bookmaker 1xbet 2022 Saturday, December 21, 2024 In March 2025, the UK is set to introduce its first-ever all-electric river ferry, named the Orbit Clipper. This new vessel will provide a more sustainable alternative to traditional forms of river transport along the Thames, offering a cleaner and greener way to commute for London residents and tourists alike. The ferry will operate seven days a week, offering both speed and accessibility, alongside a significant reduction in carbon emissions compared to current ferry services. Introduction of the Orbit Clipper The Orbit Clipper is expected to make a notable impact on the city’s transportation landscape. With a capacity of 150 passengers and room for 100 bicycles, the vessel will serve as a key sustainable transport option along the Thames. The ferry will replace the existing cross-river ferry service, providing commuters with a faster and more eco-friendly means of travel across the water. The operator behind the Orbit Clipper is Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, a company already well-known for its water-based travel services in the city. This all-electric ferry will not only meet the daily needs of passengers but will also help reduce the environmental impact of the existing transport services. By replacing older, more polluting ferry options, the Orbit Clipper aligns with the UK’s ongoing efforts to transition to greener, more sustainable forms of public transport. The Environmental Benefits The decision to operate the Orbit Clipper on electric power is a clear indication of the UK’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and meeting its sustainability targets. As electric-powered ferries produce zero emissions, this shift is expected to improve air quality around the Thames and in surrounding areas, benefiting both commuters and residents. The use of electric power will help minimize noise pollution as well, offering a quieter travel experience for those living along the river. Additionally, the Orbit Clipper will replace the current ferry service, which has relied on more traditional, fossil-fuel-powered vessels. This change underscores the trend across various sectors in the UK, from public transport to shipping, to embrace clean energy solutions in order to reduce the nation’s overall carbon emissions. The ferry’s introduction, therefore, represents a significant milestone in London’s journey toward a more sustainable and green future. The Technological Advancements The Orbit Clipper is also a product of innovative technological design, and its introduction is expected to be an exciting development for both the travel industry and the tech sector. The electric ferry will be able to offer faster travel times compared to older, more traditional ferries, helping to improve the efficiency of cross-river commutes. As the Orbit Clipper will be fully electric, it will also benefit from the advanced battery technology that allows for efficient, long-distance travel without the need for frequent recharging. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers is also investing in upgrading the existing infrastructure to accommodate this new, fully electric ferry. Specifically, the operator plans to modify the ferry terminal at Canary Wharf, ensuring it is suitable for the new electric-powered vessel. This move highlights the company’s commitment to maintaining both sustainability and operational efficiency. The new electric ferry service will be integrated into the larger Thames Clippers network, enhancing the overall public transport options available along the Thames. Benefits for Commuters For commuters, the Orbit Clipper promises to offer a more accessible and environmentally friendly way to travel up and down the Thames. With its spacious design, accommodating up to 150 passengers, and the ability to carry 100 bicycles, the ferry is poised to cater to a wide range of commuters, including those who cycle as part of their daily journey. The Orbit Clipper will run seven days a week, making it a reliable transportation option for both tourists and locals. Notably, the introduction of the Orbit Clipper will likely help ease congestion in other parts of London’s transportation network, such as buses and trains, by providing an additional, efficient mode of travel for those traveling across the river. The service will likely attract more people to use river transport, reducing reliance on private cars, which is a significant step toward alleviating traffic congestion and further lowering the city’s carbon footprint. Broader Global Impact The introduction of the Orbit Clipper is not just a local development; it is part of a broader global movement toward sustainable travel and transport solutions. Many cities around the world are exploring electric ferries and boats as alternatives to polluting transport options. As one of the world’s major metropolitan cities, London’s adoption of the Orbit Clipper will likely serve as a model for other cities looking to adopt similar sustainable travel solutions. The move to electrify public transport also aligns with global trends focusing on carbon neutrality. The success of the Orbit Clipper could inspire other cities with major waterways to follow suit, implementing similar green technology in their public transport systems. In addition, the expansion of electric vessels across the globe could have a significant impact on the travel and tourism sectors, providing more sustainable options for tourists who wish to explore urban waterfronts without contributing to environmental degradation. The Future of Electric Transport on the Thames Looking ahead, the Orbit Clipper marks the first of what is expected to be many electric-powered transport services in the future. As the city continues to invest in sustainable solutions, there may be further upgrades to the ferry fleet, including the development of additional electric vessels designed to carry more passengers or provide even more sustainable solutions, such as solar-powered boats. The introduction of the Orbit Clipper will undoubtedly serve as a catalyst for further developments in electric transport across the UK, especially in cities that rely on water transport. The model of integrating electric ferries into public transport systems offers a compelling blueprint for other cities worldwide that are seeking cleaner and more efficient ways to move people around.Key Takeaways In 2023, a survey looked at Nevada business owners and the biggest challenges they faced. Entrepreneurs listed problems like adapting to inflation, finding new customers and managing cash flow. The problems varied somewhat, but all of them centered around money difficulties. The reality is that small businesses tend to face more financial challenges since they have fewer resources than larger companies. It's easy to make mistakes, especially toward the end of the year when things are busy. Let's look at six common end-of-year financial mistakes entrepreneurs make and how you can avoid these issues. Related: 6 Financial Mistakes Small Businesses Make All the Time 1. Not monitoring your finances regularly Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of not monitoring their business finances regularly. They may delegate this responsibility to someone else and have little insight into how the company is doing. Working with financial professionals is a good thing, but you need to have some understanding of your company's finances. Failing to monitor your finances can leave your business more vulnerable to cash flow issues and fraud. It'll also be harder to make informed decisions about hiring and long-term investments. To avoid this mistake, review your financial statements regularly and stay on top of metrics like your cash flow, working capital and net profit margin. 