batara slot bet Terry Prone: Gemma Hussey was a true pioneer of women's rights in IrelandAcross many laboratories speed, accuracy, and data integrity, advanced technologies are transforming workflows and supporting critical medical decisions. Laboratories face mounting pressure to manage growing data volumes, optimise workflow efficiency, and uphold stringent standards of integrity and accuracy. This is where artificial intelligence (AI) can assist, helping research professionals reshape healthcare and science for the better. This is the view of Dr. Dror Kolodkin-Gal, founder of image integrity software Proofig AI . Kolodkin-Gal tells Digital Journal how AI is transforming laboratory operations across Europe. Healthcare remains a top priority in Europe, as highlighted by the EU4Health Programme, which aims to bolster health systems and enhance crisis preparedness across the continent. According to the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, nearly three quarters of current global medical decisions are dependent on laboratory test results. Automating routine laboratory tasks According to Kolodkin-Gal: “Traditional laboratory workflows often rely on a trial-and-error approach, where researchers repeat processes and experiments multiple times to achieve consistent results. This method, while effective, is highly time-consuming and labour-intensive, limiting the pace of scientific discovery. AI-driven automation offers a powerful solution, allowing laboratories to perform intricate tasks continuously and precisely, unhindered by human fatigue.” Examples of how this can be achieved, include: “Robotic systems enhanced with AI execute experiments with a level of consistency that manual methods simply cannot match, minimising human error and variability. Working around the clock, these systems accelerate research timelines and facilitate safer handling of hazardous materials, effectively reducing safety risks. Moreover, AI algorithms optimise workflows by identifying bottlenecks and suggesting adjustments, resulting in faster and more efficient experimentation processes.” Revolutionising data analysis in research When considering research, Kolodkin-Gal observes: “The power of AI extends beyond automation – it is pivotal in managing and analysing the vast datasets generated by modern experiments. AI algorithms can detect patterns, revealing correlations or anomalies that may otherwise go unnoticed, and can suggest promising research directions. In diagnosis studies, AI can analyse medical images and patient data to improve the identification of diseases, significantly reducing the time required to reach accurate findings.” Drawing on an example, Kolodkin-Gal cites: “A recent study in the UK found that AI systems used for breast cancer diagnosis led to a reduction in false positives and false negatives by 5.7 per cent and 9.4 per cent , respectively . In South Korea, researchers discovered that AI demonstrated a greater sensitivity in detecting breast cancer masses, achieving a rate of 90 per cent compared to 78 per cent for radiologists . Furthermore, AI outperformed radiologists in identifying early-stage breast cancer, with a detection rate of 91 per cent versus 74 per cent for traditional methods.” Advanced image analysis Image analysis has made considerable advances in helping with patient diagnosis. Kolodkin-Gal identifies: “This technology allows for the identification of subtle patterns and anomalies in images that may be imperceptible to the human eye, significantly enhancing research outcomes in fields such as biomedical sciences. Errors or misrepresentations in image investigations can compromise entire studies, leading to manuscripts retractions and undermining public trust in science.” As an example, Kolodkin-Gal states: “To tackle these challenges, AI-driven image proofing tools are being integrated into research and publication workflows. These tools automatically scan images to detect duplications, manipulations, and alterations.” Advantages Summing up the contribution of AI, Kolodkin-Gal finds: “ By automating routine tasks, enhancing data analysis and safeguarding image integrity, AI supports the overarching goal of strengthening Europe’s healthcare systems. Embracing AI innovations helps laboratories across Europe position themselves at the forefront of healthcare and research, driving advancements that will support better patient outcomes and safeguard public health for years to come.” Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

