tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27008722687730679822024-03-19T01:46:54.195-07:00News Updatesadminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comBlogger22032125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-66400080232106445212023-12-18T05:48:00.000-08:002023-12-18T05:49:45.983-08:00Bills end Dallas win streak but Cowboys reach NFL playoffs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGa_A21oGpcy-dqkescb0WY0MlA13jXgSH6vke-8A3r7R6GofkrUZ5kagjdhhVwvolIiSsP8rtchyphenhyphenDqFTdCCJOVpTgssC_qezjQqtT0Ce3YpdeQtfNjXWXVMr_sq2xZbvsh7H9ZgOk849PsfnDgxN31gkQ3UN18zQfvnME7wxRsLo4GVf1hdsuYUrBhI/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGa_A21oGpcy-dqkescb0WY0MlA13jXgSH6vke-8A3r7R6GofkrUZ5kagjdhhVwvolIiSsP8rtchyphenhyphenDqFTdCCJOVpTgssC_qezjQqtT0Ce3YpdeQtfNjXWXVMr_sq2xZbvsh7H9ZgOk849PsfnDgxN31gkQ3UN18zQfvnME7wxRsLo4GVf1hdsuYUrBhI/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen made NFL history to ignite the Bills' 31-10 rout of Dallas on Sunday to snap a five-game win streak even as the Cowboys clinched a playoff berth.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">James Cook ran 25 times for 179 yards and a touchdown and Bills defenders dominated the Cowboys in improving Buffalo to 8-6, still out of a playoff spot with three games remaining, while Dallas slid to 10-4.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"That James Cook. What a game from him," Allen said. "He ran the ball so hard. Our offensive line gave him holes to run through. Our guys on the perimeter blocked their tails off... and our defense came out and played so well."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Despite wind and heavy rain, Cook was the first Bill with a rushing and reception touchdown and more than 200 total yards in a game since Thurman Thomas in 1991.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Every opportunity that came my way, just had to make it count," Cook said. "Once you get the ball, you can't hesitate. You have to go."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After marching 75 yards on their first drive to grab the lead on Latavius Murray's 2-yard touchdown run, the Bills got an 18-yard Allen touchdown pass to Cook and a 1-yard Allen touchdown run to seize a 21-3 lead, the largest Dallas halftime deficit in three years.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">That gave Allen an NFL-record 10th game this season with touchdowns rushing and passing.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"It wasn't a pretty passing game," Allen said. "We had the rain and wind and when in doubt, give it to our running backs to grind out some yards. We were smart with the ball."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Cowboys, who haven't won the NFL crown since the 1995 season, secured a third consecutive playoff appearance before the start, thanks to losses by Atlanta and Green Bay, but lost ground in their quest to overtake San Francisco for the NFC top seed and first-round playoff bye.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Playoff-bound San Francisco, powered by Brock Purdy's four touchdown passes, captured the NFC West division crown and improved to 11-3 by beating host Arizona, 45-29.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ravens reach playoffs </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The 49ers stretched their win streak to six games and that combined with Atlanta and Green Bay losses secured a playoff berth for the Philadelphia Eagles (10-3), who visit Seattle on Monday.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Baltimore Ravens became the fourth team to qualify for the playoffs with a 23-7 victory at Jacksonville and stayed atop the AFC at 11-3.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Los Angeles Rams kept Detroit from sealing a playoff spot by defeating Washington, 28-20.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns in defending champion Kansas City's 27-17 victory at New England.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"There's some stuff we've got to clean up, like all season long, but we're going to try and get better and keep it rolling," Mahomes said. "When we're executing well, we're hard to beat."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Miami Dolphins, without top NFL receiver Tyreek Hill due to an ankle injury, blanked the New York Jets, 30-0, with Raheem Mostert rushing for two touchdowns and Tua Tagovailoa throwing for 224 yards and a touchdown.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"It's tough not having one of your star guys out there," Tagovailoa said. "We have a lot of other guys we believe in and that's what happened out there -- it's just the trust we have in each other."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Dolphins reached 10-4 for the first time in 23 years but remain a game behind Baltimore for the AFC top seed with Kansas City next at 9-5.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Baker Mayfield completed 22-of-28 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns to lead Tampa Bay's 34-20 victory at Green Bay.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">New Orleans stayed level with Tampa Bay atop the NFC South by beating the New York Giants, 24-6, as Derek Carr threw for 218 yards and three touchdowns.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Carolina's Eddy Pineiro kicked his third field goal, a 23-yarder on the last play, to lift the host Panthers over Atlanta, 9-7.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Dustin Hopkins kicked a 34-yard field goal with 32 seconds to play to give Cleveland a 20-17 home win over Chicago.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Houston's Ka'imi Fairbairn kicked his fourth field goal, a 54-yarder on the final play, to give the Texans a 19-16 overtime triumph at Tennessee.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-47024902323905246692023-12-13T04:57:00.000-08:002023-12-13T04:58:54.418-08:00Puma to end kit deal with Israeli national football team<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TmTMSwXHQoOZS1VGqC4PmnOnvt1bwqGOWz0eS19ITjT8MU-FoD54t0oiIyhPokNWXTmiXaHsZw-jRReEmXxBEAYQ04SRZkyCAReTHnhwXThqniWuV2mnssIthIgbr_9rRRKpBfBrV_6b0ryBahGfms7MRVxTZeaLtNt7cajjRaacPNt8go-Ld7AUoP8/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TmTMSwXHQoOZS1VGqC4PmnOnvt1bwqGOWz0eS19ITjT8MU-FoD54t0oiIyhPokNWXTmiXaHsZw-jRReEmXxBEAYQ04SRZkyCAReTHnhwXThqniWuV2mnssIthIgbr_9rRRKpBfBrV_6b0ryBahGfms7MRVxTZeaLtNt7cajjRaacPNt8go-Ld7AUoP8/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">BERLIN, Germany -- German sportswear maker Puma said Tuesday it would end a sponsorship deal with the Israeli national football team in a decision made before the beginning of the war in Gaza.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Following a strategy review carried out at the end of 2022, Puma would stop outfitting the Israeli team from next year, the company said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"While two newly signed national teams –- including a new statement team –- will be announced later this year and in 2024, the contracts of some federations such as Serbia and Israel will expire in 2024," a spokeswoman said in a statement.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"These decisions were taken in 2022 in line with the regular timelines for the design (and) development of the team jerseys," the spokeswoman said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The deal with Israel, which was signed in 2018, prompted calls to boycott the sportswear brand.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Campaigners accused Puma of endorsing illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank through its deal with the Israeli FA, which includes teams from the occupied Palestinian territory.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The outbreak in October of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, has strengthened longstanding calls to boycott products which support Israel.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The war was triggered when Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented attack against Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 240 hostages -- 137 of whom remain in Gaza, Israeli officials say.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and began intense bombardments and a ground offensive in Gaza that has killed at least 18,200 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-1629538636590393492023-12-13T04:53:00.000-08:002023-12-13T04:53:58.854-08:00Big E3 videogame expo calls it quits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupCYC2Sn8puUk0_boAov3KoSNOLm5RSxMYBCciDp2FHmXd3k1tf1fcNyiUuJ1u0HNK4OdEo__WkJOj3Dcw88BLmSRyz9xn4aZGXWjh23CrVPuOri32tQ8vRZANyKucAq_9MNd8UANJC2X7Q9zY6aeHyh7GMfUspUPhX9PDlHYXPaK_TGV8dP247Gffrc/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupCYC2Sn8puUk0_boAov3KoSNOLm5RSxMYBCciDp2FHmXd3k1tf1fcNyiUuJ1u0HNK4OdEo__WkJOj3Dcw88BLmSRyz9xn4aZGXWjh23CrVPuOri32tQ8vRZANyKucAq_9MNd8UANJC2X7Q9zY6aeHyh7GMfUspUPhX9PDlHYXPaK_TGV8dP247Gffrc/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">The main organizer of E3, a long-running videogame trade show, on Tuesday said the event will no longer take place, ending a 20-year run.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"After more than two decades of serving as a central showcase for the US and global video game industry, ESA has decided to end E3," said Stanley Pierre-Louis, President and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"ESA’s focus and priority remain advocating for ESA member companies and the industry workforce who fuel positive cultural and economic impact every day," he added.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Washington-based ESA had sponsored the big gathering annually since 1995, usually in Los Angeles, but canceled the event in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and held a virtual version in 2021.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">At its height, the show was a major launchpad for new releases from the biggest video gaming players.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">According to the Washington Post, the Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles were each showcased at a 2005 show, for example.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">More recently, major gaming players announce their own digital gatherings and gaming titans such as Xbox, Nintendo and Sony had declined to attend last year's attempt to revive the event.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-23085895938329006472023-12-11T04:52:00.000-08:002023-12-11T04:55:07.805-08:00RM, V of K-pop group BTS to start mandatory military service<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAlAF3AEgXHYqbEAknBLDWIieAZxvcIKvHs5SQBFUsxeczOurorDVT2EWpGvb4WUhJlbaT4picKR6RmoSj0a_KitWlkPvfwlgjduMfpSjSiXP9Ny_cNPZ7TWpVSgOAktjUGy08nqySPX8UXUZpi5GPXIoNdTrUhdpildus4zvYB2wSk5-vXF21ucgurk/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAlAF3AEgXHYqbEAknBLDWIieAZxvcIKvHs5SQBFUsxeczOurorDVT2EWpGvb4WUhJlbaT4picKR6RmoSj0a_KitWlkPvfwlgjduMfpSjSiXP9Ny_cNPZ7TWpVSgOAktjUGy08nqySPX8UXUZpi5GPXIoNdTrUhdpildus4zvYB2wSk5-vXF21ucgurk/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">SEOUL -- Two more members of K-pop phenomenon BTS, RM and V, were set to start mandatory South Korean military service Monday, local media reported, with the final two members expected to enlist this week.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">All able-bodied men in South Korea must serve at least 18 months in the military.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After a years-long debate about whether BTS deserved an exemption, Jin, the oldest member of the group, enlisted last year and his bandmates J-Hope and SUGA followed this year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">RM and V were set to begin their five-week basic training at an army boot camp in South Chungcheong province on Monday, the Yonhap news agency reported.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">RM -- whose full name is Kim Nam-joon and is the leader of BTS -- posted a message to fans late Sunday, saying it will be "a time of learning and new inspirations."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Goodbye for now. Let us be us, whenever and wherever! Let's meet in the future," he wrote on social media platform Weverse.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">V -- real name Kim Tae-hyung -- shared selfies donning his newly shorn, military-approved buzzcut with sunglasses and a scarf.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"It has been a dream to wear sunglasses with a shaved head. I wanted to try it someday and it worked out well," he wrote Sunday on his Instagram account.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The septet has become a global cultural phenomenon, selling out stadiums around the world and dominating key US charts while raking in billions for South Korea's economy and building an international legion of fans known as ARMY.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Their label BIGHIT MUSIC had confirmed in November that the last four members of the group would enlist, but did not disclose additional details.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The two remaining members, Jimin and Jung Kook, are due to enlist on Tuesday, according to local media.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-75665328683120664732023-12-10T10:01:00.000-08:002023-12-10T10:03:33.207-08:00Ohtani moving to Dodgers in record 10-yr, $700-M deal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfOh2zX2ua3bLtk13IE53sqGmpitjL8SwO4-f1g8lAo58T9kj57mwGaYMHC3pX6xVXOvl_r_z_PoNi76-8i4k-4IKy_FTzaZzd7R-BU99XweoDwmMVbl2SwhMNEFCoBTP5ipvFexqjjTBRUBQAAd0QDMzRkrhjOHx4Ehrq6wACGzCRuoimtBMkglmb8DY/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfOh2zX2ua3bLtk13IE53sqGmpitjL8SwO4-f1g8lAo58T9kj57mwGaYMHC3pX6xVXOvl_r_z_PoNi76-8i4k-4IKy_FTzaZzd7R-BU99XweoDwmMVbl2SwhMNEFCoBTP5ipvFexqjjTBRUBQAAd0QDMzRkrhjOHx4Ehrq6wACGzCRuoimtBMkglmb8DY/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">LOS ANGELES -- Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani confirmed on Saturday he is joining the Los Angeles Dodgers in a record-shattering 10-year, $700 million deal -- the richest contract in the history of North American sport.