1asiabet review
1asiabet review
NoneThis includes spoilers for the film Inside Llewyn Davis , a movie that its co-writer and director Joel Coen once said “doesn’t really have a plot” so don’t worry too much if you haven’t seen it. “If it was never new, and it never gets old, then it’s a folk song.” These are the first spoken words by Oscar Issac in Inside Llewyn Davis , the Joel and Ethan Coen masterpiece released in 2013, and their last perfect movie. They followed-up with the zany Hail, Caesar! and short film collection The Ballad of Buster Scruggs , both very good but not a punch to the solar plexus like Llewyn . Having just seen A Complete Unknown , which shares the setting of the folk revivalism scene of New York’s Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, it has been much on my mind. The Coen Brothers are currently on their own making inferior work, Joel with the surprisingly dull The Tragedy of MacBeth and Ethan with the lightweight Drive-Away Dolls . It’s a little ironic, because much of Inside Llewyn Davis hinges on the titular character unable to find footing after he splits from his partner, the unseen Mikey Timlin, voiced by Marcus Mumford. (In the movie, Timlin is dead; in real life, Joel and Ethan just need to have a good meal this holiday season and work things out.) Both Llewyn and Unknown begin specifically in 1961. The last scene of the Coen Brothers’s film (also the first scene, as it employs a record-stuck-in-a-groove gimmick) shows Llewyn Davis, the Job of folk music, at his absolute nadir, about to get ethered by a 20-year-old Dylan on the night that made him famous. Just as Davis is exiting the club, the Minnesota newcomer is spotted introducing his music to the crowd (and a critic from the New York Times ). He takes the stage just after Davis’s “never new” comment. Dylan, of course, skyrocketed to success off the back of his own compositions. Though the folk revivalism scene has a huge footprint in the culture, there haven’t been too many movies about it. Paul Mazursky’s Next Stop, Greenwich Village is set earlier (and it’s about actors, not singers) and Milos Forman’s Taking Off (to pull just one goodie out of a hat) is set later, focusing on plugged-in hippies. By which I mean it’s set in the counterculture rock world that Dylan helped invent when he “went electric” at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, the climax of A Complete Unknown. Inside Llewyn Davis ’s unnamed Dylan easter egg sixty seconds before the credits roll is one of the few direct representations of someone from the scene in that movie. The closest other one is F. Murray Abraham’s Bud Grossman, who is basically representing Albert Grossman, Dylan’s manager played by Dan Fogler in A Complete Unknown . The real Grossman actually ran the Gate of Horn club, where Abraham’s version serves Llewyn Davis the atomic diss “I don’t see a lot of money here” after Davis sings his brain out on “The Death of Queen Jane.” (Joan Baez, played by Monica Barbaro in A Complete Unknown , recorded the same song on her fifth album.) The trio group Grossman pitches back to Davis is meant to be the real band Peter, Paul and Mary, who are seen in the wings of A Complete Unknown , and who hit paydirt by making the first substantial recordings of Dylan’s songs, easing his unusual voice onto the radio. Davis’s dismissal of the offer, like him waving away royalties to “Please Mr. Kennedy,” like him telling his sister to throw away his seaman’s license, like him not making the exit to Akron, like him not being more thoughtful to people in general, is one in a long list of poor decisions that doom him to wander the slushy streets of New York and Chicago in search of a couch and some kindness. At first glimpse, Inside Llewyn Davis looked to be a biopic of the folk legend Dave Van Ronk, but that’s not really accurate. The commonalities are that Van Ronk, like Davis, spent some time in the Merchant Marine and that he released an album called Inside Dave Van Ronk . The copy of the album Inside Llewyn Davis within the movie Inside Llewyn Davis looks almost exactly the same—same font, some expression on the face of a guy hanging out in a doorway. The main difference is that Van Ronk’s cover has a cute cat poking its head out. That’s not on the cover seen in the movie—instead, the cat (or, more accurately, cats) are a major character in the film. But Llewyn Davis isn’t Dave Van Ronk at all. Oscar Issac’s clear, soulful tone sounds nothing like Van Ronk’s gruff gravel, and by all accounts Van Ronk was a beloved figure (something of an avuncular one to young Dylan when he first came to town), and also a righteous man. Llewyn Davis gets decked on MacDougal Street by an angry husband in the movie. In 1969, Van Ronk was beaten by cops during the Stonewall Uprising, standing up for gay rights. Though not named, the actor Michael Chernus plays a very Van Ronk-looking character early in A Complete Unknown , directing Timothée Chalamet’s young Dylan to the right address to meet the ailing Woody Guthrie. Dylan really did seek out Guthrie when he first came to New York, though the new film fudges some of the specifics. What’s important, though, is how so many of the old guard embraced the newcomer, letting him hop from couch to couch during his early days, much like Llewyn Davis does while wearing out his welcome in his later ones. A funny moment in Inside Llewyn Davis , when he spies a piece of mail addressed to Albert Milgram (whom he knows as cowboy hat-wearing country singer Al Cody, played by Adam Driver), foreshadows the moment when Elle Fanning’s character Sylvia Russo (based on Dylan’s real life early girlfriend Suze Rotolo) sees a package meant for Robert Zimmerman, Dylan’s birth name. That’s just about the only exact note sung in both films. But what’s remarkable about this unanticipated double feature is how they nail the specifics of the time—the locations, the clothing, the props, the vibe. (Not that I was personally alive back then, but I’ve read a lot about the period and lived in the area as a college student closer in time to then than to now, if that makes any sense.) Inside Llewyn Davis conquered social media with memes—Oscar Isaac and a cat will do that—but won no Academy Awards. It only got nominated for two, cinematography and sound mixing. Many awards soothsayers have Chalamet as a front runner for the 2025 Oscars , and he’s well deserving of the praise. It’ll be some extra slush in Llewyn Davis’s shoe if Bob Dylan eclipses him once more. Jordan Hoffman is a writer and critic in New York City. His work also appears in Vanity Fair, The Guardian, and the Times of Israel. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Circle, and tweets at @JHoffman about Phish and Star Trek.
