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PSV stage dramatic comeback with three late goals to beat ShakhtarRecently published research insights from global firm Info-Tech Research Group are providing IT leaders in the education sector with a strategic framework to implement AI use. The resource outlines use cases and advisory on how institutions can adopt AI technologies responsibly to enhance operational efficiency, personalize learning, and improve student outcomes. The firm explains that by evaluating key factors such as technology, feasibility, and industry relevance, institutions can create impactful AI roadmaps that align with their goals and drive meaningful improvements in schools. TORONTO, Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform industries, its adoption in education presents both immense opportunities and significant challenges. From aligning AI initiatives with institutional goals to addressing budgetary constraints and managing the complexities of emerging technologies, the integration process demands careful planning and execution. To support institutions in overcoming these obstacles, Info-Tech Research Group has published an industry blueprint, Prioritize AI Use Cases for Education . The resource contains the global research and advisory firm's research insights and recommendations for IT leaders to identify and prioritize AI use cases tailored to their institutions' needs. Info-Tech's blueprint provides a framework for adopting AI responsibly, which will support institutions in enhancing operational efficiency, improving student engagement, and making informed, data-driven decisions. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get the latest need-to-know information delivered to your inbox as it happens. Our flagship newsletter. Get our front page stories each morning as well as the latest updates each afternoon during the week + more in-depth weekend editions on Saturdays & Sundays.
Boston, Dec. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Expert Consumers, a trusted authority in product reviews and consumer insights, has recognized Boka as the leading toothpaste for sensitive teeth in 2025. The acknowledgement comes as part of the organization's annual review of top-performing oral care products, emphasizing efficacy, safety, and consumer satisfaction. Top Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth: Addressing Sensitive Teeth Through Science and Nature Boka's recognition highlights its commitment to developing oral care products rooted in scientific research. The company's flagship ingredient, nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA), has garnered attention for its enamel-restoring properties. Unlike fluoride, which traditionally dominates toothpaste formulations, n-HA is a biomimetic mineral that closely resembles the natural composition of tooth enamel. This enables it to effectively remineralize teeth and reduce sensitivity without relying on harsher chemical agents. In addition to its active ingredient, Boka incorporates natural soothing agents such as aloe vera and xylitol to address gum health and inflammation. By delivering both immediate relief and long-term benefits, the brand's toothpaste formulations address not only sensitivity but also overall oral health concerns. The growing preference for biocompatible and fluoride-free products has further cemented Boka's relevance in the oral care landscape. Broader Trends in Oral Care Products The oral care market has seen significant shifts as consumers increasingly prioritize wellness and sustainability in their purchasing decisions. According to industry reports, demand for natural and fluoride-free toothpaste options has grown by over 20% annually. Ingredients such as nano-hydroxyapatite have risen in prominence as consumers seek gentler, scientifically backed alternatives to traditional formulations. These trends underscore the importance of brands like Boka, which blend natural ingredients with advanced dental technologies. By aligning with consumer preferences for transparency and sustainability, Boka's products resonate with a health-conscious audience while addressing specific dental issues like sensitivity. Boka's Top Toothpaste Options Among Boka's offerings, several products have been particularly praised for their performance and user experience: Consumer Feedback and Market Impact Expert Consumers' selection of Boka as the top choice for sensitive teeth reflects overwhelmingly positive feedback from both dental professionals and consumers. Users have highlighted improvements in sensitivity relief, enamel strength, and overall comfort after incorporating Boka toothpaste into their daily routines. Boka's success also illustrates the broader potential for biomimetic dental products in reshaping the oral care industry. As consumers continue to move away from fluoride-based formulations, products that integrate n-HA and similar advancements are likely to gain market share. This shift may also spur further research and innovation within the dental care sector, benefitting consumers in the long term. Industry Recognition and Implications Expert Consumers' decision to spotlight Boka aligns with a growing emphasis on health-focused, environmentally conscious products across industries. As oral health continues to intersect with broader wellness trends, brands that integrate clean, biocompatible ingredients are likely to lead the market. Boka's focus on non-invasive, scientifically validated solutions positions it as a model for innovation in oral care. Dental professionals have also noted the benefits of incorporating n-HA into oral care routines. Research supports its ability to rebuild enamel, reduce sensitivity, and prevent cavities without the potential side effects associated with traditional fluoride use. By making such advanced formulations accessible to everyday consumers, Boka contributes to improved dental outcomes on a larger scale. Looking Ahead The recognition of Boka as the leading toothpaste for sensitive teeth in 2025 underscores the brand's ability to meet evolving consumer needs. As more individuals seek effective, natural solutions for dental sensitivity, products like Boka's toothpaste range are likely to gain further traction. The full review of Boka and its products for sensitive teeth can be accessed on the Expert Consumers website , providing additional insights into the brand's offerings and benefits. About Expert Consumers: Expert Consumers provides news and reviews of consumer products and services. As an affiliate, Expert Consumers may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided. Contact: Drew Thomas ( [email protected] )NoneGoogle today announced the availability of Android 16 Developer Preview 2 with app, performance, and battery life improvements. As suggested by the name, this milestone targets developers, not end users. “The second developer preview of Android 16 is now available to test with your apps,” . “This build includes changes designed to enhance the app experience, improve battery life, and boost performance while minimizing incompatibilities, and your feedback is critical in helping us understand the full impact of this work.” Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift! As you may recall, in early November, with each major release starting with Android 16 arriving by mid-year instead of the end of Q3. , about a month ago. Android 16 Developer Preview 2 includes support for more complex haptics effects, improved job introspection and runtime capabilities, better support for adaptive refresh rate, an improved photo picker with cloud support, and new predictive back animations. There are also improvements to security related to Wi-Fi and encryption. Google plans to release the first Android 16 beta in January and should hit platform stability in late Q1 2025. “As we reach our Beta releases, we’ll be inviting consumers to try Android 16 as well, and we’ll open up enrollment for Android 16 in the Android Beta program at that time,” McCullough notes. As with previous Android pre-release milestones, Android 16 Developer Preview 2 is available on all supported Pixels– –and in emulation via the latest preview of . Those testing the latest quarterly updated to Android 15–called QPR2 Beta–can flash their devices to Android 16 Developer Preview 2 without wiping them first, Google says. . Paul Thurrott is an award-winning technology journalist and blogger with 30 years of industry experience and the author of 30 books. He is the owner of and the host of three tech podcasts: with Leo Laporte and Richard Campbell, , and with Brad Sams. He was formerly the senior technology analyst at Windows IT Pro and the creator of the SuperSite for Windows from 1999 to 2014 and the Major Domo of Thurrott.com while at BWW Media Group from 2015 to 2023. You can reach Paul via , or . Join the crowd where the love of tech is real - become a Thurrott Premium Member today! Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday
Pirates claim 2024 Class 5 State Championship
New York Rangers lament breakdowns in collapse against Kraken: 3 takeawaysTrump expected to nominate Scott Bessent for Treasury secretaryCOMMERCE, Texas (AP) — Scooter Williams Jr. had 19 points in East Texas A&M's 68-67 victory over Abilene Christian on Wednesday. Williams added six rebounds and three steals for the Lions (2-10). Khaliq Abdul-Mateen added 17 points while going 3 of 8 and 11 of 12 from the free-throw line while he also had five assists and three steals. The Lions snapped a seven-game slide. Quion Williams led the Wildcats (7-5) in scoring, finishing with 17 points and seven assists. Leonardo Bettiol added 16 points and seven rebounds for Abilene Christian. Hunter Jack Madden had 13 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .World reaches $300 bn climate finance deal at COP29
State to lift ban on new irrigation wells
Fox News national correspondent CB Cotton breaks down the latest news on the Daniel Penny trial after the judge dropped manslaughter charges Friday afternoon on ‘Special Report.’ It is a travesty that Marine veteran Daniel Penny was charged with two homicide counts by Manhattan’s elected progressive-Democratic district attorney, Alvin Bragg, over the death of Jordan Neely – who was menacing frightened subway passengers when Penny subdued him . How fitting, then, that the conclusion of the jury trial, which began eight weeks ago, is proving to be as much a mockery of justice as the rest of the proceedings have been. DANIEL PENNY ‘OVERCHARGED’ BY PROSECUTION IN ‘PATENTLY UNFAIR’ MOVE, ATTORNEY ARGUES As I’ve explained a number of times, Bragg executed a couple of cynical stratagems to increase his chances of convicting Penny. The first involves the crude racialist politics of the progressive-Democratic base that got Bragg elected in 2021. This faction looks at life as if it were a Howard Zinn revisionist history textbook, in which the world is divided into oppressor and oppressed classes, with race as the full-field theory for interpreting all phenomena. In the real world, there wasn’t anything racist in Penny’s intervention as Neely threatened passengers. Yes, the happenstance is that Penny is white and Neely was black; but Neely was intimidating all the train passengers regardless of race. Penny was assisted in subduing him by non-white passengers. Some of the best witnesses in the case for Penny have been black passengers, who have described how scared they were and how heroic Penny was. Daniel Penny arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on Friday, December 6, 2024. The jury is entering a fourth day of deliberations in Daniel Penny’s trial for the 2023 death of Neely on the Manhattan subway. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital) But that’s not how the progressive prosecutors see it. Shamefully, Judge Maxwell Wiley has allowed Bragg’s prosecutors to refer to Penny as "the white man" and "the white defendant," notwithstanding that Penny’s whiteness is irrelevant, there being not a scintilla of proof that he was bigoted. Bragg’s approach is transparently jaded: appeal to any Manhattan progressives on the jury with a race-based ideological pitch that social justice demands finding Penny guilty. The second stratagem involves how the case was charged. While I don’t think Penny should have been indicted at all, this is not even arguably anything more than a negligence case. Penny was legally justified in using force to protect himself and other passengers. By law, such justification allows a person to subdue the aggressor until the police arrive. The question, then, is whether Penny was negligent in the duration and force of the chokehold he used. (Aside: there is a significant causation issue in the case; i.e., there could be reasonable doubt about whether the chokehold caused death because Neely had significant amounts of narcotics in his system, which could have exacerbated his preexisting physical maladies due to the anxiety he caused by threatening subway passengers.) Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arrives at Daniel Penny’s trial following a lunch break at the Manhattan Supreme Criminal Court building in New York City on Monday, December 2, 2024. Closing arguments are set to begin today in Penny’s trial for the 2023 subway death of Jordan Neely. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital) (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital) Yet, Bragg charged two counts, not one. Rather than leading with criminally negligent homicide, the indictment’s top count is second-degree manslaughter – i.e., reckless homicide. To prove recklessness, prosecutors must show beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant knew he created a risk of death and took aggressive action in wanton disregard of that risk. Clearly, that’s not what Penny did. It was not he, but Neely, who caused the risk; and far from acting wantonly, Penny did not try to harm Neely. He rolled Neely into a position to make breathing easier. He waited until the police arrived and fully cooperated with them. And during the interview he voluntarily gave police, they did not tell him that Neely had died, and Penny plainly believed he was alive. When a trained Marine wants to kill a restrained person with a choke hold, he knows how to do it, and it doesn’t take long. That’s not what happened here. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 24: NYPD Supporters of Jordan Neely protest a rally in support of Daniel Penny at Collect Pond Park on May 24, 2023 in New York City. Nassau County Executive Bruce A Blakeman was joined by military veterans as he organized a rally in support of Daniel Penny that was protested by supporters of Jordan Neely, leading to three arrest. Neely, whose funeral was held on May 19, was killed on May 1st after being placed in a chokehold by Penny at the Broadway-Lafayette subway station. Penny has been charged with 2nd Degree Manslaughter in Neely's death. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Despite the lack of recklessness evidence, Bragg indicted a recklessness charge. He calculated that this could give the jury something to compromise on, improving the prosecution’s odds. Especially if the racializing strategy attracted some progressive jurors to the view that Penny had to be found guilty, jurors sympathetic to Penny might conclude that they could be reasonable by agreeing to find him guilty of negligent homicide as long as they acquitted him of the baseless manslaughter charge. Sadly, it appears that this strategy could be playing out as Bragg hoped. Last Friday, we learned that the jury was deadlocked on the manslaughter charge – meaning one or more jurors want Penny convicted, while others have concluded (appropriately in my view) that this charge lacks supporting evidence. The jury was not permitted to consider negligence until the recklessness charge was resolved. Bragg has thus succeeded in exhausting the jury for four days of deliberations, including a so-called Allen charge – given over the defense’s vigorous objection – to try to strongarm jurors into putting aside their divisions and agreeing on a result (a conviction, the DA hopes). They’ve been at it for nearly 30 hours over this very straightforward, single-transaction, two-count case – but still they would not find Penny guilty. Judge Wiley should have declared a mistrial. To continue at this point is to seek to browbeat the jury into a conviction. I further believe it would violate New York criminal-procedure law. Under Sections 310.60 and 310.70 , which control, respectively, declaration of a mistrial and partial verdicts, a judge may (a) declare a mistrial if the jury is deadlocked and the judge determines that no verdict is likely; or (b) accept a partial verdict if the jury announces that it has reached a verdict on one count but is deadlocked on the other count or counts. Other than those two situations, a judge may not declare a mistrial during jury deliberations unless both parties – the prosecution and the defendant – agree. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION Here, neither (a) nor (b) happened. Yet, Wiley allowed Bragg to dismiss the reckless homicide charge for the purpose of continuing the trial and forcing the jury to deliberate on the lesser negligent-homicide offense. In essence, Bragg manufactured a partial verdict even though the jury did not reach one, and now wants the jury to continue deliberations as if this were only a negligence case – i.e., a case starkly different from the one prosecutors presented to the jury the last eight weeks. And this was done without the consent of the defendant. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Judge Wiley had full authority to grant Penny’s mistrial motion under Section 310.60 on the ground that the jury had deliberated for an extensive period of time without reaching any verdict. Instead, the judge bowed to Bragg’s Rube Goldberg plan: bring an exhausted, divided, already Allen- charged jury back to court Monday, to start all over again. The jurors have to be thinking that the court will keep them at it for as long as it takes to get Penny convicted of something . It's wrong ... but it’s so Manhattan. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM ANDREW McCARTHY Andrew C. McCarthy serves as a FOX News contributor and is a senior fellow at the National Review Institute and a contributing editor of National Review. Follow him on Twitter @andrewcmccarthyHail Flutie: BC celebrates 40th anniversary of Miracle in Miami
EDB leads Lankan automotive sector delegation to ThailandIn April, the UFC announced that for fighters that would offer more mobility and flexibility while reducing eye pokes and hand injuries. The new gloves, coined "3Eight/5Eight" (the 3Eight glove is for three-round fights, and the 5Eight gold glove for championship fights), premiered at UFC 301 in June. It marked the first time since fingerless gloves became mandatory for all fighters back in 1997 that the fight glove had evolved. "This redesign will truly be a game changer for the entire sport of MMA," UFC CEO and president Dana White said in the April statement. "These gloves will feel lighter, fit fighters' hands better, prevent injuries and provide maximum flexibility during the fights." But after five months -- 21 UFC events (pay-per-views and Fight Nights) and 10 "Dana White's Contender Series" cards -- and return to the original fingerless gloves. "The new gloves are now the old gloves," UFC CEO Dana White said in a surprise announcement ahead of UFC 309 last weekend. "You know what, there were good intentions with the new gloves. We spent a lot of time, energy and money on them. ... It didn't work out and it is what it is." The abrupt about-face came as a shocker.. Interestingly enough, the switch came just days after independent researcher and data scientist Nate Latshaw posted a detailed report demonstrating a significant drop in knockouts from when the new gloves were introduced. Comparing the knockout rate of the old gloves -- now referred to as "classic" by the UFC -- from Jan. 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024, to when the new gloves were in play from June 1 to Nov. 9, Latshaw's findings showed an 8.5% drop off in knockout rates. Between Latshaw's report gaining traction on social media and UFC heavyweight champion balking at the fit and feel of the new gloves ahead of his fight with at UFC 309, the timing of the announcement felt like a little more than a coincidence. "The shape, the curve in your hands, they're very uncomfortable for me," Jones said last week in New York. "I was actually really stressed thinking, 'How am I going to go into fight week wearing these gloves that I don't even really want to train in?'" When the switch was announced, several UFC fighters breathed a sigh of relief over the promotion reversing course. "When I first got the new gloves, I didn't like them," lightweight told ESPN. "I think they look and felt cheap. The material was not very good, and I didn't like the design." Moicano had one of his best performances with the new gloves, a decisive TKO victory over in September. The fight was stopped due to a doctor's intervention. "I was thinking to myself, 'This is a bad glove,' and then I had an awesome performance," Moicano said. "Maybe it actually was the glove? I don't know. But I don't think it affected my performance at all." Women's flyweight contender echoed Moicano's assessment of the gloves feeling "cheap." "I wasn't opposed to the new gloves when they announced they were coming, but when I saw them, I didn't like how they looked," Blanchfield said. "I didn't like the design, and the colors looked tacky and cheap. They looked like something you can buy from a sporting goods store." Blanchfield, who relies heavily on her wrestling and grappling, found that the gloves felt restrictive and affected her grip during her unanimous decision victory over earlier this month. "It felt harder to close my hands because the fingers were so tight," she said. While Blanchfield