treasures of aztec slot ( MENAFN - Newsfile Corp) Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 19, 2024) - Vertiqal Studios Corp. (TSX: VRTS) (OTCQB: VERTF) (FSE: 9PY0) (the "Company" or "Vertiqal Studios") - Vertiqal Studios, North America's largest owner of gaming and lifestyle social media channels, is pleased to announce a collaboration with viral Nation Inc. ("Viral Nation"), a global leader in influencer marketing and technology solutions. The collaboration is set to amplify Vertiqal Studios' growth and further bolster its offerings through strategic acquisitions, revenue-sharing arrangements, and co-production initiatives. Vertiqal Studios Acquires High-Performing Instagram Channels Vertiqal Studios and Viral Nation have entered into an asset purchase agreement (the "APA") dated December 19, 2024 pursuant to which Vertiqal Studios has acquired four high-performing social channels from Viral Nation, adding 1,773,000 followers to Vertiqal's 52,000,000-person audience, 73% of which live in the United States. These channels complement Vertiqal Studios' already robust portfolio of 130+ social media channels across Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok. This acquisition further cements Vertiqal Studios' status as one of the most dominant strategy, creative, and distribution entities in the digital media landscape, with the addition of these new channels being accretive to the overall value of Vertiqal's content distribution network. Under the APA, Vertiqal Studios acquired ownership of the Instagram channels and all ancillary assets and contracts in exchange for an aggregate consideration of US$150,000 payable as follows: (i) US$50,000 paid in cash on the closing of the acquisition; and (ii) US$100,00 paid through the issuance of 5,737,200 common shares in the capital of the Company at a deemed price of $0.025 per common share at an exchange rate of US$1 ~ C$1.4343. All securities issued in connection with the APA are subject to a four-month plus one day hold period from the date of issuance and resale rules of applicable securities legislation. The APA remains subject to final approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange. Revenue-Sharing Model to Maximize Monetization The APA also establishes a co-selling arrangement featuring a revenue-sharing model, where Vertiqal Studios will receive 70% of the revenue generated, and Viral Nation will receive 30% for media driven by Viral Nation through Vertiqal Studios' owned and operated channel network. This innovative revenue-sharing strategy will enable both companies to streamline media sales operations while maximizing profitability and market reach. By combining their expertise and resources, this collaboration enhances value for both brands and advertisers. Leveraging Viral Nation's Cutting-Edge Technology Viral Nation has agreed to provide Vertiqal Studios a license to its comprehensive suite of technology solutions, aiding them in delivering enhanced media sales strategies and results for their clients. With access to these tools, Vertiqal Studios can implement smarter analytics, improved campaign optimization, and connect more effectively with audiences. This partnership strengthens Vertiqal Studios' position as a leader in creative and innovative marketing solutions. Co-Producing Original Content The two entities will also co-produce original content for distribution across their respective channels and platforms. By combining their creative expertise and leveraging their expansive networks of both channels and creators, Vertiqal Studios and Viral Nation aim to deliver impactful and engaging content that resonates deeply with Gen Z and Millennial audiences. This collaboration is expected to set new benchmarks for quality and innovation in digital storytelling, further broadening both companies' influence in the content creation space. A Key Milestone for Vertiqal Studios This collaboration represents a pivotal moment in Vertiqal Studios' growth trajectory. By acquiring these Instagram channels, integrating advanced technology, and collaborating on original content, Vertiqal Studios is positioning itself as an even more influential force in the social media landscape, with diversity across platforms. The collaboration with Viral Nation solidifies Vertiqal Studios' status as one of North America's largest owners of gaming and lifestyle social media channels. This strategic alliance underscores Vertiqal Studios' commitment to continuous growth and innovation, further expanding its influence in the ever-evolving digital media ecosystem. "This collaboration with Viral Nation is a major milestone in Vertiqal Studios' journey to redefine how brands engage with audiences in the digital age," said Max Desmarais, President of Vertiqal Studios. "I've always had immense admiration for Joe Gagliese and Mat Micheli at Viral Nation and the incredible company they've built. Their vision and leadership have set a benchmark in the influencer marketing and technology space, and this partnership is a testament to the shared values and innovative spirit that unite our two organizations. By acquiring these Instagram channels, integrating Viral Nation's technology, and collaborating on original content, we're positioned to set new standards for excellence in social media marketing." Joe Gagliese, Co-CEO of Viral Nation, added, "We're thrilled to partner with Vertiqal Studios to drive innovation and