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Nigeria, Saudi Arabia forge stronger ties on export credit, insurance, and market accessCitius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Reports Fiscal Full Year 2024 Financial Results and Provides Business UpdateJaylen Blakes, Maxime Raynaud and Oziyah Sellers combined for 35 points in a 47-point, first half explosion Saturday afternoon and Stanford ran away from California for an 89-81 Atlantic Coast Conference road win in Berkeley, Calif. Raynaud and Blakes finished with 20 points apiece for the Cardinal (8-2, 1-0 ACC), who won their first ever game in ACC competition. Andrej Stojakovic had a game-high 25 points and Jovan Blacksher Jr. added 14 for the Golden Bears (6-3, 0-1), who dropped their second in a row after a 6-1 start. Playing just its second true road game of the season, Stanford scored 14 of the game's first 18 points and never looked back. Raynaud and Ryan Agarwal hit 3-pointers in the run. Blakes had 14 points, Raynaud 11 and Sellers 10 in the first half, which ended with Stanford in front 47-31. Cal was still down 81-65, after two free throws by Stanford's Chisom Okpara with 3:58 remaining before making a little run. Mady Sissoko converted a three-point play and Rytis Petraitis and Joshua Ola-Joseph connected on consecutive 3-pointers in a 9-0 flurry that made it a seven-point game with still 2:13 to go. It got as close as six when Stojakovic drilled a 3-pointer with 1:21 left, but Okpara and Blakes dropped in late layups to keep the hosts at arm's length. Seven of the nine Cardinal who saw action hit at least half his field goal attempts, led by Raynaud's 8-for-15 and Blakes' 7-for-13. Stanford finished 52.6 percent as a team. Both were deadly from the 3-point line as well, with Raynaud going 4-for-6 and Blakes 2-for-4. With Sellers adding 3-for-6, the Cardinal made 11 of their 23 attempts (47.8 percent) from beyond the arc. Raynaud also found time for five blocks, while Agarwal and Aidan Cammann shared Stanford rebound honors with seven. Blakes complemented his 20 points with a team-high six assists and two blocks. The Cardinal registered 19 assists on 30 baskets, while Cal had just five on its 30 hoops. Agarwal and Okpara each also scored in double figures with 11 points. Facing his old team for the first time after transferring to Cal over the summer, Stojakovic shot 11-for-25. The Golden Bears finished at 42.3 percent overall and 38.1 percent (8 of 21) on 3-pointers. Ola-Joseph and Sissoko, who had 11 points, were the game's leading rebounders with eight apiece. -Field Level Media
CULLOWHEE, N.C. (AP) — Brit Harris' 16 points helped South Carolina Upstate defeat Western Carolina 74-68 on Saturday night. Harris shot 6 of 9 from the field and 3 of 5 from the free-throw line for the Spartans (4-8). Carmelo Adkins added 14 points while going 5 of 8 (2 for 4 from 3-point range) while they also had five rebounds. Karmani Gregory shot 4 for 13 (0 for 3 from 3-point range) and 3 of 5 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points. The Catamounts (3-5) were led in scoring by Bernard Pelote, who finished with 14 points. Cord Stansberry added 14 points and three steals for Western Carolina. CJ Hyland finished with nine points and four assists. Both teams next play Saturday. South Carolina Upstate visits South Carolina and Western Carolinaplays UNC Asheville on the road. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .“Gladiator II” asks the question: Are you not moderately entertained for roughly 60% of this sequel? Truly, this is a movie dependent on managed expectations and a forgiving attitude toward its tendency to overserve. More of a thrash-and-burn schlock epic than the comparatively restrained 2000 “Gladiator,” also directed by Ridley Scott, the new one recycles a fair bit of the old one’s narrative cries for freedom while tossing in some digital sharks for the flooded Colosseum and a bout of deadly sea-battle theatrics. They really did flood the Colosseum in those days, though no historical evidence suggests shark deployment, real or digital. On the other hand (checks notes), “Gladiator II” is fiction. Screenwriter David Scarpa picks things up 16 years after “Gladiator,” which gave us the noble death of the noble warrior Maximus, shortly after slaying the ignoble emperor and returning Rome to the control of the Senate. Our new hero, Lucius (Paul Mescal), has fled Rome for Numidia, on the North African coast. The time is 200 A.D., and for the corrupt, party-time twins running the empire (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger), that means invasion time. Pedro Pascal takes the role of Acacius, the deeply conflicted general, sick of war and tired of taking orders from a pair of depraved ferrets. The new film winds around the old one this way: Acacius is married to Lucilla (Connie Nielsen, in a welcome return), daughter of the now-deceased emperor Aurelius