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how to register jili games Trump offers a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled nominee to lead the PentagonHow about a gift that pays you back?

Gov. Greg Gianforte on Friday announced he has appointed Department of Agriculture Director Christy Clark to lead Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Clark succeeds Dustin Temple, whose retirement Gianforte announced . "Christy Clark is a strong leader with the skills needed to lead the agency tasked with protecting Montana’s cherished recreational opportunities and public access to public lands," Gianforte said in a press release Friday. "With her record of leadership, I am confident in her as she takes on this new role at FWP. I appreciate her willingness to serve in this new capacity after her successful tenure at MDA." Clark has been Department of Agriculture director since 2022, and held several positions in the agency before that. A Republican, Clark was elected to three terms in the Montana House of Representatives as a Republican from Choteau, where she and her husband raised three children on the family ranch. "After spending more than 20 years ranching and raising kids, my passion for advocating for agriculture brought me to the Montana Department of Agriculture where it has been an honor to serve Montana and its producers as director," said Director Clark. "I'm equally passionate about our state's hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreational opportunities, which truly make Montana, Montana. I'm grateful to Governor Gianforte for this opportunity to continue serving the people of Montana." Clark takes the reins at a fragile time for staffing at FWP, and will be the third director under Gianforte. of the governor's handling of the agency have both been increasingly public affairs in Gianforte's first term, including involving former , and former . The looming delisting of grizzly bears from Endangered Species Act protections has also been a priority for the administration. In August, Gianforte and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon touted the truck translocation of two subadult grizzlies from Montana to northwestern Wyoming. In 2012, Clark shed some light on her view of grizzlies and other wildlife managed by the agency to which she has now been appointed. In opposing the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act, Clark wrote, "The government has forced grizzly bears on us, so that we have to watch our livestock be eaten and then choose between committing a crime or defending our property." The government likewise "forced wolves on us" as well as bison, Clark added, raising the impact on Montana ranches for losing their brucellosis-free status. FWP Chief Operating Officer Marina Yoshioka has been serving as the agency's acting director since Temple's retirement.Two financial backers of the Geelong Football Club have been accused in court documents of orchestrating an elaborate fraud estimated at $14.5 million against one of the nation’s largest service providers for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Not-for-profit organisation genU has launched Supreme Court action against its former information technology operations manager, Sy Giang Nguyen, and Geelong businessman Keith Greenwood, who owns an office supplies company in Geelong West. Former genU IT operations manager Sy Giang Nguyen (circled) in a past photo with the Geelong team. Nguyen allegedly colluded with Greenwood to siphon millions of dollars from the registered charity by buying or leasing thousands of IT products on behalf of genU that were never delivered, according to documents filed in the Supreme Court of Victoria. Greenwood’s business, Ryrie Office Machines, is also accused of oversupplying and overcharging for IT hardware and software ordered by Nguyen, who had worked for genU since it was founded in 2016. GenU, which has 5500 staff and provides disability, aged care and employment services, became aware of the alleged fraud in September 2021, when an employee detected allegedly suspicious transactions. Nguyen was dismissed in October 2022 and police were notified in December that year. GenU engaged a forensic auditor, a private investigator and law firm RBK Legal as part of an internal probe which discovered Nguyen was living in a $5 million property in Geelong owned by Greenwood. Nguyen in happier times. Nguyen is accused in court documents of living at another property, owned by Greenwood, in the Geelong suburb of Newtown, while also spending significant time at Crown casino, where he had access to a luxury villa. Documents obtained by a private investigator reveal Nguyen corresponding with Crown Hotels’ former chief executive Peter Crinis. In 2015, Nguyen helped set a Guinness World Record when he consumed the world’s most expensive cocktail – a $12,500 drink known as “The Winston” – at Crown’s former venue Club 23. Nguyen did not finish the drink, made with 1858-vintage Croizet Cuvee Leonie cognac, and was reimbursed for the entire cost of the cocktail by Crown Resorts. Despite earning a base salary of $140,000 at genU, Nguyen showered associates with lavish gifts, including overseas holidays, domestic flights, sporting memorabilia and tickets to major events, according to court documents. A surveillance report included in court documents also revealed Nguyen “attending Kardinia Park (Geelong Football Club) soon after the grand final (2022) and attending a meeting with a recently retired Geelong player”. Keith Greenwood, a Geelong businessman and co-owner of Ryrie Office Machines, is accused in court documents of being involved in a massive fraud against genU. Greenwood and his business are also long-term sponsors of the Cats, and also major benefactors of a gallery and theatre company in Geelong. The website for Ryrie Office Machines claims the business has been an “integral part of the Geelong Football Club for over a decade” and is “synonymous with quality and trust” in the Geelong community. On September 26, the Supreme Court granted genU a freezing order against assets controlled by Nguyen, Greenwood and Ryrie Office Machines, which is owned by Greenwood’s company, Basswood Nominees Pty Ltd. The court order stops the pair disposing of several properties around Geelong, along with $6 million in proceeds from the recent sale of a development site in Leopold previously owned by Greenwood. GenU is set to launch civil action against Nguyen and Greenwood in a bid to claw back estimated losses of $14.5 million. The pair are accused of fraud and theft, while Nguyen is also alleged to have breached a fiduciary duty to his former employer, according to a draft statement of claim due to be filed by Friday. An affidavit by genU chief executive Clare Amies accuses Nguyen and Greenwood of colluding to submit invoices for IT equipment that was not delivered, while also oversupplying and overcharging for IT hardware and software. Nguyen is alleged to have leased or bought 3815 products from Ryrie Office Machines that were not supplied, including 182 servers, 542 desktop and 309 laptop computers, 1462 monitors and 989 docking stations, according to more than 600 pages of court documents obtained by The Age . Greenwood’s IT business also allegedly charged genU more than $2.2 million for six different software licences that appear to have never been delivered to the not-for-profit organisation. “It appears that Mr Nguyen has orchestrated a fraudulent scheme in respect of the supply of IT hardware and software to genU for the benefit of himself and another, being Ryrie Office Machines,” Amies stated in an affidavit signed on September 23. Nguyen tosses the coin before a Geelong-Adelaide AFL game in August. Credit: Fox Footy Detectives from the financial crime squad arrested and interviewed Nguyen, 57, on August 1, after executing a warrant at his Newtown home. No charges have been laid against him. Two days after his arrest, Nguyen greeted Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield and tossed the coin before a match between the Cats and Adelaide at GMHBA Stadium on August 3. Greenwood was arrested and interviewed on September 5, and released without charge as the fraud investigation continues. A police spokeswoman confirmed the pair are the subject of an investigation that began in February 2023 after police were notified by genU management in December 2022. A Geelong property owned by Greenwood. Credit: Justin McManus “Detectives have obtained financial and business records from the organisation and these continue to be forensically assessed,” the spokeswoman said. Amies released a statement to The Age confirming that legal proceedings had commenced against “various defendants for alleged and serious misconduct perpetuated against genU”. “Since joining in 2020, I have been committed to leading an organisation that has the systems, processes and leadership in place to prevent, detect and transparently pursue acts of wrongdoing,” Amies said. “Good governance dictates that those charged with stewardship responsibilities do their utmost to investigate and act decisively to right any wrongs affecting genU’s interests, which is what the current collective leadership did and will continue to do.” HWL Ebsworth Lawyers partner Colin Almond, acting for Greenwood, declined to comment while the matter was before court, but denied “any allegation of wrongdoing or involvement in any improper or illegal conduct” by his client. Geelong Football Club was contacted for comment. Nguyen’s lawyer, Roger Vrachnas from Gigliotti Lawyers, declined to comment. RBK Legal lawyer Michael Hazell, who is acting for genU, also declined to comment. Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter .

They might not know much about it, but the appropriately named black soldier flies are now on the front lines of the battle for a more sustainable planet. In Kazakhstan, like in many other countries, that battle sometimes looks like an uphill one. While the government has recently committed to carbon neutrality by 2060, the green economy in Central Asia's richest country still has a long way to go. Coal currently accounts for about half of all energy consumption, the oil and gas industry dominates economic activity, and the vast majority of household waste is not recycled. But for Bekezhan Qairgaliev, an entrepreneur in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, this means there is great potential for his environmentally friendly business to expand -- so long as enough people find out about it. "We receive about 400 kilograms of organic waste per day. That produces about 130-150 kilograms of fertilizer," Qairgaliev told RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service during a recent ecological fair, where he was promoting the services of his new black soldier fly farm. "At the moment we are working with 27 restaurants. We want to begin working with schools, too," he added. It is the dark, metallic-bodied flies, which are about 2 centimeters long, that are the agents of this highly efficient conversion, explaining why farms like Qairgaliev's have emerged in countries all over the world in the last decade or so. Their hungry larvae can devour large volumes of organic waste starting just a week after they are hatched, helping to produce a nutrient-rich compost at several times the speed of traditional compost heaps. As they do so, they are helping reduce landfill emissions of methane -- the second-most-prevalent greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and the most potent in terms of heating up the planet in proportional terms. At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai in 2023 (COP 28), Kazakhstan became the first Central Asian country to join the Global Methane Pledge, a commitment shared by more than 150 countries that obligates members to a 30 percent reduction in emissions of the gas by 2030. The overwhelming focus of Kazakhstan's commitment will be in the oil and gas sector, which is by far the energy-rich country's biggest methane-emissions source and the second-largest globally, after agriculture. Third on the global methane-culprit list? Organic waste, rotting in landfills. According to the , an initiative backed by the United Nations Environment Program, black-soldier-fly (BSF) technology is one of two "underfinanced yet highly effective solutions to reduce the emissions impact of organic waste," along with bio-covers, which are applied directly at landfills. In addition to creating fertilizer of varying quality, BSF entrepreneurs can also use the larvae from the flies to create valuable and environmentally sustainable feed for other industries such as fish farms. Qairgaliev is not asking for any financial help from the government. He says his business is profitable despite costing his clients less than traditional waste collection. But he argues that authorities could at least raise awareness about sustainable business and ensure that different types of household waste are sorted before collection. In the past, authorities have made only half-hearted efforts in this regard, he says. “[There was a time] when [separate] yellow containers appeared. But it didn't work at all," he said. "In the end only one rubbish truck came. And then it just took everything to the landfill.” Kazakhstan's government has admitted that it is not doing enough when it comes to environmentally friendly waste management. Less than one-quarter of the 4 million tons of municipal waste last year was processed in any way, authorities say. Other assessments are even more damning. At a conference in April organized by Atameken, Kazakhstan’s leading business lobby, industry experts said only around 3.5 percent of the 100,000 tons of plastic deposited on landfills across the country in 2023 was recycled. In March, Environment Minister Erlan Nysanbaev pledged that 37 plants would be built in the near future to recycle solid waste. But sustainability has to come from the bottom as well as the top. One organization that is trying to raise awareness at the ground level is Recycle.Birge (We Recycle Together) which holds regular "eco-subbotniki" in Almaty. The idea of a subbotnik comes from the voluntary workdays -- often city clean-up days -- organized during the Soviet Union. But here the emphasis is on collecting and sorting waste into very specific categories, with bins for different types of plastics, metals, cosmetic and medical waste, batteries, and more. In some cases, the beneficiaries of these drives are local "eco-entrepreneurs" who turn waste into sellable products, like Yury Kirdyushkin, whose Plastic Harahura project has used around 3 tons of plastic waste in the last two years to create new objects and art. But more important, according to the organizers, is the introduction of a culture of recycling, and the spread of the message about what items can still be reused. Leila Mukhitdinova, known to her friends as "Farmer Leila" is doing something similar, albeit on a slightly smaller scale, via the 100-member WhatsApp group that she administers called Eco-Guardians. The group discusses the finer questions of waste disposal and recycling, such as whether tea bags can be placed on compost heaps, and what environmentally friendly options there are for the disposal of expired medicines. Mukhitdinova, who says that she hasn't bought new clothes in 20 years, benefits from the group too. Many of her members now offer their waste food to the chickens and goats that she keeps at her farm outside Almaty instead of throwing it away. But she is proud of the fact that many of her group's members are now keen composters -- a hobby that remains rare in Kazakhstan -- and are aiding the effort to reduce the landfill burden. "[WhatsApp] chats like this are important because we might look a bit strange from the outside. Sometimes even our relatives think that we are strange, almost crazy. And that is why we need to support each other. People should understand that they are not the only ones," Mukhitdinova told RFE/RL. By RFE/RLTCU's TD barrage breaks open tight game vs. Arizona

Max Brooks scores 26 points and UMass-Lowell secures 92-83 victory over Dartmouth

