Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson kept the overall lead in fan voting numbers revealed Monday for the NFL Pro Bowl Games with Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley a close second. Jackson topped vote-getters with 82,402 and Barkley was next, only 320 votes behind. Barkley was 4,079 votes back of Jackson in last week's first voting results. Eagles star Barkley, who set a team one-season rushing record on Sunday in a victory over Carolina, leaped ahead of Ravens rusher Derrick Henry, who fell to third on 76,582. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was fourth on 73,627 with Detroit Lions rusher Jahmyr Gibbs fifth on 73,617. The Lions garnered the most votes from NFL fans overall followed by Baltimore, two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City, Philadelphia and Minnesota. The NFL's all-star event will be staged February 2 in Orlando, Florida, for the second consecutive year as 88 players take part in skills competitions, including a flag football showdown with former NFL star quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning serving as coaches. Fan voting concludes on December 23. No other voting totals were revealed but top vote-getters at their position in the AFC and NFC also were revealed, including NFC rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels of Washington and wide receivers Justin Jefferson of Minnesota in the NFC and Ja'Marr Chase of Cincinnati in the AFC. js/bb
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Eagles receivers Smith and Brown complain about vanishing pass offense during winning streakLoras had the magic. It just ran out in the clutchest of moments. Kyndall Kells made a penalty kick save in the final round of the shootout, but Emory’s goalkeeper did the same as the Eagles ousted top-seeded Loras in the NCAA Division III tournament sectional semifinal on Saturday at the Rock Bowl. Emory won the shootout, 4-3, after the teams battled to a 1-1 draw through 110 minutes. Emory (13-3-4) advanced to play Amherst or Illinois Institute of Technology in Sunday’s sectional final at the Rock Bowl. Loras (20-0-2) was seeking its second trip to the Elite Eight and was in the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive season. “I’m so proud of the whole team, it’s an amazing accomplishment,” Loras coach Matt Pucci said. “We’re one of three teams in the country to be in four straight Sweet 16s and that’s not easy to do. Our seniors graduate with four losses in their career. That’s absurd. Four goals against all season. That’s absurd. “Credit to the whole team and the program before and after us as well because to do this year in and year out, I think it becomes white noise and it shouldn’t because this is an incredible accomplishment. I’ve said it before, there’s over 430 schools (in Division III) and four years in a row we’re in the top 16 and one of those years we’re in the top four, so credit to all our players.” Savannah Johnson, Sierra Morgano and Isabel Russmann scored in the shootout for Loras. Emerson Gasmann’s shootout attempt missed wide right and Reagan Lindsay’s shot in the fifth and final round was saved by Emory goalkeeper Sophia Garcia. “Penalties are tough,” Pucci said. “It’s a mental thing as much as a technical thing. We train it, we work hard and I have full faith in every one of the 10 that went up there. Credit to their keeper, she made a save in a big moment. Our keeper made a save in her big moment as well. It was just kind of indicative of what the game was like: back and forth and two good teams going at it.” The Eagles, who also defeated Loras in the 2012 Sweet 16, will be making their third appearance in the Elite Eight. They finished as national runners-up in 2012. “We’re sad about losing in the Sweet 16 (but) we hold our chin high with that,” Russmann said. “We get here every year and if this is the worst part of our season, I’ll take it. We work hard day in and day out and I think that coming into here, it wasn’t like this when we got here. Having four seasons in a row getting to the Sweet 16, getting to the Final Four, can’t ask for more. Johnson opened the scoring in the 25th minute. Lindsay sent a free kick into the box, but it eventually came back to her after a failed clearance attempt by the Emory defense. Lindsay sent it into the box again and Athena Sheets tapped it over to Johnson, who slotted it past a diving Garcia. It was Johnson’s 18th goal of the season and the 53rd of her career, which left her fourth on the program’s all-time list behind Ryleigh O’Brien (54), Katie Truesdale (58) and Michelle Wieser (87). “When she came in, we didn’t know we were getting a future All-American,” Pucci said. “She worked her butt to get to where she’s at and that’s just the mantra of who we are as a team. Everybody comes in and starts at a certain level and nowhere near their ceiling. I like to think that our seniors get to that ceiling by the end of their career. Savannah is another one just like the rest, you come in and see what’s it like and you can either raise the bar or stand still and she sure as heck didn’t stand still.” Johnson, a fifth-year senior, finishes with two entries on the program’s single-season goals chart. Her career-high 24 goals last year ranks third; her total from this season is tied with Wieser’s 2001 freshman season for seventh. It was also the first goal allowed in the tournament by Emory, which out had outscored its first two NCAA opponents, 7-0. The Eagles pulled even with just less than 25 minutes left in the match. Samantha Lim drove toward the corner before sending the ball back for Kaitlyn Nimmer to take a shot. Emily Woodall was in the perfect spot to redirect and used her head to deflect the shot past Loras goalkeeper Kyndal Kells. Kells, who has already shattered the program’s career record with 44 shutouts, finished with 11 saves, including a punch over the crossbar that denied Emory a potential-go-ahead goal with 9 minutes left in regulation.
