NEET paper theft case: CBI files fifth chargesheetYoung men swung to the right for Trump after a campaign dominated by masculine appeals
vipph net
。
None
Young men swung to the right for Trump after a campaign dominated by masculine appeals
Navigation of route through GPS data resulted in a tragic incident in Badaun district on Sunday. Three people lost their lives after their car fell into the Ramganga River from an under-construction bridge. According to police, the fatal accident happened around 10:00 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling to Dataganj from Bareilly. The PTI report, noted that GPS navigation was being used by the vehicle driver who was directed to proceed through the damaged section of the bridge. "Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the GPS. As a result, the driver was misled and did not realize the bridge was unsafe," PTI quoted Circle Officer of the area Ashutosh Shivam as saying. Furthermore, the Circle Officer pointed to the absence of safety barriers or warning signs on the under-construction bridge that may have prevented the foreseeable disaster . The report further states that the car was moving at high speed, due to which the driver was unable to bring the vehicle to a halt when the bridge ended. The car plunged 25 feet into the Ramganga with its three passengers, all of whom died on the spot, a social media user on X reported. As soon as the news came in, Police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Badaun's Dataganj police station rushed to the scene, where they recovered the vehicle and the dead bodies. The bodies were sent for post-mortem, the Circle Officer said. The deceased were identified as Kaushal, Vivek, and Amit, who were returning after attending a wedding, a user on X said, Social media users raised concerns over the risks of relying solely on navigation technology, as one user stated, “Never trust Google maps blindly.” A second user commented, “Heartbreaking. Always double check routes. Prayers for the victims.” Another user replied, "Tragic incident! Relying solely on Google Maps can be risky. A fourth user wrote, “Google maps ne bhej diya or mili mout.” A fifth user posted, “How did google maps show the road as open ? I thought they have satellites to map routes and traffic ! This murder is on @Google.”Trump taps Charles Kushner, father of his son-in-law, as envoy to FranceMONTRÉAL, 17 déc. 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nova Bus, chef de file canadien dans la fabrication d’autobus électriques au Canada et membre du groupe Volvo, annonce un partenariat stratégique avec Lithion Technologies, un leader dans l’économie circulaire des matériaux de batteries, pour renforcer la durabilité de ses solutions de transport urbain. Grâce à cette collaboration, des batteries en fin de vie de leur usage destiné aux autobus Nova Bus qui sont en circulation partout au Canada seront collectées, transportées et recyclées par Lithion à son usine de Saint-Bruno. Les technologies développées par Lithion en matière de recyclage permettront de récupérer jusqu’à 98 % des minéraux critiques se trouvant dans les batteries d’autobus. Ce faisant, Nova Bus réduira ainsi le besoin en matériaux vierges, soutiendra une économie circulaire et permettra de revaloriser des matériaux stratégiques et critiques. Ultimement, cette collaboration pluriannuelle aura pour but de contribuer à l'amélioration de la durabilité dans l'industrie des autobus urbains hybrides et électriques. « Je suis très enthousiaste à l’idée de réaliser ce partenariat parce qu’il représente pour moi tout le potentiel que peuvent avoir des entreprises aux expertises complémentaires qui consacrent leurs efforts à l’amélioration de l’empreinte environnementale de leurs produits. Le recyclage est une étape cruciale dans la chaîne de valeur des batteries. C’est pourquoi, grâce à cette collaboration, nous améliorons la durabilité de nos solutions pour nos clients, tout en renforçant notre position de chef de file en électrification du transport collectif », explique M. Paul Le Houillier, président de Nova Bus « Nous sommes fiers d’offrir un service local et durable à une entreprise de renom telle que Nova Bus, membre du groupe Volvo. Cette entente confirme le rôle crucial du recyclage dans la transition vers une électrification des transports véritablement durable. L’idée de rendre le transport collectif encore plus écoresponsable me réjouit. C’est grâce à des partenariats stratégiques comme Nova Bus que nous pouvons rêver de réaliser, au Québec, la pleine circularité des matériaux stratégiques », souligne Benoit Couture, président et chef de la direction de Lithion. Les batteries de Nova Bus recyclées par Lithion Technologies auront complété tous leurs cycles de vie en fonction de leurs différents usages après celui de la propulsion électrique, comme des systèmes de stockage d’énergie, l’électrification résidentielle ou autre. Ainsi, l’intervention de Lithion sera une étape pour fermer la boucle de l’économie circulaire des batteries concernées qui n’auront plus la capacité d’emmagasiner de l’électricité. À propos de Nova Bus Nova Bus, membre du Groupe Volvo, est un important fournisseur de solutions de transport durable en Amérique du Nord. Nova Bus accompagne les sociétés de transport et les opérateurs de parcs d’autobus dans leur transition vers l’électromobilité avec le LFSe+, son modèle d’autobus 100% électrique à grande autonomie combinant la structure éprouvée de Nova Bus et les dernières innovations en matière de propulsion électrique. Nova Bus s’engage à soutenir la réduction des émissions de gaz à effet de serre et à contribuer de manière positive à une économie plus verte. Pour plus d’informations sur les produits et services de Nova Bus, veuillez visiter novabus.com . À propos de Lithion Technologies Lithion a mis au point une solution durable, robuste et sécuritaire pour produire des matériaux stratégiques à partir de batteries lithium-ion en fin de vie et de produits non conformes issus de leur production. Les technologies de Lithion permettent de récupérer jusqu’à 95 % de leurs composants, avec une empreinte environnementale drastiquement inférieure à celle de l’exploitation minière, pour les réintégrer dans la chaîne d’approvisionnement des batteries. En réduisant la demande d’extraction de ressources naturelles par l’utilisation de technologies et de procédés durables, la solution de Lithion rend la transition énergétique durable. L’objectif de Lithion est le déploiement mondial de ses solutions, par le biais de partenariats stratégiques. Pour plus d’information, visitez : www.Lithiontechnologies.com . Pour plus d’informations Christos Kritsidimas Chef des affaires juridiques, publiques et communications externes, Nova Bus Téléphone : +1 (438) 350-0454 Courriel : christos.kritsidimas@volvo.com
Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty may be part of one of Hollywood's most , but he keeps his relationship with girlfriend, Alida Morberg, private. It’s unclear when Skarsgård and Morberg first began dating or how they met, but they have now been together for over eight years. The couple have also started a family, though they haven't publicly revealed their children’s names. Skarsgård rarely speaks about his relationship in interviews and does not have any social media, but Morberg, who is also an actress, has shared a few glimpses into their life together over the years. In 2017, Morberg shared a of herself visiting Skarsgård on the set of In the shot, Skarsgård is donning his and smiling creepily at the camera. “Congrats honey!!! I am so afraid of horror movies, lucky it's only you😱🤡,” Morberg wrote in Swedish in the caption. star has become known for tackling dark roles — including his latest — but off-screen, he doesn’t consider himself a “villain,” as he told during an April 2023 interview. “I’m a father of two,” he joked of his real life with Morberg and their kids, adding: “Which is the most honorable profession in a way.” So who is Bill Skarsgård’s girlfriend? Here’s everything to know about actress Alida Morberg and her relationship with the actor. IBL/Shutterstock Like Skarsgård, Morberg is also Swedish. According to her , she was born in the small town of Lilla Edet, while Skarsgård grew up in Stockholm. It’s unclear if the pair met while living in Sweden, but both have made their rounds in the Swedish film and television circuit. John Salangsang/BFA/Shutterstock Morberg has been acting since the early aughts, and she’s repped by the same Swedish talent firm as Skarsgård, . Her credits include a 2020 Swedish TV series, a 2022 Irish crime thriller and one episode of Netflix’s , which stars Skarsgård as Clark Olofsson, the notorious Swedish criminal who inspired the term “Stockholm Syndrome.” In addition to their careers in entertainment, Skarsgård and Morberg have something else in common: they both come from large families with connections to the industry. Morberg is the , a well-known Swedish actor and celebrity chef who is best known for the 1997 Swedish series . She is one of five girls, several of whom have also followed in their father’s footsteps. One of her sisters, Liza, is a writer and director with several credits to her name, while another, Astrid, is a budding actress who recently appeared in the horror film . As for Skarsgård, he is the son of Golden Globe-winning actor and the younger brother of actors and . The star also has five other siblings. Not much is known about the early days of the couple’s relationship, but they confirmed their romance at the March 2016 premiere of , in which Skarsgård starred as Matthew, a friend of Tris' ( ). That same month, Morberg shared her of Skarsgård. The picture featured a group of their friends having dinner on a patio in the Echo Park neighborhood in Los Angeles to celebrate Easter. Alida Morberg/Instagram Skarsgård and Morberg secretly welcomed a daughter in 2018. The actor confirmed the news during a September 2019 appearance on ahead of the premiere of . “I have one, yeah,” he said when host asked if he had any children. He added: “She’s 11 months old ... I’ve gotten a bunch of fun merch throughout the years so her little baby room is filled with all these Pennywise teddy bears.” actor spoke about his daughter again during an interview on that same month. He revealed that while filming the horror movie, he would FaceTime with Morberg and their then-2-week-old daughter in his full Pennywise costume. “She didn’t know,” he joked, “but I have a great screenshot of it.” In January 2020, Morberg shared a of their baby girl, though her face was not shown. “My biggest love in life ❤️,” she captioned the post. A few years later, in August 2022, Morberg revealed that they were expecting their second child, posting a cradling her bump. The couple have not yet revealed the sex or name of their youngest child, but Skarsgård confirmed that he is a father of two during his 2023 interview with . Alida Morberg/Instagram While the pair mainly keep their relationship out of the spotlight, Morberg has promoted several of her partner’s projects on social media and attended a handful of his movie premieres, including the European premiere of in 2019. In February 2022, Morberg encouraged her followers to — a short film titled that starred his dad Stellan and brother Gustaf. Earlier that month, she also posted the for , teasing in the caption that she and Skarsgård were starring in it. The project was a full family affair, as Morberg's dad Per also briefly appeared in an episode. Read the original article on
AI Snake OilThe Five Steps To Drive Customer Growth With Product-Led Growth
On a rooftop in Kyiv in late November, a small group of volunteers in mismatched uniforms watches anxiously. By day, they are all judges at Ukraine’s highest courts, but once every two weeks, they gather as an improvised air defense unit, armed only with a pair of Soviet-era machine guns to shoot down swarms of drones . “It’s the cheapest way,” said Yurii Chumak, one of the volunteers and a sitting judge at the Supreme Court, emphasizing Ukraine’s avoidance of using expensive Western missiles against comparatively low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Chumak and his companions assess the risks, keeping their spirits up with tea and jokes during their 24-hour shifts. But it is clear their task has become exponentially more dangerous in recent months as Russia has intensified its drone attacks, terrorizing Ukrainian cities almost daily. In the past six months, Russian drone attacks have risen from about 400 in May to more than 2,400 in November, according to data compiled by CNN from Ukraine’s armed forces. So far in December, at least 1,700 drone attacks have been recorded. As the offensive escalates, CNN has uncovered new details about the expansion of a secret factory fueling Moscow’s drone war. The Transformation of the Alabuga Factory into a Military Hub The factory, located in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in the southern Tatarstan region of Russia, has significantly ramped up the production of Iranian-designed attack and surveillance drones, utilizing a range of Chinese components and employing a very young, low-skilled workforce, including Russian teenagers and African women, according to CNN’s analysis. After initially importing Iranian Shahed-136 drones following the full-scale escalation of the conflict in 2022, Russia signed a $1.75 billion agreement in 2023 for domestic production of the drones. By September 2025, the Alabuga factory was slated to produce 6,000 units. However, according to Ukrainian defense intelligence