The 1965 full-sized Chevrolet was a totally redesigned car from the ground up. Gone were the coupe’s fake, convertible-style hardtops popular in the 1963 and 1964 models, replaced by a semi-fastback roof – a very pleasing style which would be on all GM coupes for 1965 and 1966. The 1967 models would retain the same, fastback style, although somewhat modified with harder lines. This car is a standard Impala coupe. There was also a “Super Sport” offering with sportier interior appointments, a standard 283 cubic inch V-8 and a few performance offerings. This car is often referred to as a resto-mod, basically a mild custom, and in this case totally stock except for the custom rims and tires. The paint appears to be Willow Green Poly (meaning metallic), one of 21 hues offered by Chevrolet on their 1965 palette. Remember the days when not all cars were either black, white or 50 shades of gray? I had a chance to talk with the family who owned three cars they were washing that day including the aforementioned Chevy, a Mark IV Lincoln Continental and a pickup truck. The “Mark” belonged to the dad, the pickup was his son’s and the Impala was his daughter-in-law’s. During my young adult life, I once owned a 1966 Impala coupe with the standard 283 V-8 and automatic Powerglide transmission. The one single memorable moment I had with that car was when my wife and I were traveling to Tennessee with our two young children in the back seat. At the time, I was a store manager for CMC Stereo and I had the newly-introduced floor-mounted Craig Car Stereo on the transmission hump. I was cruising along at a comfortable 80 miles per hour. Don’t be aghast — that was the speed limit in Tennessee at the time. And the Chevy V-8 was smooth and quiet, just like the Impala’s ride. Then, in an instant it happened! The left rear tire had a major blow out! Like my father taught me to do, I just let off the accelerator, and coasted to a stop, applying the brake only lightly. When I got out to look at the tire, the only thing on the wheel was shreds of what was once a Uni-Royal Deluxe Whitewall! Fortunately, no one was hurt – just a tad shaken up! I hope you and yours had an enjoyable Thanksgiving Day with friends and family. I know I did! Drive safe and stay healthy! Tri-Power Trivia: 1. What was the first model year in which Chevrolet introduced multiple taillights on each side of the rear fenders of their full-size automobiles? 2. What model year Corvette switched from single tail lamps mounted on the upper contour of the rear fenders, to multiple round lamps? 3. What soul group or singer sang the 1965 top hit soul song, “In the Midnight Hour?” A. Wilson Pickett. B. The Four Tops. C. The Temptations. D. James Brown. Tri-Power Trivia answers: 1. 1958. The Bel Air Impala had three on each side with the center being a clear backup lamp. Lesser models, i.e. Biscayne and Delray, had just two on each side with the backups located in the rear bumper. This Chevrolet trademark styling treatment would continue into the late eighties with the only exception being the bat-wing lenses of the 1959 models and the single-unit style seen on the 1966 models. 2. Twin taillights, a pair on each side, appeared on the 1961 models. The sides and front-end remained the same. 1963 would see a total re-design marking the beginning of the C-2 Corvettes. 3. A. Wilson Pickett.Huntsville committee hears where YWCA Muskoka has spent the town's donation dollars this year

By LINDSEY BAHR Do you have a someone in your life who plays Vulture’s Cinematrix game every morning? Or maybe they have the kitchen television turned to Turner Classic Movies all day and make a point of organizing Oscar polls at work? Hate to break it to you: They might be a hard-to-please cinephile. But while you might not want to get into a winless debate over the “Juror No. 2” release or the merits of “Megalopolis” with said person, they don’t have to be hard to buy gifts for. The Associated Press has gathered up some of the best items out there to keep any movie lover stylish and informed. While Christopher Nolan dreams up his next film, fans can tide themselves over by revisiting his modern classic “Interstellar,” which will be back in IMAX theaters on the weekend of Dec. 6, followed by the home release of a new collector’s edition on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray ($59.95). A third disc in the set, available Dec. 10, contains more than two hours of bonus content, like a never-before-seen storyboard sequence, and new interviews with Nolan, producer Emma Thomas and famous fans Peter Jackson and Denis Villeneuve . Elaine May does not give interviews anymore. But thankfully that didn’t deter writer Carrie Courogen, who did a remarkable job stitching together the life of one of our culture’s most fascinating, and prickly, talents. “Miss May Does Not Exist” is full of delightful anecdotes about the sharp and satirical comedian who gained fame as one half of Nichols and May and went on to direct films like “The Heartbreak Kid” and “Mikey and Nicky.” Courogen writes about May’s successes, flops and her legendary scuffles with the Hollywood establishment. It’s a vital companion to Mark Harris’ biography of Mike Nichols . Macmillan. $30. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has an exclusive new “Matrix” sweatshirt for sale in conjunction with its Cyberpunk exhibition. Brain Dead Studios designed and created several items, including the black hoodie ($140), a white rabbit tee ($54) and a pint glass ($18). If you can’t make it to Los Angeles to check out the “Color in Motion” exhibit for yourself, the Academy Museum also has a beautiful new companion book for sale ($55) charting the development of color technology in film and its impact. It includes photos from films like “The Red Shoes,” “Vertigo,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and images of rare prints from the silent era. The Academy Museum Store is having a sale (20% off everything) from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. Related Articles Things To Do | US airports with worst weather delays during holiday season Things To Do | The right book can inspire the young readers in your life, from picture books to YA novels Things To Do | These holiday gifts change the game when building fires, printing photos, watching birds and more Things To Do | ‘Gladiator II’ review: Are you not moderately entertained? Things To Do | Beer pairings for your holiday feasts Want to look like a real film festival warrior, the kind who sees five movies a day, files a review and still manages to make the late-night karaoke party? You’re going to need the ultimate status tote from the independent streaming service MUBI . Simple, to-the-point and only for people in the know. $25. Film magazines may be an endangered species, but print is not dead at The Metrograph . Manhattan’s coolest movie theater is starting a biannual print publication “for cinephiles and cultural connoisseurs alike.” The first issue’s cover art is by cinematographer Ed Lachman (“Carol”), and contributors include the likes of Daniel Clowes, Ari Aster, Steve Martin and Simon Rex. There’s also a conversation with Clint Eastwood. It’s currently available for pre-order and will be in bookstores Dec. 10 for $25 ($15 for Metrograph members). This is not a book about filmmaking styles, camera angles and leadership choices. It’s literally about what directors wear. “How Directors Dress: On Set, in the Edit, and Down the Red Carpet” ($40) has over 200 archival photos of filmmakers in action: Spike Lee in his basketball caps, Sofia Coppola in her Charvet button-ups, Steven Spielberg’s denim on denim and many more. With a forward by the always elegant Joanna Hogg and writing from some of the top fashion journalists, it’s a beautiful look at how filmmakers really dress for work — and might even be a source of inspiration.

