63.jili Australia’s technology sector has not yet felt the “whistleblowing wave” that has torn through Silicon Valley and the European Union, and a new guide is aiming to encourage more insiders to come forward and expose corporate wrongdoing. The past year has been marked by scandals at local technology companies, including WiseTech Global , Grok Academy and Metigy , with executives at each organisation resigning after alleged misconduct was revealed by whistleblowers who raised concerns. American Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. Credit: AFR Other tech scandals this year include a secretive algorithm that was found to be determining the fate of Australia’s immigration detainees and revelations that photos of Australian children have been used to train AI tools without the knowledge or consent of the children or their families. As the federal government moves ahead with its aggressive plans to regulate Big Tech and reduce the harm caused by social media and artificial intelligence, there are concerns that the role of whistleblowers has been lost in the debate. Technology-Related Whistleblowing: A Practical Guide will be launched on Monday and is the work of The Human Rights Law Centre, Reset Tech Australia, Psst.org and Digital Rights Watch. It builds on equivalent resources in the US and the EU. Frances Haugen, the high-profile American whistleblower who leaked the so-called “Facebook Files” said Australia was, in many respects, a proving ground for many of the world’s incumbent tech giants and an incubator for the good, bad, and the unlawful. ‘Few people, if any at all, actively set out to be whistleblowers. It is a difficult and hazardous path, but sometimes it’s the only path we have to serve the public interest, and even save lives.’ Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen Haugen formerly served as a senior product manager at Facebook before quitting in May 2021 and leaking tens of thousands of internal documents that exposed how much the company knew about the harm it was causing, including knowingly promoting misinformation and hate speech, and pro-eating-disorder content to teenage girls. “Just in 2024, a wide variety of tech scandals came to light in Australia. These powerful investigations by top reporters detail a taste of what’s happening under the surface in data-powered digital companies. There are almost certainly more,” Haugen said. “Few people, if any at all, actively set out to be whistleblowers. It is a difficult and hazardous path, but sometimes it’s the only path we have to serve the public interest and even save lives.” Haugen said that she was first-hand proof that information can help transform companies and enact broader cultural and societal change. “The documents I collected and provided to the US Congress and the SEC, now known as the Facebook Files, have been instrumental in sparking global conversations about the impact of social media on society and continue to play a role in making a case for legislative reform around the world for digital platform companies,” she said. Human rights lawyer Kieran Pender says protections for whistleblowers are vital. The guide covers issues including what to think about before blowing the whistle – including employment risks, potential legal action and emotional risks – as well as the various protections that whistleblowers are afforded. Kieran Pender is an associate legal director at the Human Rights Law Centre and has worked with a number of whistleblowers in the technology sector, including several who have spoken to this masthead for major stories. Loading While Pender works with whistleblowers in the local sector, he would like to see more. He said that under existing laws, public and private sector workers in Australia have a range of protected avenues for raising concerns. “While the tech whistleblowing wave hasn’t yet made its way to Australia, we hope this guide will empower workers who witness technology-related harms to exercise their legal rights and speak up about wrongdoing,” he said. “Regulators must also take technology-related whistleblowing more seriously, including by ensuring they can receive lawful and protected disclosures. At a time of rapid regulatory change in Australia, it is vital that whistleblowing and whistleblower protections are part of the accountability ecosystem.” Alice Dawkins is the executive director at Reset Tech Australia, a lobby group dedicated to countering misinformation. For Dawkins, 2024 represented a banner year for the reporting of misconduct at tech companies. Alice Dawkins believes further tech industry disclosures are only a matter of time. “​We’ve heard a lot this year about the harmful conduct of tech-enabled companies, and there is undoubtedly more to come out,” she said. “We know it will take time to progress comprehensive protections for Australians for digital harms. It’s especially urgent to open up the gate for public accountability via whistleblowing.” ​ Jennifer Gibson is the co-founder and legal director of Psst.org, a platform providing whistleblowers with support and advice. “If Australia is serious about holding tech accountable, then it’s imperative whistleblowers be empowered to speak up about tech-related harms. They are the key to seeing inside the ‘black box’,” she said. “This new resource will help those on the inside who have key public interest information understand what their options are and where they can find support.” The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Whistleblowers Wisetech Global Workplace culture Facebook David Swan is the technology editor for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. He was previously technology editor for The Australian newspaper. Connect via Twitter or email . Most Viewed in Technology Loading

