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CAIRO (Reuters) -Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz admitted on Monday for the first time publicly to Israel's killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July, further risking tensions between Tehran and its arch-enemy Israel in a region shaken by Israel's war in Gaza and the conflict in Lebanon. "These days, when the Houthi terrorist organization is firing missiles at Israel, I want to convey a clear message to them at the beginning of my remarks: We have defeated Hamas, we have defeated Hezbollah, we have blinded Iran's defense systems and damaged the production systems, we have toppled the Assad regime in Syria, we have dealt a severe blow to the axis of evil, and we will also deal a severe blow to the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen, which remains the last to stand," Katz said. Israel will "damage their strategic infrastructure, and we will behead their leaders – just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza and Lebanon – we will do it in Hodeidah and Sana'a," Katz said during an evening honoring defense ministry personnel. The Iran-backed group in Yemen has been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea for more than a year to try to enforce a naval blockade on Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Israel's year-long war in Gaza. In late July, the political leader of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas was killed in Tehran in an assassination blamed on Israel by Iranian authorities. There was no direct claim of responsibility by Israel for the killing of Haniyeh at the time. Haniyeh, normally based in Qatar, had been the face of Hamas' international diplomacy as the war set off by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7 has raged in Gaza. He had been taking part in internationally brokered indirect talks on reaching a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave. Months after, Israeli forces in Gaza killed Yahya Sinwar, Haniyeh's successor and the mastermind of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Reporting by Menna Alaa and Muhammed Al Gebaly and Emily Rose; Editing by Chris Reese and Mark Porter)7xm site 。

Washington : The US House Ethics Committee has accused Matt Gaetz of “regularly” paying for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs as a member of Congress, as lawmakers released the conclusions of a nearly four-year investigation that helped sink his nomination for attorney general. The 37-page report by the bipartisan panel released on Monday includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz, now 42, took part in from 2017 to 2020 while representing Florida’s western panhandle. Matt Gaetz was “un-cooperative” throughout the probe, the Ethics Committee panel said. Credit: AP Congressional investigators concluded that Gaetz violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office, though not federal sex trafficking laws. They also found that Gaetz “knowingly and willfully sought to impede and obstruct” the committee’s work. “The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favours or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report states. Ahead of the report’s release Gaetz denied any wrongdoing and criticised the committee’s process. “Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn’t ask for — and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” he posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.” Gaetz, a Republican first elected in 2017, spent the majority of his time in Washington enmeshed in scandals that ultimately derailed his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump as attorney general. His political future is uncertain, although Gaetz has indicated he would be interested in running for the open Senate seat in Florida. Gaetz was President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Credit: AP Lawmakers paint a damning portrait of Gaetz’s conduct, using dozens of pages of exhibits, including text messages and financial records, travel receipts, cheques and online payments, to document a party- and drug-fuelled lifestyle. The committee said it compiled the evidence after issuing 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony and contacting more than two dozen witnesses. In addition to soliciting prostitution, the Ethics Committee report states that Gaetz “accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts”. That same year, investigators say Gaetz arranged for his chief of staff to obtain a passport for a woman he was sexually involved with, falsely telling the US State Department that she was his constituent. In some of the text exchanges, Gaetz appears to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. At one point he asks one woman if she has a “cute black dress” to wear. There are also discussions of shipping goods. One of the exhibits is a text exchange that appears to be between two of the women concerned about their cash flow and payments. In another, a person asks Gaetz for help to pay an educational expense. Regarding the 17-year-old girl, the report states there’s no evidence that Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her, the committee said. The woman told the committee she didn’t tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and that he didn’t know how old she was. Rather, the committee said Gaetz learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But he stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for “commercial sex” again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. But Florida law, which states it is a felony for a person 24 or older to have sex with a minor, does not allow a claim of ignorance or misrepresentation of a minor’s age as a defence. Joel Leppard, who represents two women who told the committee that Gaetz paid them for sex, said the findings “vindicate” the accounts of his clients and “demonstrate their credibility”. “We appreciate the Committee’s commitment to transparency in releasing this comprehensive report so the truth can be known,” Leppard said in a statement. At least one Republican joined all five Democrats on the Ethics Committee earlier this month in voting to release the report about their former colleague despite initial opposition from GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, to publishing findings about a former member of Congress. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. On behalf of the Republicans who voted against releasing the report, Representative Michael Guest of Mississippi, Ethics chairman, wrote that while the members do not challenge the report’s findings, “we take great exception that the majority deviated from the Committee’s well-established standards” to drop any investigation when a person is not longer a member of the chamber. “We believe that operating outside the jurisdictional bounds set forth by House Rules and Committee standards, especially when making public disclosures, is a dangerous departure with potentially catastrophic consequences,” Guest wrote. Mounting a last-ditch effort to halt the publication of the report, Gaetz filed a lawsuit on Monday asking a court to intervene, citing what he called “untruthful and defamatory information” that would “significantly damage” his “standing and reputation in the community”. Gaetz’s complaint argues he’s no longer under the committee’s jurisdiction since he resigned from Congress. “The Committee’s position that it may nonetheless publish potentially defamatory findings about a private citizen over whom it claims no jurisdiction represents an unprecedented expansion of Congressional power that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections,” Gaetz’s lawyers wrote in their request for a temporary restraining order. The often secretive, bipartisan panel has investigated claims against Gaetz since 2021. But its work became more urgent last month when Trump picked him shortly after election day as his first choice to be the nation’s top law enforcement officer. Gaetz resigned from Congress that same day, putting him outside the purview of the Ethics Committee’s jurisdiction. But Democrats had pressed to make the report public even after Gaetz was no longer a member and had withdrawn as Trump’s pick to lead the US Justice Department. A vote on the House floor this month to force the report’s release failed; all but one Republican voted against it. The committee detailed its start-and-stop investigation over the past several years, which was halted for a time as the Justice Department conducted its own probe of Gaetz. Federal prosecutors never brought a case against him. Lawmakers said they asked the Justice Department for information about its probe, but the agency refused to hand over information, saying it doesn’t disclose information about investigations that don’t result in charges. The Committee then subpoenaed the Justice Department for records, but after a back-and-forth between Justice Department officials and the Committee, the department only handed over “publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual”, according to the report. “To date, DOJ has provided no meaningful evidence or information to the Committee or cited any lawful basis for its responses,” the committee said. In releasing the report, the panel added that Gaetz was also “un-cooperative” throughout the probe. He provided “minimal documentation” in response to the committee’s requests, it said. “He also did not agree to a voluntary interview.” AP Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter .The confidential briefing note is part of the tranche of documents made public in the annual release of State papers from the Irish National Archives. An Irish Department of Foreign Affairs official focusing on justice and security created the list in October 2002. The document starts by referencing a 1999 interview given by George Mitchell, the chairman of the Good Friday Agreement negotiations, in which he claimed the British and Irish governments, as well as Northern Ireland’s political parties, had leaked information to manipulate public opinion. However, he further accused the NIO of attempting to sabotage the process by leaking information on British Government policy to the media. Mr Mitchell, a former US senator, is said to have expressed alarm and anger over the frequency of leaks from the NIO – saying they were uniquely “designed to undermine the policy of the British Government of which they were a part”. The Irish civil servant notes Mr Mitchell himself was