Nigerian media personality Nedu Wazobia has ignited a conversation about independence and modern relationships with recent comments made on his Honest Brunch podcast. Wazobia, along with his fellow panellists, took aim at what he sees as a contradiction in how some women define themselves as “independent” while engaging in casual relationships and dating multiple partners. During the podcast episode, Nedu expressed his views on the perceived disparity between women who claim to be independent and their actions that suggest otherwise. He pointed out that many of these women proudly label themselves as self-sufficient, yet they simultaneously rely on multiple partners for emotional and financial support. “Some women are out here dating multiple men, enjoying the benefits, and still want to claim they’re independent,” Nedu remarked. He argued that this creates a grey area between women who genuinely support their own lifestyles and those who depend on others for assistance, whether it be financial, emotional, or otherwise. While his tone was both critical and understanding, Nedu emphasized that true independence, in his view, should involve women being self-reliant, working hard, and paying their own bills. He differentiated between women who depend on men for support and those who truly embody self-sufficiency. “You can’t say you’re independent and still be relying on a man to support your lifestyle,” he added. Despite his critique, Nedu made it clear that he respects women who maintain high standards and refuse to compromise their integrity, regardless of the financial incentives offered by men. He shared a personal experience to illustrate his point, recounting how he admired a woman who turned down lavish gifts and financial support, staying true to her values and never accepting assistance from men. “I have mad respect for women who stay true to their standards, no matter the financial incentives,” Nedu affirmed. His remarks have sparked a heated debate on social media, with some agreeing with his assessment of modern relationships and others arguing that women should have the autonomy to define their independence on their own terms. The conversation touches on broader themes of gender roles, expectations in relationships, and the evolving definition of independence in today’s society. As the discussion continues, it reflects the growing need for nuanced conversations about gender, autonomy, and financial independence in contemporary relationships.
If social media and influencer culture have been good for any industry, it would have to be cameras. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok beg users to capture the world for all to see, whether it's through ridiculous stunts, random acts of kindness, scripted skits, or outlandish adventures. At the center of every parkour video and trending challenge post, a camera is there to absorb the moment so it can be replayed for all the world to witness. That sounds like a pretty hefty undertaking, which is why you may tend to see the same camera brands being trusted. Among the more common is Insta360, a relatively new entry in the camera scene behind the revered 8K recordings of the Insta360 X4 . Introduced in 2015, nine years after GoPro came onto the market with a 35mm GoPro Hero, Insta360 rapidly expanded to eventually establish a product base of more than a dozen handheld, miniature, or action cameras. According to the Insta360 website, the goal of the brand was to develop a 360-degree camera that could capture panoramic videos to pull viewers into the action. Today, it continues to improve upon the concept in offices based in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Berlin, Shenzhen, and Tokyo. Though Insta360 expanded into those territories, none of them are where the company was established. Nor are they where the cameras are manufactured. For those locations, we'll need to look across the Atlantic. Unlike the known practice of some American companies, Insta360 isn't an American-made brand outsourcing its manufacturing to another country. While you'll find local corporations like Apple moving the assembly of products like the iPhone to China, that isn't quite the case for the camera manufacturer. That's because Insta360 is already a Chinese company doing business under the name Arashi Vision, Inc. out of Shenzhen. Before becoming as big as it is today, though, Insta360 was a concept that took shape in a dorm room on the Nanjing University campus. When JK Liu conceived of the idea for the 360-degree camera, panoramic video wasn't common among casual videographers, as the tools were still big and cumbersome. In 2015, after his graduation from Nanjing, Liu went to work on a user-friendly panoramic camera. The result was Insta360, which immediately found a home in Shenzhen, a district known for its thriving tech industry and access to components. Despite its growth after the Insta360 Nano premiered at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2017, the company kept its roots in Shenzen. As of December 2024, JK Liu was still noted as the CEO of Arashi Vision and even earned a spot on Forbes 30 Under 30. Considering all the production it takes on for the United States, it can be reasoned fairly simply that a China-based company would handle its own manufacturing. While not explicitly stated anywhere on the Insta360 website, the country of origin is mentioned on the Amazon listings of some of its cameras, like the tiny but serviceable Insta Go 3 . Per the listing, Insta360 cameras are manufactured out of the company's parent country, China. While Amazon requires all companies to list the country of origin for products, it's not something that is necessarily verified. However, there's no real benefit for Insta360 to lie about China being the originating country. As for the satellite offices outside of Shenzhen and China, they may not manufacture products, but they do serve a consumer-facing purpose. When searching for an Insta360 service center on the official website, most countries are directed to contact service centers in Hong Kong, Germany, California, and Japan. A select few, like the Philippines, are directed to