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After weeks of frenzied speculation over where the 29-year-old Los Angeles Angels two-way ace would land in free agency, Ohtani announced on Instagram he had opted for his former club's cross-town rivals.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision," Ohtani wrote on Instagram. "I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"I pledge to always do what's best for the team and always continue to give it my all to be the best version of myself.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Until the last day of my playing career, I want to continue to strive forward not only for the Dodgers but for the baseball world," <a href="http://www.instagram.com/p/C0pR_vyvLpR/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>Ohtani </b></span></a>added.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ohtani's agent Nez Balelo said in a statement the deal would be worth $700 million over 10 years, a historic figure that smashed the previous record baseball contract as well as bettering the largest deals ever agreed in the NFL and NBA.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Balelo described Ohtani's mammoth payday as a "unique historic contract, for a unique historic player."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Shohei is thrilled to be a part of the Dodgers organization," Balelo said. "He is excited to begin this partnership."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The previous largest contract awarded in baseball was the 12-year, $426.5 million extension handed to Ohtani's Angels team-mate Mike Trout in 2019.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Until Ohtani's deal, the largest contract in any sport in North America belonged to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who agreed a 10-year, $450 million extension in 2020.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Mahomes was among several US sports stars to react to news of Ohtani's gargantuan payday.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Bro like what!...Congrats to him," the NFL star wrote on social media.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Cleveland NBA star Donovan Mitchell chimed in: "$700 million is crazy!! And he deserves every penny of that too."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ohtani has taken Major League Baseball by storm since landing in the league in 2018, with his almost unheard of combination of elite pitching and hitting prowess earning him comparisons to Babe Ruth.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">- Making history -</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Although his talents were not enough to help spark a revival in the Angels' fortunes – the team failed to make the playoffs following his arrival – Ohtani nevertheless dazzled in a flagging franchise.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He has twice been named American League Most Valuable Player, in 2021 and 2023, on both occasions winning by unanimous vote – the only player in history to achieve that distinction.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Although elbow injuries have cut short his pitching appearances – he missed the final month of the 2023 campaign with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow – this season was his most successful to date.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As a designated hitter, Ohtani led the AL in home runs with 44, in on-base percentage (.412), slugging percentage (.654) and total bases (325).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He hit 26 doubles and eight triples with 20 stolen bases and 95 runs-batted-in. He hit over .300 for the first time in his six-year major league career.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In 23 pitching starts he went 10-5 with a 3.14 earned-run-average and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He had the lowest batting average against (.184) among all AL pitchers with at least 130 innings.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It marked Ohtani's second straight season with at least 10 wins on the mound and 10 home runs at the plate.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The only other player to accomplish that feat was New York Yankees legend Ruth back in 1918.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Although revered as a dual threat, Ohtani will not pitch in 2024 to help his arm recover but will still be able to hit.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Even though he will be absent from the mound next season, his offensive talents and future pitching potential proved irresistible to the Dodgers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ohtani's departure from the Angels had become inevitable as the franchise struggled for relevance during the Japanese star's six seasons with the club.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In that time the Angels failed to reach the postseason or even register a winning season.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But while Ohtani was frustrated in his pursuit of success with the Angels, he was the driving force behind Japan's victory in the World Baseball Classic in March.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He helped close out a fairytale 3-2 victory for Japan over the United States in the final of the showpiece in Miami, striking out Angels teammate and US captain Mike Trout to clinch his country's third WBC victory following triumphs in 2006 and 2009.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As well as being a standout on the field, Ohtani has also been a one-man commercial juggernaut off the field. He reportedly made a one-season MLB record $65 million in salary and endorsements these season, making him the highest paid player in baseball.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He also had the best-selling jersey of any Major League Baseball player this season -- the first time a Japanese player topped the list.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-15211041478852437062023-12-05T09:09:00.000-08:002023-12-05T09:10:12.787-08:00Tennis: Nadal plays down expectations before Brisbane return<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTMt4F2KygIPwOZJOPNsdHwlnimYg4KUM8kiPegayUWWe6Ufn6riIvrK8NbJu2AGgzkuNUN_qSfK1RXQOX_Lz4vfCtk8a_HkPpQvOa50jIO2rbxwpOTDfZS1zEdjs4x5xF8VrVxQqPcWkHEQJx7lgqNGlbHjSLkW_7d5CoAtcHSICgsyo9ocJRqU3F9c/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTMt4F2KygIPwOZJOPNsdHwlnimYg4KUM8kiPegayUWWe6Ufn6riIvrK8NbJu2AGgzkuNUN_qSfK1RXQOX_Lz4vfCtk8a_HkPpQvOa50jIO2rbxwpOTDfZS1zEdjs4x5xF8VrVxQqPcWkHEQJx7lgqNGlbHjSLkW_7d5CoAtcHSICgsyo9ocJRqU3F9c/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">PARIS, France -- Former world number one Rafael Nadal said on Monday he expects "nothing" from himself before his return to the courts next month.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Nadal, 37, has been out with a hip injury since last January but is set to feature at Brisbane in the near year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Spaniard will use the tournament as a warm-up to the Australian Open in Melbourne, having slumped to 663rd in the world before starting his final year before his expected retirement.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"I think I'm ready and I trust and hope that all goes well and it gives me the opportunity to enjoy myself on the court," Nadal said in a video on social media.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"I expect from myself to expect nothing.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"To have the ability not to demand myself what I have demanded myself throughout my career," the 22-time Grand Slam winner added.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Since being sidelined Nadal has been overtaken in the number of Grand Slam tournaments won by Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic, who now has 24 major titles.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Nadal will try to return to the highest level in Australia with the aim of competing at the French Open which he has won a record 14 times.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He is in line for a busy final season with the Grand Slams and the Olympic Games, where he won singles gold in Beijing in 2008 and doubles gold in Rio in 2016.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"I believe I'm in a different moment, situation. I am in an unexplored terrain," Nadal said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"I have internalised what I have had throughout my life, which is demand myself the maximum.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Right now what I really hope is to be able not to do that, to accept things are going to be very difficult at the beginning and give myself the necessary time," he added.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">© Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-32213362203121981032023-11-29T12:31:00.000-08:002023-11-29T12:31:55.334-08:00Bucks, Celtics, Knicks advance in NBA In-Season Tournament<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYc1kPNqnCfxYAgTTmg-NNzZCIqYB5Z_sCLUAlskT1M9DRzdIsVse1rayI9CUkS47ET60A906_0Xgur8OZtKTKGU_MH9w4qNEpts1bgZW88SFD6JSSAsl8gSDKIs8xHdSD9jrkfHwdtqvcZ90-RsGo5TtzEEyz2m2Cu4_b1XPLKJGd_8pjIQxpgnSjZk0/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYc1kPNqnCfxYAgTTmg-NNzZCIqYB5Z_sCLUAlskT1M9DRzdIsVse1rayI9CUkS47ET60A906_0Xgur8OZtKTKGU_MH9w4qNEpts1bgZW88SFD6JSSAsl8gSDKIs8xHdSD9jrkfHwdtqvcZ90-RsGo5TtzEEyz2m2Cu4_b1XPLKJGd_8pjIQxpgnSjZk0/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points and Damian Lillard added 32 as the Milwaukee Bucks beat Miami, 131-124, on Tuesday to reach the knockout rounds of the NBA In-Season Tournament.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">On the final night of group-stage play in the NBA's inaugural version of a World Cup, the Bucks won the East Group B crown at 4-0, taking the top Eastern Conference seed in the fight to reach next month's semi-finals in Las Vegas.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"We completed the task," Milwaukee's Khris Middleton said. "To get to Vegas now, we've got to do a little bit more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"We want it. We're hungry for it. It's exciting times for us. We want to go to Vegas so we're happy."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The quarterfinals will find Boston at Indiana and New Orleans at Sacramento on Monday, with New York at Milwaukee and Phoenix at the Los Angeles Lakers next Tuesday.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Boston routed Chicago, 124-97, to win East Group C and advance, while New York, second behind Milwaukee in Group B, beat Charlotte, 115-91, and advanced as a wildcard based on superior point differential over Cleveland, 42-29.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sacramento edged Golden State, 124-123, to win West Group C, rallying from 24 points down in the second quarter to advance.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Warriors knew they had to win by 12 points to win the group on a point differential tiebreaker and took a 72-55 half-time lead before the Kings, led by 29 points from De'Aaron Fox, rallied late to trim the margin then swipe the triumph.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"We still wanted to win the game, it counts for the regular season, but we knew what the number was," Fox said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Phoenix took a West wildcard spot when Minnesota beat Oklahoma City, 106-103, while New Orleans won West Group B when the Dallas Mavericks downed visiting Houston, 121-115.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">At Miami, the Bucks opened a 15-2 lead, Miami answered with a 16-4 run, then Milwaukee closed the first quarter on a 12-4 spurt for a 31-22 lead.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"We started out great, but it's hard," Middleton said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"You're just not going to knock a team down in the first five minutes. They did a great job coming back. We did a great job keeping our composure and finding a way to close this thing out."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Miami, lacking Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro due to ankle sprains, led 97-93 after three quarters.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Middleton, who had 17 points and eight rebounds, hit back-to-back jumpers for a four-point lead and dunks by Brook Lopez and Antetokounmpo settled matters.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Thankfully I was able to hit a couple shots," Middleton said. "I'm just happy we won a tough game."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Antetokounmpo made 11-of-16 from the floor and 10-of-13 from the free-throw line and grabbed 10 rebounds with five assists, while Lillard, 9-of-18 from the floor and 10-of-10 from the line, added nine assists.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">At New York, Julius Randle scored 25 points and grabbed 20 rebounds while Immanuel Quickley had 23 points off the bench to spark the Knicks.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Boston needed a lopsided win to advance and got it as Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, grabbed eight rebounds and passed off six assists to lead the hosts over Chicago.