subjected to an attempted “smear” when he first arrived in Northern Ireland, as newspaper articles falsely claimed his chief of staff Martha Pope had had a liaison with Sinn Fein representative Gerry Kelly with ulterior motives. The Irish civil servant goes on to list several “leaks”, starting with the publication of a proposed deal in a newspaper while “intense negotiations” for the Downing Street Declaration were under way. Next, the Department lists two “high-profile and damaging leaks issued from the NIO”. A so-called “gameplan” document was leaked in February 1998, showing papers had been prepared weeks before the Drumcree march on July 6, 1997. In the preceding years, there had been standoffs and clashes as nationalists opposed the procession of an Orange parade down Garvaghy Road in Portadown. The gameplan document showed then secretary of state for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam, who was publicly expressing a desire for a negotiated solution to the 1997 parade, advocated “finding the lowest common denominator for getting some Orange feet on the Garvaghy Road”. In 1997, a large number of security forces were deployed to the area to allow the march to proceed. The incident sparked heightened tension and a wave of rioting. The document further describes the release of a document submitted by the NIO’s director of communications to the secretary of state as a “second major leak”. It claims a publicity strategy was released to the DUP in the aftermath of the Good Friday Agreement and showed how the UK Government would support a yes vote in a referendum following any talks agreement. In addition, it is claimed unionists used leaked sections of the Patten report on policing to invalidate its findings ahead of its publication in 1999. The report recommended the replacement of the Royal Ulster Constabulary with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the changing of symbols, and a 50-50 recruitment policy for Catholics and Protestants. At the time, UUP leader David Trimble said the recommendations would lead to a corruption of policing in Northern Ireland. Chris Patten, chairman of the independent commission on policing, said some of the assertions were a “total fabrication” and designed to “muddy the waters” to create a difficult political atmosphere. Elsewhere, the author notes it was leaked to the media there was serious disagreement between the governments of the UK and Ireland on the composition of that commission – with not a single name submitted by the Irish side being accepted by the other. The author notes this incident, still under the heading “NIO leaks”, was believed by British officials to have emanated from the Irish side. The report turns to leaks of other origin, claiming “disgruntled Special Branch officers in Northern Ireland” were blamed by the British Government for a series of releases about the IRA which were designed to damage Sinn Fein in the 2001 general election in Northern Ireland. One senior Whitehall source was quoted in the Guardian as complaining that Special Branch was “leaking like a sieve” after details of an IRA intelligence database containing the names of leading Tories – described at the time as a “hit list” – was passed to the BBC in April 2002. The briefing note adds: “This was followed days later by a leak to The Sunday Telegraph which alleged that senior IRA commanders bought Russian special forces rifles in Moscow last year. “The newspaper said it was passed details by military intelligence in London.” The briefing note adds that other Special Branch leaks were associated with the Castlereagh break-in. The final incident in the document notes the Police Ombudsman’s Report on the Omagh bombing was also leaked to the press in December 2001. Then Northern Ireland secretary John Reid said at the time: “Leaks are never helpful and usually malicious – I will not be commenting on this report until I have seen the final version.” The reason for creating the list of leaks, which the Irish National Archives holds in a folder alongside briefing notes for ministers ahead of meetings with officials from the UK Government and NIO, is not outlined in the document itself. – This document is based on material in 2024/130/6.

Indiana quarterback Rourke earns Jon Cornish Trophy as top Canadian in NCAA football

Struggling EV startup Canoo says it has furloughed 82 employees and is idling its factory in Oklahoma while it grasps for the capital needed to survive. The company claims it is in “advanced discussions with various capital sources” to raise emergency funding. The announcement comes just a few days after board member James Chen resigned, and roughly one month after the company saw its chief financial officer and head lawyer depart . Canoo is also facing multiple lawsuits from suppliers over alleged late payments. The new furloughs cap what has been a rough year for the startup. The company has undergone multiple rounds of layoffs and furloughs, and closed the Los Angeles office that used to serve as its headquarters. Canoo’s chief technology officer left in August , and all of the company’s founders are now gone. In the meantime, it has been kept afloat by loans from the venture firm run by its CEO, Tony Aquila. It’s unclear what Canoo was making at its facility in Oklahoma before deciding to pause operations there. So far, the company has delivered electric vans to NASA, USPS, Walmart, and the Department of Defense for testing. But it has failed at its broader ambitions of ramping up manufacturing for other commercial customers. In an unsigned statement, Canoo said: “We regret having to furlough our employees, especially during the holidays, but we have no choice at this point. We are hopeful that we will be able to bring them back to work soon.” Aquila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