and the love of the late Maximus’s life. Enslaved and dragged to Rome to gladiate, the widower Lucius vows revenge on the general whose armies killed his wife. But there are things this angry young phenom must learn, about his ancestry and his destiny. It’s the movie’s worst-kept secret, but there’s a reason he keeps seeing footage of Russell Crowe from the first movie in his fever dreams. Battle follows battle, on the field, in the arena, in the nearest river, wherever, and usually with endless splurches of computer-generated blood. “Gladiator II” essentially bumper-cars its way through the mayhem, pausing for long periods of expository scheming about overthrowing the current regime. The prince of all fixers, a wily operative with interests in both managing gladiators and stocking munitions, goes by the name Macrinus. He’s played by Denzel Washington, who at one point makes a full meal out of pronouncing the word “politics” like it’s a poisoned fig. Also, if you want a masterclass in letting your robes do a lot of your acting for you, watch what Washington does here. He’s more fun than the movie but you can’t have everything. The movie tries everything, all right, and twice. Ridley Scott marshals the chaotic action sequences well enough, though he’s undercut by frenetic cutting rhythms, with that now-familiar, slightly sped-up visual acceleration in frequent use. (Claire Simpson and Sam Restivo are the editors.) Mescal acquits himself well in his first big-budget commercial walloper of an assignment, confined though he is to a narrower range of seething resentments than Crowe’s in the first film. I left thinking about two things: the word “politics” as savored/spit out by Washington, and the innate paradox of how Scott, whose best work over the decades has been wonderful, delivers spectacle. The director and his lavishly talented design team built all the rough-hewn sets with actual tangible materials the massive budget allowed. They took care to find the right locations in Morocco and Malta. Yet when combined in post-production with scads of medium-grade digital effects work in crowd scenes and the like, never mind the sharks, the movie’s a somewhat frustrating amalgam. With an uneven script on top of it, the visual texture of “Gladiator II” grows increasingly less enveloping and atmospherically persuasive, not more. But I hung there, for some of the acting, for some of the callbacks, and for the many individual moments, or single shots, that could only have come from Ridley Scott. And in the end, yes, you too may be moderately entertained. “Gladiator II” — 2.5 stars (out of 4) MPA rating: R (for strong bloody violence) Running time: 2:28 How to watch: Premieres in theaters Nov. 21. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
Published 18:17 IST, December 25th 2024 Honda and Nissan have recently announced merger plans. As global car manufacturers are shifting towards EVs. Here's everything you need to know about it: Honda and Nissan Merger: Honda and Nissan has recently announced merger plans, and it is one the most discussed topics in the automotive market. This alliance is a significant move in the global automotive industry as it will be the third largest automotive companies by sales volume. A combined company of Honda and Nissan is likely to create a $54 billion company that is likely to have an annual output of 7.4 million vehicles. As global car manufacturers are shifting towards EVs, this merger comes amid the changing landscape for ICE vehicles and a surging competition from Chinese automaker like BYD, and Tesla in the Chinese and US automotive market. According to a Reuter’s report, Honda and Nissan has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) recently. Further, Mitsubishi Motors is also expected to join the integration talks. Let us deep dive further and see more details of this upcoming merger between Honda and Nissan: Also Read: Nissan, Honda Announce Merger Plan, Creating World's Third-Largest Automaker First, the Market Capitalisation of Honda and Nissan: Before going ahead and discussing more details of the merger, let us have a look at the market capitalisation of these two companies. Honda has a market capitalisation of more than $40 billion, while Nissan has an about $10 billion. Why is Honda-Nissan Merger taking place? Nissan has been financially struggling in recent times. Earlier partnerships with Renault and Mitsubishi did not help in falling sales of vehicles. With the rising competition and shift towards electrified and plug-in hybrid vehicles, the sales of Honda Cars have also recorded a dip. However, Nissan eyes this merger as a potential help from Honda. Recently, as per a report from Reuters, Nissan announced a plan to cut 9,000 jobs and 20 per cent of its global production capacity after its sales plunged in its key China and US markets. Further, Honda had also stated about the worse-than-expected earnings result due to falling sales in China. What are the Challanges Faced by Honda and Nissan Earlier? Since there is a global shift towards electric mobility and buyers are shifting towards EVs and plug-in hybrid vehicles the major challenge of Honda and Nissan is the intense competition faced from the Chinese EV automakers in the Chinese and US markets Earlier Nissan had faced financial difficulties, and ought to stablise its operations post the merger. What will be the key area of developments after Honda and Nissan merger? Nissan has invested in the development of battery electric vehicles heavily. 