sources, this target was achieved a year early. In 2023 alone, 2,738 drones were manufactured, while production from January to September 2024 exceeded 5,760. The factory does not limit itself to Shahed-136 drones. It has begun producing low-cost decoy drones, known as Gerbera, made from plywood and foam. These drones are used to deplete Ukrainian air defense resources by creating multiple false targets. Russia plans to produce up to 10,000 Gerbera drones by the end of 2024, with their production costs being ten times lower than those of the Shahed drones. Chinese Involvement China plays a pivotal role in supporting the Alabuga factory. According to Ukrainian defense sources, 34 Chinese companies collaborated with Alabuga between September 2023 and June 2024, signing contracts worth a total of 700 million yuan ($96 million). These companies supply components, production equipment, and UAV technology. Additionally, the Gerbera drones are based on a Chinese prototype developed by Skywalker Technology. Despite Beijing’s assurances that it does not provide lethal weapons to Russia, the United States has already imposed sanctions on two Chinese companies and dozens of others supplying equipment suitable for military use. Alabuga continues to strengthen its cooperation with China by building a new transportation hub, the “Deng Xiaoping Logistics Complex,” to serve as a transfer center for components between the two countries. Workforce: Russian Teens and African Women Facing a severe labor shortage due to battlefield losses and the mass exodus of draft-age men, Russia has turned to teenagers and migrants. The factory employs students from the Alabuga Polytechnic School and attracts young women from African countries through its “Alabuga Start” program. Recruitment videos promise high salaries, careers in technology, and modern facilities. However, there are serious allegations regarding working conditions. Investigations reveal that students work under harsh conditions for long hours with strict penalties, while monthly wages for apprentices and migrants start at about $820. Meanwhile, the factory offers substantial salaries—up to $3,480 per month—for specialized workers, underscoring its strategy to attract talent. Threats and International Reaction The increase in drone production at Alabuga has been accompanied by heightened security measures. Satellite image analyses show the factory’s footprint expanded by 55% in just a few months, with anti-drone grids and increased guards in place. Meanwhile, a “mysterious” fire destroyed a warehouse containing drone components worth $16 million, highlighting targeted attacks on the factory. Ukraine continues its efforts to intercept the attacks, with just 5% of Shahed drones reaching their targets between August and October. However, the increasing frequency of attacks and the use of new technologies, such as thermobaric warheads, make defense more challenging. Explore related questionsFrom , by Bachchoo O Democracy, what have you done??? Breeding nightmares across the globe. Yes, 2024 has been the super year for global elections. People in 70 countries, half the world’s population, went to the polls. If you discount the populations of Russia, China and North Korea, whose “democracies” have infinite quotation marks around them, then the voting nations exceed that 50 per cent. The trumping of Donald Trump and his MAGA (Make America Gaga Again) campaign is only the latest example of the overthrow of incumbent governments. Forty out of 54 voting nations kicked their incumbents out. Very many surveys and analysts attribute Chump’s victory (and this applies to other triumphant Oppositions) to his constant refrain during the campaign asking voters if they had more money in their pockets when he was POTUS or when Joe Biden and Vice-POTUS Kamala Harris had their term. Certainly, the scare stories of immigrants making nations poorer, spreading crime and eating pets, and consequently the promise to deport millions of illegal immigrants from the United States, was a determining factor in the devastating reversal. Analysis of the other elections attribute this tendency to dismiss incumbent governments and parties to precisely the same two factors -- the rise in inflation and prices caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the fuel crisis after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the fear of an immigrant “invasion”. But is that the whole picture? Certainly, the UK voted in Keir Starmer’s Labour Party with a huge majority, humiliating Hedgie Sunak and the Tories by presenting them with their greatest electoral defeat since 1832 in their long and nasty history. Keir Starmer’s Labour is very centre-left with more crowd-and-capitalist-pleasing-centre than left. His government’s chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves, presented her first Budget in October. The theme of the Budget was economic restraint. She said Labour was not raising taxes on working people, but only on employers. Economic commentary concludes that the rise in National Insurance she imposed on employers will be passed on, in one way or another, to employees and consumers. In the wake of the Budget after Rachel Reeves’ pronouncements and Keir Starmer’s follow-up support for the Budget, they were asked to define whom they meant by the word “worker”. Answer came there none. At the Labour Party conference, as Ms Reeves was speaking, a heckler interrupted saying that Labour was continuing to sell arms to Israel and contributing to the genocide in Palestine. He was promptly dragged out of the hall. Ms Reeves responded by telling the audience that Labour was not any more a party of “protest” but one that sided with the working class. Not much of answer or even excuse for the continued support to the billionaires of the British arms industry? Across the Channel, in France and Germany (tragically “isolated” now, through Brexit), the voters didn’t quite overthrow the governments but gave a very favourable vote to extreme right-wing parties. Italy voted in a party formerly associated with fascism. Hungary and Turkey (though the latter has not yet been admitted into the European Union but is in Nato) have elected right-wing governments, apologists for Russia’s invasion and bombing of civilians in Ukraine. Democracy, with its traceable origins in Athens -- though undoubtedly there must have been other societies which pioneered government through majority franchise of allowed personnel which didn’t have a recorded influence on subsequent history -- was supposed to reflect the material concerns of the classes that voted. If one believes the analysts who say that the Covid crisis and the wars which the West expends funds on are responsible for high prices, welfare cuts, etc, then yes, the majority who feel a pinch in their