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Boise State's legacy includes winning coaches and championship moments
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The right frame can freeze a moment in time, creating meaning for the masses from a fist pump over a bloodied ear , a bridge crumbled by a ship , towns shredded by nature , and a victory sealed with an on-field kiss . In 2024, photographers across the U.S. captured glimpses of humanity, ranging from a deeply divisive presidential election , to hurricanes and fires that ravaged communities, to campus protests over the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The gallery from The Associated Press illustrates a new chapter of political history — the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump , the moment President Joe Biden announced he would no longer run again , the campaign sprint by Vice President Kamala Harris in Biden’s place, and the raw emotion from voters during a grueling contest ultimately won by Trump . Hurricanes whipped through the country with devastating imagery, leaving a path of wreckage and death from Florida to Appalachia . After Hurricane Helene , Lake Lure in North Carolina was shown in a jarring photo covered in shards of debris thick enough to hide the surface of the water. Hurricane Milton ripped apart the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, home to Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays. The scale of destruction experienced in some corners of the country in 2024 was hard to capture and might have been harder to fathom. That was the case when a container ship slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse and crumple around the vessel, killing construction workers on the bridge. As flames torched the landscape in California , another image captured firefighters and sheriff’s deputies pushing a vintage car away from a burning home. Elsewhere in California , one photo is aglow with bright orange flames, broken up only by the subtle features of an animal running through them. But hope also persevered in the face of devastation. In Helene’s aftermath , an image from Crystal River, Florida, shows Dustin Holmes holding hands with his girlfriend, Hailey Morgan, as they sloshed through floodwaters with her 4- and 7-year-old children to return to their flooded home. And in Manasota Key, Florida, a family was lit up by the glow of flashlights as they walked to check on their home damaged by Milton. Other photos from 2024 also grabbed the darkness and shadows to emphasize light: among them, a rocket liftoff and a total solar eclipse . And, yes, eclipse glasses were back in style for a shared moment of skygazing. But many other photos delivered a blast of color, from the spectrum of the northern lights across a Maine sky to a crew of workers wading into the deep-red of a Massachusetts cranberry bog . And, once again, Taylor Swift captured the country’s attention, even as a part of the crowd. She rushed down from the stands to kiss her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, after the Chiefs won the AFC Championship , en route to another Super Bowl win.By Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times (TNS) Every day millions of people share more intimate information with their accessories than they do with their spouse. Wearable technology — smartwatches, smart rings, fitness trackers and the like — monitors body-centric data such as your heart rate, steps taken and calories burned, and may record where you go along the way. Like Santa Claus, it knows when you are sleeping (and how well), it knows when you’re awake, it knows when you’ve been idle or exercising, and it keeps track of all of it. People are also sharing sensitive health information on health and wellness apps , including online mental health and counseling programs. Some women use period tracker apps to map out their monthly cycle. These devices and services have excited consumers hoping for better insight into their health and lifestyle choices. But the lack of oversight into how body-centric data are used and shared with third parties has prompted concerns from privacy experts, who warn that the data could be sold or lost through data breaches, then used to raise insurance premiums, discriminate surreptitiously against applicants for jobs or housing, and even perform surveillance. The use of wearable technology and medical apps surged in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, but research released by Mozilla on Wednesday indicates that current laws offer little protection for consumers who are often unaware just how much of their health data are being collected and shared by companies. “I’ve been studying the intersections of emerging technologies, data-driven technologies, AI and human rights and social justice for the past 15 years, and since the pandemic I’ve noticed the industry has become hyper-focused on our bodies,” said Mozilla Foundation technology fellow Júlia Keserű, who conducted the research. “That permeates into all kinds of areas of our lives and all kinds of domains within the tech industry.” The report “From Skin to Screen: Bodily Integrity in the Digital Age” recommends that existing data protection laws be clarified to encompass all forms of bodily data. It also calls for expanding national health privacy laws to cover health-related information collected from health apps and fitness trackers and making it easier for users to opt out of body-centric data collections. Researchers have been raising alarms about health data privacy for years. Data collected by companies are often sold to data brokers or groups that buy, sell and trade data from the internet to create detailed consumer profiles. Body-centric data can include information such as the fingerprints used to unlock phones, face scans from facial recognition technology, and data from fitness and fertility trackers, mental health apps and digital