After his team's 102-89 home win on Wednesday night over Purdue Fort Wayne, Penn State coach Mike Rhoades challenged his team's fan base to show up and make more noise. "Sweat with us," he said at one point. At 5-0, the Nittany Lions haven't had to sweat much to get off to a fast start. They might not have to expend much perspiration to make it 6-0 on Monday when they meet Fordham in a semifinal matchup at the Sunshine Slam tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla. Penn State hasn't played a strong schedule so far, but the team has been impressive. It's averaging 98.2 points per game and 13.8 steals per game, both of which ranked second in Division I through Saturday's play. The Nittany Lions were seventh per kenpom.com in turnover rate, forcing 25.3 per 100 possessions. Point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. is leading the charge, scoring 16.4 points and dishing out 7.8 assists while chipping in 2.6 steals. Zach Hicks has nearly doubled his scoring average from 8.4 last season to 15.8 this season, while Northern Illinois transfer Yanic Konan Niederhauser has beefed up the interior, tallying 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. Meanwhile, Fordham (3-3) is coming off a 73-71 home loss Friday night against Drexel in New York. The Rams blew a seven-point lead early in the second half and missed a chance to force overtime when leading scorer Jackie Johnson III missed a layup as time expired. Johnson, a UNLV transfer, is averaging 19 points per game and is making nearly 48 percent of his shots as one of three Rams with double-figure scoring averages. Jahmere Tripp scores at an 11.0 clip while Japhet Medor is contributed 10.5, but Fordham is struggling to make shots, canning only 41.5 percent from the field. The Rams were picked for a 14th-place finish in the Atlantic 10 despite returning more scoring than any team in the league except for VCU. Third-year coach Keith Urgo thinks his team can defy low external expectations. "We're experienced and I think we're poised to have a tremendous year," he said. --Field Level Media
A man walks past a mural that says ‘Northern Ireland’, on Sandy Row in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Aug. 11. Hollie Adams/Reuters Northern Ireland lawmakers on Tuesday voted in favour of continuing key parts of post-Brexit trade rules for the region, but opposition from pro-British unionist politicians triggered an independent review into the arrangements. The specific arrangements for Northern Ireland, which shares an open border with European Union (EU) member Ireland, have dominated politics in the British-ruled region for years, and led to a two-year boycott of the devolved assembly by the main pro-British party until the rules were tweaked in January. The assembly voted by 48 votes to 36 to continue to follow EU rules on the free movement of goods to avoid the need for a hard border with Ireland, the first so-called democratic consent vote allowed for under the Windsor Framework deal. Unlike legislation on devolved matters that requires the support of a majority of both Irish nationalists and unionists, the vote needed a simple majority and was backed, as expected, by all nationalists and the cross-community Alliance Party. However the total opposition from unionists, who want to remove the remaining trade frictions between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, means London must do an independent review into the functioning of the trade rules. “The government remains committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith and protecting the UK internal market, in a way that offers stability and works for Northern Ireland, for businesses, and for traders,” Britain’s Northern Ireland Minister Hilary Benn said in a statement. The scope for any changes to the framework under this review will be extremely limited, said David Phinnemore, politics professor at Queen’s University Belfast. Polling conducted by Queen’s University during 2024 indicated that 56% of voters in Northern Ireland wanted lawmakers to vote in favour of continuing with the trade rules, while just under a third wanted them to vote against. The lack of unionist support also means the next consent vote will take place in four years’ time, rather than eight had a majority of unionists and nationalists backed it.Percentages: FG .333, FT .750. 3-Point Goals: 5-19, .263 (Gondrezick 1-2, Lovejoy 1-2, Lary 1-3, Kuac 1-4, Nadeau 1-8). Team Rebounds: 7. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 3 (Kalambay, Mitchell, Okoro). Turnovers: 14 (N.Johnson 3, Geeter 2, Lary 2, Mitchell 2, Kalambay, Kuac, Lovejoy, Nadeau, Okoro). Steals: 4 (Kuac, Lary, Lovejoy, Mitchell). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .393, FT .692. 3-Point Goals: 10-35, .286 (Sallis 5-9, Cosby 3-11, Harris 1-4, T.Johnson 1-4, Friedrichsen 0-3, Hildreth 0-4). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 10 (Abass 2, Harris 2, Hildreth 2, Sallis 2, Spillers 2). Turnovers: 5 (Sallis 2, T.Johnson 2, Abass). Steals: 6 (Sallis 3, Spillers 2, T.Johnson). Technical Fouls: None. A_8,705 (14,665).