World number one Luke Humphries retained his Players Championship Finals title with an 11-7 victory over teenager Luke Littler in Minehead. Littler, who won the Grand Slam of Darts last week, hit checkouts of 170, 164 and 136 as he threatened to overturn an early deficit, but Humphries held his nerve to win the last three legs. “I’m really, really proud of that one to be honest,” Humphries told Sky Sports. FOR THE SECOND TIME 🏆🏆 Luke Humphries retains his 2024 Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals title, beating Luke Littler 11-7 in the final. — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) “I didn’t feel myself this week playing-wise, I felt like I was a dart behind in a lot of the scenarios but there’s something that Luke does to you. He really drives me, makes me want to be a better player and I enjoy playing him. “He let me in really early in that first session to go 4-1 up, I never looked back and I’m proud that I didn’t take my foot off the gas. These big games are what I live for. “Luke is a special talent and he was right – I said to him I’ve got to get these (titles) early before he wins them all. “I’d love to be up here and hitting 105 averages like Luke is all the time but he’s a different calibre, he’s probably the best player in the world right now but there’s something about me that never gives up. “This is a great way to go into the worlds.” HUMPHRIES GOES BACK-TO-BACK! 🏆 Luke Humphries retains his Players Championship Finals title! Cool Hand puts on an absolute clinic to defeat Luke Littler 11-7 in an epic final! 📺 | Final — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) Littler, who lost the world championship final to Humphries last year, said: “It was tough, missed a few doubles and if you don’t take chances early on, it’s a lot to come back. “I hit the 170 and the 164 but just didn’t have enough in the end. “It’s been a good past two weeks. I just can’t wait to go home, chill out, obviously practice at home for the worlds. That’s it now, leading up to the big one.”

Matt Gaetz says he won't return to US Congress withdrawing for attorney generalArticle content The annual AWS re:Invent conference just wrapped up at the Venetian Convention and Expo Center in Las Vegas, where more than 60,000 attendees – including yours truly – traveled to learn about the latest in cloud computing and artificial intelligence, powered by Amazon Web Services. Recommended Videos Oh, in case you’re not aware, AWS is the biggest cloud computing platform in the world, with an estimated 31% market share, compared to Microsoft’s Azure at 20% and Google Cloud at 11% (The Big Three), according to Synergy Research Group, citing the latest 2024 data. While there are hundreds of separate services a business or government agency can take advantage of, “cloud computing” simply refers to relying on remote servers – complex computer systems on the internet – to store, manage, and process your information, opposed to running your operations on a local server or a personal computer. Cloud computing is cost-effective and scalable, and generally more secure than traditional computing. Now in its 13th year, AWS re:Invent features keynote announcements, training and certification opportunities, technical sessions, an exhibitor fair, and after-hours events. Yes, we geeks like to party, too. ‘Amazon Nova’ enters the AI arms race As you might expect, generative AI (gen AI) remains the primary buzzword among businesses today, as it could empower companies to do much more with less: streamlining customer service (including much smarter chatbots), generating free-to-use images and videos for a website or social media posts, writing marketing copy, analyzing sales reports, conducting market research, offers personalized production recommendations to customers, and summarizing meetings with actionable items – just to name a few applications. AWS re:Invent kicked off with Amazon CEO Andy Jassy unveiling Amazon Nova, a new and “groundbreaking” set of AI models designed to efficiently and accurately handle a variety of tasks involving text, images, and videos. For example, the AI can generate content, like a video, or understand the content inside of a video (or document or audio file). Upping the AI arms race against the likes of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Meta and Google Gemini, Amazon Nova’s upcoming “speech-to-speech” model – expected in early 2025 – will be like talking to a real human instead of text prompts that mostly power gen AI today. In fact, Jassy discussed its ambitious “any-to-any” model coming next year. “So, you’ll be able to input text, speech, images, video and output text, speech, images and video,” he said. “This is the future of how frontier models can be built and consumed.” Jassy also highlighted Nova’s affordability, claiming the models are up to 75% less expensive than competitors, which could help level the playing field for smaller organizations on tighter budgets. Wearable device is like a digital ‘guide dog’ for the blind Nova aside, the most impressive demos at AWS re:Invent were tied to accessibility. For one, .lumen is a company that makes wearable glasses that mimic the core features of a guide dog. Resembling a VR headset, the user could navigate around city streets by relying on a combination of audio cues and haptic (vibration) feedback – based on what the headset “sees” – to guide the wearer not unlike pulling their hand in a given direction as a guide dog would. “These glasses are designed to be a scalable solution to the needs of the roughly 300 million people who are visually impaired, of which 40 million are fully blind,” .lumen CEO Cornel Amariei explained to Postmedia at AWS re:Invent. “Guide dogs are a great solution, they can do amazing things, but there are only about 28,000 service dogs in the world, and so we asked ourselves, ‘How can technology do something about this?” said Amariei, who traveled from Romania to Sin City to showcase the .lumen glasses. Along with feeling the cues for obstacles and directions, the wearer hears feedback, such as “curb up” or “stairs down,” as well as info tied to street crossings, escalators, park benches, pedestrians, and more. The headset processes info up to 100 times per second. Users can give the glasses voice commands to navigate to specific places. Maps are downloaded to be used offline to preserve battery life, which is a “full day” of moderate use, or about 2.5 hours of continuous walking, Amariei said. If you need more, the user can plug in a battery pack. Amariei was excited to share the news .lumen is working on integrating public transportation features. “So, you just put a location, which may be far away, and the device will take you to the bus station, help you get onto the right bus and help you get off of it – it’s pretty incredible,” he said. The headset is coming out in Europe early next year. “As for costs, subsidies and reimbursement programs will vary by country, but we’re working to make this either free or at a very low cost,” Amariei said. ‘Sign-Speak’ leverages AI to help deaf individuals More than 430 million people worldwide are deaf or hard of hearing, and currently there are two ways to communicate with a non-deaf person: texting or through an interpreter. Texting is limited and interpreters can be cost prohibitive. Sign-Speak adds a third option. Powered by AWS, the startup has developed