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ABUJA – The Federal Republic of Nigeria has expressed concern over the escalating post-election violence in the Republic of Mozambique, and called on all aggrieved political players in that country to explore legal redress to resolve their political differences. Reports said the violence erupted especially in the Capital City of Maputo, and other major cities like Beira, and Nampula, which has reportedly resulted in the death of over 121 persons and over 380 injured. According to reports, the violent protests erupted after the Constitutional Council confirmed Daniel Chapo of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) as the winner of the presidential election with 65% of the vote and the results were rejected by the leader of the opposition party. Nigeria Federal Government through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday in Abuja called for calm even as it sent condolences to the families of victims and the country. The statement signed by Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, Acting Spokesperson of the Ministry, reads in parts: “Therefore, the Federal Government of Nigeria calls for calm and advises the aggrieved political players to explore appropriate legal means to seek redress. “Our thoughts are with the Government of the Republic of Mozambique and the families of all those affected by the dreadful crisis.”This Bendigo charity gives bikes to those in need. It needs a new home
Ranchi/Dumka: JMM led INDIA bloc clinched power for the second time on Saturday based on a stellar performance across the 28 ST and nine SC reserved seats in the state. JMM and its allies routed the BJP from the 28 ST seats. While the INDIA bloc won 27 of them, former CM Champai Soren emerged as the lone tribal legislator for the BJP. Likewise, the INDIA bloc delivered a strong performance across the nine SC reserved seats. While the BJP won three and LJP (Ram Vilas) won one, Congress, RJD and JMM clinched the rest. This year's performance of the INDIA bloc was better than 2019 where the BJP had won two out of the 28 tribal reserved seats (Khunti and Torpa). This year, however, the BJP lost both the seats to JMM. Out of the 28 ST seats, JMM won 21 seats while Congress won six and BJP won one. Maharashtra Jharkhand Maharashtra Alliance View i Party View Seats: 288 Results Majority: 145 BJP+ 229 MVA 47 OTH 12 Results : 288 / 288 BJP+ WON Jharkhand Alliance View i Party View Seats: 81 Results Majority: 41 INDIA 56 NDA 24 OTH 1 Results : 81 / 81 INDIA WON Source: PValue The INDIA bloc's strong performance across the seats indicated that the BJP's politics did not resonate among the tribal electorate. Nalin Soren, the incumbent Dumka (ST) Lok Sabha seat who represented Shikaripara (ST) assembly segment until this year's Lok Sabha election, claimed that the tribal electorate rejected the BJP's politics of communalism and hatred in this election. "Several factors resulted in a good show. While there was the benefit of the social welfare schemes such as Maiyya Samman and Savitri Bai Phule Yojana, there was considerable discontent among the electorate because the BJP led government at the Centre did not act on the Sarna Code. We had sent a resolution from the state assembly four years ago, but the Modi government remained reluctant. A false narrative was created around infiltration to divide the tribal votes, but it did not work. Today's results proved that the tribal community has rallied strongly behind Hemant Soren ," he told TOI in Dumka. Ends
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California lawmakers kicked off a special session of the state Legislature on Monday. The reason? To fund a $25 million war chest for anticipated legal battles with incoming President Donald Trump’s administration. As nearly 30 new state lawmakers were sworn into office at the state Capitol in Sacramento, legislative leaders gaveled in a special session called by that’s geared toward protecting undocumented immigrants, reproductive rights, climate policy and more from Trump’s second administration. The regular, two-year legislative session also began Monday, but the special session will allow for a speedier lawmaking process. Newsom has requested the funding for the state Department of Justice and other agencies, which are expected to file a flurry of lawsuits challenging Trump policies — as California Democrats did during the president’s first term. The governor’s ask was introduced in bills Monday by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, an Encino Democrat who chairs the body’s budget committee. “We will work with the incoming administration and we want President Trump to succeed in serving all Americans,” Newsom said in a statement. “But when there is overreach, when lives are threatened, when rights and freedoms are targeted, we will take action.” Newsom expects to sign the legislation before Trump is sworn in on Jan. 20, and top Democratic lawmakers are on board. They’ll do the bulk of that work in early January after a break, said Assemblymember Marc Berman, a Menlo Park Democrat. “Just like eight years ago, California must once again do everything we can to protect our 39 million residents and our economy,” he said in an email. “During both the special session and the regular session, we must double down on policies to defend reproductive freedom and autonomy, protect the environment, and invest in science and education.” Republicans, however, blasted the special session as a tone-deaf stunt to raise Newsom’s profile as a Trump foil. Politics observers say