medical records. One of the key reasons health information has value to companies — even when the person’s name is not associated with it — is that advertisers can use the data to send targeted ads to groups of people based on certain details they share. The information contained in these consumer profiles is becoming so detailed, however, that when paired with other data sets that include location information, it could be possible to target specific individuals, Keserű said. Location data can “expose sophisticated insights about people’s health status, through their visits to places like hospitals or abortions clinics,” Mozilla’s report said, adding that “companies like Google have been reported to keep such data even after promising to delete it.” A 2023 report by Duke University revealed that data brokers were selling sensitive data on individuals’ mental health conditions on the open market. While many brokers deleted personal identifiers, some provided names and addresses of individuals seeking mental health assistance, according to the report. In two public surveys conducted as part of the research, Keserű said, participants were outraged and felt exploited in scenarios where their health data were sold for a profit without their knowledge. “We need a new approach to our digital interactions that recognizes the fundamental rights of individuals to safeguard their bodily data, an issue that speaks directly to human autonomy and dignity,” Keserű said. “As technology continues to advance, it is critical that our laws and practices evolve to meet the unique challenges of this era.” Consumers often take part in these technologies without fully understanding the implications. Last month, Elon Musk suggested on X that users submit X-rays, PET scans, MRIs and other medical images to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence chatbot, to seek diagnoses. The issue alarmed privacy experts, but many X users heeded Musk’s call and submitted health information to the chatbot. While X’s privacy policy says that the company will not sell user data to third parties, it does share some information with certain business partners. Gaps in existing laws have allowed the widespread sharing of biometric and other body-related data. Health information provided to hospitals, doctor’s offices and medical insurance companies is protected from disclosure under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act , known as HIPAA, which established federal standards protecting such information from release without the patient’s consent. But health data collected by many wearable devices and health and wellness apps don’t fall under HIPAA’s umbrella, said Suzanne Bernstein, counsel at Electronic Privacy Information Center. “In the U.S. because we don’t have a comprehensive federal privacy law ... it falls to the state level,” she said. But not every state has weighed in on the issue. Washington, Nevada and Connecticut all recently passed laws to provide safeguards for consumer health data. Washington, D.C., in July introduced legislation that aimed to require tech companies to adhere to strengthened privacy provisions regarding the collection, sharing, use or sale of consumer health data. In California, the California Privacy Rights Act regulates how businesses can use certain types of sensitive information, including biometric information, and requires them to offer consumers the ability to opt out of disclosure of sensitive personal information. “This information being sold or shared with data brokers and other entities hypercharge the online profiling that we’re so used to at this point, and the more sensitive the data, the more sophisticated the profiling can be,” Bernstein said. “A lot of the sharing or selling with third parties is outside the scope of what a consumer would reasonably expect.” Health information has become a prime target for hackers seeking to extort healthcare agencies and individuals after accessing sensitive patient data. Health-related cybersecurity breaches and ransom attacks increased more than 4,000% between 2009 and 2023, targeting the booming market of body-centric data, which is expected to exceed $500 billion by 2030, according to the report. “Nonconsensual data sharing is a big issue,” Keserű said. “Even if it’s biometric data or health data, a lot of the companies are just sharing that data without you knowing, and that is causing a lot of anxiety and questions.” ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Vienna: The State of Qatar is participating in the Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology and its Applications, held in the Austrian capital, Vienna, with a delegation led by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change HE Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie. In his speech at the opening of the three-day conference, HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change affirmed the State of Qatar's support for the resources and programs of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as part of its efforts to address environmental challenges that threaten the sustainable development of nations. His Excellency highlighted several areas of cooperation between Qatar and the IAEA, including environmental protection, radiation safety, health, and the development of national expertise in nuclear security and safety. On the sidelines of the conference, HE Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie met with the Director-General of the IAEA HE Rafael Mariano Grossi. The meeting dealt with ways to coordinate and enhance mutual cooperation. The ministerial conference on nuclear science and technology and its applications addresses the future of nuclear science and technology through the IAEAs Technical Cooperation Program and sustainable international collaboration. It emphasizes how nuclear science can continue to tackle some of the worlds most pressing challenges.