PHILADELPHIA Eagles star defender C.J. Gardner-Johnson could be handed a fine from the NFL for a gesture he displayed after being ejected in Week 16. The safety Gardner-Johnson was thrown out in the third quarter of Sunday's 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders . The officials hit the Eagles star Gardner-Johnson with an unsportsmanlike penalty after speaking to Commanders players following a Zach Baun forced fumble. It was Gardner-Johnson's second unsportsmanlike penalty of the game which led to his automatic ejection from the game. The first unsportsmanlike penalty came in the first quarter. NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark posted an X clip of Gardner-Johnson being taken out of the contest with security personnel. Read More on NFL The video continued and Gardner-Johnson showed his two middle fingers to the Commanders' crowd while he was walking to the tunnel. It's expected that the veteran will be fined by the NFL for the action. Fine decisions are released every Saturday, so the likely Gardner-Johnson fine announcement would take place on December 28. After Sunday's game, Gardner-Johnson explained his interpretation of the situation through an X post. Most read in American Football "Respectfully got kicked out for nothing, I play with passion and fire!! Guys was chirping all day what u expect !!" he wrote. The next day, on Monday, Gardner-Johnson seemed to apologize for his actions. "I was passionate after our QB took an illegal hit!!! So my emotions was everywhere, didn’t want to do anything to hurt the team! But a lil trash talk come on now ..... I’m sorry," he wrote. Gardner-Johnson's first unsportsmanlike penalty came in the first half. He was called for a penalty after getting punched by Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown after a Jayden Daniels completion to Terry McLaurin. The punch caused Gardner-Johnson's helmet to off but he still got hit with the penalty. Eagles safety Reed Blankenship defended Garder-Johnson after the game. "I'm not gonna get into detail. I'm gonna have his back He didn't say anything at all. I was right there," Blankenship said. "But when you're on the hot spot, things happen. At the end of the day, I have my dudes back." Gardner-Johnson's disqualification didn't do Philadelphia any favors as they allowed Daniels to throw three passing touchdowns from then on. One of the touchdowns included a game-winning throw late in the fourth quarter. Read More on The US Sun The Eagles' Week 16 loss likely ends their chance of securing the NFC's No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. The Eagles will host the Dallas Cowboys next week.Emilia Reyes image via Fresno EOC The Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission has a new acting CEO and another CEO “on a leave of absence” – and “no additional information to share,” a spokesperson told Fresnoland late Tuesday. Michelle Tutunjian, most recently the nonprofit’s chief operating officer, took over as acting CEO on Nov. 20, spokesperson Jose Moreno said in an email. “To ensure clarity, Emilia Reyes remains the CEO of Fresno EOC, while Michelle Tutunjian serves as Acting CEO,” Moreno said. “Ms. Reyes is currently on a leave of absence, and I have no additional information to share.” It’s unclear whether Reyes is still drawing a salary from Fresno EOC. Moreno has refused to answer questions about Reyes, citing personnel rules, including refusing to disclose copies of the nonprofit’s policies and procedures. He also declined to provide a timeline for when information would be released publicly. The quiet leadership shakeup comes in the midst of a $3.2 million deficit at the nonprofit poverty-fighting organization. Fresnoland first made inquiries about Reyes’ role with Fresno EOC on Nov. 26, but didn’t get an answer back until Dec. 10, when Moreno said he couldn’t comment on personnel matters. Moreno also said Tutunjian and Fresno EOC Board Chair Oliver Baines were not available for interviews “at this time.” The Fresno EOC’s Dec. 16 board meeting had a sobering atmosphere, as the commission’s 24-member board learned the organization’s deficit rose from about $2.7 million in November to about $3.2 million this month. Commissioners asked Fresno EOC’s administrators a range of questions, with many not getting concrete responses. For example, Fresno EOC’s administrators did not have available a breakdown of each department’s funding sources for programs and positions. “Every department should have a flow chart that shows the organization’s funding sources that correspond.” Baines, the board chair, said at the Monday meeting. “That just seems like a good practice — apparently, we haven’t been doing that. It’s a very appropriate question, and it should be a standard