2. Not planning for taxes Tax season comes once a year, but if you're a small business owner, you should be planning for taxes all year round. Adequate tax preparation will make tax season much less stressful and help you avoid unnecessary fines and penalties. According to the IRS , one of the biggest mistakes many businesses make is underpaying their quarterly estimated payments. If you underpay throughout the year, you may get hit with a penalty. It's a good idea to work with an accountant who can let you know how much you owe quarterly. Another common mistake businesses make is failing to separate their business and personal expenses . Doing this can cause you to miss out on deductions and can generally just become a huge headache when it comes time to file your taxes. Make sure you have a separate bank account and credit card for all business expenses. The right accounting software allows you to track and categorize these expenses and will automatically generate financial statements for you. 3. Not accounting for end-of-year expenses When you're doing your financial forecasting, it's important to account for one-off, end-of-year expenses. For example, you may need to pay for a holiday party and Christmas bonuses for your employees. Your business may need to purchase additional inventory to account for the increased demand from customers. You may also want to invest in an end-of-the-year marketing push. Because these expenses fall outside of your normal financial planning, it's easy to underestimate the impact they'll have on your budget. Plus, bonuses and marketing campaigns tend to be variable costs, making them harder to plan for. You can anticipate these costs by reviewing your company's expenses from the previous year or two. Related: 9 Must-Do End of Year Tasks for All Business Owners 4. Avoiding all debt Many people grew up learning that debt is a bad thing and should be avoided at all costs. And in your personal life, that's probably true in many cases. But as a business owner, debt can be a tool you can strategically use to grow the business. For example, a small business loan or line of credit can allow you to purchase inventory or make a major investment in your business. Just make sure the purchase fits with your long-term business goals and that you have a plan for paying it back. 5. Neglecting inventory management If your business sells products, inventory management will be key to your financial success. Having too much or too little inventory can lead to cash flow problems, lost sales and customer churn. Inventory management issues usually happen because businesses are relying on spreadsheets or manual tracking and don't have real-time insights into their inventory. The best way to solve this problem is by using inventory management software. The right software allows you to make data-driven decisions and save money by eliminating excessive stock levels. It can also make it easier to negotiate with suppliers and meet fulfillment orders. 6. Going into the new year without a financial plan If you want your business to continue to grow, you need a plan and specific goals on how you'll achieve that plan. The end of the year is a great time to sit down, review the previous calendar year and come up with a financial plan for the year ahead. Review your balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement to spot any financial trends in your business. Make sure your accounts receivable are up-to-date, and review your vendor contracts. It's also a good idea to review your insurance policies to ensure your coverage is keeping pace with your business's growth. Related: Avoid These 10 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make With Money Once you understand where your business is at, you can begin planning for the new year. There are no guarantees in business, but adequate financial planning is the best way to ensure your business has the resources to meet its goals.PTI leadership bent upon creating anarchy: Sharjeel Sharjeel Inam Memon says public do not concerns about political posturing but about problems posed by inflation KARACHI: Sindh’s Senior Minister, Sharjeel Inam Memon, has said that an imprisoned person is trying to stir chaos and anarchy in the country to achieve his objectives while ignoring the problems of the countrymen. Addressing a media briefing, Sindh’s Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit, Sharjeel Inam Memon, said the public is not concerned about political posturing but about the problems posed by inflation. He said businesspeople, farmers, labourers, etc., are desperately seeking relief and are fed up with the populist politics. Referring to the grave situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Memon said despite the loss of 90 people in a tragic incident, the chief minister is not present in their midst. He questioned why the KP police, who are actively used in CM Gandapur’s rallies, is not being deployed in Parachinar where they are truly needed. Questioning the reckless use of provincial government machinery, he asked if the political and administrative machinery was supporting the families of the victims or planning to attack the capital. Criticising the priorities of the KP government, the Sindh senior minister asked them to prove a single successful, public initiative despite running the province for the last 12 years. He charged the political hierarchy of the KP with a misplaced focus that led to the attack on the Army Public School and the break-in at Bannu Jail which complicated the problems for the people. Had the provincial economy fared any better the people of the province would not have had to leave their homes in search of employment opportunities in Sindh or other provinces, the Sindh minister said. Against this backdrop, they are attempting to stir chaos in the country, Memon said. Sharjeel Memon said the disruptive politics of PTI are only aimed at destabilising the country. The ‘foreign leader’ has no concern for the countrymen and is busy fomenting chaos. He blamed the PTI for not even making a single demand for the betterment of the people except for seeking power for Imran Khan. Memon said when the PPP leadership including President Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur were arrested, the party did not engage in any illegal actions. Despite having a government in Sindh, they did not use government machinery against the federal capital. Terming the people as astute and aware, he said the people have seen through their designs. Being tired and frustrated they are not responding to the PTI calls for agitation. He said the time has come to stop disruptive politics of chaos and abusive language. The minister said people need relief from their daily hardships and need employment, health and education. The minister claimed that on the other hand as soon as the Pakistan Peoples Party came to power in Sindh, they began issuing Kisan Cards. The provincial government is working to provide free electricity to the people through solarisation. Additionally, houses are being constructed for 2.1 million people, and the government is single-mindedly focused on completing this project. Furthermore, they are striving to provide the best possible facilities for health and education to the public. He said there are signs of economic recovery