the Democratic governor almost surely will run for president in 2028, after his final term ends. “Instead of taking the hint that Californians are growing tired of Democrat incompetence, Newsom is doubling down on his extreme agenda and using his special session to ‘Trump-proof’ California with taxpayer dollars,” California GOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson said in an email. “It’s clear that Gavin Newsom’s 2028 presidential run is now underway, and Californians are simply pawns in his game.” The $25 million set aside for litigation would be a tiny fraction of California’s $288 billion 2024-25 operating budget. But approving that budget required a series of measures to , including dipping into reserves. It was unclear Monday whether funding legal wars with Trump would come at the expense of other programs. On the campaign trail, Trump slammed California as a den of crime, rampant inflation and homelessness, while taking shots at the Golden State’s top Democrats. He also pledged to use the military to conduct mass deportations of immigrants without proper documentation, . Democrats including U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta say they’ll staunchly defend immigrants and will not cooperate with deportations. Bonta also announced Monday that lawmakers are sponsoring bills to ensure Californians can access medication abortions and empowering the attorney general to seek fines from local governments that restrict abortion providers. “I want to make it unequivocally clear: California will remain a safe haven for reproductive rights and access to abortion care, no matter who is in the White House,” Bonta , said in a statement. After Trump’s victory last month, Newsom and California Democrats quickly laid the groundwork to oppose the incoming Republican administration. It’s a reprise role. During Trump’s first term, California filed 122 lawsuits challenging his administration’s policies under Democratic Attorney General Xavier Becerra. That litigation cost the state $42 million, according to Newsom’s office, and netted some victories. In one case, California and New York successfully sued the U.S. Department of Energy in 2017 to allow energy efficiency standards to go into effect nationally, which were expected to save consumers $8.4 billion and prevent nearly 100 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Another victory won California $60 million in federal public safety grants, the governor’s office said. Once again, California’s stand-off with Trump is likely to be a major force in state politics for the next four years. But this time around, Newsom is stressing that he’s open to finding common ground with the former president. Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire say they’ll mostly be . In fact, Newsom and Rivas have made overtures to California voters since Republicans nationally swept the November elections, reclaiming the White House and Senate and holding the House of Representatives. He made gains throughout the state in part because of discontent over inflation and living costs. In response, and has said that Democrats need to focus more on the economy. A spokesperson for Rivas did not return a request for comment by press time. Nearly 30 new lawmakers were also sworn in at the Capitol on Monday. The new legislature includes . Democrats still have complete control on state government, with supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature and holds on all executive seats.In choosing to come back for a fifth season of college basketball, Colorado’s Frida Formann had visions of picking up where she left off in 2023-24. A foot injury delayed the start of her final season, but the senior guard is picking up steam for the Buffaloes (6-2), who will host Tennessee Tech on Tuesday. Formann missed the first three games of the season with an injury, but is finding her groove and scored a season-high 25 points in the Buffs’ 79-71 loss to No. 24 Louisville on Saturday. “It’s been tough kind of being injured and, like, kind of half-in with practice, easing into it,” said Formann, who is averaging 14.3 points per game. “I’m someone that really relies on the reps that I put it in in the gym. I haven’t really been able to put up the same amount of reps just because of load management and stuff. So yeah, it was really nice to kind of get in the goove and, just, I felt confident (against Louisville) and kind of knew I had to play that way for the team.” Formann came off the bench in her first two games as CU head coach JR Payne eased her back into the flow. She has started the last two games, however. CU’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made, Formann is 9-for-22 (40.9%) and has hit at least two in each of her games. The Buffs were a bit disjointed in Formann’s season debut, a 65-45 win against Southern on Nov. 17, hitting just 41.4% of their shots. In the last three games, however, the Buffs have averaged 83.7 points, while hitting 50.0% from the floor, including 44.6% from 3-point range. In Tennessee Tech, the Buffs will face a squad that’s off to a 5-2 start and has several capable scorers. There could also be an adjustment to a unique tip-off time of 11 a.m., but Payne expects the Buffs to be ready to play on Field Trip Day, which usually brings several busloads of students to the game. “We practice around noon or 1 p.m. most days, so it’s actually a pretty normal playing time for us,” she said. “Hopefully we’ll have a lot of kids. That’s the point is that’s a school game and it should be great to have a lot of kids in the stands.” CU Buffs women’s basketball vs. Tennessee Tech TIPOFF: Tuesday, 11 a.m., CU Events Center TV/RADIO: ESPN+/KHOW 630 AM RECORDS: Colorado 6-2; Tennessee Tech 5-2 COACHES: Colorado — JR Payne, 9th season (149-104; 250-217 career). Louisville — Jeff Walz, 18th season (469-137) KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — F Nyamer Diew, 6-2, Sr. (6.