practice.” Commissioner Joaquin Arambula asked about the financials of the organization, based on attachments to the Dec. 16 agenda packet. “The total fund balance from ‘23 to ‘24 went down from 12.7 million to 7 million,” Arambula said. “Is that to suggest that we’ve lost $5.8 million this year?” Chief Financial Officer Hemanta Mungur couldn’t answer the question Monday night. “I have to look into it further,” Mungur said. Nearly 33 million companies in the U.S. may be required The Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission has a new acting CEO Attorneys for a Bakersfield baker took her case to a The Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians has weighed in onHomewood-Flossmoor looks for repeat as Class 4A state champs, but Rich Township, Mount Carmel and Marist are right behind. 1. Homewood-Flossmoor (33-4) Defending Class 4A state champions have a new look, but the talent is there for another big run. A trio of senior guards leads the way as Jayden Tyler (Wofford) returns and is joined by Thornwood transfer Arden Eaves (Lewis) and Lincoln-Way East transfer Brent Taylor . Look out for talented freshman guard Darrius Hawkins Jr. 2. Rich Township (23-8) Raptors return junior guards Jamson Coulter and Jayden Williams and add a superstar in senior forward Al Brooks Jr. , a transfer from Hansberry and a high-major recruit. His twin brother, Ikee , will add to the guard depth for a team looking to make major noise in March. 3. Mount Carmel (32-6) The 2023 Class 3A runners-up must replace superstar Angelo Ciaravino , who is at Northwestern. But senior guard Grant Best (Air Force) is ready to lead the way, while junior Noah Mister and senior Cameron Thomas add to a talented, deep backcourt. Watch out for freshman guard Marshaun Thornton . 4. Marist (29-5) Football injuries have sidelined senior forward Achilles Anderson for the season and star junior forward Stephen Brown for likely at least a month. When Brown returns, look out. He will join junior guards Adoni Vassilakis and TJ Tate and senior forward Marquis Vance . Junior forward Karson Thomas from Lincoln-Way East and junior guard Rokas Zilys from Vermont Academy are big additions via transfer. 5. St. Laurence (20-12) New coach Roshawn Russell has an intriguing mix of talent, with senior guards Zerrick Johnson and Bradley Stratton coming off big seasons. They’re joined by two returning standouts as senior guard EJ Mosley (Purdue Fort Wayne) and senior forward Jacob Rice have transferred back after spending last season elsewhere. 6. Bloom (19-10) Senior guards Elijah Lovemore and Payton Edwards form a dynamic duo. Senior guard/forward Adam Page , a transfer from Hillcrest, is a big addition. The Blazing Trojans will need newcomers to emerge in the frontcourt. Brother Rice’s Marcos Gonzales (3) drives against Marian Catholic’s Adam Shorter during a Class 3A Thornton Sectional semifinal game in Harvey on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (John Smierciak / Daily Southtown) 7. Brother Rice (31-4) Senior guard Marcos Gonzales (Citadel) is ready for even more of a starring role, while senior guard Jack Weigus — a transfer from Hinsdale South — is a prolific outside shooter. Look for senior forward Caden Workman to step up. 8. Lemont (19-12) Guard Gabriel Sularski , who transferred from Benet, is rated as the top junior in Illinois by 247 Sports. He joins an experienced group led by senior forwards Alanas Castillo , Shea Glotzbach and Matas Gaidukevicius . 9. Oak Lawn (22-9) Senior guard Donte Montgomery , who averaged over 20 points last season, is poised to be one of the area’s top players. Junior guard Jack Dempsey is a strong outside shooter, while senior guard Ali Farhan looks to step up. 10. Hillcrest (17-14) With four starters back, don’t expect the Hawks to stay down for long. Senior guard Jovi Ratliff is a scorer and Hillcrest will have the inside advantage against most teams with a pair of 6-foot-7 forwards in senior Jaylen Ingram and junior Max Carmicle . Rich Township’s Jamson Coulter (3) takes a breath before making a free throw against Oak Forest during a nonconference game in Oak Forest on Monday Feb. 5, 2024. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown) Charles Barnes , De La Salle, junior, forward. Grant Best, Mount Carmel, senior, guard. Al Brooks Jr., Rich Township, senior, forward. Stephen Brown, Marist, junior, forward. Seth Cheney , Providence, senior, guard. Jamson Coulter, Rich Township, junior, guard. Arden Eaves, Homewood-Flossmoor, senior, guard. Marcos Gonzales, Brother Rice, senior, guard. Zerrick Johnson, St. Laurence, senior, guard. Elijah Lovemore, Bloom, senior, guard. Noah Mister, Mount Carmel, junior, guard. Donte Montgomery, Oak Lawn, senior, guard. EJ Mosley, St. Laurence, senior, guard. Jovi Ratliff, Hillcrest, senior, guard. Jacob Rice, St. Laurence, senior, forward. Kassam Saleh , Argo, senior, guard. Brenden Sanders , Lincoln-Way East, senior, forward. Zack Sharkey , Marian Catholic, senior, guard. Gabriel Sularski, Lemont, junior, guard. Brent Taylor, Homewood-Flossmoor, senior, guard. Karson Thomas, Marist, junior, forward. Jayden Tyler, Homewood-Flossmoor, senior, guard. Adoni Vassilakis, Marist, junior, guard. Keshaun Vaval , Evergreen Park, senior, guard. Jack Weigus, Brother Rice, senior, guard.