with the improvement of the stock exchanges that are setting record volumes of business every day. The minister for Transport, and Mass Transit, said the Sindh government introduced Electric Vehicle (EV) buses in the country, followed by launching the Pink Bus service for women. He said work is underway on the Red Line and Yellow Line BRT projects. The government, Memon said also plans to introduce EV taxis to provide employment opportunities for the unemployed youth. In response to a question, the provincial minister said, at the behest of the PTI’s founder, his wife, Bushra Bibi, made a shameful statement regarding Saudi Arabia. Even the remaining PTI leadership tried to distance themselves from that stance against one of the best friends of the Pakistani people. To another question, Sharjeel Memon said the PPP has never opposed talks while on the other hand, Imran Khan is the biggest obstacle to dialogue. Regarding Chairman Bilawal Bhutto’s stance on the proposed canals from the Indus, the provincial minister said that is in line with the policy of the Pakistan People’s Party and the Sindh government. He mentioned that the Sindh Chief Minister has also written letters to the federal government on this issue. Memon said the PPP Chairman is clear about water projects and elaborated that the issue should be resolved through negotiations. He said the Sindh government will never compromise on the rights of farmers. The Sindh senior minister said as long as the smaller provinces’ are objecting to the canal issue, the project should not be taken up.Rustic Lux Designs celebrates 10 years of handcrafted signs, words, meaning

Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has also resigned as vice-president of the animal welfare organisation, with both of them expressing their “sadness” over leaving the roles. It comes after an Animal Rising investigation made claims of cruelty at “RSPCA Assured” slaughterhouses in England and Scotland, with the campaign group sharing footage of alleged mistreatment. RSPCA Assured is a scheme whereby approved farms must comply with the organisation’s “stringent higher welfare standards”, according to its website. Mr Packham shared the news of his resignation on social media, saying: “It is with enormous sadness that I have resigned from my role as president of the RSPCA. “I would like to register my respect and admiration for all the staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to protect animals from cruelty.” Ms Lucas said she and Mr Packham failed to get the charity’s leadership to act. She posted on X, formerly Twitter: “With huge sadness I’m resigning as VP of the RSPCA, a role I’ve held with pride for over 15 years. “But their Assured Schemes risk misleading the public & legitimising cruelty. “I tried with @ChrisGPackham to persuade the leadership to act but sadly failed.” In June, the RSPCA commissioned an independent review of 200 farms on its assurance scheme which concluded the scheme was “operating effectively” to assure animal welfare on member farms. Following Animal Rising’s release of footage last week, the charity said it was “appalled” by what was shown, adding that it launched an immediate investigation and suspended three slaughterhouses from the scheme. In the wake of Mr Packham and Ms Lucas’ resignations, an RSPCA spokesperson said it is “simply not true” that the organisation has failed to take urgent action. They said: “We agree with Chris and Caroline on so many issues and have achieved so much together for animals, but we differ on how best to address the incredibly complex and difficult issue of farmed animal welfare. “We have discussed our work to drive up farmed animal welfare standards openly at length with them on many occasions and it is simply not true that we have not taken urgent action. “We took allegations of poor welfare incredibly seriously, launching an independent review of 200 farms which concluded that it was ‘operating effectively’ to improve animal welfare. “We are taking strong steps to improve oversight of welfare, implementing the recommendations in full including significantly increasing unannounced visits, and exploring technology such as body-worn cameras and CCTV, supported by £2 million of investment.” The charity insisted that while 94% of people continue to choose to eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy, it is the “right thing to do” to work with farmers to improve the lives of animals. “RSPCA Assured visit all farms on the scheme every year, but last year just 3% of farms were assessed for animal welfare by state bodies,” the spokesperson continued. “No-one else is doing this work. We are the only organisation setting and regularly monitoring animal welfare standards on farms. “We have pioneered change through RSPCA Assured, which has led to improvements throughout the industry including CCTV in slaughterhouses, banning barren battery cages for hens and sow stalls for pigs, giving salmon more space to swim and developing slower growing chicken breeds who have better quality of life.”49ers: Brock Purdy throws without pain, while it’s wait-and-see for Bosa, Williams

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10 Famous Authors Who Had Surprising Day Jobs Before WritingEven though the holiday season is a massive delight for folks all around the world, thanks to the sheer amount of sales on offer, nothing beats free - except in the world of VPNs. Unfortunately, a lot of are either untrustworthy or scams, which is why we don’t recommend them. Plus, even those that worth using have serious limitations, ranging from poor connection speeds to non-existent customer support. In this article, I'll dig into the five biggest flaws of free VPNs, why they're no match for today's , and how they could get better in the new year. Why we don’t always recommend free VPNs A lot of free VPNs are like tasting samples, designed to make you hungry for the real (paid) product. Although VPNs with freemium plans are the best way to safeguard yourself online without having to pay anything, they lack a lot of features (think limited bandwidth, slow speeds, and fewer servers), which are usually reserved for paid users. So, you won’t get the full functionality unless you’re a subscriber. On the other hand – and this is where it gets really ugly – some designed to harvest your data. While they may look legitimate, they can actually be Trojan horses packed with . They don’t care about your digital privacy at all and are likely to keep tabs on your every move (including the websites you visit and what you do on them) while connected. 1. Increase the data caps Most free VPNs offer only a limited amount of data, with the most popular data cap being 10 GB a month. This is fine if you only use a VPN sparingly. However, if you plan on having or want to stream a lot of content, torrent, game online, or engage in other bandwidth-hungry tasks, it’ll run out quickly. Increasing the amount of data on offer will make free VPNs more viable, seeing as more data would mean more freedom for the user, i.e., more time to check out social media, binge-watch shows or high-res videos, do research for work or college, make more secure downloads, and so on. It's worth noting, however, that a truly unlimited free VPN isn't completely fiction – just look at . Additionally, is a good example of the quality VPNs can offer with their free plans. It provides the conventional 10 GB per month the ability to continue using the VPN, although at reduced I Mbps speeds, should the user exceed this cap. 2. More server choice This one's a biggie. Almost every single free VPN restricts the number of available servers, typically offering only a handful. For example, even the best ones in the industry only offer 10-15 server locations, and some free ones don't even allow you to pick a server yourself. Although fewer servers won't impact your online privacy, it will almost certainly result in overcrowded servers and sluggish speeds. As a result, expect slow-loading pages and a stodgy browsing experience. This, combined with the fact that free VPNs don't invest in rotating IP addresses for free servers, makes them less than ideal for avid streamers who need to connect to specific locations to unblock geo-restricted content – or folks looking to escape online censorship in countries such as China, Russia, and Turkey. 