Federation of Retailer Association of India (FRAI), a representative body of about 80 lakh micro, small and medium retailers from across the country with a membership of 42 Retail Associations organised an event in New Delhi today to highlight the urgent need for enhanced technology support from the government for Kirana stores. Such support would enable the Kirana stores to remain competitive amidst the increasing encroachment into their space by quick commerce companies like Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit or Zepto. The retailers called upon the government to provide local Kirana stores with a technology platform that would allow them to compete on equal terms with quick commerce players, effectively creating a level playing field. The retailers acknowledged the shift in consumer preferences towards faster delivery and competitive pricing and expressed their willingness to adopt new technologies, become more efficient and provide better services to the customer. They also stressed that without government support to level the playing field, it would be difficult for small retailers to compete with the deep resources of larger e-commerce players. The retailers suggested that the technology platform could take the form of an Uber-like platform where customer orders are allocated to the first Kirana store that accepts them. On the platform, ratings can also be provided to the Kirana stores which will encourage them to provide the best possible services to customers. While outlining the technology platform for small shopkeepers, the retailers stressed that the present lot of quick commerce players or any big online player should be kept out of such a platform. Given their extensive resources, these big players could dominate such a platform, undermining the very purpose of supporting Kirana stores and leaving them once again at a disadvantage. In the event, FRAI highlighted the growing threat of organised players and emphasized that the rise of e-commerce and quick commerce platforms is putting the very existence of traditional Kirana stores at risk. These retailers have already suffered humungous financial setbacks in the last couple of years and are barely managing to sustain livelihood in the given the high inflationary condition. FRAI also highlighted that livelihood of millions of retailers are at stake and their shops are on verge of closure. Present at the event and supporting the cause of the Kirana Stores, Praveen Khandelwal, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha said, “Our honourable Prime Minister Narender Modi has always the best interests and admiration for the small traders in his heart. The government, under his leadership, is fully attuned to the challenges faced by small retailers and is committed to addressing their needs. I also fully understand the difficulties that Kirana stores are facing due to the rise of quick commerce players. These platforms are pushing near-expired goods, stale fruits and vegetables, and engaging in deep discounting and predatory pricing, all while operating through dark stores. We will take up these issues in the Parliament and beyond, to ensure that such practices are addressed and that Kirana stores are protected. Today is Bharatiya Grahak Divas and I believe that both the shopkeeper and the consumers are two sides of the same coin. For shopkeepers, it is crucial to stay updated and embrace all channels to meet the evolving expectations of customers. I am committed to ensuring that traders and Kirana store owners receive the best digital tools to connect with their customers, enabling them to modernize, update, and computerize their businesses for the future.” At the event, the small retailers who had congregated from across the country voiced their concerns that the rise of e-commerce, particularly quick commerce, is fundamentally altering consumer behaviour, posing existential challenges to Kirana stores. This is creating a need for urgent intervention and regulation to protect small retailers. While e-commerce has been gradually reshaping India’s retail sector for years, it is quick commerce—ultra-fast delivery services that promise deliveries within 10–30 minutes—that is significantly driving a dramatic shift and pushing the traditional Kirana stores to the brink. Abhay Raj Mishra, Member & National Coordinator, Indian Sellers Collective and Honorary Spokesperson, FRAI said, “The technology support that the retailers are requesting can easily be created or facilitated by the government. Over the years, the present government has been a pioneer in providing citizens with essential services through technology by introducing world-first innovations like Aadhaar and UPI. With new technologies brought in by the government, like ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce), what is now required is a more focused approach in creating a specific solution for Kirana Stores that makes them as discoverable and accessible to customers, much like the way quick commerce companies are operating. Essentially, the Kirana stores should remain competitive by being empowered to tap into the growing digital market and meet new customer needs.” Speaking at the event, Gulab Khoda, Joint Secretary, Federation of Retailers Association of India, said, “One of the quick commerce industry manifestations that is eating into the business of Kirana Stores is the mushrooming of the dark stores. Dark stores are essentially the warehouses that stock all the items that a Swiggy Instamart or a Blinkit quickly delivers to their customers. These dark stores are located in densely populated areas to enable fast delivery within minutes. The kind of products stored by these dark stores are similar to those that are found in the Kirana store. But