i bet you think about me chords Strictly Come Dancing professional Kai Widdrington has bagged a prestigious Guinness World Records certificate following an intense showdown in the annual Pro Challenge. Over the past fortnight, the Strictly pros have been competing to secure the world record for the most Cha Cha Cha Time Steps executed in half a minute. During tonight's (December 5) episode of It Takes Two, Kai was accompanied by fellow dancer Neil Jones as the final professionals to participate in the challenge. The pair went toe-to-toe for the title, with BBC viewers watching them perform the ballroom move that necessitates a side step on straight legs, a weight transfer from one foot to the other, settling on each heel followed by a chasse. The dancers then repeat this sequence in the opposite direction, ensuring their footwork remains ball flat throughout and the movement is completed on both sides. Initially, it seemed like a draw as both dancers completed 15 steps, but one of Neil's moves was disqualified, resulting in Kai clinching the record-breaking win and receiving the official certificate. The challenge was presided over by Craig Revel Horwood, with Guinness World Records official, Will Munford, supervising the attempts, reports the Express . The Strictly Come Dancing community was alight with reactions on social media as fans eagerly shared their thoughts: One fan posted: "SO happy Kai won the pro challenge!" while another commented: " Kai and Neil were so close. With 15 steps the winner of the Pro Challenge is Kai! Only one step was between him and Neil and Nadiya." Also, someone else chimed in with: "Well done Kai." Last year witnessed pro dancer Lauren Oakley smashing the Guinness World Record for executing the most pendulum dance moves in a mere 30 seconds, notching up an impressive 15 flawless steps. In the present Strictly season, Lauren Oakley is dazzling audiences alongside JLS heartthrob JB Gill. Originally not part of the pair, Lauren stepped into Amy Dowden's dancing shoes following Amy's sudden health scare which saw her collapse during the series. The BBC has reassured fans that Amy is now in good spirits but will not rejoin the current season. Despite her exit, Amy continues to root for her previous partner from the sidelines. Amy previously expressed her continued support on Instagram, sharing her heartfelt wishes for success and vowing to be their "biggest cheerleader". She also conveyed a special message to JB: "It says everything how you've been able to adapt to a new professional, produce such a great number (so excited for everyone to see) whilst supporting me! I'm so lucky! You're a STAR! I know what tonight means to you! Thank you!" Strictly It Takes Two at 1830 on BBC Two and iPlayer and Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturday and Sunday on BBC One and iPlayer.Is Enron back? If it's a joke, some former employees aren't laughingMP Jamil Jivani meets U.S. vice president-elect J.D. Vance over the weekend

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (NASDAQ:CBRL) Trading Up 5.2% – Here’s WhyFriday, December 13, 2024 Bangkok Airways is proud to announce its role as the incoming Chairman and host carrier for the 69th Assembly of Presidents (AP69) of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), set to take place in November 2025 in the vibrant city of Bangkok, Thailand. This prestigious event will bring together aviation leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region, creating an invaluable opportunity for them to connect, share insights, and tackle the challenges that lie ahead for the aviation industry. Guided by the vision of President Mr. Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, Bangkok Airways will play an essential role in shaping conversations around key issues such as sustainability, technological advancements, and the future of regional air travel. The AP69 will not only provide a platform for member airlines to collaborate on these critical topics but also give them the chance to work together in crafting a roadmap for the continued growth and innovation of the Asia-Pacific aviation sector. But this event is about more than just strategy—it’s about community. It’s an opportunity for airlines, industry professionals, and stakeholders to come together, share their experiences, and forge lasting partnerships. Bangkok, as a hub of global aviation, will offer a warm welcome to all attendees, while Bangkok Airways ensures that the gathering is both meaningful and inspiring. With its leadership and vision, the 69th Assembly of Presidents is sure to be a memorable moment for the Asia-Pacific aviation community, helping to set a bold course for the future of air travel in the region. Mr. Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth stated, “It’s an honor for Bangkok Airways to serve as the Chairman and host carrier for AP69. We look forward to welcoming AAPA members to Thailand and contributing to meaningful discussions that will advance the region’s aviation industry.”