AI technology that recognizes American Sign Language (ASL) and translates it into spoken words – and vice versa. So, imagine you’re on a video call with someone deaf or hard of hearing and when you speak, an avatar, of sorts, will sign what you say to a deaf person in near real-time, and when they sign back, captured by a webcam, you’ll hear a human voice translate the signing. “Our goal is really making sure deaf people get access everywhere,” Sign-Speak CEO Yami Payano explained at AWS re:Invent. While the primary focus is on online video communication between employees, such as a platform like Microsoft Teams or Zoom, Payano said they’re also developing a free tool for smartphones for in-person communication. “Yes, so, just as we’re now both in the same room, we could also communicate effectively with Sign-Speak, with the phone as the virtual interpreter,” she said. “Right now, our system is equal to the latency of an interpreter, a few seconds, which deaf people are used to, since ASL and English are two completely different languages,” Payano added. Expect a 2025 rollout, including social media integration, which is also being tested. – Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and the author of the book, Apple Vision Pro For Dummies (Wiley)

US job growth bounces back in November, a reassuring sign that the labor market remains healthyI have always thought of elections as messy stories: big, sprawling narratives with plots and subplots and thousands of characters, told in bits and pieces by narrators far from omniscient — never unified, scattered across media platforms, history books, and the vagaries of memory. Journalists piece together such stories. With visuals, out in the field, in newsrooms, and in broadcast studios. Their storytelling often borrows from fiction to add depth and nuance. But today, journalism stands on the brink of something stranger... something perilous but also potentially richer: the creative possibilities offered by AI. What do I mean by that? AI is no longer merely a tool for automation. It is emerging as a canvas for journalistic creativity, offering ways to tell stories we hadn’t quite imagined. What if journalism could wear a digital face? Or sing? These are no longer fanciful questions. During the recent US election, I worked with a team of young multimedia journalists at Bournemouth University exploring how AI might enhance storytelling. We called it Project L. We tested digital avatars — animated versions of real experts delivering sharp, engaging election commentary that felt at home on social media. We used AI-generated music to report on the tension in the swing states and the resumption of polling after bomb scares in Georgia and Michigan. Trump’s victory speech and Kamala Harris’s concession? We turned those into animated music videos, blending verse and visuals. (See an overview of Project L here.) This is where you might be wondering: why? Why go to such lengths? These experiments weren’t about jumping onto the grand bandwagon of gimmicks that accompany every disruptive technology. Nor were they about producing more content. Project L was about creating different content — stories designed to resonate, connect, and reach audiences in ways traditional formats may not. While much of the conversation around AI focuses on automating news production to cut costs, we wanted to explore how this disruption could reimagine storytelling itself. AI doesn’t just change how stories are told; it redefines what they can be. But there’s a catch. Isn’t there always? Every technological disruption brings opportunities and challenges. With AI, the most immediate concern is job displacement — automation that replaces, rather than enhances, human storytellers. Take the AI avatars we experimented with. In theory, their use democratises production: no studio, no expensive equipment. Just a good script and a laptop. A small team can create quality visual content, in multiple languages, at a fraction of the cost. But this efficiency carries a risk: content fatigue. There’s only so much of content a viewer, an audience segment, can consume—a threshold that AI provides us the capability to surpass all too easily. But just because we can produce more content doesn’t mean we should. The real challenge lies in using AI to create meaningful, resonant stories—not adding to the noise. So, how do we ensure AI enhances storytelling in journalism rather than diluting it? The answer lies in purpose, the why of our journalistic content. AI shouldn’t be a replacement for human creativity; it should be a tool for enhancement. By taking over repetitive tasks, it frees journalists to focus on imagination, nuance, and connection—the things machines cannot quite replicate. This liberation allows us to ask: what stories could we tell if we weren’t bound by traditional formats and constraints? How might we leverage avatars, music, or interactive narratives, or investigative opportunities, or personalisation possibilities to connect with audiences in ways we’ve never tried before? That’s the potential AI offers. Used responsibly, guided by ethics and a sense of purpose, it can be a powerful tool to enhance creativity. Journalism has never been just about delivering information. It’s about forging connections: telling stories that challenge us, inspire us, and remind us of our shared humanity. The question isn’t whether AI can help us tell stories—it most certainly can—but whether we use it to tell the ones that truly matter, in ways that remain unmistakably, defiantly human. (Chindu Sreedharan is the Professor of Journalism and Innovation, and the course director of MA Multimedia Journalism at Bournemouth University, U.K.) Published - December 15, 2024 02:37 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit

Klarna CEO says the company stopped hiring a year ago because AI ‘can already do all of the jobs’Trump’s Cabinet And Key Jobs: Truth Social CEO Devin Nunes, Troy Edgar And Bill White Are Latest Nominees

Breaking News Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Rich countries' promise of $300 billion a year in climate finance brought fury at talks in Baku from poor nations that found it too paltry, but it also shows a shift in global political realities. The two-week marathon COP29 climate conference opened days after the decisive victory in the US presidential election of Donald Trump, a sceptic both of climate change and foreign aid. In the new year, Germany, Canada and Australia all hold elections in which conservatives less supportive of green policies stand chances of victory. Britain is an exception, with the new Labour government putting climate high back on the agenda, but in much of the West, concerns about inflation and budgetary shocks from Russia's invasion of Ukraine have dented enthusiasm for aggressive climate measures. At COP29, Germany and the European Union maintained their roles championing climate but also advocated a noticeably practical approach on how much money historical polluters should give poorer countries. "We live in a time of truly challenging geopolitics, and we should simply not have the illusion" otherwise, European climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra told bleary-eyed delegates at COP29's pre-dawn closing session Sunday, as activists in the back loudly coughed to drown him out. But he vowed leadership by Europe, hailing COP29 as "the start