eventually broke in the new gloves during training, she was issued a new pair ahead of her fight. "I had my cornermen working on the gloves the entire time in the locker room," Blanchfield said. "Just pulling at them, stretching them out, really trying to loosen them up for me. They literally had to make a tool that everyone in the locker room passed around to loosen up the fingers." Strawweight , who lost a decision to in the new gloves in August, said they "felt like having memory foam wrapped around your fist." "I hated them at first," Hill said. "But after training in them for a while, I didn't mind them as much. They are way thinner and aren't formed at all. The old gloves had more of a natural curve to them." The restrictive feel that Hill and Blanchfield are referring to was originally installed to prevent fighters from extending their fingers and committing eye-poke fouls. But both said that the intent didn't match the outcome. "I don't think they did anything for eye pokes," Hill said. "Until you break them in, it's harder to make a closed fist." What about the decrease in knockouts? Latshaw, a data scientist with a focus on quantitative analysis in MMA, noted that the research didn't include the variety of ways to obtain a knockout. "I continue to caution against drawing any particularly strong conclusions from the data," Latshaw told ESPN. "I'm looking at all knockdowns and all knockouts, which is really not a good way to study the impact of the gloves because I'm including knockouts and knockdowns that come from head kicks, elbows, knees, things like that where the gloves aren't impactful." While the old gloves are now back in play, it doesn't mean the "new" gloves are gone forever...yet. A UFC spokesperson told ESPN that "some fighters may still be wearing the new gloves in upcoming events while UFC re-stocks its inventory of the classic gloves." According to White, fighters will use the "classic" gloves at UFC 310 on Dec. 7. "They tried a new idea, and it ended up being a mistake, so they decided to go back to the old gloves once they saw the gloves weren't working out," Moicano said. "That's better than to keep trying to push a glove on us that everyone hates. This is what was good for business. "I don't know if we'll ever get the perfect glove, but I hope they keep trying."In August 2024, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) initiated the recruitment process through the lateral entry scheme by issuing a notification for the recruitment of 45 Joint Secretaries, Directors, and Deputy Secretaries as specialists in government departments. The initiative faced significant opposition from various groups, particularly political parties, which argued that the scheme compromised the reservation rights of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs). The strong opposition compelled the government to shelve the plan. This was not the first time that the Union Government has recruited specialists through the lateral entry scheme. In 2018, 63 specialists were appointed through lateral entry in various ministries. Currently, around 57 specialists are working with the government. Even then, recruitment through the lateral entry scheme was excluded from the reservation system. The decision to withdraw the notification has reignited the debate on the need for domain experts within the civil service and highlights the necessity of developing an appropriate approach to civil service reform. Need for domain experts It has long been recognised that specialised skills are much needed in the civil service. In fact, the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2005) recommended the need for lateral entry into the higher echelons of the government to bring in specialised knowledge and skills, though it did not specify a method of recruitment. The ongoing representation issues of SCs and STs within the civil service further complicate the narrative. Despite existing reservations, the number of SC and ST officers in higher positions remains low. SCs and STs constitute only around 4% and 4.9% of top bureaucratic positions in the Union government at the level of Deputy Secretaries, Directors, Joint Secretaries, and beyond. One reason is that the entry age of officers during the recruitment process is often higher than that of general category candidates, and these officers frequently retire before reaching the top positions. The lateral entry scheme is likely to further limit the representation of these marginalised communities, as the scheme is unlikely to attract domain experts from these communities due to their limited access to such positions in the private sector. For better or worse, the lateral entry debate has been politicised. With caste-based reservations being significant factors in elections, the government is unlikely to reignite this debate, as doing so could have substantial political repercussions. For now, the discussion around lateral entry appears to have reached an impasse. But there is no denying the reality that there is a need for domain experts in the public sector, as each sector is becoming specialised, requiring close collaboration with technical experts. Civil servants are generally generalists, not specialists. Lateral entry, with or without reservation as it existed, was essentially a short-term solution. The need is for domain experts within the civil service itself. It is these domain experts who would cultivate a resilient and effective civil service. To realise this objective, there is a need to develop long-term strategies that prioritise academic-industry-civil service collaboration, capacity building, and institutional development. Integrated model for domain expertise In order to effectively develop domain expertise within the civil service in India and address the ever more complex needs of governance, a collaborative framework that brings together civil service, academia, and industry is needed. This collaboration would facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices, allowing civil servants to engage with the latest developments in their respective fields and develop much-needed domain expertise. Civil servants with public sector experience and decision-making capabilities would imbibe insights from academia and industry about emerging trends, skills, and technologies. But this collaboration must differ from the current refresher and mid-career training offered to civil servants. These training programmes for civil servants often act as temporary fixes. Even though such programmes inculcate valuable skills, they fail to create a robust framework for domain expertise. Domain expertise, unlike training programmes, is not an isolated event but must be an integral part of a civil servant’s career trajectory. For domain expertise, an integrated model that aligns with individual career paths and areas of interest is essential. The critical components of an integrated model for developing domain expertise among civil servants include strategic planning, memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with institutions, a rigorous selection process, and specialised postings with fixed tenures. Strategic planning Domain expertise starts with the drafting of a strategic plan to create efficient public policy analysts within the civil service, with locus in the public sector and focus on skills and