growth in the social media ecosystem. This collaboration brings together two leaders in the digital space to create opportunities for brands and creators alike." This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the " U.S. Securities Act "), or the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements. About Vertiqal Studios Vertiqal Studios, owners of one of North America's largest gaming and lifestyle networks on social media, is a digital strategy, creative, and distribution holding company. The Company specializes in the creation and distribution of viral videos for brands and advertisers to create always-on digital strategies that live authentically in Gen Z and Millennial culture. Vertiqal Studios partners with leading brands to develop strategic solutions, creative ideation, and content production, while also providing distribution and amplification through its owned & operated channels - all delivered with boutique, white-glove service. Its expertise lies in managing over 130 channels across TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, while producing over 100+ pieces of content a day for a growing audience of 52 million-plus followers. By having such robust ownership of culture and communities on social, Vertiqal Studios provides innovative advertising solutions for brands such as RBC, Samsung, White Castle, Coca-Cola, ESPN, Chili's, and more. For more information and to join our email subscriber list for direct press releases and newsletters, visit . About Viral Nation Viral Nation is a global leader in social media innovation, uniting powerful marketing services, proprietary technology, and creator representation. Founded in 2014, Viral Nation evolved to fuel cultural resonance and predictable growth for brands through a social-first approach. The company's belief that creators and social communities are the new media of today and tomorrow steers world-class services, which include influencer marketing, community management, social content production, social strategy, and a talent representation agency. Viral Nation's creator intelligence technology, CreatorOS, and AI-powered brand safety solution, Secure, allow the company to maximize creator partnerships while safeguarding brand reputation. Viral Nation powers global growth for brands like e.l.f. Cosmetics, Audible, A24, The Coca-Cola Company, MGM Resorts International, Microsoft, Meta, Tencent, Vivid Seats, Zillow, and Walmart, redefining how brands engage and thrive in an ever-evolving digital world. For more information, please visit and follow Viral Nation on LinkedIn , X , Instagram , YouTube , and TikTok . For media inquiries, please contact: Jon Dwyer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer +1 (416) 627-8868; Email: ... ; Investor Relations Email: ... Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by management of the Company. Although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. To view the source version of this press release, please visit SOURCE: Vertiqal Studios MENAFN19122024004218003983ID1109014417 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.Market to edge down as US stabilises after sell-offBy BILL BARROW, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ___ Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.

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Nacta asks sensitive institutions to link databases with National Fusion Centre Institutions to will provide all their database information to Nacta Fusion Centre which will form its central database ISLAMABAD: The National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) has issued instructions to link the databases of various institutions including sensitive institutions, intelligence agencies, Ministry of Interior, FBR, FIA and Nadra with the National Fusion Center of Nacta. These institutions will provide all their database information to the Nacta Fusion Center which will form its central database. The agencies that have been asked to attach data by Director General (Intelligence Wing) Nacta include ISI, MI, Intelligence Bureau, FIA, Naval Intelligence, Air Intelligence, Anti-Narcotics Force, Nadra, Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA), FBR, Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), Federal Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Ministry of Safron, Home Secretaries of all four provinces, Azad Jammu Kashmir and Gilgit. Baltistan, Excise and Taxation Departments of Islamabad, Punjab, Sindh, KP and Balochistan, heads of CTD of four provinces including Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, IG Police of provinces and heads of Special Branch, Anti Money Laundering and Counter Financing Authority Islamabad, CEO Public Safety Wing Islamabad and Commanding Officer FC, Field Intelligence Unit North and South Balochistan.Wayne Holdsworth became an advocate for from social media because his son took his own life after falling victim to an online sextortion scam. Mac Holdsworth died last year at his Melbourne family home at the age of 17 after a 47-year-old Sydney man who purported to be an 18-year-old woman demanded money for an intimate image the boy had shared. Since then, the grieving father has taken his tragic story to around 20 schools to warn students of the risks of social media. “I saw firsthand the damage that social media could do. I saw Mac, my son, get sexually extorted on social media,” Holdsworth