This article is based on an interview with senior Additional Secretary to the President, Saman Bandulasena. In his 41-year service Saman Bandusena also served as an SLAS officer since 1998. He was the Anuradhapura Divisional Secretary in the Northern Province (from 2021 to March 2024) and District Secretary, Vavuniya (2020/21) among various other posts he held. He holds a BSc in Bio – Science and an MBA in Business Administration. senior Additional Secretary to the President, Saman Bandulasena According to Sri Lanka’s history paddy cultivation had shown significant advancement during the reign of King Parakramabahu of Polonnaruwa (1153-1186). He constructed 163 large tanks, 2,376 small tanks and ponds, 3,910 canals and 165 dams. It is recorded that during this period, Sri Lanka was self-sufficient in paddy and even exported the surplus to other countries. However, the ancient agriculture system now faces many challenges due to environmental damage mainly the destruction of forest resources. As a result farmers encounter numerous problems, including water scarcity, reduced soil quality, lower production, pests, rising input costs and climate change. Earlier, a designated area of the village was allocated for chena cultivation, and the cultivation was alternated within this reserved area. The Kanathu method was a sustainable practice at the time. Under this method, the land cultivated in one year was left fallow in the following season and reused in subsequent years, maintaining a proper environmental balance, and fertility. Over time, the introduction of commercial agriculture, mechanisation, the use of agro chemicals and other factors led to significant deforestation. This degradation reached a point where the authorities could no longer manage or balance it effectively. In the Northern Province, particularly in the Jaffna District, fruit, vegetables, and cereal cultivation have been conducted systematically. Jaffna residents living on limited land, utilised water from wells through the Andia method. However, with mechanisation, some land degradation occurred. Currently, the rising costs of kerosene and electricity pose significant challenges to farmers. Environmental degradation and the use of chemical and fertiliser have led to an increase in cancer and kidney ailments. A sustainable solution to address the crisis is the need of the hour. Issues faced by the agriculture sector Returning to ancient cultivation methods is ideal to achieve sustainable agriculture. However, deforestation of limited forest areas this target seems increasingly impractical. Therefore, it would be more feasible to adopt Modern Agricultural Technology while minimising environmental damage. In agricultural pursuits, it is time to use modern technology to minimise issues and maximise the use of available resources. Encouraging / promoting exports i Minimising imports by developing import substitution products ii Increasing the number of Micro, Small, and Medium-scale Entrepreneurs (MSMEs) iii Increasing livelihoods To achieve these objectives, it is suggested leveraging the experience and research of the Provincial Department of Agriculture Northern Province gained through foreign funded projects such as the Agriculture sector Modernisation project and the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture project. The use of modern agricultural technology can help reduce imports and increase exports directly through the products and indirectly through the production of various by-products. Bandulasena said the solutions to these issues are as follows: i. Land Issue: Using modern technology consistently results in an income that is more than double that of traditional agriculture for all crops. This implies that less land is required compared to traditional methods. For instance, to achieve the income from one acre of chilli using modern technology, approximately seven acres would be needed to be cultivated using traditional methods. ii. Water Issue: Water scarcity is a significant problem in agriculture. Jaffna experiences low annual rainfall (approximately 1150 mm per year) and lacks sufficient ancient tanks to store rainwater. In traditional chilli cultivation, water is directed straight (flowing) to the plants, with modern technology and other considered crops use less than half the water needed by traditional methods. iii . Fertiliser Issue: The soil quality (Soil Health) in our country is currently very poor. This is because nutrients are continually removed from the soil due to harvesting and soil erosion and are not replenished at the same rate. Even when essential nutrients such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (are added, the amounts are often insufficient. In addition, rising market prices and less availability of chemical fertiliser have led to a gradual decline in fertiliser use. Almost every crop requires significantly less fertiliser when cultivated using modern technology. Traditional chilli cultivation requires 1,650 kg of fertiliser per acre, applied in multiple stages necessitating additional labour and time. In contrast, modern technology uses a limited amount of fertiliser integrated with irrigation, eliminating the need for extra labour or time. Only 188 kg of fertiliser is required per acre for chilli cultivation using modern technology, which is nine times less. iv. Labour Issue: In the past, agriculture was the main livelihood in our country, farming was a part of their lives and was passed down from generation to generation. However, due to declining profits and various other problems, many farmers are moving away from agriculture. There is currently a noticeable decline in youth participation in agriculture, as young people are less interested in traditional farming methods. They prefer to achieve higher incomes in a shorter period with less labour. Introducing modern technology to agriculture can address the labour shortage v. Weed Issue: Weed removal is a significant challenge in traditional agriculture. The use of weedicides incurs substantial costs and poses severe environmental and health risks, including cancer and kidney diseases. Agricultural technology However, modern agricultural technology mitigates these issues. For example, in chilli cultivation, weedicides are unnecessary as the ground is covered with polyethylene mulch. Crops such as red onion, passion fruit, papaya, and groundnut require weeding or weedicides only once, while other crops do not need weeding or weedicides at all. This approach reduces initial costs and increases profits. vi. Insect Issue – In chilli cultivation, insects such as Thrips, White-Flies, Aphids, Mites, and Pods drill worms pose significant challenges, often leading