Abstaining from cigarettes for just one week can extend a smoker’s life by a day, research suggests. A study by University College London estimates that each cigarette, on average, steals about 20 minutes of life from a smoker. This is a higher figure than previously thought, with earlier research suggesting that each cigarette cuts a smoker’s life short by 11 minutes. The research, which was commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care, found that men lost 17 minutes of life with every cigarette they smoke while women lost 22 minutes. The estimates were calculated using figures from the British Doctors Study, which collected data on male mortality over 50 years, and the Million Women Study, covering women’s mortality data from 1996 to 2011.
Now the question is whether Gaetz was uniquely unpalatable or if Trump's other picks could exceed Republicans' capacity to overlook red flags.
In the introduction to a new, seasonal compilation of his speeches on hope, Pope Francis reflects on the legacy of the great German theologian Johann Baptist Metz. Shaped by the early experience of living through the horrors of the Nazi era, Metz’s political theology was a passionate warning against the danger of a self-absorbed Christian piety. Instead he urged a hopeful “mysticism with open eyes” — one that clear-sightedly bears witness to, and seeks to alleviate, the suffering of others. At a time of the year associated with renewal and new birth, it is not necessary to share Metz’s religious convictions to feel the power of that message. This year has been filled with heart-rending images from the ongoing wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and elsewhere. The weekend brought reports of yet more innocent casualties of Israel’s relentless bombing campaign, including children sheltering in a school. Meanwhile, more than 12,000 civilians have been killed since the start of Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine, along with more than 43,000 soldiers, according to Kyiv’s estimates. Faced with human catastrophe on such a scale, there is a temptation to turn away in despair or resignation. Further horror came on Friday, in the form of the shocking terror attack at Magdeburg’s Christmas market, in which five people including a nine-year-old boy were killed. More needs to be understood about the motives of the attacker, a Saudi-born refugee who was reportedly an anti-Muslim supporter of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party. But the atrocity is already being exploited to fuel generalized anti-immigrant sentiment, ahead of Germany’s snap election in February. These feel like dark times. Yet in the midst of such tragedy and sorrow, there continue to be inspiring examples of committed hope. In Gaza, NGO workers for War Child — one of the conflict-linked charities supported by this year’s Guardian and Observer Christmas appeal — have endured lethal risks to give lifesaving support to more than 100,000 children trapped in a hellish landscape. In the war-ravaged east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Doctors Without Borders has set up clinics to help thousands of victims of sexual violence, our reporter was told of the incredible compassion of survivors who make it their task to comfort and console new arrivals. Elsewhere, there have been extraordinary acts of individual heroism aimed at furthering the common good. In France, Gisèle Pelicot’s decision to insist that the trial of her multiple rapists be held in public was a momentous act of solidarity with other victims. Her courage has raised hopes of lasting and belated cultural change. The death of the activist Alexei Navalny, who died while being held in a jail 40 miles north of the Arctic Circle, was a desperately bleak moment in Putin’s Russia. But his assertion on Facebook that “if your convictions mean something, you must be prepared to stand up for them” will inspire future democratic activists. The pope’s reflections have been published in conjunction with the Catholic church’s latest jubilee year, which begins on Christmas Eve and is dedicated to the theme of hope. They may not find their way on to too many secular bookshelves over the coming holidays. But ahead of a year in which peacemaking must become the world’s absolute priority, a Metzian faith in our ability to navigate through the worst, towards the light, feels like a decent starting point.Sinn Fein was accused of “ignoring” the role 3,000 Troubles deaths had in damaging community relations in Northern Ireland in a memo sent to a direct rule minister in 2003. Declassified files show the note to former MP John Spellar also said the republican party had ignored the “visceral component of sectarianism” in responding to