3. Improve customer support Premium VPNs use the subscription fees they charge to invest in things like 24/7 customer support (offered via various channels, such as live chat, phone, and email) and in-depth knowledge hubs on their websites. All of which go a long way in improving the overall user experience. Most free VPNs, however, don't offer a similar level of support for their users. So, if things go wrong, like if you're having trouble with setting up the VPN or connecting to a server, it’s harder to connect to a real person who can help you out. You will, unfortunately, be left to troubleshoot your own issues or wait ages for a response to an email ticket. I'd like to see this change. Although investing in a full-fledged customer support wing could be difficult for free VPNs, they could at least offer a well-laid-out FAQ and tutorials section with all the most common queries answered and the setup process explained in detail. 4. Ramp up the speed Free VPNs tend to be slower than their paid counterparts. This is, once again, because they lack the subscription funds to maintain the necessary infrastructure. Plus, as mentioned earlier, free services offer only a handful of servers, which can cause congestion and result in abysmal speeds. Furthermore, the amount of advertisements free VPNs throw your way isn't only annoying, but it can also end up slowing down your connection speeds. Sluggish speeds alone could make it impossible to use free VPNs for tasks such as gaming, streaming, and torrenting, not to mention their data caps and lack of server choices. It’s worth mentioning here, however, that PrivadoVPN and Proton VPN, as well as , actually perform pretty well in terms of speed (mostly because they offer paid plans, too, and are able to use that same technology for their free offerings). They’re exceptions to the norm – although I'd like to see more free VPNs join them in providing users with a consistently fast experience. 5. Be more transparent This is one of the biggest reasons we warn people to stay away from free VPNs, especially the ones that crop up out of nowhere. A VPN that only has a free plan to offer, meaning it's not using its free tier to provide a taste of its service to try and sell a more feature-packed paid plan, is also usually a red flag because it's difficult to know its true intentions. How does it make money? Unfortunately, a lot of free VPNs have threadbare privacy policies that do a terrible job of outlining what happens to your data, such as how it's collected and stored and whether the VPN keeps logs. Free VPNs are known to log user data and sell it to third parties (such as advertisers) for a profit. Other questions, such as where the VPN is based and whether it has undertaken an audit, must also be answered, but it's worth noting that dodgy free services won't provide such details. Even worse, cybercriminals are increasingly using fake VPN apps to spread malware (and it doesn't matter if the VPN app is in an official store, like ), which is why . Naturally, you wouldn’t use a paid VPN that isn’t clear about how/if it protects your digital privacy, so there’s no reason to use a free one that isn’t either. This is why we recommend you only use freemium editions of paid VPNs – because there's a lot riding on them to ensure customer trust and impress users with their free plans.Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has also resigned as vice-president of the animal welfare organisation, with both of them expressing their “sadness” over leaving the roles. It comes after an Animal Rising investigation made claims of cruelty at “RSPCA Assured” slaughterhouses in England and Scotland, with the campaign group sharing footage of alleged mistreatment. RSPCA Assured is a scheme whereby approved farms must comply with the organisation’s “stringent higher welfare standards”, according to its website. Mr Packham shared the news of his resignation on social media, saying: “It is with enormous sadness that I have resigned from my role as president of the RSPCA. “I would like to register my respect and admiration for all the staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to protect animals from cruelty.” Ms Lucas said she and Mr Packham failed to get the charity’s leadership to act. She posted on X, formerly Twitter: “With huge sadness I’m resigning as VP of the RSPCA, a role I’ve held with pride for over 15 years. “But their Assured Schemes risk misleading the public & legitimising cruelty. “I tried with @ChrisGPackham to persuade the leadership to act but sadly failed.” In June, the RSPCA commissioned an independent review of 200 farms on its assurance scheme which concluded the scheme was “operating effectively” to assure animal welfare on member farms. Following Animal Rising’s release of footage last week, the charity said it was “appalled” by what was shown, adding that it launched an immediate investigation and suspended three slaughterhouses from the scheme. In the wake of Mr Packham and Ms Lucas’ resignations, an RSPCA spokesperson said it is “simply not true” that the organisation has failed to take urgent action. They said: “We agree with Chris and Caroline on so many issues and have achieved so much together for animals, but we differ on how best to address the incredibly complex and difficult issue of farmed animal welfare. “We have discussed our work to drive up farmed animal welfare standards openly at length with them on many occasions and it is simply not true that we have not taken urgent action. “We took allegations of poor welfare incredibly seriously, launching an independent review of 200 farms which concluded that it was ‘operating effectively’ to improve animal welfare. “We are taking strong steps to improve oversight of welfare, implementing the recommendations in full including significantly increasing unannounced visits, and exploring technology such as body-worn cameras and CCTV, supported by £2 million of investment.” The charity insisted that while 94% of people continue to choose to eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy, it is the “right thing to do” to work with farmers to improve the lives of animals. “RSPCA Assured visit all farms on the scheme every year, but last year just 3% of farms were assessed for animal welfare by state bodies,” the spokesperson continued. “No-one else is doing this work. We are the only organisation setting and regularly monitoring animal welfare standards on farms. “We have pioneered change through RSPCA Assured, which has led to improvements throughout the industry including CCTV in slaughterhouses, banning barren battery cages for hens and sow stalls for pigs, giving salmon more space to swim and developing slower growing chicken breeds who have better quality of life.”

