how to withdraw money from casino games RENEWABLE energy (RE) solutions company Coastal Renewable Energy Technology Center (CRETC) said Sunday that it had strengthened a wind resource technology collaboration with German firm Ammonit GmbH. CRETC said the partnership aimed to provide the Philippine RE sector with more top-tier wind resource assessment instruments and solutions that are essential for ensuring accuracy, durability, and reliability across varied environmental conditions. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.One week into a new Syria, rebels aim for normalcy and Syrians vow not to be silent again DAMASCUS (AP) — A transformation has started to take place in the week since the unexpected overthrow of Syria’s President Bashar Assad. Suddenly in charge, the rebels have been met with a mix of excitement, grief and hope. And so far the transition has been surprisingly smooth. Reports of reprisals, revenge killings and sectarian violence are minimal, looting and destruction has been quickly contained. But there are a million ways it could go wrong. Syria is broken and isolated after five decades of Assad family rule. Families have been torn apart by war, former prisoners are traumatized, and tens of thousands of detainees remain missing. The economy is wrecked, poverty is widespread, inflation and unemployment are high. Corruption seeps through daily life. Christians in Syria mark country's transformation with tears as UN envoy urges an end to sanctions DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — In churches across long-stifled Syria, Christians have marked the first Sunday services since Bashar Assad’s ouster in an air of transformation. Some were in tears, others clasped their hands in prayer. The U.N. envoy for Syria is calling for a quick end to Western sanctions as the country’s new leaders and regional and global powers discuss the way forward. The Syrian government has been under sanctions by the United States, the European Union and others for years as a result of Assad’s brutal response to what began as peaceful anti-government protests in 2011 and spiraled into civil war. US agencies should use advanced technology to identify mysterious drones, Schumer says BOSTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer is urging the federal government to deploy advanced drone-tracking technology following weeks of reported drone sightings in parts of New York and New Jersey that have stirred fear and bewilderment. The New York Democrat is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to use the technology to track drones back to their landing spots. National security officials have said the drones don’t appear to be a sign of foreign interference or a public safety threat. But because they can’t say with certainty who's responsible for the drones, leaders of both parties are demanding better technology and powers to tackle the issue. The GOP stoked fears of noncitizens voting. Cases in Ohio show how rhetoric and reality diverge AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's Republican secretary of state and attorney general sought to reassure voters before the November election that the state's elections were being vigorously protected against the possibility of immigrants voting illegally. That push coincided with a national Republican messaging strategy warning that potentially thousands of ineligible voters would be voting. The officials' efforts in Ohio led to charges against just six noncitizens in a state with 8 million registered voters. That outcome and the stories of some of those now facing charges show the gap both in Ohio and across the United States between the rhetoric about noncitizen voting and the reality that it's rare and not part of a coordinated scheme to throw elections. Storms across US bring heavy snow, dangerous ice and a tornado in California OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Inclement weather has plagued areas of the U.S. in the first half of the weekend, with dangerous conditions including heavy snow, a major ice storm and unusual tornado activity. An ice storm beginning Friday created treacherous driving conditions across Iowa and eastern Nebraska. More than 33 inches of snow was reported near Orchard Park, New York, which is often a landing point for lake-effect snow. On Saturday, a tornado touched down in Scotts Valley, California, causing damage and several injuries. In San Francisco, a storm damaged trees and roofs and prompted a tornado warning, which was a first for a city that has not experienced a tornado since 2005. After a 15-year pause in executions, Indiana prepares to put to death a man who killed 4 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana officials are preparing to execute the state’s first death row inmate in 15 years. Joseph Corcoran was convicted in 1999 in the fatal shootings of his brother and three other men, including his sister’s fiancé. If Corcoran is put to death as scheduled Wednesday it will be the state’s first execution since 2009. Corcoran's attorneys have asked a federal court to stay his execution, arguing it would be unconstitutional because he has a serious mental illness. Indiana officials have refused to discuss how they obtained the sedative used for lethal injection. No media witnesses will be permitted under state law. Israel will close its Ireland embassy over Gaza tensions as Palestinian death toll nears 45,000 DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel says it will close its embassy in Ireland as relations deteriorate over the war in Gaza, where Palestinian medical officials say new Israeli airstrikes have killed over 46 people including children. Israel's decision to close the embassy came in response to what Israel’s foreign minister has described as Ireland's “extreme anti-Israel policies.” Ireland earlier announced that it would recognize a Palestinian state. And the Irish cabinet last week decided to formally intervene in South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. The Palestinian death toll in the war is approaching 45,000. South Korean leaders seek calm after Yoon is impeached SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s opposition leader has offered to work with the government to ease the political tumult, a day after the opposition-controlled parliament voted to impeach conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol over a short-lived attempt to impose martial law. Liberal Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, whose party holds a majority in the National Assembly, urged