a new government good relations strategy. Mr Spellar, then a Northern Ireland Office minister, had launched a consultation on the “A Shared Future” document, an attempt to address community divisions, segregation and sectarianism in the region at a time when the devolved powersharing institutions were suspended. A file at the Public Record Office in Belfast shows that OFMDFM official Chris Stewart wrote to the minister in July about a response to the document from Sinn Fein representative Bairbre de Brun. Mr Stewart told Mr Spellar that Ms de Brun’s letter had been critical of the document and was clearly intended to “mark your card”. He said among a number of points raised by de Brun was that “the promotion of equality is the key to improving community relations”. His memo adds: “Sinn Fein is clearly seeking to position or align the issue of community relations within its equality and human rights agenda. “This general Sinn Fein position has resulted in a simplistic analysis of community relations, which is flawed in its description of the causes and necessary policy response. “There is of course, no doubt that a lack of equality has been a contributing factor to poor community relations. “However, Sinn Fein ignores the many other factors, not least the violent conflict that resulted in over 3,000 deaths. “Sinn Fein also portrays poor community relations (for nationalists) as being a purely rational response to the political situation. “This ignores the more visceral component of sectarianism, which is all too prevalent in both communities.” Mr Stewart continues: “To suggest, as Sinn Fein does, that the promotion of equality should be the key component of good relations policy is to ignore the key message in A Shared Future, that indirect approaches alone are insufficient to deal with sectarianism and the abnormal relationship between sections of the Northern Ireland community.” The official recommended the minister invite representatives of Sinn Fein to a meeting to discuss the policy. The file also contains a note about Mr Spellar’s meeting with DUP representatives Maurice Morrow and Peter Weir the following month to discuss the document. The note says: “Morrow said he had no problem with sharing the future and suggested that the first step to that would be an election to decide who spoke for whom – though he was quick to say he didn’t want politics to dominate the meeting.” It adds: “Weir said that the biggest step towards improving community relations would be the creation of a political environment that had the broad support of both unionism and nationalism, and the GFA (Good Friday Agreement) could not create that environment.” We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate.
After his team's 102-89 home win on Wednesday night over Purdue Fort Wayne, Penn State coach Mike Rhoades challenged his team's fan base to show up and make more noise. "Sweat with us," he said at one point. At 5-0, the Nittany Lions haven't had to sweat much to get off to a fast start. They might not have to expend much perspiration to make it 6-0 on Monday when they meet Fordham in a semifinal matchup at the Sunshine Slam tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla. Penn State hasn't played a strong schedule so far, but the team has been impressive. It's averaging 98.2 points per game and 13.8 steals per game, both of which ranked second in Division I through Saturday's play. The Nittany Lions were seventh per kenpom.com in turnover rate, forcing 25.3 per 100 possessions. Point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. is leading the charge, scoring 16.4 points and dishing out 7.8 assists while chipping in 2.6 steals. Zach Hicks has nearly doubled his scoring average from 8.4 last season to 15.8 this season, while Northern Illinois transfer Yanic Konan Niederhauser has beefed up the interior, tallying 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. Meanwhile, Fordham (3-3) is coming off a 73-71 home loss Friday night against Drexel in New York. The Rams blew a seven-point lead early in the second half and missed a chance to force overtime when leading scorer Jackie Johnson III missed a layup as time expired. Johnson, a UNLV transfer, is averaging 19 points per game and is making nearly 48 percent of his shots as one of three Rams with double-figure scoring averages. Jahmere Tripp scores at an 11.0 clip while Japhet Medor is contributed 10.5, but Fordham is struggling to make shots, canning only 41.5 percent from the field. The Rams were picked for a 14th-place finish in the Atlantic 10 despite returning more scoring than any team in the league except for VCU. Third-year coach Keith Urgo thinks his team can defy low external expectations. "We're experienced and I think we're poised to have a tremendous year," he said. --Field Level Media
