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RANGERS have humbled a few famous clubs from major football nations in continental competition in recent years despite their domestic travails. Few if any of the European results they have recorded in modern times, though, will have felt as sweet for their fans as this Battle of Britain draw with Spurs at Ibrox tonight. The Glasgow club ensured there was no triumphant return to Scotland for former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou in their Europa League league phase match. The morale-boosting point against the Premier League giants – secured thanks to a second-half Hamza Igamane goal - will raise their confidence levels no end ahead of their Premier Sports Cup final meeting with their city rivals at Hampden on Sunday. A first win by a Scottish club over top flight English opponents in 18 years may have cruelly eluded them – but Rangers increased their chances of qualifying automatically for the knockout rounds of the competition all the same. Here are five talking points from a memorable night. Disappointing Spurs Postecoglou described the catalogue of injuries and suspensions which he has had to deal with this season as the worst he has experienced in his 25 coaching career at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday – and his team selection highlighted the problems he has had. He made no fewer than five changes to the side which lost 4-3 to Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday. Rodrigo Bentancur, the Uruguayan internationalist whose ban for using a racial slur only applies to domestic fixtures, came into the midfield and James Maddison and Timo Werner also got the nod as Pape Sarr, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke dropped to the bench, But it was at the back, where first choice centre halves Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven were both missing, that Postecoglou’s plight was most obvious. Archie Gray and Radu Dragusin came in to the heart of his rearguard. Gray - the son of Andy, grandson of Frank and great-nephew of Eddie, a trio of former Scotland internationalists – might have cost Spurs a cool £40m during the summer. But the ex-Leeds United kid is still just 18 and is more of a central midfielder or a full-back. Spurs looked very much like a side which had won just one of their previous seven games. They by no means, despite having Son Heung-min, Werner and Maddison on the park, troubled their hosts. Quite the opposite in fact. It was clear to see why they have been toiling in the English top flight. They were lucky to avoid defeat. Rangers spirit Philippe Clement mixed things up for this match too. Danilo and Ianis Hagi, who have been two of his best performers in recent weeks, were unavailable as they were not included in the European squad. Leon Balogun and Connor Barron also dropped out as Ridvan Yilmaz, Robin Propper, Mohamed Diomande and Nadim Bajrami came in. Yilmaz, who had not started since the Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Kyiv at Hampden way back in August, somewhat unusually slotted in on the left wing as Jefte remained at left back. Bajrami, too, moved inside and performed the playmaker role. But the set-up worked well. The atmosphere inside the ground was electric as the two teams emerged from the tunnel – and when the visitors peeled away to the corner of the pitch and formed a Celtic-style huddle before kick-off the decibel levels got cranked up a notch or two. Fraser Forster, the former Celtic player who inflicted so much misery on Rangers during his various spells in Scotland, was booed by the home supporters every time he took a touch. But the 6ft 7in goalkeeper did not have a huge amount to do in the opening 45 minutes. He pushed a Bajrami attempt wide and dealt with two on target efforts from Vaclav Cerny. He would have been beaten if Bajrami or James Tavernier had been able to get on the end of a square ball which Jefte whipped across the six yard box. Fortunately for him, neither man could make contact. But he could do nothing to keep an Igamane shot out of his net after the Moroccan striker had been supplied by Tavernier early in the second half. Nobody could begrudge Rangers their lead. They had been the better side. Ange under pressure Postecoglou removed Werner and put on Kulusevski at the start of the second half. But if anything his men were worse after the change. They were fortunate to only concede once as their hosts laid siege to their goal. However, the substitute levelled with 15 minutes of regulation time remaining to ultimately salvage a draw for the visitors which their display scarcely merited. The Greek-Australian enjoyed more successes than failures against Rangers during his time in Scotland. But his expensively-assembled team were on the back foot for long periods this evening. The pressure is well and truly on him now. He had chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” aimed in his direction by the home supporters in the 48,064-strong crowd after Igamane struck. He will have to oversee a distinct upturn in form to avoid that fate in the weeks ahead. Souttar setback Rangers contained the Spurs front three pretty effectively in the opening half an hour and Jack Butland was never seriously tested in goal. But they suffered a serious blow when centre half John Souttar sank to the turf and then hobbled off injured after failing to respond to treatment. Balogun, the Nigerian internationalist who is no stranger to big European nights, came on and acquitted himself well. But if Souttar is out of the Premier Sports Cup final it will seriously reduce the defending champions’ chances of retaining their trophy. The Scotland internationalist has been immense for them this term. Euro progress With Manchester United away and Union St Gilloise to come in January, there is still a lot of football to be played before Rangers can clinch a place in the next stage of the competition. But if they perform as well as this in their next two outings then they will go through. Only a brilliant Forster save from a Cyriel Dessers shot with five minutes of regulation time denied them victory.

