monopoly casino live Kylian Mbappe silenced as Arne Slot makes huge Liverpool statement - 4 talking points vs Real MadridSouth Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over short-lived martial law

Smodin Unites Powerful Domains to Deliver an All-in-One AI Platform

Gun-wielding man reportedly ties woman to tree in Pebble Beach, flees the scene.Harry Kane becomes the fastest player to score 50 goals in the Bundesliga

Canada unveils roster for upcoming world junior hockey championshipUnder-18s will also be prohibited from buying all vaping and nicotine products, and will also bring in new rules about advertising of these products (Image: Drugs and Alcohol NI) Get the latest Belfast Live breaking news on WhatsApp Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Join us on WhatsApp MPs have voted in favour of creating a smoke-free generation as well as introducing more regulation on vaping. The bill will prohibit the sale of tobacco to people born on or after 1 January 2009. Under-18s will also be prohibited from buying all vaping and nicotine products, and will also bring in new rules about advertising of these products. You can see how your MP voted by using the interactive below. Simply enter the name of your MP or constituency in the text box. While many areas of law around tobacco are devolved in the UK, the bill would ensure that a consistent approach to tobacco and vaping regulation was applied across the UK. It would do this primarily by amending existing tobacco and vaping legislation that has been implemented at a national level in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland . The bill would also consolidate existing tobacco and vaping control measures to provide a consistent legislative framework and strengthen enforcement. While Scotland have set a target to be smoke-free by 2030 and Wales have a target of 2034, the Northern Ireland Assembly have yet to set a target for the region to be smoke-free. The bill has passed its second reading in the House of Commons, with 415 votes in favour and 47 against. It will now enter the committee stage before a third and final reading in the Commons, after which it will be passed to the House of Lords. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our politics newsletter here. Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow BelfastLive Facebook Twitter Comment More On Politics Health Stormont

What happens when 'The Simpsons' join 'Monday Night Football'? Find out during Bengals-Cowboys