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Published 19:49 IST, December 21st 2024 While people of Kuwait are dedicated to building 'New Kuwait,' people of India are striving to create developed India by 2047, said PM Modi at Hala event. Kuwait: ‘ Modi-Modi’ slogan being raised by people at the Hala event in Kuwait on Saturday. While people of Kuwait are dedicated to building 'New Kuwait,' people of India are striving to create developed India by 2047, said PM Modi at Hala event in Kuwait. Modi is in Kuwait at the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. His visit to Kuwait is the first for any Indian Prime Minister to this Gulf nation in 43 years. As the first programme of his visit to Kuwait, Modi visited a labour camp in Mina Abdullah area of Kuwait with a workforce of around 1,500 Indian nationals. He interacted with a cross-section of Indian workers from different states of India, enquired about their well-being, also sat at a table with some of them at the Gulf Spic Labour Camp when snacks served. On Modi's planned visit to the labour camp, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier said that the idea was to express “the amount of importance the government of India attaches to our workers. That is the prime purpose.” Modi's visit comes months after over 45 Indians were killed in a devastating fire in a building housing foreign workers in southern Kuwait's Mangaf locality in June. PM Modi at Hala Event in Kuwait “The visit to the labour camp is symbolic of the importance attached by the Prime Minister to the welfare of Indian workers abroad. In the last few years, the government has undertaken several technology-based initiatives such as e-Migrate portal, MADAD portal and upgraded Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana for the welfare of Indian workers abroad,” an MEA statement said. "Modi interacted with Indian workers & enquired about their well-being. PM’s first engagement of the day signifies the importance India attaches to the welfare of Indian workers abroad," the MEA posted on X along with the photos from the event. The Indian community is the largest expatriate community in Kuwait. Indians constitute 21 per cent (1 million) of the total population of Kuwait and 30 per cent of its work-force (approx 9 lakh). Indian workers top the private sector as well as the domestic sector (DSW) work force list, according to Indian Embassy in Kuwait. The Gulf nation is among India's top trading partners, with bilateral trade valued at USD 10.47 billion in the financial year 2023-24. Kuwait is India's sixth largest crude supplier, meeting three per cent of the country's energy needs. Indian exports to Kuwait reached USD 2 billion for the first time, while investments by the Kuwait Investment Authority in India exceed USD 10 billion. India and Kuwait have enjoyed traditionally friendly relations, with links dating back to pre-oil Kuwait when maritime trade with India was the backbone of its economy, the MEA had said ahead of Modi's visit. Get Current Updates on India News , Entertainment News along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world. Updated 19:49 IST, December 21st 2024

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got back on the winner's list with a 30-7 win over the New York Giants , moving to 5-6 on the year. Up next for Todd Bowles' team is an NFC South matchup against the Carolina Panthers, and despite Dave Canales' team sitting at 3-8, this won't be a walk in the park for Tampa Bay. Fresh from pushing the Kansas City Chiefs to the brink in a 30-27 loss, the Panthers will now try to put a serious dent into the Buccaneers' playoff hopes. And if you thought that Bowles was taking his divisional opponents lightly, think again. "It’s an NFC South battle and all of them are going to be hard, none of them going to be easy,” Bowles said on the subject of underestimating the Panthers. “I think Dave [Canales] has done an excellent job taking on that team and is taking over his personality right now. They're playing pretty good football, they missed some games here and there, but they're playing very good football. It's going to be a tough battle. I'm proud of him.” (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images) The Buccaneers came out of the bye week with their hair on fire in the dismantling of the Giants, and now a tough Panthers team is next on their schedule. With a 2-1 record in their last three games, the Panthers have somewhat turned a corner under Canales after getting blown out for fun in the early stage of the season. Related: Ex Bucs Coach Jon Gruden Praises Baker Mayfield But now, they appear to be a more resolute team and will be welcoming Tampa Bay into their building, and a great chance presents itself to continue their positive trajectory. On paper, the Buccaneers should be winning this game, but as we know, games aren't won on paper, so Bowles will have his team locked in to avoid what would be a nasty defeat. Related: Bucs’ Baker Mayfield Interrogated After 'Tommy Cutlets' Touchdown CelebrationNone

Missed kicks. Poor tackling. Costly penalties. Week 12 was filled with sloppy play around the NFL, leading to some upsets and surprising outcomes. Jayden Daniels nearly led Washington to an improbable comeback down 10 in the final two minutes against Dallas only to fall short because Austin Seibert's extra point sailed wide left. After a field goal and successful onside kick, Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin on an 86-yard catch-and-run touchdown to bring the Commanders within one point with 21 seconds remaining. But Seibert's point-after attempt failed and the Cowboys returned the ensuing onside kick for a touchdown to seal a 34-26 victory. Special teams were atrocious for both teams. Seibert also missed his first extra point and Washington allowed KaVontae Turpin's 99-yard kickoff return for a score earlier in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys missed a field goal, had another blocked and had a punt blocked. People are also reading... "What a wild special teams moment of blocked punts, kicks, kickoff returns, blocked