Surge in warm clothes sales as Sargodha faces chilly weather

On December 2, 2024, the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a new set of regulations targeting semiconductors manufacturing equipment (SME) and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips. The updates are a part of BIS’s ongoing efforts to target semiconductors in attempt to slow down China’s advancement of AI. In the race to artificial general intelligence, advanced-node semiconductors play an outsized role in a country or company’s ability to progress. However, the rules may have an have an outsized impact on the United States’ foreign partners in the semiconductor industry. 1. Overview The majority of the updates appear in an Interim Final Rule that creates two new rules related to the Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR) and conforming changes to the de minimis rule; new classifications for semiconductor manufacturing equipment (SME) and tools, SME software, and High Bandwidth Memory (HBM); a couple of new license exceptions, clarification on software keys, and a handful of new red flags. The other portion of the rulemaking updates the Entity List with 140 new designations and removed the Validated End User (VEU) Program. There are three key components to AI development: building the AI model itself, using data to train the model, and obtaining the hardware performance needed to drive the AI function. The hardware performance requires critical logic and memory elements. U.S. Export controls target each of the component listed above. However, for the hardware component, export controls have been focused on the logic element—the processing units.[1] Until now. The new rule targets the memory side of the hardware component for AI, capturing more of the physical components necessary for making AI hardware. 2. New Foreign Direct Product Rules 2.1 How the Rules Work There are two inter-related updates to the FDPR targeting SME. For the uninitiated, the FDPR creates extraterritorial jurisdiction for BIS over foreign-made products that are the direct product of U.S.-origin software or technology. That’s right. A thing is made entirely outside the United States with no U.S. origin content, and does not travel into or through the United States. However, because that thing is based on a U.S. design, or is the product of U.S. design software, or even if that thing is made on equipment[2] that was designed in the United States(!), the foreign-made item is controlled as the “foreign direct product” of the U.S. origin technology, software, or equipment. While that essential FDPR proposition is a pretty long reach for jurisdiction, the new FDPR rules go much further—capturing any foreign-made SME that contains any U.S.-origin integrated circuit (IC). When paired with the new Red Flag 26, which presumes all SME to contain U.S.-origin ICs, the new FDPR touches on virtually every piece of SME in the world. All of them.[3] The first of these new FDPR, the SME FDPR, captures a narrower subset of SME and restricts the export of those foreign-made SME broadly to China. Inversely, the Footnote 5 FDPR captures virtually all other SME on the Commerce Control List (CCL) but only restricts the export of those foreign-made SME to entities on the Entity List with a Footnote 5 designation. Those Footnote 5 entities are SME fabs those determined by BIS to be involved in, or soon-to-be involved in, advanced-node IC production. Conforming changes were made to the de minimis rule. The SME FDPR targets an enumerated subset of SME (ECCN 3B001.a.4, c, d, f.1, f.5, k to n, p.2, p.4, r, or 3B002.c) and restricts the export to the PRC (Country Group D:5 and Macua) The Footnote 5 FDPR targets almost all other SME (ECCN 3B001 (except 3B001.a.4, c, d, f.1, f.5, g, h, k to n, p.2, p.4, r), 3B002 (except 3B002.c), 3B903, 3B991 (except 3B991.b.2.a or 3B991.b.2.b), 3B992, 3B993, or 3B994) and restricts the export to Footnote 5 designated Entities. 2.2 Effect on Foreign SME Manufacturers The breadth of this rule is likely to have an outsized effect on non-U.S. manufacturers of SME. The presumption created by Red Flag 26—that all SME containing an IC, contains an U.S. origin IC—will create vast new compliance obligations for those SME manufacturers with business in China or any other D:5 country. First, that red flag is practically a red blanket. It states that if SME contains an IC, then that IC will be presumptively U.S. origin . . . which begs the question of whether BIS might propose any examples of SME that do not contain an IC. Next, a foreign SME manufacturer selling to a D:5 country will be required to overcome that presumption. That will be a heavy task as the foreign SME manufacturer will need to conduct an FDPR and de minimis review of every single IC within its SME or otherwise prove that their manufacturing facility has no U.S. origin technology. Even if that were possible, those foreign SME manufacturers would likely face some questions from BIS should they continue their business with a prohibited company or country. Semiconductor fabs purchases SME will also feel the effects of the rule through those manufacturers’ increased compliance efforts. 