached at muhammadar3488@gmail.com
Jimmy Carter, the 39th president and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has died at 100TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Five players who missed the Pittsburgh Steelers' 34-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday could return this week against the Kansas City Chiefs. Time, though, isn't on their side with the Steelers facing the Chiefs in a Christmas matchup at Acrisure Stadium. The quick turnaround also is a reason coach Mike Tomlin listed two players injured in the 17-point loss — cornerback Joey Porter and wide receiver Ben Skowronek — as questionable to return when the Steelers play again Wednesday. Porter left with a knee injury — it originally was ruled an issue with his calf — and Skowronek, a special teams contributor as well, injured his hip. Both players returned briefly in the second half before exiting for good. "I just don't have a lot of new information on those guys given that we just played last night," Tomlin said Sunday at his weekly news conference. "We're still in the process of assessing those things. Anybody that did make it out of that stadium yesterday on a four-day turnaround is probably going to have a difficult time showing for this one." The game will be the third for the Steelers (10-5) in an 11-day span. The Steelers faced the Ravens — on the road — six days after a 27-13 loss at Philadelphia. They will have just one full day of practice — and a walk-through Tuesday — to prepare for the Chiefs, who have crafted a 14-1 record on the heels of winning... Joe Rutter
Stock market today: Stocks waver in thin trading after US markets reopen following a holiday pauseEl presidente electo de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, sube al escenario para pronunciar un discurso en los FOX Nation Patriot Awards, el 5 de diciembre de 2024, en Greenvale, Nueva York. (AP Foto/Heather Khalifa) FILE – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event, Sept. 27, 2024 in Walker, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) FILE – Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at First Horizon Coliseum, Nov. 2, 2024, in Greensboro, NC. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) FILE – Mehmet Oz visits the AW Driving School & License Testing Center in Allentown, Pa., Sept. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) FILE – Former Rep. Doug Collins speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File) El presidente electo de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, sube al escenario para pronunciar un discurso en los FOX Nation Patriot Awards, el 5 de diciembre de 2024, en Greenvale, Nueva York. (AP Foto/Heather Khalifa) By CHRISTINE FERNANDO CHICAGO (AP) — As Donald Trump’s Cabinet begins to take shape, those on both sides of the abortion debate are watching closely for clues about how his picks might affect reproductive rights policy in the president-elect’s second term . Trump’s cabinet picks offer a preview of how his administration could handle abortion after he repeatedly flip-flopped on the issue on the campaign trail. He attempted to distance himself from anti-abortion allies by deferring to states on abortion policy, even while boasting about nominating three Supreme Court justices who helped strike down the constitutional protections for abortion that had stood for half a century. In an NBC News interview that aired Sunday, Trump said he doesn’t plan to restrict medication abortion but also seemed to leave the door open, saying “things change.” “Things do change, but I don’t think it’s going to change at all,” he said. The early lineup of his new administration , including nominations to lead health agencies, the Justice Department and event the Department of Veterans Affairs, has garnered mixed — but generally positive — reactions from anti-abortion groups. Abortion law experts said Trump’s decision to include fewer candidates with deep ties to the anti-abortion movement could indicate that abortion will not be a priority for Trump’s administration. “It almost seems to suggest that President Trump might be focusing his administration in other directions,” said Greer Donley, an associate law professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Karen Stone, vice president of public policy at Planned Parenthood Action Fund , said while many of the nominees have “extensive records against reproductive health care,” some do not. She cautioned against making assumptions based on Trump’s initial cabinet selections. Still, many abortion rights groups are wary, in part because many of the nominees hold strong anti-abortion views even if they do not have direct ties to anti-abortion activists. They’re concerned that an administration filled with top-level officials who are personally opposed to abortion could take steps to restrict access to the procedure and funding. After Trump’s ambiguity about abortion during his campaign, “there’s still a lot we don’t know about what policy is going to look like,” said Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law. That approach may be revealed as the staffs within key departments are announced. Trump announced he would nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department, which anti-abortion forces have long targeted as central to curtailing abortion rights nationwide. Yet Kennedy shifted on the issue during his own presidential campaign. In campaign videos, Kennedy said he supports abortion access until viability , which doctors say is sometime after 21 weeks, although there is no defined timeframe. But he also said “every abortion is a tragedy” and argued for a national ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, a stance he quickly walked back. The head of Health and Human Services oversees Title X funding for a host of family planning services and has sweeping authority over agencies that directly affect abortion access, including the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The role is especially vital amid legal battles over a federal law known as EMTALA, which President Joe Biden’s administration has argued requires emergency abortion access nationwide, and FDA approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. Mini Timmaraju, president of the national abortion rights organization Reproductive Freedom for All, called Kennedy an “unfit, unqualified extremist who cannot be trusted to protect the health, safety and reproductive freedom of American families.” His potential nomination also has caused waves in the anti-abortion movement. Former Vice President Mike Pence , a staunch abortion opponent, urged the Senate to reject Kennedy’s nomination. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said the group had its own concerns about Kennedy. “There’s no question that we need a pro-life HHS secretary,” she said. Fox News correspondent Marty Makary is Trump’s pick to lead the FDA, which plays a critical role in access to medication abortion and contraception. Abortion rights groups have accused him of sharing misinformation about abortion on air. Russell Vought , a staunch anti-abortion conservative, has been nominated for director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought was a key architect of Project 2025 , a right-wing blueprint for running the federal government. Among other actions to limit reproductive rights, it calls for eliminating access to medication abortion nationwide, cutting Medicaid funding for abortion and restricting access to contraceptive care, especially long-acting reversible contraceptives such as IUD’s. Despite distancing himself from the conservative manifesto on the campaign trail, Trump is stocking his administration with people who played central roles in developing Project 2025. Trump acknowledged that drafters of the report would be part of his incoming administration during the Sunday interview with NBC News, saying “Many of those things I happen to agree with.” “These cabinet appointments all confirm that Project 2025 was in fact the blueprint all along, and the alarm we saw about it was warranted,” said Amy Williams Navarro, director of government relations for Reproductive Freedom for All. Dr. Mehmet Oz , Trump’s choice to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is a former television talk show host who has been accused of hawking dubious medical treatments and products. He voiced contradictory abortion views during his failed Senate run in 2022. Oz has described himself as “strongly pro-life, praised the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade , claimed “life starts at conception” and referred to abortion as “murder.” But he also has echoed Trump’s states-rights approach, arguing the federal government should not be involved in abortion decisions. “I want women, doctors, local political leaders, letting the democracy that’s always allowed our nation to thrive to put the best ideas forward so states can decide for themselves,” he said during a Senate debate two years ago. An array of reproductive rights groups opposed his Senate run. As CMS administrator, Oz would be in a key position to determine Medicaid coverage for family planning services and investigate potential EMTALA violations. Related Articles National Politics | In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own National Politics | Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results National Politics | Trump taps his attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president National Politics | US announces nearly $1 billion more in longer-term weapons support for Ukraine National Politics | With Trump on the way, advocates look to states to pick up medical debt fight As Florida’s attorney general, Pam Bondi defended abortion restrictions, including a 24-hour waiting period. Now she’s Trump’s choice for attorney general . Her nomination is being celebrated by abortion opponents but denounced by abortion rights groups concerned she may revive the Comstock Act , an anti-vice law passed by Congress in 1873 that, among other things, bans mailing of medication or instruments used in abortion. An anti-abortion and anti-vaccine former Florida congressman, David Weldon, has been chosen to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which collects and monitors abortion data across the country. Former Republican congressman Doug Collins is Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs amid a political battle over abortion access and funding for troops and veterans. Collins voted consistently to restrict funding and access to abortion and celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “This is a team that the pro-life movement can work with,” said Kristin Hawkins, president of the national anti-abortion organization Students for Life. 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WASHINGTON: Jimmy Carter, the earnest Georgia peanut farmer who as US president struggled with a bad economy and the Iran hostage crisis but brokered peace between Israel and Egypt and later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work, has died, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Sunday (Dec 29). He was 100. A Democrat, he served as president from January 1977 to January 1981 after defeating incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford in the 1976 U.S. election. Carter was swept from office four years later in an electoral landslide as voters embraced Republican challenger Ronald Reagan, the former actor and California governor. Carter lived longer after his term in office than any other US president. Along the way, he earned a reputation as a better former president than he was a president - a status he readily acknowledged. His one-term presidency was marked by the highs of the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, bringing some stability to the Middle East. But it was dogged by an economy in recession, persistent unpopularity and the embarrassment of the Iran hostage crisis that consumed his final 444 days in office. In recent years, Carter had experienced several health issues including melanoma that spread to his liver and brain. Carter decided to receive hospice care in February 2023 instead of undergoing additional medical intervention. His wife, Rosalynn Carter, died on Nov. 19, 2023, at age 96. He looked frail when he attended her memorial service and funeral in a wheelchair. Carter left office profoundly unpopular but worked energetically for decades on humanitarian causes. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 in recognition of his "untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." Carter had been a centrist as governor of Georgia with populist tendencies when he moved into the White House as the 39th U.S. president. He was a Washington outsider at a time when America was still reeling from the Watergate scandal that led Republican Richard Nixon to resign as president in 1974 and elevated Ford from vice president. "I'm Jimmy Carter and I'm running for president. I will never lie to you," Carter promised with an ear-to-ear smile. Asked to assess his presidency, Carter said in a 1991 documentary: "The biggest failure we had was a political failure. I never was able to convince the American people that I was a forceful and strong leader." Despite his difficulties in office, Carter had few rivals for accomplishments as a former president. He gained global acclaim as a tireless human rights advocate, a voice for the disenfranchised and a leader in the fight against hunger and poverty, winning the respect that eluded him in the White House. Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts to promote human rights and resolve conflicts around the world, from Ethiopia and Eritrea to Bosnia and Haiti. His Carter Center in Atlanta sent international election-monitoring delegations to polls around the world. A Southern Baptist Sunday school teacher since his teens, Carter brought a strong sense of morality to the presidency, speaking openly about his religious faith. He also sought to take some pomp out of an increasingly imperial presidency - walking, rather than riding in a limousine, in his 1977 inauguration parade. The Middle East was the focus of Carter's foreign policy. The 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty, based on the 1978 Camp David accords, ended a state of war between the two neighbors. Carter brought Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland for talks. Later, as the accords seemed to be unraveling, Carter saved the day by flying to Cairo and Jerusalem for personal shuttle diplomacy. The treaty provided for Israeli withdrawal from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and the establishment of diplomatic relations. Begin and Sadat each won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1978.By the 1980 election, the overriding issues were double-digit inflation, interest rates that exceeded 20% and soaring gas prices, as well as the Iran hostage crisis that brought humiliation to America. These issues marred Carter's presidency and undermined his chances of winning a second term. HOSTAGE CRISIS On Nov 4, 1979, revolutionaries devoted to Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had stormed the US Embassy in Tehran, seized the Americans present and demanded the return of the ousted shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was backed by the United States and was being treated in a US hospital. The American public initially rallied behind Carter. But his support faded in April 1980 when a commando raid failed to rescue the hostages, with eight US soldiers killed in an aircraft accident in the Iranian desert. Carter's final ignominy was that Iran held the 52 hostages until minutes after Reagan took his oath of office on Jan 20, 1981, to replace Carter, then released the planes carrying them to freedom. In another crisis, Carter protested the former Soviet Union's 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by boycotting the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. He also asked the U.S. Senate to defer consideration of a major nuclear arms accord with Moscow. Unswayed, the Soviets remained in Afghanistan for a decade. Carter won narrow Senate approval in 1978 of a treaty to transfer the Panama Canal to the control of Panama despite critics who argued the waterway was vital to American security. He also completed negotiations on full US ties with China. Carter created two new US Cabinet departments - education and energy. Amid high gas prices, he said America's "energy crisis" was "the moral equivalent of war" and urged the country to embrace conservation. "Ours is the most wasteful nation on earth," he told Americans in 1977. In 1979, Carter delivered what became known as his "malaise" speech to the nation, although he never used that word. "After listening to the American people I have been reminded again that all the legislation in the world can't fix what's wrong with America," he said in his televised address. "The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America." As president, the strait-laced Carter was embarrassed by the behavior of his hard-drinking younger brother, Billy Carter, who had boasted: "I got a red neck, white socks, and Blue Ribbon beer." "THERE YOU GO AGAIN" Jimmy Carter withstood a challenge from Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination but was politically diminished heading into his general election battle against a vigorous Republican adversary. Reagan, the conservative who projected an image of strength, kept Carter off balance during their debates before the November 1980 election. Reagan dismissively told Carter, "There you go again," when the Republican challenger felt the president had misrepresented Reagan's views during one debate. Carter lost the 1980 election to Reagan, who won 44 of the 50 states and amassed an Electoral College landslide. James Earl Carter Jr was born on Oct 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, one of four children of a farmer and shopkeeper. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946, served in the nuclear submarine program and left to manage the family peanut farming business. He married his wife, Rosalynn, in 1946, a union he called "the most important thing in my life." They had three sons and a daughter. Carter became a millionaire, a Georgia state legislator and Georgia's governor from 1971 to 1975. He mounted an underdog bid for the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination, and out-hustled his rivals for the right to face Ford in the general election. With Walter Mondale as his vice presidential running mate, Carter was given a boost by a major Ford gaffe during one of their debates. Ford said that "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration," despite decades of just such domination. Carter edged Ford in the election, even though Ford actually won more states - 27 to Carter's 23. Not all of Carter's post-presidential work was appreciated. Former President George W Bush and his father, former President George HW Bush, both Republicans, were said to have been displeased by Carter's freelance diplomacy in Iraq and elsewhere. In 2004, Carter called the Iraq war launched in 2003 by the younger Bush one of the most "gross and damaging mistakes our nation ever made." He called George W. Bush's administration "the worst in history" and said Vice President Dick Cheney was "a disaster for our country." In 2019, Carter questioned Republican Donald Trump's legitimacy as president, saying "he was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf." Trump responded by calling Carter "a terrible president." Carter also made trips to communist North Korea. A 1994 visit defused a nuclear crisis, as President Kim Il Sung agreed to freeze his nuclear program in exchange for resumed dialogue with the United States. That led to a deal in which North Korea, in return for aid, promised not to restart its nuclear reactor or reprocess the plant's spent fuel. But Carter irked Democratic President Bill Clinton's administration by announcing the deal with North Korea's leader without first checking with Washington. In 2010, Carter won the release of an American sentenced to eight years of hard labour for illegally entering North Korea. Carter wrote more than two dozen books, ranging from a presidential memoir to a children's book and poetry, as well as works about religious faith and diplomacy. His book Faith: A Journey for All, was published in 2018.Like a football off McBride's helmet, the Cardinals aren't getting many lucky bounces these days