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Jayson Tatum added 21 points and Al Horford had 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Celtics.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Injuries hit Warriors </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Golden State's Chris Paul went out in the first quarter with lower left leg soreness and Gary Payton II went down with a right calf injury in the third quarter at Sacramento, which had lost two prior meetings with the Warriors this season.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Golden State's Draymond Green, back from a five-game ban for putting Minnesota's Rudy Gobert in a headlock, received a technical foul in the fourth quarter for arguing referee calls.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Dallas star Luka Doncic dominated Houston with 41 points, nine rebounds and nine assists while Kyrie Irving added 27 points for the Mavs, keeping the Rockets winless on the road this season.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Western Conference overall season leader Minnesota (13-4) hung on to top spot by edging visiting Oklahoma City (11-6).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Anthony Edwards, who left the game with a bruised right hip, led the Timberwolves with 21 points, while Gobert added 17 points and 16 rebounds.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But Phoenix took the West wildcard on point differential 34-0 over Minnesota.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-44390960923411687322023-11-27T06:39:00.000-08:002023-11-27T06:41:24.700-08:00US stocks mostly up as holiday shopping season begins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH228litLGGqqisvxs_LURDyr1iw-JPtwO5pkmp2da7heYUz6CiV_IMxdxdc4G5oIqZmfNxjSOxJTnBvSG9D57gZ8PWSXoVdBiLfqFNCbSMLLZvm1K2WN3Shz5zbH5nFeeaCp6TTjCUI3UMCV5pGM0xAcuUTzaHxjPZWUtYSRR8PO8JsQNNm0CNvned_I/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH228litLGGqqisvxs_LURDyr1iw-JPtwO5pkmp2da7heYUz6CiV_IMxdxdc4G5oIqZmfNxjSOxJTnBvSG9D57gZ8PWSXoVdBiLfqFNCbSMLLZvm1K2WN3Shz5zbH5nFeeaCp6TTjCUI3UMCV5pGM0xAcuUTzaHxjPZWUtYSRR8PO8JsQNNm0CNvned_I/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">NEW YORK -- Wall Street stocks mostly climbed to end a shortened trading day on Friday, with investors keeping close watch on consumer spending at the unofficial start of the year-end shopping season.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3 percent to 35,390.15.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The broad-based S&P 500 edged up 0.1 percent to 4,559.34, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index ticked down 0.1 percent to 14,250.85.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Markets closed early on "Black Friday," the Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday when retailers often offer major discounts.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The annual sales day, which is followed by the newer "Cyber Monday," marks the start of the holiday shopping season.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Today's lack of movement can be ascribed to a general lack of trading interest befitting the day after Thanksgiving," said Briefing.com in a note.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Consumers are expected to be increasingly price-conscious this year, still jaded by stubborn inflation and lingering effects from the upheaval of the pandemic.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But "how that ends up impacting retailers' profits remains to be seen" for now, Briefing.com added.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Among major retailers, Walmart shares advanced 0.7 percent while Target was up 0.5 percent.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon shares were flat after it was hit by strikes in Europe, as workers demand better wages and working conditions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">UNI Global Union warned Amazon would face strikes and protests in more than 30 countries around the world, including the United States.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-37694902248983166002023-11-25T16:06:00.000-08:002023-11-25T16:08:50.352-08:00Shakira pays 6.6M euros in another Spain tax fraud case<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhIMc-L7EtdVgBzrKzP0pXkUJB6kEjioEpbIg250PRZrmEfLYOLgU8jhBw6XwcUKStr1POHc5Bcw2gsBfzPQ9_dmWSm9ZFERjHjann2Xwa_GcMtv_R9V9nAWr1N2vzfQ8myeIds0Cs29D0iWQlON3KXcjSE5QofXsJFLShsQ_1U57LMme8gvoxIjOChY/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="950" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhIMc-L7EtdVgBzrKzP0pXkUJB6kEjioEpbIg250PRZrmEfLYOLgU8jhBw6XwcUKStr1POHc5Bcw2gsBfzPQ9_dmWSm9ZFERjHjann2Xwa_GcMtv_R9V9nAWr1N2vzfQ8myeIds0Cs29D0iWQlON3KXcjSE5QofXsJFLShsQ_1U57LMme8gvoxIjOChY/w400-h268/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Colombian superstar Shakira has paid 6.6 million euros ($7.2 million) to a Spanish court investigating her for unpaid taxes, her agent said Friday, just days after she reached a deal to avoid trial in another tax case.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Spanish prosecutors in July opened a second case against the 46-year-old singer, accusing her of using a network of companies, some of them based in tax havens, to cheat Spain's tax office out of some 6.6 million euros in 2018, including interest and adjustments.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Shakira paid the court in August, the agency that represents her told AFP, confirming a report in daily newspaper El Periodico.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The 6.6-million-euro payment does not imply either the singer's guilt or innocence in the case, but is "another demonstration of her willingness to repay her possible debts to the Spanish tax authorities", the newspaper said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Separately, the "Hips Don't Lie" singer Monday reached a last-minute settlement with Spanish prosecutors to avoid trial for tax fraud on income she earned between 2012 and 2014.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As part of that deal Shakira agreed to pay a fine of 7.3 million euros, equal to 50 percent of the amount of unpaid tax.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">She had already paid 17.45 million euros to the Spanish tax authorities to settle her situation in this case.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The singer, who had previously rejected a deal offered by prosecutors, said in a statement she had settled "with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her personal well-being in this fight".</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Shakira moved to Miami with her two sons in April following her split from former FC Barcelona star defender Gerard Pique.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-89546298916059044422023-10-04T13:06:00.004-07:002023-10-04T13:08:56.006-07:00Source: Facebook, Instagram to charge EU users for ad-free service<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6eNdsR2SAJDYYtj2Jn3uQkLnPkLzxe-iNBt87WWFuYMLSDW4JD1h2kx3ztKKjlJMkXbUWVroDg887Sl5n6a23g2zftyJNvPDGK4U60v1mnfkeuO2byODp4KTBApsWDKcOs6qj2CelSvyxS6CqKzkwn6_jK3989-mvMRl4eyl9h-Bpc9jcS5sgDAt9o8/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6eNdsR2SAJDYYtj2Jn3uQkLnPkLzxe-iNBt87WWFuYMLSDW4JD1h2kx3ztKKjlJMkXbUWVroDg887Sl5n6a23g2zftyJNvPDGK4U60v1mnfkeuO2byODp4KTBApsWDKcOs6qj2CelSvyxS6CqKzkwn6_jK3989-mvMRl4eyl9h-Bpc9jcS5sgDAt9o8/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">WASHINGTON, United States - Meta is proposing to offer European users a subscription-based version of Instagram and Facebook if they would rather not be tracked for ads, a source said on Tuesday.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The idea, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes as the social media giant seeks to comply with a growing list of EU regulations designed to curb the power of US big tech.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The company founded by Mark Zuckerberg makes its billions of dollars in profit by offering advertisers highly individualized data on users, but new European regulations and EU court decisions have made that harder.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The proposal has been put to EU regulators and is another example of big tech companies having to adapt long-held practices to meet oncoming EU rules.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The source close to the matter said subscribers in Europe could pay 10 euros ($10.50) a month for a desktop version of Instagram or Facebook, or 13 euros a month for Instagram on their phones.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Social media platforms have increasingly floated the idea of charging users for access to their sites, whether to comply with data privacy regulations or better guarantee the identity of users.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But the practice would be a major shift for the social media industry that grew exponentially over the past decade on an advertising model that made the site free for users in return for being tracked and ads seen highly personalized.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The proposal could help meet several regulations including the Digital Markets Act that imposes a list of do's and don'ts on big tech companies in Europe, including a ban on tracking users when they surf other sites if their consent hasn't been clearly granted.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It also follows the recommendation of the EU's highest court, which in a July decision said that Meta platform users who declined to be tracked should be offered an ad free alternative "for an appropriate fee."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">That ruling echoed many previous rulings against Meta and other big tech firms in which the court ruled that the US company must ask for permission to collect large amounts of personal data, striking down various workarounds that Meta had offered.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meta declined to comment directly on the Wall Street Journal report, but said in a statement that it still "believes in the value of free services which are supported by personalized ads."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"However, we continue to explore options to ensure we comply with evolving regulatory requirements."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meta reported second-quarter revenues of $32 billion, of which $31.5 billion came from advertising. Some $7.2bn of that came from Europe.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-85430002200291724522023-10-03T10:10:00.000-07:002023-10-03T10:14:31.005-07:00Fraud trial of disgraced crypto star Sam Bankman-Fried begins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcORofahvG6hqry-pk5n6rrjO9k12OGWgAtf6hV-emtFa9GrAQFeHEC4bipAp0ne0Cckc0ZpSk_K1FoguIo9HSD89bSRGIkLeBIpdUzacdSIgDXkysz0xRh0itzAoBbl7fijr3NiDCfOYV-g_LKrFS-WEqSaka8YX0XUbz3s2SIYvmnUqYSJs7RCmy14/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcORofahvG6hqry-pk5n6rrjO9k12OGWgAtf6hV-emtFa9GrAQFeHEC4bipAp0ne0Cckc0ZpSk_K1FoguIo9HSD89bSRGIkLeBIpdUzacdSIgDXkysz0xRh0itzAoBbl7fijr3NiDCfOYV-g_LKrFS-WEqSaka8YX0XUbz3s2SIYvmnUqYSJs7RCmy14/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of one of the cryptocurrency industry's biggest exchanges, begins on Tuesday to determine whether he committed massive fraud against more than a million clients.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The 31-year-old -- once one of the most respected figures in crypto -- now faces decades in prison and could see his name alongside Bernie Madoff and Elizabeth Holmes as one of the era's most prominent fraudsters.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The first day of the trial will be devoted to jury selection for a case that is set to last about six weeks.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In just a few years, the curly-haired Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate turned his FTX platform into the world's second biggest crypto exchange, making him the tech world's latest billionaire wunderkind feted from Wall Street to Silicon Valley.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">FTX had become a near-household name through a frenzied marketing campaign that included celebrity partnerships with stars such as supermodel Gisele Bundchen and basketball star Stephen Curry, and buying the naming rights for the Miami Heat's home arena.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bankman-Fried also stepped in as a kind of savior of the industry when other crypto companies started facing difficulties, with FTX swooping in to offer them a financial lifeline.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">At the height of his career, Bankman-Fried was thought to be worth $26 billion.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But his steep rise was only matched by his ignominious downfall, which saw him escorted last year by police from his luxury apartment in the Bahamas and extradited to face charges in the United States.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">His empire began to crumble last November when a news report pointed to unhealthy ties between the FTX platform and Alameda Research, the company's crypto-focused investment arm.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The revelations kept growing and major investors pulled their money out of FTX, sinking it swiftly into bankruptcy and casting Bankman-Fried as a financial pariah.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Once the dust had settled, some $8.7 billion was still unaccounted for, according to the receiver appointed to manage the liquidation.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Federal prosecutor Damian Williams has accused Bankman-Fried and his associates of systematically diverting funds from FTX clients to prop up Alameda Research, but also wire fraud, securities and commodities fraud, and money laundering.