contact a local company that seems unaffiliated with Insta360. For the Philippines, it's Agile Technologies' TekMage, an authorized repair service center located in Manila.Nov 2, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Jermari Harris (27) reacts against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images/ File Photo Iowa cornerback Jermari Harris has opted out of the remainder of the 2024 season in order to prepare for the NFL draft, according to a report by 247Sports.com. The 6-foot-1 sixth-year senior from Chicago has recorded 27 tackles, three interceptions and a team-high seven pass breakups in 10 games for the Hawkeyes this season. That includes a pick-6 in a 38-21 win over Troy earlier this season. Iowa (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) plays at Maryland on Saturday before closing out its regular season at home against Nebraska on Nov. 29. The Hawkeyes are already bowl eligible, so Harris is likely opting out of three games in total. After missing the entire 2022 season due to an ankle injury, Harris was suspended for two games of the following season for his involvement in the gambling investigation into Iowa athletics. He later emerged as the Hawkeyes' top cornerback, earning the team's comeback player of the year award after compiling 42 tackles, one interception and eight pass breakups. Harris will finish his college career with 105 tackles and eight interceptions. --Field Level Media REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now
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The Allianz Stadium erupted in joy after the final whistle of Juventus-Manchester City, while Pep Guardiola briefly argued with Federico Gatti and warmly hugged ex-City defender Danilo. Juventus secured a . Football Italia was among the accredited media at the Allianz Stadium. The game was done and dusted in the final minutes, and Juventus fans prepared for celebrations during the stoppage time. The Bianconeri players and their fans erupted in joy after the final whistle. After Clement Turpin blew the whistle, Teun Koopmeiners hugged Timothy Weah close to the corner flag. The coaches, Thiago Motta and Pep Guardiola, immediately hugged on the touchline before walking towards the teams on the pitch. Guardiola approached the away end with 1,500 Manchester City fans and crossed paths with Gatti. The Spaniard briefly argued with the Juventus defender, who had previously confronted Bernardo Silva, resulting in a yellow card for the Portuguese star. The conversation didn’t last long, as Guardiola continued walking towards the away end, congratulating both Juventus and Manchester City players. He spent longer with Juventus defender Danilo and warmly hugged him in the middle of the park before returning to the tunnel. During a post-match press conference attended by Football Italia, Guardiola said that theAdobe weaker revenue guidance for current quarter offsets Q4 results beat
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President Biden and first lady Jill Biden brought together researchers, investors and advocates Wednesday for the White House's first ever research conference on women's health. "The National Institutes of Health is using their funding to break down the silos," President Biden said during the event. "For example, we know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women. But we don't know enough about how menopause may affect heart disease, and that's going to change." The Biden Administration launched an initiative last year to focus on Women's Health Research. And according to the White House, in the last year they "galvanized nearly $1 billion in funding to close gaps in research on women's health. These investments will advance research to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and conditions." In the spring, President Biden also signed an executive order that directed federal agencies to expand and accelerate research into not just women-specific health issues, but how to prevent, diagnose and treat conditions uniquely for women. "The goal was to fundamentally change and improve how we approach and invest in women's health research," he said. "To pioneer the next generation of scientific research and discoveries that are going to improve care women receive all across the country. Because the fact is the health of our moms and grandmothers, sisters and daughters, friends and colleagues, affects not just women's well-being but the prosperity of the entire nation." RELATED STORY | Who decides health care costs? This group recommends how doctors should be paid The gender gap in medical research extends to both the public and private sectors. A recent report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found "Despite having a longer life expectancy than men, women spend more years living with a disability and in poor health:" roughly 25% more time than men in poor health. It also found that grant funding from the NIH on women's health research between fiscal years 2013-2023 averaged only about 9 percent of its total research spending. It was not until 1993 that it was required for women and minorities to be included in clinical research funding the National Institutes of Health. Prior to that they had not just been excluded but for a period outright banned. In 1977 the FDA created a guideline that prohibited the inclusion of women of reproductive age from participating in phase 1 and phase II clinical trials following the use of the sedative Thalidomide, which caused birth defects. Today, researchers have found biological discrepancies in areas like heart disease and Alzheimer's, but differences in treatment and risk. "A new future can ring out from this conference," First Lady Jill Biden told attendees. "One that answers the call from women who have been waiting for too long. Let this be the moment that we push harder. The moment that people say change the world of women's health forever." Both the President and First lady emphasized that this is the starting point, not the finish line. And Dr. Biden said she plans to continue to build alliances and push for funding after she laves the White House, as well.