knowledge from the private sector/industry, facilitated by academia. The objective is to enhance the capacity of civil servants in terms of technical expertise and strategic vision to formulate and implement policies efficiently and effectively in specific sectors, contributing to good governance and improved public service delivery. Strategic planning represents a long-term vision for the civil service and requires identifying the number of sector-specific domain experts needed for better alignment of resources and priorities. Academic institutions must be involved in the strategic planning at the initial stages only. This integrated model has significant advantages for academic institutions as well, as they would receive fresh impetus and motivation to contribute richly to public service delivery. One critical aspect of domain expertise is staying focused on ever-changing innovations and technologies in industry and incorporating these into the public sector. Strategic planning would include an element of circular response planning, with feedback and adjustments continuously incorporated. This element promotes flexibility and adaptability in the face of changing circumstances. MoUs with institutions The second component of the integrated model for developing domain expertise is the framing of MoUs with institutions. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, along with other cadre-controlling ministries, will establish MoUs with premier institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Management, Indian Institutes of Technology, National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Indian Institute of Public Administration, and the top central universities based on the National Institutional Ranking Framework. This collaboration’s primary objective is to formulate tailored courses and training programmes laced with industry experience for transforming current mid-level and top-level officers into domain experts. To start with, each ministry of the Government of India could target developing around four to five domain experts in sector-specific areas over the next few years and ensure the smooth and steady infusion of specialised knowledge and skills into the civil service. The MoUs must ensure that these courses are not usual academic courses, but, specifically, domain expert skill courses. The institutions involved must necessarily engage industry experts for the long term and have their own collaboration with them. Selection process, specialised posting The third but critical component of developing domain experts within the civil service is the establishment of rigorous selection processes for specialised training programmes. This should be jointly done by the ministries concerned and the institutions concerned. Herein, consideration can be given for adequate representation of SCs, STs and OBCs for domain expertise. The selection process should involve submission of a Statement of Purpose (SoP) detailing their motivations for domain expertise and past experiences and interview process to assess a civil servant’s alignment and potential for a domain expertise programme. Through this selection process, and subsequent training, a pool of civil servants would be developed who are not only domain experts but also deeply invested in making a meaningful impact. The last component of the integrated model for domain expertise is specialised posting in their respective areas of expertise, much like the existing lateral entry framework, which appoints personnel based on ministry needs. There should be no transfer of the trained domain experts outside their specialised sector. This targeted approach would address the long-standing issue of “the right minds aren’t in the right places” by ensuring that individuals with the most relevant knowledge and skills are assigned to roles where they can make the greatest impact. Further, irrespective of their years left in the service, a fixed tenure system post training should be set up that allows all domain expert officers equal chances to reach senior roles and contribute richly. Transforming the civil service in India through the integrated model for domain expertise is necessary to strengthen governance and improve public service delivery by developing a resilient and responsive civil service. In today’s market-based economy, the role of government has shifted from being a service provider to that of a facilitator and regulator. Through a cadre of domain experts, the government can build institutional capacity, enabling civil servants to serve effectively as regulators, facilitators, and even service providers. The model also allows civil servants to step away from the daily grind of government machinery to focus on skill development and specialisation. From a psychological perspective, this break from the routine can significantly reduce monotony, re-energising civil servants and enhancing their motivation. By engaging in capacity-building programmes, civil servants can rejuvenate their professional drive, thereby avoiding the “deadwood” effect that often arises in a prolonged career within the government sector. Zubair Nazeer is an Assistant Professor (Public Administration) at the Amar Singh College, Cluster University, Srinagar. He was previously a faculty member at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. The views expressed are personal Published - November 24, 2024 04:40 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit civil and public service / public officials / government / political parties / Reservation / government departments / election / industrial production / universities and colleges / technology (general) / ministers (government) / scientific institutions / management institutes / economy (general)
Fox News national correspondent CB Cotton breaks down the latest news on the Daniel Penny trial after the judge dropped manslaughter charges Friday afternoon on ‘Special Report.’ It is a travesty that Marine veteran Daniel Penny was charged with two homicide counts by Manhattan’s elected progressive-Democratic district attorney, Alvin Bragg, over the death of Jordan Neely – who was menacing frightened subway passengers when Penny subdued him . How fitting, then, that the conclusion of the jury trial, which began eight weeks ago, is proving to be as much a mockery of justice as the rest of the proceedings have been. DANIEL PENNY ‘OVERCHARGED’ BY PROSECUTION IN ‘PATENTLY UNFAIR’ MOVE, ATTORNEY ARGUES As I’ve explained a number of times, Bragg executed a couple of cynical stratagems to increase his chances of convicting Penny. The first involves the crude racialist politics of the progressive-Democratic base that got Bragg elected in 2021. This faction looks at life as if it were a Howard Zinn revisionist history textbook, in which the world is divided into oppressor and oppressed classes, with race as the full-field theory for interpreting all phenomena. In the real world, there wasn’t anything racist in Penny’s intervention as Neely threatened passengers. Yes, the happenstance is that Penny is white and Neely was black; but Neely was intimidating all the train passengers regardless of race. Penny was assisted in subduing him by non-white passengers. Some of the best witnesses in the case for Penny have been black passengers, who have described how scared they were and how heroic Penny was. Daniel Penny arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on Friday, December 6, 2024. The jury is entering a fourth day of deliberations in Daniel Penny’s trial for the 2023 death of Neely on the Manhattan subway. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital) But that’s not how the progressive prosecutors see it. Shamefully, Judge Maxwell Wiley has allowed Bragg’s prosecutors to refer to Penny as "the white man" and "the white defendant," notwithstanding that Penny’s whiteness is irrelevant, there being not a scintilla of proof that he was bigoted. Bragg’s approach is transparently jaded: appeal to any Manhattan progressives on the jury with a race-based ideological pitch that social justice demands finding Penny guilty. The second stratagem involves how the case was charged. While I don’t think Penny should have been indicted at all, this is not even arguably anything more than a negligence case. Penny was legally justified in using force to protect himself and other passengers. By law, such justification allows a person to subdue the aggressor until the police arrive. The question, then, is whether Penny was negligent in the duration and force of the chokehold he used. (Aside: there is a significant causation issue in the case; i.e., there could be reasonable doubt about whether the chokehold caused death because Neely had significant amounts of narcotics in his system, which could have exacerbated his preexisting physical maladies due to the anxiety he caused by threatening subway passengers.) Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arrives at Daniel Penny’s trial following a lunch break at the Manhattan Supreme Criminal Court building in New York City on Monday, December 2, 2024. Closing arguments are set to begin today in Penny’s trial for the 2023 subway death of Jordan Neely. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital) (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital) Yet, Bragg charged two counts, not one. Rather than leading with criminally negligent homicide, the indictment’s top count is second-degree manslaughter – i.e., reckless homicide. To prove recklessness, prosecutors must show beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant knew he created a risk of death and took aggressive action in wanton disregard of that risk. Clearly, that’s not what Penny did. It was not he, but Neely, who caused the risk; and far from acting wantonly, Penny did not try to harm Neely. He rolled Neely into a position to make breathing easier. He waited until the police arrived and fully cooperated with them. And during the interview he voluntarily gave police, they did not tell him that Neely had died, and Penny plainly believed he was alive. When a trained Marine wants to kill a restrained person with a choke hold, he knows how to do it, and it doesn’t take long. That’s not what happened here. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 24: NYPD Supporters of Jordan Neely protest a rally in support of Daniel Penny at Collect Pond Park on May 24, 2023 in New York City. Nassau County Executive Bruce A Blakeman was joined by military veterans as he organized a rally in support of Daniel Penny that was protested by supporters of Jordan Neely, leading to three arrest. Neely, whose funeral was held on May 19, was killed on May 1st after being placed in a chokehold by Penny at the Broadway-Lafayette subway station. Penny has been charged with 2nd Degree Manslaughter in Neely's death. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Despite the lack of recklessness evidence, Bragg indicted a recklessness charge. He calculated that this could give the jury something to compromise on, improving the prosecution’s odds. Especially if the racializing strategy attracted some progressive jurors to the view that Penny had to be found guilty, jurors sympathetic to Penny might conclude that they could be reasonable by agreeing to find him guilty of negligent homicide as long as they acquitted him of the baseless manslaughter charge. Sadly, it appears that this strategy could be playing out as Bragg hoped. Last Friday, we learned that the jury was deadlocked on the manslaughter charge – meaning one or more jurors want Penny convicted, while others have concluded (appropriately in my view) that this charge lacks supporting evidence. The jury was not permitted to consider negligence until the recklessness charge was resolved. Bragg has thus succeeded in exhausting the jury for four days of deliberations, including a so-called Allen charge – given over the defense’s vigorous objection – to try to strongarm jurors into putting aside their divisions and agreeing on a result (a conviction, the DA hopes). They’ve been at it for nearly 30 hours over this very straightforward, single-transaction, two-count case – but still they would not find Penny guilty. Judge Wiley should have declared a mistrial. To continue at this point is to seek to browbeat the jury into a conviction. I further believe it would violate New York criminal-procedure law. Under Sections 310.60 and 310.70 , which control, respectively, declaration of a mistrial and partial verdicts, a judge may (a) declare a mistrial if the jury is deadlocked and the judge determines that no verdict is likely; or (b) accept a partial verdict if the jury announces that it has reached a verdict on one count but is deadlocked on the other count or counts. Other than those two situations, a judge may not declare a mistrial during jury deliberations unless both parties – the prosecution and the defendant – agree. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION Here, neither (a) nor (b) happened. Yet, Wiley allowed Bragg to dismiss the reckless homicide charge for the purpose of continuing the trial and forcing the jury to deliberate on the lesser negligent-homicide offense. In essence, Bragg manufactured a partial verdict even though the jury did not reach one, and now wants the jury to continue deliberations as if this were only a negligence case – i.e., a case starkly different from the one prosecutors presented to the jury the last eight weeks. And this was done without the consent of the defendant. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Judge Wiley had full authority to grant Penny’s mistrial motion under Section 310.60 on the ground that the jury had deliberated for an extensive period of time without reaching any verdict. Instead, the judge bowed to Bragg’s Rube Goldberg plan: bring an exhausted, divided, already Allen- charged jury back to court Monday, to start all over again. The jurors have to be thinking that the court will keep them at it for as long as it takes to get Penny convicted of something . It's wrong ... but it’s so Manhattan. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM ANDREW McCARTHY Andrew C. McCarthy serves as a FOX News contributor and is a senior fellow at the National Review Institute and a contributing editor of National Review. Follow him on Twitter @andrewcmccarthyThe seabed has increasingly emerged as a significant and contested domain in recent years, drawing global attention due to unprecedented events and developments. In 2022 alone, incidents such as the breaking of the Svalbard subsea communication cable, the explosion of the Nord Stream 1 & 2 subsea gas pipelines and the breakage of the SHEFA-2 communication cable underscored the vulnerability of underwater critical infrastructure (UCI). This trend persisted into 2023, with similar disruptions affecting subsea communication cables, such as the one connecting Taiwan. Even in 2024, Pakistan had only gone through four incidents of submarine cables, which cost the nation millions of rupees. These events have not only highlighted the fragile nature of UCIs, including oil and gas pipelines, power transmission cables and submarine communication systems, but they have also spurred significant political, military, and scholarly interest in what is now termed "seabed warfare." Historically, seabed warfare is not a new concept. Navies have long conducted operations on the seabed, particularly during the Cold War, when the U.S. and the Soviet Union developed extensive acoustic surveillance systems for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and strategic intelligence. Notably, the U.S. Navy's Operation IVY BELLS in the 1970s involved tapping Soviet subsea cables, yielding critical intelligence. Seabed warfare has evolved into a complex, multi-dimensional field, incorporating advanced technologies and strategies to protect and disrupt Underwater Critical Infrastructure (UCIs), reflecting its growing importance in defensive and offensive naval operations. The last two decades have witnessed a major boom in the energy distribution sector through the seabed. Various oil and gas pipelines run on the seabed in different oceans, which ensures energy supply among other countries and regions; they hold vital economic importance. Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines transport Russian gas to Europe and run on the seabed of the Baltic Sea. Within Europe, there is also a network of underwater gas pipelines that transport Norwegian gas to the U.K., France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Poland. These gas pipelines run on the seabed of the North and Baltic Seas . In the East, the subsea Ichthys Export Pipeline (Timor Sea) transports gas from the Ichthys field to mainland Australia. Yacheng 13-1 gas pipeline transports gas from the Yacheng gas field to mainland China, and the list goes on. Subsea oil pipelines are also being extensively used to transport oil from offshore terminals to land. According to surveys, the web of 2,381 operational oil and gas pipelines spread across 162 nations back in 2020. Similarly, offshore drilling for new energy resources on the seabed of different oceans around the world is also witnessing a boom. Keeping in view projects such as the Trans Caspian, subsea energy transportation is likely to have an upward trend. Subsea communication cables also hold significant importance for the world’s economic growth and stability. More than 97% of the world’s internet data flows through the ocean. Let alone subsea communication cables enable money transactions worth $10 trillion per day across the world. Any disruption to these cables is considered socio-economically catastrophic. Politically, growing subsea connectivity and dependency on energy and information are being considered lucrative foreign policy tools. Subsea pipelines and cables have gained unprecedented strategic importance. Safe operations of subsea pipelines and cables are crucial for socio-economic stability, but at the same time, their blockage and disruption can impose significant strategic effects. New international relations (IR) terms such as ‘pipeline diplomacy’ reflect the same political thought. For military strategists, seabed warfare capability to protect (defensive) and even disrupt (offensive) subsea pipelines and cables has become a priority area. Seabed warfare is inherently attractive for the hybrid military strategy; therefore, it has great potential to grow in "no war-no peace" and "low-intensity conflict" environments. Based on an analysis of seabed operations in naval history, recent events and development strategies of different navies, the scope of emerging seabed warfare can be divided into benign, defensive and offensive operations. Benign operations will be mainly aimed at oceanographic research, search and rescue (SAR) and salvage operations. Defensive operations will focus on the protection of UCIs. Emerging concepts like Seabed-to-Space Situational Awareness (S3A), Distributed Remote Sensing (DRS), the Great Underwater Wall, etc., will define the framework of defensive seabed operations. Similarly, offensive operations will focus on the destruction or disruption of UCIs and the tapping of digital data flowing through subsea communication cables. Technological advancements enabled seabed access more than ever. Modern hydro-mechanical systems, advanced electronics and artificial intelligence are enabling the maritime industry to produce ships, submarines and UUVs (uncrewed underwater vehicles) that would carry out activities on the seabed. So where research, exploration and productive machines can go, there will also be military vehicles accessing the seabed to turn it into a new battlefield. Seabed warfare is a technologically intensive field. Artificial intelligence is reckoned to be the backbone of all enablers of seabed warfare. Enablers of seabed warfare can be divided into three categories: launch platforms (submarines, ships, extra-large UUVs), execution vehicles (UUVs, ROVs, and AUVs) and remote sensors (underwater buoys, ocean data buoys, and air/satellite-based sensors). It is interesting to highlight that there is significant technological progress in each category. The Belgorod Class Submarine (Russian Navy) is designed to address this requirement for seabed operations. Though U.S. submarines have the capability to carry out similar operations at present, it has decided to develop the VA SSW (Modified Virginia Subsea and Seabed Warfare) submarine. The same trend is followed even by conventional submarines; the latest Swedish A-26 Class submarines have specific features such as rapid and straightforward bottoming and UUV launch and control capability for seabed warfare. The Italian NFS (Near Future Submarine) project and the German-Norwegian Type 212 CD have similar claims. UUV technology is considered the linchpin of seabed warfare. A long list of special ships will be mainly used for benign and defensive seabed operations. UUVs are becoming more capable in terms of operating depths, endurance, power and propulsion day by day. UUVs are the world’s leading defense companies' top priority. Data from remote sensors such as underwater hydrophone networks, ocean buoys and even satellites can be fused together for robust surveillance. As seabed warfare continues to evolve, driven by rapid technological advancements and strategic competition, it is becoming an increasingly sophisticated and high-stakes arena. The development of seabed warfare capabilities, such as the Russian Belgorod Class Submarine and the U.S. Virginia-class submarines, reflects the growing emphasis on controlling this new battlefield. Until clear international rules are established to govern seabed warfare, the potential for conflict in this domain remains significant, with implications for global security and stability. Moreover, in the context of Pakistan, a country with a strategic vicinity and growing dependence on undersea cables, it is imperative to assess its preparedness and resilience against emerging threats of seabed warfare.
Myanmar’s desperate military ramps up attacksThe U.K. government has opened a consultation to explore ways to protect the rights of artists, writers, and composers when creative content is used to train AI models. The goal is to give creators control over their copyrighted material while fostering technological innovation. A proposal has been put forward to mandate transparency from AI developers, like OpenAI and Google, on what creative material they use and how they obtain it. It will also allow rights holders to opt out of their work used to train models or strike licensing deals if they do consent. While many licensing deals have already been agreed between tech companies and artists, the government says that many creators have been unable to reach agreements under the current copyright regime and require additional support. At the same time, the proposal wants to ensure tech companies “have access to high-quality material to train leading AI models in the UK and support innovation across the UK AI sector.” It suggests creating an exception to the U.K. laws that currently prohibit using copyrighted material without permission to train commercial models. This change aims to provide AI firms with greater clarity over what material they can legally use. “Currently, uncertainty about how copyright law applies to AI is holding back both sectors from reaching their full potential. It can make it difficult for creators to control or seek payment for the use of their work, and creates legal risks for AI firms, stifling AI investment, innovation, and adoption,” the government said in a press release. The consultation, which will run until Feb. 25, 2025, and be led by the Intellectual Property Office, will also seek views on copyright protection for AI-generated art and the personality rights of public figures in the context of deepfakes or voice cloning. In May, OpenAI faced criticism for using a voice nearly identical to Scarlet Johansson’s in its GPT-4o demo without her consent. SEE: Google to Label AI-Generated Images in Search Results Peter Kyle, the U.K.’s technology minister, said in the press release that the focus is “balancing strong protections for creators while removing barriers to AI innovation.” “It’s clear that our current AI and copyright framework does not support either our creative industries or our AI sectors to compete on the global stage,” he added. Creative industry unsatisfied with the proposal The creative industry has not reacted positively to the proposals. The Independent Society of Musicians has “immediate concerns” regarding how the opt-out system will work for artists in practice. The Council of Music Makers said that “explicit consent must always be secured from music-makers,” and licensing deals should result in them being “fairly remunerated for their contributions.” Several high-profile musicians, including Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, and ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, have recently voiced their concerns about how AI companies use copyrighted works without permission. Dr Jo Twist, the CEO of the British Phonographic Industry, told Music Week : “We remain to be convinced that a copyright exception would move the AI and creative industries closer to agreeing on a functioning licensing model; in fact, we believe it would further disincentivise tech companies from doing so.” Publishers Association CEO, Dan Conway, agreed, saying in a statement that “there has been no objective case made for a new copyright exception, nor has a water-tight rights-reservation process been outlined anywhere around the globe.” Baroness Beeban Kidron, a crossbench peer, AI ethics expert, and former filmmaker, told The Guardian that she was “very disappointed” with the proposals as they would allow AI firms to “shirk their responsibilities.” On the other hand, techUK, the UK’s technology trade association, “welcome(s) the Government’s commitment to finding a solution that creates a competitive and supportive environment for both the UK tech and creative sectors,” as per its statement . “It is in everyone’s interests to resolve these issues in a way that supports innovation and growth.” Coalition launched to urge the government to protect copyright laws The consultation was opened just one day after the launch of the Creative Rights in AI Coalition, a group advocating for the U.K. government to protect copyright laws and establish a dynamic licensing market. Members include the BPI and bodies representing authors, illustrators, publishers, and photographers. The Creative Rights in AI Coalition has three demands of the government, the first being that existing copyright law be upheld so that intellectual property owners have exclusive rights over their work, including control over licensing to AI companies. SEE: Behind the Controversy: Why Artists Hate AI Art “We must ensure the onus will be on generative AI firms to seek permission and engage with rights holders to agree on licences,” the coalition states on its website . “Just as tech firms are content to pay for the huge quantity of electricity that powers their data centres, they must be content to pay for the high-quality copyright-protected works which are essential to train and ground accurate GAI models.” It added that clear and robust copyright laws would incentivise AI companies to pay for artists’ content, ensuring that both the original training data and resulting AI-generated work remain of high quality. The second and third demands are that the government ensures creators receive transparent information about how their content is used in AI development and supports policies that balance the protections of creative rights with the advancement of AI technologies. This week’s proposal does cover these principles. However, it remains to be seen whether they are sufficient for the coalition. Many of its members, including the Publishers Association and the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society, have expressed that they will participate in the consultation. TechRepublic has contacted the coalition for a statement.
