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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering climate and energy . CHECK OUT: Education is Your Right! Don’t Let Social Norms Hold You Back. Learn Online with LEGIT. Enroll Now! Ogbomosho, Oyo state - Professor Funmilayo Nihinlola Osuolale of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho, Oyo state, has said renewable energy is presently unexploited in Nigeria. Speaking on Thursday, December 5, at the institution's 61st inaugural lecture attended by Legit.ng, Prof. Osuolale said if expertly explored, the value of renewable energy is “more than enough to meet Nigeria’s demands”. Professor Razaq Kalilu, the vice-chancellor (VC) of LAUTECH, chaired the event. Legit.ng reports that Nigeria faces many challenges in its energy sector. Among others, the energy crisis is caused by various factors such as funding problems, energy loss, inadequate budgetary provision, corruption, leadership crisis, poor maintenance and neglect of projects, lack of technical skills, infrastructural decay, and gas shortages. Amid the stumbling blocks, Prof. Osuolale offered hope during the event in Oyo state . Read also NNPC takes action to crash cooking gas prices in Nigeria She said: PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app! “Renewable energy is energy from natural resources that can be replenished at higher rate than they are consumed. An estimate of about two million, five hundred thousand gigawatts of renewable energy can be available in a year if judiciously harnessed from potential renewable energy sources in the country. “The projected amount of energy demand of our nation by 2030 is 45 gigawatts. The value of renewable energy left unexploited is more than enough to meet the energy demands of the country. Universal energy access in Nigeria should not be a mirage but an attainable reality.” Furthermore, the don explained that from time immemorial, renewable energy from biomass was the main source of energy generation. Noting that the country has an “abundance of biomass”, she pointed out that “the paradox” is the traditional use of biomass which is less efficient and oftentimes, injurious to human health. Prof. Osuolale added: Read also Prophet Arayomi shares 2025 prophecy as he speaks on 'God's revelation' “If Nigeria is to achieve its target of increasing energy generation capacity in the country, converting biomass to energy is one of the answers.” Born in December 1974, Osuolale earned her Bachelor of Technology and Master of Technology degrees in chemical engineering from LAUTECH, in 1998 and 2006 respectively. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun state . In 2015, she earned her second PhD in Chemical Engineering, with specialisation in process modelling and optimisation from Newcastle University, United Kingdom (UK). Having joined LAUTECH as a teaching assistant in 2004, she rose through the ranks to professor in 2022. She is an expert in applied thermodynamics, process modelling, and optimisation of energy systems. She has more than 60 published articles in onshore and offshore peer-review journals. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ngThe gaming world is abuzz with anticipation for Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6), Rockstar Games’ next installment in the iconic open-world crime franchise. Rumors, leaks, and speculation have been swirling for years, and the hype is reaching a fever pitch. But while all eyes are on Rockstar, a silent storm is brewing. GTA 6 might be facing some unexpected competition in 2025, and it’s not from the usual suspects like Saints Row or Watch Dogs. We’re talking about a new breed of games that could redefine open-world gaming as we know it. Forget about another “GTA clone” trying to steal Rockstar’s thunder. The real contenders are games pushing the boundaries of technology, storytelling, and player freedom in ways we haven’t seen before. Think massive, dynamic worlds with unprecedented levels of interaction, AI that adapts to your playstyle, and stories that blur the lines between single-player and multiplayer experiences. These are the games that could give GTA 6 a run for its money in 2025. The Rise of Immersive Sims One of the biggest threats to GTA 6’s dominance comes from the resurgence of immersive sims. Games like System Shock (remake) and Arkane’s Redfall are leading the charge, offering players intricate levels, emergent gameplay, and unparalleled player agency. These games emphasize player choice and creativity, allowing you to tackle objectives in a multitude of ways. Want to go in guns blazing? Sure. Prefer a stealthy approach? Go for it. Or maybe you’d rather hack the environment and let the enemies take each other out. The possibilities are endless. This focus on freedom and player expression is something that GTA has always excelled at, but these new immersive sims are taking it to a whole new level. They’re creating worlds that feel truly reactive and alive, where your actions have real consequences. Imagine a GTA game where your choices affect the city’s economy, the political landscape, and even the behavior of individual NPCs . That’s the kind of experience these games are aiming for. Personally, I’ve always been drawn to games that give me the freedom to experiment and find my own solutions. I spent countless hours in the original Deus Ex, meticulously planning my approach to each mission, and I can’t wait to see how these new immersive sims push the genre forward. If GTA 6 wants to stay ahead of the curve, it needs to offer a similar level of player agency and emergent gameplay. The Metaverse Menace Another potential challenger comes from the burgeoning metaverse. While still in its early stages, the metaverse promises persistent online worlds where players can live, work, and play together. Games like Fortnite and Roblox are already laying the groundwork, offering social hubs, creative tools, and a constantly evolving array of experiences. Imagine a GTA-style game set in a persistent online world where players can build their own criminal empires, form gangs, and engage in turf wars with other players. This is the kind of experience the metaverse could enable, and it could be incredibly compelling. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “The metaverse is just a fad.” And you might be right. But it’s a fad with a lot of money and talent behind it, and it has the potential to disrupt the gaming industry in a big way. If GTA 6 wants to remain relevant in the long term, it needs to find a way to embrace the metaverse and its possibilities. AI Revolution Perhaps the most significant challenge comes from advancements in artificial intelligence. AI is rapidly changing the way games are designed and played, and it could have a profound impact on the open-world genre. Imagine a GTA game with NPCs that have their own unique personalities, motivations, and relationships. Imagine a world that truly feels alive, where every encounter is unique and unpredictable. This is the kind of experience that AI could enable, and it’s something that traditional game design techniques simply can’t replicate. Games like This War of Mine and RimWorld have already shown us the potential of AI to create dynamic and emergent narratives. In This War of Mine, you manage a group of civilians trying to survive in a war-torn city, and the AI controls the behavior of both your survivors and the NPCs you encounter. Each playthrough is unique, and the stories that emerge can be incredibly powerful. I recently played RimWorld, a colony sim with incredibly deep AI, and I was amazed by how the game created its own stories. My colonists formed relationships, had mental breakdowns, and even staged rebellions. It was like watching a soap opera unfold in real-time, and it was far more engaging than any scripted narrative I’ve experienced in a game. If GTA 6 wants to truly immerse players in its world, it needs to embrace the power of AI. It needs to create characters that feel real, with their own unique stories and motivations. It needs to create a world that is constantly evolving and changing, even when the player isn’t around. The Indie Underdogs While AAA studios are busy chasing the metaverse and AI, a new wave of indie developers is quietly creating some of the most innovative and exciting open-world games we’ve seen in years. Games like Teardown and Cloudpunk are pushing the boundaries of the genre, offering unique gameplay mechanics, compelling stories, and stunning visuals. Teardown, for example, is a voxel-based heist game where you can destroy literally anything in the environment. This creates a level of freedom and emergent gameplay that is rarely seen in AAA games. Cloudpunk, on the other hand, is a narrative-driven adventure set in a cyberpunk city. You play as a delivery driver who gets caught up in a web of intrigue and conspiracy. The game’s atmospheric world and compelling characters make it a truly unforgettable experience. These indie games might not have the marketing budgets or brand recognition of GTA, but they have something far more important: creative freedom. They’re not afraid to experiment and take risks, and that’s what makes them so exciting. GTA 6 needs to watch out for these indie underdogs, because they could be the ones who truly revolutionize the open-world genre. What Does This Mean for GTA 6? So, what does all this mean for GTA 6? Does it mean that Rockstar’s next blockbuster is doomed to fail? Of course not. GTA is one of the biggest franchises in gaming history, and GTA 6 is almost guaranteed to be a massive commercial success. But it does mean that Rockstar can’t afford to rest on its laurels. To stay ahead of the curve, GTA 6 needs to be more than just another open-world crime game. It needs to be a groundbreaking experience that pushes the boundaries of technology, storytelling, and player freedom. It needs to embrace the power of AI, the potential of the metaverse, and the creativity of the indie scene.