pockets voted in the hope that the opposing right-wing parties would loosen the pinching fingers. But then, there are the other elements that distort the democratic ideal of classes voting for their material and social benefit. They vote for religious prejudice, they vote to keep foreigners out of their country, they vote out of fear that some current ideology is distorting their culture... Gentle reader, I confess I voted for the losing side in the Brexit vote. Some of my left-wing friends voted for Britain to leave the EU on the grounds that Polish plumbers, for instance, were coming to the UK and undercutting the wages of British plumbers. I am using “plumbers” here as one category of craftsperson, though of course it applies to a myriad other trades. Yes, Brexit kept the Polish plumbers out. British plumbers could now charge what they wanted to. Millions of working-class families who needed some plumbing in their homes had to pay their price. British plumbers and their unions were served and happy. The working-class families who needed their drains unclogged or taps refitted were not. This “best of all worst systems”, as Winston Churchill said, is not free from the distorting influence of irrational nationalism, religious loyalty or bigotry, racism, xenophobia, conspiracy theories, plausible deceit, the lure of demagoguery and even superstition. These, as we now witness, make for demockracy.As flu season begins and COVID-19 remains a concern, distinguishing between these two respiratory illnesses is more important than ever. Though both diseases share some symptoms, they are caused by distinct viruses, have varying levels of severity and respond to different treatments. Understanding the difference between the flu and COVID-19 can help families make informed decisions about their health, especially during flu season when both viruses circulate. The flu is caused by influenza viruses, typically Influenza A or Influenza B. These viruses have been circulating globally for centuries and most people have experienced at least one bout of flu in their lifetime. COVID-19, on the other hand, is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged in late 2019. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause respiratory illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases like SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome). Since both the flu and COVID-19 are respiratory illnesses, they share several symptoms, making it difficult to tell them apart without testing. These common symptoms include: While many symptoms are similar, some signs are more specific to one virus over the other . Distinct COVID-19 Symptoms Distinct Flu Symptoms The flu and COVID-19 spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks or breathes. Both viruses can also spread by touching surfaces contaminated with the virus and then touching the mouth, nose or eyes. Flu transmission. The flu has circulated in human populations for centuries and its transmission patterns are well-understood. Flu season typically peaks during the colder months. People can spread the virus one day before symptoms appear and for about five to seven days afterward. COVID-19 transmission. COVID-19 spreads more easily than the flu. In addition to respiratory droplets, the SARS-CoV-2 virus can spread via airborne transmission , which can linger in the air for extended periods, particularly in poorly ventilated indoor spaces. Additionally, COVID-19 can be spread by asymptomatic carriers —people who do not exhibit symptoms but are still contagious. This makes controlling the spread of COVID-19 more challenging. The flu and COVID-19 can range from mild to severe , but COVID-19 has shown a higher tendency to cause severe illness, particularly in vulnerable populations. Here are the differences in severity and potential complications: Flu severity. For most people, the flu causes moderate illness, with recovery occurring within one to two weeks. However, in some cases, especially in young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems, the flu can lead to complications like pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections and exacerbation of chronic illnesses like asthma or heart disease. COVID-19 severity. COVID-19 can lead to severe complications more frequently than the flu, especially in older adults, those with underlying health conditions, and the immunocompromised. Common severe outcomes include acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), blood clots, multisystem inflammatory syndrome (particularly in children), long COVID (persistent symptoms)and organ damage, particularly to the heart and lungs. To-date, more than 95 million people have had COVID-19 in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than 1 million people have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. By comparison, during the 2021-2022 flu season in the U.S., between 8 and 13 million people had the flu and between 5,000 and 14,000 people died . Given the overlapping symptoms of the flu and COVID-19, a clinical diagnosis often isn't enough to tell which virus is responsible for your illness. Fortunately, there are tests for flu and COVID-19 that can even be administered at home. Combination rapid flu and COVID-19 antigen tests, like iHealth's COVID-19/Flu A&B 3-in-1 Rapid Test , are widely available and provide results within 15 minutes. Testing for the flu and COVID-19 within the first 48 hours of symptoms is critical for determining recovery times if you test positive. According to the CDC, for more severe cases of the flu, over-the-counter and FDA-approved prescribed medicines can be taken to alleviate flu symptoms, make the illness less severe and reduce the risk of complications. Early detection shortens the duration of illness by 1-2 days. Antiviral drugs, like Remdesivir and Paxlovid, reduce the severity of COVID-19 when taken within the first 5 days of a positive test. Clinical trials using Remdesivir show a reduction in COVID-19 median recovery time from 15 to 10 days. Clinical trials using Paxlovid show symptom resolution can occur in 5 days for mild to moderate cases. With overlapping symptoms, testing is the only definitive way to determine whether someone has the flu or COVID-19. Testing is critical in determining the correct treatment, as some therapies are effective if taken early. Understanding the key differences in symptoms, severity, contagiousness and treatment options can help families make informed decisions about their health. **** Binit Shah is a content writer and senior marketing specialist for iHealth Labs. With over a decade of experience writing about healthcare and science industries, he aims to make complex issues accessible to readers. Binit enjoys exploring the intersection of human interests and technology.