of a new era for climate finance". German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, a Green party member and longtime climate advocate, called for flexibility on ways to provide funding. Europe should "live up to its responsibilities, but in a way that it doesn't make promises it can't keep", she said. Avinash Persaud, special advisor on climate change to the president of the Inter-American Development Bank, called the final deal "the boundary between what is politically achievable today in developed countries and what would make a difference in developing countries". Activists say that climate funding is a duty, not choice, for wealthy nations whose decades of greenhouse gas emissions most contributed to the crisis that most hits the poorest. This year is again set to be the hottest on record on the planet. Just since COP29, deadly storms have battered the Philippines and Honduras, and Ecuador declared a national emergency due to drought and forest fires. - 'Creative accounting'? - Wealthy historic emitters' promise of $300 billion a year by 2035 is a step up from an expiring commitment of $100 billion annually, but all sides acknowledge it is not enough. The COP29 agreement cites the need for $1.3 trillion per year, meaning a whopping $1 trillion a year needs to come from elsewhere. Even within the $300 billion commitment, some activists see too much wiggle room. "It is, to some extent, almost an empty promise," said Mariana Paoli, the global advocacy lead at London-based development group Christian Aid. She described the target as "creative accounting", saying there was not enough clarity on how much money would come from public funds and in grants rather than loans. She acknowledged the politics of the moment but said that wealthy nations had options such as taxation on fossil fuel companies. "There is a backlash because there is no political will," she said. - Role for multinational banks - In one closely scrutinised part of the Baku deal, countries will be able to count climate finance through international financial institutions toward the $300 billion goal. The text states that it is "voluntary" -- potentially opening the way to include China, which is the world's largest emitter but refuses to have requirements like long-developed countries. In a joint statement at COP29, multilateral development banks led by the Washington-based World Bank Group but also including the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank -- which has long faced US criticism -- expected that they together can provide $120 billion annually in climate financing and mobilise another $65 billion from the private sector by 2030. Melanie Robinson, director of the global climate program at the World Resources Institute, said there were good reasons to rely on multinational development banks, including how much capital they can leverage and their tools to advance green policies. "They are the most effective way to turn each dollar of finance into impact on the ground," she said. She agreed that the $300 billion was insufficient but added, "It's a down payment on what we need." Beyond the debate on dollar figures, she pointed to an initiative within the G20 by Brazil, which holds COP30 next year, to reform financial institutions so as to incorporate debtor nations as well as climate concerns. "There is really a much bigger opportunity for us -- which is shifting the whole financial system," she said. sct/giv Originally published as Climate finance's 'new era' shows new political realities More related stories Breaking News Developing nations slam ‘paltry’ $300 bn climate deal Developing nations slam 'paltry' $300 bn climate deal Read more Breaking News Concern as climate talks stalls on fossil fuels pledge Concern as climate talks stalls on fossil fuels pledge Read more

WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Unlike scores of people who scrambled for the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight in recent years, Danielle Griffin had no trouble getting them. The 38-year-old information technology worker from New Mexico had a prescription. Her pharmacy had the drugs in stock. And her health insurance covered all but $25 to $50 of the monthly cost. For Griffin, the hardest part of using the new drugs wasn’t access . It was finding out that the much-hyped medications didn’t really work for her. “I have been on Wegovy for a year and a half and have only lost 13 pounds,” said Griffin, who watches her diet, drinks plenty of water and exercises regularly. “I’ve done everything right with no success. It’s discouraging.” In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15% to 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. But roughly 10% to 15% of patients in those trials were “nonresponders” who lost less than 5% of their body weight. Now that millions of people have used the drugs, several obesity experts told The Associated Press that perhaps 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not respond well to the medications. It's a little-known consequence of the obesity drug boom, according to doctors who caution eager patients not to expect one-size-fits-all results. “It's all about explaining that different people have different responses,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital The drugs are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists because they mimic a hormone in the body known as glucagon-like peptide 1. Genetics, hormones and variability in how the brain regulates energy can all influence weight — and a person's response to the drugs, Stanford said. Medical conditions such as sleep apnea can prevent weight loss, as can certain common medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and contraceptives. “This is a disease that stems from the brain,” said Stanford. “The dysfunction may not be the same” from patient to patient. Despite such cautions, patients are often upset when they start getting the weekly injections but the numbers on the scale barely budge. “It can be devastating,” said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of the obesity treatment company FlyteHealth. “With such high expectations, there’s so much room for disappointment.” That was the case for Griffin, who has battled obesity since childhood and hoped to shed 70 pounds using Wegovy. The drug helped reduce her appetite and lowered her risk of diabetes, but she saw little change in weight. “It’s an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “You want it to work like it does for everybody else.” The medications are typically prescribed along with eating behavior and lifestyle changes. It’s usually clear within weeks whether someone will respond to the drugs, said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Weight loss typically begins right away and continues as the dosage increases. For some patients, that just doesn't happen. For others, side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea force them to halt the medications, Dushay said. In such situations, patients who were counting on the new drugs to pare pounds may think they’re out of options. “I tell them: It's not game over,” Dushay said. Trying a different version of the new class of drugs may help. Griffin, who didn't respond well to Wegovy, has started using Zepbound, which targets an additional hormone pathway in the body. After three months of using the drug, she has lost 7 pounds. “I'm hoping it's slow and steady,” she said. Other people respond well to older drugs, the experts said. Changing diet, exercise, sleep and stress habits can also have profound effects. Figuring out what works typically requires a doctor trained to treat obesity, Saunders noted. “Obesity is such a complex disease that really needs to be treated very comprehensively,” she said. “If what we’re prescribing doesn’t work, we always have a backup plan.” ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.Denise van Outen, 50, reveals she 'isn't fussed' about finding The One and says she's not chasing love after learning to be 'content on her own'Denise van Outen, 50, reveals she 'isn't fussed' about finding The One and says she's not chasing love after learning to be 'content on her own'