said. “His mental health deteriorated at a rapid rate.” Online predators began approaching the teenager before his 16th birthday and his father believes such a ban could have saved his life. Australia’s House of Representatives on Wednesday voted for such a ban and the Senate is expected to make it law soon. Holdsworth said most of the 3,000 students he’s spoken to, from age 12 to 17, agree with a ban on children under the age of 16. “They come up to me and they say, ‘I’m so glad that this is going to be implemented,’” Holdsworth said. “Even the kids see it now that they’re going to be protected from those predators outside that are preying on them.” He said three girls approached him after a school address on Monday to tell him that they were being subjected to sextortion. One had already handed over 2,500 Australian dollars ($1,600) of her parents’ money to a blackmailer. Holdsworth said he was the first adult they had confided in. “The parent won’t know until the credit card statement comes out,” he said. “So it’s prevalent. It happened last night and it’ll happen tonight,” he added. Holdsworth described the government plan to ban children younger than 16 from social media as “absolutely essential for the safety of our children.” But not all parents are convinced that banning young children from social media is the answer. Critics say the legislation was rushed through Parliament without adequate scrutiny, would not work, would create privacy risks for users of all ages and would take away parents’ authority to decide what’s best for their children. They also argue the ban would isolate children, deprive them of positive aspects of social media, drive children to the dark web, make children too young for social media reluctant to report harms they encounter, and take away incentives for platforms to make online spaces safer. Independent Sydney lawmaker Kylea Tink on Tuesday became the first member of the House of Representatives to speak publicly against the bill, which would make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent young children from holding accounts. “As a mom of three young adults ... I’m very aware of the negative impacts of social media and the challenges of parenting in this digital world,” Tink told Parliament. “I also recognize, however, that my children are digital natives and are very literate about how these platforms work. For this reason, I encourage everyone involved in this debate to ensure they are listening to the voices of young Australians when it comes to this decision-making process rather than assuming that the grownups in the room know best.” Tink was among 13 lawmakers who voted against the bill in the House on Wednesday. They were overwhelmed by 102 legislators who voted for it. The platforms have urged a that examined the legislation on Monday to delay a vote until after a government-commissioned evaluation of age assurance technologies is completed next June. The four-hour committee meeting on Monday attracted 15,000 written submissions. X Corp. told the committee that billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s platform had “serious concerns as to the lawfulness of the bill,” including its compatibility with the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. “There is no evidence that banning young people from social media will work and to make it law in the form proposed is highly problematic,” X said. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said the legislation was “inconsistent with what Australian parents have told us that they want, which is a simple and effective way for them to set controls and manage their teens’ online experience.” Under the bill, parental consent for children to use social media does not override the ban. Lizzie O’Shea, chair of the Digital Rights Watch charity, which aims to uphold the digital rights of Australians, said she was appalled by the process and limited timeframe the government used to pass such significant and contentious legislation. She said she was very aware of the serious risks posed by social media platforms, “but I do not support a ban personally because I understand both the limits of that particular policy and the expert evidence that is coming out from people who work in this space about the problems for young people being excluded from those spaces,” O’Shea said. Her concerns centered on privacy, negative mental health impacts on excluded children and the possibility that young children would find ways to access social media spaces that would become even less child friendly as a result of the ban. “I’m profoundly aware of the dangers of large social media platforms running a certain kind of business model that prioritizes data extraction and exploitation of vulnerability over the public interest or the building of community and the protection of democracy,” she said. Swinburne University digital media expert Belinda Barnet, who supports the ban, feels she is part of a minority among professionals in the digital field. “I like it mainly because I think many of the social media platforms as they exist right now are not suitable environments for young children,” she said.