Marvel Rivals hero ban system is an outright improvement on Overwatch 2, with the competitive experience at a high level being vastly superior to Blizzard’s hero shooter. However, two major flaws hold the system back. With Marvel Rivals having 33 heroes available at launch, it has the freedom to implement bans without ruining the balance of the game. Even if your favorite hero gets taken off the table, there are other options. Overwatch 2 should really take some notes here, hero bans can entirely eliminate oppressive metas like the kind Widowmaker encourages. However, they should also take note of the things Marvel Rivals has done wrong . Hero bans are a great feature in Marvel Rivals, but also a flawed system that needs a few small adjustments to really shine. Hero bans are great in Marvel Rivals, but they could be better The ability to ban heroes that are an absolute nightmare to play against like Hela and Hawkeye is incredible for maintaining your sanity on the ranked grind. Four bans feels like just the right amount for this game’s current roster, with every player still having options even if all four bans are targeted at one role. High-ranked players have praised the system, with it being almost universally well-received amongst Rivals’ best. But that’s also the first flaw: Bans only start at Diamond ranks. If you played comp in Marvel Rivals and were left wondering why you couldn’t ban heroes like your favorite streamer, this is why. And, quite frankly, it feels like a strange decision to rank gate hero bans. Quick Play exists for a reason. Bans should absolutely be implemented in competitive at all ranks. Or, at the very least, the restriction should be lowered to Gold. By that rank, the vast majority of players will have other heroes they know how to play if their favorite gets banned. Related: Having to work toward bans takes a lot of grinding, and players who hit that rank go in unprepared for the fact that their favorite hero or team-up combination may get taken off the board. This is, fortunately, an easy fix, and could be remedied by a simple patch and little effort from the devs. The second flaw is that the ban phase provides no anonymity. This makes it so that streamers or one-tricks can be targeted in the ban phase where they’d normally be fine otherwise. This may be a bit more of a contentious point than the first one, but it’ll only get worse as the game gets more balanced. For now, there’s a pretty clear set of handshake bans unless you’ve got someone in your game who’s really, really good at one hero. As time goes on and top level players get more familiar with each other, it’ll become clear who to target in every match. For players who excel at piloting one particular hero in a way no one else can, their playstyle gets essentially erased. hero bans are ruining marvel rivals for me 🙁 i just want to play psylocke but people target ban her every game, and now when i get her i suck because i cant practice her at all Some people may argue that being able to ban someone out is a good thing, but seeing high level players like Eskay forced off a hero they love makes the experience much worse for them . She pretty much never gets to play Psylocke. Same goes for a one-trick like TeamCaptain who’s doing insane things with Wolverine but never gets to pick the hero. And, while this may sound like it runs counter to the first point, there’s a big difference between only knowing how to play one hero because you’re new and preferring to one-trick a low-tier because you’re the best in the world at them. Most high-level players are civil and willing to play other things if they have to. Target banning is great for pro play, tournament play, scrims, environments like that, but it just doesn’t belong in solo queue. Bans should be about taking strategies off the table that counter what you want to do as a team, not to target one person in particular and make them have a much worse time than everyone else in the lobby. Fortunately, this is also easily fixed by making lobby names anonymous. While Marvel Rivals hero bans do have some issues, it’s more a matter of refining the system than overhauling it. Speaking personally, my matches took a huge step up in quality when the ban phase became an icebreaker with my teammates in Rivals, and Competitive immediately started to feel like the way this game is meant to be played. Overwatch 2 should be taking notes, because a system like this would make the experience so much better if they can learn from NetEase and create an even better version for themselves. I enjoy both games, but not having hero bans in Overwatch is a clear step back when comparing Blizzard’s hero shooter to Marvel Rivals.