If you’ve ever been tempted by the thought that Australia forging our future by becoming a global “superpower” is a nice idea but probably not a realistic one, I have big news. New evidence shows it’s the smart way to fund our future. Last week, while we were engaged in a stupid argument over whether the Future Fund should continue growing forever and earning top dollar by being invested in other countries’ futures rather than our own, few people noticed a report much more germane to our future. The Superpower Institute – set up by the man who first had the idea, Professor Ross Garnaut, with former competition watchdog Rod Sims – put its money where its mouth was and produced hard evidence that the idea could work. World-first analysis of likely international trade in clean energy by Ross Garnaut’s Superpower Institute finds Australia could contribute up to 10 per cent of the world’s emissions reductions. Credit: It employed Dr Reuben Finighan to test and extend Garnaut’s argument with a detailed analysis of the future energy supply and demand in five potential importing countries, which together account for more than half of global greenhouse gas emissions: China, Japan, South Korea, India and Germany. Finighan’s report, The New Energy Trade , provides world-first analysis of likely international trade in clean energy and finds Australia could contribute up to 10 per cent of the world’s emissions reductions while generating six to eight times larger revenues than those typical from our fossil fuel exports. He demonstrates that, though Australia’s present comparative advantage in producing fossil fuels – coal and natural gas – for export will lose its value as the world moves to net zero carbon emissions, it can be replaced by a new and much more valuable comparative advantage in exporting energy-intensive iron and steel, aluminium and urea, plus green fuels for shipping, aviation and road freight, with our renewable energy from solar and wind embedded in them. Unusually, Finighan’s focus is on the role that international trade will need to play in helping the world reach net zero emissions at minimum cost to the economy. He reminds us that the world’s present high standard of living could not have been achieved without the use of fossil fuels, which required extensive trade between the countries that didn’t have enough oil, coal and gas of their own, and those countries that had far more than they needed for their own use. It’s cheaper to use locally made electricity to produce energy-intensive products ... before exporting them. Our participation in this trade, of course, explains much of our success in becoming a rich country. It will be the same story in the net-zero world, with much trade in renewable energy between those countries that can’t produce enough of their own at reasonable cost, and those countries with abundant ability to produce solar and wind power at low cost. Again, we have the potential to be a low-cost producer of renewable energy, exporting most of it to the world and earning a good living from it. Finighan says countries with the most abundant and thus cheapest renewable energy available for export are those whose solar and wind resources are more intense, less seasonal and that have abundant land relative to the size of their population and economy. Those few countries include us. Garnaut says we’re the country with by far the largest capacity to export to the densely populated, highly developed countries of the northern hemisphere. Finighan finds we can produce “essentially limitless low-cost green electricity”. The required solar and wind farms would occupy about 0.6 per cent of our land mass. Include the space between the wind turbines and that rises to a shocking 1.1 per cent. To put this in the sign language of economists, on a diagram plotting what would happen to our cost of supply as (world) demand increased, the curve would start very low and stay relatively flat. But, Finighan points out, there’s one big difference between the old trade in dirty energy and the new trade in clean energy. Whereas fossil fuels are cheap to transport, shipping clean energy is prohibitively expensive. Remember that a key strategy in the global move to net-zero is to produce electricity only from renewable sources, then use it to replace as many uses of fossil fuels as possible, including gas in households and industry, and petrol in cars. You can’t export electricity, but transforming it into hydrogen or ammonia requires huge amounts of electricity, thus involving much loss of energy and increased cost. So it’s cheaper to use locally made electricity to produce energy-intensive products such as iron, aluminium, urea and so forth locally, before exporting them. That is, the world trade in clean energy will mainly involve that energy being embedded in “green” products. This means, for the first time ever, making certain classes of manufacturing part of our comparative advantage. Finighan finds that, by ignoring the role trade will play in the process of decarbonisation, and thus the need for countries with limited capacity to produce their own renewables to import them in embedded form, earlier studies, including those by the International Energy Agency, have underestimated how much more electricity production the world will need. In examining the likely energy needs of the five large economies – four in Asia and one in Europe – he projects large shortfalls in their local supply of electricity. By mid-century, Japan, South Korea and Germany will have shortfalls of between 37 and 66 per cent. Because of their later targets for reaching net-zero, China’s greatest shortfall won’t occur until 2060, and India’s until 2070. These calculations take full account of the role of nuclear energy. It’s one of the most expensive means of generating clean energy. Unlike renewable technology, it’s become much more costly over time, not only in the rich economies but also in those such as India. Nuclear will play a minor role even in countries where heavy government subsidies render it competitive, such as China. Even if China triples its recent rate of building nuclear, it may contribute only 7 per cent of electricity supply by 2060. In those shortfalls, of course, lies a massive potential market for Australia’s exports of green manufactures. So, to mix metaphors, the dream of us becoming a superpower turns out to have legs. All the Labor government and the Coalition opposition have to do now is extract the digit. Ross Gittins is the economics editor The Market Recap newsletter is a wrap of the day’s trading. Get it each weekday afternoon .

Japan's famous sake joins UNESCO's cultural heritage list, a boost to brewers and enthusiastsThe award-winning Aston Martin DBX707 has become the marque’s single powertrain in the British ultra-luxury performance brand’s SUV portfolio, a statement from Alfardan Luxury Motors said. Launched in 2022, the DBX707’s blend of performance, exceptional dynamics, style and luxury saw it rapidly ascend to the pinnacle of the sector, as the “true Supercar of SUVs”. “With its best-in-class performance and dynamics, world-class design and the highest levels of luxury, the DBX707 immediately established a new ultra-luxury SUV benchmark,” said Marco Mattiacci, global chief brand and commercial officer of Aston Martin. “Now upgraded with state-of-the-art technology and a completely new interior, the DBX707 moves the game on once more, further elevating the standard by which all competitors are judged.” In parallel to a comprehensive interior redesign, the DBX707 now receives Aston Martin’s next-generation infotainment system. This bespoke, fully integrated multi-screen system features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus multiple USB-C connections and full online connectivity supported by the Aston Martin customer app. Information is displayed using best-in-class Pure Black touchscreen technology with full capacitive single and multi-finger gesture control. The main driver’s instrument cluster is a 12.3” screen – 1.5” larger than those found in the DB12 and Vantage – with a second 10.25” central infotainment display screen integrated into the new dashboard and centre console. The DBX707 features buttons for the key mechanical operations of gear selection, drive mode, heating and ventilation, continuing Aston Martin’s philosophy of creating the perfect blend between digital and analogue controls. There are also control switches for suspension, ESP and exhaust, lane keep assist and park distance control, ensuring the most used controls are always conveniently to hand. Complementing the integration of Aston Martin’s next-generation infotainment system, the DBX707 also showcases an all-new interior; the latest evolution of the bold new design debuted in the DB12 and Vantage. The clean, contemporary lines create a fabulous sense of space and cohesion, with a striking horizontal design line bisecting the upper and lower sections of the new dashboard. Every area of the interior has been enhanced, from the new steering wheel to redesigned D-pull door release handles and elegant vertical air vents, both of which are now matched to bright chrome or dark chrome interior jewellery. New front door veneer panels are larger and available in a variety of new materials, including gloss smoked oak, gloss titanium mesh and updated ziricote wood, piano black and carbon fibre veneers. There are three different interior trim specifications, each with its own signature detailing: “Inspire Comfort” features matrix embroidery and quilting, “Inspire Sport” has vector embroidery, and “Accelerate with Alcantara” has an extra element of sportiness. Additional detailing comes in the form of micro piping and sateen embroidery. And, of course, there is extensive scope for further personalisation via Aston Martin’s bespoke service, Q by Aston Martin. The DBX707 is now fitted as standard with the Aston Martin Premium Audio 800w 14 speaker audio system. Developed utilising advanced hardware, this system features a surround sound mode with QuantumLogic surround sound processing for a totally immersive soundscape. True audiophiles will delight in the optional system developed with Aston Martin’s audio partner, Bowers & Wilkins. Acoustically engineered to the DBX707’s interior volume and shape, this exceptional system uses technologies and innovations found in Bowers & Wilkins’s acclaimed world-class loudspeakers. Aluminium Double Dome tweeters and Continuum midrange speakers give this 23-speaker, double-amplified 1,600W surround sound system a balanced and accurate sound. Dedicated 3D headline speakers, bass speakers and a powerful subwoofer deliver a powerful and dynamic sound experience. The DBX707, the latest in the core model line-up to behold the new Aston Martin Wings, also introduces a number of detail changes to the exterior. Foremost amongst these are five new paint colours – Epsilon Black, Helios Yellow, Sprint Green, Malachite Green, and Aura Green – plus the addition of Podium Green, first exclusively available on the DBX707 AMR23 Edition. There are two new wheel finishes: Satin Black on the 23” Fortis wheel, and Copper Bronze on the 23” Forged wheel. Design of the 22” Sport, 23” Fortis and 23” Forged rims remain unchanged, with Silver, Gloss Black, Textured Black, Satin Black and Satin Black Diamond Turned finishes also available on selected wheels. Other visible changes include new “presenting” door handles, which power outwards when the car is unlocked, and new flush glass swivel-head door mirrors. Driven by the adoption of a more sophisticated Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), the new mirror design features improved fully integrated cameras to support the 3D parking camera functionality, which sees the whole mirror and shell assembly swivel as-one to provide adjustment. In addition to providing better camera packaging, the flush-fit edge-to-edge mirror design maximises the size of the reflective surface for a greater field of view. Underpinning this extensive suite of changes is the formidable hardware package for which the DBX707 is renowned. Star of the show is the 707PS/900Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 and 9-speed “wet clutch” automatic gearbox. Mated to a sophisticated all-wheel drive system capable of sending up to 100% of the torque to the rear axle on demand, the DBX707 can launch from 0-100kph in 3.3 seconds and achieve a top speed of 310kph. With braking power delivered by 420mm front and 390mm rear Carbon Ceramic brakes, the DBX707 sits on 22” wheels as standard, with a choice of cast or forged 23” alloy wheels available as options. Aston Martin engineers have further honed the DBX707’s class-leading dynamics, the quest for continual improvement resulting in a new calibration for the electronic dampers and air springs. Implemented to increase transient body control, the resulting improvement in response, precision and driver confidence extends the DBX707’s dynamic superiority in its Supercar of SUV’s class, the statement added. 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