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has met US President-elect Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris as Russian forces make further advances in eastern Ukraine. or signup to continue reading Zelensky said the talks on Saturday at the Élysée Palace - ahead of a ceremony marking the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral - were "good and productive". "President Trump is, as always, resolute. I thank him for that," Zelensky posted on X. "We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way," he added. "Peace through strength is possible." Trump is visiting France on his first trip abroad since winning November's presidential election. There is great fear in Ukraine that Trump could drastically reduce US military aid for the country, which has been defending itself against Russia's full-scale invasion for almost three years and has repeatedly warned that it will lose the war if allies stop delivering military aid. Also on Saturday, the British Ministry of Defence said Russian forces have made gradual progress along the front in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, approaching to within seven kilometres of the city of Pokrovsk. In its latest intelligence update on the war, the ministry said Russian units have taken the town of Selydove lying to the south-east of Pokrovsk. It added that Russian forces were likely to be fighting in the centre of Kurakhove, a town further to the south. "Kurakhove forms an important section of the front line and its seizure would allow Russian forces to consolidate positions in the area and set conditions for further advances westwards," the ministry said. To the south-west of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian forces reportedly mounted a limited counter-attack near Velyka Novosilka, retaking the village of Novyy Komar from the Russians, the ministry said. Russian attempts to encircle the village were continuing. Russian forces have recently taken the village of Blahodatne to the south of Velyka Novosilka, the ministry added. Elsewhere, Ukrainian emergency services said the death toll from a Russian glide bomb attack in the south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhya has climbed to 10. Eight people died in their cars, while 24 were injured in total, including three children, they said. President Zelensky previously posted on X that nine people had been killed in Friday's attack. Rescue workers also pulled another body from the rubble of a building that had been hit by a missile strike the same day on the south-eastern city of Kryvyi Rih, taking the death toll to three. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. 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Many stocks performed well in 2024, but none better than those powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The technology fueled the bull market this year, with a few dozen stocks powering the S&P 500 ( ^GSPC -1.11% ) to a roughly 27.5% gain (as of Dec. 26). After such a phenomenal run, many popular AI names are expensive, with investors betting that these companies continue to grow at high rates and that their markets only get bigger. A good AI play trading at a reasonable multiple is a rarity these days. However, just a few weeks ago, a new AI stock joined the Nasdaq and could become a Wall Street darling in 2025. Better yet, it doesn't trade at an astronomic valuation. Back in the mix AI infrastructure company Nebius Group ( NBIS -3.46% ) got back in the mix a few months ago when the company rejoined the Nasdaq exchange after a three-year hiatus. The Russian company Yandex previously owned Nebius. After Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. imposed sanctions on companies linked to Russia. However, earlier this year, Yandex split off its international assets in a $5.4 billion deal. Four AI businesses split off from Yandex and into the Amsterdam-based Nebius company, including cloud, data labeling, edtech, and autonomous vehicles. Nebius essentially offers AI-as-a-service, providing companies and developers building AI models with access to graphics processing unit (GPU) clusters and a cloud platform. AI is expensive to build internally, but is becoming a technology that most businesses can't ignore if they want to stay relative. For instance, ServiceNow used Nebius to increase throughput on their conversational chatbot from 400 evaluation tasks per week to as many as 3,000 tasks a day. Nebius got a huge endorsement when it closed a $700 million private financing that included the large venture capital firm Accel and AI chip king Nvidia . Nebius has a special partnership with Nvidia, and its website says its customers will be the first to access Nvidia's new Blackwell chips. There has already been some excitement about the stock. Nebius came back onto the Nasdaq at $20 in late October, and shares are up over 41% since. Becoming the next AI darling Nebius got another big endorsement from Citron Research's Andrew Left, who said Wall Street has yet to catch on to Nebius' appeal. No analysts cover the stock, which isn't a huge surprise because it only returned to the Nasdaq a few months ago, and it can take analysts a long time to create and publish an initiation report. The company's financials are attractive. In its most recent quarter, Nebius grew revenue by 766% year over year and trimmed its losses by 45%. Nebius also has nearly $2.3 billion of cash and cash equivalents and very little debt. The company is investing $1 billion in GPU clusters in Paris and also doing a major expansion to its data center in Finland. Management expects the company's annualized revenue run rate to increase to the