3. High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) Controls 3.1 How the Rule Works The new rulemaking adds High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) controls to the Commerce Control List under ECCN 3A090.c. This addition controls all HBM with a “memory bandwidth density” greater than 2GB/mm2. The control also notes that any DRAM with conforming memory bandwidth density will also be controlled. There is an HBM license exception for exporters, reexporters, or transferors with a headquarters in the United States (without an ultimate parent in D:5 or Macau) for HBM with a “memory bandwidth density” up to 3.3GB/mm2. However, that point only really carves out an exception for HBM2, and only for U.S. headquartered companies (where some of the largest HBM manufacturers are South Korean). It is interesting to note that ECCN 3A090.c “does not cover co-packaged integrated circuits with both HBM and logic integrated circuit where the dominant function of the co-packaged integrated circuit is processing.” That could mean that where a chip contains both HBM and a logic IC on a single chip, the chip would be subject to export controls based on the logic component. As a result, in analyzing the controls on the chip, one would only need to examine the chip’s Total Processing Performance (TPP) and Performance Density (PD). 3.2 Effect on Korean Semiconductor Fabs The majority of the world HBM is manufactured by a small group of South Korean companies. Those companies may bear the brunt of the new rules, particularly when collaborating with U.S. companies. Those manufactures are doubly affected by the rulemaking as they likely obtain their SME from foreign SME manufacturers subject to the new FDPR. They may face a raft of new compliance obligations, including supply chain reviews and increasing end-use validation. 4. Software Keys The new rulemaking also clarifies that issuing a software key and software license keys that unlock software or renew existing software, is considered an export event. Therefore, if a license were required for the software, a license will be required for the software key. This applies to source code as well as object code. This does not apply to keys that unlock “dormant functionality” in a controlled item. Notably, this does not close the SaaS and IaaS loophole in the current export regime—though we are likely to see an attempt to address that loophole in a forthcoming rule on the control of AI services. Currently, a gap exists because the provision of SaaS or IaaS is not considered an export, so companies may provide access to the AI computing services performed by controlled hardware in the United States, through SaaS or IaaS arrangements. 5. Conclusion The new semiconductor rules are indicative of the nuanced and targeted approached that has characterized BIS under the Biden administration. However, nuance on top of nuance can breed complexity—and there is no doubt these rules are complex! At the same time, the targeted precision of the rules has also created gaps in the coverage of the restrictions that has left some scratching their head as to whether these are intentional. Is there another strategy? We may see one in the next administration. A blanket approach—imposing restrictions on every company in China or even all D:5 countries—would relieve some of the complexity and close off loopholes. But the cost to industry of that sort of full decoupling could be debilitating. Under the shadow of that option, the compliance costs associated with complexity may not look so bad. As we have written before, the balance in semiconductor export controls is the most difficult regulatory line to walk. The purpose of the controls is to protect U.S. national security and the capacity of semiconductors to aid or harm our national security is enormous. But the conundrum that regulators face with semiconductors regulation remains the item’s ubiquity.[4] As the advance chips continue to advance, it becomes harder and harder to draw lines between those we need to guard for security purposes and those that should be freely shared for the enhancement of nearly every product we use. We will, of course update as new regulations develop, including one specific to AI technology that we hear may be released before the change in the U.S. presidential administration. FOOTNOTES [1] While GPUs are typically used in AI development for their parallel processing capabilities, the regulations will capture any integrated circuit that meets the performance thresholds. [2] The term is actually “plant or major component of a plant”, but that gets a little wordy, even for us, so we use “equipment” as a shorthand, sacrificing precision for pith . . . sort of. [3] We don’t even have a self-deprecating footnote explaining that we’ve exaggerated. That is really more or less it. All of the SME! [4] As the famous says of semiconductors: “nothing so common is as tightly controlled, and nothing so tightly controlled is as common.” – Socrates, probably .NBA fines Minnesota guard Edwards $75,000 for outburstHigh school recruiting isn't the only way to build a winner in the transfer portal era