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Robin Goodfellow's racing tips: Best bets for Thursday, November 28 By STEVE RYDER Published: 22:30 GMT, 27 November 2024 | Updated: 22:31 GMT, 27 November 2024 e-mail View comments Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Tuesday's meetings at Musselburgh, Taunton and Lingfield. Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Thursday's meetings at Musselburgh, Taunton and Lingfield Musselburgh Robin Goodfellow 12.25 Impero 1.00 Johnny Ringo 1.35 One Step Up 2.10 Heart Above 2.45 Kandor 3.20 Malangen Gimcrack 12.25 IMPERO (nap) 1.00 Melinda 1.35 One Step Up 2.10 Ravenscraig Castle 2.45 Cartonne 3.20 Twoplacesatonetime NORTHERNER – 2.45 Cartonne (nb); 3.20 TWOPLACESATONETIME (nap). Taunton Robin Goodfellow 12.15 Native Moon 12.50 Jackpot Des Bordes 1.25 Hecouldbetheone (nb) 2.00 MONTREGARD (nap) 2.35 Sassified 3.10 Ventara 3.45 Build Your Dream Gimcrack 12.15 Honey Jack 12.50 Brave Move 1.25 Super Sabre Sam 2.00 Montregard 2.35 Vivid Pink 3.10 Ventara 3.45 Doctor Blue NEWMARKET – 1.25 HECOULDBETHEONE (nap) Lingfield Robin Goodfellow 12.35 Just Chasing May 1.10 Jasmine Bliss 1.45 Aworkinprogress 2.20 Nachtgeist 2.55 Miller Spirit 3.30 Superstylin Gimcrack 12.35 Just Chasing May 1.10 Jasmine Bliss (nb) 1.45 Airtothethrone 2.20 Spicy Nelson 2.55 The Two Harrys 3.30 Dromlac Jury NEWMARKET – 1.10 Jasmine Bliss (nb) Share or comment on this article: Robin Goodfellow's racing tips: Best bets for Thursday, November 28 e-mail Add comment
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Keaston Willis scored 15 points off of the bench to help lead Tulsa over Detroit Mercy 63-44 on Tuesday. Willis finished 3 of 9 from 3-point range and 6 for 7 from the line for the Golden Hurricane (4-3). Isaiah Barnes scored 12 points while shooting 4 for 9, including 4 for 6 from beyond the arc and added seven rebounds. Dwon Odom had 11 points and went 5 of 8 from the field. Jared Lary led the way for the Titans (3-4) with 12 points and two steals. Tulsa led 36-27 at halftime, with Willis racking up nine points. Tulsa extended its lead to 54-35 during the second half, fueled by a 9-2 scoring run. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .No secrets as Bucs visit Dave Canales, Panthers for NFC South showdownOnce the lifelines of Dhaka, the city's canals are now mere shadows of their former selves—clogged with pollution, suffocated by encroachment, and neglected due to flawed urban planning. In this seven-part series, The Daily Star explores the current condition of the capital's canals, botched restoration attempts, and how the sorry state of these waterways is exacerbating the city's waterlogging woes. Together, these stories reveal what it will take to bring Dhaka's dying canals back to life. Here is the fourth part of the series: Flood-flow zones, crucial for maintaining Dhaka's ecological balance, are rapidly vanishing, leaving the city increasingly vulnerable to waterlogging, loss of groundwater recharge, and potential flooding. Experts and urban planners blame rampant encroachment, questionable policies by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), and a culture of impunity that has legitimised illegal land use. FLOOD-FLOW ZONES: A CRITICAL RESOURCE Flood-flow zones are designated low-lying areas meant to retain water during monsoons, preventing urban flooding and aiding groundwater recharge. Historically, these zones ensured that excess water from rivers like the Buriganga had natural outlets, reducing the risk of flash floods and waterlogging. However, Dhaka has lost vast swathes of these zones due to unplanned urbanisation. According to a 2019 study by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), the city lost 1,072 acres (57 percent) of its 1,879-acre flood-flow zones in metropolitan areas within a decade. Till 2019, since the publishing of the gazette on the previous master plan (DAP-2010), the city lost 3,440 acres out of 9,556 acres of flood-flow zones, water retention areas, and water bodies. POLICIES FUELING ENCROACHMENT The Detailed Area Plan, approved in 2023, has drawn severe criticism for legalising residential developments in previously conservable flood-flow zones. While the DAP imposes penalties for unauthorized construction under the Building Construction Rules, these penalties remain negligible, with no substantive action against encroachment. "This is a glaring weakness of Rajuk and the DAP," said Fazle Reza Sumon, former