The suspect in the murder of UnitedHealth Group UNH.N executive Brian Thompson was not a customer of the health insurer, a company spokesperson said on Friday. Ivy League-educated Luigi Mangione was charged with murder on Dec. 9 for the killing of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel before a company conference, following a five-day manhunt. Mangione suffered from chronic back pain that affected his daily life, according to friends and social media posts, though it is unclear whether his personal health played a role in the shooting. UnitedHealth does not have prior records for either Mangione or his mother, the spokesperson said. Thompson’s murder was met with shock across the industry, as well as an outpouring of anger from Americans struggling with healthcare costs and the complexities of U.S. health insurance. Public officials and healthcare executives have acknowledged the frustrations, but in the last few days have been more vocal in pushing back against social media glorification of an accused killer. In a New York Times opinion piece on Friday, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty said he understood public frustrations with the “flawed” U.S. healthcare system, but mourned Thompson’s killing and decried the “vitriol that has been directed at our colleagues who have been barraged by threats.” Thompson was CEO of the company’s large health insurance business. The New York Times reported that an internal New York City police report analyzing Mangione’s writings concluded that he viewed the killing as a justified response to what he believed to be corruption in the healthcare industry. In some circles, Mangione has been celebrated and more than a thousand donations have poured into an online fundraiser for his legal defense. “It’s representing a widespread anger that is felt by people in the middle class, in the working class and people who are well-to-do who also have trouble with their insurance company,” said Pepper Culpepper, a professor of government and public policy at Oxford University. ABC News and others reported on Friday that a Florida woman was arrested after she allegedly ended a phone call with a representative from her insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield by saying the words “Delay, deny, depose. You people are next.” The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were carved into shell casings found at the Thompson murder scene, several news outlets reported, evoking the title of a book critical of the insurance industry published in 2010 titled “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.” ‘INTENSELY PERSONAL AND VERY COMPLICATED’ “Health care is both intensely personal and very complicated, and the reasons behind coverage decisions are not well understood,” Witty wrote in his first public comments since the murder, noting that the U.S. healthcare system is a patchwork built over decades. “We share some of the responsibility for that. Together with employers, governments and others who pay for care, we need to improve how we explain what insurance covers and how decisions are made,” he wrote. Health insurance companies have come under sharp public scrutiny since Thompson’s Dec. 4 murder, and shares of UnitedHealth alone have fallen nearly 15%. It isn’t clear if the recent events “represent a watershed moment” that could catalyze change in the industry, said Morningstar analyst Julie Utterback. “You can definitely feel the potential for some kind of change in the air.” The healthcare sector has reassessed security measures due to an uptick in violent crime the last 18 months, Reuters reported, with UnitedHealth and rivals CVS Health CVS.N and Cigna CI.N removing photos of their leadership from their websites following the shooting. Instead of boosting security for executives, insurers should manage public perception of their services, said Culpepper, adding that many Americans believe big health insurers refuse to cover needed care in an effort to bolster revenue. “This sort of ambient discontent around health insurance in the United States will not go away until it starts to be addressed.”Judge denies Musk $56 billion Tesla compensation packageTOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — Gov. Phil Murphy has asked the Biden administration to put more resources into an investigation of mysterious drone sightings that have been reported in New Jersey and nearby states. Murphy, a Democrat, made the request in a letter Thursday, noting that state and local law enforcement remain “hamstrung” by existing laws and policies in their efforts to successfully counteract any nefarious activity of unmanned aircraft. He posted a copy of the letter on the social media platform X . Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.

When I wake up, the first thing I lay eyes on is . I shoot off a text reply here and there. I browse the headlines. or signup to continue reading Like , I also scroll through TikTok. Many of the videos suggested to me by the "For You" page are silly or interesting. A dance trend, perhaps, or maybe a day-in-the-life of a CEO. Though sometimes more malign content pops up. "Colonisation was the best thing to happen to the Aboriginals," a GB News video informs me while I brush my teeth one morning. Soon after, a clip of appears. Later, while I'm waiting for the tram, the influencer Candace Owens pops up and claims that Kamala Harris "slept her way to the top". My habit is to skip past videos like this. After all, they're enough to make one a climate-denying, woman-hating conspiracy theorist by breakfast time. (They do this quite successfully, actually: a fifth of UK males aged 16-29 who know of the self-proclaimed misogynist approve of him, for example). This system, which governs what you see on social media, is known as the algorithm. It serves up personalised, suggested content and pushes certain creators, videos and themes. Seeing as inflammatory stuff is usually the most engaging, the algorithms often prioritise the incendiary at the expense of the thoughtful, the bombastic at the expense of the accurate. Hence, conspiracy theories, populism and division are enjoying a well-documented golden age. The algorithm goes deeper than this, however - it plays to archetypes. As a 19-year-old male, I'm part of a demographic more likely to be actively recommended . On the other hand, my sisters and female friends are part of the cohort more likely to be pushed . It's not so easy to dodge. TikTok's "algorithm in particular is so aggressive that you only need to pause for a few moments before it will begin to recommend similar content to you again and again," reports the Center for Countering Digital Hate. The Center found that changing a TikTok username from "Sarah" to "Sarah Lose Weight" could result in the algorithm pushing 12 times more self-harm content. My generation is especially vulnerable to the influence of algorithms. Not just because we're young, but because we spend a significant amount of time on social media, and because we don't really go elsewhere for news or information. For us, therefore, "serious" topics like politics have been reduced by the confines of the medium. Politicians are forced to chase after viral moments just like all the other content creators. During the recent Queensland election, for instance, our exposure to Steven Miles and David