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Technology stocks helped pull stocks lower on Wall Street Wednesday, handing the market its first loss in more than a week. The S&P 500 fell 0.4%, even though more stocks in the index notched gains than ended lower. The loss snapped a seven-day winning streak for the benchmark index. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, its first loss after five gains. The Dow and S&P 500 remain near the all-time highs they set on Tuesday. The Nasdaq composite, which is heavily weighted with technology stocks, fell 0.6%. Losses for tech heavyweights like Nvidia, Microsoft and Broadcom were the drag on the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia fell 1.2%. Its huge value gives it outsized influence on market indexes. Microsoft fell 1.2% and Broadcom finished 3.1% lower. Several personal computer makers also helped pull the market lower following their latest earnings reports. HP sank 11.4% after giving investors a weaker-than-expected earnings forecast for its current quarter. Dell slid 12.2% after its latest quarterly revenue fell short of Wall Street forecasts. Gains for financial and health care companies helped temper the market's losses. Berkshire Hathaway rose 0.9% and Merck & Co. added 1.5%. All told, the S&P 500 fell 22.89 points to 5,998.74, while the Dow dropped 138.25 points to 44,722.06. The Nasdaq fell 115.10 points to 19,060.48. Traders also had their eye on new reports on the economy and inflation Wednesday. The U.S. economy expanded at a healthy 2.8% annual pace from July through September, according to the Commerce Department, leaving its original estimate of third-quarter growth unchanged. The growth was driven by strong consumer spending and a surge in exports. The update followed a report on Tuesday from the Conference Board that said confidence among U.S. consumers improved in November, but not by as much as economists expected. Consumers have been driving economic growth, but the latest round of earnings reports from retailers shows a mixed and more cautious picture. Department store operator Nordstrom fell 8.1% after warning investors about a trend toward weakening sales that started in late October. Clothing retailer Urban Outfitters jumped 18.3% after beating analysts’ third-quarter financial forecasts. Weeks earlier, retail giant Target gave investors a discouraging forecast for the holiday season, while Walmart provided a more encouraging forecast. Consumers, though resilient, are still facing pressure from inflation. The latest update from the U.S. government shows that inflation accelerated last month. The personal consumption expenditures index, or PCE, rose to 2.3% in October from 2.1% in September. Overall, the rate of inflation has been falling broadly since it peaked more than two years ago. The PCE, which is the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation, was just below 7.3% in June of 2022. Another measure of inflation, the consumer price index, peaked at 9.1% at the same time. The latest inflation data, though, is a sign that the rate of inflation seems to be stalling as it falls to within range of the Fed's target of 2%. The central bank started raising its benchmark interest rate from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023 and held it there in order to tame inflation. The Fed started cutting its benchmark interest rate in September, followed by a second cut in November. Wall Street expects a similar quarter-point cut at the central bank's upcoming meeting in December. “Today’s data shouldn’t change views of the likely path for disinflation, however bumpy," said David Alcaly, lead macroeconomic strategist at Lazard Asset Management. "But a lot of observers, probably including some at the Fed, are looking for reasons to get more hawkish on the outlook given the potential for inflationary policy change like new tariffs.” President-elect Donald Trump has said he plans to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China when he takes office in January. That could shock the economy by raising prices on a wide range of goods and accelerating the rate of inflation. Such a shift could prompt the Fed to rethink future cuts to interest rates. Treasury yields slipped in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.25% from 4.30% late Tuesday. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which more closely follows expected actions by the Fed, fell to 4.22% from 4.25% late Tuesday. U.S. markets will be closed Thursday for Thanksgiving, and will reopen for a half day on Friday.