An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump’s political coalitionNEW YORK -- Stocks fell broadly on Friday as Wall Street closed out a holiday-shortened week on a down note. The losses were made worse by sharp declines for the Big Tech stocks known as the “Magnificent 7”, which can heavily influence the direction of the market because of their large size. The S & P 500 fell 66.75 points, or 1.1%, to 5,970.84. Roughly 90% of stocks in the benchmark index lost ground, but it managed to hold onto a modest gain of 0.7% for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 333.59 points, or 0.8%, to 42,992.21. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 298.33 points, or 1.5%, to 19,722.03. Semiconductor giant Nvidia slumped 2.1%. Microsoft declined 1.7%. Each has a market value above $3 trillion, giving the companies outsized sway on the S & P 500 and the Nasdaq. A wide range of retailers also fell. Amazon fell 1.5% and Best Buy slipped 1.5%. The sector is being closely watched for clues on how it performed during the holiday shopping season. Energy stocks held up better than the rest of the market, with a loss of less than 0.1% as crude oil prices rose. “There’s just some uncertainty over this relief rally we’ve witnessed since last week,” said Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist for LPL Financial. The S & P 500 gained nearly 3% over a 3-day stretch before breaking for the Christmas holiday. On Thursday, the index posted a small decline. Despite Friday's drop, the market is moving closer to another standout annual finish . The S & P 500 is on track for a gain of around 25% in 2024. That would mark a second consecutive yearly gain of more than 20%, the first time that has happened since 1997-1998. The gains have been driven partly by upbeat economic data showing that consumers continued spending and the labor market remained strong. Inflation, while still high, has also been steadily easing. A report on Friday showed that sales and inventory estimates for the wholesales trade industry fell 0.2% in November, following a slight gain in October. That weaker-than-expected report follows an update on the labor market Thursday that showed unemployment benefits held steady last week. The stream of upbeat economic data and easing inflation helped prompt a reversal in the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy this year. Expectations for interest rate cuts also helped drive market gains. The central bank recently delivered its third cut to interest rates in 2024. Even though inflation has come closer to the central bank's target of 2%, it remains stubbornly above that mark and worries about it heating up again have tempered the forecast for more interest rate cuts. Inflation concerns have added to uncertainties heading into 2025, which include the labor market’s path ahead and shifting economic policies under incoming President Donald Trump. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Amedisys rose 4.7% after the home health care and hospice services provider agreed to extend the deadline for its sale to UnitedHealth Group. The Justice Department had sued to block the $3.3 billion deal, citing concerns the combination would hinder access to home health and hospice services in the U.S. The move to extend the deadline comes ahead of an expected shift in regulatory policy under Trump. The incoming administration is expected to have a more permissive approach to dealmaking and is less likely to raise antitrust concerns. In Asia, Japan’s benchmark index surged as the yen remained weak against the dollar. Stocks in South Korea fell after the main opposition party voted to impeach the country’s acting leader. Markets in Europe gained ground. Bond yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.62% from 4.59% late Thursday. The yield on the two-year Treasury remained at 4.33% from late Thursday. Wall Street will have more economic updates to look forward to next week, including reports on pending home sales and home prices. There will also be reports on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity.

Nonehas unveiled a teaser for her upcoming Netflix special, , set to air during the Christmas Day game between the and . The promo video comes amid allegations against her husband, , who has been accused in a civil lawsuit of sexually assaulting a minor alongside in 2000. Beyoncé teases Holiday magic Unfazed by the legal controversy, , 43, showcased her festive spirit in the teaser for her Christmas special. Dressed in a feathered white ensemble and a cowboy hat, the music icon struck playful poses beside a cactus. A dramatic moment in the clip featured her mimicking a finger-gun shot to light up the cactus, setting the stage for a whimsical holiday performance. The special will be part of halftime performance during the December 25 game in Houston, her hometown. Meanwhile, the allegations against have reportedly prompted the NFL to reassess its partnership with his company, . The two entities have collaborated since 2019 to revamp the Super Bowl halftime show and address social justice issues. While no formal action has been taken, insiders suggest the may distance itself from Jay-Z if the legal proceedings result in further fallout. The lawsuit against the music mogul, refiled on Sunday in New York's Southern District, alleges the assault occurred after the MTV Video Music Awards. , 55, has categorically denied the claims, calling them an attempt at "blackmail" and expressing concern about their impact on his family, particularly his eldest daughter, . Despite the public scrutiny, has not been implicated in the lawsuit. The couple, married since 2008, share three children-Blue Ivy and twins Rumi and Sir-and have long been considered an R&B power couple, though their relationship has faced challenges in the past, including admission of infidelity. As legal proceedings unfold, continues to focus on her career, using her platform to deliver entertainment while maintaining a neutral stance on her husband's legal troubles.

The gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fled New York City by bus, police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. Here's the latest: The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer may have fled the city on a bus, New York City police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. “We have reason to believe that the person in question has left New York City,” Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer made sure to wear a mask during the shooting yet left a trail of evidence in view of the nation’s biggest city and its network of security cameras that have aided authorities piecing together his movements and his identity. A law enforcement official said Friday that new surveillance footage shows the suspect riding the subway and visiting establishments in Manhattan and provided more clues about his actions in the days before he ambushed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . The gunman’s whereabouts and identity remain unknown Friday, as did the reason for Wednesday’s killing. New York City police say evidence firmly points to it being a targeted attack . ▶ Read more about the search for the gunman In many companies, investor meetings like the one UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was walking to when he was fatally shot are viewed as very risky because details on the location and who will be speaking are highly publicized. “It gives people an opportunity to arrive well in advance and take a look at the room, take a look at how people would probably come and go out of a location,” said Dave Komendat, president of DSKomendat Risk Management Services, which is based in the greater Seattle area. Some firms respond by beefing up security. For example, tech companies routinely require everyone attending a major event, such as Apple’s annual unveiling of the next iPhone or a shareholder meeting, to go through airport-style security checkpoints before entering. Others forgo in-person meetings with shareholders. ▶ Read more about how companies protect their leaders Those images include New York’s subway system, a law enforcement official said. In establishments where the person was captured on camera, he always appeared to pay with cash, the official said. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. — Mike Balsamo Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm that serves 1.5 million customers in 12 states, said it’s temporarily closing all six locations. The firm has offices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and North Dakota, and employs about 3,000 people. Employees will work from home, Medica spokesman Greg Bury said in an email Friday. “The safety of Medica employees is our top priority and we have increased security both for all of our employees,” a statement from Medica said. “Although we have received no specific threats related to our campuses, our office buildings will be temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution.” Bury also said biographical information on the company’s executives was taken down from its website as a precaution. The insurer cited the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in its announcement about the Dec. 12 event. “All of us at Centene are deeply saddened by Brian Thompson’s death and want to express our support for all of those affected. Health insurance is a big industry and a small community; many members of the CenTeam crossed paths with Brian during their careers,” Centene CEO Sarah M. London said in a news release. “He was a person with a deep sense of empathy and clear passion for improving access to care. Our hearts are with his family and his colleagues during this difficult time.” Centene Corp. has grown in recent years to become the largest insurer in Medicaid, the state- and federally funded program that covers care for people with low incomes. Insurers manage Medicaid coverage for states, and Centene has more than 13 million people enrolled in that coverage. The insurance company also said it’s focused on ensuring the safety of employees and assisting investigators. “While our hearts are broken, we have been touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support in the hours since this horrific crime took place,” the company said. But he said Friday that he’s confident police will arrest the shooter. “We are on the right road to apprehend him and bring him to justice,” Adams said on TV station WPIX. Later, it removed their names and biographies entirely. Police and federal agents have been collecting information from Greyhound in an attempt to identify the suspect and are working to determine whether he purchased the ticket to New York in late November, a law enforcement official said. Investigators were also trying to obtain additional information from a cellphone recovered from a pedestrian plaza through which the shooter fled. The fatal shooting of Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. Experts say today’s political, economic and technological climate is only going to make the job of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them even more difficult, experts say. Some organizations have a protective intelligence group that uses digital tools such as machine learning or artificial intelligence to comb through online comments to detect threats not only on social media platforms such as X but also on the dark web, says Komendat. They look for what’s being said about the company, its employees and its leadership to uncover risks. ▶ Read more about the steps companies take to protect their leadership Police said Thursday they found a water bottle and protein bar wrapper from a trash can near the scene of the ambush and think the suspect bought them from a Starbucks minutes before the shooting. The items were being tested by the city’s medical examiner.Albertsons sues Kroger for failing to win approval of their proposed supermarket merger

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Vancouver-based bookkeeping service Bench Accounting has announced its sudden closure, potentially putting hundreds of staff out of work. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * Vancouver-based bookkeeping service Bench Accounting has announced its sudden closure, potentially putting hundreds of staff out of work. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Vancouver-based bookkeeping service Bench Accounting has announced its sudden closure, potentially putting hundreds of staff out of work. The company that has described itself as North America’s largest bookkeeping service for small businesses says on its website in a “notice of closure” dated Friday that the platform is “no longer accessible.” The statement acknowledges that the closure is “abrupt and may cause disruption,” and says the firm is committed to helping customers “navigate through the transition.” Bench has previously said it had more than 600 employees and had received investor funding of US$113 million. It said it moved to Vancouver and changed its name to Bench in 2013, having started out in 2012 as 10sheet Inc in the U.S. 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. Calls to Bench’s Vancouver office went to voice mail and did not immediately receive a response. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024. Advertisement

By MICHELLE L. PRICE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Related Articles National Politics | Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.In the NFL MVP race, the top three candidates — in alphabetical order — are: A) Josh Allen B) Lamar Jackson C) Patrick Mahomes. I’ll take the fourth choice: D) Any of the above. We’re in the ice cream shop. There’s no wrong choice here. With one game left for Jackson and Mahomes and two left for Allen, each AFC quarterback has built a winning case for MVP. They’ve all led their team to the Super Bowl tournament, none missing a contest. The three-star show wasn’t surprising. All three QBs occupy the sweet spot of vast experience and in-their-prime youth — Jackson being the youngest, at 27, followed by Allen, 28, and Mahomes, 29. Running backs don’t affect the game as much as QBs, denying Saquon Barkley a realistic shot at the MVP award, but he deserves NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors. And if the Bengals hadn’t failed him, QB Joe Burrow would be in the MVP hunt. Proceeding alphabetically, I’ll begin with why I wouldn’t vote against Allen. Above all, he’s scary in the red zone. That’s where most big games are decided, and it’s where greatness is needed because the game becomes faster and more compressed. Either in the pocket or on the move, Allen can make the right red-zone passes at a high rate. It’s his run dimension that affects defenses the most. He wins races to the pylon or up a seam; unlike most QBs of the Super Bowl era, he initiates and wins collisions with linebackers and safeties. This season, Allen has gone from bad to good at avoiding interceptions. The opportunities Allen creates for teammates stand out, and that’s a big factor in the Bills scoring 30-plus in eight consecutive games and leading the AFC in points scored. Khalil Shakir leads the team in receptions (73). His lateral agility is wicked. At Boise State, dropped passes were a problem for the short-armed receiver. Shakir, tough and resilient, now stands as a fifth-round steal. Assist, Allen. Gritty Mack Hollins leads the Bills with five touchdown catches, a career-high. Allen’s Bills are Hollins’ fifth NFL team. Allen’s run threat expands lanes for running back James Cook, sparing him collisions. Cook, who weighed just 199 pounds when he entered the NFL in 2022, has rushed for 14 TDs, tying him for NFL honors. Here, today, I won’t write much about Jackson and Mahomes — but there’s ample reason to not vote against either one. Jackson has toyed with several defenses as a passer and a rusher by leveraging his astounding explosiveness that now has opponents wishing he’d not lost weight last offseason in pursuit of yet more footspeed. Talk about two-way dominance. Jackson stands first in several passing statistics: passer rating, touchdown percentage, ESPN’s total quarterback rating (which also accounts for rushing) and, per Athlon Sports, passer rating from the pocket. Only Justin Herbert has thrown fewer interceptions per pass. Oh, yeah, Jackson also boasts the second-best passer rating outside the pocket. Rushing, Jackson sports a league-best 6.6 yards per carry and broke Michael Vick’s season record for rushing yards by a quarterback. Any football lover who attends a Ravens game for the first time will find Jackson’s speed dazzling, and see how it distorts the whole chess match. More so than telecasts convey, he dictates terms. Last month in a stunning display of speed even for him, Jackson blazed upfield to try to lend blocking support in pursuit of speedy teammate Zay Flowers, who’d run away from Chargers defenders after catching a short pass. Jackson, gliding without the ball, ran by Flowers and several defenders. At the 2023 NFL combine, Flowers was clocked at 4.32 seconds in the 40-yard dash. No QB has had a better season than Mahomes, although I doubt he will finish first or even second in MVP voting. He has led the Chiefs (15-1) to the AFC’s top seed despite poor blindside blocking in many games, losing his top two receivers and top running back for most of the season and suffering a high ankle sprain himself. Because they couldn’t keep up with the Chiefs, the Ravens and Bills may have to meet in the playoffs, improving Mahomes’ odds of winning a fourth Super Bowl title. “Mahomes controls the entire game with his IQ,” former NFL receiver Dez Bryant said this week on social media. Three great seasons. One MVP award. I don’t envy the voters, whose ballots are due before the playoffs begin.

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Mumbai, Nov 22 (PTI) ISRO chief S Somanath on Friday said there is potential for India to invest and work in microgravity research and added the space agency is talking to many stakeholders who are interested to work in this domain, including vaccine developers. Speaking at the Raksha Summit 2024 here, Somanath said there is huge interest in working on medical research connected with space and microgravity. There is going to be huge potential of research in the coming days, he said. “There is potential for India to invest and work in microgravity research in the coming days. We are talking to many of the stakeholders who are interested in working in this domain, including vaccine researchers and medical diagnostic equipment manufacturers,” Somanath said. He said the Department of Biotechnology and Department of Space have signed an MoU for biotechnology research into space which could be helpful in its human space flight project Gaganyaan. This will help in better understanding how the body reacts in microgravity, especially body fluids, he said. There is an issue with the equipment used in hospitals that are not built in India, he pointed out. Many of them have technologies that are amenable to be designed and developed in this country, he said, and asked why these things are not being built in large numbers in India. When ISRO began building rockets and satellites, it started buying components and elements from various sources and started assembling them in the country. Over a period of time it was able to work with the industry, convert many of the components as local produce like electronic parts, alloys, materials, connectors, chemicals, adhesives. Today 90 per cent are sourced from this country, he said. The ecosystem now feeds high technology domains like defence and aerospace. “Similar exercise needs to be done in healthcare and diagnostic and hospital equipment. They can be designed and built in large numbers to supply to markets existing in the country,” he said. He said the companies can tie up with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and then bring manufacturing into this country. Better innovation and cost reduction can be done in the country, he said. There is huge interest in working on medical research and connected with space and microgravity. This is going to be a huge potential of research in coming days, he said. PTI PR BNM This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

SHAMED ref David Coote won’t appeal the decision to sack him, it emerged last night. Referees’ body the PGMOL gave him the boot this month after a probe into videos of him snorting white powder and a foul-mouthed rant about ex Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp . Sources last night said the 42-year-old Premier League official had decided to accept his sacking - rather than fight to keep his old job, the Daily Mail reported. The PGMOL - Professional Game Match Officials Board - showed Coote the door after examining evidence provided by The Sun. We exclusively revealed a film of him snorting what appears to be cocaine during the Euros in Germany this summer . In the eight-second WhatsApp clip, he was wide-eyed as he used a rolled-up US banknote to snort a four-inch line of the substance in his Uefa-funded hotel room. READ MORE ON DAVID COOTE The previous day, the official had acted as a VAR for France's quarter-final shootout win over Portugal. Days before that exposé, footage emerged on social media showing him calling former Liverpool boss Klopp a “German c***”. Coote had also tried to arrange a drugs party during Tottenham’s win over Manchester City on October 30 . He was the fourth official for the Carabao Cup clash. Most read in Football Official body PGMOL said the ref - also subject of a separate betting probe - was sacked after his actions were found to be in breach of contract. In a statement, they said: “David Coote’s actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable. "Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare.” Coote has been lying low near his Midlands home since the video emerged. Referees body the PGMOL, who examined evidence provided by The Sun, sacked him on Monday following a probe into his sweary rants and white powder abuse. Coote was then the subject of a new probe over allegedly issuing a yellow card to order. The loss of Coote’s career is set to cost him £1m over the next few years in loss of earnings. First video First man : "What did you think of the Liverpool game earlier when you were fourth official?" Second man (allegedly Coote) : "Erm Liverpool were s***." First man : "What did you think of Jurgen Klopp?" Second man (allegedly Coote) : "C***, absolute c***." First man : "Why would you say that Jurgen Klopp is a c***?" Second man (allegedly Coote) : "Erm, aside from having a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown. "Then, he accused me of lying and then just had a right f***ing pop at me - and I’ve got no interest in speaking to somebody whose f***ing arrogant. "So I do my best not to speak to him. [James] Milner is alright, I get on with Milner." First man : "James Milner, he gets on with James Milner." Second man (allegedly Coote) : "You can see me there with mask on." First man : "Mask on, obviously." Second man (allegedly Coote) : "Yea Covid, got to be done. Social distancing right? We’re two meters apart." First man : "We have to social distance." Second man (allegedly Coote) : "Yep, so but [exhales] my God. German c***, f*** me." First man : "Long story short, Jurgen Klopp’s a c***, Liverpool are all f***ing b******s, we hate Scousers." Second video Second man (allegedly Coote) : "Right just to be clear, that f***ing last video cant go anywhere, seriously." First man : He’s a Premier League referee, let's not f***ing ruin his career. "Like let's face we’re good blokes but we can’t ruin a bloke’s career. We’re not that bad. Also he’s a f***ing legend." Second man (allegedly Coote) : "So, yeah." First man : "So lets not ruin his career."No, Mexico and Canada did not break off formal relations | Fact check