This hidden iOS 18 feature could save your holiday road tripBundesbank sounds alarm over US trade war By JESSICA CLARK Updated: 16:51 EST, 13 December 2024 e-mail View comments Germany's central bank sharply downgraded its growth outlook for the country yesterday. And the Bundesbank also warned prospects for Europe's largest economy could sink even further if Donald Trump imposes damaging trade tariffs. The bank now expects gross domestic product to shrink by 0.2 per cent this year – a second year in a row of contraction – having previously forecast growth of 0.3 per cent. And it slashed the outlook for 2025 growth from 1.1 per cent to 0.2 per cent. The performance could be even worse if US president-elect Trump fulfils pledges including the imposition of 60 per cent import tariffs on Chinese goods and 10 per cent on those from other economies including Germany. That could knock as much as 0.6 percentage points off growth next year, the Bundesbank predicted. The export-driven German economy is likely to 'suffer considerably from such a US policy shift,' a report published by the central bank said. Concern: The Bundesbank warned prospects for Germany's economy could sink even further if Donald Trump imposes damaging trade tariffs 'Its strong reliance on exports makes it particularly vulnerable to the decline in foreign demand resulting from the global trade losses triggered by the restrictive trade policy. 'The heightened uncertainty further burdens the German economy.' Germany's industrial sector – including its once-mighty car industry – has been struggling since it lost access to cheap Russian energy due to the war in Ukraine and as China's demand for German exports faded. The crisis has set off turmoil at Volkswagen which has been convulsed by strikes this month after the company threatened to close plants in Germany for the first time in its 87-year history. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Trump is making Americans richer by the day - and he's not... How investors can make hay if Trump starts a trade tariff... Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) stocks and shares Isa and the right DIY investing account Political instability has also weakened growth prospects as Germans prepare to head to the polls in February after a snap election was called amid widespread dissatisfaction about the country's economy. Bundesbank president Joachim Nagel said: 'The German economy is not only struggling with persistent economic headwinds but also with structural problems. 'The labour market too is now responding noticeably to the protracted weakness of economy activity.' And acknowledging the threat posed by Trump's plans, he added: 'The biggest source of uncertainty for the forecast is a possible global increase in protectionism.' The European Central Bank (ECB) cut interest rates to 3 per cent this week – the fourth reduction this year – amid weak growth and political instability in Germany and France. ECB president Christine Lagarde said efforts to bring down inflation – now 2.3 per cent – were bearing fruit but foresaw 'a slower economic recovery'. DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS AJ Bell AJ Bell Easy investing and ready-made portfolios Learn More Learn More Hargreaves Lansdown Hargreaves Lansdown Free fund dealing and investment ideas Learn More Learn More interactive investor interactive investor Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month Learn More Learn More Saxo Saxo Get £200 back in trading fees Learn More Learn More Trading 212 Trading 212 Free dealing and no account fee Learn More Learn More Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. Compare the best investing account for you Share or comment on this article: Bundesbank sounds alarm over US trade war e-mail Add comment Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence. More top storiesThe Chinese regime sanctioned 13 U.S. defense companies and six executives on Dec. 5 in response to the U.S. government’s latest arms sale to Taiwan. In announcing the sanctions, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the planned arms sale “interferes in China’s internal affairs, and undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The companies targeted include drone makers such as BRINC Drones Inc. and Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems Inc.Others include Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc., Rapid Flight LLC, Red Six Solutions, Shield AI Inc., SYNEXXUS Inc., Firestorm Labs Inc., HavocAI, Neros Technologies, Cyberlux Corporation, Domo Tactical Communications, and Group W. The regime also sanctioned six senior executives from Raytheon, BAE Systems, Alliant Techsystems Operations, Data Link Solutions, and BRINC Drones. The sanctioned individuals are banned from entering China. All entities’ assets in China will be frozen, and all individuals and companies in China are banned from doing business with the sanctioned entities. The Epoch Times has reached out to the targeted companies and individuals for comments, and did not receive any response by press time. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has never ruled Taiwan, although it claims sovereignty over the self-governed island and hasn’t ruled out taking the island by force. In recent years, the CCP has stepped up its military preparations to invade the island nation, and has conducted military drills encircling Taiwan. Although the United States does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it maintains ties with Taipei under the Taiwan Relations Act and the U.S. “Six Assurances” to Taiwan, which recognize Taiwan’s right to self-determination and allow Washington to sell military equipment to Taiwan for the its self-defense. In 2018, President Donald Trump signed the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act, committing to “regular transfers of defense articles to Taiwan” to help the island meet “the existing and likely future threats from the People’s Republic of China.” The recent $385 million arms sale plan was the 18th arms sale under the Biden administration. President Joe Biden has also approved arms donations using presidential drawdown. On Nov. 30, Taiwan’s Presidential Office thanked the United States, calling the Taiwan–U.S. security partnership “a critical cornerstone for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.” Researchers at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), told The Epoch Times that Beijing’s largely “symbolic” sanctions will not stop U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Chung Chih-tung, assistant research fellow at INDSR’s Division of National Security Research, said the United States has continued to sell arms to Taiwan despite Beijing’s protests since 1979 because strengthening Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities via arms sales is “an integral part of the U.S. policy to deter China” from invading Taiwan. Moreover, amid the increasingly tense U.S.–China relations, “Taiwan has an irreplaceable importance in the U.S. geostrategy of containing China,” he said. Wang Shiow-wen, assistant research fellow at INDSR’s Division of Chinese Politics, Military and Warfighting Concepts, said increased U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan will likely continue because of Beijing’s expansion of its military capabilities. “The military capabilities on the two sides of the [Taiwan] Strait is very imbalanced. The United States not only won’t stop arms sales to Taiwan, it will more likely sell more and better weapons to Taiwan, particularly when the United States is transitioning to a new administration,” she said. “It has little to do with the trade war and more to do with the balance of military power in East Asia,” she said, adding that the United States cannot allow Beijing to compromise U.S. defense in the first island chain via Taiwan, or absorb the chip-making powerhouse and use it as leverage against the world. It’s Lai’s first stopover on U.S. soil as president during a state visit to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau. Beijing later criticized the United States for allowing him to transit through Hawaii.