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg); G Frida Formann, 5-10, Sr. (14.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.3 apg, .409 3Pt%); F Lior Garzon, 6-1, Sr. (12.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg); F Jade Masogayo, 6-3, Jr. (11.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.5 apg, .544 FG%); G Sara-Rose Smith, 6-1, Sr. (7.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg, .467 3pt%); G Johanna Teder, 5-11, Sr. (7.0 ppg, .600 FG%); G Kindyll Wetta, 5-9, Sr. (6.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 6.6 apg, 2.3 spg). Tennessee Tech — G Peyton Carter, 5-8, Sr. (12.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.4 spg, .432 3pt%); G Reghan Grimes, 5-10, Jr. (12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 2.4 spg); G Chloe Larry, 5-8, Fr. (10.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.4 apg); F Taris Thornton, 6-0, Sr. (10.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.6 spg, .549 FG%); F Anna Walker, 6-0, Sr. (9.9 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.4 spg, 2.1 bpg) NOTES: CU is looking to rebound from its loss to No. 24 Louisville on Saturday. ... The Buffs are 50-3 in non-conference home games in Payne’s tenure. That includes a 38-game win streak that was snapped with Saturday’s loss. ... CU’s Kindyll Wetta has averaged 9.0 assists in the last three games. ... Formann had a season-high 25 points in the loss to Louisville. She has scored at least nine points in all four games since returning from a foot injury. ... This will be CU’s first-ever meeting with Tennessee Tech. ... Before the season, Tennessee Tech was projected for a fourth-place finish in the 11-team Ohio Valley Conference. ... In its last game, Tennessee Tech won at Samford, 79-65, on Nov. 26. ... A year ago, the Golden Eagles were 0-2 against power conference teams, but lost by just six at Kentucky and by one against Missouri.Popular Gen Z term voted word of the year – have you heard of it?
This week, authorities from the U.K., E.U., U.S., and seven other nations gathered in San Francisco to launch the “International Network of AI Safety Institutes.” The meeting, which took place at the Presidio Golden Gate Club, addressed managing the risks of AI-generated content, testing foundation models, and conducting risk assessments for advanced AI systems. AI safety institutes from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Kenya, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore also officially joined the Network. In addition to signing a mission statement , more than $11 million in funding was allocated to research into AI-generated content, and the results of the Network’s first joint safety testing exercise were reviewed. Attendees included regulatory officials, AI developers, academics, and civil society leaders to aid the discussion on emerging AI challenges and potential safeguards. The convening built on the progress made at the previous AI Safety Summit in May, which took place in Seoul. The 10 nations agreed to foster “international cooperation and dialogue on artificial intelligence in the face of its unprecedented advancements and the impact on our economies and societies.” “The International Network of AI Safety Institutes will serve as a forum for collaboration, bringing together technical expertise to address AI safety risks and best practices,” according to the European Commission . “Recognising the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity, the Network will work towards a unified understanding of AI safety risks and mitigation strategies.” Member AI Safety Institutes will have to demonstrate their progress in AI safety testing and evaluation by the Paris AI Impact Summit in February 2025 so they can move forward with discussions around regulation. Key outcomes of the conference Mission statement signed The mission statement commits the Network members to collaborate in four areas: Research: Collaborating with the AI safety research community and sharing findings. Testing: Developing and sharing best practices for testing advanced AI systems. Guidance: Facilitating shared approaches to interpreting AI safety test results. Inclusion: Sharing information and technical tools to broaden participation in AI safety science. Over $11 million allocated to AI safety research In total, Network members and several nonprofits announced over $11 million of funding for research into mitigating the risk of AI-generated content. Child sexual abuse material, non-consensual sexual imagery, and the use of AI for fraud and impersonation were highlighted as key areas of concern. Funding will be allocated as a priority to researchers investigating digital content transparency techniques and model safeguards to prevent the generation and distribution of harmful content. Grants will be considered for scientists developing technical mitigations and social scientific and humanistic assessments. The U.S. institute also released a series of voluntary approaches to address the risks of AI-generated content. The results of a joint testing exercise discussed The network has completed its first-ever joint testing exercise on Meta’s Llama 3.1 405B, looking into its general knowledge, multi-lingual capabilities, and closed-domain hallucinations, where a model provides information from outside the realm of what it was instructed to refer to. The exercise raised several considerations for how AI safety testing across languages, cultures, and contexts could be improved. For example, the impact minor methodological differences and model optimisation techniques can have on evaluation results. Broader joint testing exercises will take place before the Paris AI Action Summit. Shared basis for risk assessments agreed The network has agreed upon a shared scientific basis for AI risk assessments , including that they must be actionable, transparent, comprehensive, multistakeholder, iterative, and reproducible. Members discussed how it could be operationalised. U.S.’s ‘Testing Risks of AI for National Security’ task force established Finally, the new TRAINS task force was established, led by the U.S. AI Safety Institute, and included experts from other U.S. agencies, including Commerce, Defense, Energy, and Homeland Security. All members will test AI models to manage national security risks in domains such as radiological and nuclear security, chemical and biological security, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, and military capabilities. SEE: Apple Joins Voluntary U.S. Government Commitment to AI Safety This reinforces how top-of-mind the intersection of AI and the military is in the U.S. Last month, the White House published the first-ever National Security Memorandum on Artificial Intelligence , which ordered the Department of Defense and U.S. intelligence agencies to accelerate their adoption of AI in national security missions. Speakers addressed balancing AI innovation with safety U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo delivered the keynote speech on Wednesday. She told attendees that “advancing AI is the right thing to do, but advancing as quickly as possible, just because we can, without thinking of the consequences, isn’t the smart thing to do,” according to TIME . The battle between progress and safety in AI has been a point of contention between governments and tech companies in recent months. While the intention is to keep consumers safe, regulators risk limiting their access to the latest technologies, which could bring tangible benefits . Google and Meta have both openly criticised European AI regulation , referring to the region’s AI Act , suggesting it will quash its innovation potential. Raimondo said that the U.S. AI Safety Institute is “not in the business of stifling innovation,” according to AP . “But here’s the thing. Safety is good for innovation. Safety breeds trust. Trust speeds adoption. Adoption leads to more innovation.” She also stressed that nations have an “obligation” to manage risks that could negatively impact society, such as through causing unemployment and security breaches. “Let’s not let our ambition blind us and allow us to sleepwalk into our own undoing,” she said via AP. Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, also delivered a talk stressing the need for safety testing. He said that while “people laugh today when chatbots say something a little unpredictable,” it indicates how essential it is to get control of AI before it gains more nefarious capabilities, according to Fortune . Global AI safety institutes have been popping up through the last year The first meeting of AI authorities took place in Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire, U.K. about a year ago. It saw the launch of the U.K.’s AI Safety Institute, which has the three primary goals of: Evaluating existing AI systems. Performing foundational AI safety research. Sharing information with other national and international actors. The U.S. has its own AI Safety Institute, formally established by NIST in February 2024, that has been designated the network’s chair. It was created to work on the priority actions outlined in the AI Executive Order issued in October 2023. These actions include developing standards for the safety and security of AI systems. SEE: OpenAI and Anthropic Sign Deals With U.S. AI Safety Institute In April, the U.K. government formally agreed to collaborate with the U.S. in developing tests for advanced AI models, largely by sharing developments made by their respective AI Safety Institutes. An agreement made in Seoul saw similar institutes created in other nations that joined the collaboration. Clarifying the U.S.’s position toward AI safety with the San Francisco conference was especially important, as the wider nation does not currently present an overwhelmingly supportive attitude. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal the Executive Order when he returns to the White House. California Governor Gavin Newsom, who was in attendance, also vetoed the controversial AI regulation bill SB 1047 at the end of September.
F.P. Report MUZAFRABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution condemning the US sanction on Pakistan, presented by former PM Raja Farooq Haider Khan. The resolution criticised the US efforts to disrupt regional power balance in favour of India and reaffirmed Pakistan’s missile programme as purely defensive. Raja Farooq Haider accused the US of being influenced by Indian lobbying. AJK PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq reiterated unwavering support for Pakistan’s military and emphasised the critical role of missile technology and nuclear programme in national security, urging collective defense against foreign intervention and aggression. The resolution highlighted Pakistan’s pivotal role in regional stability.