Maharashtra Assembly Election Result 2024: Baramati showdown – Ajit Pawar or nephew Yugendra?The people of Telangana fondly remembered the contributions of former prime minister Manmohan Singh to the state during his tenure from 2004 to 2014, particularly his efforts to uplift the underprivileged and boost the state’s IT sector. One of the landmark initiatives during his tenure was the second phase of land distribution for the landless poor, launched in Medak district in August 2005. This programme led by the Congress government under then chief minister Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy in undivided Andhra Pradesh, aimed to distribute one lakh acres of land to landless families. Dr Singh inaugurated the initiative at a massive public meeting at the CSI Grounds in Medak on August 21, 2005. During the event, 23,584 beneficiaries from undivided Medak district were identified, with 10 beneficiaries from the district’s 10 Assembly constituencies receiving land pattas directly from Dr Singh and Dr Rajashekhar Reddy. Addressing the gathering, Dr Singh praised the state government’s commitment to poverty alleviation and described the programme as a step toward empowering the poor and uplifting them above the poverty line. Another significant contribution of Dr Singh’s government was the approval of the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) project for Hyderabad. On September 9, 2012, the Union Cabinet chaired by Dr Singh gave in-principle approval for the project, which aimed to transform Hyderabad into a global IT hub. The ITIR, proposed across 202 square kilometres, was designed as a self-contained integrated knowledge cluster, encompassing IT campuses in Cyberabad, Gachibowli, Madhapur, and extending to areas like Adibatla, Uppal, and Pocharam. With an investment of Rs 4,863 crore in its in the initial phases, the project promised to generate Rs 3.11 lakh crore in direct revenues, create 15 lakh jobs, and significantly boost IT exports. Dr Singh’s government formally approved the ITIR project on November 13, 2013, releasing Rs 165 crore for the development of external infrastructure. However, following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and formation of Telangana state in 2014 and the subsequent change in government at the Centre, the ITIR project was shelved. In 2018, the BJP-led NDA government officially announced the scrapping of the ambitious project, which had been expected to accelerate Telangana’s IT and economic growth. Despite these setbacks, Dr Singh’s initiatives remain etched in the memories of Telangana’s people, who regard his tenure as a time of progressive policies aimed at inclusive development and economic empowerment.

The conflict is “entering a decisive phase,” Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday, and “taking on very dramatic dimensions.” Ukraine’s parliament canceled a session as security was tightened following Thursday's Russian strike on a military facility in the city of Dnipro. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was in retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Western air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile. Ukrainian military officials said the missile that hit Dnipro had reached a speed of Mach 11 and carried six nonnuclear warheads each releasing six submunitions. Speaking Friday to military and weapons industries officials, Putin said Russia is launching production of the Oreshnik. “No one in the world has such weapons,” he said with a thin smile. “Sooner or later other leading countries will also get them. We are aware that they are under development." But he added, "we have this system now. And this is important.” Testing the missile will continue, “including in combat, depending on the situation and the character of security threats created for Russia,” Putin said, noting there is ”a stockpile of such systems ready for use.” Putin said that while it isn’t an intercontinental missile, it’s so powerful that the use of several of them fitted with conventional warheads in one attack could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Gen. Sergei Karakayev, head of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces, said the Oreshnik could reach targets across Europe and be fitted with nuclear or conventional warheads, echoing Putin's claim that even with conventional warheads, “the massive use of the weapon would be comparable in effect to the use of nuclear weapons.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov kept up Russia's bellicose tone on Friday, blaming “the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries” in supplying weapons to Ukraine to strike Russia. "The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns were not taken into account have also been quite clearly outlined," he said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, widely seen as having the warmest relations with the Kremlin in the European Union, echoed Moscow's talking points, suggesting the use of U.S.