15 Years ago, the company had launched the Leaf, which was the first EV from Nissan. As a part of this merger, Honda is likely to utilise the Nissan’s resources for the development of its EVs. As per Reuters, Honda will supply hybrid vehicles to Nissan as part of the plan. The two Japanese auto manufacturers has developed a strategic partnership in March 2024 to cooperate in the development of electric vehicles. This possible merger is likely to bring down the costs of development of EVs and other technologies, which can further result in bringing more competitive product. When will Honda and Nissan Finalise Integration Talks? According to Reuters report, Honda and Nissan aim to finalise the integration talks by June 2025. If it becomes successful, there will be a joint holding company that will list its shares while Honda and Nissan each will go private in August 2026. Potential developments in the EV industry: With this Honda and Nissan merger, there will be major technological advancements taking place in the EV industry, and development of new models, that are likely to compete against the major EV players like BYD, Tesla, and more. Honda and Nissan Merger: Impact on the Indian Automotive Market That said, with the announcement of the two major Japanese automotive manufacturers, it is still unclear what impact will be there from this merger in the Indian automotive market. Updated 18:17 IST, December 25th 2024
The Current 14:19 Harnessing ocean waves to power your home Scientist Burke Hales says one of the things holding back the development of ocean wave energy is the lack of places to test the equipment. But he hopes his new facility off the coast of Oregon will help change that. "That's the idea, is that we provide the facility, the playing field for the developers who produce the devices to get real-time testing and figure out how to optimize and ultimately to figure out [if there's] a single design that's best for all waves," Hales, chief scientist at PacWaves, told The Current 's host Matt Galloway. As the world works toward achieving net-zero emissions to combat climate change, there's an urgent need for countries to speed up the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Ocean-based climate solutions need to be at fore, N.L. scientist says as COP29 ends How millions of oysters could protect coastlines against climate change Although ocean wave energy is staggeringly powerful—with the waves along the U.S. coasts capable of generating about 63 per cent of its utility-scale electricity in 2023 —Hales says its development is about 20 years behind that of wind energy. "When we talk about waves, we're talking about oscillatory motion, which is a completely different animal, as far as how do we convert oscillatory motion into an electrical power-producing mechanism, and that's complicated." The vessel Nautilus is seen from Driftwood State Beach where subsea cables connected to the PacWaves test site arrive on land and connect to land cables in Newport, Ore. (Craig Mitchelldyer/The Associated Press ) The PacWave facility includes two sites: PacWave North, a shallower site used for small-scale prototypes, and PacWave South, a larger site further out into the Pacific Ocean that's currently under construction. PacWave South will be the first utility-scale, grid-connected wave energy testing site in the U.S, set to begin testing in 2025. Hales say it will be a place where companies can evaluate their wave energy converter technology in actual ocean conditions. How ocean wave energy works Buckham says you can understand how ocean waves move by looking at the "wave" at a sports event. "That illusion is created by people standing up and down in sequence, and that's exactly what a water wave is," said Buckham, co-director of the Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED) at the University of Victoria. "If you were to track a water particle in an ocean wave, it's basically going through an elliptical orbit that's probably like 13 to 15 metres wide and 4 to 5 metres high. And it's going around and around that ellipse. And that's what a water wave is." According to Buckham, the basic idea behind wave energy converters is that "they're some form of oscillating machine" that sits in the water and powers a generator. The electricity is transmitted to the shore through subsea