the quick delivery or discounts offered by the q commerce players cannot be matched by the local grocery store. Indeed, the dark stores are creating a situation where the future of Kirana stores is looking very dark!” The retailers voiced their opinion about the unfair advantage that quick commerce platforms have over Kirana stores. The Kirana stores cannot match the pricing offered by quick commerce giants who benefit from deep pockets, large warehouses and a huge customer base, all of which allow them to offer continuous heavy discounts to their customers. The deep discounting strategies of large e-commerce are often the result of their ability to absorb losses through high-volume sales and deep capital reserves, which the smaller businesses obviously cannot maintain or match. Many among these players have foreign funding and this will ultimately result in destabilising the kirana ecosystem and in a huge loss of self-employment in the country. In the bargain only low paying jobs will get created-a recipe that will make a few people rich and a large number poorer. The retailers highlighted that the unhealthy competition faced by Kirana stores is only going to intensify as larger e-commerce with even deeper pockets enter the market. They warned that it won’t be long before these big online companies lured by the gains made by the quick commerce players decide to enter the market with their own aggressive campaigns. With their vast resources and scale, these giants could potentially push smaller retailers out of business, further threatening the survival of Kirana stores across the country. Another point put forward at the event is that the increased competition from quick commerce players has resulted in stagnant sales for Kirana stores, particularly during high-demand periods such as the festive season. So facing a bleak future, the retailers urged the government to step in and protect them from the incursions of the quick commerce platforms and the looming threat posed by big online players. Another issue raised at the event was about the death of the traditional unique Indian entrepreneurship culture, as quick commerce corporate structures with their predatory approach will overpower the local Kirana store owner or the shopkeeper who have long thrived within their communities. The Indian traditional entrepreneurship is deeply rooted in local communities and often involves providing goods and services that are tailored to the needs and preferences of a specific market. This creates a strong sense of community and relationship-building between business owners and their customers. This is the unique tradition that will be lost forever if quick commerce and big online players are allowed to continue unabated in capturing the market.Allied Ondock Container Services inauguration ceremony at Sohar Port and Freezone
DECEMBER Through-May 25 “Ribbit the Exhibit II,” featuring 18 large whimsical frog sculptures by Andy Cobb. Each frog is 5 to 7 feet tall, crafted from hand-painted copper, and has a name and a story. Mounts Botanical Garden, 531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach. Times and ticket prices vary. mounts.org . 8 Paul Shewchuk’s Swing All Stars, kicking off the sixth annual Jazz in the Gardens Concert Series – Celebrating the Greats. 1-3 p.m. at Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, 253 Barcelona Road, West Palm Beach. $35 adults, $25 ANSG members and seniors, $12 children. ansg.org/event/palm-sunday-paul-schewchuk . 12 Whiskies of the World, a tasting tour featuring a curated pour list with a variety of whiskies from bourbons and scotches to rye and small-batch varieties. Entry is 6 p.m. for VIP, 6:45 p.m. general admission until 9 p.m. at Loews Miami Beach, 1601 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. $150 VIP, $99 general admission includes unlimited whiskey pours, light gourmet bites and a souvenir nosing glass. Masterclass sessions with brand ambassadors and distillery representatives available for an additional $10. whiskiesoftheworld.com/tour/miami. 13 Trans-Siberian Orchestra The Lost Christmas Eve Winter Tour, celebrating 20 years of the rock opera. 7:30 p.m. at Amerant Bank Arena, 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise. Ticket prices vary. seatgeek.com . 13-15 Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida: The Nutcracker , choreographed by Vladimir Issaev. Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St., Aventura. Times vary. $60. aventuracenter.org . 14 The Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade, decorated boats of all sizes travel along the New River, east to the Intracoastal Waterway in Fort Lauderdale and north to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach. This year’s theme is “From Sawgrass to Seagrass: Waves of Holiday Cheer.” Parade starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets available for purchase for the Parade Viewing Area with seating, Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park, 80 Las Olas Circle, Fort Lauderdale. Other viewing areas include bridges and The Riverside Hotel, 620 E. Las Olas Blvd. winterfestparade.com . 26 Kwanzaa Celebration, highlights the seven principles of Kwanzaa with contributions from families and youth. Gifts, music, art and storytelling. 2-5 p.m. at The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum, 170 NW Fifth Ave., Delray Beach. $10. spadymuseum.com . 29 Swan Lake , performed by the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine. 7 p.m. at Coral Springs Center For The Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive. $42.45-$85.25. thecentercs.com . 31 New Year’s Eve 2025 Count Down Extravaganza, music, food stations, open bar, and best-dressed and best dancer contests. 