field goals, just a number of things going to that spot," Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. Washington (7-5) was a 10 1/2-point favorite over the undermanned Cowboys (4-7) but ended up losing a third straight game. The Houston Texans were 8-point favorites against the lowly Tennessee Titans and let the game come down to Ka'imi Fairbairn missing a 28-yard field goal that would have tied it with just under two minutes left. C.J. Stroud threw two interceptions, was sacked four times and the Texans (7-5) committed 11 penalties, including an illegal shift that negated a go-ahead 33-yard TD pass to Nico Collins on the drive that ended with Fairbairn's miss in the 32-27 loss. The Titans (3-8) averaged just 17 points per game before putting 32 on the scoreboard against Houston's defense that entered No. 4 in the league. "We didn't do anything well enough to win this game," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Out of all the positives that we did have, there were way too many negatives. Too many negative plays. Score, get a penalty, get touchdowns called back. Get penalties on special teams. Just way too many negative plays defensively, like unexplainable explosives for touchdowns. We just didn't play good across the board." The San Francisco 49ers didn't have quarterback Brock Purdy, star edge rusher Nick Bosa and All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams against Green Bay. That was no excuse for their undisciplined performance. The Niners committed nine penalties and their tackling was shoddy in a 38-10 loss to the Packers. The defending NFC champions are 5-6 with a trip to Buffalo (9-2) coming up. They're still only one game behind Seattle and Arizona in the NFC West. "I'm really not concerned right now about how many guys were missing. We didn't play good enough, so that's not a factor. But, when you are missing some guys, you do have to be better. When you have those penalties and we didn't stop the run like we did and we had those three turnovers in the second half, that's how you get embarrassed." Coming off their first loss of the season, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs needed Patrick Mahomes' heroics on the final drive to beat Carolina 30-27. Mahomes ran 33 yards to set up Spencer Schrader's 31-yard field goal as time expired. Kansas City had 10 penalties, including a pass interference that gave the Panthers (3-8) another chance to make the 2-point conversion that tied the game with 1:46 remaining. On defense, the Chiefs (10-1) suddenly shaky unit gave up 334 total yards against Bryce Young and an offense that entered last in the NFL. "We've got to do better. We're doing good in the red zone but that's only a third of the field," Chiefs safety Bryan Cook said. "We will go back and look at the film to see what we're doing week to week, and see the tendencies that we're giving up, and just move forward from there. At the end of the day, we're all vets in the room for the most part. ... got to go back to the drawing board and see what we're doing and correct it from there." The Vikings allowed the Bears to recover an onside kick with 21 seconds left and Caleb Williams followed with a 27-yard pass to D.J. Moore to set up Cairo Santos' tying 48-yard field goal. But Minnesota won in overtime, 30-27. The Chiefs and Vikings overcame their mistakes in narrow victories. The Commanders, Texans and 49ers couldn't. They have to be better down the stretch to make a playoff run. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!FanDuel Promo Code: Get $150 Bonus Before Ravens-Chargers KickoffGoodbye to 2024 COLA – Social Security Announces Changes to Checks on January 1

There’s a field in Wiscasset, Maine (Population 3,742) protected by armed guards. On the field is a chain link fence surrounding a pad of concrete. On the pad are 60 cement and steel canisters that contain 1,400 spent nuclear fuel rods, the leavings of a power plant that shut down almost 30 years ago. The containers are full of nuclear waste. The locals don’t love it, but there’s nowhere for it to go. The issue of what to do with America’s nuclear waste is a problem that’s solved in theory but stalled in practice thanks to a decades-long political fight. The country needs more power, and faster, and tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon all announced this year that they’re moving forward with plans to go nuclear. That means there’s going to be more nuclear waste than ever before. Where will it go? If the current system holds, it’ll be stored near the reactors. Right now, nuclear waste is put in stainless steel containers and sealed in a concrete structure called a dry cask. Dry casks are, by all accounts, remarkably safe. If they’re undisturbed, they could remain so for centuries. But the world is not static. The climate is changing. Wildfires, earthquakes, and rising ocean levels pose a threat to those dry casks. An earthquake, flood, or fire swallowing up one or two dry casks might not cause a problem. But there’s about to be more of them. Big Tech’s nuclear push America’s nuclear waste is piling up. It’s a political problem, not a scientific one. Other countries with nuclear infrastructure bury their waste deep underground in specially designed storage facilities called deep geological repositories. We could do that in America. We even started building one. The problem is that no one wants a giant cave filled with nuclear waste in their backyard. It’s hard to blame them. The U.S. has a terrible track record when it comes to handling waste. For years, we’d store it in barrels and dump it into the sea . Waste leftover from the Manhattan Project is still poisoning people today . In South Carolina, radioactive alligators once roamed the Savannah River Site where pieces of nuclear weapons were made. The Hanford Site in Washington state is sitting on 54 million gallons of waste that may never be cleaned up. To meet Big Tech’s energy demands, we’ll add more to the pile. 2024 was the year Big Tech went all in on nuclear energy. Data centers are power-hungry beasts and the increased use of number-crunching artificial