A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence "dictatorship" is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker's ongoing shift into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. The world's richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. “OpenAI and Microsoft together exploiting Musk’s donations so they can build a for-profit monopoly, one now specifically targeting xAI, is just too much,” says Musk's filing that alleges the companies are violating the terms of Musk’s foundational contributions to the charity. OpenAI is filing a response Friday opposing Musk’s requested order, saying it would cripple OpenAI’s business and mission to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company. A hearing is set for January before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. At the heart of the dispute is a 2017 internal power struggle at the fledgling startup that led to Altman becoming OpenAI's CEO. Musk also sought to be CEO and in an email outlined a plan where he would “unequivocally have initial control of the company” but said that would be temporary. He grew frustrated after two other OpenAI co-founders said he would hold too much power as a major shareholder and chief executive if the startup succeeded in its goal to achieve better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence , or AGI. Musk has long voiced concerns about how advanced forms of AI could threaten humanity. “The current structure provides you with a path where you end up with unilateral absolute control over the AGI," said a 2017 email to Musk from co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman. “You stated that you don't want to control the final AGI, but during this negotiation, you've shown to us that absolute control is extremely important to you.” In the same email, titled “Honest Thoughts,” Sutskever and Brockman also voiced concerns about Altman's desire to be CEO and whether he was motivated by “political goals.” Altman eventually succeeded in becoming CEO, and has remained so except for a period last year when he was fired and then reinstated days later after the board that ousted him was replaced. OpenAI published the messages Friday in a blog post meant to show its side of the story, particularly Musk's early support for the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit business so it could raise money for the hardware and computer power that AI needs. It was Musk, through his wealth manager Jared Birchall, who first registered “Open Artificial Technologies Technologies, Inc.”, a public benefit corporation, in September 2017. Then came the “Honest Thoughts” email that Musk described as the “final straw.” “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit,” Musk wrote back. OpenAI said Musk later proposed merging the startup into Tesla before resigning as the co-chair of OpenAI's board in early 2018. Musk didn't immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his companies Friday. Asked about his frayed relationship with Musk at a New York Times conference last week, Altman said he felt “tremendously sad” but also characterized Musk’s legal fight as one about business competition. “He’s a competitor and we’re doing well,” Altman said. He also said at the conference that he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence with President-elect Donald Trump. OpenAI said Friday that Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. —————————— The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.

MONTREAL — Bryan Rust scored three goals and the Pittsburgh Penguins scored six times in the third period to rout the Montreal Canadiens 9-2 on Thursday night. Rust scored twice in the second period and again midway through the third for his sixth career hat trick. Rickard Rakell had two goals and two assists for Pittsburgh. Kris Letang, Anthony Beauvillier, Matt Nieto and Noel Acciari also scored in the third as fans at Bell Centre booed and left early. Sidney Crosby had three assists to reach 1,026 in his career and surpass Gordie Howe (1,023) for fifth most with one NHL franchise. Tristan Jarry stopped 21 shots, bouncing back after allowing five goals in Pittsburgh’s 6-2 loss to Colorado on Tuesday. The Penguins have won six of eight. Nick Suzuki and Joel Armia scored for Montreal, which wrapped up a 3-2 homestand. Sam Montembeault made 20 saves on 26 shots in his fifth straight start before getting the hook after allowing three third-period goals. Cayden Primeau stopped four of seven in relief. Takeaways Penguins: Rust scored twice in a span of 3:24 midway through the second period as Pittsburgh built a 3-1 lead. The Penguins entered the third with a 3-2 advantage. Canadiens: Montreal failed to convert several scoring chances, including breakaways from Christian Dvorak and Alex Newhook. Key moment Letang set up Rust on the power play 4:18 into the first period to tie the game at 1-all. The play made up for a costly turnover that led to Suzuki’s opening goal two minutes in. Key stat Lane Hutson’s franchise-record point streak by a rookie Montreal defenseman ended at seven games. He set up Dvorak and Josh Anderson during a dazzling shift midway through the first period, but couldn’t extend his run to eight games. Up next Penguins: At Ottawa on Saturday night. Canadiens: At Winnipeg on Saturday night.The former chair of the N.W.T.'s Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA)'s leadership council says he was shocked and dismayed to hear the territory's health minister plans to dissolve the council and replace it with an administrator. Health Minister Lesa Semmler announced this week that the leadership council of NTHSSA will be scrapped and replaced by Dan Florizone, a public administrator from Saskatchewan who has worked in the North. The leadership council acts like a board and manages the health authority. Dene Nation decries decision to scrap N.W.T. health board N.W.T. gov't to dissolve health authority's leadership board Jim Antoine is a former chair of the leadership council. He spoke with CBC's Trail's End host Lawrence Nayally. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Jim, what did you think when you heard the leadership council was being dissolved and replaced by a single person? Well, that was kind of a shock and dismayed kind of reaction, because, you know, there's a lot of history behind it to get it to where it is. To make such a move, it totally caught me by surprise. I was appointed as chair for two three-year terms. I ended my tenure in 2022. The way the territorial health board is, is that the chair of each regional board sits on the territorial board. So the majority of them are all strong, Indigenous individuals that listen ot the communities and try to have strong input into the health system. I don't know the reasoning behind it. I think it might be all political. From what I hear, the minister of health, Minister Semmler, was under enormous political pressure from the MLAs from Yellowknife that were trying to make her resign. It seems to be that this board was thrown under the bus to appease them. We'll see how it turns out. It will play out. The health minister said that council's capacity had been exceeded. At someone who served on the council, what do you make of that? Well, the individuals that are on the board are very strong individuals from each region and they really listen to their communities and they want really good service. And that's what they're pushing for the whole health system to do. In 2016, when the government of the day changed into a territorial board, the programs and services that was run by the Department of Health and Social Services was moved over under the board. Now it looks like it's going to be one person from Saskatchewan living in Yellowknife. I don't know where the voices of the communities are going to fit into this. I'm shocked and dismayed and confused. And I don't know how that's going to work for now. One of the criticisms of the council has been a ballooning deficit. From an insider's perspective, how much control does the council have over that? Not really a lot of control, I don't think. We just went through huge expenses you know. Before I left in 2022, we started into an exercise of really looking at the expenditures, what is causing this deficit. We went through the COVID-19 pandemic, that really threw a lot of costs in there, and then we went through the fire seasons. These things happened after I was gone. When I was leaving back in 2022, we had a plan on how to really look at the cost expenditures, the medical travel, the doctors' costs — it's huge. We're talking huge costs all over the place. It's not only here but it's right across the county. Any final thoughts? I think this is something that needs to be really, carefully looked at. I don't know what the real reason for this whole scenario to happen was ... There was no indication at all publicly or at any time that this was happening so they must have been planning this for a while. They had a public administrator from Saskatchewan show up right away. They pulled the trigger on this. We'll see how this plays out. What do you think leaders across the North, Indigenous leaders, should consider when it comes to this? Well, you've got to remember in 1988 when health and social services was devolved from the federal government. There was a big uproar about all the leaders of the day. Since then, the political landscape has shifted and changed quite a bit. Health and social services always remained with the territorial government. So there is a need to work closely with the Indigenous governments on this whole health and social services issue.Sindh Cabinet abolishes deceased quota, approves education and rural reforms

Smith scores 23 in Furman's 69-63 win against Princeton

I’m A Celeb fans accuse show of being ‘fixed’ after spotting ‘unfair’ issue with trial

None