Qatar tribune Satyendra Pathak Doha Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Tuesday inaugurated the Arabic Artificial Intelligence Large Language Model (LLM) Fanar. The inauguration took place during the opening of the World Summit AI under the auspices of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center on Tuesday. Fanar represents a remarkable achievement that reflects the State of Qatar’s commitment to enhancing the presence of the Arabic language and the Arabic and Islamic culture in the age of AI. It comes as a result of fruitful cooperation between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Hamad Bin Khalifa University, a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. Themed “Putting Humanity at the Heart of AI,” the summit focuses on discussing the pivotal issues related to the uses of AI, and highlights four main themes, including responsible governance, generative AI, accelerating the adoption of AI in various sectors, and the integration of AI technologies with human life. In a post on X platform, the PM wrote,“In our pursuit of the digital government approach, we witnessed today the organisation of the World Artificial Intelligence Summit, and the launch of the Fanar project as a strategic step that reflects our aspiration to achieve sustainable development in the field of comprehensive digital transformation and artificial intelligence, and to contribute to enhancing the position of the State of Qatar globally.” Copy 11/12/2024 10Declassified files show the note to former MP John Spellar also said the republican party had ignored the “visceral component of sectarianism” in responding to a new government good relations strategy. Mr Spellar, then a Northern Ireland Office minister, had launched a consultation on the “A Shared Future” document, an attempt to address community divisions, segregation and sectarianism in the region at a time when the devolved powersharing institutions were suspended. A file at the Public Record Office in Belfast shows that OFMDFM official Chris Stewart wrote to the minister in July about a response to the document from Sinn Fein representative Bairbre de Brun. Mr Stewart told Mr Spellar that Ms de Brun’s letter had been critical of the document and was clearly intended to “mark your card”. He said among a number of points raised by de Brun was that “the promotion of equality is the key to improving community relations”. His memo adds: “Sinn Fein is clearly seeking to position or align the issue of community relations within its equality and human rights agenda. “This general Sinn Fein position has resulted in a simplistic analysis of community relations, which is flawed in its description of the causes and necessary policy response. “There is of course, no doubt that a lack of equality has been a contributing factor to poor community relations. “However, Sinn Fein ignores the many other factors, not least the violent conflict that resulted in over 3,000 deaths. “Sinn Fein also portrays poor community relations (for nationalists) as being a purely rational response to the political situation. “This ignores the more visceral component of sectarianism, which is all too prevalent in both communities.” Mr Stewart continues: “To suggest, as Sinn Fein does, that the promotion of equality should be the key component of good relations policy is to ignore the key message in A Shared Future, that indirect approaches alone are insufficient to deal with sectarianism and the abnormal relationship between sections of the Northern Ireland community.” The official recommended the minister invite representatives of Sinn Fein to a meeting to discuss the policy. The file also contains a note about Mr Spellar’s meeting with DUP representatives Maurice Morrow and Peter Weir the following month to discuss the document. The note says: “Morrow said he had no problem with sharing the future and suggested that the first step to that would be an election to decide who spoke for whom – though he was quick to say he didn’t want politics to dominate the meeting.” It adds: “Weir said that the biggest step towards improving community relations would be the creation of a political environment that had the broad support of both unionism and nationalism, and the GFA (Good Friday Agreement) could not create that environment.”Now the question is whether Gaetz was uniquely unpalatable or if Trump's other picks could exceed Republicans' capacity to overlook red flags.
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Inspire Advisors LLC Acquires 1,314 Shares of NVIDIA Co. (NASDAQ:NVDA)
Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’The promise and perils of synthetic data