8 p.m. to midnight at the Riverside Hotel, 620 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Age 21 and up. $140. riversidehotel.com . JANUARY 4-5 37th annual Las Olas Art Fair (Part I), more than 250 artists from around the nation selling handmade sculptures, art deco wall pieces, master craft glassworks, woven and hand-painted wearable art and paintings. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. both days at the west end of Las Olas Boulevard in downtown Fort Lauderdale. artfestival.com . 13-19 Sixth annual Visit Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival, sponsored by City & Shore magazine. Signature events, culinary classes and exclusive dinner series showcasing Greater Fort Lauderdale’s culinary scene. Headline celebrity personalities and chefs include Fabio Viviani, Nancy Fuller, Jason Smith, Alex Belew and social media personality Alexa Santos. Times, dates, locations and ticket prices vary. vlfoodwine.com . 4-Feb. 23 “A Disappearing Landscape: Art of the Highwaymen,” a limited engagement exhibit showcasing the works of the Florida Highwaymen artists. Flamingo Gardens, 3750 S. Flamingo Road, Davie. Included with general admission ($24 age 12 and up; $17 ages 3-11; members and under 3 free). flamingogardens.org . 17-19 Artisans of Wine & Food, a multi-day experience with more than 75 winemakers, chefs such as Todd English and Mario Carbone, immersive programming and a dinner curated by an all-female lineup of top chefs matched with female-owned wineries/winemakers. Gala to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County and Napa Valley. The Boca Raton, 501 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton. Times and ticket prices vary. arttisansofwineandfood.com . Editor’s note: Please call or click to confirm events before attending.A voter-approved Maine limit on PAC contributions sets the stage for a legal challenge
The Foreign Office said on Tuesday that the verdicts announced by the military courts last week were made under a law enacted by the parliament of Pakistan and in line with the judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement that Pakistan's legal system had the remedies of judicial review by the superior courts and guaranteed the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, while reaffirming Pakistan's commitment to fulfilling all its international human rights obligations, said that Pakistan believed in constructive and productive dialogue to promote principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. "Pakistan's legal system is consistent with international human rights law, including provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)," she said, in response to the statements on recent verdicts by military courts. Spokesperson Baloch said that Pakistan remained fully committed to implementing "our commitments under the GSP Plus Scheme" and the core international human rights conventions. "We will continue to engage with our international partners, including the European Union to uphold the international human rights law, without any discrimination and double standards." (WITH INPUT FROM APP) COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see ourDec 18, 2024 Weak fluorination strategy unlocks graphene's potential for optoelectronic and energy applications ( Nanowerk News ) Researchers from Tohoku University and collaborators have developed a weak fluorination strategy to address the zero-bandgap limitation of graphene . The findings are published in Applied Physics Letters ( "Photoluminescence and transport properties of fluorinated graphene via a weak fluorination strategy" ). In most electronic materials, a "gate," i.e., a bandgap, exists that can either stop or allow electricity to pass. This is how we control electricity in things like computers or phones. But graphene has no such gate, meaning it conducts electricity continuously and cannot be turned off. To counteract this, scientists have often added a small amount of fluorine atoms to graphene, slightly changing its structure and introducing a bandgap, without damaging its core advantages. Fluorination, however, relies on the use of hazardous chemicals rendering it dangerous and impractical to apply at a large scale. "We developed an environmentally-friendly approach, one where we utilized fluoropolymers under controlled conditions to achieve selective fluorination," said Dr. Yaping Qi, assistant professor at Tohoku University. "This advancement also enables enhanced photoluminescence and tunable transport properties while maintaining high carrier mobility, making graphene more applicable for use in optoelectronic and energy devices." Characterization of the Gr and FGr. (Image: Yue Xue, Yaping Qi, Tong Tong, et al.) Qi and her colleagues used advanced techniques, including photoluminescence (PL) mapping and Raman spectroscopy, to analyze how fluorination changes graphene's structure and optical properties. Their tests showed that fluorinated graphene has improved light-emitting abilities, making it promising for use in LEDs, sensors, and other energy technologies. This work also connects to recent developments in van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures, which are created by layering different 2D materials to achieve multiple functions. Such structures have potential uses in memory storage, artificial intelligence, and photoelectric devices. "The integration of fluorinated graphene into vdW heterostructures opens up exciting possibilities, especially for flexible electronics and systems that can perform multiple tasks at once," said stated Dr. Xichan Gao, a co-author and assistant professor at the Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR) at Tohoku University. "This research demonstrates how environmentally friendly processing can significantly improve the functional properties of graphene," adds Qi. "Combining fluorination with strain engineering opens new possibilities for the development of scalable, high-performance 2D materials, providing a pathway to enhance graphene's practical utility while maintaining a focus on safe and scalable material processing techniques." Source: Tohoku University (Note: Content may be edited for style and length)
Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own. In theory, it isn’t too challenging to make money on the web. However, it takes a lot of time, effort and discipline. You may not see results straight away, but enhanced methods, such as branding, are required to ensure you grow in a healthy way. Self-discipline also plays a key role, and working on a consistent level keeps the content coming and pleases the audience. You can also monetize a blog or video channel in various ways as you develop influence within a niche. One of the most overlooked ways to generate income from the internet is with courses. Now, anyone can write a course, and it all depends on the quality. A hastily written, AI-generated product will be quickly spotted, and you will waste your time and damage your reputation. Stick with what you know, and it will be easier. For example, develop a nutrition course if you are passionate about the wellness benefits of high-quality and healthy food and exercise. It’s hard to find an influencer these days who isn’t pushing products with their personal branding. This is fine as they need to make money, and make money it does! Branded merchandise is a top-selling product for 61% of influencers, according to eMarketer. Common branded products you can consider as your popularity grows include hats, t-shirts, and cups.Niche-related products, such as USB sticks, will have a higher chance of being sold if you are in tech. Running a blog, video channel, and social media page isn’t a fly-by-night venture. For all intents and purposes, it is a business, and you are the product. You can hire people to help you generate money from your brand, but you are responsible for everything when starting out. The most popular influencers commit to a schedule, and you can guarantee fresh and relevant content based on that schedule. Some prefer daily content, and others create it once a week. You are the face of the brand, and everyone is looking at you. Whether it’s a photo on a blog or video recordings for YouTube, how you look is how you are perceived. Anyone can sit in front of a camera and talk. However, influencers with unique styles and looks tend to be more successful because they stand out. Think about people like Dr. Disrespect, Pokimane, and even Ninja with his colored hair. An instantly recognizable look is worth a lot more than you think. Running a blog can cost as little as $16 per month, all the way up to $10,000. So you need to make money to keep it going. Whether as a main source of income or as a supplement to a video channel, blogging can make a good bit of cash. Here are some ideas to get started: You shouldn’t expect immediate and large amounts of cash with a new blog. Blogs rely on SEO to become noticed and placed on results pages, and this takes some time. But that doesn’t mean you should neglect it. Keep working on it, and the traffic and money will eventually flow. Getting good at something takes a while. In fact, it is believed you need to do something for 4,000 hours to master it. As an influencer, you have two things to worry about. Production and content creation are part of the job. But there’s also the subject matter. For example, you will need to be good at video games so that people can take advice and listen to what you have to say within that niche. It helps to narrow down the niche, such as focusing on a specific genre. Everyone has opinions, and people will listen if you can offer something different. This is one of the more challenging parts of generating income with a blog or channel. But it can be lucrative when you master it. Take social commentator, Sydney Watson, for example. Her content is often controversial, but it always takes a pragmatic approach. Further, Sydney’s videos are always excellently researched, and her intelligence allows her to provide unique insights into a subject. Sponsorships are replacing platform ads as the primary income source for online personalities. There are a few reasons for this. Sponsors offer higher rates than content creators and pay upfront. A survey by Marketing Dive found that around 71% of an influencer’s income is almost wholly through sponsors. However, platforms like YouTube and Twitch are becoming more and more unreliable as sources of income with aggressive enforcement of unclear policy violations. You can use some or all of the above methods to generate income from the web via a blog or channel. But the real secret is working at it. It takes time to get noticed as a content creator . Joe Rogan had been at it for 15 years before becoming the massively famous personality he is today. Authority is everything in the content world. People must trust you, and authenticity, reliability, and honesty are critical. Stay true and transparent, and you’ll have no issues. Teaching what you know means you can relay quality information, and make money on the web through courses. You can also build and monetize a blog that people trust. This helps establish you as an authority, further expanding audience loyalty and helping your influence grow. Jon Stojan is a professional writer based in Wisconsin. He guides editorial teams consisting of writers across the US to help them become more skilled and diverse writers. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his wife and children.