Nigel Farage said he is weighing up what action to take if the Conservatives do not apologise for accusing Reform UK of “fakery” over its membership numbers. The Reform UK leader pushed back against reports suggesting that legal action would be the next step, saying he would make a decision in the next couple of days about his response if there is no apology for the “crazy conspiracy theory”. Mr Farage also said the party has “opened up our systems” to media outlets, including The Daily Telegraph and The Financial Times, in the interests of “full transparency to verify that our numbers are correct”. His remarks came after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused Mr Farage of “fakery” in response to Reform claiming they had surpassed the Tories in signed-up members. Mrs Badenoch said Reform’s counter was “coded to tick up automatically”. A digital counter on the Reform website showed a membership tally before lunchtime on Boxing Day ticking past the 131,680 figure declared by the Conservative Party during its leadership election earlier this year. Mr Farage, on whether he was threatening legal action or not, told the PA news agency: “I haven’t threatened anything. I’ve just said that unless I get an apology, I will take some action. “I haven’t said whether it’s legal or anything.” He added: “All I’ve said is I want an apology. If I don’t get an apology, I will take action. “I will decide in the next couple of days what that is. So I’ve not specified what it is.” Mr Farage, on the move to make membership data available to media organisations, said: “We feel our arguments are fully validated. “She (Mrs Badenoch) has put out this crazy conspiracy theory and she needs to apologise.” The accusations of fraud and dishonesty made against me yesterday were disgraceful. Today we opened up our systems to The Telegraph, Spectator, Sky News & FT in the interests of full transparency to verify that our data is correct. I am now demanding @KemiBadenoch apologises. — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) December 27, 2024 On why Mrs Badenoch had reacted as she did, Mr Farage said: “I would imagine she was at home without anybody advising her and was just angry.” Mr Farage, in a statement issued on social media site X, also said: “The accusations of fraud and dishonesty made against me yesterday were disgraceful. “Today we opened up our systems to The Telegraph, Spectator, Sky News and FT in the interests of full transparency to verify that our data is correct. “I am now demanding Kemi Badenoch apologises.” A Conservative Party source claimed Mr Farage was “rattled” that his Boxing Day “publicity stunt is facing serious questions”. They added: “Like most normal people around the UK, Kemi is enjoying Christmas with her family and looking forward to taking on the challenges of renewing the Conservative Party in the New Year.” Mrs Badenoch, in a series of messages posted on X on Thursday, said: “Farage doesn’t understand the digital age. This kind of fakery gets found out pretty quickly, although not before many are fooled.” There were 131,680 Conservative members eligible to vote during the party’s leadership election to replace Rishi Sunak in the autumn. Mrs Badenoch claimed in her thread that “the Conservative Party has gained thousands of new members since the leadership election”. Elsewhere, Mr Farage described Elon Musk as a “bloody hero” and said he believes the US billionaire can help attract younger voters to Reform. Tech entrepreneur Mr Musk met Mr Farage earlier this month at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, amid rumours of a possible donation to either Mr Farage or Reform. Mr Farage told The Daily Telegraph newspaper: “The shades, the bomber jacket, the whole vibe. Elon makes us cool – Elon is a huge help to us with the young generation, and that will be the case going on and, frankly, that’s only just starting. “Reform only wins the next election if it gets the youth vote. The youth vote is the key. Of course, you need voters of all ages, but if you get a wave of youth enthusiasm you can change everything. “And I think we’re beginning to get into that zone – we were anyway, but Elon makes the whole task much, much easier. And the idea that politics can be cool, politics can be fun, politics can be real – Elon helps us with that mission enormously.”
The Prince Albert Mintos announced on Tuesday that one of their goaltenders is headed down the road to Melfort for next season. The Mintos congratulated Josh Henry on their social media, saying he has committed to the Melfort Mustangs for the 2025/26 season. The 6-4, 195-pound netminder is currently in his second season with the Prince Albert Mintos in the Sask. Male AAA Hockey League (SMAAHL) and boasts a 5-5-1 (W-L-OTL) record with a 4.03 GAA and a .891 SV%. Over his career in U18AAA, Henry has a record of 13-12-2 with a 3.15 GAA and a .892 SV% in 29 appearances. Meanwhile, the Mustangs are coming off an SJHL championship last season and currently sit first in the standings at 17-4-0-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL). Henry and the Mintos are back on the ice on Wednesday when they welcome the Saskatoon Contacts to the Art Hauser Centre. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. — loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.comEgyptian Prime Minister Dr Mostafa Madbouly met in Cairo Wednesday with HE the Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani. The meeting dealt with discussing bilateral relations and the means to enhance co-operation in all fields, especially in the political, economic, investment, commercial and humanitarian fields, in a way that meets the aspirations of the two brotherly peoples. The latest developments in the region, especially in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, were also discussed, in addition to developments in Lebanon.In Bocaue, fireworks sales, prices surge ahead of New Year