-supplied weapons in Ukraine likely requires direct American involvement. “These are rockets that are fired and then guided to a target via an electronic system, which requires the world’s most advanced technology and satellite communications capability,” Orbán said on state radio. “There is a strong assumption ... that these missiles cannot be guided without the assistance of American personnel.” Orbán cautioned against underestimating Russia’s responses, emphasizing that the country’s recent modifications to its nuclear deployment doctrine should not be dismissed as a “bluff.” “It’s not a trick... there will be consequences,” he said. Separately in Kyiv, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský called Thursday's missile strike an “escalatory step and an attempt of the Russian dictator to scare the population of Ukraine and to scare the population of Europe.” At a news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Lipavský also expressed his full support for delivering the necessary additional air defense systems to protect Ukrainian civilians from the “heinous attacks.” He underlined that the Czech Republic will impose no limits on the use of its weapons and equipment given to Ukraine. Three lawmakers from Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, confirmed that Friday's previously scheduled session was called off due to the ongoing threat of Russian missiles targeting government buildings in central Kyiv. In addition, there also was a recommendation to limit the work of all commercial offices and nongovernmental organizations "in that perimeter, and local residents were warned of the increased threat,” said lawmaker Mykyta Poturaiev, who added this is not the first time such a threat has been received. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office continued to work in compliance with standard security measures, a spokesperson said. Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate said the Oreshnik missile, whose name in Russian means “hazelnut tree,” was fired from the Kapustin Yar 4th Missile Test Range in Russia’s Astrakhan region, and flew 15 minutes before striking Dnipro. Test launches of a similar missile were conducted in October 2023 and June 2024, the directorate said. The Pentagon confirmed the missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate-range missile based on its RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. Thursday's attack struck the Pivdenmash plant that built ICBMs when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. The military facility is located about 4 miles (6 1/2 kilometers) southwest of the center of Dnipro, a city of about 1 million that is Ukraine’s fourth-largest and a key hub for military supplies and humanitarian aid, and is home to one of the country’s largest hospitals for treating wounded soldiers from the front before their transfer to Kyiv or abroad. The stricken area was cordoned off and out of public view. With no fatalities reported from the attack, Dnipro residents resorted to dark humor on social media, mostly focused on the missile’s name, Oreshnik. Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russia struck a residential district of Sumy overnight with Iranian-designed Shahed drones, killing two people and injuring 13, the regional administration said.. Ukraine’s Suspilne media, quoting Sumy regional head Volodymyr Artiukh, said the drones were stuffed with shrapnel elements. “These weapons are used to destroy people, not to destroy objects,” said Artiukh, according to Suspilne.Reports: Bill Belichick interviews for North Carolina jobDonald Trump said Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has asked to visit him at the president-elect's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. Part way through a Truth Social post on Friday morning, Trump referred to his Mar-a-Lago home, saying "Bill Gates asked to come, tonight. We miss you and x! New Year's Eve is going to be AMAZING!!! DJT." Trump provided no further details. Emails and calls to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation asking about a potential Gates visit to Mar-a-Lago were not immediately answered. Gates has been critical of Trump in the past, particularly over his first administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Gates publicly congratulated Trump on his November 5 election victory and expressed hope they could work together. Some of the biggest tech sector companies in the US have pledged donations to Trump's inaugural fund as they seek more favourable relations with the Republican president-elect before he takes office on January 20. In November, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Meta has donated $US1 million ($A1.6 million) to Trump's inaugural fund, a company spokesperson told Reuters on December 12. Other tech companies that are donating $US1 million ($A1.6 million) to Trump's inaugural fund include Amazon and Uber Technologies .

Artificial intelligence has changed how people work and live in 2024, as companies create tools that can write code, generate images, and solve complex problems. The technology is seemingly everywhere, and while the advances have brought excitement, they have also kindled concern about AI's growing influence. Reflecting on another big year for AI, Creatie.ai curated five of the biggest AI stories in 2024. Issues of copyright and intellectual property, creative control, and how AI is being leveraged in business topped the list. "There's still a pretty wide delta that exists between a power user who's using it [AI] in their workflows, every different way, who has multiscreens, multitools... and those who are still resistant, saying they don't want to get involved with it," Brandon Z. Hoff told Stacker. Hoff, the founder of RUDI AI, a consultancy that helps organizations implement AI technology responsibly, found this "shocking" given that AI is "really one of the most revolutionary technologies of our time." As more people integrate AI tools into their personal and professional lives, questions emerge about privacy and fairness. Some businesses praise AI's ability to speed up productivity, while civil liberties groups and data privacy organizations worry about data protection and job security. Government officials have also stepped in to figure out how best to implement guardrails on this fast-moving technology while also allowing room for it to evolve. Some of 2024's biggest AI headlines came from policymakers working to establish safe practices. In the U.S., the Colorado AI Act was the first state legislation of its kind intended to set requirements for high-risk AI systems used in education, financial services, and other critical industries. It also sought consumer protections and accountability measures. It was modeled after the EU Artificial Intelligence Act , which set guidelines for high-risk AI system providers and worked to safeguard transparent and safe development of AI applications. The year's biggest developments in AI illustrate the technology's rapid shift from a future possibility into a present reality. Read on to see where AI made the most significant impact. OpenAI debuted AI models in 2024 called o1-preview and o1-mini that can tackle harder problems by working through solutions. The company offered o1-preview for general users, while o1-mini provided a faster, cheaper option for writing code, according to the company's official system card . These tools mark an important shift in AI's capacity for reasoning , Northwestern University researchers explain. Instead of just giving quick answers like earlier AI, these new models work through problems step-by-step, more like how humans solve complex tasks. OpenAI reported that tests showed significant improvements in the system's abilities. The model could solve 83% of complex math competition problems, while older versions only solved 13%, illustrating how this slower, more careful approach dramatically improved results. In analyzing chemistry, physics, and biology problems, the new model outperformed PhD-level scientists in problem-solving proficiency. However, these advances worry experts in the field. In an interview with Newsweek, computer science professor and AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio called the improvement in AI's reasoning and potential for deception "particularly dangerous" and called for better regulation. Two Nobel Prizes recognized AI's growing impact on science in 2024, marking the first time artificial intelligence received such prestigious recognition. John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton received the Nobel Prize in physics for laying the groundwork for modern machine learning, while Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and researcher John Jumper shared half the chemistry prize for using AI to solve a 50-year-old protein structure problem, according to the Nobel Committee. The awards highlighted AI's potential and risks should the technology fall into the wrong hands. Hinton, dubbed the "godfather of AI," uses his Nobel platform to warn about the technology's potential for "getting out of control," The New York Times reported. He had previously told MIT Technology Review that he was deeply concerned that AI will surpass a human's ability to learn, creating a superintelligence that could too easily cause widespread harm, manipulation, or warfare in the hands of bad actors. Hassabis compared AI's risks to climate change, telling The Guardian that "we can't afford the same delay with AI." "This is more a Nobel moment for AI risk , rather than for AI itself," Bhaskar Chakravorti, dean of global business at Tufts University, wrote in Foreign Policy. He noted the prizes served as recognition of AI's transformative growth and a warning about its unchecked development. Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, and Google began building AI directly into everyday devices, bringing it to broader audiences in 2024. Features like enhanced photos, text-to-speech tools, personalized recommendations, and myriad other AI optimizations helped integrate AI into everyday tasks. Adoption varied widely, however. In CNBC's bi-annual survey of executives on its Technology Executive Council in October, 79% said their company was using Microsoft Copilot AI —though many questioned its $30 monthly per-user cost. Google's Gemini chatbot attracted 42 million active users and 1.5 million developers since its May launch, according to the Business of Apps. Apple followed with its own AI Intelligence that works across devices, though it's initially limited to its newest phones and computers with specific chips, the company announced in October. Samsung introduced Galaxy AI, which lets users translate conversations in real time and edit photos with simple taps, according to the company. The focus shifted from standalone AI tools to integrated features, but questions about data security were raised. While Apple emphasized the importance of privacy through on-device processing, sending personal data to company servers could expose it to government agencies, employees, or bad actors, according to security experts The New York Times interviewed in June. "We should be really looking at the cost benefit in terms of what we give up and what we get in exchange," said Hoff, who shares insights on AI and digital intelligence with his 14,000 TikTok followers. "Tools like Google's suite are free because they're tracking our information to sell to advertisers. Now, large language models are aggregating all our data at once, putting everything into an algorithmic black box that nobody really knows how works." Despite significant concerns, businesses increasingly embraced AI tools in 2024. "Business executives were, I think, resistant," Hoff said. "And now there's definitely an opening and receptiveness and a fear of missing out that exists on the private side." When it launched in June 2024, Claude 3.5 Sonnet changed how coders work, quickly becoming a Silicon Valley favorite. The AI model solved 64% of coding problems in internal testing, according to Anthropic, the AI safety and research company behind Claude. The system could write new code and update old programs with fewer errors than previous versions, making it one of the most proficient—and popular—models powering AI-based software development tools such as Cursor. In October, Anthropic announced new features that let Claude use computers similarly to humans. The model could move a mouse, click buttons, and read screens to complete tasks. Tests by GitLab, a major software development platform, showed a 10% improvement in development tasks with these updates, spurring debates about AI's growing role in software development and its impact on programming jobs. Many current top-scoring AI software development agents are already based on Claude. Letting the model control computers directly could unlock even further productivity gains for businesses. In addition to coding, the model has been praised for its uncanny analytical ability and capacity to understand what users want. Many users have reported success using Claude as a sounding board to help them think through complex problems and make decisions in their personal lives. Skateboarding cats, dazzlingly beautiful crystals, and politicians in compromising situations are just some of the ways Flux, a new AI image generation system from Black Forest Labs, churned up viral buzz around its hyper-realistic images. The system launched in August with $31 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz. The model uses 12 billion parameters to create images, making it more powerful than previous systems, according to the company. Advancements in parameters like fractal dimension and relative smoothness all contribute to Flux's ability to render extraordinary detail in human features, deft animations, and high-quality images. The model quickly drew the attention of the tech world. X (formerly Twitter) chose it to power image generation in its Grok-2 AI system, making the technology available to millions of users. However, this wide availability raised concerns about potential misuse, particularly around creating misleading images of political figures and spreading false content. Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Photo selection by Ania Antecka. This story originally appeared on creatie.ai and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.Payment Processing Solutions Market Future Trends, Scope, Size, Share, Advance Technology, Demand And Forecast - 2028

Tech billionaire Elon Musk faced accusations of censorship Friday from fellow conservatives after several prominent right-wing accounts who had criticized Musk’s views on immigration said that they subsequently lost access to premium features on Musk’s social media app, X. At least 14 conservative accounts said late Thursday or Friday that X had revoked their blue verification badge, cutting them off from a variety of premium features, including the ability to monetize their accounts through subscriptions and advertising revenue-sharing, according to a review conducted by NBC News. Some accounts said the number of those affected was far higher. The accounts were all still active Friday, but without access to monetization features; some of them said they worried about their ability to keep posting. Some conservatives said they considered X’s actions to be a betrayal by Musk, who purchased the service then known as Twitter in 2022 in part because he said it had unfairly limited conservative speech . Musk has since called himself a free-expression advocate, even as he calls for jailing some of his critics . Musk and X did not respond to requests for comment on Friday. But on Thursday night, about an hour before some conservatives started complaining about losing access to X’s premium features, Musk posted what he called “a reminder” on X. He wrote that the site’s algorithm automatically reduces the reach of a user if they’re frequently blocked or muted by other, credible users. “If far more credible, verified subscriber accounts (not bots) mute/block your account compared to those who like your posts, your reach will decline significantly,” Musk posted . But rather than satisfying people complaining about censorship, the post elicited even more accusations that Musk was shadowbanning his conservative critics, or reducing engagement on their posts without officially disclosing such actions to affected accounts. The actions by X came in the middle of a heated online debate on the subject of future immigration policy under President-elect Donald Trump, with anti-immigration MAGA loyalists denouncing the influence of pro-immigration tech executives and investors such as Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Many of the affected accounts said they were affiliated with one media brand in particular, ConservativeOG. Preston Parra, a 23-year-old influencer and head of ConservativeOG, said he considered the actions by X to be a “political takedown” in retaliation for publicly disagreeing with Musk’s pro-immigration views. He said he plans to keep fighting Musk, not only to get his premium features restored but also to ensure that Trump pursues restrictionist immigration policies. “If anyone thinks for one minute the REAL backbone of the right wing and MAGA is gonna stand idly by while these big tech gillionaire Silicon Valley dweebs who didn’t get bullied enough in high school, steal our country, they’re mistaken,” Parra said in a text message. He said he believes Musk to be a “Trojan horse” in the Trump camp. Trump announced that Musk and Ramaswamy would lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency,” to much fanfare, shortly after the Nov. 5 election. But in recent days, after venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan was announced as a White House adviser on AI policy, Trump’s tech-world allies — including Musk and Ramaswamy — have come under deeper scrutiny and criticism from the far-right for their previous statements about or involvement with legal immigration. Musk is an immigrant, having been born and raised in South Africa. He became a U.S. citizen in 2002. At least three of the affected X accounts have more than 1 million followers each, including the accounts of Ryan Fournier and Laura Loomer. Fournier, a co-founder of Students for Trump, said he had had a blue verified badge on the social media app since 2016. He wrote on X that he had “no clue why” he lost it this week. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Premium subscriptions on X include several benefits such as increased prominence in the replies to other accounts’ posts and the ability to apply for sharing ad revenue. Loomer, a far-right activist and close Trump ally , said that X had demonetized her — cutting off her ability to collect subscription fees and other revenue on the site — and had revoked her blue verification checkmark about two days after she began criticizing Musk over tech industry visas. On Tuesday, Loomer wrote on X that tech billionaires “are like termites who have descended upon Palm Beach,” where Trump is working on the presidential transition from his Mar-a-Lago resort. And she kept up her criticism as the week went on. Musk mentioned her in a post Thursday, writing : “Loomer is trolling for attention. Ignore.” And hours later, Loomer says her account lost access to premium features. “Looks like Elon Musk is going to be silencing me for supporting original Trump immigration policies,” she posted on X , calling the changes to her account “ retaliation .” She did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Andrew Torba, the CEO of the far-right social media app Gab, has in the past praised Musk , but on Friday he criticized the billionaire for silencing others and invited disaffected X users to come to his platform instead. Torba is openly antisemitic and on Friday also posted that people have “two choices: be racist or be replaced.” It’s not the first time that X and Musk have been accused of silencing users, despite Musk’s vowed commitments to free speech. In September, X said it temporarily suspended a journalist for posting private personal information, after he shared a document that appeared to have been stolen from Trump’s campaign. In 2022, the platform suspended the accounts of several other journalists who wrote about Musk. In July, X suspended the account “White Dudes for Harris,” which supported Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump, and in August it temporarily shut down “Progressives for Harris.”( MENAFN - Robotics & automation News) Empowering older adults with Home-Care RobotsResearchers assess factors influencing willingness to use home-care robots among caregivers and older adults in Japan, Ireland, and FinlandThe rapidly increasing aging population will lead to a shortage of care providers in the future. While robotic technologies are a potential alternative, their widespread use is limited by poor acceptance.In a new study, researchers from Chiba University have examined a user-centric approach to understand the factors influencing user willingness among caregivers and recipients in Japan, Ireland, and Finland. Users' perspectives can aid the development of home-care robots with better acceptance. Advances in medicine have led to an increase in human longevity. Estimates suggest that by 2030, one in every six individuals globally will be aged over 60 years. This rapid increase in the aging population implies a larger number of aged individuals requiring care. Family members and professional caregivers may not be able to meet this increasing demand. Furthermore, reports suggest a significant shortage of workforce, including nurses, in several developed countries, underscoring the need for additional strategies that cater to the needs of older adults. Simple and effective technologies such as robots can bridge this gap and help provide the care needed for older individuals to age in the comfort of their homes. However, despite their significant potential, social acceptance of assistive home-care robots in aging societies remains an issue. Further, their widespread use is impeded by challenges in developing robots that can cater to the specific needs of older individuals requiring long-term care across different countries, given the cultural, ethical, and financial differences. In a new study, researchers from Chiba University, Japan, sought to elucidate the factors that affect users' willingness to use home-care robots. Previous studies have shown that public involvement in research has a positive impact on the study design and patient engagement. Building on this, the researchers examined a user-centric approach that involves potential users in the research and development process of home-care robots. This approach takes into consideration real-life expectations and problems faced by users. Giving further insight into their work published in Scientific Reports , on November 12, 2024, Professor Sayuri Suwa, the corresponding author of the article, says,“In countries where the population is aging, the use of home-care robots will enable many people to achieve 'aging in place.' Each country has its own unique history, culture, and legal system, so we wanted to clarify how home-care robots could be developed and implemented in a way that respects these differences.” This research was actively co-authored by Dr. Hiroo Ide from the Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo; Dr. Yumi Akuta from the Division of Nursing, Faculty of Healthcare, Tokyo Healthcare University; Dr. Naonori Kodate from the UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, University College Dublin; Dr. Jaakko Hallila from Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences; and Dr. Wenwei Yu from the Center for Frontier Medical Engineering, Chiba University. The team conducted a questionnaire-based survey of care recipients and caregivers across Japan, Ireland, and Finland. The questionnaire assessed four different aspects of users' willingness, namely – familiarity with robots, important points about home-care robots, functions expected from home-care robots, and ethically acceptable uses, through 48 different items. The researchers analyzed the responses of 525 Japanese, 163 Irish, and 170 Finnish participants for common and distinct factors influencing their willingness to use robots. The analysis revealed that“willingness to participate in research and development,”“interest in robot-related news,” and“having a positive impression of robots” were common factors among respondents from the three countries. On the other hand,“convenience” in Japan,“notifying family members and support personnel when an unexpected change occurs in an older person” in Ireland, and“design” in Finland were found to be distinct factors influencing the use of robots. Additionally, the study highlights how historic, cultural, and demographic variables across the countries influence the implementation of home-care robots. In Japan, robot development is being encouraged by the government, industry, and academia, with a general optimism towards their application. While robot development is slightly behind in Ireland, its use for older adults is being increasingly recognized, and artificial intelligence and robotics are being applied in health and social care. The Finnish respondents' choice of 'design' is in line with Finnish design, which is widely known worldwide, suggesting that it is important in robot manufacturing. Overall, the study highlights the importance of user participation and their perspective in the development of home-care technology. Home-care robots hold significant potential in empowering older adults. “Developing home-care robots in collaboration with potential users, such as older people and care providers, will foster better product acceptance in the future. This is beneficial not only for validating the home-care products under development but also for truly expanding the use of home-care robots. Ultimately, this would lead to greater well-being for users,” Prof. Suwa concludes. With the right blend of innovation, collaboration, and cultural sensitivity, home-care robots could soon transform the dream of 'aging in place' into a global reality! MENAFN19122024005532012229ID1109014799 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.She still owed more than $7000 for hiring a truck, so Robyn Michelle Manning created a fake bank letter to claim the cash was coming. or signup to continue reading It wasn't, for the Wodonga woman - who has a criminal history for deception - had no way to pay her debt. The 56-year-old is now facing sentence for her latest crime, after pleading guilty in Albury Local Court. But it took three years to reach that point, having been invoiced by Albury's Hume Hire back in late 2021 for a total of $11,089.42. Manning made four payments between October 17 and 31 - for $1837, $1485 and $178 - but that's as far as she got. Magistrate Sally McLaughlin was told this week that the earth-moving equipment hire business sent Manning four more invoices for the balance of $7589.42. She failed to pay. However, on Manning being convicted after admitting to the charge of dishonestly obtain financial advantage or cause disadvantage by deception, Ms McLaughlin ordered she pay compensation in that amount owed. Manning will be sentenced on Wednesday, December 18, after Ms