range of $750 million to $1 billion by the end of 2025. Nvidia shares trade at 47 times forward earnings , which isn't exactly unique in AI these days. While Nebius isn't a competitor and leverages Nvidia's chips, the company is expected to turn profitable next year and trades below 8 times forward earnings. Considering the projected growth of revenue and earnings and its growing market, this is a bargain. Left compares Nebius to Coreweave , a similar AI infrastructure company rumored to soon go public at a $35 billion valuation. Nebius has a roughly $6.7 billion market cap right now. The official announcement of Coreweave's IPO and ensuing registration statement could help better define the market for Nebius. Nebius is also likely still tricky for investors due to geopolitical events in recent years and its ties to Russia. However, investments from Accel and Nvidia are an important sign of legitimacy, and it's hard to find a quality name like Nebius trading at valuations this low.Russia changes tactics of missile attacks on Ukraine – UK Defence Intelligence

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Q-Switch Laser For Removing Dark Spots And TattoosDENVER — An intense persuasion campaign is heating up across more than 1,200 miles, from Colorado Springs to Alabama, as both states’ congressional delegations battle over landing the permanent headquarters of the U.S. Space Command. Colorado’s elected officials want to keep the command at Peterson Space Force Base, where it has been based since the service was revived in the summer of 2019 under then-President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Alabama’s delegation to Congress is gunning to get the command headquarters to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, where Trump had moved it in the waning days of his first term in the White House. That order was overturned by President Joe Biden — a decision that kept the service in Colorado Springs, where the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce estimates it supports nearly 1,400 jobs and has a $1 billion impact on the local economy. “It’s a fully operational and capable command,” U.S. Rep. Jason Crow said in an interview with The Denver Post. “It continues to build out and perform the mission it is supposed to. We simply can’t move it — we will jeopardize our national security if we do.” But in a preview of what could be a tough scrap ahead, Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama this week told a local TV station that he was confident President-elect Trump “will move it back, and I think, very early in his first few days.” That claim was echoed by U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., who told a Mobile radio station that he thought the soon-to-be president would sign an executive order bringing the command back to Huntsville. Crow, a Democrat and a former Army Ranger, said he has been in contact with the seven other members of the state’s congressional delegation — in addition to Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet — and they plan to “work hand in glove together” to keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado. The command is responsible for military operations in outer space, which starts at 62 miles above sea level. The Pentagon is growing increasingly concerned about rapid advances by China and Russia in space-based operations that threaten U.S. troops and other military assets on the ground, along with American satellites in orbit, the New York Times reported earlier this year. On Friday, Schriever Space Force Base in Colorado Springs was named the “preferred and final” home of Space Delta 15, an organization under U.S. Space Command that will provide space battle management, intelligence and cyber capabilities to U.S. Space Forces. Air Force officials said Delta 15 would be operational by summer of 2027, with approximately 250 personnel on hand. Newly elected U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans told reporters at a press conference last week that he was on “Team Colorado” when it comes to Space Command staying put. The Republican Army vet and former police officer, who ousted Yadira Caraveo on Nov. 5 in the 8th Congressional District, said moving would cost an exorbitant sum of money. “Why do you want to spend money to move it out of here?” he asked. Evans said his grandfather, a naval aviator, moved to Colorado to work in the state’s robust aerospace industry 50 years ago. “That’s why I live in Colorado — because of our aerospace sector,” he said. Evans is part of the GOP half of Colorado’s congressional delegation that could have more influence with Trump as he nears a decision on the command. All four are in lockstep on keeping the service in Colorado. U.S. Rep.-elect Jeff Crank, whose new district is the home of the command, wasn’t available for an interview this week. But he told The Post this month that “it makes eminent sense to keep it here.” U.S. Rep.