Over three years have passed since the Taliban’s takeover, and heart-wrenching scenes of farewell among girls graduating from sixth grade have widely circulated on social media. These children have shared deeply emotional moments during their goodbyes, stirring the emotions of those who believe in education and gender equality. The Taliban’s closure of girls’ schools beyond the sixth grade has had a profound negative impact on the mental and emotional well-being of female students. By closing these schools, the Taliban have deepened grief and despair among girls, women, and their families. This group has not only jeopardized the future of these children but also the collective future of society. Every year, as the academic year ends, thousands of girls leave school in tears, expressing their frustration and disillusionment with this unjust situation in Afghan society. Moreover, after the closure of medical institutes for girls and women, depression and suicidal thoughts have been on the rise. In the most recent case, a girl from the Khair Khana area in Kabul took her own life. As the academic year ends in Afghanistan, the painful scenes of farewell among sixth-grade graduates add to the endless sorrow of the mothers and fathers of these children and others who support women’s education. Instead of celebrating the winter holidays, these children embrace their classmates in tears, as if they are forever deprived of education. Anbarin, a sixth-grade student from Badakhshan province, speaking with the Hasht-e Subh Daily , says she completed six years with excellent grades and had big dreams and plans for her future. Now, she considers those dreams impossible due to the continued closure of educational institutions. With deep regret and sorrow, she says, “I am one of the girls who graduated from sixth grade. I completed six years with excellent grades and had dreams and plans for my future. Now, I see them as impossible to achieve because the doors to knowledge are closed to us, and there is no hope for schools to reopen.” Anbarin continues, “I see my destiny as dark and hopeless, thinking I am a useless being who is of no benefit to my family and society, as change and transformation in society can only happen through education. I do not know what the future holds for me and all my peers. Sometimes, I lose hope, and my family’s efforts to encourage me do not comfort me. May God have mercy on the girls of this land and save us from the pit of ignorance and illiteracy.” Saliha, a student from Baghlan Province, says that when she became a sixth-grade student, she was constantly worried and anxious about the end of the academic year. She adds, “Every day, I went to school with excitement, but when the academic year ended, I thought about what I would do at home if I couldn’t go to school. The thought of it was very hard for me. I always wanted to become a doctor, but now I think I will never become one, and that will remain one of my unfulfilled dreams.” Maryam, a student who says she graduated from sixth grade two years ago, recalls feeling a pain in her heart, fearing she might never return to school. She remembers that her only comfort came from her teachers, who promised they would return to school the following year. This student, deprived of education, says she had just realized the importance of studying and had eagerly learned English and mathematics. She adds, “I was so eager to study that I didn’t realize they would close the schools and make us stay at home. My dream was to finish school and university and help myself and my family. I was deeply disappointed when the schools were closed.” Meanwhile, videos have circulated on social media showing young girls crying as they say goodbye to their classmates. These sixth-grade girls had planned their free time, but now they are confronted with the painful truth that they can no longer return to their class. They cry with their hopes and regrets, saddened by the fact that they can no longer continue their education in the coming academic year. Additionally, a video from a student, shared with the Hasht-e Subh Daily but not made public due to fear of the Taliban, shows the child remembering school and lessons with longing. She fears she may never see her teachers and classmates again. She says, “How sorry I am that I have been deprived of education just because I am a girl. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to go to school. There is so much pain in my heart, and sadly, there is no hope for schools to reopen anytime soon.” At the same time, an audio clip has circulated on social media in which a student, during a farewell moment from her sixth-grade class, cries and says, “Let this be my last farewell with my classmates at this desk and chair. God, what is our crime?” Meanwhile, a source speaking with the Hasht-e Subh Daily says that on Sunday, a 19-year-old midwifery student in the Khair Khana area of Kabul committed suicide due to depression and despair from the closure of educational institutes. The source states, “On Sunday, a 19-year-old girl, a midwifery student, hanged herself in the bathroom of her house in the 500 Family area, District 15 of Kabul. Before her death, she asked her father for 50 Afghanis, which she used to purchase a rope for the act.” In contrast, some girls and their families have secretly tried to continue their education. In certain areas, families have worked to rescue their daughters from educational deprivation through homeschooling and informal classes. As sixth-grade girls cry and mourn their graduation, a report by the Hasht-e Subh Daily reveals that the Taliban have intensified their efforts to recruit girls into religious schools. According to the report, girls and women are being taught a Taliban-centric curriculum, inciting them against human rights values and Western societies, and spreading misinformation. The findings indicate that the Taliban tell girls that men who allow their women to work are “shameless” and that civilization and humanity are tools of the West to oppress Muslims. You can read the Persian version of this daily report here: فراغت از صنف ششم؛ دختران با حسرت و اشک به خانه برمیگردند | روزنامه ۸صبحA 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence "dictatorship" is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker's ongoing shift into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. The world's richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. “OpenAI and Microsoft together exploiting Musk’s donations so they can build a for-profit monopoly, one now specifically targeting xAI, is just too much,” says Musk's filing that alleges the companies are violating the terms of Musk’s foundational contributions to the charity. OpenAI is filing a response Friday opposing Musk’s requested order, saying it would cripple OpenAI’s business and mission to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company. A hearing is set for January before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. At the heart of the dispute is a 2017 internal power struggle at the fledgling startup that led to Altman becoming OpenAI's CEO. Musk also sought to be CEO and in an email outlined a plan where he would “unequivocally have initial control of the company” but said that would be temporary. He grew frustrated after two other OpenAI co-founders said he would hold too much power as a major shareholder and chief executive if the startup succeeded in its goal to achieve better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence , or AGI. Musk has long voiced concerns about how advanced forms of AI could threaten humanity. “The current structure provides you with a path where you end up with unilateral absolute control over the AGI," said a 2017 email to Musk from co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman. “You stated that you don't want to control the final AGI, but during this negotiation, you've shown to us that absolute control is extremely important to you.” In the same email, titled “Honest Thoughts,” Sutskever and Brockman also voiced concerns about Altman's desire to be CEO and whether he was motivated by “political goals.” Altman eventually succeeded in becoming CEO, and has remained so except for a period last year when he was fired and then reinstated days later after the board that ousted him was replaced. OpenAI published the messages Friday in a blog post meant to show its side of the story, particularly Musk's early support for the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit business so it could raise money for the hardware and computer power that AI needs. It was Musk, through his wealth manager Jared Birchall, who first registered “Open Artificial Technologies Technologies, Inc.”, a public benefit corporation, in September 2017. Then came the “Honest Thoughts” email that Musk described as the “final straw.” “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit,” Musk wrote back. OpenAI said Musk later proposed merging the startup into Tesla before resigning as the co-chair of OpenAI's board in early 2018. Musk didn't immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his companies Friday. Asked about his frayed relationship with Musk at a New York Times conference last week, Altman said he felt “tremendously sad” but also characterized Musk’s legal fight as one about business competition. “He’s a competitor and we’re doing well,” Altman said. He also said at the conference that he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence with President-elect Donald Trump. OpenAI said Friday that Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. —————————— The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.
