188 jili sweet bonanza Aston Villa boss Unai Emery described the decision to rule out his side’s last-gasp goal in their Champions League draw with Juventus as “very soft” and has called for consistency from European referees. Morgan Rogers looked to have given Emery’s side another famous win when he slammed a loose ball home in stoppage time, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano ruled Diego Carlos to have fouled Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the goal was chalked off. Contact seemed minimal but VAR did not intervene and Villa had to settle for a point in a 0-0 draw. “With the last action, it is the interpretation of the referee,” the Spaniard said. “In England, 80 per cent of those is given a goal and it’s not a foul. It’s very soft. “But in Europe, it could be a foul. We have to accept. “Everybody will know, in England the interpretation is different. The England referees, when actions like that the interpretation is a clear no foul but in Europe that interpretation is different. “They have to be working to get the same decision when some action like that is coming. I don’t know exactly why but we knew before in the Premier League that it is different. A very controversial finish at Villa Park 😲 Morgan Rogers' late goal is ruled out for a foul on Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the match ends 0-0 ❌ 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/MyYL5Vdy3r — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 27, 2024 “In Europe for example we are not doing a block like in England and we are not doing in front of the goalkeeper in offensive corners the same situations like in England. “When the action happened, I was thinking here in Europe it’s a foul. In England not, but in Europe I have to accept it. “At first, I thought the referee gave us a goal. In cases like that, it’s confusing because he has to wait for VAR. I don’t know what happened but I think so (the referee changed his mind with VAR).” It was a disappointment for Villa, who remain unbeaten at home in their debut Champions League campaign and are still in contention to qualify automatically for the last 16. “We were playing a favourite to be in the top eight and usually a contender to win this competition,” Emery added. “We are a team who for a long time didn’t play in Europe and the Champions League and this year is very important. “We wanted to play competitive and we are in the right way. Today to get one point is very good, we wanted to win but wanted to avoid some mistakes we made in previous games. “We have 10 points and we’re happy.” Before the game Emery called Juventus one of the “best teams in the world, historically and now”, but this was an Italian side down to the bare bones. Only 14 outfield players made the trip from Turin, with striker Dusan Vlahovic among those who stayed behind. Juve boss Thiago Motta, whose side are 19th but still in contention to reach the top eight, said: “There’s just three games left to qualify. The next home against Man City, then Brugge, then Benfica. “One at a time, as we always did with the goal to qualify for the next round. “In the end we will try and reach our goal which is to go to the next round.”In an AI-driven world, the employer-employee relationship is poised to changeFranklin Resources Inc. Has $1.70 Million Stake in APi Group Co. (NYSE:APG)

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None{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NewsArticle", "dateCreated": "2024-11-27T23:05:16+02:00", "datePublished": "2024-11-27T23:05:16+02:00", "dateModified": "2024-11-28T05:49:56+02:00", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22167/news/technology/rwanda-deploys-ai-to-help-boost-gorilla-conservation", "headline": "Rwanda deploys AI to help boost gorilla conservation", "description": "An innovative solution is being rolled out in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park where AI would be used to conserve mountain gorillas and at the same time...", "keywords": "", "inLanguage": "en", "mainEntityOfPage":{ "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22167/news/technology/rwanda-deploys-ai-to-help-boost-gorilla-conservation" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/11/27/64986.jpg", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/11/27/64986.jpg" }, "articleBody": "An innovative solution is being rolled out in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park where AI would be used to conserve mountain gorillas and at the same time empower communities around the park. Dubbed “interspecies money,” the system allows mountain gorillas in the park to raise money for their conservation through digital wallets powered by AI-facial recognition. Last week, the initiative was named among the top ten implausible-sounding scenarios for 2025 by The Economist. ALSO READ: Restored land expected to improve habitat for mountain gorillas The platform has successfully been piloted on 20 mountain gorillas in the park. It is expected to enable the apes to pay for essential conservation services, such as hiring park rangers to remove snares set by poachers. These digital wallets, similar to mobile money accounts like Momo, link the gorillas to the financial system, allowing funds to be spent on protecting their habitat and ensuring their well-being. Created by Tehanu, an Africa-based startup, the system also offers financial incentives for local communities to participate in wildlife conservation. People in rural areas can earn money by completing tasks that support the ecosystem, such as photographing wildlife, recording animal sounds, or reporting sightings of specific species. ALSO READ: Experts call for more involvement of policymakers in wildlife conservation In an exclusive interview with The New Times, Jonathan Ledgard, the CEO and co-founder of Tehanu, said the project is a transformative initiative that could redefine how humans interact with the natural world. He noted that the system creates digital identities and wallets for wildlife, recognizing the vital role gorillas play in Rwanda’s ecosystems and economy, and helps build a real-time database of biodiversity, benefiting both the environment and the local economy. “By integrating both wildlife and humans into the financial system, the interspecies money initiative aims to create a circular economy that fosters mutual prosperity.” Ledgard stressed that people in rural areas can earn money by completing tasks that support the ecosystem, such as photographing wildlife, recording animal sounds, or reporting sightings of specific species. “In Kigali, you can send money to your village using Momo. Now imagine a bat, a tree, or even a gorilla being able to receive and spend money, all for services that benefit them,” Ledgard stated. ALSO READ: Rwanda to double budget on biodiversity restoration The initiative aims to recognise the often-overlooked but essential services that non-human species provide to the ecosystem, such as pollination, seed dispersal, and soil regeneration, and to integrate them into the economy. Ledgard’s system intends to create a circular economic system that benefits both humans and wildlife by acknowledging this value and using it to support local communities. Through the project, 20 mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park were given digital wallets linked to AI-powered facial recognition systems. These wallets allow the gorillas to spend funds on services that protect their habitat. The technology goes a step further, using AI to analyse the gorillas’ behaviours and assess their needs, identifying patterns that could help predict and address threats to their welfare, he added. “For example, AI might recognize a gorilla’s behaviour and suggest that a ranger remove a snare or that a researcher tracks its movements for conservation purposes,” Ledgard explained. The AI could also be used to identify the preferences and needs of other species, like elephants or even trees. “While the project is focused on mountain gorillas, the long-term goal is to extend the system to a wider variety of species, including those that provide important ecological functions, like the straw-coloured fruit bats and insects vital for pollination. Recognising their economic value could help protect these species and their contributions to the ecosystem.” He stated that Rwanda was chosen as the ideal place to launch the initiative due to its progressive conservation efforts and technological adoption. Ledgard, who previously worked on pioneering projects like Zipline’s drone delivery system for medical supplies, believes that the country’s strong governance and open-minded approach to innovation make it a perfect testing ground for the interspecies money project. “Interspecies money intends to directly benefit local communities, where people could earn money for simple actions like photographing birds, recording animal sounds, or reporting sightings of specific species,” he said. These small tasks would provide a new source of income and contribute to a real-time database that monitors Rwanda’s biodiversity. Additionally, farmers could receive financial incentives for actions that promote species diversity in their agricultural practices. Ledgard envisions that by 2050, Rwanda will experience improvements in soil health, forests, and wildlife. “By introducing financial incentives to protect biodiversity, people will start to see it as a valuable asset both economically and ecologically,” he said. The system looks forward to building emotional connections between people and wildlife, as the success of the project relies on more than just economic factors. It requires people to care about these species. “People need to feel a sense of connection to these species for the system to work,” Ledgard said. He said that while the project is still in its early stages, it has great potential to change how people approach conservation and value biodiversity. If successful, it could set an example worldwide, showing that recognising the economic value of animals and nature can help protect them and create benefits for both humans and the environment.", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joan Mbabazi" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/", "sameAs": ["https://www.facebook.com/TheNewTimesRwanda/","https://twitter.com/NewTimesRwanda","https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuZbZj6DF9zWXpdZVceDZkg"], "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "/theme_newtimes/images/logo.png", "width": 270, "height": 57 } }, "copyrightHolder": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/" } }