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Danielle Sassoon, an assistant US attorney in Williams' office, told a hearing that the number of victims of Bankman-Fried's alleged actions could be "in excess of a million."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">- Pointing fingers -</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">SBF -- as Bankman-Fried is known -- was extradited at the end of December from the Bahamas, where FTX was headquartered, and released on a $250 million bail upon his arrival in New York.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Pending the trial, Bankman-Fried was placed under house arrest at the Silicon Valley home of his parents, both professors at Stanford University.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But US District Judge Lewis Kaplan rescinded that decision, ordering Bankman-Fried behind bars over alleged attempts at witness intimidation.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">According to prosecutors, while holed up at his parents' home, Bankman-Fried spoke regularly to journalists and passed documents to The New York Times in an effort to alter the testimony of Caroline Ellison, his ex-girlfriend and a former Alameda executive.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ellison has also been indicted in the case: she and three other former executives have pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with US authorities, which may prove Bankman-Fried's undoing in front of the jury.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">His former colleagues are expected to take the stand in the courtroom -- where Bankman-Fried will likely admit egregious management errors but no wrongdoing, and point the finger at Ellison.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"I didn't ever try to commit fraud on anyone. I was shocked by what happened this month," a contrite Bankman-Fried told an interviewer days after his company's collapse.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-77299937765885762062023-09-27T12:53:00.000-07:002023-09-27T12:55:23.326-07:00Damian Lillard is being traded from the Trail Blazers to the Bucks, AP source says, ending long saga<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAoPT6JInJWyqssCzWSNrrX8TWvCMsUsRG5DQy8wtBdZb9yzzFxStb5qyqCRk67lIdSs6W1mRxyW9pBu2sEh_V8Zw-dDX2I_SFCZTnRdFgLlVThGfKYhndpPiXyhw4V5ihiyiX9_m_Nj_Bn9zKOYS91ZxKXgKvvwbiw5A8YkLwpqrUnSASxUSnay4qyI/s980/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="980" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAoPT6JInJWyqssCzWSNrrX8TWvCMsUsRG5DQy8wtBdZb9yzzFxStb5qyqCRk67lIdSs6W1mRxyW9pBu2sEh_V8Zw-dDX2I_SFCZTnRdFgLlVThGfKYhndpPiXyhw4V5ihiyiX9_m_Nj_Bn9zKOYS91ZxKXgKvvwbiw5A8YkLwpqrUnSASxUSnay4qyI/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Damian Lillard is being traded by Portland to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, a person with knowledge of the agreement said Wednesday, a deal that ends his 11-year run with the Trail Blazers and a three-month saga surrounding his wish to be moved elsewhere in hopes of winning an NBA title.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The seven-time All-Star — a player so elite that he was selected to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team — goes from the Trail Blazers to the Bucks in a three-team deal that sends Jrue Holiday from the Bucks to Portland, Deandre Ayton from Phoenix to Portland and Jusuf Nurkic from the Blazers to the Suns, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because none of the involved teams had announced the agreement.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As with all trades, it cannot be finalized until NBA attorneys review the terms and approve the deal.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It became known on July 1 that Lillard asked the Trail Blazers for a trade, which he was long speculated to be considering given his desire to play for a contender and Portland not seeming to have much of a chance with its current roster.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He wanted to go to Miami and made that clear. Portland decided not to accommodate that request, and instead, it’s the Bucks who now have an incredibly strong 1-2 punch of Lillard and Antetokounmpo heading into the new season.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The trade continues the Bucks’ dramatic offseason makeover in response to their surprising first-round playoff loss to Miami.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">They followed up that playoff loss by firing coach Mike Budenholzer and replacing him with Adrian Griffin, who spent the last five seasons as a Toronto Raptors assistant. Now they trade away the two-time All-Star Holiday to acquire Lillard, a seven-time All-NBA selection.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The acquisition of Lillard comes after Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP, told The New York Times over the summer that he wanted to see how committed the Bucks are toward winning another championship before deciding whether to sign a long-term deal to stay in Milwaukee.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Antetokounmpo’s contract runs through the 2024-25 season, with a player option for 2025-26.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bringing Lillard to Milwaukee certainly suggests the commitment is there. It also keeps the high-scoring guard away from Miami, one of the Bucks’ biggest Eastern Conference challengers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When Lillard’s request was made public by the Blazers, general manager Joe Cronin said he would do “what’s best for the team” while grudgingly seeking to facilitate his wishes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In the end, the deal with Bucks is what Cronin and the Blazers deemed best for all involved. It took a massive package to make the trade happen, especially because Lillard is owed a ransom over the next four years. He will make almost $46 million this coming season and could make as much as $216 million over the next four years if he exercises his option for the 2026-27 season.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It will be a large, and possibly very worthwhile, investment because acquiring Lillard figures to make the Bucks even more of a title contender. He averaged 32.2 points per game this past season, has averaged at least 24 points per game in each of the last eight seasons and has an offensive ignitability that few players in the NBA possess.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He became just the seventh player in NBA history to score more than 70 points in a game when he finished with 71 against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 26. The other names on that list are Wilt Chamberlain (who did it five times), Kobe Bryant, David Thompson, David Robinson, Elgin Baylor and Donovan Mitchell.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">All six of the other players on that list were between 23 and 28 when they had their games of 71 points or more; Lillard was 32, a clear indicator that — even after 11 NBA seasons — he’s far from past his prime.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He has been great. The Blazers have not. And evidently, he didn’t see that changing anytime soon.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Lillard was beloved in Portland, but the speculation about his future with the team only intensified when the Blazers took point guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 overall pick in the June draft rather than package the pick for a proven commodity that could immediately help transform the team into a contender.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Portland won only four playoff series in Lillard’s 11 seasons, getting to the Western Conference Finals once. The team went 33-49 this past season, the second consecutive year of finishing well outside the playoff picture.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">That’s not Lillard’s fault. His career average of 25.2 points per game ranks 11th among all players in NBA history who have appeared in at least 500 games. He’s had 17 games of at least 50 points in his career — two of them in the playoffs — and is a past rookie of the year, teammate of the year and winner of the NBA’s citizenship award.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He’s been an Olympic gold medalist, was the unanimous selection as MVP of the seeding games when the “bubble” season resumed at Walt Disney World during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and even won the 3-point contest at All-Star weekend in February.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And he has an absolute flair for drama. His series-winning shot to eliminate Oklahoma City from the 2019 NBA playoffs — a stepback 3-pointer over Paul George from nearly 40 feet as time expired — is one of the iconic postseason moments in not just Portland history but NBA history as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">-Associated Press</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-57009879432377814242023-09-25T10:34:00.004-07:002023-09-25T10:35:33.798-07:00Usher to headline Super Bowl halftime show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7tOHHkvnKIdmsXDH6oXpyK2kD1G6pBVgaRXinxAKPgdrFqcVSM7RnJ25o4r_bodZxVR58RqtcG7tPxME6TDdzJvDykhJ5ddh89WmcM-mWpMJV2v-B06cgQ2VTlW5oejwcHZDPWu1qisy1AIYnd-1KQ7UJBhgWZHl7QLGHQCOWYTqHiilAkZN05D5ZGg/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7tOHHkvnKIdmsXDH6oXpyK2kD1G6pBVgaRXinxAKPgdrFqcVSM7RnJ25o4r_bodZxVR58RqtcG7tPxME6TDdzJvDykhJ5ddh89WmcM-mWpMJV2v-B06cgQ2VTlW5oejwcHZDPWu1qisy1AIYnd-1KQ7UJBhgWZHl7QLGHQCOWYTqHiilAkZN05D5ZGg/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">NEW YORK -- Hitmaker Usher will headline the Super Bowl halftime show in February, he and the NFL announced Sunday.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The pop and R&B singer behind chart-toppers including "U Got It Bad," "My Boo," "Yeah!" and "OMG" will helm one of the world's most-watched stages in Las Vegas during the sporting event scheduled for February 11, 2024.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"It's an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can't wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they've seen from me before,” Usher said in a statement.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The 44-year-old from Atlanta is one of best-selling artists of the early 2000s, and more recently has been a draw on the Vegas concert residency scene.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">His catalogue of hits includes features from Lil Jon, Ludacris, Alicia Keys and will.i.am., so it's not unlikely his set will include some special guests.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Since 2019 the halftime show during American football's title game has been produced by Roc Nation, the entertainment outfit founded by New York rapper-mogul Jay-Z.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The partnership has resulted in halftimes performed by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, The Weeknd, a hip-hop showcase that included Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar, and 2022's career-spanning set by Rihanna.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Since last year Apple Music is the event's main sponsor, having ousted Pepsi after reportedly paying $50 million for the privilege.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The halftime performance slot is one of the industry's most coveted: the Super Bowl is the most-watched US television broadcast.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In 2022 Nielsen estimated the game drew more than 113 million viewers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">That year the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles but it was Rihanna who stole the show: the megastar made her long-awaited return to the stage at halftime, and dominated the conversation after revealing she was pregnant with her second child.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-87276038297747792692023-09-24T13:13:00.003-07:002023-09-24T13:14:35.116-07:00Jungkook, Anitta draw fans to Central Park aid fest despite rain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcR70Df1Aqt5IfNPjL313nbWYseE6VvFNR4PA2oR170_zJgMaur5muKmCRcGVTf2y7qRZ3nn5QpwoLyg3EmUzF57CbtgJK267HvCjM9sec3An3Z5ypQLLqAbrYJ60IBZM5e6fNYBZUuh_X7j19FQ1qeBgf-00wH1RQTkAfhmPqVcciNncP4CBzHRIN4fQ/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcR70Df1Aqt5IfNPjL313nbWYseE6VvFNR4PA2oR170_zJgMaur5muKmCRcGVTf2y7qRZ3nn5QpwoLyg3EmUzF57CbtgJK267HvCjM9sec3An3Z5ypQLLqAbrYJ60IBZM5e6fNYBZUuh_X7j19FQ1qeBgf-00wH1RQTkAfhmPqVcciNncP4CBzHRIN4fQ/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">NEW YORK, United States - Thousands of people gathered in a swampy Central Park for a concert urging global development aid, with Jungkook of BTS fame and Brazil's Anitta highlighting the marathon show's first half.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Jungkook had the poncho-clad crowd screaming and swaying along as he serenaded them with hits including "Still With You" during the Global Citizen Festival marked by a chilly, persistent rain.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Wearing acid wash jeans and a brown shirt, the megastar told fans it was necessary to "make an impact together to make sure everyone, everywhere has access to their basic rights like food and education."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He wasn't billed as a headliner but Jungkook was a major draw of the night: many drenched concertgoers streamed out of the park just after his set ended, even though the evening was set to continue for another three hours.