-elect Jeff Hurd, who will represent the Western Slope in the new Congress, said the same through a spokesman Thursday. U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a stalwart Trump supporter who is returning to Congress in January to represent Colorado’s 4th District, said “protecting and maintaining all of our military assets in Colorado is the best way to keep our nation strong without any threat of interruption that could harm our ability to protect Americans.” Huntsville scored higher than Colorado Springs in a Government Accountability Office assessment of potential locations for the command. The city has long been home to some of the earliest missiles used in the nation’s space programs, including the Saturn V rocket, and it is home to the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command. That same office, however, gave the selection process low marks for documentation, credibility and impartiality and said that senior U.S. officials interviewed conveyed that remaining in Colorado Springs “would allow U.S. Space Command to reach full operational capability as quickly as possible.” Trump’s decision to move the U.S. Space Command to Huntsville in January 2021 was widely panned as a political attempt to reward Tuberville, who challenged the results of the 2020 presidential election in favor of Trump. Bruce McClintock, lead of the Space Enterprise Initiative at the nonpartisan research firm RAND Corporation and a retired Air Force brigadier general, did not weigh in on whether Alabama or Colorado would ultimately be a better fit for Space Command, but said that any move could lead to disruptions in military readiness. “Moving any combatant command headquarters invariably introduces turbulence in the workforce,” McClintock said in an email. “The military workforce will go where they are directed but the civilian workforce can choose to stay where they are rather than move.” If China’s space ambitions are truly a threat to American interests, he wrote, “then one could make the argument that the near-term stability for US SPACECOM should be a factor in the government decision-making process.” ©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at denverpost.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100PAY ATTENTION: Follow our WhatsApp channel to never miss out on the news that matters to you! Donald Trump weighed in Saturday in a bitter debate dividing his traditional supporters and tech barrons like Elon Musk, saying that he backs a special visa program that helps highly skilled workers enter the country. "I've always liked the (H1-B) visas, I have always been in favor of the visas, that's why we have them" at Trump-owned facilities, the president-elect told the New York Post in his first public comments on the matter since it flared up this week. An angry back-and-forth, largely between Silicon Valley's Musk and traditional anti-immigration Trump backers, has erupted in fiery fashion , with Musk even vowing to "go to war" over the issue. Trump's insistent calls for sharp curbs on immigration were central to his election victory in November over President Joe Biden . He has vowed to deport all undocumented immigrants and limit legal immigration. But tech entrepreneurs like Tesla's Musk -- as well as Vivek Ramaswamy, who with Musk is to co-chair a government cost-cutting panel under Trump -- say the United States produces too few highly skilled graduates, and they fervently champion the H1-B program. Read also Political turmoil shakes South Korea's economy Musk, who himself migrated from South Africa on an H1-B, posted Thursday on his X platform that luring elite engineering talent from abroad was "essential for America to keep winning." PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app! Adding acrimony to the debate was a post from Ramaswamy, the son of immigrants from India, who deplored an "American culture" that he said venerates mediocrity, adding that the United States risks having "our asses handed to us by China." That angered several prominent conservatives who were backing Trump long before Musk noisily joined their cause this year, going on to pump more than $250 million into the Republican's campaign. "Looking forward to the inevitable divorce between President Trump and Big Tech," said Laura Loomer, a far-right MAGA figure known for her conspiracy theories, who often flew with Trump on his campaign plane. "We have to protect President Trump from the technocrats." She and others said Trump should be promoting American workers and further limiting immigration. Read also US panel could not reach consensus on US-Japan steel deal: Nippon 'MAGA civil war' Musk, who had already infuriated some Republicans after leading an online campaign that helped tank a bipartisan budget deal last week, fired back at his critics. Posting on X, the social media site he owns, he warned of a "MAGA civil war." Musk bluntly swore at one critic, adding that "I will go to war on this issue." That, in turn, drew a volley from Trump strategist Steve Bannon, who wrote on the Gettr platform that the H1-B program brings in migrants who are essentially "indentured servants" working for less than American citizens would. In a striking jab at Trump's close friend Musk, Bannon called the Tesla CEO a "toddler." Some of Trump's original backers say they fear he is falling under the sway of big donors from the tech world like Musk and drifting away from his campaign promises. It was not immediately clear whether Trump's remarks might soothe the intraparty strife, which has exposed just how contentious changing the immigration system might be once he takes office in January. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: AFP

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Thermal Energy Storage Market to grow by USD 2.88 Billion from 2024-2028, driven by CSP demand and AI's impact on market trends - Technavio