BY MELISSA GOLDIN Social media users are misrepresenting a report released Thursday by the Justice Department inspector general’s office, falsely claiming that it’s proof the FBI orchestrated the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Related Articles National News | OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco apartment National News | Judge rejects an attempt by Trump campaign lawyer to invalidate guilty plea in Georgia election case National News | Texas’ abortion pill lawsuit against New York doctor marks new challenge to interstate telemedicine National News | US military flies American released from Syrian prison to Jordan, officials say National News | Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds The watchdog report examined a number of areas, including whether major intelligence failures preceded the riot and whether the FBI in some way provoked the violence. Claims spreading online focus on the report’s finding that 26 FBI informants were in Washington for election-related protests on Jan. 6, including three who had been tasked with traveling to the city to report on others who were potentially planning to attend the events. Although 17 of those informants either entered the Capitol or a restricted area around the building during the riot, none of the 26 total informants were authorized to do so by the bureau, according to the report. Nor were they authorized to otherwise break the law or encourage others to do so. Here’s a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: A December 2024 report released by the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General is proof that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was a setup by the FBI. THE FACTS: That’s false. The report found that no undercover FBI employees were at the riot on Jan. 6 and that none of the bureau’s informants were authorized to participate. Informants, also known as confidential human sources, work with the FBI to provide information, but are not on the bureau’s payroll. Undercover agents are employed by the FBI. According to the report, 26 informants were in Washington on Jan. 6 in connection with the day’s events. FBI field offices only informed the Washington Field Office or FBI headquarters of five informants that were to be in the field on Jan. 6. Of the total 26 informants, four entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 13 entered a restricted area around the Capitol. But none were authorized to do so by the FBI, nor were they given permission to break other laws or encourage others to do the same. The remaining nine informants did not engage in any illegal activities. None of the 17 informants who entered the Capitol or surrounding restricted area have been prosecuted, the report says. A footnote states that after reviewing a draft of the report, the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington said that it “generally has not charged those individuals whose only crime on January 6, 2021 was to enter restricted grounds surrounding the Capitol, which has resulted in the Office declining to charge hundreds of individuals; and we have treated the CHSs consistent with this approach.” The assistant special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office’s counterterrorism division told the inspector general’s office that he “denied a request from an FBI office to have an undercover employee engage in investigative activity on January 6.” He, along with then-Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven D’Antuono, said that FBI policy prohibits undercover employees at First Amendment-protected events without investigative authority. Many social media users drew false conclusions from the report’s findings. “JANUARY 6th WAS A SETUP!” reads one X post that had received more than 11,400 likes and shares as of Friday. “New inspector general report shows that 26 FBI/DOJ confidential sources were in the crowd on January 6th, and some of them went into the Capitol and restricted areas. Is it a coincidence that Wray put in his resignation notice yesterday? TREASON!” The mention of Wray’s resignation refers to FBI Director Christopher Wray’s announcement Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. Other users highlighted the fact that there were 26 FBI informants in Washington on Jan. 6, but omitted key information about the findings of the report. These claims echo a fringe conspiracy theory advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI played a role in instigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters determined to overturn Republican Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden stormed the Capitol in a violent clash with police. The report knocks that theory down. Wray called such theories “ludicrous” at a congressional hearing last year. Asked for comment on the false claims spreading online, Stephanie Logan, a spokesperson for the inspector general’s office, pointed The Associated Press to a press release about the report. In addition to its findings about the the FBI’s involvement on Jan. 6, the report said that the FBI, in an action its now-deputy director described as a “basic step that was missed,” failed to canvass informants across all 56 of its field offices for any relevant intelligence ahead of time. That was a step, the report concluded, “that could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6.” However, it did credit the bureau for preparing for the possibility of violence and for trying to identify known “domestic terrorism subjects” who planned to come to Washington that day. The FBI said in a letter responding to the report that it accepts the inspection general’s recommendation “regarding potential process improvements for future events.”The search and rescue organization for Metro Vancouver’s North Shore mountains is warning people to do their research after two international visitors became stranded while relying on hiking apps to plan their routes. Allan McMordie with North Shore Rescue managed