Share this Story : World Juniors opens with hope for supporters of all teams Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links Local News Hockey Junior Hockey World Juniors World Juniors opens with hope for supporters of all teams “Podme chlapca! Podme do toho!” It's Slovak for “Let’s go, boys! Let’s get started!” Get the latest from Bruce Deachman straight to your inbox Sign Up Author of the article: Bruce Deachman Published Dec 26, 2024 • Last updated 2 minutes ago • 4 minute read Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account. Frantisek Nutar was banging his drum for Slovakia at TD Place Arena on Thursday. Photo by Bruce Deachman / Postmedia Article content The head of Frantisek Nutar’s snare drum is heavily pitted, the skin’s white coating worn down to a clear blister. This is what a heavy nationalistic pride and two drumsticks can do. On Thursday afternoon, Nutar was in the stands at TD Place Arena, banging on said drum as he cheered on Slovakia as it faced Sweden in the opening game of the 2025 World Junior Hockey Championship. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Sign In or Create an Account Email Address Continue or View more offers If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, online access is included in your subscription. Activate your Online Access Now Article content The drum wasn’t Nutar’s only means of animating the crowd: He now and then blew a red horn that he wore around his neck and also used his vocal cords to great effect, leading his fellow countrymen and women in a chant of “Podme chlapca! Podme do toho!,” Slovak for “Let’s go, boys! Let’s get started!” It was a fitting rallying cry, and not just for fans of Slovakia, but for those of all 10 countries participating in this year’s tournament. After all, for all the talk of gold-medal final games and medal-round upsets, it’s now, at the beginning of the competition, when everyone’s hopes are at their highest. This is when fans of all the teams get to bang a drum, whether they actually own one or not. Nutar, 50, is a Halifax resident who’s lived in Canada for 20 years. I asked him what hopes he held for Slovakia in the tournament. “All the best. The top of the top,” he replied. “A gold medal at the very minimum.” “The MINIMUM? What could possibly be the maximum?” “That everyone is healthy, that we get the gold and have lots of fun.” Jan Zolovcik, left, and Viktor Legen drove from Toronto to attend Thursday’s opening match of the IIHF World Junior Championship between Slovakia and Sweden. Photo by Bruce Deachman / Postmedia That sense of optimism, be it for Slovakia, Sweden or any of the eight other teams competing, pervaded the arena on Thursday. Evening Update The Ottawa Citizen’s best journalism, delivered directly to your inbox by 7 p.m. on weekdays. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Evening Update will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Article content Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The parents, two grandparents and girlfriend of 19-year-old Swedish forward Felix Unger Sörum were also in the stands for Thursday’s game after flying to Ottawa from Stockholm on Christmas Day. Each wore a Team Sweden hockey sweater with Felix’s No. 16 on the back and carried with them as much hope for their country and son/grandson/boyfriend as did Nutar for Slovakia. Their hopes were further buoyed by Sweden’s 5-2 win over Slovakia, with Unger Sörum collecting a pair of assists. “Of course we’re hoping for gold,” said Felix’s mother, Catarina, “but we’ll be happy to be in the bronze-medal game.” Slovakia fan Juraj Daubner at the Slovakia-Sweden match of the 2025 IIHF World Juniors at TD Place Arena. Photo by Bruce Deachman / Postmedia Libor and Tatiana Volas, parents of Czechia defencemen Patrik Volas, were also at TD Place on Thursday. They perhaps understand hope better than most, with Patrik only with this year’s team as an alternate. He played in the pre-tournament exhibition games, scoring a goal against Latvia. “But he may not play here in Ottawa,” Libor said. Slovak Juraj Daubner, meanwhile, was scotch-taping his country’s flag to a railing at TD Place. He flew here from Bratislava with his 16-year-old daughter. “We love ice hockey,” he said. “My daughter plays.” Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Daubner’s hope as Thursday’s game got underway was “to see as many goals of ours as possible, and hopefully make it at least to the semifinals. It’s been 10 years since Slovakia made the semifinals (in 2015, when it defeated Sweden to win bronze), so we’re due ... we hope.” Elsewhere in the arena, fans wore their hopes on the sleeves and chests and heads: not unexpectedly numerous Team Canada jerseys and hats as well as many NHL ones. Swedish-born Ottawa residents Emma and Mats Sjöberg attended the opening game of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship between Sweden and Slovakia. Photo by Bruce Deachman / Postmedia Swedish-born expats now living in Ottawa, Mats Sjöberg and his daughter Emma Sjöberg each wore a Team Sweden sweater with former New York Rangers goalie “King” Henrik Lundqvist’s name and number on the back. They, too, wanted to see gold. “Over the years, Sweden has been to the semifinals, and even the finals, a lot,” Mats said. Only two golds, though, in 1981 and 2012. Could this be the year for the much-interrupted three-peat? Prior to Thursday’s opening game, I dropped in to the Fan Zone in the Aberdeen Pavilion, where, amidst the beer taps, music stage, miniature rinks, ringette demonstration, bouncy castle and merch and sponsors’ booths, there was an impressive display of hockey paraphernalia: sweaters, sticks, pucks, medals and other related gear. It all served as a reminder of the hope and possibility that sport offers (including, I almost-but-not-really hate to remind some, the Toronto Maple Leafs sweater worn by team captain George Armstrong during the 1966-67 season, when, with the Leafs winning their fourth Stanley Cup in six years, hope seemed like the last thing they needed). But tucked away in one display case were nine pucks that accounted for the goals in Slovakia’s unlikely 5-4 victory over Sweden in the 1999 World Juniors bronze-medal game, the first time that the country reached the podium in the post-Czechoslovakia era. Anything’s possible. So let’s go, boys. Let’s get started. Recommended from Editorial Everything Ottawa needs to know about the world junior hockey championship New Ottawa restaurants in 2025 from three top chefs will offset a year rife with closures Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : World Juniors opens with hope for supporters of all teams Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Comments You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments. Create an Account Sign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Trending New Ottawa restaurants in 2025 from three top chefs will offset a year rife with closures Life Ottawa police investigate Christmas Day homicide in Hintonburg Local News Back to work! Ottawa Senators' break is over and playoff chase continues Ottawa Senators Everything Ottawa needs to know about the world junior hockey championship News Frustrated Porter passengers stuck 2 1/2 hours on YOW tarmac Local News Read Next Latest National Stories Featured Local Savings
Greg Gumbel, a longtime CBS sportscaster, has died from cancer, according to a statement from family released by CBS on Friday. He was 78. “He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten,” his wife Marcy Gumbel and daughter Michelle Gumbel said in a statement. In March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA Tournament since 1997 due to what he said at the time were family health issues. Gumbel was the studio host for CBS since returning to the network from NBC in 1998. Gumbel signed an extension with CBS last year that allowed him to continue hosting college basketball while stepping back from NFL announcing duties. In 2001, he announced Super Bowl XXXV for CBS, becoming the first Black announcer in the U.S. to call play-by-play of a major sports championship. David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, described Greg Gumbel as breaking barriers and setting standards for others during his years as a voice for fans in sports, including in the NFL and March Madness. “A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time," said Berson. Gumbel had two stints at CBS, leaving the network for NBC when it lost football in 1994 and returning when it regained the contract in 1998. He hosted CBS’ coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics and called Major League Baseball games during its four-year run broadcasting the national pastime. But it was football and basketball where he was best known and made his biggest impact. Gumbel hosted CBS’ NFL studio show, “The NFL Today” from 1990 to 1993 and again in 2004. He also called NFL games as the network’s lead play-by-play announcer from 1998 to 2003, including Super Bowl XXXV and XXXVIII. He returned to the NFL booth in 2005, leaving that role after the 2022 season.‘Gladiator II’ review: Are you not moderately entertained?
( MENAFN - Asia Times) Too often in the West we suffer from dictator envy, feeling jealous and a bit afraid of the power and decisiveness of today's autocracies such as Russia and China. This month should act as a corrective for such feelings, for it has been a terrible December for dictators. This does not mean that the liberal West has triumphed. But it does mean that our chances of competing with the autocrats are better than our melancholic form of self-flagellation has led us to believe. No one need feel sorry for Bashar al-Assad and his family, and the fact that Syria's brutal dictator has had to swap his palaces in Damascus for humbler premises in Moscow. Let us also not feel pity for President Vladimir Putin for having to act as host to this failed leader whose collapse has exposed Russia's own weakness, potentially depriving it of its naval and air bases on the Mediterranean. We also need feel no sorrow for the Ayatollahs and Revolutionary Guards of Iran, who this year have seen their allies in Gaza, Lebanon and now Syria all destroyed, and the weaknesses in Iran's own defense systems cruelly exposed. Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen can be re-armed and re-born, but the strategy of using these militias to project Iranian power and undermine the Ayatollahs' enemy, Israel, is in tatters. We can feel pity for the estimated 12,000 North Korean soldiers who have been sent to fight alongside Russia's weakened army, as they are now being targeted and many may soon be killed by long-range Ukrainian weaponry. But their dictator back home in Pyongyang deserves no pity for his strategy of supporting Russia. It has gained him some money and some missile technology, but little more. Across the“Demilitarized Zone” that since 1953 has separated North and South Korea, President Kim Jong-un has watched his democratically elected counterpart, President Yoon Suk Yeol make a fool of himself on December 3 by attempting to use martial law to control an unfriendly parliament, but Kim has little to gloat about. President Yoon's failed coup d'etat demonstrated the strength and resilience of South Korea's democracy. The big question is where these December disasters will leave the global axis connecting Russia, China, Iran and North Korea as opponents of the West. Three of the four have been aggressive breakers of international law, while the real superpower in the axis, China, has tried to present itself as a rising, peace-seeking nation that stands as an alternative to the declining, hypocritical United States. Anyone who stood in awe of China and its fellow-travellers as this year began should now have had their eyes opened to the much-less impressive reality. Make no mistake: the West has plenty of problems too. Japan has a weak government; Germany, a collapsed government; France, no government; and the United States has re-elected a president who holds America's own allies in contempt and (like the late Silvio Berlusconi) prefers talking to Putin, Xi and Kim to having to deal with democratic governments. But with such weak opponents the West also has reason to feel optimistic about what could be achieved in 2025. The first opportunity concerns the war in Ukraine. In military terms, both the Ukrainian and the Russian forces are exhausted. During 2024, both armies made gains: the Ukrainians took and held on to territory in Kursk, inside Russia; the Russians moved slowly forward in the eastern region of Ukraine, but despite huge casualties have succeeded in occupying only a further 0.4% of Ukraine's territory since January 1. And now the weakness of both Russia and Iran has led to Assad's fall in Syria. This has greatly reduced President-elect Trump's incentive to bully Ukraine into accepting Russia's extravagant and unrealistic peace conditions. And it has greatly increased Putin's incentive to weaken those conditions in the hope of avoiding further humiliations. Trump has the chance to begin his presidency by looking like a strong representative of the free world rather than someone begging autocrats for favours. A ceasefire in the spring of 2025 could be in both