the Constitutional Court to rule swiftly on Yoon’s impeachment and proposed a special council for policy cooperation between the government and parliament. Yoon’s powers have been suspended until the court decides whether to remove him from office or reinstate him. If Yoon is dismissed, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days. Small businesses say cautious shoppers are seeking 'cozy' and 'festive' this holiday season With a late Thanksgiving, the holiday shopping season is five days shorter than last year, and owners of small retail shops say that people have been quick to snap up holiday décor early, along with gifts for others and themselves. Cozy items like sweaters are popular so far. Businesses are also holding special events to get shoppers in the door. But there’s little sense of the freewheeling spending that occurred during the pandemic. Overall, The National Retail Federation predicts retail sales in November and December will rise between 2.5% and 3.5% compared with same period a year ago. Pope Francis makes 1st papal visit to France's Corsica awash in expressions of popular piety AJACCIO, Corsica (AP) — Pope Francis on the first papal visit ever to the French island of Corsica on Sunday called for a dynamic form of laicism, promoting the kind of popular piety that distinguishes the Mediterranean island from secular France as a bridge between religious and civic society. The one-day visit to Corsica’s capital Ajaccio, birthplace of Napoleon, on Sunday is one of the briefest of his papacy beyond Italy’s borders, just about nine hours on the ground, including a 40-minute visit with French President Emmanuel Macron. It is the first papal visit ever to the island, which Genoa ceded to France in 1768 and is located closer to the Italian mainland than France.

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (VVNG.com) – Reports of unidentified drone-like objects have surfaced in the Victor Valley region, echoing similar sightings noted across the East Coast and now other parts of Southern California. Residents are increasingly alarmed as these strange occurrences continue to unfold. On the evening of December 19, 2024, five orbs were filmed hovering over Victorville, CA, moving towards Apple Valley around 6:50 PM. The sighting was first reported by Marylynn Cruz, whose son spotted the lights while relaxing in their backyard. “This was our first sighting ever, so please excuse our excitement. The video doesn’t do justice to how bright these orbs were when viewed with the naked eye,” Cruz stated. The video, lasting five minutes, features discussions between Cruz and her son about the orbs’ intensity and their strange disappearances. The footage has since been uploaded to YouTube, inviting a wider audience to witness the phenomenon. In another recent sighting, Brenten Moore recorded a one-minute video from his backyard in Victorville. He declared that the object he saw moving across the High Desert sky was certainly not a star, exclaiming, “Aliens are real, bro.” He described it as a white object gliding overhead. The initial report VVNG received about drone sightings in the area came from a local Oak Hill resident who wished to remain anonymous. He described a colorful bright object he spotted while using the restroom late at night, distinct from known constellations. “The object was changing colors and bounced away just as I tried to grab my phone to record,” he noted, emphasizing that other stars were obscured by fog that night. As these reports grow in Southern California, locals have begun to share videos and images depicting large, car-sized objects traversing the sky. Marylynn Cruz’s YouTube footage of multiple hovering drone-like entities has heightened both curiosity and alarm within the community. The phenomenon first emerged in November near Morris County, New Jersey, as reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In response to the uptick in reported sightings, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security have stated that the increase may not denote anything unusual. They emphasize that the majority of sightings likely involve lawful commercial and hobbyist drones, alongside a handful of misidentified aircraft and celestial bodies. A joint statement from the DHS, FBI, FAA, and Department of Defense (DoD) was released on December 17, detailing their assessment of ongoing drone-related reports. They confirmed that over one million drones are legally registered in the U.S., with thousands in operation daily. The FBI has received more than 5,000 tips regarding drone sightings within recent weeks and is collaborating with state and local authorities to investigate these incidents. While the agencies continue to monitor drone activity, they have not identified any threats to national security or public safety. However, officials acknowledge the growing concern among residents. They continue to support local authorities with advanced detection technologies and advocate for comprehensive legislation to manage drone activities. As reports of mysterious crafts persist, the community remains on high alert, eager for clarity on the origin and nature of these seemingly uninvited aerial visitors.An incident in which fish heads were allegedly poured over a bus driver on an evening public service is now the subject of a police investigation. Black Friday Sale Subscribe Now! Login or signup to continue reading All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Breaking news alerts direct to your inbox Interactive Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia All articles from the other regional websites in your area Continue ACT Policing confirmed it had received a report about the Thursday, November 14, incident this week and was now investigating the circumstances. The incident was cited by the Transport Workers Union as part of the reason behind its decision to call a snap unprotected strike on Friday, November 15, which took all public bus services off the road for a day. Drivers have also been told they will have pay deducted for the strike, with transport officials saying the government was bound by workplace laws. Transport Workers Union ACT sub-branch secretary Klaus Pinkas last week said one driver had a "bag of fish heads poured on them" on Thursday. Transport Canberra buses. Picture by Karleen Minney "Basically the bus drivers have had enough. We are screaming for help from Transport Canberra for assaults on our drivers. There has been no reaction from people in Transport Canberra," he said on the morning of the strike. Transport Canberra later tacitly confirmed it was aware of the incident involving fish heads and that it had taken place on a regular route service rather than a school bus. The Transport Workers Union had claimed drivers were experiencing "more than 40 assaults ... each month". But while nearly 70 incidents on Canberra's public bus network were reported a month on average in the past year, official figures showed , fewer than four incidents a month involved physical violence. The government's most recent figures showed the vast majority of reported incidents involved verbal abuse of drivers and staff, and other unruly behaviour onboard services. The figures for September and October have not been published because authorities are yet to consult with the union about them, Transport Canberra said. Those figures are expected to be available in December. New safety screens will be trialled on Transport Canberra's bus fleet with samples to be presented to drivers for feedback in the next fortnight, transport officials have said. De-escalation training for all staff will be made available from February and Transport Canberra will seek budget funding for transit officers in the new year. The Transport Workers Union this week welcomed Transport Canberra's commitments to improve driver safety following the strike. Share Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email Copy Jasper Lindell Assembly Reporter Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter. Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter. More from ACT Politics Police will investigate alleged bus driver fish head assault 15m ago No comment s Health authorities explore how meet 'extraordinary' demand surge with static staffing 15m ago No comment s 'A bad system will beat a good person': massive restructure for ACT health system No comment s 'Troubling': Audit finds transparency problems with how levy is spent No comment s This judge said nothing wrong about rape trials. 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Party City to close its stores as company files for bankruptcy LOS ANGELES (AP) — Party City announced that it's going to “wind down” its retail and wholesale operations as it prepares to shutter nearly 700 stores nationwide. The company said Saturday it has also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection "to maximize value for the benefit of the company’s stakeholders.” The New Jersey-based retailer said it will keep more than 95% of its 12,000 employees to help with the process of closing down. Customers have flocked to Party City for Halloween costumes, favors for children’s birthday parties and decorations for New Year’s Eve celebrations for nearly 40 years. It has faced growing competition from Walmart and Target and from occasion-based pop-up stores such as Spirit Halloween. A million taxpayers will soon receive up to $1,400 from the IRS. Who are they and why now? Approximately 1 million taxpayers will automatically receive special payments of up to $1,400 from the IRS in the coming weeks. The money will be directly deposited into eligible people’s bank accounts or sent in the mail by a paper check. Most people shouldn't get their hopes up about receiving the cash. The IRS says it’s distributing about $2.4 billion to taxpayers who failed to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns after missing one of the COVID stimulus payments or receiving less than the full amount. The IRS says most taxpayers eligible for the federal stimulus payments received them. Bluesky finds with growth comes growing pains — and bots Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms. The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter and was eventually intended to replace it. While this is still very much a pie in the sky, Bluesky’s growth trajectory could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. With growth, though, comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. 'Sonic 3' bests 'Mufasa: The Lion King' at the box office NEW YORK (AP) — In the holiday season battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” sped past the Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” to take the top spot at the box office. The results came just ahead of the lucrative Christmas corridor in theaters. According to studio estimates, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” debuted with $62 million in ticket sales over the weekend. “Mufasa,” however, was humbled in its opening weekend, coming in notably shy of expectations. It returned just $35 million in domestic ticket sales. Amazon and Starbucks workers are on strike. Trump might have something to do with it Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract. Strikes during busy periods like the holidays can help unions exercise leverage during negotiations or garner support from sympathetic consumers. One expert says he thinks workers at both companies are “desperate” to make progress before President-elect Donald Trump can appoint a Republican majority to the National Labor Relations Board. Workers at Starbucks, Amazon and some other prominent consumer brands are fighting for their first contracts after several locations voted to unionize. Farmers are still reeling months after Hurricane Helene ravaged crops across the South LYONS, Ga. (AP) — Farmers in Georgia are still reeling more than two months after Hurricane Helene blew away cotton, destroyed ripened squash and cucumbers and uprooted pecan trees and timber. Agribusinesses in other Southern states saw costly damage as well. The University of Georgia estimates the September storm inflicted $5.5 billion in direct losses and indirect costs in Georgia alone. In rural Toombs County, Chris Hopkins just finished harvesting his ravaged cotton crop and figures he lost half of it, costing him about $430,000. Poultry grower Jeffrey Pridgen in Georgia's Coffee County had four of his 12 chicken houses destroyed and others badly damaged. Farmers say more government disaster assistance is needed. Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI’s strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. But he grew disillusioned with the company and told The Associated Press this fall he would “try to testify” in copyright infringement cases against it. Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures eased last month WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve barely rose last month in a sign that price pressures cooled after two months of sharp gains. Prices rose just 0.1% from October to November. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices also ticked up just 0.1%, after two months of outsize 0.3% gains. The milder inflation figures arrived two days after Federal Reserve officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, rocked financial markets by revealing that they now expect to cut their key interest rate just two times in 2025, down from four in their previous estimate. Albania to close TikTok for a year blaming it for promoting violence among children TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s prime minister says the government will shut down video service TikTok for one year, blaming it for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing death of a teenager in mid-November by another teenager following a quarrel that started on TikTok. Prime Minister Edi Rama, speaking at a meeting with teachers and parents, said TikTok “would be fully closed for all. ... There will be no TikTok in the Republic of Albania.” Rama says the ban will begin sometime next year. Albanian children comprise the largest group of TikTok users in the country, according to domestic researchers. Stock market today: Wall Street rises to turn a dismal week into just a bad one NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to turn what would have been one of the market’s worst weeks of the year into just a pretty bad one. The S&P 500 rallied 1.1% Friday to shave its loss for the week down to 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 500 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. A report said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than expected. It’s an encouraging signal after the Fed shocked markets Wednesday by saying worries about inflation could keep it from cutting interest rates in 2025 as much as earlier thought.In 2021, Goldman Sachs declared copper "the new oil", highlighting its essential role in clean energy technologies. Two years later, the IMF forecasted that copper demand will rise by over 66% from 2020 to 2040 as the world transitions away from oil. In this graphic, Visual Capitalist's Marcus Lu illustrates how copper demand is projected to increase over the coming decades, while oil consumption is expected to decrease. The data was compiled by the International Monetary Fund as of October 2024. Copper is critical for a wide range of applications, including the electrical grid, electric vehicles (EVs), and renewable energy technologies. Beyond clean energy, copper is also extensively used in industries such as construction, infrastructure, and defense due to its unique properties. As a result, global copper demand is projected to grow from 25.9 million tonnes in 2023 to 39.1 million tonnes by 2040 under a net-zero emissions scenario that limits average temperature increases to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Much of this growth is expected to come from the EV industry. Many components of battery electric vehicles rely on copper. On average, a standard EV contains 60-83 kg of copper , four times more than an internal combustion engine vehicle, which typically uses 15-20 kg of copper per car. Meanwhile, oil consumption is projected to decrease, dropping from 101.9 million barrels per day in 2023 to 66 million barrels per day by 2040. The decline in oil use is driven by global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and the growing adoption of renewable energy. Additionally, improvements in energy efficiency and policy regulations are further curbing oil demand. If you want to learn more about this topic, check out this graphic showing the top 12 countries by fossil fuel consumption in 2023.

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, has announced that the latest version of its Grok-2 chatbot is now free for all users of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). This development is aimed at making advanced AI capabilities more accessible. However, premium features, including higher usage limits and early access to new capabilities, remain exclusive to subscribers of X’s Premium and Premium+ plans. “Premium and Premium+ users will continue to enjoy extended features, including higher limits and first access to future upgrades,” the company shared in its announcement. xAI has integrated a new “Grok” button across the X timeline, allowing users to gain real-time insights, explore trending topics, and uncover relevant context for posts. This feature leverages Grok-2’s advanced capabilities to provide an interactive experience directly within the X platform. The upgraded Grok-2 chatbot introduces two powerful features: web search and citations. With web search, the AI can analyze posts on X and the broader internet to provide accurate, real-time answers to user queries. Citations ensure transparency by linking back to sources, enhancing the reliability of AI-generated responses. Additionally, xAI has launched a “Draw Me” feature, enabling users to generate personalized avatars. This tool, accessible via the “Create your version with Grok” button on user profiles, reimagines profile photos with AI-driven creativity. In parallel to this launch, Elon Musk has intensified his legal dispute with OpenAI, alleging misuse of his initial investment. Musk has requested a federal judge to halt OpenAI’s for-profit operations, citing ethical concerns regarding its evolution from a non-profit venture. OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, has denied these claims, prolonging the seven-year-long legal battle. Glove Mode is one setting which is being neglected by many users but could save you this winter. You can use your smartphone with gloves on. Here are a few simple settings or apps which could help you to use your smartphone in winter with gloves on. With ChatGPT’s ability to process videos and create high-quality content, OpenAI continues to set new benchmarks in the AI landscape, offering innovative solutions for entertainment, education, and professional use.SM, through SM Store and SM Retail, in partnership with Mastercard and SM Foundation, has launched a new initiative aimed at empowering Filipino students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Through this collaboration, 10 exceptional students from the Ten Outstanding STEM Students or TOSS program will receive scholarship grants, along with access to critical digital learning tools, to help them succeed in today's tech-driven world. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.

PEZA plans 30 new ecozones next yearNo. 1 South Carolina women stunned by fifth-ranked UCLA 77-62, ending Gamecocks' 43-game win streak