the Sunday night rescue of a man from Goat Ridge, a backcountry area behind Grouse Mountain. He said the man told rescuers he had not been expecting snow, despite two of the local ski hills opening with fresh powder last month. “All you had to do was look at the top of the mountains from Vancouver and know there’s snow up there,” he said in an interview. “To be in running shoes and not even expecting any snow was pretty naive.” The man from France had set out on a marked route, then decided to make his way through very rough, steep terrain to a separate trail at significantly higher elevation. “This is rugged backcountry,” McMordie said. “It’s almost impassable.” McMordie could not confirm which apps the hikers in both recent rescues were using, but said a lack of any marked route or trail reports is a good indication not to use the application. In any case, he said trip planning should involve multiple sources for information. If the man from France had done any research, McMordie said he would have discovered the backcountry area where he was rescued is closed for the winter. In both recent cases, he said there are signs at each trailhead with maps showing trails and topography, along with reminders about key steps in trip planning, he said. Both men were lucky to have been able to make 911 calls, McMordie added, as service is patchy in the area and their phone batteries had nearly run out. Above all, he said hikers should tell someone else where they’re going and when they expect to return, so that person can alert local authorities if necessary. “Absolutely nobody knew where this person was and what he was doing that day,” McMordie said of the man from France. “If he had not been able to get that (911) call out, he would still be there.” Sunday’s rescue on Goat Ridge came three days after a similar call, when another man”seriously underestimated the difficulty” of a route marked in an online hiking app, North Shore Rescue said in a statement posted to social media. The group said there is “barely a trail” in the summer and “nothing whatsoever” in the winter, making for “full mountaineering conditions” at this time of year. The man called for help after hiking for eight hours that left him “tired, soaked (and) hypothermic” as the sun was setting,” it said. It’s doubtful the man would have survived the night in the Mount Seymour backcountry if he hadn’t been able to make the call, the rescue group added. The man had been staying in a short-term accommodation and had taken an Uber to the trailhead. Only his girlfriend in Norway knew where he was, and he was not wearing or carrying adequate gear for the conditions, McMordie said. Vancouver-based Stephen Hui, the author of several B.C. hiking guidebooks, said the rough, mountainous terrain steps away from urban Metro Vancouver and the extent of the snowpack in winter is a surprise for many visiting hikers. Hui said online apps can be helpful and often provide commentary about trail conditions from other hikers, but it’s crucial to look at additional sources of information, including complete maps and provincial and national park websites. He said local authorities and outdoor groups have some responsibility for people heading into the backcountry, and there is room for more signage and education. Ultimately, though, he said people must be responsible for themselves. “We can’t handhold everybody,” he said. “There’s always going to be dangers in hiking.”NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — UCLA alums Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit birdied the entire front nine in a scramble format Friday and finished eagle-birdie for a 14-under 58, giving them a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Grant Thornton Invitational. The tournament has 16 two-player teams from the PGA Tour and the LPGA, the second year of the mixed-team format. The Canadian duo of Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners had two late eagles and narrowly missed a birdie on the 18th hole of Tiburon Golf Club. They had to settle for a 59, tied with Akshay Bhatia and Jennifer Kupcho. Knapp and Tavatanakit have a natural connection having played for the UCLA Bruins a few years apart. Their team name is “Rocco” — Knapp briefly worked as a bouncer before joining the PGA Tour and Rocco’s Tavern is a popular spot in Westwood for UCLA students. “Really chill,” Tavatanakit said in describing the day. “I feel like everything was going the way we hoped for. The timing, momentum-building moments were pretty good. We just kept on playing.” They cooled slightly after opening with nine birdies. Knapp hit a towering shot into about 5 feet on the par-5 17th to set up eagle, and Tavatanakit poured in a birdie putt from about 15 feet on the 18th for the lead. RELATED COVERAGE Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look Rory McIlroy says LIV Golf and PGA Tour match is giving back to fans of a divided sport Scottie Scheffler in a landslide to win PGA Tour player of the year for third straight time “I knew 9 under wasn’t going to be a bad score after nine holes,” Knapp said. “But a couple of pars to start off the back nine it was like, ‘OK, let’s make sure we try to keep giving ourselves opportunities.’ And to be able to finish eagle-birdie, that’s always pretty nice.” Knapp won his first PGA Tour title at the Mexico Open. Tavatanakit won her first major as a rookie, the ANA Inspiration. Maja Stark and J.T. Poston had a 61 and were joined by Sahith Theegala and Allisen Corpuz. Defending champions Lydia Ko and Jason Day were at 62 with Jeeno Thitikul and Tom Kim. Ko and Day were slowed by a bogey on the third hole, rare for the scramble format. Thitikul last month won the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon and the $4 million prize, the richest in women’s golf. The format changes to foursomes on Saturday, the toughest of the formats because one golf ball is in play and the teammates alternate hitting shots. ___ AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