sides' interest. If Ukraine's European allies, led by Poland, Germany, the UK, Sweden, Finland, and the Baltic States can agree to offer security guarantees and finance, which in Russia's weakened state looks an easier task than before, there must be a good chance that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be able to find a deal that maintains his country's sovereignty, democracy and European future. The second opportunity, which is more one for Europe and Japan to exploit than Trump's self-centered America, is to improve relations with the vast, and fast-growing, parts of the world that have preferred to avoid alignments either with China and its axis or with the West. Southeast Asia, the Gulf countries of the Middle East, Africa and Latin America have all avoided supporting the West over Ukraine while welcoming money from China and Russia but not domination. The proven weakness of the anti-Western axis means that the attractiveness of China as an alternative global leader has diminished. China's economy remains important but is now suffering from the sort of slow growth and debilitating deflation that made Japan stagnate during the 1990s. Countries of the so-called“Global South” will not want to antagonize China nor to lose its money, but they will be more open to alternative offers from the West. Italy's Mattei Plan for North Africa now stands a better chance of success, especially given the regime change under way in Syria, as does Japan's effort to provide military aid and guidance in Southeast Asia. Russia's weakness makes it more important than ever that Europe should promote its own values and influence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, but now with a good chance of being taken seriously. Once a new government is in office after Germany's February elections, this new agenda can take shape, hopefully with a new confidence about the strengths of the liberal West against these fragile autocrats. First published in English on the substack Bill Emmott's Global View, this is the English original of an article published in Italian December 16 by La Stampa. It is republished with permission. Thank you for registering! An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link. MENAFN17122024000159011032ID1109004643 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield embarrassed the woeful Giants with his arm and legs, and if that wasn't enough, he rubbed it in by mimicking New York fan favorite Tommy DeVito's celebratory dance after scoring a touchdown. Mayfield catapulted into the end zone on a spectacular 10-yard scramble for one of Tampa Bay's four rushing TDs, and the Buccaneers beat the Giants and new starting quarterback DeVito 30-7 on Sunday, snapping a four-game losing streak and extending New York's skid to six. With both teams struggling and coming off byes, most of the focus leading up to the game was on the Giants' decisions this week to bench and then release quarterback Daniel Jones. The brash DeVito was given the starting job and asked to spark coach Brian Daboll's team, as he did last season. Instead, Mayfield provided the energy with his play and his trolling of DeVito. “Tribute to Tommy,” said a straight-faced Mayfield, who was 24 of 30 for 294 yards. “He’s a good dude, that’s why. Most of the times, I don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s spontaneous.” Mayfield was asked several times about the gesture and admitted he wanted to give Giants fans something they liked, adding he met DeVito at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas in February. “He had his chain blinged out, swag walking through the casino. It was awesome,” Mayfield said. “It was like a movie scene, honestly.” DeVito did nothing to help the NFL's lowest-scoring offense. He threw for 189 yards, mostly in the second half with New York well on its way to its sixth straight loss at home, where it is winless. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers dominated in every phase in a near-perfect performance that featured TD runs of 1 yard by Sean Tucker, 6 yards by Bucky Irving and 1 yard by Rachaad White. After recent losses to the Ravens, 49ers and Chiefs, Tampa Bay (5-6) moved within one game of idle Atlanta in the NFC South. “We’re hoping it builds confidence,” Mayfield said. “We have a belief that we are still sitting and controlling our own destiny.” Tampa Bay scored on five of its on first six possessions to open a 30-0 lead, and none was more exciting than Mayfield's TD run with 12 seconds left in the first half. On a second-and-goal from the 10, he avoided pressure and went for the end zone. He was hit by Cor'Dale Flott low and Dru Phillips high around the 2-yard line, and he was airborne when he crossed the goal line. The ball came loose when he hit the turf but he jumped up and flexed, DeVito-style, as the Bucs took a 23-0 lead. DeVito said players talked about the celebration in the locker room but he did not see it. Daboll was asked about the gesture and said Mayfield played well. He said the Giants' poor performance had nothing to do with Jones being released. “No excuse on that,” said Daboll, whose job is on the line despite making the playoffs in 2022. “We just didn’t do a good enough job.” “We played soft, and they beat the (expletive) out of us,” defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence added. Mayfield's favorite target Mike Evans returned to the lineup after missing three games with a hamstring injury and had five catches for 68 yards. Irving had 87 yards rushing and six catches for 64 yards. The Bucs held New York to three first downs and 45 yards in the first half, and they finished with 450 yards to the Giants' 245. DeVito had a 17-yard run in the fourth quarter to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Devin Singletary. The brash New Jersey native was sacked four times, including once in the fourth quarter, which forced him to go to the bench for one play. Buccaneers: LT Tristan Wirfs (knee) did not play and Justin Skule replaced him. ... Tampa Bay lost OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to an ankle injury in the second quarter and safety Jordan Whitehead to a pectoral injury in the fourth quarter. Giants: LT Jermaine Eluemunor (quad) and OLB Azeez Ojulari (toe) were hurt in the first quarter and did not return. Buccaneers: At Carolina next Sunday. Giants: At Dallas on Thanksgiving AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
A 6 MW/48 MWh Energy Storage Project Is Coming To Camp Pendleton, & Will Be Expanded Later
How Tess Waresmith turned cruise ship savings into a $1.6 million investment portfolio
vip host
vipph register philippines