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The Washington Capitals visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, November 27 after Lars Eller scored two goals in the Capitals' 4-1 win against the Florida Panthers. The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on TNT. Fans looking to watch this NHL game can do so for free by using DirecTV Stream , which offers a free trial or with SlingTV , which doesn’t offer a free trial but has promotional offers available. Max has plans starting at just $9.99/month and includes movies, original series and more. Wednesday’s game is the second time these teams square off this season. The Lightning won the last matchup 3-0. Jake Guentzel scored two goals in the win. Tampa Bay has a 7-2-1 record at home and an 11-7-2 record overall. The Lightning have gone 11-3-1 when scoring at least three goals. Washington is 14-6-1 overall and 7-2-0 in road games. The Capitals have gone 5-2-0 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent. Who: Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning When : Wednesday, November 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET Where : Tampa, FL Stream : Sling ; DirecTV Stream ; MAX Betting: Check out our MA sports betting guide , where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts. DirecTV Stream is an internet TV service that offers your favorite entertainment, news and sports channels, as well as local TV stations and regional sports networks . DirecTV Stream can be purchased for $79.98/month for your first two months when you sign up for the ENTERTAINMENT package and add DIRECTV Sports Pack. Here’s what you can watch on Sling TV, with plans starting at $40 : Baseball (MLB), Basketball (NBA, NCAAB), Combat Sports (Boxing, UFC, MMA), Football (NCAAF, NFL), Golf, Hockey, Motorsports, Olympics, Soccer, Tennis and Wrestling. MAX offers a wide variety of content from Warner Bros. Discovery, including movies, shows, documentaries, and live sports. Plans start at $9.99 a month. The Associated Press contributed to this article.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump loved to use tariffs on foreign goods during his first presidency. But their impact was barely noticeable in the overall economy, even if their aftershocks were clear in specific industries. The data show they never fully delivered on his promised factory jobs. Nor did they provoke the avalanche of inflation that critics feared. This time, though, his tariff threats might be different . The president-elect is talking about going much bigger — on a potential scale that creates more uncertainty about whether he’ll do what he says and what the consequences could be. “There’s going to be a lot more tariffs, I mean, he’s pretty clear,” said Michael Stumo, the CEO of Coalition for a Prosperous America, a group that has supported import taxes to help domestic manufacturing. The president-elect posted on social media Monday that on his first day in office he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada until those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. Those tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his initial term. But on Wednesday, Trump posted on social media that he had spoken with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and she had agreed to stop unauthorized migration across the border into the United States. Trump also posted on Monday that Chinese imports would face additional tariffs of 10% until Beijing cracks down on the production of materials used in making fentanyl. Democrats and business groups warn of risks from Trump’s tariff threats Business groups were quick to warn about rapidly escalating inflation . House Democrats put together legislation to strip a president’s ability to unilaterally apply tariffs this drastic, warning that they would likely lead to higher prices for autos, shoes, housing and groceries. Sheinbaum initially said Wednesday that her administration is already working up a list of possible retaliatory tariffs “if the situation comes to that.” Similarly, the Canadian government has also started to explore retaliatory tariffs if Trump takes action. House Democrats on Tuesday introduced a bill that would require congressional approval for a president to impose tariffs due to claims of a national emergency, a largely symbolic action given Republicans’ coming control of both the House and Senate. “This legislation would enable Congress to limit this sweeping emergency authority and put in place the necessary Congressional oversight before any president – Democrat or Republican – could indiscriminately raise costs on the American people through tariffs,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash. But for Trump, tariffs are now a tested tool that seems less politically controversial even if the mandate he received in November’s election largely involved restraining inflation. The tariffs he imposed on China in his first term were continued by President Joe Biden, a Democrat who even expanded tariffs and restrictions on the world’s second largest economy. Biden administration officials looked at removing Trump’s tariffs in order to bring down inflationary pressures, only to find they were unlikely to help significantly. Tariffs were “so new and unique that it freaked everybody out in 2017,” said Stumo, but they are now seen as part of the policy toolkit by the United States and other countries. Trump’s first term tariffs had a modest impact on economy Trump imposed tariffs on solar panels and washing machines at the start of 2018, moves that might have pushed up prices in those sectors even though they also overlapped with plans to open washing machine plants in Tennessee and South Carolina. His administration also levied tariffs on steel and aluminum, including against allies. He then increased tariffs on China, leading to a trade conflict and a limited 2020 agreement that failed to produce the promised Chinese purchases of U.S. goods. Still, the dispute changed relations with China as more U.S. companies looked for alternative suppliers in other countries. Economic research also found the United States may have sacrificed some of its “soft power” as the Chinese population began to watch fewer American movies. The Federal Reserve kept inflation roughly on target, but factory construction spending never jumped in a way that suggested a lasting gain in manufacturing jobs. Separate economic research found the tariff war with China did nothing economically for the communities hurt by offshoring, but it did help Trump and Republicans in those communities politically. When Trump first became president in 2017, the federal government collected $34.6 billion in customs, duties and fees. That sum more than doubled under Trump to $70.8 billion in 2019, according to Office of Management and Budget records. While that sum might seem meaningful, it was relatively small compared with the overall economy. America’s gross domestic product is now $29.3 trillion, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The total tariffs collected in the United States would equal less than 0.3% of GDP. Trump wants much more far-reaching tariffs going forward The new tariffs being floated by Trump now are dramatically larger and there could be far more significant impacts. If Mexico, Canada, and China faced the additional tariffs proposed by Trump on all goods imported to the United States, that could be roughly equal to $266 billion in tax collections, a number that does not assume any disruptions in trade or retaliatory moves by other countries. The cost of those taxes would likely be borne by U.S. families, importers and domestic and foreign companies in the form of higher prices or lower profits. Former Biden administration officials said they worried that companies could piggyback on Trump’s tariffs — if they’re imposed — as a rationale to raise their prices. This would mirror price increases by many companies in 2022 that were made possible because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which pushed up food and energy prices and gave the companies cover to further raise their own prices. “I’m very worried about the total indiscriminate tariffs on more than China — that it gives cover to firms to jack up prices,” said Jen Harris, a former Biden White House official who is now director of the Economy and Society Initiative at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. But what Trump didn’t really spell out is what might cause him to back down on tariffs and declare a victory. What he is creating instead with his tariff threats is a sense of uncertainty as companies and countries await the details to figure out what all of this could mean. “We know the key economic policy priorities of the incoming Trump administration, but we don’t know how or when they will be addressed,” said Greg Daco, chief U.S. economist at EY-Parthenon. __ AP writer Mark Stevenson contributed to this report from Mexico City. Josh Boak, The Associated PressWhat to know about the Supreme Court’s latest culture war fight: Transgender care

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No. 5 UCLA stuns No. South Carolina, ends 43-game streakApple AirPods Max are the over-ear AirPods. First released in late 2020, a new version was revealed in September this year. But the only updates to the new headphones were a (welcome) update from Lightning to USB-C connectivity and updated colors. So, when’s the sequel coming? Put it this way, don’t hold your breath, as a new report claims there are “no concrete plans” to update the headphones again soon, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter . The new comments from Gurman suggest that the current model will be around for a while. This will disappoint many who hoped that the new colors were a stopgap before a completely different pair of over-ear headphoens were released. After all, the processor that powers the AirPods Max is the H1 first seen in 2019, meaning that the latest and most affordable AirPods 4 have some features the AirPods Max don’t. That said, the switch to USB-C was a great update and the new colors are fierce, with a feisty orange and lip-smacking purple alongside the eye-catching starlight and more demure blue and midnight options. And the nature of the over-ear headphones is that the noise isolation they offer is exceptional, so maybe the need for improvements to the current excellent noise cancellation isn’t as urgent as it might have been for in-ears. Even so, the lack of adaptive audio has been noted by some critics. "I expect the company to keep the Max headphones around for the foreseeable future in their current form," Gurman said, which sounds to me like a year or two at the least before there’s an update “in a meaningful way,” as he puts it. It’s thought that the sales of AirPods Max, though decent, are not enough to justify R&D spending enough to bring an update soon. And, to be fair, if you’d just bought the new AirPods Max and a second-gen version appeared soon, you might be a bit put out. Take heart: assuming Gurman is right, you can splash out on Apple’s priciest headphones safe in the knowledge that they’re not going to be updated soon. And that little thing called Black Friday is already showing discounts on the new models.Lam Research Corporation Announces Participation at Upcoming Conferences

Florida health officials announced they intend to award medical-marijuana licenses to 22 of dozens of applicants who vied for the licenses more than 19 months ago.

Are you tracking your health with a device? Here’s what could happen with the dataPhotos of the high school basketball game between Swansboro and Southwest on Tuesday night. The Pirates won the game 74-57.