SAN FRANCISCO — Google on Wednesday unleashed another wave of artificial intelligence designed to tackle more of the work and thinking done by humans as it tries to stay on the technology's cutting edge while also trying to fend off regulatory threats to its empire. The next generation of Google's AI is being packaged under the Gemini umbrella, which was unveiled a year ago . Google is framing its release of Gemini 2.0 as a springboard for AI agents built to interpret images shown through a smartphone, perform a variety of tedious chores, remember the conversations consumers have with people, help video game players plot strategy and even tackle the task of doing online searches. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.FinX, a corporate training platform specialising in the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector, has raised $6 million in seed funding from impact investor Elevar Equity. This marks the company’s first institutional funding round after operating as a bootstrapped, profitable venture over the last few years. According to the India Skills Report, over 50% of Indian graduates are deemed unemployable due to a lack of practical skills and industry-specific knowledge. With this funding, FinX aims to address this issue by equipping students with job-ready skills tailored to the BFSI sector. “With this fundraise, our presence will grow in tier-one cities, but we want to begin focusing on state capitals and tier-two locations. Eventually, we aim to reach cities like Kolhapur and Aurangabad,” Himanshu Vyapak, Founder of FinX said in an interview to CNBC-TV18. FinX has a clear roadmap for the future. “In the next five years, we aim to impact 100,000 students annually through our skilling and employability programs. This year alone, we plan to train 15,000 students across 12 states, with 60-65% securing placements through our programs,” Vyapak added. FinX offers a range of industry-relevant courses and certifications, catering to the dynamic needs of the BFSI domain. “Our courses, designed and delivered by industry experts, range from short vocational training embedded within college curriculums to joint management programs. We also provide certifications in specialised areas such as stock markets, wealth management, and investment banking,” Vyapak explained. In a separate development, The United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently organised the inaugural Founders' Retreat in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, fostering collaboration between Indian and Emirati businesses. The event saw participation from founders of 13 Indian unicorn startups and five publicly listed companies. Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Abdulnasser Alshaali, the UAE Ambassador to India, highlighted the growing emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) as a critical sector for future collaboration. “AI is one of the key sectors that we have been focusing on over the past couple of years. And this will continue to be the case because it's not just about AI, but how can you use AI in terms of all kinds of applications, whether it's in business, whether it's in education, whether it's in healthcare,” Alshaali said. He emphasised that India’s vast market and talent pool present immense opportunities to scale, test, and refine AI-driven technologies. "All of this is quite important because when you deal with AI, it's not just about what you can do with it, but also about the feedback that goes into it to further improve the system," he added. Alshaali also noted the UAE’s focus on utilising AI across various services and industries, stating that the synergy between India’s market size and talent pool and the UAE’s expertise could lead to transformative advancements in AI applications. Since 2000, UAE investors have contributed close to $20 billion to the Indian economy, underscoring the strong financial linkages between the two nations. Additionally, Saurabh Chatterjee, the Founder of Vashishtha Research, shared his perspectives on various aspects of the startup and the promising opportunities ahead for the company. Vashishtha Research, a robotics-focused startup, is placing significant emphasis on India's aerospace and defence sector, with expectations of nearly doubling its revenue in the coming year. Watch accompanying video for more.
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SailGP will return to the UK in 2025 meaning a home race for Team GB CEO Sir Ben Ainslie and Co - with sport unveiling a new sponsor synonymous with F1 ahead of its fifth seasonIRVING, Texas (AP) — A rape allegation against rapper Jay-Z, whose company Roc Nation has produced some of the NFL's entertainment presentations including the Super Bowl halftime show, won’t impact the league's relationship with the music mogul. “We’re aware of the civil allegations and Jay-Z’s really strong response to that," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday after the conclusion of the league's winter meetings. "We know the litigation is happening now. From our standpoint, our relationship is not changing with them, including our preparations for the next Super Bowl.” A woman who previously sued Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging she was raped at an awards show after-party in 2000 when she was 13 years old, amended the lawsuit Sunday to include a new allegation that Jay-Z was also at the party and participated in the sexual assault. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, said the rape allegation made against him is part of an extortion attempt . The 24-time Grammy Award winner called the allegations “idiotic” and “heinous in nature” in a statement released by Roc Nation, one of his companies. The NFL teamed up with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in 2019 for events and social activism. The league and the entertainment company extended their partnership a few months ago. Kendrick Lamar will perform the Super Bowl halftime show at The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Feb. 9. Roc Nation and Emmy-winning producer Jesse Collins will serve as co-executive producers of the halftime show. Beyonce, who is married to Jay-Z, will perform at halftime of the Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans game on Christmas. “I think they’re getting incredibly comfortable with not just with the Super Bowl but other events they’ve advised us on and helped us with,” Goodell said. “They’ve been a big help in the social justice area to us on many occasions. They’ve been great partners.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Trump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia