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Earlier in the evening Anitta brought her impressive twerks and dance party of a show to the stage, performing hits including her recent "Funk Rave."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Brazil's biggest pop star called attention to the importance of protecting the Amazon rainforest, reminding fans it's "the lungs of our planet."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">She also said just prior to kicking off her booty-shaking set that governments must do more to "protect the people there, the indigenous people, the communities there... whose only reality is the Amazon."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And rappers including Busta Rhymes and Common put on a 50th anniversary of hip hop tribute, one of many that has been put on across the city in recent months.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Still to come are headliners Lauryn Hill and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">- Fight against hunger -</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Taking place since 2012 as world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly, Global Citizen distributes tickets for free to supporters who pledge to take actions such as sending letters to their governments in support of development aid.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Pledges came from leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, who announced via video message a $150 million commitment to the International Fund for Agricultural Development.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"We have to fight together against poverty, climate change and for biodiversity," Macron said. "This is why we want to take our part as well."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Rome-headquartered IFAD is an arm of the United Nations aimed at addressing poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Global Citizen welcomed Macron's commitment in a statement, adding that "much more needs to be done to provide crucial support to millions of smallholder farmers around the world, who produce 70 percent of food in low and middle-income countries."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The institution urged governments to double their climate adaptation funding, and make sure IFAD reaches its funding target of $2 billion by the end of 2023.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Along with Macron, they said Norway had pledged $90 million to IFAD.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-90344074086946570712023-09-21T15:54:00.005-07:002023-09-21T15:56:17.220-07:00Amazon empowers Alexa with generative AI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdn159JieC2bcJ8UIHNvB5sb8y1GQerfoudZdfaUj4OwvHdOMsQAUdKxGjixaT-dkqzJBaMVo-zrrR9FU5ObLGR0ZL-4YkDYzvateN_yCkSNekWmdmS1FpjN3Gge51TfGJmZWkh_fjwqbmN0lS1ZaqbtolN0nxJ7CR4Y-wfhXnekNNjRyX2ejb6LzHlw/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdn159JieC2bcJ8UIHNvB5sb8y1GQerfoudZdfaUj4OwvHdOMsQAUdKxGjixaT-dkqzJBaMVo-zrrR9FU5ObLGR0ZL-4YkDYzvateN_yCkSNekWmdmS1FpjN3Gge51TfGJmZWkh_fjwqbmN0lS1ZaqbtolN0nxJ7CR4Y-wfhXnekNNjRyX2ejb6LzHlw/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">ARLINGTON, United States — Amazon’s popular Alexa digital assistant is about to be supercharged with the powers of generative artificial intelligence, the company said on Wednesday, as the tech giant steps into the AI race dominated by ChatGPT, Google and Microsoft.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Voice assistants like Alexa or Apple's Siri are often designated as perfect candidates to have their sometimes-glitchy and robot-like technology streamlined with capabilities of generative AI.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Generative AI, such as used in the ChatGPT chatbot, delivers content as complex as a poem or scholarly essay in just seconds, and Amazon's goal is that Alexa could do that and even more with verbal commands from a user's living room or kitchen.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">At an event at the company's offices near Washington, the company said that an English-language version of Alexa AI would be made available as an opt-in on all its devices in the United States in the coming months.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"It's going to take some time to integrate these technologies into the surface area that is Alexa. But I am super optimistic that we are off to a wonderful an excellent start," said Dave Limp, Amazon’s senior vice president of devices and services.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">With the change, Alexa will be able to converse with a more personable style and drop its robotic tone, the company said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Alexa would also tap into real-time information and create the semblance of a personal rapport with users that would include an awareness of their habits or favorite sports teams.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"For example, you could say 'Alexa every morning at 8 am turn on the coffee machine, open the blinds, dim the lights in the study and play my morning news,' and boom -- it creates the routine," Limp said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">While widely plugged as the next stage of consumer technology, in the past decade Alexa and its connected smart home devices have yet to become big money spinners for Amazon, with Google and Apple also struggling to make traction in the space.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Daniel Rausch, the executive in charge of Alexa, told reporters that the AI would put an extra emphasis on accuracy and that its efforts in AI were not comparable with chatbots that have been shown to output inaccuracies or go off the rails.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Accuracy in smart home means yes, we did turn on the right light, we did lock the right door, we are sure about the state of the security system," he said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">At the launch event, Amazon also introduced its latest Echo 8 smart home hub as well as a soundbar for televisions and new AI-fueled search capabilities on its FireTV service.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Limp, Amazon's longtime device chief, is retiring after more than a decade in the role amid reports he will be replaced by a senior executive from Microsoft.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse </span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-73388337121736340452023-09-20T14:22:00.000-07:002023-09-20T14:23:07.931-07:00Ohtani undergoes elbow surgery, tipped for 'full recovery'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbL2CWoAvu2dv-9S_DgZ_8cqih0WnSBWOqQpnjh8xVpxxdxcgVLKqEcMHJN0IDT0cnj_JYE7d390jlYt2MAOowecamREnglyBG3fXRlULucKkjO4tqquSPr04fyUqU6-mLE-YHiuMjwrEzd_-T9lY_31YU5d4cz7va-_07pdfjCfi9OYIXPKkArAZzUU8/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbL2CWoAvu2dv-9S_DgZ_8cqih0WnSBWOqQpnjh8xVpxxdxcgVLKqEcMHJN0IDT0cnj_JYE7d390jlYt2MAOowecamREnglyBG3fXRlULucKkjO4tqquSPr04fyUqU6-mLE-YHiuMjwrEzd_-T9lY_31YU5d4cz7va-_07pdfjCfi9OYIXPKkArAZzUU8/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">LOS ANGELES -- Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani underwent surgery to repair his injured elbow on Tuesday, with a top sports injury surgeon stating that the Los Angeles Angels ace will be ready to hit and pitch again in 2025.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ohtani has not pitched since being diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right elbow last month, and has since been shut down for the remainder of the regular season after suffering a side strain.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Shohei had his procedure this morning at Kerlan & Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles," Ohtani's agent Nez Balelo said in a statement on Tuesday.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"The final decision and type of procedure was made with a heavy emphasis on the big picture. Shohei wanted to make sure the direction taken gave him every opportunity to hit and pitch for many years to come."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Los Angeles surgeon Neal ElAttrache, who last week operated on Aaron Rodgers after the New York Jets quarterback ruptured his Achilles tendon, performed the procedure on Tuesday.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">ElAttrache said Ohtani would be fit in time to hit for the start of the 2024 season, and would be able to hit and pitch by 2025.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"The ultimate plan, after deliberation with Shohei, was to repair the issue at hand and to reinforce the healthy ligament in place while adding viable tissue for the longevity of the elbow," ElAttrache said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"I expect full recovery and he'll be ready to hit without any restrictions come opening day of 2024 and (hit and pitch) come 2025."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ohtani meanwhile vowed to make a full recovery after saying the procedure "went very well."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"I will work as hard as I can and do my best to come back on the diamond stronger than ever," he wrote on Instagram.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ohtani's future has been shrouded in uncertainty since his elbow injury, with the star entering free agency at the end of the season.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The 29-year-old is expected to be the subject of a frenzied bidding war during the off-season with several clubs expected to make a run to land his signature.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ohtani, described as the best two-way threat since Babe Ruth, had been enjoying a stellar season, smashing 44 home runs while boasting a 3.14 ERA from the mound with 167 strikeouts from 132 innings.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-86741089399614838572023-09-19T17:23:00.000-07:002023-09-19T17:24:37.890-07:00Taylor Swift, Beyonce reporting jobs trigger controversy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_oUtAB7tXAeymkBuPe2B68C9CoVsbYJrH0YRHJ77oiKJmg7nJ5AnHnD9a6UumJ4ApJXJqxOQUy_opvYSM1y5-kp6oZQWlrRh8x8JoUosGJW1873PcLBp8XLPU9gOcb7BKyMnl5hpiVVgrpvmYpmrTIgmDPZemZICeyztbTi1zfFe4XEtUjvqoUqCIU0/s303/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="303" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_oUtAB7tXAeymkBuPe2B68C9CoVsbYJrH0YRHJ77oiKJmg7nJ5AnHnD9a6UumJ4ApJXJqxOQUy_opvYSM1y5-kp6oZQWlrRh8x8JoUosGJW1873PcLBp8XLPU9gOcb7BKyMnl5hpiVVgrpvmYpmrTIgmDPZemZICeyztbTi1zfFe4XEtUjvqoUqCIU0/w400-h219/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">NEW YORK, United States - It's rare for a news outlet to dedicate a reporter to one personality, but the publication USA Today has decided Taylor Swift and Beyonce are phenomena requiring their own beats.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The recent announcement by Gannett, which owns USA Today, that it was seeking two journalists to cover the biggest names in music as if they were running for president triggered both excitement and eyerolls -- and broader conversation about coverage priorities in an increasingly fragmented and financially precarious news media environment.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Gannett, which owns more than 200 daily newspapers, has slashed jobs across local markets over the past several years, laying off six percent of its news division in December.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So news of the Tay and Bey positions struck a nerve.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"I suppose now is a good time to remind Twitter that I'm the only full-time news reporter left at my newspaper that was sold by Gannett in December," said Brad Vidmar on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Vidmar, 41, works for The Hawk Eye, a newspaper in Burlington, Iowa that GateHouse, an investment firm-run publishing company, purchased in late 2016.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In 2019 GateHouse acquired Gannett and took its name, becoming the largest newspaper company in the nation -- and one with a reputation for scooping newspapers before curtailing their resources.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Gannett resold The Hawk Eye to a family-owned media company in late 2022 -- its staff a skeleton of what it once was.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"They just kept cutting and cutting and cutting staff all across the board," Vidmar told AFP. "What you saw was a situation where there are less reporters, reporters forced to take on multiple beats."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Losing local content meant filling the paper with wire stories or stories from the broader USA Today network, he explained.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Vidmar said Gannett's announcement of the Swift job made "my eyes roll."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"They've been downsizing newsrooms for years now, but of course they need somebody dedicated to covering Taylor Swift," he said.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">'Shaping a generation'</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Gannett said the new positions will be employed by USA Today and The Tennessean, the company's Nashville-based paper.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The aim of the new jobs -- which are in addition to three music reporters The Tennessean now employs -- will be to "capture the excitement around Swift's ongoing tour... while also providing thoughtful analysis of her music and career," Gannett said. Another position is aimed at similarly analyzing Beyonce's impact.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The NewsGuild's New York branch was skeptical, writing on X: "Gannett's strategy to be profitable again: 1) Lay off hundreds of reporters 2) Destroy local news coverage 3) Hire a Taylor Swift reporter."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Lark-Marie Anton, Gannett's chief communications officer, said in a statement to AFP that "these roles do not come at the expense of other jobs," noting that in Gannett's bid to "grow our audience" the company has hired 225 journalists since March and has more than 100 open roles.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Taylor Swift and Beyonce Knowles-Carter are artists and businesswomen. Their work has tremendous economic impact and societal significance influencing multiple industries and our culture -- they are shaping a generation," Anton said.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Under pressure</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Robert Thompson, a media scholar at Syracuse University, said his initial reaction to the new jobs was questioning whether "this is a joke."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But he said after more reflection "I think it would be silly to categorically dismiss this... There are so few things that everybody really kind of knows whether they're fans or not, and Beyonce and Taylor Swift are some of the very rare ones."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The jobs have the potential to allow for "really insightful ways to tell the story of 21st-century America through the lens of its most popular personages," he said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">On the other hand, Thompson acknowledged that negative reaction to the new jobs in light of dwindling local news coverage is reasonable.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"If you were to get a bunch of people together and say, 'We've got X number of dollars, how should they be spent?' Most of them would probably not say the Taylor Swift beat," he said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"But that doesn't mean that separate from that context there can't be some really good things to come of it."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If performed correctly, the new jobs are not necessarily the "dream" careers some headlines have touted them as, he said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The fan bases for both Swift and Beyonce are notoriously defensive -- music critics who make even the slightest negative comment about their idols can be doxxed or receive death threats.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And along with the "organized wrath" of Swifties and the Beyhive, the worlds these artists have curated are famously guarded.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Plus, Thompson noted, "the eyes of the profession are going to be on these poor folks when they finally get hired."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"That first piece that they file -- it better be really good."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-87530255779192125722023-09-18T10:46:00.000-07:002023-09-18T10:47:37.707-07:00TikTok fined $370 million over handling of children’s data in Europe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptPcNrXBLfaKDpUVuCABrpJGC0-qnYAZnnnpFjOeQm6slFzKBtuq5-DjvHQaVpruP5Wj6BeJ8eRR4oHgIOnsOUmss-OM1ITKJ9qOcTBz97N9Ppg8p4BrF-L4F6AiMWyQWrziNDU4Md9ZlxvjpzJFJYvzdHl_Tqcuu8W8QUVqZYWLN5Qdo8UvCHN9EEyg/s470/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="470" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptPcNrXBLfaKDpUVuCABrpJGC0-qnYAZnnnpFjOeQm6slFzKBtuq5-DjvHQaVpruP5Wj6BeJ8eRR4oHgIOnsOUmss-OM1ITKJ9qOcTBz97N9Ppg8p4BrF-L4F6AiMWyQWrziNDU4Md9ZlxvjpzJFJYvzdHl_Tqcuu8W8QUVqZYWLN5Qdo8UvCHN9EEyg/w400-h276/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">DUBLIN — TikTok has been fined 345 million euros ($370 million) for breaching privacy laws regarding the processing of children’s personal data in the European Union, its lead regulator in the bloc said on Friday.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Chinese-owned short-video platform, which has grown rapidly among teenagers around the world in recent years, breached a number of EU privacy laws between July 31, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020, Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) said in a statement.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It is the first time ByteDance-owned TikTok has been reprimanded by the DPC, the lead regulator in the European Union for many of the world’s top tech firms due to the location of their regional headquarters in Ireland.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A spokesperson for TikTok said it disagreed with the decision, particularly the size of the fine, and that most of the criticisms are no longer relevant as a result of measures it introduced before the DPC’s probe began in September 2021.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">3 months to comply</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The DPC said TikTok’s breaches included how in 2020 accounts for users under the age of 16 were set to “public” by default and that TikTok did not verify whether a user was actually a child user’s parent or guardian when linked through the “family pairing” feature.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">TikTok added tougher parental controls to family pairing in November 2020 and changed the default setting for all registered users under the age of 16 to “private” in January 2021.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">TikTok said on Friday it plans to further update its privacy materials to make the differences between public and private accounts clearer and that a private account will be preselected for new 16 to 17-year-old users when they register for the app from later this month.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The DPC gave TikTok three months to bring all its processing into compliance where infringements were found.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It has a second probe open into the transferring by TikTok of personal data to China and whether it complies with EU data law when moving personal data to countries outside the bloc. In March, the DPC said it was preparing a preliminary draft decision into that investigation.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Two-year inquiry</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), introduced in 2018, the lead regulator for any given company can impose fines of up to 4 percent of the company’s global revenue.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The DPC has hit other tech giants with big fines, including a combined 2.5 billion euros levied on Meta. It had 22 inquiries open into multinationals based in Ireland at the end of 2022.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The fine is the culmination of a two-year inquiry by the Irish watchdog, which plays a key role in policing the bloc’s strict GDPR.The regulator highlighted in its ruling Friday how children signing up had TikTok accounts set to public by default, meaning anyone could view or comment on their content.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It also criticized TikTok’s “family pairing” mode, which is designed to link parents’ accounts to those of their teenage offspring, but the DPC found the company did not verify parent or guardian status.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">17M accounts deleted</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">TikTok is extremely popular among young people, with 150 million users in the United States and 134 million in the European Union.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In response to the fine, TikTok said it “respectfully disagrees” with the verdict and was “evaluating” how to proceed.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">“The DPC’s criticisms are focused on features and settings that were in place three years ago, and that we made changes to well before the investigation even began, such as setting all under 16 accounts to private by default,” a TikTok spokesperson told Agence France-Presse (AFP).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The platform insists that it closely monitors the age of its users and takes action when needed.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">TikTok says it deleted almost 17 million accounts worldwide in the first three months of this year due to suspicions that they belonged to people under 13 years old.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Friday’s fine comes after the Europen Union last week unveiled a list of digital giants—including Apple, Facebook owner Meta and ByteDance—that will face tough new curbs on how they do business.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p><p><br /></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-82143406292365420562023-09-17T13:22:00.004-07:002023-09-17T13:27:08.445-07:00Colts QB Anthony Richardson ruled out for the game with a concussion against Texans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQurte2Ze2NPFxwVSj2BTMJkUMWzJSRwnS5HcL4meiV7MMJDjUzqrCiWf-nEZBuGNO2ztzO31CaRMmGFA_7DMiRovY3kO7-qL2x0yzfixGUMKdHPf5R-1mXMSqOCIQea5xq1pddoPxls653x8oJgdMcJex1aU8hEe8nro4NZr3XaO9TZHNbl12wpR_RAQ/s1440/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1440" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQurte2Ze2NPFxwVSj2BTMJkUMWzJSRwnS5HcL4meiV7MMJDjUzqrCiWf-nEZBuGNO2ztzO31CaRMmGFA_7DMiRovY3kO7-qL2x0yzfixGUMKdHPf5R-1mXMSqOCIQea5xq1pddoPxls653x8oJgdMcJex1aU8hEe8nro4NZr3XaO9TZHNbl12wpR_RAQ/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">HOUSTON (AP) — Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson sustained a concussion Sunday against the Houston Texans.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Richardson was taken to the locker room early in the second quarter to be evaluated and the team later announced that he was out with a concussion.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Richardson ran for two touchdowns in the first quarter to help the Colts build a 14-7 lead. He went to the medical tent after a drive to start the second quarter and was soon escorted to the locker room.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It was unclear when he was injured, but he left after a series where he didn’t appear to take any big hits.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the draft, was 6 of 10 for 56 yards passing. His touchdown runs were for 18 and 15 yards.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He was replaced by Gardner Minshew.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">-Associated Press</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-34461422428625706502023-09-16T02:31:00.004-07:002023-09-16T02:32:51.867-07:00US auto workers' strike: What are the implications?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZQ2TZPW_CTWJ53IyyPU6J0fqGDXgVR1TUBgY7XgvGrDHZ_6pP4nkqxPoCVG3k0enid0dkz4o-xeTysOwB_NXKYCFO081Qb6vk_83l1ZKLytbVKuIOjYADcuhDLAdGnrBZFl8FUXX0sLzsGfs3Ei-xIzafVK7Ay4F4DmY-rnt14CT56WwYVVYqqIULHM/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZQ2TZPW_CTWJ53IyyPU6J0fqGDXgVR1TUBgY7XgvGrDHZ_6pP4nkqxPoCVG3k0enid0dkz4o-xeTysOwB_NXKYCFO081Qb6vk_83l1ZKLytbVKuIOjYADcuhDLAdGnrBZFl8FUXX0sLzsGfs3Ei-xIzafVK7Ay4F4DmY-rnt14CT56WwYVVYqqIULHM/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">NEW YORK — Unionized auto workers in the United States have launched a strike at three factories in a historic walkout after failing to reach a deal with Detroit's "Big Three" automakers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">With the automotive sector being a major part of the world's biggest economy, here is a summary of the implications.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Millions of jobs</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The automotive ecosystem drives some $1 trillion into the US economy each year, nearly five percent of gross domestic product, according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The group, which represents the auto industry, said in a 2022 report that the sector supports 9.6 million jobs.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In its industry report, the alliance noted that "more than $220 billion in federal and state revenue is generated annually by the manufacture, sale and maintenance of autos."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And the sector is benefiting from the rapid growth of electric carmaker Tesla, which delivered 1.3 million EVs in 2022.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">'<b>The Big Three'</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">General Motors, Ford and Stellantis are dubbed the "Big Three" in US carmakers and have production facilities in the Detroit, Michigan, area.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">They operate 60% of the country's assembly plants, according to the American Automotive Policy Council, which represents the three companies.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The United Auto Workers strike involves only 12,700 of 150,000 members represented by the union, but the action could broaden in the coming days.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A major risk in the event of a prolonged strike is "degradation of the supply chain and the financial health of the parts and equipment suppliers," said CFRA analyst Garrett Nelson.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Michael Pearce of Oxford Economics added in a note that "a total walkout would reduce motor vehicle output by over 30%."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Scale of operations</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">GM employs over 92,000 people in the United States according to its website, and delivered 2.3 million vehicles in the country last year under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In 2022, its revenue rose by 23% to $157 billion, while its net income came in at $9.9 billion.