jili super ace png Sarah Ferguson has lifted the lid and given a rare insight into her daughters' children's lives with a major Christmas update. The Duchess of York, 65, is well and truly in the festive spirit and like most grandmothers she is ready to spoil her grandchildren this festive season “with sweets, toys and treats”. "Grannies exist to spoil their grandchildren, don't they? I'll be stuffing their stockings with sweets, toys and treats. I think I'm as excited as they are," the Duchess told Hello! Sarah - affectionately dubbed Fergie by fans and friends - is grandmother to Princess Beatrice ’s daughter Sienna, three, and stepson Wolfie, eight, as well as Princess Eugenie ’s sons, August, three, and one-year-old Ernest. And soon, Fergie will become a grandmother again as Beatrice, the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, is currently pregnant with her and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's second child, with the baby set to be born in early spring. When the pregnancy announcement was made in October, Eugenie was quick to take to social media to congratulate her sister and share a heartfelt message. Sarah is not one to leave her Christmas shopping to the last minute as the Dutchess plans a “long way ahead” and she even has an adorable annual Christmas tradition. She said: "I spot things I think people would like throughout the year and stash them away. “Every year I also like to get special baubles made for everyone's tree." Just a couple of days ago, Fergie shared a glimpse of her family outing at Windsor Great Park , in new footage she shared on her social media accounts. With the big day fast approaching, it is likely that the Prince and Princess of Wales will spend this Christmas at Anmer Hall, a Georgian country house gifted to the couple by Queen Elizabeth II after their wedding in 2011. Former BBC royal correspondent, Jennie Bond described possible Christmas scenes with the Wales family. She told OK! Magazine : "I think it is in their own family home that the Waleses let the kids run riot. So I think they'll probably be tearing open their stockings and racing around their home at some ungodly hour on Christmas morning – just like kids up and down the country."India News | Owaisi Asks Party Workers Not to Lose Heart with Maha Poll ResultsPutin signs law letting Ukraine fighters write off bad debts

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Even before special counsel Jack Smith formally asked that his criminal cases against Donald Trump be dismissed, it was already guaranteed the president-elect would never see a jury. Smith on Monday dropped both the 2020 election subversion prosecution against Trump and the charges accusing Trump of mishandling classified documents. The special counsel stressed his decision was not about the strength of his case against Trump, but his reasoning hung on the Justice Department’s long-held belief that the Constitution prohibits prosecutions against sitting presidents. Even if prosecutors had believed that they could have kept the cases on life support into the second Trump presidency, the president-elect had already indicated that he planned to fire Smith and his team, a vow that breached the usual norms surrounding a special counsel investigation. Trump’s reelection this month was the straw that broke the back of a camel that had been buckling under slow-walking courts and novel legal arguments. Smith’s filings suggested he could bring the charges again, though Trump may seek to foreclose that possibility by pardoning himself – an unprecedented move. Also looming over Trump’s second term is the Republican’s promises to go after those who prosecuted him, a vow echoed by his pick for attorney general. Here are takeaways from Smith’s move to seek the cases’ dismissal and how his prosecutions got to this point: Trump’s election and retribution promises made this day inevitable Trump’s reelection earlier this month ensured that his federal criminal cases would face an early end. The former president vowed during his campaign to fire Smith if voters sent him back to the White House – a move at odds with how other presidents have handled special counsels. “Oh, it’s so easy. It’s so easy,” Trump said in October when asked by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt whether he would “pardon yourself” or “fire Jack Smith” if reelected. “I would fire him within two seconds.” In the end, though, Trump didn’t need to sack the special counsel to kill the two cases. He was already benefiting from a legal strategy of delay that made sure no trials got underway before Election Day – which ultimately forced Smith’s hand. A few days after Trump’s reelection, the special counsel asked the judge overseeing the DC case to pause deadlines in that matter so his team could assess how to move forward with the unprecedented prosecution. Nearly three weeks after Election Day, he submitted his filings to the courts in DC and Florida. The president-elect, meanwhile, has repeatedly promised to seek political retribution against Smith and others whom he believes have unfairly pursued him during his four years out of office. His pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi , appears ready to be a loyal foot soldier in those efforts. “The Department of Justice, the prosecutors will be prosecuted — the bad ones,” Bondi, who served for a time as Florida’s attorney general, said in a TV appearance in August 2023. “The investigators will be investigated. Because the deep state, last term for President Trump, they were hiding in the shadows. But now they have a spotlight on them, and they can all be investigated,” she added. What will we learn next? Before Trump takes his oath of office next year, Smith plans to release a final report as required by law on his investigations into Trump, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN. Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected to publicly release it, as he has with past special counsel reports. But it’s unclear how much new information would be included, especially in the election subversion case, where Smith recently filed hundreds of pages of legal arguments and evidence gathered for that prosecution. The Supreme Court played a major role If part of what happened was that Smith simply ran out of time to pursue the case against Trump, then the six-justice conservative majority on the Supreme Court had a key role to play in slowing things down. The high court granted Trump sweeping immunity from criminal prosecution for official actions in a highly anticipated 6-3 decision that was handed down in July, limiting the special counsel’s ability to move forward. Some of Trump’s critics slammed the decision itself , but others faulted the court for the time it took to deliver it. It was clear that several conservative justices saw the ruling not as a gift to Trump but as a way to head off spiraling and potentially politically motivated prosecutions. While the court’s decision may ultimately meet that goal, the ruling is also widely viewed as removing a check on presidents. Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative, wrote that Congress couldn’t criminalize a president’s conduct when he is “carrying out the responsibilities of the executive branch.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a liberal, warned in dissent that the decision would set up future presidents to be “a king above the law.” The Supreme Court initially denied Smith’s effort to resolve the immunity questions in December – allowing the normal process to play out with a federal appeals court wading in first. Two months later, in mid-February, after the appeals court ruled in Smith’s favor, it was Trump who asked the justices to review the question of presidential immunity. The court granted the case in February but did not hear arguments until the end of April. It handed down its decision on the final day of its term, on July 1. And the case was finally returned to the trial-level court in DC in August. Judge Cannon killed the Mar-a-Lago case The election subversion case was always expected to face years of litigation over the questions it raised about criminalizing acts taken by a sitting president. But the case in which Trump was accused of mishandling national defense information – was viewed as a much more straightforward prosecution, for how it focused on Trump’s post-presidency conduct and dealt with a well-established area of law. Trump, however, hit the jackpot with the assignment of that case to Judge Aileen Cannon, an appointee of his with little trial experience who had already treated the investigation with remarkable hostility when she oversaw pre-indictment lawsuit Trump brought challenging the FBI’s search of his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort. Cannon threw a number of wrenches into the prosecutors’ case before dismissing it entirely this summer on the grounds that Smith was unlawfully appointed. Her handling of the charges was widely panned by legal experts, and her dismissal ruling as set for review by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals until those deadlines were postponed with Trump’s win. Notably, Smith is not ending the Justice Department’s pursuit of the two Trump employees, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, who were charged with allegedly assisting their boss in efforts to hinder the federal probe. What to do next in the case will be a question for the incoming Trump Justice Department. While Trump might want to have the charges against his allies dropped, the DOJ will have to balance that against an institutional desire to wipe off the books a dismissal ruling that could undermine special counsel investigations in the future. Smith keeps door open for charges to be brought again In both of his cases against Trump, Smith said he was dropping the charges against the president-elect “without prejudice,” which in theory would keep open the door for charges to be brought again in the future. While pointing to the immunity Trump was about to receive by reentering the White House, Smith repeatedly said characterized that immunity as “temporary.” Smith’s filing in the election subversion case in Washington, D.C., included a longer discussion of how he had come to the decision to drop that case, where he had to weigh the longstanding DOJ position barring prosecutions of sitting president against the principle that no man is “above the law.” Smith said he consulted with DOJ lawyers on the question, and they also weighed the possibility of pausing the case until Trump no longer had the immunity of the presidency protecting him. Ultimately, however, the Department’s Office of Legal Counsel concluded that the prohibitions on prosecuting sitting presidents is “categorial,” including for indictments handed up before a defendant enters office, Smith said. Monday’s move by Smith will likely bring attention – and perhaps criticism – to the Justice Department’s views, which have not yet been tested directly by courts. Trump lawyers get top jobs in his DOJ as a thank you Smith’s dismissal filings bring to a close a chapter for the criminal attorneys who were mostly successful in staving off the criminal prosecutions against Trump. But a new chapter has already opened for several members of the Trump legal team who have already been rewarded with plum positions in his incoming administration. Todd Blanche, who played a central role in the DC prosecution and in other Trump cases, has been tapped by Trump for the DOJ’s No. 2 role, deputy attorney general. John Sauer, who argued the immunity dispute on Trump’s behalf before the Supreme Court, has been selected by Trump to be U.S. solicitor general, the federal government’s top lawyer before the high court. Both positions are subject to Senate confirmation. Additionally, Trump announced that another member of his personal legal team, Emile Bove would serve as acting deputy attorney general while Blanche was waiting for confirmation and then move to principal associate deputy attorney general, a position that does not go before the Senate.NoneExplosion from gender reveal causes response by Parkers Mill Fire Department

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Rays will play 19 of their first 22 games at home as MLB switches series to avoid summer rainGRAND RAPIDS, MI--Zeeland West punched their ticket to Ford Field with a 32-20 victory over undefeated DeWitt. The Dux led by head coach John Shillito, came out firing with a 12-yard run by senior quarterback Trey Sloothaak and a 78-yard pass to Keaton Hendricks to take a 12-0 lead. Zeeland West senior Keaton Hendricks (1) runs for a 78-yard touchdown after a catch against DeWitt during the MHSAA D3 semifinal at Forest Hills Eastern in Grand Rapids on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Joel Bissell | MLive.com DeWitt senior quarterback Elliot Larner punched into the end-zone on a 1-yard rush to cut the Dux lead to 12-7. Zeeland offense wasn’t done in the first half with Sloothaak finding Will Skaggs for a 50-yard screen pass to take a 20-7 lead. Zeeland West student section celebrates a 78-yard touchdown against DeWitt during the MHSAA D3 semifinal at Forest Hills Eastern in Grand Rapids on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Joel Bissell | MLive.com Heading into the second half, DeWitt started to claw their way back with a 24-yard pass from Elliot Larner to Abram Larner to make it a 20-13 game in the third. DeWitt senior Elliott Larner (3) is chased down by Zeeland West senior Keaton Hendricks (1) during the MHSAA D3 semifinal at Forest Hills Eastern in Grand Rapids on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Joel Bissell | MLive.com The Dux answered to start the fourth after Isaac VanderZwagg bulldozed in from the 1-yard line for the score. The Panthers still had fight in them, quickly scoring on an 11-yard pass from Larner to Jadon Bender to make it a 26-20 game with 9:31 to play. DeWitt on offense against Zeeland West during the MHSAA D3 semifinal at Forest Hills Eastern in Grand Rapids on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Joel Bissell | MLive.com On the next drive as the Dux were driving down the field DeWitt senior defensive back Charlie Winsor was injured while making a tackle. The stadium grew silent as play paused for a while, before he was taken off of the field on a stretcher. His condition after the game was not immediately known. DeWitt senior Charlie Winsor (6) is taken off the field on a stretcher after being injured on defense against Zeeland West during the MHSAA D3 semifinal at Forest Hills Eastern in Grand Rapids on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Winsor was taken to the hospital via ambulance in the fourth quarter. Joel Bissell | MLive.com After a short warm-up, play resumed with the Dux marching down field and scoring on a 19-yard run by Hendricks to put the Dux up 32-20. Zeeland West racked up 369 yards of through the air and on the ground against the Panthers. Panthers finished with 377 total yards. Zeeland West celebrates a 32-20 victory over DeWitt in the MHSAA D3 semifinal at Forest Hills Eastern in Grand Rapids on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Joel Bissell | MLive.com Zeeland West will take on Detroit Martin Luther King at Ford Field for the D3 final at 12:30 pm. on Saturday, Nov. 30. King defeated Mason 35-14 in the other semifinal. MLive photojournalist Joel Bissell was there to document the action, both on and off of the field. Check out photos from the semifinal in the gallery above. Click here for a direct link to the gallery You must be a subscriber to view the photo gallery. Subscribers click the “Get photo” link to download high-resolution images right to their device for free as part of their subscription. To subscribe, click this link .

ORRVILLE, Ohio , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The J.M. Smucker Co. (NYSE: SJM ) ("Company") announced today the closing of the transaction to divest the Voortman ® business to Second Nature Brands. The Company previously announced the signing of a definitive agreement for the transaction on October 22, 2024 . The all-cash transaction is valued at approximately $305 million , subject to a working capital adjustment, and reflects the Company's continued commitment to optimizing its portfolio and reallocating resources to its core growth brands. The transaction includes all Voortman ® trademarks and the Company's leased manufacturing facility in Burlington, Ontario, Canada . In addition, approximately 300 employees will transition with the business. The Company updated its full-year fiscal 2025 net sales guidance to reflect the impact of the divested business. Net sales is anticipated to increase 7.5 to 8.5 percent compared to the prior year. The updated net sales guidance reflects the removal of approximately $65 million of divested net sales in fiscal 2025, with the estimated net sales impact evenly distributed throughout the remainder of the fiscal year. On a comparable basis, net sales is expected to increase 1.0 to 2.0 percent, which excludes noncomparable sales in the current year from the acquisition of Hostess Brands and noncomparable sales in the prior year related to the divestitures of the Voortman ® , Canada condiment, and Sahale Snacks ® businesses. The Company maintains its fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings per share, free cash flow, capital expenditures, and adjusted effective income tax rate outlook as communicated in its most recent quarterly earnings announcement on November 26, 2024 . The J.M. Smucker Co. Forward Looking Statements This press release ("Release") includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. The forward-looking statements may include statements concerning our current expectations, estimates, assumptions and beliefs concerning future events, conditions, plans and strategies that are not historical fact. Any statement that is not historical in nature is a forward-looking statement and may be identified by the use of words and phrases such as "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "will," "plan," "strive" and similar phrases. Federal securities laws provide a safe harbor for forward-looking statements to encourage companies to provide prospective information. We are providing this cautionary statement in connection with the safe harbor provisions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made, when evaluating the information presented in this Release, as such statements are by nature subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control and could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements and from our historical results and experience. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new events or circumstances. The risks, uncertainties, important factors, and assumptions listed and discussed in this press release, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed, include: the Company's ability to successfully integrate Hostess Brands' operations and employees and to implement plans and achieve financial forecasts with respect to the Hostess Brands' business; disruptions or inefficiencies in the Company's operations or supply chain, including any impact caused by product recalls, political instability, terrorism, geopolitical conflicts (including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas), extreme weather conditions, natural disasters, pandemics, work stoppages or labor shortages (including potential strikes along the U.S. East and Gulf coast ports and potential impacts related to the duration of a recent strike at the Company's Buffalo, New York manufacturing facility), or other calamities; risks related to the availability of, and cost inflation in, supply chain inputs, including labor, raw materials, commodities, packaging, and transportation; the impact of food security concerns involving either the Company's products or its competitors' products, including changes in consumer preference, consumer litigation, actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other agencies, and product recalls; a disruption, failure, or security breach of the Company or its suppliers' information technology systems, including, but not limited to, ransomware attacks; and risks related to other factors described under "Risk Factors" in other reports and statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. About The J.M. Smucker Co. At The J.M. Smucker Co., it is our privilege to make food people and pets love by offering a diverse family of brands available across North America . We are proud to lead in the coffee, peanut butter, fruit spreads, frozen handheld, sweet baked goods, dog snacks, and cat food categories by offering brands consumers trust for themselves and their families each day, including Folgers ® , Dunkin ' ® , Café Bustelo ® , Jif ® , Uncrustables ® , Smucker's ® , Hostess ® , Milk-Bone ® , and Meow Mix ® . Through our unwavering commitment to producing quality products, operating responsibly and ethically, and delivering on our Purpose, we will continue to grow our business while making a positive impact on society. For more information, please visit jmsmucker.com . The J.M. Smucker Co. is the owner of all trademarks referenced herein, except for Dunkin ' ® , which is a trademark of DD IP Holder LLC. The Dunkin ' ® brand is licensed to The J.M. Smucker Co. for packaged coffee products sold in retail channels such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, e-commerce and drug stores, and in certain away from home channels. This information does not pertain to products for sale in Dunkin ' ® restaurants. SOURCE The J.M. Smucker Co.The year started with a bang when a shop wall fell down in the first of two unprecedented storms, users queued up to have a go when a brand-new skatepark was unveiled as the first part of the transformation of The Leys and news broke about the Eynsham park and ride with no access road. We look back at the biggest news stories of the first six months of the year in Witney. Storm Henk followed by intense heavy rain caused flooding across West Oxfordshire , closing roads and lanes and forcing The Maybush pub at Newbridge to shut after water started seeping through the floor. A criminal investigation was confirmed into Thames Water allegedly releasing “significant” levels of pollution which affected Colwell Brook and Queen Emma’s Dyke which flow into the River Windrush in Witney. Rights and climate collective, Rights Community Action, won their High Court case against the planning inspector’s decision not to require the new homes at Salt Cross Garden Village to be net-zero. wanted the garden village, set to be built north of the A40 between Witney and Oxford, to be fossil free. The judge ruled planning inspectors were wrong to remove certain net zero policies from the area action plan. Since the ruling, the council has temporarily paused the planning process to speak directly to the Government to amend current policy and allow its net zero policy on the site. Witney's new-look skatepark welcomed BMXs, scooters, rollerbladers and skateboarders after a £57,975 upgrade. The park was officially opened by Witney mayor Cllr Owen Collins who said: “It’s an absolute pleasure to be able to reopen the wheeled sports park, and to see over a hundred young people come down to get stuck in immediately." The Oxford Mail broke the story that the £51million park and ride in Eynsham had been completed without an access road linking it to the A40. It made national headlines as well as the pages of satirical magazine Private Eye. The 850-space facility on the A40 was mostly completed, however, the funding needed for an access road had not been secured. Meanwhile broke the news that the £180million plan for improvements on the congested A40 would have to be scaled back due to inflation and spiralling costs. Following the local elections West Oxfordshire District Council remained under no overall control but the Liberal Democrats won three extra wards while the Conservatives lost five of the seven wards they were defending. It left the Conservatives with their lowest number of wards in the district council’s 50-year history. Dozens of trophies were damaged after a break-in at Witney Vikings Youth Football Club. Club chairman Steve Bott said there were around 100 personalised trophies damaged, some pitch equipment and footballs when a storage container was ransacked. The town set up a fundraising page to support the club which quickly raised more than £8,900. The £700,000 overhaul of The Leys was paused. The project includes refurbishment of the café, improved toilets and changing rooms, indoor activity space, four tennis courts, mini tennis courts, covered Padel courts and a mix of facilities including netball, 3x3 basketball and table tennis. The Coffee Shed and old toilet block had been demolished and the site had been cleared. However, the design team announced it would have to modify some of the groundwork and foundations and work stopped. Social enterprise Courtside said they would “work at pace” to get the new multi-activity hub open as soon as possible.Content kings Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson topped the charts once again in 2024. Darren Riehl It’s been a big year for our GOLF.com video crew. We’ve launched a full slate of new shows featuring the biggest names in pro golf, provided comprehensive behind-the-scenes coverage at major championships , and consistently featured the people and places that make this game special. If you’re looking for all the best GOLF videos from 2024, you’ve come to the right place. Whether it’s on the range, in the kitchen, or with ice cream in hand, we’ve got something for everyone. Warming Up with Dylan Dethier Unsurprisingly, 30 uncut minutes with Phil Mickelson was GOLF’s most-watched video this year. The six-time major winner details his pre-round process of stretching and hitting balls. He tells Dylan Dethier exactly what the unmarked wedge in his bag is and provides plenty of free advice for us amateur golfers. Viewers consistently loved our Warming Up videos all year, which give the pros a relaxed atmosphere to walk us through their methods. Enjoy the rest of the show here , with guests Brooks Koepka , Bryson DeChambeau , Justin Thomas , Fred Couples , Wyndham Clark , and Shane Lowry — plus our new episode with Xander Schauffele now. The Scoop with Claire Rogers Nothing gets pro golfers to open up quite like their favorite flavor of ice cream . Claire Rogers asks the likes of Max Homa , Nelly Korda , Brooks Koepka , Collin Morikawa , and Lydia Ko about the most important moments and people in their lives. And if you’re curious about how much pop star Niall Horan really loves golf, you’ll want to watch that interview too. But this year’s most-watched Scoop episode features 2-time U.S. Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau. He talks about his personal health journey, his favorite college professor, and letting fans touch the U.S. Open trophy, among many other stories only Bryson could tell. Seen & Heard Want to go behind the scenes at major championships? Tune in to episodes of Seen & Heard , which follows our Drop Zone podcast team of GOLF.com journalists on site at golf’s biggest tournaments. Remember when Bryson carried that sign after winds blew it over in Augusta? Or more importantly, when he outlasted Rory on the final holes of the U.S. Open ? If you’re a Xander fan, relive his Sunday wins at Valhalla and Royal Troon . And who can forget when Charley Hull went viral while signing an autograph? Seen & Heard takes you through the perspectives of those on the ground, there to witness it all. But the biggest moment of the year didn’t happen on the final stretch on Sunday. Early Friday morning in Louisville, Scottie Scheffler was thrown in the back of a police car. Watch our full reporting of the day’s events — including when the car escorting him back from jail arrived at the course. Clubhouse Eats You might know Chance Cozby from his viral cooking videos, known on socials as @3piecesofpecan . But he’s also the executive chairman of The Thunderbirds, the local organization responsible for one of the PGA Tour’s most beloved tournaments, the WM Phoenix Open . This year, we’ve partnered with Chance to make some salivating meals tailored for golf lovers. Burger Dogs , Kentucky Beer Cheese , Smoked Queso Dip , and Arnold Palmer’s favorite meatloaf sliders were among our favorites. Thankfully, Chance walks us through the ingredients and step-by-step process to make these at home. A post shared by GOLF.com // GOLF Magazine (@golf_com) The Clubhouse Eats video our audience loved the most? A delicious twist on an Augusta National classic, the Pimento Cheese Sandwich. If you didn’t win this year’s ticket lottery, you’ll just have to make these Pimento Cheese Patty Melts for your Masters watch party. GOLF Originals Legendary golf journalist and bestselling author Michael Bamberger has carved his own path in the golf world. Now, he’s highlighting many of the game’s most enlightened voices to share their stories with the rest of us. David Feherty , Brandel Chamblee , Mike Whan , and Tom Doak certainly have a lot to say about the state of the game – and their roles in it. We even get an up-close look at Pine Valley Golf Club. But our most-watched episode of GOLF Originals’ first season features a familiar face who’s an up-and-coming teaching guru. Major winner Padraig Harrington gives golf lessons you’ve never seen before in one of our favorite videos of 2024. Thanks for reading, watching, and following along all year with GOLF. If you want to listen on the go, subscribe to our network of podcasts that has something for every golf lover. Subpar , Fully Equipped , Kostis & McCord , Destination GOLF , and The Drop Zone are available wherever you listen. Latest In Lifestyle Golf.com Editor Connor Federico is a video producer and editor at GOLF.com. As a Long Island native, he shares a love for golf with his father, brother, and friends, but a passion for visual storytelling all his own. If you have comments about his work, or know about something you think the golf world needs to see, you can contact him at connor.federico@golf.com.None

As science continues its evolution, discoveries and technologies can act like a master key that open doors leading to novel advancements. Artificial intelligence is one such key, making innovations possible by solving complex problems, automating tasks and enabling research that would But do we want to do research on all topics, and shall we try the AI master key on every door? To explore this question, let's consider the use of AI by genomics experts as an example. In recent years, genomics experts have added unbelievable depth to what we know about the world and ourselves. For example, genetics researchers have revealed facts about when certain animals and plants were domesticated. In another example, researchers used DNA from 30,000-year-old permafrost to create fertile samples of a plant called narrow-leafed campion. Importantly, genetic engineering has facilitated extraordinary advances in the treatment of complicated conditions, such as sickle-cell anemia. Thanks to AI, we are witnessing a dramatic increase in the pace and scalability of genomic exploration. But given the risks and possible consequences of AI use in science, should we rush headlong into using AI in all kinds of projects? One relevant example is reearch on Neanderthals, our closest relatives, who lived about 40,000 years ago. Neanderthals have been studied for several years now through genetic investigation of their fossils and their DNA. Genetic engineering can potentially use ancient DNAand genomeediting methods to re-create a Neanderthal or aspects of a Neanderthal's genetics and physiology. To do this, scientists could start by figuring out the DNA sequence of a Neanderthal by comparing it with the DNA of modern humans, because they are closely related. Then, scientists could use the gene-editing tool known as CRISPR to swap out parts of human DNA with Neanderthal DNA. This process would require a lot of trial and error and might not succeed soon. But based on what we know about genetics, if something is possible, AI can help make it happen faster, cheaper and with less effort. Scientists are excited about these developments because they could facilitate new discoveries and open up many research opportunities in genetic research. With or without AI, research on Neanderthals will proceed. But the extraordinary power of AI could give the final push to these discoveries and facilitate this kind of resurrection. At that point, the scientific community must develop norms and guidelines about how to treat these resurrected beings with dispositions very similar to humans. We would need to carefully consider their rights and well-being almost in the same way as when humans are involved and not as research subjects or artifacts of scientific curiosity. These ethical issues are discussed in more detail in a new paper published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence. A more holistic question to consider is: Should we prioritize the use of resource-intensive AI, researchers' time and public funds to resurrect extinct beings? Or should we invest these resources into conserving species that are critically endangered today to prevent biodiversity from more degradation? Hosseini is an assistant professor in the department of preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. He wrote this for The Chicago Tribune. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Man United's Amorim says he can be ruthless when requiredThe Last-Minute New Year Gift Guide For Everyone

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed a law that allows those who sign up to fight in Ukraine to write off unpaid debts worth almost $100,000, the government announced. The new legislation will be a strong motivation for some to join up, experts said, as Russia seeks new ways to recruit fighters for the nearly three-year conflict grinding through troops. The new legislation will allow those who sign a one-year contract to fight in Ukraine after December 1 to free themselves of existing bad debts. It also covers their spouses. The law concerns debts where a court order for collection was issued and enforcement proceedings began before December 1, 2024. The total amount of unpaid debt that can be covered is 10 million rubles, around $96,000 at current rates. Parliament approved the bill earlier this month. The legislation will largely concern younger Russians of fighting age, since those in their 30s and younger are most likely to have loans. Russia has extremely high interest rates for loans and many Russians have almost no cash savings, although the proportion of home owners is relatively high. "Previously (for those fighting) there was only provision for taking repayment holidays on loans," Sergei Krivenko of advocacy group Citizen Army Law told Vazhniye Istorii Telegram channel. The new legislation applies to those who are conscripted for national service and those mobilised for the so-called "special military operation", Krivenko said. Conscripts cannot be sent to the front line but can choose to sign a contract to join the professional army and be sent to fight in Ukraine. Russian authorities "are strengthening the motivation to sign a contract," political analyst Georgy Bovt wrote on Telegram. The legislation provides "another way to get rid of an unbearable burden of credit, at least for several hundred thousand people," Bovt wrote. Over 13 million Russians have three or more loans, according to a central bank report released last month covering the first two quarters. This was up 20 percent on the same period last year. The average amount owed by those with three or more loans is 1.4 million rubles ($13,400 at current rates). Many start with a bank loan and then apply for further loans from microfinance organisations. Russians serving on the front line are already paid far more than the national average. Ukraine also has legislation allowing those fighting to get preferential terms for loans and in some cases to write off debts. bur/twCutting in line? American Airlines’ new boarding tech might stop you at now over 100 airportsItaly will not send troops to Ukraine: Foreign minister

FDx Advisors Inc. Acquires 833 Shares of NVIDIA Co. (NASDAQ:NVDA)Astronomers believe that our solar system may still hold surprises, with ongoing efforts to find a hidden ninth planet, often referred to as Planet Nine or Planet X. If confirmed, this discovery could reshape the understanding of planetary systems, according to CNN. The search began in 2014 when astronomers Scott Sheppard and Chadwick Trujillo noticed unusual patterns in the orbits of several objects beyond Neptune. These icy bodies in the Kuiper Belt seemed to be influenced by an unseen massive planet . The Kuiper Belt, a vast region of icy objects left over from the solar system’s formation, extends far beyond Neptune and is home to Pluto and other dwarf planets. Astronomers believe that Planet Nine could be 5-7 times the size of Earth and situated more than 200 times farther from the sun than our planet. It is believed to orbit the Sun in 10,000 to 20,000 years. Its presence is inferred from the behaviour of nearby objects even though it has never been directly observed. Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown, professors of planetary science at the California Institute of Technology, are leading the search for this mysterious planet. Brown, famously known for his role in Pluto’s reclassification as a dwarf planet, has said that finding Planet Nine would be a major breakthrough. He and Batygin have been working on the theory since 2014, inspired by Sheppard and Trujillo’s findings. “I never thought I would be talking about how there’s evidence for a trans-Neptunian planet, but I believe that unlike all of those previous times, in this case, we’re actually right,” CNN quoted Brown as saying. Scepticism over Planet Nine The search has faced scepticism. As per Malena Rice, a professor of astronomy at Yale University, there are debates within the scientific community. While some researchers are convinced of Planet Nine’s existence, others remain doubtful. They believe many predictions of trans-Neptunian planets have failed in the past. “There are lots of other ideas, but I usually try to go with Occam’s razor when it comes to deciding what to prioritize in terms of checking,” Rice said.