CLEVLEAND — Shane Bieber's comeback with Cleveland has double meaning. The former Cy Young winner re-signed with the Guardians on Wednesday, a reunion that seemed unlikely when he became a free agent. However, the 29-year-old Bieber decided to stay with the AL Central champions after making just two starts in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Bieber agreed last week to a one-year, $14 million contract. The deal includes a $16 million player option for 2026. It seemed like a long shot that Bieber, who is 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA in 132 starts, would return to Cleveland. He had turned down long-term offers in the past from the club, and it was expected he would sign with another contender, likely one on the West Coast. But the California native has a special connection with the Guardians, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. Bieber, who won the AL Cy Young in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, threw only 12 innings last season before lingering issues with his elbow forced him to have surgery. He is expected to join Cleveland's rotation at some point in 2025. A two-time All-Star, Bieber was named MVP of the midsummer event in 2019 when it was held in Cleveland. He has the highest strikeout ratio per nine innings (10.2) and third-highest winning percentage (.660) in the franchise's 124-year history. Bieber is one of just three Cleveland pitchers to start five season openers, joining Stan Coveleski (1917-21) and Corey Kluber (2015-19). While Bieber had some elbow issues in the past, he didn't show any issues before being shut down. He struck out 11 in six scoreless innings against Oakland on March 28, and followed that up with six more shutout innings at Seattle on April 2. DALLAS — Pitchers again dominated the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings, comprising 11 of the 15 unprotected players who were picked Wednesday. The 121-loss Chicago White Sox had the first pick and selected 24-year-old right-hander Shane Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Smith was an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest when he was signed by Milwaukee in July 2021. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder has gone 13-7 with a 2.69 ERA and 203 strikeouts over 157 innings in 19 starts and 54 relief appearances over three minor league seasons. There were 14 teams who made picks in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft of players left off 40-man rosters after several minor league seasons. Only Atlanta made two selections, after making none since 2017. Atlanta chose right-hander Anderson Pilar from the Miami Marlins with the 11th pick, and then took infielder Christian Cairo from the Cleveland Guardians with the 15th and final pick in the MLB portion. The 26-year-old Pilar was original signed by Colorado as a minor league free agent in 2015 and has pitched in 213 minor league games that included 17 starts. He is 28-20 with a 2.86 ERA. Teams pay $100,000 to take a player in the major league portion. The players must stay on the big league roster all of next season or clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000. Six of the 10 players selected during the Rule 5 draft last December — five of them right-handed pitchers — remained last season with organization that selected them. Two of the four position players taken Wednesday by other teams came from the Detroit Tigers organization: catcher Liam Hicks and third baseman Gage Workman. Miami drafted second after Colorado passed making a selection, and took Hicks. Workman was taken by the Chicago Cubs with the 10th pick. Baltimore lost two right-handed pitchers on back-to-back picks, Juan Nunez to San Diego with the 12th pick before Connor Thomas went to Milwaukee. DALLAS — Tom Hamilton, who has called Cleveland games on the radio for 35 seasons, won the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting on Wednesday. Hamilton, 70, joined the team's broadcast in 1990, when he was with Herb Score in the booth and part of the coverage of their World Series appearances in 1995 and 1997. Hamilton became the voice of the franchise when Score retired after that second World Series. Hamilton will be honored during the Hall of Fame’s induction weekend from July 25-28 in Cooperstown, New York. He was selected the hall's Frick Award 16-member committee as the 49th winner. There were 10 finalists on this year's ballot, whose main contributions came as local and national voices and whose careers began after, or extended into, the Wild Card era. The other nine were Skip Caray, Rene Cardenas, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Ernie Johnson Sr., Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Dave Sims and John Sterling. DALLAS — The Texas Rangers acquired slugging corner infielder Jake Burger from the Miami Marlins on Wednesday in a trade for three minor league players. Burger hit .250 with 29 home runs and 76 RBIs in 137 games for the Marlins last season, with 150 strikeouts in 535 at-bats with 31 walks. He started 59 games at third base and made 50 starts at first. Five days of service time short of being eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, he will be eligible next winter and can become a free agent after the 2028 World Series. Miami got infielders Max Acosta and Echedry Vargas and left-handed pitcher Brayan Mendoza. The acquisition of Burger comes about a month after the Rangers hired former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker as a senior adviser for baseball operations. Luis Urueta, Miami's bench coach the past two seasons, also was added recently to manager Bruce Bochy's on-field coaching staff for 2025. BRIEFLY WHITE SOX: Mike Tauchman is switching sides in Chicago. The White Sox announced a $1.95 million, one-year contract for the outfielder. Tauchman, 34, grew up in Palatine, Illinois, about 35 miles northwest of Chicago, and played college ball for Bradley in Peoria, Illinois. He spent the previous two seasons with the Cubs. TRADE: All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet was acquired by the Boston Red Sox from the Chicago White Sox for four prospects. Catcher Kyle Teel, infielder Chase Meidroth, right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez and outfielder Braden Montgomery are headed to Chicago.

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