intelligence systems means that tech companies need more energy than ever before. To solve the problem, Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are all betting on nuclear energy . Google announced a partnership with Kairos Power aimed at building multiple small modular reactors (SMR) in October. Amazon also announced it was building SMRs in cooperation with Energy Northwest, X-Energy, and Dominion Energy. Meta, later to the game than the others, asked companies for proposals on how it could generate 1-4 gigawatts (the equivalent of hundreds of millions of LED light bulbs ) using nuclear power. Microsoft, who has been working on this for a long time, is partnered with TerraPower to build SMRs. It also announced a partnership with Constellation Energy that would reopen the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. Nuclear power is hard to do. Its fuel sources are rare and heavily regulated. When it works, it provides clean and efficient fuel for millions of people. When it goes wrong, it’s a disaster that can help topple governments and give cancer to millions. Traditional reactors require billions in investment and decades of construction time. But Big Tech isn’t looking to go the traditional route. They’re talking about new kinds of reactors. “There’s been a talk of a renaissance for decades. Depending on who you talk to, we could be in our third or fourth renaissance, or our eighth or ninth. So let’s leave the R-word aside,” Cindy Vestergaard , a senior fellow and director of Converging Technologies for the Stimson Center, told Gizmodo. Vestergaard is a nuclear supply chain expert who focuses on nonproliferation. When people think of nuclear power they often picture the enormous cooling towers and sprawling complexes filled with scientists. The dream of SMRs is that they could do away with much of that. There are dozens of designs, but the basic concept is that these new reactors would be tiny compared to traditional reactors (some of them would even be portable) and can be spun up and decommissioned to match the demands of the grid. “A lot of these designs have been around for decades,” Vestergaard said. It’s just that the economic incentives didn’t exist to make them a reality. Thanks to climate change and the demands of Big Tech, that’s changed. “Solar and wind are great in many ways, but they need to be supplemented.” Big Tech may understand business, but energy companies are a whole different thing. “We have a newbie engaging in this...which means we have a lag time in what it all means,” Vestergaard said. “They have a lot of money, so deep pockets, I think, help drive a lot of innovation going forward that we would not have seen in the past. So I think that gives them a nuclear leg-up...most investors do not understand the long game in nuclear.” The pitch for many of these SMRs is also that they’re safer and they’ll produce less waste. Vestergaard isn’t so sure. “We hear ‘oh, they’re safer, they’re more efficient.’ Well, we don’t know that. Maybe on paper. We have to test and demonstrate this.” I reached out to Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and some of their nuclear power partners to see how they’re thinking about how to manage waste. Meta and Microsoft referred me to posts on their websites about sustainability . Amazon told me to reach out to its energy partners. Google didn’t respond. Of Big Tech’s partners, only TerraPower—who is working with Microsoft—got back to us. It said that its Natrium reactors will produce more energy and less waste than any other reactor on the planet. “The Natrium technology will reduce the volume of waste per megawatt hour of energy produced by two-thirds because of the efficiency with which it uses fuel,” it said. “The waste the Natrium reactor does produce will be stored safely and securely onsite through proven methods used at plants throughout the country until the United States identifies a permanent geologic repository.” TerraPower identified the core problem of nuclear waste in the U.S. The government needs to identify a permanent geologic repository. It’s having trouble doing that. Not in my backyard According to Vestergaard, Big Tech may not be ready for something it’s been bad at in the past—dealing with an angry populace. “The local populations pay billions into these huge infrastructure projects,” she said. “Big tech, historically, has not had a good sense of what it’s like to have engagement at the local level. That’s another thing where they’re going to have to learn, and adjust, and adapt to public hearings.” People come out when nuclear waste enters their backyards. The risk of cancer, radioactive animals, and environmental destruction is real. And people know it. These reactors will be built in someone ’s backyard. Several of the companies are talking about building them on-site, next to data centers. Taxpayer cash will go towards these reactors and it’ll expect to get something in return. Not all the power can go to the data centers and large language models. It’ll all generate waste. Waste with nowhere to go. After decades of mismanagement, the federal government attempted to get hold of America’s nuclear waste problem in the 1980s. Its solution was to build a deep geological repository in Yucca Mountain, Nevada. It even started construction. The people of Nevada, who have long borne the brunt of America’s nuclear ambitions, didn’t want it there. “In the United States, there’s never really been public consent. It’s not like they went to Nevada and said ‘What if we put it here? What do you guys think about it?’” Vestergaard said. “The United States itself is incredibly split and stuck on its nuclear waste problem, So there’s a law, back from the 80s, that says it’s gotta be at Yucca Mountain. She added that, at this point, America has enough nuclear waste waiting around to fill Yucca Mountain three times over. “So even if Yucca Mountain was still a viable option, it isn’t. Particularly for new nuclear reactors that would be coming on board,” she said. Opponents called the law the “ Screw Nevada Bill .” The same law that designated Yucca Mountain as the site of future nuclear waste also created the Office of the United States Nuclear Waste Negotiator. The idea was that this office would negotiate with states and tribal leaders in the U.S. to find an interim storage solution for nuclear waste. Created in 1987, the position wasn’t filled until 1990. It was eliminated in 1995. One of the problems is that, according to the laws, nuclear waste can no longer be stored in a state or patch of tribal land without the consent of the people who live there. And no one wants it. So instead of going to a central location for permanent disposal, it sits on sites near where it’s made, some 94 locations and growing. Kissing casks Science and nuclear influencers love to kiss nuclear waste. “I kissed a cask (of nuclear waste) and I liked it,” Isabelle Boemeke, known as Isodope online, said in a post on X on December 19. The attached pictures show her kissing a dry cask filled with nuclear waste. Boemeke is one of a number of nuclear influencers who use their platform to agitate for more nuclear power. The kissing a cask of nuclear waste stunt is popular among science YouTubers and the only thing strange about Boemeke’s post is that it’s come after so many other people have done it. “Yes, dry casks are incredibly safe,” Vestergaard said. “I put my hand on them as well and stood by them.” The problem is not that casks aren’t a great way to store nuclear waste, they are, it’s that they stick around on the site where the waste was made. Boemeke’s pic was at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in California. The plant is California’s last operational nuclear power site and the state planned to shut it down. Then Boemeke and Grimes started making PSAs online about why it needed to remain. It worked. Regulators voted to extend the life of Diablo Canyon to at least 2030 . That means the site will generate more nuclear waste. Waste which will remain on site. Diablo Canyon is next to major fault lines. It’s near San Luis Obispo, a community now perennially threatened by wildfires. The San Onofre nuclear power plant south of Los Angeles sits on a major faultline. It’s also sitting on 3.6 million pounds of nuclear waste . For some experts, the dry casks are a fine solution and the benefits of nuclear power generation far outweigh the negatives of nuclear waste. “Climate change is a clear and present danger of global scale with a wide range of damaging impacts on geologic time scales,” Jesse D. Jenkins, an Assistant Professor at Princeton University, said in a post about nuclear waste on BlueSky . “Small volumes of spent nuclear fuel can be contained safely in dry cask storage for century+ time scales.” “The entire history of US civilian nuclear power, which has produced 1/5th of our electricity for decades with no CO2 or air pollution, has produced less than 100,000 tons of high-level waste. We burn billions of tons of fossil fuels EVERY YEAR,” Jenkins said. “That means the entirety of spent nuclear fuel fits in less than 10,000 dry casks...That’s it. All of it. And this is ‘the nuclear waste problem’ that means we should supposedly eschew this proven source of emissions-free electricity? Nah.” I am not arguing that we shouldn’t adopt nuclear energy. Jenkins and others are right. Dry casks are mostly safe. But I do think nuclear waste is a problem. And more reactors mean more spent fuel that needs to be managed, more dry casks spread across the country, and more armed guards on patrol like those in that field in Maine. A 2024 report from the Government Accountability Office uncovered something shocking . The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the government agency that manages waste, hasn’t studied the effects of climate change on the dry casks and nuclear power plants. “NRC primarily uses historical data in its licensing and oversight processes rather than climate projections data,” the report said. When the GAO interviewed officials at the Commission, they told investigators that they had it under control. “However, NRC has not conducted an assessment to demonstrate that this is the case,” the report said. The report detailed the hazards facing nuclear power plants. “According to our analysis of U.S. Forest Service and NRC data, about 20 percent of nuclear power plants (16 of 75) are located in areas with a high or very high potential for wildfire.” More than sixty percent of nuclear power plants, 47 of 75, are located in areas with exposure to Category 4 and 5 hurricanes and in an area where NOAA predicted the sea levels will rise. Big Tech is going to build more nuclear power plants. Oil and gas are dirty sources of power. Nuclear has the potential to be much cleaner and more efficient. Nuclear energy is also mostly safe, the problem is that when things go bad they go catastrophically bad. More reactors mean more points of failure and more waste. Waste that’s in need of a permanent home. One can only hope that the same lobbyists Big Tech rolls out whenever it needs something done in Washington can help them find a permanent home for America’s spent nuclear fuel.CrowdStrike Q3 Earnings Preview: Analysts Anticipate Recovery, 'Customers Remain Confident'

Dow ends at fresh record as oil prices pull back on ceasefire hopesOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Creighton point guard Steven Ashworth likely won't play Tuesday in the No. 21 Bluejays' game against San Diego State in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Ashworth sprained his right ankle late in a loss to Nebraska on Friday, and coach Greg McDermott said he didn't know how long he would be out. “He stepped on a guy's foot on a 3-point shot and you're defenseless in that situation," McDermott said after the game. "He torqued it pretty good.” An athletic department spokesman said Monday that Ashworth's status was doubtful for the game against the Aztecs. Ashworth is Creighton's second-leading scorer with 16 points per game and leads the team with 6.4 assists per game. He also is 23 of 23 on free throws. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP collegebasketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball