m bet 999 Iran says will hold nuclear talks with France, Germany, UKISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani police arrested thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of a rally in the capital to demand the ex-premier’s release from prison, a security officer said Sunday. Khan has been behind bars for more than a year and has over 150 criminal cases against him. But he remains popular and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated. Shahid Nawaz, a security officer in eastern Punjab province, said police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters. They include five parliamentarians. Pakistan has sealed off Islamabad with shipping containers and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with PTI strongholds in Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Tit-for-tat teargas shelling between the police and the PTI was reported on the highway bordering Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns.” The government and Interior Ministry posted the announcement on the social media platform X, which is banned in Pakistan. They did not specify the areas, nor did they say how long the suspension would be in place. “Internet and mobile services will continue to operate as usual in the rest of the country,” the posts said. Meanwhile, telecom company Nayatel sent out emails offering customers “a reliable landline service” as a workaround in the areas suffering suspended cellphone service. Khan's supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release and use messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said Khan's wife Bushra Bibi was traveling to Islamabad in a convoy led by the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur. “She cannot leave the party workers on their own,” said Akram. There was a festive mood in Peshawar, with PTI members dancing, drumming and holding up pictures of Khan as cars set off for Islamabad. The government is imposing social media platform bans and targeting VPN services , according to internet advocacy group Netblocks. On Sunday, the group said live metrics showed problems with WhatsApp that were affecting media sharing on the app. The U.S. Embassy issued a security alert for Americans in the capital, encouraging them to avoid large gatherings and warning that even “peaceful gatherings can turn violent.” Last month, authorities suspended the cellphone service in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to thwart a pro-Khan rally. The shutdown disrupted communications and affected everyday services such as banking, ride-hailing and food delivery. The latest crackdown comes on the eve of a visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko . Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said authorities have sealed off Islamabad's Red Zone, which houses key government buildings and is the destination for Khan's supporters. “Anyone reaching it will be arrested,” Naqvi told a press conference. He said the security measures were in place to protect residents and property, blaming the PTI for inconveniencing people and businesses. He added that protesters were planning to take the same route as the Belarusian delegation, but that the government had headed off this scenario. Naqvi denied cellphone services were suspended and said only mobile data was affected. Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar and Asim Tanveer in Multan contributed to this report.

After announcing he would not return to Congress, Matt Gaetz appears to be trying out a new career option: creating personalized videos for his fans on Cameo. Gaetz, a former Florida representative, joined the platform Friday, a day after he withdrew his name from consideration to serve as President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general amid sexual misconduct allegations. There, he’s been doling out paid holiday wishes, marriage congratulations and career pep talks. As of Sunday night, Gaetz is charging a minimum of $550 per video, which so far have averaged about a minute and a half in length. “I served in Congress,” his Cameo page reads, alluding to his recent resignation and subsequent announcement that he does not plan to retake his House seat. “Trump nominated me to be US Attorney General (that didn’t work out). Once I fired the House Speaker.” The speaker he "fired" hints at his feud with Kevin McCarthy, whom he played a pivotal role in ousting last year when Gaetz forced a House vote that led to McCarthy's removal from office. A representative for Gaetz did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gaetz announced Thursday his decision to take himself out of the running for attorney general, writing on X , “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.” His potential appointment was overshadowed by several allegations of sexual misconduct, including allegations that he had sex with a 17-year-old at a party in 2017 . He was also investigated by the Justice Department — which he would have led had he been confirmed — related to allegations of sex trafficking and sex with a minor. Gaetz has vehemently denied allegations of sexual misconduct, and the investigation ended with no charges against him. Gaetz’s resignation last week also effectively ended a House Ethics Committee investigation into the allegations against him, which had been ongoing intermittently since 2021. Cameo, the celebrity video message app, which launched in 2017, allows users to purchase custom shoutouts from famous figures who join the app. Fans on Cameo commonly request these videos, priced by the celebrities themselves, for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and graduations. Despite facing some financial trouble in recent years, Cameo has remained a fixture for some public figures seeking an extra source of income. It’s become a notorious marketplace for fan-requested videos from pop culture’s most dramatic and villainized personalities, which often go viral when posted to social media platforms like TikTok and X. In one video, Gaetz, a Republican, filmed himself congratulating a recipient for making partner at their law firm while acknowledging their political differences. “Look, I know your politics and mine may not align specifically, but you know, our career trajectories might not be either. I mean, here you are making partner, and my legal career took a little bit of a different turn this last week,” Gaetz said. “But you know what? Work hard, get paid a lot of money, do a lot of great things as a practitioner and counselor at law, and you know, you never know. You could be an attorney general nominee, too.” Other videos feature Gaetz thanking his recipients for “backing President Trump and all of our efforts to save the country” and being “there for MAGA.” He also roasted one recipient for “betting on things like... Kamala Harris to be the President of the United States. You got to get better habits for that — bet on Trump.” Gaetz is following in the footsteps of other embattled politicians such as former Rep. George Santos , who turned to the platform after he was ousted from the House late last year amid allegations of wire fraud and identity theft. Earlier this year, Santos made his drag queen persona available on the app as well. He has since pleaded guilty to a pair of felony fraud charges. Also on Cameo are Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor who was removed from office and incarcerated on charges of public corruption, and Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who was indicted on charges related to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. Giuliani has pleaded not guilty to the charges in the Georgia election interference case. He was also found liable for defaming two Georgia election workers . Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney who pleaded guilty to and served time in prison for federal crimes, is also active on the app. Other political figures on Cameo include former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and Fox News commentator Tomi Lahren. This article first appeared on NBCNews.com . Read more from NBC News here:TeraWulf Announces Promotion of Sean Farrell to Chief Operating Officer

Bayern's Kane bags hat-trick in 3-0 win over AugsburgNEW YORK — There's a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. An animated game, anyway. The real game takes place at Madison Square Garden, where Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs face the New York Knicks in a game televised on ABC and ESPN and streamed on Disney+ and ESPN+. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. Madison Square Garden is a staple of the NBA's Christmas schedule. Now it merges with a bigger home of the holidays, because the "Dunk the Halls" game will be staged at Disney, on a court set up right smack in the middle of where countless families have posed for vacation photos. Why that location? Because it was Mickey Mouse's Christmas wish. "Basketball courts often have the ability to make a normal environment look special, but in Disney it can only turn out incredible," Wembanyama said in an ESPN video promoting his Christmas debut. The story — this is Disney, after all — begins with Mickey penning a letter to Santa Claus, asking if he and his pals can host a basketball game. They'll not only get to watch one with NBA players, but some of them will even get to play. Goofy and Donald Duck will sub in for a couple Knicks players, while Mickey and Minnie Mouse will come on to play for the Spurs. "It looks to me like Goofy and Jalen Brunson have a really good pick-and-roll at the elite level," said Phil Orlins, an ESPN vice president of production. Walt Disney World hosted real NBA games in 2020, when the league set up there to complete its season that had been suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those games were played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. The setting for the Christmas game will be Main Street USA, at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Viewers will recognize Cinderella's castle behind one baseline and the train station at the other end, and perhaps some shops they have visited in between. Previous alternate animated broadcasts included an NFL game taking place in Andy's room from "Toy Story;" the "NHL Big City Greens Classic" during a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers; and earlier this month, another NFL matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys also taking place at Springfield's Atoms Stadium as part of "The Simpsons Funday Football." Unlike basketball, the players are helmeted in those sports. So, this telecast required an extra level of detail and cooperation with players and teams to create accurate appearances of their faces and hairstyles. "So, this is a level of detail that we've never gone, that we've never done on any other broadcast," said David Sparrgrove, the senior director of creative animation for ESPN. Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 phenom from France who was last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, looks huge even among most NBA players. The creators of the alternate telecast had to design how he'd look not only among his teammates and rivals, but among mice, ducks and chipmunks. "Like, Victor Wembanyama, seeing him in person is insane. It's like seeing an alien descend on a basketball court, and I think we kind of captured that in his animated character," said Drew Carter, who will again handle play-by-play duties, as he had in the previous animated telecasts, and will get an assist from sideline reporter Daisy Duck. Wembanyama's presence is one reason the Spurs-Knicks matchup, the leadoff to the NBA's five-game Christmas slate, was the obvious choice to do the animated telecast. The noon EST start means it will begin in the early evening in France and should draw well there. Also, it comes after ABC televises the "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade" for the previous two hours, providing more time to hype the broadcast. Recognizing that some viewers who then switch over to the animated game may be Disney experts but NBA novices, there will be 10 educational explainers to help with basketball lingo and rules. Beyond Sports' visualization technology and Sony's Hawk-Eye tracking allow the animated players to make the same movements and plays made moments earlier by the real ones at MSG. Carter and analyst Monica McNutt will be animated in the style of the telecast, donning VR headsets to experience the game from Main Street, USA. Other animated faces recognizable to some viewers include NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who will judge a halftime dunk contest among Mickey and his friends, and Santa himself, who will operate ESPN's "SkyCam" during the game. The players are curious how the production — and themselves — will look. "It's going to be so crazy to see the game animated," Spurs veteran Chris Paul said. "I think what's dope about it is it will give kids another opportunity to watch a game and to see us, basically, as characters." Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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NEW YORK — There's a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. An animated game, anyway. The real game takes place at Madison Square Garden, where Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs face the New York Knicks in a game televised on ABC and ESPN and streamed on Disney+ and ESPN+. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. Madison Square Garden is a staple of the NBA's Christmas schedule. Now it merges with a bigger home of the holidays, because the "Dunk the Halls" game will be staged at Disney, on a court set up right smack in the middle of where countless families have posed for vacation photos. Why that location? Because it was Mickey Mouse's Christmas wish. "Basketball courts often have the ability to make a normal environment look special, but in Disney it can only turn out incredible," Wembanyama said in an ESPN video promoting his Christmas debut. The story — this is Disney, after all — begins with Mickey penning a letter to Santa Claus, asking if he and his pals can host a basketball game. They'll not only get to watch one with NBA players, but some of them will even get to play. Goofy and Donald Duck will sub in for a couple Knicks players, while Mickey and Minnie Mouse will come on to play for the Spurs. "It looks to me like Goofy and Jalen Brunson have a really good pick-and-roll at the elite level," said Phil Orlins, an ESPN vice president of production. Walt Disney World hosted real NBA games in 2020, when the league set up there to complete its season that had been suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those games were played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. The setting for the Christmas game will be Main Street USA, at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Viewers will recognize Cinderella's castle behind one baseline and the train station at the other end, and perhaps some shops they have visited in between. Previous alternate animated broadcasts included an NFL game taking place in Andy's room from "Toy Story;" the "NHL Big City Greens Classic" during a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers; and earlier this month, another NFL matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys also taking place at Springfield's Atoms Stadium as part of "The Simpsons Funday Football." Unlike basketball, the players are helmeted in those sports. So, this telecast required an extra level of detail and cooperation with players and teams to create accurate appearances of their faces and hairstyles. "So, this is a level of detail that we've never gone, that we've never done on any other broadcast," said David Sparrgrove, the senior director of creative animation for ESPN. Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 phenom from France who was last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, looks huge even among most NBA players. The creators of the alternate telecast had to design how he'd look not only among his teammates and rivals, but among mice, ducks and chipmunks. "Like, Victor Wembanyama, seeing him in person is insane. It's like seeing an alien descend on a basketball court, and I think we kind of captured that in his animated character," said Drew Carter, who will again handle play-by-play duties, as he had in the previous animated telecasts, and will get an assist from sideline reporter Daisy Duck. Wembanyama's presence is one reason the Spurs-Knicks matchup, the leadoff to the NBA's five-game Christmas slate, was the obvious choice to do the animated telecast. The noon EST start means it will begin in the early evening in France and should draw well there. Also, it comes after ABC televises the "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade" for the previous two hours, providing more time to hype the broadcast. Recognizing that some viewers who then switch over to the animated game may be Disney experts but NBA novices, there will be 10 educational explainers to help with basketball lingo and rules. Beyond Sports' visualization technology and Sony's Hawk-Eye tracking allow the animated players to make the same movements and plays made moments earlier by the real ones at MSG. Carter and analyst Monica McNutt will be animated in the style of the telecast, donning VR headsets to experience the game from Main Street, USA. Other animated faces recognizable to some viewers include NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who will judge a halftime dunk contest among Mickey and his friends, and Santa himself, who will operate ESPN's "SkyCam" during the game. The players are curious how the production — and themselves — will look. "It's going to be so crazy to see the game animated," Spurs veteran Chris Paul said. "I think what's dope about it is it will give kids another opportunity to watch a game and to see us, basically, as characters." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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National writer boldly proposes Texas QB Arch Manning to stay the backup because of wild theory on Longhorns starter Quinn Ewers | Sporting NewsAcross many laboratories speed, accuracy, and data integrity, advanced technologies are transforming workflows and supporting critical medical decisions. Laboratories face mounting pressure to manage growing data volumes, optimise workflow efficiency, and uphold stringent standards of integrity and accuracy. This is where artificial intelligence (AI) can assist, helping research professionals reshape healthcare and science for the better. This is the view of Dr. Dror Kolodkin-Gal, founder of image integrity software Proofig AI . Kolodkin-Gal tells Digital Journal how AI is transforming laboratory operations across Europe. Healthcare remains a top priority in Europe, as highlighted by the EU4Health Programme, which aims to bolster health systems and enhance crisis preparedness across the continent. According to the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, nearly three quarters of current global medical decisions are dependent on laboratory test results. Automating routine laboratory tasks According to Kolodkin-Gal: “Traditional laboratory workflows often rely on a trial-and-error approach, where researchers repeat processes and experiments multiple times to achieve consistent results. This method, while effective, is highly time-consuming and labour-intensive, limiting the pace of scientific discovery. AI-driven automation offers a powerful solution, allowing laboratories to perform intricate tasks continuously and precisely, unhindered by human fatigue.” Examples of how this can be achieved, include: “Robotic systems enhanced with AI execute experiments with a level of consistency that manual methods simply cannot match, minimising human error and variability. Working around the clock, these systems accelerate research timelines and facilitate safer handling of hazardous materials, effectively reducing safety risks. Moreover, AI algorithms optimise workflows by identifying bottlenecks and suggesting adjustments, resulting in faster and more efficient experimentation processes.” Revolutionising data analysis in research When considering research, Kolodkin-Gal observes: “The power of AI extends beyond automation – it is pivotal in managing and analysing the vast datasets generated by modern experiments. AI algorithms can detect patterns, revealing correlations or anomalies that may otherwise go unnoticed, and can suggest promising research directions. In diagnosis studies, AI can analyse medical images and patient data to improve the identification of diseases, significantly reducing the time required to reach accurate findings.” Drawing on an example, Kolodkin-Gal cites: “A recent study in the UK found that AI systems used for breast cancer diagnosis led to a reduction in false positives and false negatives by 5.7 per cent and 9.4 per cent , respectively . In South Korea, researchers discovered that AI demonstrated a greater sensitivity in detecting breast cancer masses, achieving a rate of 90 per cent compared to 78 per cent for radiologists . Furthermore, AI outperformed radiologists in identifying early-stage breast cancer, with a detection rate of 91 per cent versus 74 per cent for traditional methods.” Advanced image analysis Image analysis has made considerable advances in helping with patient diagnosis. Kolodkin-Gal identifies: “This technology allows for the identification of subtle patterns and anomalies in images that may be imperceptible to the human eye, significantly enhancing research outcomes in fields such as biomedical sciences. Errors or misrepresentations in image investigations can compromise entire studies, leading to manuscripts retractions and undermining public trust in science.” As an example, Kolodkin-Gal states: “To tackle these challenges, AI-driven image proofing tools are being integrated into research and publication workflows. These tools automatically scan images to detect duplications, manipulations, and alterations.” Advantages Summing up the contribution of AI, Kolodkin-Gal finds: “ By automating routine tasks, enhancing data analysis and safeguarding image integrity, AI supports the overarching goal of strengthening Europe’s healthcare systems. Embracing AI innovations helps laboratories across Europe position themselves at the forefront of healthcare and research, driving advancements that will support better patient outcomes and safeguard public health for years to come.” Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.