president of BIP. "This legalisation benefits certain quarters, encouraging others to encroach upon flood-flow zones with the hope of eventual regularization," he said. Rajuk has further divided flood-flow zones into "open flood-flow zones" and "general flood-flow zones". While development is restricted in open zones, conditional development is now permitted in general zones, reducing the total flood-flow area by 23 percent. "Rajuk has effectively legitimised encroachments and now has the power to alter land use based on individual or other considerations," said Iqbal Habib, vice president of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon. "This will reduce Dhaka's flood-flow zones to a mere 26 percent of their original size." CONSEQUENCES FOR DHAKA'S ENVIRONMENT The gradual loss of flood-flow zones has dire implications for the city. Without sufficient floodplains, rivers like the Buriganga face reduced inflows, endangering their ecological health. "When houses are built on elevated flood-flow zones, roads are also raised, creating low pockets that trap water," explained Iqbal Habib. "This leads to severe waterlogging in areas like Kalabagan, Kathalbagan, Rayerbazar, Matikata, and the DND region." Mohammad Azaz, chairman of the River and Delta Research Centre (RDRC), highlighted how Dhaka has transformed from a wetland city into a concrete maze. "Dhaka should have been a sponge city, retaining water during rains. But unplanned urbanisation and inadequate town planning have buried natural water channels and wetlands, leaving the city defenseless against flooding." Adil Mohammad Khan, president of BIP, added, "Flood-flow zones were once restricted for farming and water retention, ensuring natural flood mitigation. Now, the absence of penalties for encroachments has made the current DAP toothless." Iqbal Habib warned, "Without sufficient flood-flow zones, Dhaka will face increased flash floods and river flooding. Vulnerable areas along the Buriganga's banks and other low-lying pockets will suffer the most." HOUSING PROJECTS: GOVT, PVT CULPRITS Government agencies have played a leading role in this crisis by developing large housing projects on wetlands, such as Uttara phases 1, 2, and 3, Purbachal, Jheelmil, and Baridhara J Block, according to experts. Private developers followed suit, with Jahirul Islam's Banasree and Eastern Housing becoming models for indiscriminate wetland encroachment, said Azaz. "Even local housing societies are now filling wetlands and flood-flow zones for new projects," added Iqbal Habib. The Drainage Masterplan 2016 by Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) revealed that many back swamps, depressions, and natural channels have already been filled in Dhaka, exacerbating the city's drainage issues. THE WAY FORWARD Experts emphasise that protecting flood-flow zones require strict enforcement of existing regulations and meaningful penalties for encroachment. Developing Dhaka's town planning with a focus on ecology and sustainability is also crucial. "The government must prioritise ecological and social considerations over mere land use," said Azaz. "Dhaka's survival depends on its ability to balance urbanisation with environmental preservation." Stressing the need for proper protection of flood-flow zones, Adil said any type of development should be completely restricted in the flood-flow zones around Dhaka. He said main flood-flow and sub-flood flow zones should be merged in the DAP to prohibit any types of development in these areas as they are imperative for water retention and protecting biodiversity, he added. "Vested interest groups that were involved in the destruction of flood-flow zones for housing, industry, or other activities, should be identified and penalised accordingly. Culpable officials of Rajuk, DoE, water development board, DC office, and other government offices should be punished as well for their misconduct," Adil said. Adil said environmental laws should be modified and amended to increase the punishment for encroachers of flood-flow areas. "Connectivity between different canals, waterbodies, and water channels should be restored. Appropriate demarcation of flood-flow zones is necessary as well and community engagement is also required to conserve these areas," he said. Unless urgent action is taken, the city risks losing its remaining flood-flow zones, leaving its population exposed to unmanageable water crises in the years to come, experts warned.
NoneLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Voters dejected by the presidential election results need to find a way to give back and remain involved, Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday as they celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Clinton presidential library. The former president urged audience members in a packed theater to remain engaged and find ways to communicate with those they disagree with despite a divisive political time. The two spoke about a month after former President Donald Trump's win over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election. “We’re just passing through, and we all need to just calm down and do something that builds people up instead of tears them down,” Bill Clinton said. Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state who was defeated by Trump in the 2016 election, said she understands the next couple of years are going to be challenging for voters who don't agree with the decisions being made. "In addition to staying involved and staying aware, it’s important to find something that makes you feel good about the day because if you’re in a constant state of agitation about our political situation, it is really going to shorten your life," she said. The Clintons spoke during a panel discussion with journalist Laura Ling, who the former president helped free in 2009 when she was detained in North Korea with another journalist. The event was held as part of a weekend of activities marking the 20th anniversary of the Clinton Presidential Library's opening in Little Rock. The library is preparing to undergo an update of its exhibits and an expansion that will include Hillary Clinton's personal archives. Hillary Clinton said part of the goal is to modernize the facility and expand it to make it a more open, inviting place for people for convene and make connections. When asked about advice he would give for people disappointed by the election results, Bill Clinton said people need to continue working toward bringing people together and improving others' lives. “If that's the way you keep score, then you ought to be trying to run up the score,” he said. “Not lamenting the fact that somebody else is winning a different game because they keep score a different way." “And in addition, figure out what we can do to win again,” Hillary Clinton added, eliciting cheers. The program featured a panel discussion with cast members of the hit NBC show “The West Wing” and former Clinton White House staffers. The weekend amounted to a reunion of former Clinton White House staffers, supporters and close friends, including former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and adviser James Carville. McAuliffe said he and Carville ate Friday at Doe's Eat Place, a downtown restaurant that was popular with Clinton aides and reporters during Clinton's 1992 White House run. He said he viewed the library and its planned expansion as important for the future. “This is not only about the past, but it's more importantly about the future," McAuliffe said. “We just went through a very tough election, and people are all saying we've got to get back to the Clinton model.”Hours after PMC clears footpaths near MIT College Campus, roadside eateries return
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Transport for London (TfL) is investigating after one of its new “tram buses” was involved in a crash on the day the fleet was launched. The vehicle reportedly collided with a car driven by the wife of a Bromley councillor. The 20-strong fleet covers the 358 route, connecting Crystal Palace to Orpington in one of London ’s longest bus routes. TfL unveiled the new set of buses on November 20, which include pantograph technology that connects to the roof of the bus at each end of the 15-mile long journey, allowing them to charge in as little as six minutes. Labour Councillor Kathy Bance said at a Bromley Council meeting on the evening of the launch that one of the first new 358 buses hit a car belonging to a Labour councillor’s wife. The collision reportedly took place on Sevenoaks Road in Orpington earlier that day while the new 358 buses were making their first journeys. A TfL spokesperson said: “We are aware of a road traffic collision involving a route 358 bus and another vehicle. Thankfully, no one was injured and we understand that the collision was minor.” They added: “We are working with the bus operator, Go-Ahead London, to investigate this incident.” Conservative Councillor Nicholas Bennett, Executive Councillor for Transport, Highways & Road Safety, sent his best wishes to the councillor’s wife at the meeting. The executive councillor also claimed the pantograph technology being used on the new 358 buses was already several years out of date. Cllr Bennett said in his