McLaughlin ordered the preparation of a duty sentencing report by Albury Community Corrections. After Ms McLaughlin earlier sought clarification on the charge, defence lawyer Sascha McCorriston said the deception was the provision of the letter by Manning. "Your client," Ms McLaughlin told Ms McCorriston, "has had a habit of similar offending over the years." She said the report - to investigate if there are any options not involving custody - was required as Manning was "a senior member of our community who has committed a serious offence". Manning carried out a similar crime in 2015. Police told the court, in an outline of the case, how Manning hired the truck for her business - D&R Gerogery Firewood and Garden Pty Ltd - on October 6, 2021. It was on March 3, 2022, that she created a document on which she placed the logo for WAW Bank. Manning used this for a letter, which stated $30,000 had been transferred into her WAW Bank account, and so the victim would receive the money owed to him "as soon as the funds were released". Police said the letter was sent by Manning with the name Elaine Brown at the bottom - someone who supposedly was a customer service officer with the bank. On June 3, 2023, after about 20 months without any more payments from Manning, the business owner attended Albury police station. He provided a statement and several documents, including the supposed WAW letter sent by Manning. Police investigations with the bank's Dean Street, Albury branch "confirmed the document was fake". They attended the Wodonga branch on February 15, 2024, and got a statement from the bank's fraud and payments manager, who agreed the letter was not genuine. Further, the manager said someone by the name of Elaine Brown "has never held a position at WAW Bank". Police went to Manning's Bell Court home on June 17, when she made full admissions to creating the fake document. Manning's excuse was she was under financial pressure from both debt collectors and the hire company "to repay an outstanding debt". She said she did the letter to give herself more time to repay the business. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement

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Brazilian police formally accused Bolsonaro of an attempted coup. What comes next?

Your child’s ski boots can impact their overall skiing experience and may even undermine their love for the sport if they find the boots awkward fitting and uncomfortable. In addition to comfort, the ability to retain warmth and be breathable are important qualities your kid’s ski boot should have. If your child is ready to hit the slopes and you’re looking for the ideal pair of boots, ensure you choose one that provides comfort and inspires confidence, such as our top pick, Fischer Junior/Kids RC4 60 Thermoshape Alpine On/Off-Piste Ski Boots . There are several types of ski boots for kids, such as rear-entry and front-entry designs as well as performance and adjustable boot options. Rear-entry boots allow your child to slip in their feet from the back, while front entry includes a tongue that opens forward and allows the child to slide in their foot from the top. Another type is performance boots, which are made for older kids who want a better performance from their footwear. 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There are water-resistant boots designed to repel water, but these won’t prevent your child’s feet from getting wet in heavy rain or snow. Most kids’ ski boots cost $25-$40. Some expensive options are made with high-quality waterproof material, costing up to $60. A. Ski boots have a different sizing for shoes, called Mondo sizing, which measures the inside of the foot. To get the right size for your child, use a tape measure to measure the length of their feet, then check the size chart to get the correct size. A. If your child is just starting with skiing, choose a pair of boots that can easily flex, like front-entry ski boots. Fischer Junior/Kids RC4 60 Thermoshape Alpine On/Off-Piste Ski Boots What you need to know: These ski boots are an excellent choice for beginner skiers thanks to their soft flex design and thermoformable technology. What you’ll love: These Soma-Tec boots are designed to enable maximum control and prevent the ankle and knee joints from twisting when skiing. They also include a micro-adjustable buckle system for quick and easy adjustment. They feature a thermoformable boot liner designed to give an adapted fit. What you should consider: Some users mentioned that the sizing isn’t accurate. Salomon T3 RT Ski Boots What you need to know: These ski boots come in three unique colors and are suitable for both boys and girls. What you’ll love: These boots are made with polyurethane, which gives them unique durability. They are also easy to put on or off and include micro-adjustments in the buckle to ensure a custom fit. What you should consider: They might run small for children with big feet. Rossignol Comp J4 Ski Boots Kid’s What you need to know: These ski boots are designed with comfort in mind thanks to their comfort liners and unique diagonal buckles. What you’ll love: They include liners that are made with soft materials and designed to give optimal comfort and all-day cushioning. They also feature diagonal buckles that offer a more natural foot wrapping and excellent heel support. What you should consider: The buckles are made of thin metal wire, which might not be very durable. Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change. Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales. BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.NoneNone