cables, which then supply power to the grid. Brad Buckham is the co-director of the Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED), the University of Victoria's research lab focused on marine renewable energy on the B.C. coast. (Submitted by Brad Buckham ) Ocean wave energy in Canada In a country flanked by two oceans, some Canadian scientists are also interested in harnessing the power of ocean waves. According to data from Natural Resources Canada , the estimated energy off the Pacific Coast is 42,000 megawatts, which represents over 60 per cent of the country's annual electricity consumption. The Atlantic coast has even higher energy, reaching 146,500 megawatts. "Stage-wise [in Canada], it's super early, so it's pre-commercial, there's no established business models ... we're largely looking at prototype devices ... smaller scale devices that are being field tested, and in dedicated test sites around the world," said Buckham. Buckham's research lab, PRIMED, is part of the university's Accelerating Community Energy Transformations program, which supports communities transitioning to sustainable energy systems. Buckham says wave energy projects involve collaboration with people from Canada, the U.S., the European Union and the United Kingdom. "It's very much an international community." The vessel Nautilus works in the Pacific Ocean near Newport, Ore. The ship helped bury the subsea cables that run 16 to 19 kilometres along the ocean floor to connect the wave energy test site to facilities on land. (Craig Mitchelldyer/The Associated Press ) Challenges of wave energy Hales says ocean energy will complement other renewable sources like wind and solar, though it still needs to develop further. "Maybe in a decade we'll see a device that has successfully tested at our facility, actually go into commercial operation or municipal operation elsewhere," said Hales. But there are some roadblocks. The ocean's harsh, corrosive and powerful conditions have made it difficult to design devices that can endure its effects. As a result, research continues to focus on finding ways to enhance the durability of these devices. The subsea power and data cables being deployed to the seafloor off the stern of the MV HOS Innovator. (Dan Hellin ) As an example, Hales says some developers are creating technology that can automatically submerge below the sea surface when it detects tension in its mooring systems, allowing it to avoid the most destructive waves. "We're talking about significant marine operational commitments to putting these devices out. You have to have the right kind of vessels. You have to have the right kind of anchoring systems. You have to have the right kind of materials," said Hales. Another challenge, says Buckham, is to reduce the cost of building wave energy converters. He says this can be achieved by either lowering the cost of equipment or by increasing the amount of energy the converters produce over time. Supporting community Switching to a new source of energy also requires meaningful engagement with local communities, says Buckham. "A community like Port Alberni, [B.C.], becomes tremendously important to a wave energy industry off the west coast of Vancouver Island, because that is an accessible, deep-water port where you can get equipment in and out," said Buckham. "But [for] the people of Port Alberni, is that something that they want? There's a whole bunch of social challenges that have to be navigated as well." At this stage, Buckham suggests that smaller projects can serve as stepping stones to help advance the field of wave energy. Researchers hope to harness ocean's power to light remote B.C. communities "If they do well, and we show an operational track record, and we show what the real world environmental impacts are, and you demonstrate ways to mitigate those and to manage those, then you take another step," said Buckham. One of those projects is being led by the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation just off the west coast of Vancouver Island, where the Yuquot Wave Energy Project is harnessing the power of ocean waves to provide renewable, clean energy to their ancestral home, Yuquot on Nootka Island. WATCH | Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation harnessing the power of waves: B.C. First Nation hopes to revive village through wave energy plan 12 months ago Duration 5:02 A B.C. First Nation is hoping that an ambitious wave energy plan will be their ticket to reviving a historic village. Radio-Canada's Camille Vernet travelled to Yuquot to hear about a project bringing hope to displaced people. Buckham's lab PRIMED is a part of the project, and they've been working to assess the feasibility of deploying a suitable wave energy converter there. "If you serve those community needs, you've created a potential to serve a future need. If we can't serve community needs, then there is no step to take," said Buckham.