update: “They claim it as ‘new technology’ yet such charging has been in place for years in some European cities and TfL route 132 has had such charging for several years.” Pantograph technology was initially introduced to London in 2022 for the 132 route at Bexleyheath bus garage. TfL has said the innovation will allow fewer buses to be required on the 358 route, bringing savings to be used in other areas of the London network. Safety benefits also include speed limiting technology and audible warnings for pedestrians. Lorna Murphy, director of buses at TfL, previously said: “The green benefits are obviously that we’re reducing our carbon emissions. On a bus like this, we can carry up to 80 times the amount of people that can go in a car in just three times the space. “Clearly that’s a huge benefit from an emissions point of view, for the climate, for improving the air that we all breathe and that’s great for Londoners.”
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Mark Almond: Will the Little Rocket Man now seize the chance to cause havoc? By MARK ALMOND Published: 22:41 GMT, 3 December 2024 | Updated: 22:44 GMT, 3 December 2024 e-mail 7 View comments No one expected this. Not the Americans who view Seoul as a crucial Asian ally, not half-starved North Korea under the heel of its dictator, and certainly not the people of South Korea themselves. As martial law was declared by the president Yoon Suk Yeol yesterday, many of the country’s 52 million inhabitants must have feared an international emergency had erupted – perhaps an invasion or nuclear tests by their neighbour. But, as soldiers barricaded the entrance to the parliament building and all democratic political activity was suspended, it became plain this was a domestic crisis on a seismic scale. Whatever happens next will only magnify the shock. Yoon, whose party had already suffered huge losses in this year’s parliamentary election , has acted in a desperate bid to avoid being forced from office. If he topples, he will leave a power vacuum. But clinging on doesn’t seem a realistic option after a half-baked coup to keep himself in power. Any scenarios are potentially catastrophic for the US, which has more than 24,000 troops stationed in the country. Since the Korean War of the 1950s, this peninsula has been a crucial foothold in the East for America. In Beijing , the Chinese Communist Party will be deciding how to react. It is unlikely they will make any sudden moves. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un will try to take advantage of political unrest in South Korea over martial law by stirring up more chaos, writes Mark Almond South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late on Tuesday but has since had lift legislation following unrest People gesture as they gather outside the National Assembly in Seoul on December 4, 2024, after South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law But North Korea’s Kim Jong-un – infamously nicknamed ‘Little Rocket Man’ by Donald Trump – is far less predictable. He will certainly try to take advantage of the situation by stirring up more unrest. Cyber warfare is a favourite weapon but he could also seek to intimidate his neighbours by firing a missile – a tactic he has used with Japan in the past. He might even order a border incursion to demonstrate his military might. While South Korea has the world’s lowest birthrate and an ageing population, North Korea is a young nation. It has no shortage of recruits for its large army, and was able earlier this year to send 10,000 troops to assist Russia in Ukraine. If the North staged a full-scale invasion, the US would have no choice but to declare war. Yet that would put Washington in the impossible position of supporting Yoon, who is now acting as a tyrant. His bitterest political enemies could not have foreseen this when he was elected as a conservative leader on an anti-corruption platform in 2022. South Korea has been dogged for decades by financial skulduggery in government, and Yoon touted himself as a leading activist in the fight against dirty dealings. Instead, he has wallowed in the muck. His First Lady Kim Keon Hee has been accused of accepting bribes. Opponents liken her to Marie Antoinette. We don’t yet know whether Yoon will go quickly, or whether the National Assembly, having lifted the martial law decree, will demand his head. As I write, the situation is uncertain. What is certain is that this volatility in a major economy balancing on a nuclear trip wire means South Korea’s crisis will have repercussions around the world. Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul on December 4 2024, after South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law It comes as Kim Jong Un sent thousands of troops to Ukraine to assist Russian soldiers amid the ongoing conflict The collapse of the coup doesn’t mean that after a bout of midnight madness South Korea will return to normal. That this could happen shows that behind the facade of K-Pop and Samsung Galaxies, deep problems of corruption lurked. Another crisis about who will take over in South Korea may just be beginning. Mark Almond is director of Crisis Research Institute in Oxford. Share or comment on this article: Mark Almond: Will the Little Rocket Man now seize the chance to cause havoc? e-mail Add commentHugh Grant ‘s career has entered what the actor himself coined the “freak show stage” of his career. From the oh-so-tiny Oompa Loompa in Wonka to the short-lived Edward Keplinger in The Regime , the seasoned British actor has departed from his romantic lead typecast. For his most recent leading role as Mr. Reed in Heretic , Grant traps two young Mormon missionaries in his basement game of faith and horror. Green-haired, dancing orange man aside, Mr. Reed is his most extreme role to date. Playing a man who traps women in cages is as large a departure as he can take, especially when his origins are largely rooted as charming leads in romantic comedies. And not just any romantic leads. Grant has starred in some of the most iconic romantic comedies: Edward Farris in Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility , William Thacker in Richard Curtis ‘ Notting Hill , Charles in Four Weddings and a Funeral (the first of his three films with the famed romance director), David the Prime Minister in Curtis’ Love Actually . Essential to each of these roles, Grant’s charming smile and self-effacing mumble made him a heartthrob of the ’90s and ’00s. But a heartthrob is not exempt from their red flags. Like a wolf in a beloved Englishman’s clothing, Grant’s characters have always been more villainous than they appear. The actor’s breakthrough role as Charles in Four Weddings and a Funeral marked him as good-looking and disarmingly likable. Charles flipped a leading man’s role on his head, appearing as non-threatening and passive, his true motives often taking a backseat to politeness. However, for the friend who forgets rings, arrives late, pursues a woman in a relationship, and abandons his fiancée at the altar, suave and shy are not necessarily the first words that come to mind. Perhaps his most cardinal sin of all was committed in Notting Hill . How did he allow Julia Roberts walk out the door to be ambushed by the paparazzi?! Without her pants?! On multiple occasions, when given the opportunity to profess his feelings to his own heartthrob Anna (played by the real-life movie star Roberts), William chose silence and inaction. He even rejected Anna’s own proposal to pursue the relationship legitimately after he had spent an entire year forlorn about what could have been. Never establishing a backbone to communicate properly with the women he truly loves has perhaps been a throughline of Grant’s romantic career. Even his casting as Edward Farris in the 1995 Sense and Sensibility fits the bill, the price of his inactions and omissions being paid by the woman who loved him most. His most meaningful encounter in the film, in my opinion, came far too late. In the final act, Elinor Dashwood ( Emma Thompson ) realized that Farris had been engaged to and then married a woman of higher society. This was the engagement that Farris had failed to mention during the entirety of their courtship. The man was shelling out his monogrammed kerchiefs left and right. Unforgivable! Lastly, Curtis’ 2003 holiday rom-com Love Actually follows the love stories of 10 different individuals and those in their lives. “Love” is used liberally as Grant is one of the many male characters engaging in inappropriate romantic relationships with his own employees. Grant plays David, the Prime Minister, who initially resists the urge to act on his attraction to a junior member of staff, Natalie ( Martine McCutcheon ). While he presents himself as a moral politician, looking down on the U.S. President ( Billy Bob Thornton ) for making his own advances on Natalie, David acts on his attraction in the end nonetheless. While the pair ends up in a public, seemingly unproblematic relationship (for now) by the end of the film, we can’t overlook their checkered origins. Looking back, Grant has actually always played the villain. We just weren’t looking hard enough. More Headlines:
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Audrey Decker , Defense One EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.—The U.S. military is many years away from letting robots take over the role of human pilots, according to the Air Force official who oversees development of AI piloting technology. “There may be someday we can completely rely on robotized warfare” but “it is centuries away,” said Brig. Gen. Doug Wickert, commander of the 412th Test Wing here. The base is the hub for testing a host of new planes and technology, including software that enables AI to drive fighter jets. The test wing has been experimenting with autonomous pilots through its X-62A VISTA platform, a modified F-16 jet loaded with AI software. What AI pilots can do today is remarkable, Wickert said, but there’s still a gap between the digital world and the real deal—and robot pilots still make “unexpected” choices during flight tests. Wickert’s comments come as the U.S. military faces scrutiny—and mockery—from President-elect Donald Trump’s key advisers Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy for buying expensive manned fighter jets instead of prioritizing drones and other lower-cost platforms. Beyond concerns about technology readiness, warfare is extremely complicated and incorporating AI raises a number of ethics questions—includingwhether the chance of war increases if humans aren’t in the equation, Wickert told a group of reporters visiting the base. Edwards, a sprawling complex in the western portion of the Mojave Desert, has tested every generation of fighter jet since America’s very first—the Bell P-59 in 1942. Now, the base is preparing to test the next generation of fighter technology, including the Air Force’s new robot fighter jets, called collaborative combat aircraft. The CCAs will cost about $30 million per drone, which is roughly a third of the cost of one F-35 jet. The base will house the Air Force’s CCA drones for testing—likely next year—once the two contractors, General Atomics and Anduril, finish their prototypes. The AI software being developed through the VISTA program won’t go straight into the CCAs, but will “inform” the AI-enabled drones, Wickert said. Loading AI onto the drones will be an incremental effort, and CCAs will have “varying levels of autonomy” as the service builds trust in AI, Wickert said. Base officials have already started preparing for the Air Force’s 6th-generation stealth fighter jet, called Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD. But the program’s fate is up in the air after service secretary Frank Kendall paused the program in July due to high-cost projections and emerging technology, and the service announced Thursday that it would further delay the program, punting a decision to the next administration. But the ongoing pause doesn’t have a significant impact on Edwards, Wickert said, because there’s still planning to do to prepare for NGAD testing. The base has already hired more people so it can prepare for when the Air Force eventually makes a source selection on NGAD, he said. ___ ©2024 Government Executive Media Group LLC. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Most Popular Hampton’s superintendent just got a massive raise. Here’s how it compares. Hampton’s superintendent just got a massive raise. Here’s how it compares. 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Section 144 imposed at MDCAT centres today The Sindh Home Department has issued a notification to impose Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) around the educational institutes where the Medical & Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) will take place on Sunday (today). The notification states that the health department had requested necessary security arrangements and the enforcement of Sections 144 at seven MDCAT centres. The identified centres are the University of Karachi; the NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi; the Public Health School, Hyderabad; the Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro; Quaid-e-Azam University of Engineering, Science & Technology, Shaheed Benazirabad; Police Training School, Larkana; and the IBA Public School, Sukkur. The notification said the provincial government sees the need to take the necessary measures to hold MDCAT peacefully and transparently, and to maintain the centres’ sanctity during the test. Exercising the powers conferred under Section 144(6) of the CrPC, the government declared the premises of the above-mentioned centres as restricted areas for the general public, except the candidates bearing valid admit cards and slips, and the staff on duty. The government also prohibited the presence of mobile phones, other digital devices, ladies’ purses and reading material on the premises, and the movement of general traffic in the surroundings of the centres during the test hours. In pursuance of Section 195(i)(a) of the CrPC, the station house officers concerned have been authorised to register complaints under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code in writing against those who violate Section 144.Sudan's war is 'deepening and widening' a famine crisis, hunger monitoring report says