to extensive use of insecticides. Traditionally, farmers apply insecticides such as Carbosulfan, Thiamethoxam, Imidacloprid, Abamectin, Pymetrozine, Lufenuron, Fenobucarb, Azapet, Profenofos, Sulfur, Chlorfluazuron up to 40 times per acre. This approach not only incurs high costs but also necessitates the use of highly toxic chemicals, impacting both the environment and human health. vii. Market Issues and High Machinery Prices: Farmers not receiving a fair price for their products is a significant issue in agriculture today. To address these issues, the Agricultural Modernisation project has proposed the setting up of agricultural production companies, known as Unlisted Agriculture Companies (UACs). Currently, there are nine UACs operating in the Northern Province, each focusing on a specific crop. These companies offer a range of services to farmers, including the introduction of new technologies, ensuring fair prices for their produce, adding value to products, and providing machinery services at reasonable prices. They also supply essential inputs like quality seeds and fertiliser at affordable rates and offer advice on managing crop diseases. The UACs represent a promising solution to many of the challenges faced by farmers, including market access and machinery costs. However, the success and further strengthening of these companies requires continued Government support and guidance. The total cost per acre with the traditional method is Rs. 1,392,720 while using modern technology, it is Rs. 1,158,000. This shows that the cost of cultivation with modern technology is lower than with traditional methods. The fixed goods for modern technology last for more than eight years, reducing the actual cost per season to less than Rs. 300,000. This significantly increases the profit. In traditional cultivation, only 12,000 chilli plants are planted per acre, whereas, with modern technology, 26,000 plants can be grown under high-density conditions in the same area. There are 13 types of crops that have been identified and are planned for cultivation by ASMP in the Northern Province including the number of farmers and the area under cultivation. Currently, 3,665 acres are cultivated by 6,930 farmers. These 13 types of crops can be expanded to 24,170 acres by about 56,000 farmers. Using modern technology and assuming an average yield of 20 MT per acre, about 12,500 acres are required to meet the dry chilli demand. The annual consumption of green chilli in Sri Lanka is about 60,000 MT, which would require 3,000 acres if cultivated with modern technology. Therefore, a 15,500 acres cultivated with modern technology would suffice to meet the country’s green chilli and dry chilli requirements. Currently, 550 acres of chilli are cultivated by 2000 farmers under the Agriculture sector Modernisation Project (ASMP) in the Northern Province. The ASMP indicates that an additional 5,850 acres can be cultivated by 13,000 farmers in the Northern Province. If farmers are provided with the necessary facilities and this target is achieved, more than 50 percent of the required green chilli and dry chilli could be produced in the Northern Province. The remaining amount could be grown in the Northern Province or in the North-Central, Eastern, or other suitable nearby provinces. By providing technology to farmers who already have basic inputs and offering technical know-how and low-interest bank loans to other suitable farmers, Sri Lanka could achieve self-sufficiency in green and dry chilli production without burdening the Government. This would save approximately Rs 50 billion (≈166 million USD) and provide the public with poison-free chilli for consumption. By setting up Unlisted Farmer Companies for various crops, ensuring fair pricing for products, providing machinery at reasonable cost and adding value to the products, market issues and high machinery costs can be controlled. The minimal use of insecticides and weedicides boosts the demand for these products both locally and globally., The nine unlisted farmer companies in Jaffna are already established within the province, alongside other agriculture-related institutions and research centres. To enhance their contribution, the following recommendations are proposed: i. Upgrade and monitor Unlisted Farmer Companies (UFC) through collaboration with Government agreements. ii . Educate and train members of the UFC in marketing, packaging, pricing, financial literacy, storage, modern agricultural technology, value addition systems, and more. iii. Introduce and increase the number of UFC to support farmers, particularly those involved in Other Field Crops (OFCs). iv . Encourage credit institutions to provide credit facilities to individual farmers and farmer groups based on their needs. v. Encourage UFC to open outlets for the sale of fertiliser and other equipment used in modern technology at a fair price. vi. Orient youth entrepreneurs in agriculture through UFC and Government institutions, emphasising the use of modern technology. vii. Maximise the use of abandoned land and available water resources for food production through modern technology, and solar energy at its maximum. * Tables have beeen removedAsia-Pacific markets are set to open lower on the second last day of the year, tracking Wall Street's declines on Friday. Asia-Pacific markets were set to open lower on the penultimate trading day of this year, after Wall Street declined on Friday. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 traded 0.3% lower in its first hour of trade. Japan's Nikkei 225 futures pointed to a weaker open for the market, with the futures contract in Chicago at 40,210 compared to the index's previous close of 40,281.16. This week, traders await China's manufacturing PMI on Tuesday, while markets will be closed on Wednesday for New Year's Day holiday. U.S. stocks fell Friday, led by technology names, but major indexes still rose for the week. The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 333.59 points, or 0.77%, to 42,992.21, falling for the first time in six sessions. The S&P 500 fell 1.11% to 5,970.84. The Nasdaq Composite slid 1.49% to 19,722.03, as Tesla dropped about 5% and Nvidia fell 2%. —CNBC's Yun Li and Pia Singh contributed to this report.