Crisafulli was watching them on the For You page trying to combine TikTok trends with political messaging. (Hardly scintillating viewing, if you were wondering.) The pre-eminence of social media algorithms - the detailed workings of which are often still unclear - should be cause for serious concern. "So-called 'neutral' algorithms," said US Judge Ronald Gould of Google's content suggestion system, can be "transformed into deadly missiles of destruction by ISIS." Gould was referring to a case brought against Google wherein the plaintiff alleged that YouTube had breached the Anti-Terrorism Act by recommending terrorist content. In a similar 2019 case against Facebook, Chief Judge Robert Katzmann suggested that the social media company stop using algorithms. "Short of that, Facebook could modify its algorithms to stop them introducing terrorists to one another," he said. The encouragement of terrorism is an extreme example of the impacts which algorithms present. But more quotidian examples - promoting eating disorders and echo chambers, for example - are still highly destructive. Legislation was passed recently to ban social media for under-sixteens. Fine. But our lawmakers are far from the stage where they can wash their hands of this issue. Take it from a young person who, like his peers, has spent an adolescence at the whim of the algorithm. : We need more transparency from social media companies regarding how their recommendation systems work. More than that, we must enforce a duty of care. If apps like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram are actively pushing certain content, then it's surely up to them to make sure that content is above board. In 1995, Carl Sagan made a dark prediction. "I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time," he wrote, "... when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and... our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness." It seems Sagan's prediction, which doesn't apply to America alone, is coming true. Funnily enough, I found that quote on TikTok. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. 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AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement AdvertisementFLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets running back Breece Hall could play Sunday at Jacksonville after missing a game with a knee injury. Hall has been dealing with a hyperextension and injured MCL in his left knee that sidelined him last Sunday at Miami. But he was a full participant at practice Friday after sitting out Wednesday and Thursday. Hall was officially listed as questionable on the team's final injury report. “He looks good right now,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said. “So it’s promising.” Hall leads the Jets with 692 yards rushing and four touchdown runs, and he also has 401 yards receiving and two scores on 46 catches. A pair of rookies helped New York offset Hall's absence last weekend, with Braelon Allen rushing for 43 yards on 11 carries, and Isaiah Davis getting 40 yards on 10 attempts and scoring his first rushing touchdown. People are also reading... “We’re hopeful and we’ll see how it goes,” Ulbrich said of Hall. The Jets will get star cornerback Sauce Gardner back after he missed a game with a hamstring injury, but New York's secondary appears likely to be without cornerback D.J. Reed because of a groin injury. Reed was listed as doubtful after he didn't practice Thursday or Friday. “It’s been something that’s kind of lingered here and there,” Ulbrich said. “It’s gotten aggravated and then it went away, and then it got aggravated again. So, it’s just dealing with that.” Backup Brandin Echols is out with a shoulder injury, so veteran Isaiah Oliver or rookie Qwan'tez Stiggers could get the start opposite Gardner if Reed can't play. Kendall Sheffield also could be elevated from the practice squad for the second game in a row. Ulbrich said kick returner Kene Nwangwu will be placed on injured reserve after breaking a hand last weekend at Miami. The injury came a week after he was selected the AFC special teams player of the week in his Jets debut, during which he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and forced a fumble in a loss to Seattle. “To put him out there with a broken hand, just thought it’d be counterproductive for him and for us as a team, so it unfortunately cuts the season short and what a bright light he was,” Ulbrich said. “What an amazing future I think he has in this league. With saying that, he’s already been a really good player for quite a while, so (it's) unfortunate, but he’ll be back.” Offensive lineman Xavier Newman (groin) is doubtful, while right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) and RT Morgan Moses (wrist) are questionable. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!Netflix viewers are raving about a 'ten out of ten' action thriller that's garnering high praise on the streaming service. The 2009 film, Law Abiding Citizen, stars Gerard Butler and is helmed by F. Gary Gray, known for his work on Straight Outta Compton and The Italian Job. Penned by Kurt Wimmer, the director behind sci-fi hits like Equilibrium, UltraViolet and the 2020 remake of Children of the Corn, the film centres around Butler's character, Clyde Shelton. He's on a relentless quest for vengeance against those who brutally murdered his wife and daughter during a home invasion. But his wrath isn't just reserved for the killers - he also targets the law enforcement officials, including attorney Nick Rice, portrayed by Jamie Foxx, who failed to deliver the justice Clyde so desperately sought, reports the Mirror . Fans have been effusive in their praise for the film, with many taking to social media to recommend it. One viewer enthused: "'Law Abiding Citizen is a top 10 movie of all time." A Christmas film with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score dubbed 'new classic' One of the 'greatest films of all time' that won seven Oscars showing free on TV tonight Another chimed in: 'Law Abiding Citizen is almost a classic film and its performance by Gerard Butler is Oscar-worthy." A third fan declared: "Law Abiding Citizen is one of the greatest movies ever made. Real cinema" while another described it as a "phenomenal movie" that "doesn't get enough credit", labelling it "top tier". Netflix is gearing up to premiere another edge-of-your-seat action thriller, Carry-On, set for release on December 13. The film features Taron Egerton as Ethan Kopek, a security agent who becomes entangled with a mysterious traveller, played by Jason Bateman, communicating through an earpiece.In a sinister turn of events, the traveller blackmails Ethan into sneaking an ominous package through airport security, endangering the lives of everyone aboard a Christmas Eve flight. The trailer teases an intense battle of wits, with Ethan desperately trying to out manoeuvre the villain's deadly plan. Fans on Reddit have been expressing their anticipation, with one fan writing: "This could be a treat. Evil Bateman is the best Bateman." Another concurred, "So agree! I love all JB.He's a hard worker, but I really love his evil. Reminiscent of Gene Hackman to me." A third adds, "Looks very interesting. Good timing too, with many people flying for the holidays. I'll be watching it as soon as it is released."

Mohamed Salah congratulated on new Liverpool contract as Reds 'give in to his demands'PARIS — Notre Dame Cathedral , its air thick with the smell of incense, hosted its first Mass on Sunday since the catastrophic fire of 2019, a moment that transcended religious significance to become a powerful symbol of Paris’ resilience. Beneath the glow of traditional chandeliers and modern spotlights, which illuminated its intricately carved stonework , the cathedral emerged reborn, its grandeur restored after five years of reconstruction. For Catholics, it marks the revival of the city’s spiritual heart, a place where faith has been nurtured for centuries. For the world, it signals the rebirth of one of global heritage's most famous landmarks. The event was both solemn and historic. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich presided over the morning Mass, including the consecration of a new bronze altar. The liturgy was attended by 2,500 people, including French President Emmanuel Macron — enjoying a brief respite from France's political tumult and economic troubles — clergy, dignitaries and a few lucky members of the general public who stood in long lines to enter. Nearly 170 bishops from France and around the world took part, along with one priest from each of the 113 parishes in the Paris diocese, accompanied by worshippers from these communities. Macron, in line with France’s strict division of state and church, did not take communion. Notre Dame’s journey from ruin to resurrection was defined by extraordinary craftsmanship, nearly $1 billion in global donations and a collective, unyielding determination to rebuild. After the Mass, faithful attendees, priests, nuns, and other guests lingered in the cathedral, their awe evident. Many took pictures and selfies in front of the altar, the baptistery, and vibrant rose windows, their joy mingling with reverence. Others knelt to pray at chapels dedicated to saints, savoring a spiritual intimacy many had not experienced since the fire. Later Sunday, the cathedral opened its doors to members of the public who secured reservations last week for the first fully public Mass. The Associated Press learned that tickets for this service were claimed within 25 minutes, underscoring Notre Dame’s enduring appeal. What’s more extraordinary is that this is taking place in a country with a strong emphasis on secularism and a low rate of church attendance. The public watches on — from a distance Public viewing areas along the Seine on Sunday morning drew hundreds of people who wished to witness the historic moment from afar, although their numbers were likely subdued by rainy and miserably cold weather conditions. Retired engineer Claude Lancrenon, watching from a viewing area, expressed both awe and disappointment. “There is so much security,” he said, gesturing toward the barriers. “Yesterday, that seemed appropriate. But today, I had hoped it would be more open so we could approach the cathedral. I still hope we’ll be able to get closer.” Tight security — akin to that of the Paris Olympic Games — reflected the importance of the occasion, ensuring the safety of dignitaries and the public alike. Nathalie Martino, a retired event organizer visiting Paris, recalled the anguish of watching the cathedral burn. “I cried so much that day,” she said. “And now, here I am. I had to come. It was something I needed to do.” A sacred space reborn Sunday’s Masses follow Saturday evening’s ceremonies in which Ulrich symbolically reopened the cathedral’s massive wooden doors by striking them three times with a crosier crafted from charred beams salvaged from the fire. As the doors swung open, choirs filled the air with song and the cathedral’s great organ — silent since the fire — resounded with majestic melodies. Inside, the restoration reveals a cathedral transformed with now-gleaming limestone walls cleaned of centuries of grime. The restored stained-glass windows project dazzling patterns of color across the nave. “No one alive has seen the cathedral like this,” said the Rev. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, Notre Dame’s rector. "It is more than restored — it is reborn.” The consecration of the new altar was a pivotal moment in Notre Dame’s return to full liturgical life. The altar houses relics of five saints tied to Paris, including St. Catherine Labouré and St. Charles de Foucauld, continuing a centuries-old tradition of embedding sacred artifacts at the heart of worship spaces. The consecration, involving holy water, chrism oil, incense and prayer, transforms the altar into a sacred centerpiece of the cathedral. That was the most moving moment of the day for Marie Capucine, 37, a consecrated virgin representing her Parisian parish of Saint Germain des Prés at the reopening. She recalled the day the fire raged, and the ‘’communion in prayer all over the world'' for the cathedral to be saved. “That shows that the Church gathers, no matter whether people are believers or not, it says something to the world, something beautiful,” she concluded. A moment of unity The reopening of Notre Dame is also a moment of cultural and national unity. Macron, who vowed to restore the cathedral within five years after the fire, called the project “a jolt of hope” for France, a nation often divided by political crises. The Sunday Masses underscore Notre Dame’s dual role as a place of worship and a symbol of communal resilience. They also ensure that members of the broader Catholic community can partake in the cathedral’s spiritual revival. Challenges overcome The path to restoration was fraught with challenges. Lead contamination forced work to pause, and the COVID-19 pandemic added delays. Yet the project, overseen by architect Philippe Villeneuve, has been hailed as a triumph of human ingenuity and collective resolve. Cutting-edge fire prevention systems, including thermal cameras and a misting system, have been installed to safeguard the cathedral’s future. Villeneuve described the effort as “restoring not just a building but the soul of a nation,” emphasizing the personal and national significance of the work. A sacred future and an ‘octave’ With its spire once again piercing the Parisian sky, Notre Dame is poised to reclaim its role as a global beacon of faith and art. The cathedral, which previously welcomed 12 million annual visitors, is expected to draw 15 million in its new chapter. This monumental revival is not confined to a single day. Ulrich has announced an “octave” of celebrations — eight days of special religious services, each with its own theme, running through Dec. 15. These daily liturgies, open to diverse groups from local parishioners to international pilgrims, emphasize Notre Dame’s role as a unifying spiritual hub. Stay Informed: Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today'Deeply concerned' UK following situation in S.Korea: govt

Work and pensions minister Sir Stephen Timms said the move aims to drive “real improvements” for disabled people, whom the ministers will be encouraged to engage with on a regular basis. He told the Commons: “I am very pleased to be able to announce today the appointment of new lead ministers for disability in each Government department, they will represent the interests of disabled people, champion disability inclusion and accessibility within their departments. “I’m going to chair regular meetings with them and will encourage them to engage directly with disabled people and their representative organisations, as they take forward their departmental priorities. “And I look forward to this new group of lead ministers for disability together driving real improvements across Government for disabled people.” This came during an adjournment debate on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, where Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling raised concerns about “floating bus stops”, which have a cycle lane between the stop and the pavement. Intervening, the MP for Torbay, who is registered blind, said: “The Government needs to ban floating bus stops.” Sir Stephen said: “I do think this issue about floating bus stops is an important issue which we need to work across Government to reflect on.” Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, who led the debate, had earlier criticised the lack of accessibility for disabled people on trains. The Oldham East and Saddleworth MP said: “Our train network does not have level access, and we heard Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson from the other place make this plea back in the summer, absolutely outrageous what she was put through. “But I was absolutely shocked to find, when I had a presentation of the TransPennine route upgrade, that the rolling stock yet to be commissioned is not going to provide that level access. “It’s absolute nonsense, it’s not even in the design of that procurement, so we must do better than this.”

Political unrest undermines South Korea’s currency, stock market

Shortly before he was to be flogged and imprisoned for eight years, Mohammad Rasoulof fled Iran. His weekslong journey would take him from Tehran , through rural Iranian villages, on foot across a mountainous borderland and ultimately to Hamburg , Germany . As arduous and dangerous as the trip was, Rasoulof’s travels had an added wrinkle: He was trying to finish a movie at the same time. A week after arriving in Germany, Rasoulof would premiere his film, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” at the Cannes Film Festival in France. As he fled, Rasoulof was preoccupied with the movie’s edit, which was being carried out in Germany. “I remember when I was sitting in the car that was driving me to the border,” Rasoulof says. “I had my laptop and I was taking notes and sending them to my editor. The two friends who were taking me kept saying, ‘Put that thing away for a second.’” In Cannes, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” won a special jury prize and Rasoulof was celebrated with a 13-minute standing ovation. The movie has since been hailed as one of the best of the year, and arguably its most daring. Rasoulof made “Sacred Fig” clandestinely in Iran, directing scenes from a separate location to avoid raising suspicions. (The opening titles read: “When there is no way, a way must be made.”) Its story — a devastating family drama set during the 2022 protests that engulfed Iran — would surely only add to Rasoulof’s prison sentence. So after all of this, how is he feeling? When he recently met with The Associated Press for an interview, Rasoulof shrugged. “Ordinary,” he says. Rasoulof, 52, has a more gentle, bemused presence than some of his films would suggest. But how could Rasoulof, after what he’s lived through this year, feel anything like ordinary? “I still haven’t grasped the meaning of exile,” he explains. “I think it will take some time. The feeling of that void has not hit me yet, and I think it may never come.” Rasoulof has been busy traveling from film festival to film festival. In September, he and his 24-year-old daughter attended the Telluride festival in Colorado. Many more such stops were to come. Since fleeing Iran, Rasoulof has effectively been immersed in the world he’s long known: cinema. “Maybe I am living in the world of cinema, and maybe that’s why things are so familiar,” he agrees. “Maybe that’s why I don’t feel I’m in exile.” “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” currently playing in theaters, is the Oscar submission from Rasoulof’s adoptive home, Germany. He’s settled in with his family, grateful for how the country has welcomed him. Speaking through an interpreter, Rasoulof grants that he’ll probably always mentally have a bag packed, ready to return to Iran should the chance ever come. But what “home” constitutes has changed for him. “I might be able to change this concept of home for myself,” he says. “I walk on the streets here and I see people of different colors and forms from all over the place, and they all call this place home. So there’s always the chance that one can build something new.” How oppressive politics can infiltrate the home is central to “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” It concerns a family of four: Iman (Missagh Zareh), a lawyer newly appointed to the Revolutionary Court in Tehran; his wife, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani) and their two daughters, Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki). Iman is proud of his high position, but, when the government crackdown on protesters following the death of Mahsa Amini accelerates, his daughters are increasingly at odds with him. After Iman's gun goes missing, his wife and daughters turn into suspects. “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” populated with real cellphone videos from the protests, plays out as an excruciating microcosm of Iranian society. “It wasn’t like I put those videos in. They just came in,” says Rasoulof. “The reality is that it was through those videos I realized what happened. When the Woman, Life, Freedom movement occurred, I was in prison.” Rasoulof has spent several spells in Tehran’s Evin Prison. In 2010, he was arrested on set for filming without a permit. In 2022, he was jailed for seven months after pursuing the release of another of Iran’s most prominent filmmakers, Jafar Panahi. Panahi, who secretly made the film “No Bears,” was only released in 2023 after commencing a hunger strike. “My windows at home opened to the hills that have the Evin prison in them,” says Rasoulof. “I knew behind those walls many of my friends were sitting.” Rasoulof, inspired by the courage of the younger generation, resolved to pour the same spirit into “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” Although it wasn’t until Rasoulof’s appeal of his sentence failed that he resolved to flee, he grants that deciding to make “Sacred Fig” essentially sealed his fate. “Making this film was part of that decision,” he says. “Although I had made up my mind earlier, because it was such a bitter decision, I was denying it and delaying it, waiting for a miracle to allow me to stay.” “I would open the fridge to make sure there was nothing there that would go bad,” he adds. “It was a strange circumstance.” For the film's actors and crew members, signing up for the movie meant also becoming co-conspirators. Everyone knew the risks. And, like Rasoulof, many of them have since left Iran. Rostami and Maleki also now live in Germany. Asked if his collaborators are all currently safe, Rasoulof responds: “No one is safe from the Islamic Republic.” In his new life, Rasoulof is experiencing freedoms he never had in Iran. His films, for example, are widely available outside his native country but not in Iran. His prize-winning 2020 drama “There Is No Evil,” about capital punishment in Iran, is banned — though, ironically, Rasoulof’s prison guards enjoyed watching it with him from a flash drive. “I haven’t seen many of my films on a big screen, especially my last film,” he says. “I really want to see ‘There Is No Evil’ on a big screen. A festival in Portugal has promised to take me to see my own film.” The name of Rasoulof’s film comes from his memory of an ancient fig tree he once visited on an island in the south of Iran. It’s a tree that, with apparent metaphorical meaning for the Iranian government, spreads its seeds onto other trees, killing them and growing in their place. Rasoulof pulls out his phone to share a photo of his apartment in Tehran. Outside a large window, you can see the walls of Evin running along a craggy hillside. Inside are many houseplants. “This is my home,” he says. “I have a lot of plants. I really miss my plants. I have a neighbor who takes care of them for me. I actually have a fig tree at home.”Mountain America Partners With Idaho State Athletics to Donate $14,600 to Operation Warm

Climate technologies play an important part in addressing climate change, which can be seen at the national as well as global level. By blending technological, institutional, and social innovations, national systems of innovation can accelerate climate action and unlock solutions that leverage the unique capacities of different actors to collectively drive the transition towards a green, resilient, and climate-smart economy. When the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was established in 1992, it already highlighted the need for a transfer of technology and provision of finance from developed to developing countries (Articles 4 and 11). Building on this, the Paris Agreement in 2015 dedicated an entire article (Article 10) to “technology development and transfer in order to improve resilience to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” further underlining the importance of climate technologies. “Technology” in this context is used in a broad sense and can include mitigation technologies (e.g., wind or solar energy), adaptation technologies (e.g., drought-resistant crop varieties or early warning systems), and “soft” technologies, such as energy-efficient practices or technology-related training. As part of the overall means of implementation, technology also closely connects to both climate finance and capacity-building, which are crucial for the development, transfer, deployment, operation, and maintenance of climate technologies. At the national level, the enabling environment is crucial for the effective utilisation of climate technologies and fostering innovation. As stated in Article 10 of the Paris Agreement, “accelerating, encouraging, and enabling innovation is critical for an effective, long-term global response to climate change and promoting economic growth and sustainable development.” A national system of innovation can support and align the efforts of different actors and provide the institutions and linkages that form the foundation for domestic systems of research and development that can produce indigenous technologies and homegrown innovation. But what is needed for a strong national system of innovation, especially in a climate-vulnerable developing country such as Sri Lanka? How can the potential of technology be unlocked and connected in practical ways to the actors who can effectively manufacture, diffuse, and scale it—such as start-ups and entrepreneurs, the private sector, local governments, or national institutions? The key building blocks for a national system of innovation include education (including technical and vocational education and training); research and development; and a conducive policy and regulatory framework. Together, these building blocks can produce a skilled workforce and create a research base at the heart of the innovation system, allowing different entities—such as universities, research institutions, and think tanks—to attract and retain talent. The stability and predictability of this enabling environment is a significant factor to enable long-term research and development activities, while regulatory sandboxes and innovation spaces can help to jump from incremental technology development to technological breakthroughs. In addition, a strong national system of innovation brings together resources and capacities from different actors and provides strategic coordination and alignment with a national research agenda and/or development vision. For example, this can be supported through transparent flows of information and data availability; collaborations and partnerships between the public sector, academia, and the private sector; or cross-sectoral cooperation. Fostering market demand for climate technologies can further unlock innovation and support the transition from technology adoption to genuine technology deployment and scaling, allowing enterprises to find commercial applications and mobilise capital and investment from a variety of sources. A key challenge for enhancing national systems of innovation is the need to move from strategic prioritisation to technology development, commercialisation, and large-scale diffusion. Fragmentation of efforts, data gaps, insufficient funding, or resistance to change can pose barriers to the widespread adoption of climate technologies. Therefore, beyond a solid foundation in education, training, and research that builds scientific, engineering, and design capabilities, finding technology-driven climate solutions also requires a mindset shift towards innovation, experimentation, and risk-taking. De-risking investment and providing dedicated grant or loan schemes could provide additional incentives in this regard and support innovators in understanding users, markets, and the linkages between the two. Access to both domestic and foreign markets as well as policy review and feedback systems that measure impact and support the iterative improvement of the innovation ecosystem are other key aspects of technology at the national level. At a larger scale, developing countries need financial and technical support for product development, demonstration, manufacturing, and business model development. National systems of innovation are indispensable for a successful transition and can play a key part in harnessing the power of technology to find transformative climate solutions. As countries work towards their national as well as collective global climate goals, strengthening these systems offers a powerful pathway for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and long-term green growth.Prices for gallium — a metal used in semiconductors and advanced technology — jumped to their highest level since 2011 following export restrictions recently imposed by China. Gallium prices assessed by Fastmarkets rose to $595 per kilogram on Friday, a 17% increase over the previous level on Dec. 11. The critical mineral has moved higher after China banned exports of several metals to the US earlier this month, a sign of rising trade tensions between the two countries. China accounted for 98% of global gallium production in 2023, according to the US Geological Survey. While the market for gallium is relatively small, it has important applications in compound semiconductors, which combine multiple elements to improve transmission speed and efficiency. It’s also needed for TV and phone screens, solar panels and radar equipment. Beijing had already placed initial controls on exports of the material in August 2023, driving prices higher and upending trade flows. Gallium prices have more than doubled since the curbs were announced earlier last year, according to Bloomberg calculations from Fastmarkets data. (By Jack Ryan) Read More: China’s trade reprisals may extend to minerals like rare earths

Plane Crash: Putin apologises to Azerbaijan without claiming responsibility

Shopping for a smart thermostat that works with the new Matter standard? There aren’t many to choose from, but now you’ve got one more option. Smart home manufacturer Meross has just unleashed its first thermostat to support Matter, the 2-year-old protocol that allows the big smart-home platforms to play nice with each other. On sale now for $69.99 (a $30 price cut from its $99.99 list price), the is rated to work with 95 percent of HVAC systems, including single- and multi-stage furnaces, boilers, air conditioners, heat pumps, and fan coil units. One thing the Meross thermostat do is work with heating and cooling setups in Europe; instead, the device is strictly for stateside use. The Meross thermostat also requires a C (or “common”) wire; if you live in an older home without a C wire, the thermostat can still work with help from an adapter. From a design standpoint, the Meross thermostat comes in a sleek white housing with a glass touch panel, complete with LED indicators for current and set temperature, heating and cooling status, and wireless connectivity. The Meross app lets you set up heating and cooling schedules, and it also tracks your HVAC energy consumption over time. Best of all, the new Meross thermostat works with . Thanks to Matter, the Meross thermostat will work with Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings, along with their respective voice assistants. The Meross device’s Matter connectivity comes via Wi-Fi rather than Thread, the latter being a low-power, high-reliability wireless connection that’s an integral part of the Matter standard. Thread-enabled devices can connect to each other, creating self-healing mesh networks, whereas Matter-over-Wi-Fi devices are dependent on a Wi-Fi router. While thermostats were among the first categories of smart devices to support the Matter standard, there are still only a handful of Matter-enabled thermostats on the market. Google makes two of them: the and the , while the works with Matter in conjunction with the Aqara Zigbee 3.0 Hub. The exclusive club is rounded out by the . We’ll have a full review of the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Thermostat once we check out a sample unit. Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he has covered everything from smart speakers and soundbars to smart lights and security cameras. Ben's articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men's Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master's degree in English literature.New disability ministers will ‘champion’ inclusion and accessibility – minister

‘Few options left’: The situation in Syria is very bad news for PutinNEW YORK (AP) — Shortly before he was to be flogged and imprisoned for eight years, Mohammad Rasoulof fled Iran. His weekslong journey would take him from Tehran, through rural Iranian villages, on foot across a mountainous borderland and ultimately to Hamburg, Germany. As arduous and dangerous as the trip was, Rasoulof’s travels had an added wrinkle: He was trying to finish a movie at the same time. A week after arriving in Germany, Rasoulof would premiere his film, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” at the Cannes Film Festival in France. As he fled, Rasoulof was preoccupied with the movie’s edit, which was being carried out in Germany. “I remember when I was sitting in the car that was driving me to the border,” Rasoulof says. “I had my laptop and I was taking notes and sending them to my editor. The two friends who were taking me kept saying, ‘Put that thing away for a second.’” In Cannes, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” won a special jury prize and Rasoulof was celebrated with a 13-minute standing ovation. The movie has since been hailed as one of the best of the year, and arguably its most daring. Rasoulof made “Sacred Fig” clandestinely in Iran, directing scenes from a separate location to avoid raising suspicions. (The opening titles read: “When there is no way, a way must be made.”) Its story — a devastating family drama set during the 2022 protests that engulfed Iran — would surely only add to Rasoulof’s prison sentence. So after all of this, how is he feeling? When he recently met with The Associated Press for an interview, Rasoulof shrugged. “Ordinary,” he says. Rasoulof, 52, has a more gentle, bemused presence than some of his films would suggest. But how could Rasoulof, after what he’s lived through this year, feel anything like ordinary? “I still haven’t grasped the meaning of exile,” he explains. “I think it will take some time. The feeling of that void has not hit me yet, and I think it may never come.” Rasoulof has been busy traveling from film festival to film festival. In September, he and his 24-year-old daughter attended the Telluride festival in Colorado. Many more such stops were to come. Since fleeing Iran, Rasoulof has effectively been immersed in the world he’s long known: cinema. “Maybe I am living in the world of cinema, and maybe that’s why things are so familiar,” he agrees. “Maybe that’s why I don’t feel I’m in exile.” “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” currently playing in theaters, is the Oscar submission from Rasoulof’s adoptive home, Germany. He’s settled in with his family, grateful for how the country has welcomed him. Speaking through an interpreter, Rasoulof grants that he’ll probably always mentally have a bag packed, ready to return to Iran should the chance ever come. But what “home” constitutes has changed for him. “I might be able to change this concept of home for myself,” he says. “I walk on the streets here and I see people of different colors and forms from all over the place, and they all call this place home. So there’s always the chance that one can build something new.” How oppressive politics can infiltrate the home is central to “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” It concerns a family of four: Iman (Missagh Zareh), a lawyer newly appointed to the Revolutionary Court in Tehran; his wife, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani) and their two daughters, Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki). Iman is proud of his high position, but, when the government crackdown on protesters following the death of Mahsa Amini accelerates, his daughters are increasingly at odds with him. After Iman's gun goes missing, his wife and daughters turn into suspects. “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” populated with real cellphone videos from the protests, plays out as an excruciating microcosm of Iranian society. “It wasn’t like I put those videos in. They just came in,” says Rasoulof. “The reality is that it was through those videos I realized what happened. When the Woman, Life, Freedom movement occurred, I was in prison.” Rasoulof has spent several spells in Tehran’s Evin Prison. In 2010, he was arrested on set for filming without a permit. In 2022, he was jailed for seven months after pursuing the release of another of Iran’s most prominent filmmakers, Jafar Panahi. Panahi, who secretly made the film “No Bears,” was only released in 2023 after commencing a hunger strike. “My windows at home opened to the hills that have the Evin prison in them,” says Rasoulof. “I knew behind those walls many of my friends were sitting.” Rasoulof, inspired by the courage of the younger generation, resolved to pour the same spirit into “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” Although it wasn’t until Rasoulof’s appeal of his sentence failed that he resolved to flee, he grants that deciding to make “Sacred Fig” essentially sealed his fate. “Making this film was part of that decision,” he says. “Although I had made up my mind earlier, because it was such a bitter decision, I was denying it and delaying it, waiting for a miracle to allow me to stay.” “I would open the fridge to make sure there was nothing there that would go bad,” he adds. “It was a strange circumstance.” For the film's actors and crew members, signing up for the movie meant also becoming co-conspirators. Everyone knew the risks. And, like Rasoulof, many of them have since left Iran. Rostami and Maleki also now live in Germany. Asked if his collaborators are all currently safe, Rasoulof responds: “No one is safe from the Islamic Republic.” In his new life, Rasoulof is experiencing freedoms he never had in Iran. His films, for example, are widely available outside his native country but not in Iran. His prize-winning 2020 drama “There Is No Evil,” about capital punishment in Iran, is banned — though, ironically, Rasoulof’s prison guards enjoyed watching it with him from a flash drive. “I haven’t seen many of my films on a big screen, especially my last film,” he says. “I really want to see ‘There Is No Evil’ on a big screen. A festival in Portugal has promised to take me to see my own film.” The name of Rasoulof’s film comes from his memory of an ancient fig tree he once visited on an island in the south of Iran. It’s a tree that, with apparent metaphorical meaning for the Iranian government, spreads its seeds onto other trees, killing them and growing in their place. Rasoulof pulls out his phone to share a photo of his apartment in Tehran. Outside a large window, you can see the walls of Evin running along a craggy hillside. Inside are many houseplants. “This is my home,” he says. “I have a lot of plants. I really miss my plants. I have a neighbor who takes care of them for me. I actually have a fig tree at home.”Donald Trump calls for Russia's Vladimir Putin to reach 'immediate' settlement with Ukraine

People want to see Bilawal as PM, says governor LAHORE:Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has said that the people of Pakistan want to see Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the prime minister of the country. He said this while talking to a delegation of People's Lawyers Forum (PLF) Gujranwala Division which called on him at the Governor’s House here on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, Punjab governor said that the People's Lawyers Forum has played a key role in the restoration of democracy. He said that civil disobedience call by a political party is equal to anti-nation call. He stated that the dialogue is the best solution and every problem can be resolved on negotiation table. He said that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has a historic role in the establishment of constitutional bench. The governor said that due to the 26th Constitutional Amendment, the path of conspiratorial elements working against democracy was blocked. He further said that every person, including lawyers, has to play a positive role for the development and prosperity of Pakistan. He said that Pakistan is currently facing internal and external conspiracies which have to be thwarted together.Hubbard scores 14 of his 25 points late as Mississippi State pulls away from Prairie View A&M, 91-84