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ford — founded 120 years ago — hires some 177,000 people including about 86,000 in the United States.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It manufactures the Ford brand including the F-150 pickup truck, which the company calls "America's truck" because it is assembled entirely in the United States and has been the country's most popular vehicle for more than four decades.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile US-European auto giant Stellantis, whose brands include Jeep, Chrysler and Peugeot, has 264,000 staff globally.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In 2022, it posted profits of 16.8 billion euros.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Foreign automakers</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Apart from US carmakers, international automakers produced 4.4 million vehicles in the United States last year, according to Autos Drive America.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Their production volume has ballooned by over 85% in more than two decades.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And this has brought their share of US production from one percent in 1979 to 45% in 2022.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Among global brands that have plants in America are BMW, Kia, Honda, Lexus, Volkswagen and Hyundai.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In 2022, international automakers directly employed 156,000 US employees.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-19852788772647270032023-09-15T03:37:00.003-07:002023-09-15T03:38:52.456-07:00Biden's son Hunter indicted on gun charges<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbX-jHNsdUGcqHtusnE1w3YK-r9PsO730LoVYfGv7zgvflRqYofp1RPQ-awvlpqSM7dVNqHPbN_dDCe6BP6poJYxU63o-4TSXqhEjOja8KaI3wDYENvMlvS7mlOpqNUiSyAziYNLh8a9xBag7uPKWOM82UR5i4qdBPQwUubCCKYCJf2bKGs7Ji3QcPCJY/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbX-jHNsdUGcqHtusnE1w3YK-r9PsO730LoVYfGv7zgvflRqYofp1RPQ-awvlpqSM7dVNqHPbN_dDCe6BP6poJYxU63o-4TSXqhEjOja8KaI3wDYENvMlvS7mlOpqNUiSyAziYNLh8a9xBag7uPKWOM82UR5i4qdBPQwUubCCKYCJf2bKGs7Ji3QcPCJY/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden's son Hunter was indicted Thursday for illegally buying a gun when he was using drugs, casting a new shadow over his father's campaign for reelection next year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hunter Biden, 53, was charged with two counts of making false statements when claiming on forms required for the 2018 gun purchase that he was not using drugs illegally at the time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A third charge said that, based on the false statements, he illegally possessed the gun during an 11-day period in October that year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If convicted on all three felony charges, Biden could in theory face 25 years in prison, though in practice they are seldom punished by any jail time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In attesting that he was not an unlawful user of drugs when he bought the Colt Cobra revolver, Biden "knew that statement was false," the Justice Department said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The indictment came two days after Republicans in Congress opened an impeachment probe against Democrat Joe Biden, alleging that when he was vice president he benefitted financially from his son's foreign business dealings. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The legal troubles of Hunter Biden present a target for political rivals of his father, who is bidding for a second term in the White House.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hunter is a Yale-trained lawyer and lobbyist-turned-artist, but his life has been marred by alcoholism and crack cocaine addiction.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Without offering any evidence, Republicans have accused Biden's Justice Department of protecting his son and have accused Weiss, a Republican appointee, of going easy on Hunter.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Representative James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky who will be leading the impeachment inquiry, welcomed the filing of the gun charges, calling it a "very small start."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Mountains of evidence reveals that Hunter Biden likely committed several felonies and Americans expect the Justice Department to apply the law equally," Comer said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Twice-impeached former president Donald Trump reacted on his Truth Social platform.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"This, the gun charge, is the only crime that Hunter Biden committed that does not implicate Crooked Joe Biden," he said.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">PLEA DEAL COLLAPSED </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But a leading Democrat, Keisha Lance Bottoms, ex-mayor of Atlanta and a former senior adviser to Joe Biden, questioned why Hunter had been charged.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Can anyone tell me how many people have been federally indicted for purchasing a gun while dealing with substance abuse issues?" Bottoms said on X, formerly known as Twitter.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"I don't know the answer, but in my over 29 years as an attorney, I have never heard of it."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The gun charges were filed by Justice Department special counsel David Weiss, who has been investigating Hunter Biden since 2018 over various allegations, mostly related to his overseas business deals.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Two months ago a plea deal between Biden and Weiss, covering the gun charge as well as alleged tax violations, went sour.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Biden agreed to plead guilty in federal court in Delaware to two minor tax charges. In exchange he was offered probation, as he had already paid what he owed the government along with penalties.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Weiss agreed to suspend the felony gun charge if Biden completed "pretrial diversion," which often involves counseling or rehabilitation.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But in a dramatic July 26 hearing, the deal collapsed over whether Biden would have been immune from any other charges also investigated by Weiss, including possible crimes related to his business dealings in Ukraine, China and elsewhere.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The judge mentioned the possibility that Biden could be charged as having acted as a lobbyist for foreign governments without registering with the Justice Department.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Three weeks later, after the deal collapsed, Weiss dropped the tax charges and said an indictment on the gun charge would come by the end of September.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As the 2024 election race swings into gear, Republicans in the House of Representatives on Tuesday formally opened an impeachment inquiry against President Biden.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">They alleged, without offering hard evidence, that while vice president in 2015-2016, Biden intervened to protect an allegedly corrupt Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, where Hunter Biden sat on the board.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Republicans allege Joe Biden and his family reaped large sums for helping Burisma.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-62305140402121649682023-09-13T15:12:00.000-07:002023-09-13T15:14:04.225-07:00Apple’s new iPhones get faster chips, better cameras, new charging ports<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVJsOKTCU4awcA-yVdqRz5vwCURJiayM4QQOG8zOCxNBBjgyqudZ1EoXWCywf6yekyY04-LHqI_vQtnhF2ChZP5aujj_eqvLjrgdn7sfRyVeUo07rJOEBkVPUTuWNd7EMSgIZimCRsgGmz8Oc9tGZoiVhSgMINq3F1z7gQ08TubrhybNRXHg7k6Fo4Pw/s768/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVJsOKTCU4awcA-yVdqRz5vwCURJiayM4QQOG8zOCxNBBjgyqudZ1EoXWCywf6yekyY04-LHqI_vQtnhF2ChZP5aujj_eqvLjrgdn7sfRyVeUo07rJOEBkVPUTuWNd7EMSgIZimCRsgGmz8Oc9tGZoiVhSgMINq3F1z7gQ08TubrhybNRXHg7k6Fo4Pw/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">CUPERTINO, California — Apple on Tuesday unveiled its next generation of iPhones – a line-up that will boast better cameras, faster processors, a new charging system, and a price hike for the fanciest model.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The showcase at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, comes as the company tries to reverse a mild slump that has seen its sales drop from last year in three consecutive quarters. The malaise is a key reason Apple’s stock price has dipped by about 10% since mid-July, dropping the company’s market value below the $3 trillion threshold it reached for the first time earlier this summer.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Investors apparently weren’t impressed with what Apple rolled out Tuesday. The company’s shares fell nearly 2% Tuesday, a steeper decline than the major market indexes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As has been the case with Apple and other smartphone makers, the four types of iPhone 15 models aren’t making any major leaps in technology. But Apple added enough new bells and whistles to the top-of-the-line model – the iPhone 15 Pro Max – to boost its starting price by $100, or 9%, from last year’s version to $1,200. As part of the higher base price, the cheapest iPhone 15 Pro Max will provide 256 megabytes of storage, up from 128 megabytes for the least expensive version of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Apple is holding the line on prices for rest of the line-up, with the basic iPhone 15 selling for $800, the iPhone 15 Plus for $900 and the iPhone 15 Pro for $1,000.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Although maintaining those prices are bound to squeeze Apple’s profit margins and put further pressure on the company’s stock price, Investing.com analyst Thomas Monteiro believes it’s a prudent move with still-high inflation and spiking interest rates pinching household budgets. “The reality was that Apple found itself in a challenging position leading up to this event,” Monteiro said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And the price hike for the iPhone 15 Pro Max could help Apple boost sales if consumers continue to gravitate toward the company’s premium models. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives expects the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max to account for about 75% of the device’s total sales in the upcoming year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">All the new models will be available in stores September 22, with pre-orders beginning this Friday.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">One of the biggest changes that Apple announced is a new way to charge the iPhone 15 models and future generations. The company is switching to the USB-C standard that is already widely used on many devices, including its Mac computers and many of its iPads.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Apple is being forced to phase out the Lightning port cables it rolled out in 2012 because of a mandate that European regulators plan to impose in 2024.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Although consumers often don’t like change, the transition to USB-C ports may not be that inconvenient. That’s because the standard is already widely used on a range of computers, smartphones and other devices people already own. The shift to USB-C may even be a popular move since that standard typically charges devices more quickly and also offers faster data transfer speeds.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The basic iPhone 15 models have been redesigned to include a shape-shifting cutout on the display screen that Apple calls its “Dynamic Island” for app notifications – a look that was introduced with last year’s Pro and Pro Max devices. The basic models are also getting a faster chip used in last year’s Pro and Pro Max models, while the next generation of the premium iPhone 15s will run on an even more advanced processor that will enable the devices to accommodate the same kind of video games that typically require a console.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max also will be equipped with what Apple maintains is the equivalent of seven camera lenses. They will include periscope-style telephoto lens that will improve the quality of photos taken from far distances. The telephoto lens boasts a 5x optical zoom, which lags the 10x optical zoom on Samsung’s premium Galaxy S22 Ultra, but represents an upgrade from the 3x optical zoom on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In anticipation of next year’s release of Apple’s mixed reality headset, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will also have a spatial video option designed for viewing on that headset.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Apple is encasing the premium models in titanium that the company says is the same alloy used on some space ships.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Besides its new iPhones, Apple also announced its next generation of smartwatches – a product that made its debut nearly a decade ago. The Series 9 Apple Watch, available in stores September 22, will include a new gesture control that will enable users to control alarms and answer phone calls by double snapping their thumbs with a finger.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">- Associated Press -</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-61412342003579627092023-09-12T16:13:00.000-07:002023-09-12T16:16:11.177-07:00Stock markets rise as US inflation data, ECB rate loom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRCq_XnNHXR6gUDun3aHNXv8pZ21AobJAOyDvrM8W1tmOLJNIPzLJ8g9vx8Hvua8wFPb9BktH6F-H4NV08UI0XjcK5i1nmMF8F_PZIF2S6pkU8c9jZaw5_1mMsfKGInNAvfMJfhHpPGCfTc1PLpRjjmdwa2qxnNH5EU1Ttdg7u7dX2pQ1FXenRGMXztU/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRCq_XnNHXR6gUDun3aHNXv8pZ21AobJAOyDvrM8W1tmOLJNIPzLJ8g9vx8Hvua8wFPb9BktH6F-H4NV08UI0XjcK5i1nmMF8F_PZIF2S6pkU8c9jZaw5_1mMsfKGInNAvfMJfhHpPGCfTc1PLpRjjmdwa2qxnNH5EU1Ttdg7u7dX2pQ1FXenRGMXztU/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">NEW YORK -- Global markets rose on Monday at the start of a busy week that includes the release of key US inflation data and a European Central Bank decision on interest rates.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Wall Street pushed higher, with traders already focused on Wednesday's consumer price index (CPI) report, which could determine the Federal Reserve's next move on interest rates.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Today's generally quiet session means that attention is focusing squarely on the US CPI data and ECB decision due this week," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"With the risk that both could deliver nasty surprises, risk appetite has been limited," he added.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Investors have worried that the Fed's rate-hike campaign to combat high inflation could tip the world's biggest economy into a severe recession.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Sunday she was optimistic that the economy was on course for a soft landing.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"I am feeling very good about that prediction," she said. "I think you'd have to say we're on a path that looks exactly like that."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">She added: "Every measure of inflation is on the road down."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Paris and Frankfurt stock exchanges closed higher even though the European Commission cut its 2023 growth outlook for the eurozone, from 1.1 percent to 0.8 percent.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The data will give the ECB more food for thought when it meets Thursday to decide whether to continue or pause its own rate hikes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The commission said the higher borrowing costs had an impact on the eurozone economy.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"The new forecasts won't come as a major surprise and may even prove overly optimistic over time but they do come days ahead of the next ECB meeting and could tempt some policymakers into voting to pause the tightening cycle," said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at the OANDA trading platform.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Weaker economic readings will probably drive a lively debate and they obviously won't suggest, if they do hike, that it's job done," he added.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Elsewhere, London also rose while Tokyo and Hong Kong finished lower.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After a slow start, Asian traders turned more positive through the day and tracked last week's gains on Wall Street, with data showing a pick-up in Chinese inflation lifting sentiment.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Traders took heart from news that China's consumer price index rebounded in August, having contracted the month before.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">While the 0.1 percent rise was less than expected, it gave traders some hope that the economy is slowly on the mend after a painful 2023 so far.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">On currency markets, the yen picked up after sinking last week to a 10-month low against the dollar, with support coming from comments seen as hawkish by Bank of Japan boss Kazuo Ueda.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He told the Yomiuri newspaper that policymakers would have a better idea later in the year about wage rises, a key data point for rate decisions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The yen has tumbled around 10 percent owing to the BoJ's refusal to move away from its ultra-loose monetary policy while the Fed pushed borrowing costs to a two-decade high.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The yuan also bounced back from a 16-year low against the dollar after the People's Bank of China said it would crack down on speculation that distorts the value of the currency after months of volatility.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In energy markets, gas prices rallied as strikes continued at Chevron plants in Australia.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p><div><br /></div>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-11750051616527469272023-09-11T10:38:00.002-07:002023-09-11T10:39:37.321-07:00Tennis: Djokovic honors Kobe Bryant after US Open win<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWY75J1JQTjr_h1xt4qKwlhtDTBNsnwgF_4V33E97aIfzr3nHQbxjG6hBBBtscoUJm5mAr6BJ8Jw5flmI5laPp3jJCrcA4UmKyhaiz8RrhuLSnQatYN7txTbGfV_z26vEOv1Rk__Cizu5j5qDjeezr9lNOKuUixk36jl0YZf1_9Am1FheXPfqE6BPkWM/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWY75J1JQTjr_h1xt4qKwlhtDTBNsnwgF_4V33E97aIfzr3nHQbxjG6hBBBtscoUJm5mAr6BJ8Jw5flmI5laPp3jJCrcA4UmKyhaiz8RrhuLSnQatYN7txTbGfV_z26vEOv1Rk__Cizu5j5qDjeezr9lNOKuUixk36jl0YZf1_9Am1FheXPfqE6BPkWM/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">NEW YORK -- Novak Djokovic paid tribute to late basketball star Kobe Bryant after he won his record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open on Sunday, wearing a "Mamba Forever" shirt during the trophy presentation.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Djokovic beat Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to clinch his fourth US Open crown and gain revenge for his loss to the Russian two years ago which shattered his dreams of a calendar Grand Slam.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Afterwards Djokovic revealed a t-shirt with an image of him alongside Bryant -- the ferociously competitive basketball great whose nickname was "Black Mamba". On the back was 24, the number worn by the Los Angeles Lakers icon during his NBA career.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Djokovic said Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash three years ago, had helped him through some of the most challenging times of his career -- notably a career-threatening elbow injury in 2017.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"I thought about doing this t-shirt a few days ago," said Djokovic.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"I didn't share it with anybody. Kobe was a close friend of mine, we chatted a lot, about the winner's mentality.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"When I was struggling with injury and trying to work my way back to the top he was one of the people I relied on the most he was always there for support in the most friendly way.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"His passing hurt me deeply and 24 is the jersey he wore at Lakers so I thought it would be nice to acknowledge him."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p><p><br /></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2700872268773067982.post-60644112522901011212023-09-10T05:53:00.000-07:002023-09-10T05:54:39.850-07:00Tennis: Gauff defeats Sabalenka to win US Open crown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYop7naXiaJ8WU2uErDXAlz1dO1Ho1Niw9N3exiiI88YjKm33Ce_NyUGNRM12gu0i7D4KeT0UQtq5Dx54RnxdQs7L7IBKV3ts7dqtZhZolAk83ruVreCECk1YW5ynfQbI52HOlcEI_zWBCVvf8ZpMK0n5Z_zcyjA7SPLOIIcdV9OAo0MrcfJeLPJ8ZyU/s950/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYop7naXiaJ8WU2uErDXAlz1dO1Ho1Niw9N3exiiI88YjKm33Ce_NyUGNRM12gu0i7D4KeT0UQtq5Dx54RnxdQs7L7IBKV3ts7dqtZhZolAk83ruVreCECk1YW5ynfQbI52HOlcEI_zWBCVvf8ZpMK0n5Z_zcyjA7SPLOIIcdV9OAo0MrcfJeLPJ8ZyU/w400-h266/n1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">NEW YORK -- American teenager Coco Gauff came from behind to win the US Open on Saturday, clinching her first Grand Slam title with a battling win over Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Gauff, 19, produced a gutsy performance on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in 2hr 6min to complete a fairytale transformation in her season's fortunes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The sixth seed from Florida had gone into the final as the underdog against the hard-hitting second seed Sabalenka, who will become world number one in next week's rankings.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But with both players making a slew of mistakes throughout an error-strewn final watched by a star-studded record crowd of 28,143 it was Gauff who held her nerve when it mattered to seal a deserved victory.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The win completed a remarkable turnaround for Gauff, who was left distraught after a first round exit at Wimbledon in July.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">However she bounced back to win titles in Washington and Cincinnati and has now landed the biggest win of her career, after a shattering loss in her first Grand Slam final at the French Open last year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"It means so much to me," an elated Gauff said afterwards. "I feel like I'm a little bit in shock in this moment.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"That French Open loss (last year) was a heartbreak for me. This makes this moment even sweeter than I could imagine."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Gauff, the third American teenager to win the US Open after Tracy Austin and Serena Williams, also used her victory speech to thank those who doubted her talent.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Honestly thank you to the people who didn't believe in me," she joked.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"To those who thought they were putting water on my fire, they were putting gas on my fire and I'm burning so bright right now."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sabalenka meanwhile blamed self-inflicted errors for her defeat, saying at times she was playing "me against me."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"She was moving just unbelievable today," Sabalenka said of Gauff. "But then the second set I start probably overthinking, and because of that I start kind of like losing my power.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Then she start moving better. I start missing a lot of easy shots."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">- First set struggle -</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Gauff was in trouble in the opening game, Sabalenka breaking her straight away with a rasping backhand that drew a roar of "Come On!" from the Belarusian.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">She held easily to take a 2-0 lead but Gauff then took advantage of a shaky service game from Sabalenka to break at 2-2 in the fourth.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Belarusian double-faulted twice to allow Gauff to get back on level terms.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But that hard-won parity was surrendered in the next game as Sabalenka broke back to go 3-2 ahead.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Australian Open champion Sabalenka then wobbled on her own serve once more as Gauff eked out two break points in the sixth game.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But Sabalenka got it back to deuce with an ace and then took a 4-2 lead with an emphatic smash.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Gauff's problems on serve continued and Sabalenka broke for the third time to race 5-2 ahead, and she duly wrapped up the set by holding in the next game.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Yet with the match threatening to become a rout, Gauff finally clicked into gear in the second set, making fewer unforced errors and ironing out the kinks in her serve.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Instead it was Sabalenka who began to show signs of brittleness as the tension mounted. She double-faulted to hand Gauff the only break of the set and a 3-1 lead.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Gauff fended off a break point in the next game to hold for 4-1 and went on to hold for the remainder of the set to level the match when Sabalenka smacked a forehand long.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The momentum remained firmly with Gauff in the final set and she secured another crucial break in the opening game when she put away an underhit Sabalenka lob with a smash.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Gauff then held easily for a 2-0 lead as Sabalenka struggled to regain any semblance of composure.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">She coughed up four unforced errors to gift Gauff a break and a 3-0 lead, and the American then held with ease to go 4-0 up.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sabalenka stopped the rot by holding serve in the fifth game, before taking a medical timeout to receive treatment on her left thigh.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Gauff was in no mood to let her grip on the match slip though.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Although Sabalenka held and broke Gauff to cut the lead to 4-2, Gauff hit back when Sabalenka double-faulted to present a break point.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Gauff cashed in to break and grab a 5-2 lead and then swept to victory in the next game, holding to love with a backhand winner.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Agence France-Presse</span></p>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203572050943758744noreply@blogger.com