Men lose 17 minutes of life with every cigarette they smoke while a woman’s life is cut short by 22 minutes with each cigarette, experts have estimated. This is more than previous estimates, which suggest that each cigarette shortens a smoker’s life by 11 minutes. The new estimates, which suggest that each cigarette leads to 20 minutes loss of live on average across both genders, are based on more up-to-date figures from long-term studies tracking the health of the population. Researchers from University College London said that the harm caused by smoking is “cumulative” and the sooner a person stops smoking, and the more cigarettes they avoid smoking, the longer they live. The new analysis, commissioned by the Department for Health and Social Care, suggests that if a 10-cigarettes-a-day smoker quits on January 1, then by January 8 they could “prevent loss of a full day of life”. By February 20, their lives could be extended by a whole week. And if their quitting is successful until August 5, they will likely live for a whole month longer than if they had continued to smoke. The authors added: “Studies suggest that smokers typically lose about the same number of healthy years as they do total years of life. Make 2025 the year you quit smoking for good. There’s lots of free support available to help you. Find out more 🔽 https://t.co/J0ehnoRM1D pic.twitter.com/LQpUp6HJBm — WHH 🏥 (@WHHNHS) December 27, 2024 “Thus smoking primarily eats into the relatively healthy middle years rather than shortening the period at the end of life, which is often marked by chronic illness or disability. “So a 60-year-old smoker will typically have the health profile of a 70-year-old non-smoker.” The analysis, to be published in the Journal of Addiction, concludes: “We estimate that on average, smokers in Britain who do not quit lose approximately 20 minutes of life expectancy for each cigarette they smoke. “This is time that would likely be spent in relatively good health. “Stopping smoking at every age is beneficial but the sooner smokers get off this escalator of death the longer and healthier they can expect their lives to be.” Dr Sarah Jackson, principal research fellow from the UCL Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group, said: “It is vital that people understand just how harmful smoking is and how much quitting can improve their health and life expectancy. “The evidence suggests people lose, on average, around 20 minutes of life for each cigarette they smoke. “The sooner a person stops smoking, the longer they live. “Quitting at any age substantially improves health and the benefits start almost immediately. “It’s never too late to make a positive change for your health and there are a range of effective products and treatments that can help smokers quit for good.” There are so many reasons to quit smoking this New Year – for your health, for more money, and for your family. Make a fresh quit for 2025 – find tips and support at https://t.co/GyLk65o8kS or https://t.co/iW6WLxTL00 pic.twitter.com/KxPZ5N378y — North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust (@NTeesHpoolNHSFT) December 27, 2024 Health officials have said that smokers can find advice, support and resources with the NHS Quit Smoking app, as well as the online Personal Quit Plan. Public health minister Andrew Gwynne said: “Smoking is an expensive and deadly habit and these findings reveal the shocking reality of this addiction, highlighting how important it is to quit. “The new year offers a perfect chance for smokers to make a new resolution and take that step.” Commenting on the paper, Professor Sanjay Agrawal, special adviser on tobacco at the Royal College of Physicians, said: “Every cigarette smoked costs precious minutes of life, and the cumulative impact is devastating, not only for individuals but also for our healthcare system and economy. “This research is a powerful reminder of the urgent need to address cigarette smoking as the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the UK.”Photo by Liam Richards /Saskatoon StarPhoenix Saskatchewan Rush defender Matt Hossack moves the ball against the Vancouver Warriors in NLL action at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, SK on Saturday, March 7, 2020. Darren Zary Saskatoon StarPhoenix It’s a second go-round for Matt Hossack on the Saskatchewan Rush. Both parties couldn’t be more excited about this reunion after they won a National Lacrosse League championship together back in 2018. The Rush claimed Hossack in the Panther City Lacrosse Club dispersal draft during the off-season. Now they’re back together again as Saskatchewan (1-0) plays its National Lacrosse League home-opener Saturday night against the Halifax Thunderbirds. “That’s the guy we wanted and that’s the guy we got,” says Rush co-coach Jimmy Quinlan, whose team welcomed back Hossack with open arms. “He was very good when he left us and having to watch him grow on another team was tough, but to get him back is unbelievable. He’s a true professional on and off the floor. And he’s smart. “For me, it’s his IQ. You never have to question his effort or his attitude. He’s always moving in the right direction for the group and we’re lucky to have him. We were happy he was there (available in dispersal draft).” Hossack arrived back in Saskatchewan with nervous excitement. Indeed, green and black butterflies floated around in his stomach. “Talking to Keener (Rush general manager Derek Keenan) at the beginning of camp, I had butterflies again – it’s been probably been a few years,” admits Hossack, who was originally taken by the Rush in the second round, 14th overall, of the 2016 NLL Draft out of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Taken by Panther City in the 2021 NLL expansion draft as the No. 1 pick, Hossack would be re-claimed by Saskatchewan, sixth overall, in this year’s Panther City dispersal draft. “When I first went to Panther City, I had a lot of butterflies doing that because there are so many unknowns,” explains Hossack, a native of Port Perry, Ont.. “What I liked about coming back here is I know a lot of people and faces in the front office and all the lacrosse staff. “That gives me a good feeling, having that sense of home and something I know, something already that I’m coming back to, but the butterflies came because there are so many new guys on the team and it’s a completely different group than what I’m used to. It’s certainly exciting for me.” It’s a new-look defensive corps for Hossack with the likes of Bobby Kidd III, Isaac Ngyou, Connor McClelland, Matt Acchione, Jake Boudreau, Adam Jay, Jake Naso, Holden Garlent, Ryan Barnable and Jerrett Smith joining him and veteran Mike Messenger. “I’m really excited about the group,” says Hossack, who captained Panther City. “I think it’s a lot better than what maybe I expected or what I saw from the outside and to see how much the guys care and what they’re working on at times, guys take feedback really well and they’re talking all the time. To see that each weekend, I feel we’ve gotten a little better towards achieving certain things and we’ve got to continue to do that.” Through 114 pro games, the right-handed defenceman has scooped up 617 loose balls, caused 142 turnovers, scored 22 goals and added 55 assists. “I certainly take pride in being the leader out there when it’s necessarily my turn to do that,” says Hossack. “As a veteran, what you always go back to is you try to claim and capture some of that new energy that Acchione, Levi Anderson and those guys bring to the team because they’re so new, so fresh, and it reminds you of what it was like when you were a rookie in the league or new in the league. You try to continue to capture that and I think that’s really important.” Hossack says he was able to come out of his shell in Panther City. “I’m super grateful for that opportunity because I grew so much as a vocal leader, as someone who’s typically more quiet and a leader by example. That hasn’t changed. I’m still a little more of a leader by example but I’ve learned how to find my voice more and speak up when times are necessary and I think that’s the biggest part of my game and showing a little bit more emotion when it’s necessary to give guys a bit of a jump. “As much as it stings a little to put so much effort into building the (Panther City) program down in Fort Worth there, there was definitely a sense of excitement to be able to come back around full circle and be back here in Sask.” dzary@postmedia.com -Advertisement-

( MENAFN - Newsfile Corp) Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 27, 2024) - Fairchild Gold Corp. (TSXV: FAIR) (" Fairchild " or the " Company ") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Michel Lebeuf as Corporate Secretary. The appointment is subject to the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. Mr. Lebeuf currently serves as the managing partner of Lebeuf legal and acts and has previously acted as director and officer for many listed issuers on the Canadian Securities Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange. A seasoned corporate finance and securities attorney, Mr. Lebeuf has developed an expertise in securities law, particularly in the areas of natural resources, institutional and corporate financing, and public and private mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Lebeuf holds a degree in Political Sciences (international relations) and a Civil Law degree from the Université de Montréal (UdeM). His professional memberships include the Bar of Quebec (Barreau du Québec), Montreal section. Also, the Company and Mr. Steve Cozine have mutually agreed to his resignation as director of the Company to pursue other opportunities. The Company would like to thank Mr. Cozine for all of his efforts and wish him success in his future endeavours. About Fairchild Gold Corp. Fairchild is engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada and the United States. Its current portfolio consists of the Fairchild Lake Property in Ontario and the Copper Chief Project in Nevada. MENAFN27122024004218003983ID1109036094 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Stony Brook wins 72-55 against RiderWith a focus on human rights, US policy toward Latin America under Jimmy Carter briefly tempered a long tradition of interventionism in a key sphere of American influence, analysts say. Carter, who died Sunday at the age of 100, defied the furor of US conservatives to negotiate the handover of the Panama Canal to Panamanian control, suspended aid to multiple authoritarian governments in the region, and even attempted to normalize relations with Cuba. Carter's resolve to chart a course toward democracy and diplomacy, however, was severely tested in Central America and Cuba, where he was forced to balance his human rights priorities with pressure from adversaries to combat the spread of communism amid the Cold War standoff with the Soviet Union. "Latin America was fundamental and his global policy was oriented toward human rights, democratic values and multilateral cooperation," political analyst Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank in Washington, told AFP. During his 1977-1981 administration, which was sandwiched between the Republican presidencies of Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, the Democrat sought to take a step back from US alignment with right-wing dictatorships in Latin America. An important symbol of Carter's approach was the signing of two treaties in 1977 to officially turn over the Panama Canal in 1999. "Jimmy Carter understood that if he did not return the canal to Panama, the relationship between the United States and Panama could lead to a new crisis in a country where Washington could not afford the luxury of instability," said Luis Guillermo Solis, a political scientist and former president of Costa Rica. Carter called the decision, which was wildly unpopular back home, "the most difficult political challenge I ever had," as he accepted Panama's highest honor in 2016. He also hailed the move as "a notable achievement of moving toward democracy and freedom." During his term, Carter opted not to support Nicaraguan strongman Anastasio Somoza, who was subsequently overthrown by the leftist Sandinista Front in 1979. But in El Salvador, the American president had to "make a very uncomfortable pact with the government," said Shifter. To prevent communists from taking power, Carter resumed US military assistance for a junta which then became more radical, engaging in civilian massacres and plunging El Salvador into a long civil war. Carter took a critical approach to South American dictatorships in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, suspending arms deliveries and imposing sanctions in some cases. But his efforts "did not achieve any progress in terms of democratization," said Argentine political scientist Rosendo Fraga. The American president also tried to normalize relations with Cuba 15 years after the missile crisis. He relaxed sanctions that had been in force since 1962, supported secret talks and enabled limited diplomatic representation in both countries. "With him, for the first time, the possibility of dialogue rather than confrontation as a framework for political relations opened up," Jesus Arboleya, a former Cuban diplomat, told AFP. But in 1980, a mass exodus of 125,000 Cubans to the United States, with Fidel Castro's blessing, created an unexpected crisis. It "hurt Carter politically with the swarm of unexpected immigrants," said Jennifer McCoy, a professor of political science at Georgia State University. Castro continued to support Soviet-backed African governments and even deployed troops against Washington's wishes, finally putting an end to the normalization process. However, more than 20 years later, Carter made a historic visit to Havana as ex-president, at the time becoming the highest-profile American politician to set foot on Cuban soil since 1959. During the 2002 visit, "he made a bold call for the US to lift its embargo, but he also called on Castro to embrace democratic opening," said McCoy, who was part of the US delegation for the trip, during which Castro encouraged Carter to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Cuban All-Star baseball game. "Castro was sitting in the front row and we were afraid he would rise to give a long rebuttal to Carter's speech. But he didn't. He just said, 'Let's go to the ball game.'" In the years following Carter's presidency, Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) would go on to resume a full-frontal confrontation with Cuba. Decades later, Barack Obama (2009-2017) opened a new phase of measured normalization, which Donald Trump (2017-2021) brought to an end. US President Joe Biden promised to review US policy toward Cuba, but hardened his stance after Havana cracked down on anti-government protests in 2021. "Carter showed that engagement and diplomacy are more fruitful than isolation," McCoy said. bur-lp-rd-jb/lbc/mlr/bfm/sst/bbk

Vaccines don't cause autism. What does?Early motorcycles like the Daimler Reitwagen and the Harley-Davidson Model 1 were essentially bicycle frames with one-cylinder engines attached. In the more than a century since those two models were built, motorcycle design has evolved to the point where at least five modern-day bikes have engines that produce more than 200 horsepower . Many of these high-powered machines, like the Ducati Panigale V4 and Kawasaki Ninja H2R , use four-cylinder engines to get to speeds approaching 200 mph. While V8-powered motorcycles aren't as common as four-banger powered superbikes or the V-twin-fueled cruisers from the likes of Harley and its rival Indian Motorcycle , there have been plenty of motorcycles with V8 engines to reach face-rippling speeds. They span a timeline from the early 20th Century to today, and present a remarkable cross-section of how motorcycle engine technology has progressed over the years. Here are five motorcycles that used V8 engines to achieve incredible speeds for the era in which they were produced. Glenn Curtiss condensed a tremendous amount of innovation into a period of a few years in the early 20th Century. He started in 1902 with a one-cylinder, three horsepower engines and developed an eight-horse V-twin the following year. His ability to produce light and powerful engines captured the interest of the nascent aeronautical industry, and interest from that sector prompted him to build his first V8 engine. By this point, he was an accomplished motorcycle racer, and he directed his team to build a two-wheeler that could support the V8. The machine they produced had some design anomalies that were necessary to accommodate the massive motor. The seat was placed well behind the engine to keep the rider's legs from getting burned by the exhaust heat; this required the use of long handlebars that landed handling somewhere on the spectrum between delicate and dangerous. These quirks didn't stop Curtiss from setting a land speed record on the bike in January 1907. Florida Speed Carnival officials refused to sanction the bike in any official category, so Curtiss made his record-setting run as an exhibition. On the sands of Ormond Beach, Curtiss took 2 miles to get up to speed, another mile to set a new record at 136 mph, and 2 more miles to bring the bike to a stop. Ithaca-born E.J. Potter earned the name "Michigan Madman" for his penchant for going fast without regard for life or limb, and in 1960 he built the Bloody Mary 1, which had a 283 cubic inch Chevrolet V8 mounted in its frame. He built two more Bloody Mary's before changing the name of his drag bikes to the Widowmaker, but kept the sequential numbering system going uninterrupted. By the time he got to the Widowmaker 7 in 1971, Potter had switched to Chevy's 350-inch V8 as his powerplant of choice. For luck number seven, Potter upgraded the 350 with a gear-driven cam and rockers, aluminum heads, forged pistons, and fuel injection. These improvements boosted output to a rumored 500 horsepower and helped Potter set a Guinness World Record and three American Hot Rod Association records with its top speed of 172 mph. After Potter retired, the bike changed hands a couple of times before going up for public auction via Bonham's in 2017. It was expected to fetch between $65,000 and $85,000, but did not inspire any bidders to meet the reserve price. Giancarlo Morbidelli was born in 1934 into a farming family in Pesaro, Italy, on the Adriatic coast. As a teenager, he began an apprenticeship in a woodworking factory, and started his own woodworking enterprise in the late '50s. In his spare time, he modified motorcycles for racing, and was as successful in that endeavor as he was in making industrial machinery. He began making his own Grand Prix racers in 1968, and seven years later a Morbidelli won the first of the manufacturer's seven world titles. He shut the racing division down in 1982 after a failed move from the 125 cubic centimeter class up to 250, but a decade later Morbidelli built a prototype street bike with a V8 inspired by the Cosworth Formula 1 engine. The body was from famed coachbuilder Pininfarina, and had a sleek, futuristic look. The Morbidelli's 850 cubic centimeter V8 produced 120 horsepower, and used a shaft drive to get up to 150 mph. The model went into production in 1994, but the price of $45,000 (about $95,000 today) kept demand low. Only four Morbidelli V8s were ever built, including the prototype. The one shown above is on display at the Barber Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Alabama. [Featured image by Brian Glass via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC-BY SA 2.0 ] The Morbidelli V8 was ahead of its time three decades ago, but the PGM V8 represents the best of the modern era. This Australian-made monster has a 2-liter V8 with five valves and a Mikuni throttle body for each cylinder. Output is a ridiculous 334 horsepower and 158 pound-feet of torque, which goes to the road via a six-speed transmission and chain-driven rear wheel. There's weight-saving carbon fiber throughout the bodywork, and the digital instrument panel has a billet aluminum casing. The wheels are made of forged aluminum to shed a few more ounces, and are slowed by Brembo GP4 calipers grabbing on to 320 millimeter discs. We consulted PGM's website to find the model's official top speed, and were presented only with the question, "How brave are you?" A better question might be, "How wealthy are you?" The PGM V8 costs 180,000 Australian dollars, which works out to about $115,000 American greenbacks. This bike's real-life top speed is probably limited to the 168 mph for which its Michelin Pilot Power 3 tires are rated, but that's likely faster than any of us need to go on two wheels. One look at the Eisenberg V8 makes it clear that this bike is built for speed. The fully-faired version looks like something out of the "Tron" movie and video game world, and the unclad version shows off the massive radiator, fuel filters, and titanium exhaust pipes. The 3-liter V8 puts out 400 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque when it's allowed to breathe freely, and can go faster than 225 mph. When the aerodynamic bodywork is in place and the engine is fed race fuel or E85, Eisenberg claims 480 horsepower and a top speed of over 250 mph. That would have it ahead of the pace of the fastest open-wheel race cars on earth, and similarly smoking most World Superbike or MotoGP machines in a straight line. Like the PGM V8, Eisenbergs are made for the brave and the wealthy. The reservation fee of £25,000 (about $32,000 U.S.) is enough to buy a Ducati Panigale V4S outright, and the minimum purchase price of £135,000 exchanges to more than $172,000 in American money. You'll still have to set aside some extra cash for personalization, and you'll have to demonstrate to the manufacturer that you can handle 400-plus horsepower. Only 100 of the road versions will be made, and Eisenberg will fly it to a private airfield near you so you can put it through its paces immediately upon delivery.The holiday season has barely begun, but some of us are already getting ready for CES 2025. Shortly after New Year’s Day, many from the Engadget team will be packing our bags to fly to Las Vegas, where we’ll be covering tech’s biggest annual conference. As usual, our inboxes are already flooded with pitches from companies that are planning to be there, and our calendars are filling up with appointments for briefings and demos. Based on our experience, as well as observation of recent industry trends, it’s fairly easy to make educated predictions about what we might see in January. Over the years, the focus of the conference has spanned areas like TVs, cars, smart home products and personal health, with a smattering of laptops and accessories thrown in. At CES 2025, we expect to see AI get even more pervasive in all areas of the show floor. But we are also likely to get the usual slew of new processors and subsequent laptops, as well as all manner of wearables, trackers, bathroom appliances and massage chairs. Oh, the massage chairs. If you’re already looking ahead to 2025 and are studiously researching what might be coming in January, here’s a taste of what our team expects to see at the show. New video cards from AMD and NVIDIA There’s no doubt 2025 is going to be a momentous year for PC gamers. NVIDIA is expected to debut its long-awaited RTX 5000 video cards at CES, while AMD CEO Lisa Su has confirmed we’ll see next-generation RDNA 4 GPUs early next year . Of the two companies, AMD could use the upgrade more. Its last batch of Radeon 7000 cards were decent mid-range performers, but they lagged far behind NVIDIA’s hardware when it came to ray tracing, and AMD’s FSR 3 upscaling also couldn’t compete with NVIDIA’s AI-powered DLSS 3. "In addition to a strong increase in gaming performance, RDNA 4 delivers significantly higher ray-tracing performance and adds new AI capabilities,” AMD CEO Lisa Su said in an October earnings call. As for NVIDIA’s new hardware, a rumor from the leaker OneRaichu ( via DigitalTrends ) suggested that the RTX 5090 could be up to 70 percent faster than the RTX 4090. (That’s a GPU that I previously described as having “unholy power.” ) They also note that other “high level” cards could see 30 to 40 percent performance bumps. Those gains might be enough to tempt wealthy RTX 4090 owners to upgrade, but RTX 4070 and 4080 owners might want to skip this generation. For NVIDIA holdouts with RTX 3000 and earlier GPUs, though, next year may be the perfect time to upgrade. — Devindra Hardawar, senior reporter AI PCs round 2 Last year, I predicted that AI PCs would dominate CES, and that mostly turned out to be true. As 2024 rolled on, we saw even more powerful NPUs in chips from Intel, AMD and Qualcomm. Microsoft also doubled down on AI PCs with its Copilot+ initiative , which gave a big marketing push for artificial intelligence features and premium specifications (like having at least 16GB of RAM). Expect more of the same going into CES 2025, alongside even more AI being stuffed into every category of product imaginable. This year, in particular, PC makers are likely to gear up to take advantage of Windows 10 support ending next year . Instead of just upgrading your old computer to Windows 11, the likes of Dell and HP would rather you buy a whole new AI PC with the new OS pre-installed. While 2024 was a year of endless AI PC hype, 2025 might end up being a year of reckoning. Microsoft’s long-delayed Recall feature is slowly trickling out to more users, but it’s already showing some glaring security holes, like failing to scrub social security and credit card numbers from screenshots . We’ve also been mostly underwhelmed with Apple Intelligence’s image generation capabilities . PC makers have been eager to talk up the potential of AI-powered features until now, but in 2025 they’ll have to actually prove they can live up to their fantastical claims. — D.H. Earbuds that follow Apple’s lead on hearing health I’m fully aware not every audio company has the ability to build out a clinical-grade hearing test and hearing aid features in their apps. However, Apple’s recent update for the AirPods Pro 2 should inspire the competition to offer some form of hearing health tools on their flagship products. Jabra was probably the best equipped to do this since parent company GN has extensive hearing aid experience. Sadly, the company announced earlier this year that it wouldn’t make earbuds anymore . Samsung and Google could probably integrate something like what Apple made for the AirPods, given both companies’ existing health platforms. If they did, those announcements are unlikely to be made at CES, as both companies prefer to host their own standalone hardware events throughout the year. That leaves Sennheiser as the biggest audio company that consistently launches earbuds and headphones at CES. Last year, it showcased multiple new models , including one with heart-rate tracking for workouts. Plus, it already offers hearing assistance with dedicated devices like the true wireless Conversation Clear Plus . Those earbuds are more hearing focused than for general content consumption, so it would be great to see Sennheiser bring some features from that product to its flagship Momentum line of earbuds . Perhaps a Momentum True Wireless 4 Pro or Plus is in the cards, but the current model is just nine months old. Of course, there’s plenty of room for other companies to innovate here, and there will be no shortage of new earbuds in Vegas next month. We also tend to see a ton of assistive devices and technology launch at CES , from major accessibility companies like OrCam and all manner of smaller brands. I just hope some of the new tech includes more general hearing tools on the models most people will want to use. — Billy Steele, senior editor Vehicle electrification goes sky high As the growth of electric cars nears 10 percent of new models sold in the US, it’s easy to forget that wheeled vehicles aren’t the only kind of transportation seeing the shift to battery-powered propulsion. Flying taxis have been a mainstay of CES for the past few years, with concept vehicles from brands as large as Hyundai dotting the show floor in Vegas. Granted, these contraptions look more like giant drones with cockpits than anything the Jetsons ever dreamed up. But with companies like Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation pledging to actually launch eVTOL services (electric vertical take-off and landing) in 2025, the era of air taxis may have landed for real this time. — Sam Rutherford, senior reporter Expanded dialog improvement features on soundbars When it comes to the main aspects of soundbars, there really isn’t a ton of innovation from year to year. Heck, Samsung’s biggest update last year was the addition of HDMI 2.1 support to its flagship model, which should’ve been there already. Companies have also been focused on the transition to cable-free everything, whether that’s wireless Dolby Atmos or wireless transmission boxes . Audio enhancement features are a place where companies can really rise above the fray, and tools like Sonos’ TV Audio Swap and Bose’s Personal Surround Sound are great examples of this. A key area nearly every company can improve is dialog boost, a feature that raises the volume or separates spoken word from background noise and music for better clarity. Sonos made a huge leap in this regard on the Arc Ultra , offering two additional settings for its so-called Speech Enhancement. Previously, this was just an all-or-nothing toggle, which is how most companies handle their versions of this tool. Not only is the Sonos update customizable to a degree, it’s also just better, thanks in part to the redesigned architecture of its new premium soundbar. This is an obvious area where other companies can improve. LG and Samsung typically announce new soundbars at CES, and there are plenty of smaller companies that will debut some too. I’d love to see all of them take dialog enhancements a step further and at the very least give multiple options for how it’s applied. LG has been using AI Sound Pro from its TVs since 2021 and Samsung offers something called Adaptive Sound on its home theater speakers. I would expect them both to generally improve the quality of their features, but I’m hoping they’ll expand the capabilities too. — B.S.

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