Kurtis Rourke has made the Jon Cornish Trophy a family affair. The Indiana quarterback received the award Monday, which is presented annually to the top Canadian playing football in the NCAA. Rourke's older brother, Nathan, currently with the CFL's B.C. Lions, won the award twice in 2017 and 2018 at Ohio. "It's awesome," Rourke said. "Kind of getting introduced to the Jon Cornish Trophy back when Nathan won it a couple of times, I wanted to be able to have a shot and it was one of my goals to be in the conversation, be in the running. "It just means a ton to be recognized just because Canadian athletes don't get recognized too often. I'm just so glad we're able to get that recognition and continue to do it for our country." Rourke finished first in voting ahead of Montreal's Dariel Djabome, a junior linebacker at Rutgers. Stanford receiver Elic Ayomanor, last year's winner, was third, followed by Vancouver's Ty Benefield (sophomore safety, Boise State) and Jett Elad of Mississauga, Ont., a senior safety at UNLV. Cornish, of New Westminster, B.C., was a standout running back at Kansas who went on to have a decorated CFL career with the Calgary Stampeders (2007-15) before being inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2019. Rourke transferred to Indiana last December to boost his NFL draft stock after five years at Ohio, where he began as a backup to his older brother. The junior Rourke then captured the '22 MAC offensive player of the year award despite suffering a season-ending knee injury before heading to Indiana after the 2023 season. Rourke was instrumental in Indiana — traditionally known as a basketball school — emerging as a Big Ten contender in head coach Curt Cignetti’s first season. After winning 11 of their first 12 games, the Hoosiers' stellar campaign ended with a 27-17 loss to Notre Dame in the opening game of the expanded U.S. college football playoff bracket. Rourke finished 20-of-33 passing for 215 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in that contest. Overall, Rourke completed 222 of 320 passes (69.4 per cent) for 3,042 yards with 29 TDs and five interceptions. "What a privilege, opportunity to come join a program that had so much to prove," Rourke said. "It kind of aligned with what I was wanting to do, which was prove I could play at a higher level." The six-foot-five, 223-pound Rourke was named a finalist for the Manning Award, presented annually to the NCAA's top quarterback. He was also ninth in voting for the Heisman Trophy as U.S. college football's outstanding player. "College football has been everything to me," Rourke said. "Starting off my freshman year to be able to watch Nathan grow and play in his senior year and just learn from him in both how to live a college life but also be a college quarterback as well. "I won't forget my time at Ohio at all, it really created me and moulded me into the person, player I am. I’m extremely grateful for the entire college football experience." The former Holy Trinity star becomes just the second Canadian high school graduate to claim the Jon Cornish Trophy. Chuba Hubbard, of Sherwood Park, Alta., and currently with the NFL's Carolina Panthers, did so in 2019 while at Oklahoma State. The six-foot-two, 240-pound Djabome recorded 102 tackles (48 solo), three sacks and two forced fumbles this season. Rutgers faces Kansas State in the Rate Bowl on Boxing Day. The six-foot-two, 210-pound Ayomanor, a redshirt junior, was one of the few bright spots this season for Stanford (3-9). He registered 63 catches for 831 yards and six TDs after recording 62 receptions for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns in 2023. Last week, Ayomanor declared for the '25 NFL draft. The six-foot-two, 204-pound Benefield led Boise State in tackles (73), solo tackles (53) and interceptions (two) while also registering five tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and two recoveries. The Broncos are the third seed in U.S. college football's expanded playoffs and face Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31. Elad registered 55 tackles, an interception and six pass knockdowns during the regular season. He added 12 tackles (nine solo) and a sack in the Runnin' Rebels' 24-13 win over Cal in the Art of Sport LA Bowl to finish with an 11-3 overall record. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024. The Canadian Press

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