casino games zeus HOLLY Cairns' dad has shared his "delight" at becoming a new grandfather after he rushed to hear the count for her constituency. The Social Democrats leader, who is the first party leader to have been pregnant in the Dail, shared the news of her daughter's birth on election day yesterday. Cairns, 35, and hotelier partner Barry Looney revealed they had welcomed their first bundle of joy into the world, with the party leader announcing: "She’s here. We're completely in love with her." Her father Clem headed to the Cork South West count centre this evening and revealed his positivity for his daughter, new mum and Soc Dems party leader Holly Cairns. The tallies for the constituency have so far shown that the party leader has doubled her first preferences since 2020. Speaking to RTE , Clem said: "As a new grandfather, I am delighted and relieved and proud of Holly. More excited about the baby than the election." The proud granddad travelled to the count centre after visiting Holly and her newborn at Cork Maternity Hospital in Mallow - where mother and baby are both doing "great." He said: "I think Holly was looking better than her partner Barry but he was probably carrying a lot too. "I don't think he slept at all. "I think that's the third election now that she's probably surprised everybody and somebody who you wouldn't write off easily I think." He said his daughter is taking to motherhood "like a duck to water " and her child looks just like her dad Barry. He continued: "You always wonder in spite of everything that might happen, are you going to be a good parent? "Looking at Holly she took to it like a duck to water." The proud granddad recalled Holly's 2019 council election run when she won by just one vote in the recount. He said: "I think the one thing we can all be thankful for is that it is not depending on one vote anymore like it was the first time she got elected because that would have been her vote this time!" The Cork TD, who was still knocking on doors in the lead-up to the general election , took over as party leader last year after founding members Catherine Murphy and Roisin Shortall stepped down. HOLLY Cairns has experienced a whirlwind political career going from newly elected TD to party leader in just three years. The Cork native took over as leader of the Social Democrats in May 2023 - after five years representing the party. She was a founding member of the party's west Cork branch and quickly rose up the ranks - making it to Dail Eireann as a TD in the 2020 election. The farming expert paid tribute to former party leaders Roisin Shortall and Catherine Murphy after they announced they were stepping down from the party and would not be seeking reelection. The former co-leaders said it was time for a "new generation to take over". Cairns, 35, has gained public favour raising topics like domestic violence, abortion, mother and baby homes and the environment. And she has also previously spoken out about the abuse and harassment she has experienced since entering politics. The politician grew up on a small dairy farm on the Turk Head peninsula near Skibbereen, in Cork. Holly completed her Master of Science and got a First Class Honours degree in Horticulture. Holly first got involved in politics as an activist for LGBT and women's rights. She campaigned for Senator David Norris during the 2011 presidential election. Cairns worked abroad for a couple of years before returning to Ireland and becoming involved in the Together for Yes campaign to repeal the 8th Amendment. In 2020, Cairns ran against her then-partner, Christopher O’Sullivan, a Fianna Fail candidate, for the Cork South-West constituency in the general elections. Deputy Cairns said that after O'Sullivan's last-minute addition to the ticket, it felt like being in a "badly written rom-com". In June 2024, the party leader announced she is expecting a girl with her partner, hotelier Barry Looney. Discussing the pregnancy , she said: “We’ve been trying for some time, so we are absolutely delighted.” Speaking on RTE’s Sunday with Miriam , the deputy said she had two miscarriages in the last year or so. However, she said that “fingers crossed, it is looking good” for her this time around. She added: “It is something that we know happens to quite a lot of people. “I think it is one in three women experience it, and we just do not hear a lot about it.” Cairns said hearing other women speak about miscarriages was comforting, adding: “You’re less alone, you’re not the only one going through it.” Following her announcement, congratulations poured in for the politician after she announced her baby news . Speaking to the Irish Sun just days before her due date , Cairns said she felt "excited" and "grateful". She said: "It’s that kind of stage in the pregnancy where you’re so excited but also it could be tomorrow or it could be two weeks away — you don’t know. “I’m very excited but obviously I’m trying to juggle things and make sure to not over do it. “People are so supportive here at home. They’re so nice saying ‘oh you don’t need to call’ which is so, so nice, but obviously I think it is really important to call to people as much as possible so I’m out doing what I can. “I’m so grateful for the canvassing teams and the postering teams. It’s that time when so many people have pitched in to help that I just feel extremely grateful.”RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina lawmakers on Wednesday enacted a law over the governor's veto that would diminish the powers afforded to his successor and other other Democratic statewide winners in the Nov. 5 elections. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina lawmakers on Wednesday enacted a law over the governor's veto that would diminish the powers afforded to his successor and other other Democratic statewide winners in the Nov. 5 elections. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina lawmakers on Wednesday enacted a law over the governor’s veto that would diminish the powers afforded to his successor and other other Democratic statewide winners in the Nov. 5 elections. In a 72-46 vote, the GOP-dominated House overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto a week after the Republican-controlled Senate voted to do the same. Like during the Senate vote, opponents to the power-shifting bill sat in the gallery and disrupted the chambers’ floor proceedings. More than 150 people gathered on the third floor — more than the House gallery could seat. They chanted “shame” as the override vote completed and continued to yell as they were escorted out. After warning disruptors they would face arrest if they didn’t quiet down and leave the building, General Assembly police arrested one woman who refused to leave, said police Chief Martin Brock, adding that she would face charges of trespassing, resisting arrest and violating building rules. Many provisions within the 132-page law seek to diminish powers afforded to Gov.-elect Josh Stein, incoming attorney general Jeff Jackson, the next Democratic lieutenant governor and the schools superintendent. They all take office early next month. One of the most significant changes shifts the power to appoint State Board of Elections members from the governor to the state auditor, who will be a Republican next year. For decades, the governor has selected its five members, with the governor’s party usually taking three seats. The enacted law transfers that power to the state auditor starting in spring. This in turn, means Republicans will likely hold majorities on the state board and the county election boards. The legislation also weakens the governor’s authority to fill vacancies on the state Court of Appeals and Supreme Court and prevents the attorney general from taking legal positions contrary to the General Assembly in litigation challenging a law’s validity. Several post-election deadlines will move up under the law after Republican complaints that counties took too long to count provisional and absentee ballots, especially in light of an extremely close Supreme Court race. The veto override took place in the final days of a lame-duck General Assembly session where Republicans hold exactly the number of seats necessary to override vetoes without help from Democrats. That won’t be the case much longer — barring a successful election protest that would flip a race’s result — after Democrats picked up one more House seat in the general elections. Despite ultimately succeeding in their override, House Republicans had some difficulty staying unified. Some GOP lawmakers from western North Carolina — where Hurricane Helene caused historic flooding — initially voted against the measure. But all three — Reps. Mike Clampitt, Karl Gillespie and Mark Pless — ended up voting to override the veto. Part of the criticism levied against the bill centered on the $252 million of Helene recovery funds attached to it, most of which can’t be spent until the General Assembly acts again. In his veto message, Cooper called the bill a sham in which Republicans used Helene and “disaster relief” in its title to mask unconstitutional political power grabs — a message repeated by House Democrats and Stein. “It is despicable for the Republicans in the General Assembly to use folks’ incredible need for aid to cloak their political pettiness,” Stein said in a statement after the vote. Other opponents to the bill said at a Wednesday news conference that GOP lawmakers weren’t serving western North Carolinians and instead were undermining democracy. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. “Western North Carolina is not a toy to be played with. It is not an opportunity to exploit. It is not a place to be so violently disrespected,” said Sam Stites, a Transylvania County staff member from advocacy group Just Economics of Western North Carolina. Republicans point out they had already allocated more than $900 million to Helene relief since October, with plans for more funding next session. Caldwell County Republican Rep. Destin Hall, who is expected to be the House speaker next year, further defended the bill’s executive power shifts as the legislature’s constitutional right. “This body is entirely committed to helping folks in this state with storm relief,” he said. “So, in my opinion, what’s happened is political football has been made out of this bill.” It’s likely the new law will be mired in litigation — just like eight years ago, after Republicans passed laws weakening Cooper’s powers just before he took office. The House also secured for the November 2026 statewide ballot a proposed constitutional amendment to require all North Carolina voters show photo identification before voting. The constitution currently only specifies that it’s required for in-person voting. ID exceptions are afforded now and would continue with the amendment. Advertisement Advertisement

Harris has ‘no knowledge’ anyone tried to get RTE to take down viral clip

Report: Leadership needed to address quantum threat mitigationMiddle East latest: Israel agrees to a ceasefire with Hezbollah in LebanonHow Loyalty Trumps Qualification in Trump Universe

( MENAFN - EIN Presswire) Soil Monitoring Global market Report 2024 - Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2024-2033 The Business Research Company's Early Year-End Sale! Get up to 30% off detailed market research reports-for a limited time only! LONDON, GREATER LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, December 17, 2024 /EINPresswire / -- The Business Research Company's Early Year-End Sale! Get up to 30% off detailed market research reports-limited time only! The soil monitoring global market has witnessed remarkable expansion in recent years. The projected growth from $0.52 billion in 2023 to $0.59 billion in 2024, indicating an impressive compound annual growth rate CAGR of 13.5%, has primarily been propelled by numerous factors. These include a rising need to maintain soil quality, growing demand for enhanced farm productivity, increasing awareness of climate change, and environmental degradation, alongside the advent of precision agriculture. What does the future hold for the soil monitoring market? The upcoming years are expected to showcase rapid growth in the soil monitoring market. The industry is projected to rise to a staggering $0.98 billion by 2028, illustrating a compound annual growth rate CAGR of 13.7%. The primary drivers behind this rapid expansion include increasing hardware-centric capabilities, penetrating soil sensor technologies, the surge in demand for advanced farming techniques, population growth, and a hike in agricultural production. Several major trends are foreseen within this period, including the integration of internet of things IoT-connected farming solutions, the merging of modern international soil monitoring techniques, the adoption of soil robotics, and innovative fluid management systems. Sampler report available for preview: What factors are driving the growth of the global soil monitoring market? Anticipated growth in the soil monitoring market is significantly influenced by the blossoming agriculture sector. The sector, functioning as a key component of the global economy, entails the production, processing, and distribution of crops, livestock, and additional agricultural products. The surge in the agriculture sector is instigated largely by shifts in dietary patterns, burgeoning awareness of environmental issues, and amplified investments in agricultural research, development, and infrastructure. Soil monitoring plays a pivotal role in enhancing agricultural production by providing real-time data on soil conditions, thus permitting precise irrigation, fertilization, and crop health management. Order the full report for the quickest delivery: Who are the key industry players in the soil monitoring market? Major companies operating in the soil monitoring market, such as Element Materials Technology Group Limited, SGS Group, Hoskin Scientific Ltd., HydroPoint Data Systems Inc., Campbell Scientific Inc., Onset Computer Corporation, METER Group Inc., Royal Eijkelkamp, and CropX Technologies Ltd. among others, are leading the industry's growth. What new advancements are taking place in the soil monitoring market? Major companies in the soil monitoring market are focusing on developing innovative solutions, such as wireless soil sensor probes. These probes monitor soil conditions, including moisture, temperature, and salinity, and transmit data wirelessly for precision agriculture applications. In April 2024, GroGuru, Inc., a US-based tech company that provides water monitoring and management service, launched a fully integrated wireless soil sensor probe for continuous root zone monitoring of annual field crops. What are the key segments within the soil monitoring market? The soil monitoring industry breaks down into significant segments, including: 1 Offering: Hardware, Software, Services 2 System: Sensing And Imagery, Ground-Based Monitoring System, Other System Types 3 Sector: Agriculture, Non-Agriculture What regions are pivotal to the soil monitoring market? North America was the largest region in the soil monitoring market in 2023, with Asia-Pacific expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions scrutinized in the soil monitoring market report include Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa. Browse Through More Similar Reports By The Business Research Company: Soil Compaction Equipment Global Market Report 2024 Soil Amendments Global Market Report 2024 Soil Testing Equipment Global Market Report 2024 About The Business Research Company Learn More About The Business Research Company. With over 15000+ reports from 27 industries covering 60+ geographies, The Business Research Company has built a reputation for offering comprehensive, data-rich research and insights. Armed with 1,500,000 datasets, the optimistic contribution of in-depth secondary research, and unique insights from industry leaders, you can get the information you need to stay ahead in the game. Contact us at: The Business Research Company: Americas +1 3156230293 Asia +44 2071930708 Europe +44 2071930708 Email us at ... Follow us on: LinkedIn: YouTube: Global Market Model: global-market-model Oliver Guirdham The Business Research Company +44 20 7193 0708 email us here Visit us on social media: Facebook X LinkedIn Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. 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Gap’s ‘Brand Reinvigoration’ Focus Turns to In-Store and Online Experiences

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:46 p.m. ESTDuring a special episode of Amitabh Bachchan's Kaun Banega Crorepati 16 , Abhishek Bachchan opened up about fatherhood. The actor mentioned his daughter Aaradhya Bachchan, who celebrated her 13th birthday on November 21. Abhishek and Shoojit Sircar appeared on the show to promote their film I Want to Talk . During the episode, Abhishek also spoke about his relationship with his father, Amitabh Bachchan. He shared an emotional moment reflecting on fatherhood: "This really touched my heart. Shweta Di is your (Amitabh Bachchan's) daughter, so you understand this emotion. Aaradhya is my daughter, and Shoojit da has two daughters. We are all 'girl dads,' and we truly understand that emotion." ‘I Want To Talk’ Review: Critics Applaud Abhishek Bachchan’s Career-Defining Performance in Shoojit Sircar’s Latest Film . "Aaradhya is my daughter..." Abhishek Bachchan on how being a girl dad helped with his movie, I Want to Talk’s narrative. On #KaunBanegaCrorepati tomorrow on @SonyTV https://t.co/0ZsQJQtzis pic.twitter.com/IKkJdc0QXy — Upala KBR ❤ (@upalakbr999) November 21, 2024 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)

NV5 Holdings stock hits 52-week low at $20.68 amid market shiftsButcher Stephen Barnett can't see lab-grown meat affecting his industry any time soon. Login or signup to continue reading Mr Barnett, who manages Farnharm's Butchery at Fletcher, said "butcher shop customers aren't supermarket customers". "They're sticklers and traditionalists and like what we offer," Mr Barnett said. "I honestly can't see people changing from natural meat for many years. And I can't see it affecting us trade-wise." Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is considering an application from Vow Group to permit the sale of "c ell-cultured quail meat " as food. It will be the first cell-cultured food produced in Australia. The product is derived from the "embryonic fibroblasts of Japanese quail". The emergence of lab-grown meat comes amid concern that animal agriculture won't produce enough protein for the global population by 2050. FSANZ proposes to establish standards that any cell-cultured food must comply with. Submissions in a second round of public consultation close on January 12. Dr Diana Bogueva, a research fellow at Curtin University, said "safety evaluations are essential to ensure consumer trust". "Concerns about potential long-term health effects and perceptions of artificiality may persist, even with strong scientific backing," Dr Bogueva said. A Food Standards risk assessment found the product's cell line to be "genetically stable" and microbiological risks to be "very low." It added that risk management and good practices for "cell-cultured food production" would limit "potential contamination". Mr Barnett said people look for taste and texture in meat. "All our meats are grass-fed from a farm at Stroud," he said. "It's the paddock to plate thing. We know where it's sourced from and try to keep it all local." Dr Bogueva said taste could be "adjusted with additives and chemicals, but achieving ideal texture is far off". Mr Barnett added, "You've got to match meat quality with good customer service". "It doesn't matter if our customers buy a dog bone or spend $100 on a rib-eye, they're treated exactly the same. "You want them to come back next week." He said older people who shop at the butchers "like to chat to the butcher and baker". "It's a social thing. That's what I've found over the years," he said. FSANZ evaluated a University of Adelaide systematic review into "consumer understanding of cell-cultured meat". It found that the word "cell" was best for consumers to "correctly identify the true nature of the product". Food Frontier, a think tank on alternative proteins in Australia and New Zealand, also examined the best way to describe the new food. Its submission in the first round of consultation highlighted "names for meat grown from animal cells most preferred by consumers" in Asian countries. The terms clean meat, cultivated meat and cell-cultured meat were the top three. Other examples were lab-grown meat, test-tube meat, man-made meat, synthetic meat and propagated meat. FSANZ recommended labelling the new products as cell-cultured or cell-cultivated for "food identification purposes". Curtin University Professor Dora Marinova said there were "many unknowns surrounding cell-cultured meat and consumers are reluctant to accept it". "They want transparency about the process used, vested interests, and environmental and health implications," Professor Marinova said. Dr Bogueva said cultured meat production "promises greater sustainability compared to traditional red meat farming". "It could use significantly less land and water, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. "However, the sustainability of cultured meat depends on scaling the technology efficiently." Health and medicine, science, research, nutrition. Health and medicine, science, research, nutrition. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. 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NoneAI thought knee X-rays show if you drink beer -- they don't December 11, 2024 Dartmouth College A new study highlights a hidden challenge of using AI in medical imaging research -- the phenomenon of highly accurate yet potentially misleading results known as 'shortcut learning.' The researchers analyzed thousands of knee X-rays and found that AI models can 'predict' unrelated and implausible traits such as whether patients abstained from eating refried beans or beer. While these predictions have no medical basis, the models achieved high levels of accuracy by exploiting subtle and unintended patterns in the data. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to health care professionals and researchers when it comes to interpreting diagnostic images. Where a radiologist can identify fractures and other abnormalities from an X-ray, AI models can see patterns humans cannot, offering the opportunity to expand the effectiveness of medical imaging. But a study in Scientific Reports highlights a hidden challenge of using AI in medical imaging research -- the phenomenon of highly accurate yet potentially misleading results known as "shortcut learning." The researchers analyzed more than 25,000 knee X-rays from the National Institutes of Health-funded Osteoarthritis Initiative and found that AI models can "predict" unrelated and implausible traits such as whether patients abstained from eating refried beans or beer. While these predictions have no medical basis, the models achieved surprising levels of accuracy by exploiting subtle and unintended patterns in the data. "While AI has the potential to transform medical imaging, we must be cautious," says the study's senior author, Dr. Peter Schilling, an orthopaedic surgeon at Dartmouth Health's Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and an assistant professor of orthopaedics in Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine. "These models can see patterns humans cannot, but not all patterns they identify are meaningful or reliable," Schilling says. "It's crucial to recognize these risks to prevent misleading conclusions and ensure scientific integrity." The researchers examined how AI algorithms often rely on confounding variables -- such as differences in X-ray equipment or clinical site markers -- to make predictions rather than medically meaningful features. Attempts to eliminate these biases were only marginally successful -- the AI models would just "learn" other hidden data patterns. "This goes beyond bias from clues of race or gender," says Brandon Hill, a co-author of the study and a machine learning scientist at Dartmouth Hitchcock. "We found the algorithm could even learn to predict the year an X-ray was taken. It's pernicious -- when you prevent it from learning one of these elements, it will instead learn another it previously ignored. This danger can lead to some really dodgy claims, and researchers need to be aware of how readily this happens when using this technique." The findings underscore the need for rigorous evaluation standards in AI-based medical research. Overreliance on standard algorithms without deeper scrutiny could lead to erroneous clinical insights and treatment pathways. "The burden of proof just goes way up when it comes to using models for the discovery of new patterns in medicine," Hill says. "Part of the problem is our own bias. It is incredibly easy to fall into the trap of presuming that the model 'sees' the same way we do. In the end, it doesn't." "AI is almost like dealing with an alien intelligence," Hill continues. "You want to say the model is 'cheating,' but that anthropomorphizes the technology. It learned a way to solve the task given to it, but not necessarily how a person would. It doesn't have logic or reasoning as we typically understand it." Schilling, Hill, and study co-author Frances Koback, a third-year medical student in Dartmouth's Geisel School, conducted the study in collaboration with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in White River Junction, Vt. Story Source: Materials provided by Dartmouth College . Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Journal Reference : Cite This Page :

PTA can but won’t block VPNs, says telecom regulator chief PTA chief says VPNs can be blocked but decision in this regard has to be taken by government ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Maj Gen (R) Hafeez-Ur-Rehman said that the VPN could be blocked but the decision to this effect would have to be taken by the government. He said that PTA did neither block VPN nor it would do it. The VPNs can be blocked but the decision in this regard has to be taken by the government, arguing that the authority was only an execution agency. On this occasion, Chairman of Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani called upon the government to work for reducing digital divide between urban and rural areas and work for implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions in all sectors. While addressing the National Broadband Network Forum 2024, organised by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in collaboration with Huawei, the Senate chairman said that the government should provide high quality internet and information technology services to the general public. To achieve this, the government has to remove barriers for internet efficiency, and public–private partnership is needed to forward the digital agenda of the government, he added. Aamir Ibrahim, CEO Jazz said that the mistakes of previous spectrum auction should not be repeated in the upcoming 5G auction scheduled for April 2025. “Why is the government sitting on spare spectrum, currently there was around 15 Mbps spectrum in Pakistan whereas the national demand was around 100 Mbps,” he added. He demanded of the Authorities to devise policies for enhancing ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) from around $1 to the world average of around $2.5. The Minister of State for IT, Shiza Fatima, assured the government’s continued support to the telecom sector in bridging the digital divide. While acknowledging the challenges faced by the IT and telecom sector in the country, she said that the challenges were related to security, cyber security, and the usage of technology by the extremists. The minister said that the government was taking steps to improve internet speed and expressed the confidence that satellite based internet would further help spread of internet across the country. She added that the cyber security challenge was the need of hour and several advanced countries have introduced legislations to curtail internet for children. Secretary MoIT Zarar Khan, announced that sustained efforts were underway towards building a digitally inclusive Pakistan, but added that the demand of the IT industry to reduce taxation can be considered if it was ensured that the tax savings would be invested in IT and telecom infrastructure only.