The unique desert governance model of Kubuqi Desert has been widely recognized internationally and has become a global benchmark for environmental governance 12-03-2024 10:32 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: Website Servicer Co.,Ltd Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program is one of the major ecological projects to deal with desertification in the world. Since its inception in 1978, the project has achieved huge ecological, economic and social benefits, building a "Great Green Wall" in northern China to resist sand storms, preserve soil and water, protect agriculture and promote animal husbandry. This project is not only a strong proof of China's effectiveness in combating desertification, but also a model for the global fight against desertification and climate change. Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program aims to bring sustainable economic and ecological benefits to local communities through environmental protection, improve the global environment, and create a greener future for future generations. Tucked away in the expansive northern reaches of China, lies a desert that defies all expectations. Here, the sands carry the echoes of ancient tales, and the winds etch their stories upon the land. This is Kubuqi - a vast stretch of arid terrain nestled close to the "Zigzag Bend" of Yellow River.In northern China, the Kubuqi Desert stretches near the Yellow River's first bend, a once desolate wasteland that seemed to extend endlessly across the horizon.For years, it was a symbol of environmental decay.The herders faced extreme difficulties in traveling. There was no water, no electricity, life was tough, and the economy was underdeveloped. The environment at that time was particularly harsh, and meals often consisted of sand mixed with rice. But over the past 35 years, something remarkable has unfolded here.One third of the land has been greened. Its vegetation coverage has grown from 3% to more than a half. Vast swathes of desert have been turned into a thriving, fertile ground.At the heart of this success is a visionary partnership between the government, private sector and the local people.The government provided the policy support and funding, enabling the creation of a sustainable and economic model with wide-ranging benefits. While private enterprises like Elion Group introduced advanced technologies, commercializing them and enabling local farmers to benefit from these green transformations.This efficient planting method, pioneered by the local community, allows a tree to be planted in 10 seconds, significantly reducing planting time.Together, over 100 other desert ecological technologies, such as sand-binding plants, efficient irrigation systems, windbreaks, big data, and drone-based desert control, play a pivotal role in driving the success of desertification management in Kubuqi. New roads cut through the sands, unlocking fresh opportunities for trade, transportation, and investment, and a rejuvenated economy for the local population. The landscape that was once desolate is now a testament to the resilience of nature-and of human effort.China has outlined an ambitious vision to restore over 70% of the Kubuqi Desert by 2030, marking a groundbreaking achievement in desert reclamation.Recognized worldwide, Kubuqi has become a leading example of successful environmental transformation.This decades-long journey of dedication was made possible through the persistence of individuals and the power of teamwork. As the sun sets over Kubuqi, it shines on a story of possibility-a reminder that even the harshest landscapes can be revitalized. And it shows us how desertification can be reversed, one step at a time. Youtube Link https://youtu.be/9qK7jOQafmQ Media Contact Company Name: National Forestry and Grassland Administration Contact Person: Wang Jihong Email: Send Email [ http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=the-unique-desert-governance-model-of-kubuqi-desert-has-been-widely-recognized-internationally-and-has-become-a-global-benchmark-for-environmental-governance ] State: Beijing Country: China Website: https://www.forestry.gov.cn/c/sbj/sbgcjb/514501.jhtml This release was published on openPR.This article is intended for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. For guidance on your personal situation, please contact a lawyer. One of the most successful and celebrated stock pickers of all time, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) founder and CEO Warren Buffett, is always chock-full of advice about investing in equities. What draws less notice is the famous financier's remarks about other financial matters. This is a shame, because there is much wisdom to be gleaned in these pronouncements too. Recently, Buffett suggested one crucial move everyone should make with estate planning, and his guidance is well worth heeding. The sharing principle In a statement that was entirely in line with the folksy advice often disseminated by Buffett, he wrote: "When your children are mature , have them read your will before you sign it." [emphasis in original] That doesn't apply only to multi-billionaires such as himself. Buffett said this principle should be followed by " all parents, whether they are of modest or staggering wealth." The Berkshire leader followed this up with some concrete advice, and the rationalization for this: Buffett added that he and Charlie Munger , his late business partner and a man he credits with much of his own success, witnessed many instances of family discord over wills. He attributed much of this to the lack of sharing with beneficiaries. "Jealousies, along with actual or imagined slights during childhood, became magnified, particularly when sons were favored over daughters, either in monetary ways or by positions of importance," he wrote. There is no better way to destroy relationships within a family, particularly a family of means that should by all rights end up being well off. Buffett knows whereof he speaks. He has fathered three children, all of whom are becoming advanced in age in their own right (Susan is 71, Howard just celebrated his 70th birthday, and Peter is 66) and have offspring of their own. Warren said that over the many years that he has had a will in force, he has fielded questions and heard commentary from all three. Frequently, he said, he adopted the suggestions. Fulfilling the Pledge These remarks appeared in a press release published by Berkshire, perhaps not coincidentally one month before Christmas. The subject of the press release was the CEO's latest move in giving away the vast bulk of his wealth upon his demise. In 2010, he founded The Giving Pledge with Bill Gates.. This is a non-profit campaign to inspire wealthy individuals to contribute at least 50% of their wealth to philanthropy. Leading by example, Buffett has promised to give away over 99% of his wealth to such causes. The latest component of this, as detailed in the press release, is his conversion of 1,600 Berkshire A shares into 2.4 million B shares. The latter was to be dispensed to four Buffett family foundations dedicated to various charitable activities. Since he's dispensing these assets for his offspring to manage, we can be sure there were discussions about how they would handle the immense responsibility conveyed. If Buffett diligently followed his own advice, it's likely that this transfer will be done smoothly and peacefully, without the destructive infighting that has ripped apart many families throughout history.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three American citizens imprisoned for years by China have been released and are returning to the United States, the White House said Wednesday, announcing a diplomatic agreement with Beijing in the final months of the Biden administration. The three are , all of whom had been designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained by China. had been facing a death sentence on drug charges while and were imprisoned on espionage charges. “Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years,” the White House said in a statement. The release comes just two months after China freed David Lin, who had spent nearly 20 years behind bars after being convicted of contract fraud. U.S.-China relations have been roiled for years over major disagreements between the world’s two largest economies on trade, human rights, the production of fentanyl precursors, security issues that include espionage and hacking, China’s aggressiveness toward Taiwan and its smaller neighbors in the South China Sea, and Beijing’s support for Russia’s military-industrial sector. The release of Americans deemed wrongfully detained in China has been a top agenda item in each conversation between the U.S. and China, and Wednesday’s development suggests a willingness by Beijing to engage with the outgoing Democratic administration before Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January. Trump took significant actions against China on trade and diplomacy during his first term. He has pledged to continue those policies in his second term, leading to unease among many who fear that an all-out trade war will greatly affect the international economy and could spur potential Chinese military action against Taiwan. Still, the two countries have maintained a dialogue that has included a partial restoration of military-to-military contacts. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met this month to discuss potential improvements. In a separate but related move, the State Department on Wednesday lowered its travel warning to China to “level two,” advising U.S. citizens to “exercise increased caution” from the norm when traveling to the mainland. The alert had previously been at “level three,” telling Americans they should “reconsider travel” to China in part because of the “risk of wrongful detention” of Americans. The new alert removes that wording but retains a warning that the Chinese government “arbitrarily enforces local laws, including exit bans on U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries, without fair and transparent process under the law.” The Biden administration had raised the cases of the detained Americans with China in multiple meetings over the past several years, including this month when Biden spoke to Xi on during the in Peru. Politico was first to report the men’s release, which it said was part of a prisoner swap with the U.S. The White House did not immediately confirm that any Chinese citizens had been returned home. Li, a Chinese immigrant who started an export business in the U.S., was detained in September 2016 after flying into Shanghai. He was placed under surveillance, interrogated without a lawyer and accused of providing state secrets to the FBI. A U.N. working group called his 10-year prison sentence arbitrary and his family said the charges were politically motivated. to life in prison on spying charges. He was detained in 2021, by the local bureau of China’s counterintelligence agency in the southeastern city of Suzhou after China had closed its borders and imposed tight domestic travel restrictions and social controls to fight the spread of COVID-19. After Leung's sentencing, — though without citing specific cases — that Americans reconsider traveling to China because of arbitrary law enforcement and exit bans and the risk of wrongful detentions. Swidan had been jailed for 12 years on a drug charge and, along with Li and Leung, had considered by the State Department to be wrongfully detained.No. 1 South Carolina experiences rare sting of loss