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Saudi Royals Ask Trump to ‘Finish What You Started’ in Middle East


Prince Turki bin Faisal al-Saud, former Saudi ambassador to the United States, has written an open letter to President-elect Donald Trump asking him to “finish what you started the last time you occupied the White House” with respect to Middle Eastern affairs.

The post Saudi Royals Ask Trump to ‘Finish What You Started’ in Middle East appeared first on Breitbart.




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‘War Games’ on Trump Return Reveal Radical Left’s Plans to Counter ‘Autocratic Threats’


Recent simulations conducted by left-leaning anti-Trump experts envision the U.S. facing an unprecedented erosion of democratic norms under a second Trump administration, according to Transition Integrity Project co-founder Rosa Brooks, who suggested the recent “war games” demonstrated the need for “creative” resistance and “harm reduction” tactics to counter what she describes as “autocratic” maneuvers President Donald Trump would employ.

The post ‘War Games’ on Trump Return Reveal Radical Left’s Plans to Counter ‘Autocratic Threats’ appeared first on Breitbart.




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After keeping her distance, N.B.'s new premier says she's ready to work with Trudeau

Susan Holt, who repeatedly emphasized her differences with the prime minister leading up to last month’s election, was on more welcoming terms Tuesday after their first official meeting in Fredericton.



  • News/Canada/New Brunswick

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Court hears from 9-year-old girl who says she was sexually assaulted by Manitoba priest last year

A now nine-year-old girl who says she was sexually assaulted by a priest last year in Little Grand Rapids First Nation told court on Tuesday she remembers feeling scared as the priest allegedly walked her to his bedroom inside the church that day.



  • News/Canada/Manitoba

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Australia proposes social media ban for children under the age of 16

If the legislation is passed, social media platforms including X, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook would have one year to work out how to exclude Australian children.




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2020's debunked election fraud claims are coming back due to Trump's 2024 victory

Election deniers have spent the past four years focused on false claims that 2020 was rigged. This year, it raised similar alarms about fraud — only for those claims to evaporate as returns came in.





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Squadron 42’s new 2026 launch date will miss its original target by 11 years

RSI said single-player Star Citizen campaign was "feature complete" a year ago.





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‘Crime Patrol’ and ‘Splitsvilla’ actor Nitin Chauhaan dies at 35

Reports indicate that Chauhaan may have died by suicide, a claim supported by a social media post from his former co-star Vibhuti Thakur, who expressed her shock and sorrow over his untimely death




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Macaulay Culkin to star in ‘Fallout’ Season 2

The show stars Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Kyle MacLachlan, and Walton Goggins, among others, and quickly gained popularity with a massive 65 million views within 16 days of its Season 1 release in April




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Coming to Netflix: ‘Vijay 69,’ ‘Meet Me Next Christmas,’ ‘Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson,’ and more

Here is a full list of titles releasing over the next two weeks on Netflix




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Ridley Scott, Paul Mescal collaborate for 'The Dog Stars'

Set in a near future where an unknown disease has ravaged American society, the story follows a civilian pilot living a solitary life on an abandoned Colorado airbase with his dog and a tough ex-Marine




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Prabhas launches new website to support aspiring writers, ‘The Script Craft’

Founded by Thaalla Vaishnav and Pramod Uppalapati, ‘The Script Craft’ is backed by Prabhas to nurture new talent and provide emerging writers with valuable opportunities




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Mr Beast, KSI and Logan Paul are all set for India launch event in Mumbai

The launch event will see the YouTubers partnering with Ajey Nagar, known as CarryMinati, for a special fan interaction in Mumbai




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Avneet Kaur meets Tom Cruise on set of ‘Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning’

Although Avneet hasn’t confirmed any involvement in the film, fans are hopeful this could mark her Hollywood debut, following in the footsteps of Anil Kapoor, who appeared in ‘Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol’ in 2011




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A new audio series celebrates the timeless appeal of Tagore’s Gitanjali

Santhosh Kana’s ‘A Musical Pilgramage’ containing 8 select poems combines soothing narration with Indian classical music.




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'A lot of eyeballs': Canada's Watpool and Bahdi aim to capitalize on Friday's Paul vs. Tyson spectacle

Together, Melinda Watpool and Lucas Bahdi add a heavy dose of Canadian content to the undercard of next Friday's megawatt showdown between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, which could become the most-viewed boxing event in history.




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Hockey Canada executive Pat McLaughlin to step down at end of year

Pat McLaughlin is stepping down as Hockey Canada's chief operating officer and executive vice-president of strategy, the governing body announced Monday.




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Exclusive: Dinosaur Polo Club Interview – CEO Amie Wolken on Mini Metro, Mini Motorways, the Team, Free DLC, Working With Apple, Ports, and More

When thinking about the classics or games I’d recommend people play on mobile, Mini Metro is one of the best …




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Legendary Fighting Series ‘The King of Fighters’ Crosses Over into ‘Another Eden’ with the “Another Bout” Event that Kicks Off August 22nd

I did not have Another Eden, beloved mobile role-playing game, having a crossover event with The King of Fighters, legendary …




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Out Now: ‘Punch Club 2: Fast Forward’, ‘Labyrinth: The Wizard’s Cat’, ‘TENSEI’, ‘Vampire: The Masquerade – Shadows of New York’, ‘Auto Pirates: Captains Cup’, ‘Jenny LeClue – Detectivu’ and More

Each and every day new mobile games are hitting the App Store, and so each week we put together a …




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3D Action RPG ‘Alterna Vvelt: Blue Exorcist Another Story’ From Aniplex Gets a New Trailer Ahead of Its Launch on Mobile and PC

At Anime NYC this weekend, Aniplex USA shared more details for its upcoming 3D action RPG Alterna Vvelt: Blue Exorcist …






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‘Dungeons of Dreadrock 2’ Announced, Launching on Nintendo Switch in November with Mobile and PC Versions to Follow

About two and a half years ago we were treated to a lovely gaming experience titled Dungeons of Dreadrock from …




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The Huge ‘Peglin’ 1.0 Update Is Now Live on iOS, Android, and Steam Following Switch Launch Yesterday

Yesterday during the Nintendo Indie World Partner Direct whatever it is called for the double feature, Red Nexus Games’ pachinko …





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‘Honkai Star Rail’ Version 2.5 “Flying Aureus Shot to Lupine Rue” Update Releases on September 10th, New Trailer Showcased During Livestream

HoYoverse’s Honkai Star Rail (Free) version 2.5 update titled “Flying Aureus Shot to Lupine Rue" was just showcased during a …





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Georgia counties certify the election, as fraud claims dissipate after Trump win

Every county in Georgia has certified its general election results. There had been concerns about election certification, but with Donald Trump's victory, those worries have largely gone away.





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HP wins huge fraud case against Autonomy founder and CEO Mike Lynch

Hours after the ruling, the UK home secretary approved Lynch's extradition to the US.




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Scientists discover shock autism link as they reveal states most at risk...


Scientists discover shock autism link as they reveal states most at risk...


(Third column, 16th story, link)


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'YELLOWSTONE' First Episode Without Costner Scores Biggest Premiere Night Audience...


'YELLOWSTONE' First Episode Without Costner Scores Biggest Premiere Night Audience...


(Third column, 14th story, link)





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TROUBLE IN NEOM: CEO of Saudi Arabia's Futuristic City Project Leaves Abruptly...


TROUBLE IN NEOM: CEO of Saudi Arabia's Futuristic City Project Leaves Abruptly...


(Second column, 14th story, link)


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Activist investor calls for Honeywell to separate aerospace, automation divisions

An activist investor with a $5 billion stake in Honeywell International is calling for the company to separate its Phoenix-based aerospace division into a separate business.




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Gus the penguin makes mysterious solo trip to popular Australian beach

An emperor penguin found malnourished far from its Antarctic home on the Australian south coast is being cared for by a wildlife expert, a government department said Monday.




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The Most Beautiful Countries in the World, Sorted by Region

Any avid traveler knows there are far too many gorgeous landscapes and jaw-dropping views to make one all-encompassing list of the most beautiful countries in the world. We're lucky to have such a diverse world, and beauty is subjective.




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Sonos Arc Ultra review: New tech powers a big audio upgrade

2024 has been a rough year for Sonos. The company’s would-be triumphant entry into the crowded headphones market was overshadowed by a disastrous app redesign. In the fallout of the botched software update, the company decided to delay products that were ready to be shipped to give itself more time to right the course. Consumer trust eroded, and people who already owned Sonos gear were living in a cycle of constant frustration.

Thanks to a number of rumors, we already knew that one of the pending product releases was the Arc Ultra ($999). A few weeks ago the company decided not to wait any longer to reveal it. While the design is mostly unchanged from the Arc that debuted in 2020, there are several key changes on the inside that make this a better all-in-one solution for people who don’t want to add more speakers to their living room setup. Sonos is promising better bass performance thanks to new speaker tech that’s debuting in the Arc Ultra, but just how good can it be?

The refined design of the original Arc was a massive upgrade from that of the Playbar, and showed a progression from Sonos’ compact Beam soundbar. Honestly, the aesthetic is pretty timeless, in my opinion, and it’s a look that should age well for years to come. That said, it makes sense that Sonos would keep the design for the Arc Ultra, only making some minor changes to the exterior.

The Arc Ultra still comes in both black and white options, allowing you to choose what looks best in your living room or home theater. Sonos updated the controls to mirror what’s available on the newer Era 100 and Era 300 speakers, moving them to a top-facing bar at the back. There’s a volume slider on the right with play/pause and skip controls in the center. On the left side, Sonos gives you a microphone control so you can mute the built-in mics as needed.

And that’s really it in terms of design changes that you can see. The Arc Ultra is slightly shorter height-wise than the Arc, and it’s a little wider than its predecessor. Neither of which make a huge difference, and they won’t drastically change how you position the speaker beneath your TV.

Sonos' new sound motion woofer is situated on the right side of the soundbar
Sonos

Inside, Sonos has re-engineered the Arc Ultra to improve audio performance. The biggest piece of this overhaul is the new Sound Motion woofer that enables better bass performance before you add a standalone wireless sub. The achievement here, thanks to the acquisition of audio company Mayht, is that the new component lays flat, taking up less room than a traditional cone-shaped woofer. The Sound Motion driver also helps deliver increased clarity and depth, on top of doubling the bass output of the original Arc.

Sonos redesigned the entire acoustic architecture of the Arc Ultra during the process of adding the Sound Motion woofer. The soundbar now houses three more drivers than the arc, a list that includes seven tweeters (two of which are upfiring), six mid-range drivers (midwoofers, as Sonos calls them) and the aforementioned woofer for a total of 14. The company also employs 15 Class-D digital amplifiers along with far-field mics for tuning and voice control.

There’s still only a single HDMI (eARC) port, which allows most modern TVs the ability to control the soundbar’s volume and mute options from your TV remote. Moreover, the Arc Ultra is compatible with Wi-Fi 6 and newly-added Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity allows you to stream from any device. And of course, AirPlay 2 is still on the spec sheet. One last thing I’ll mention here is that the Arc Ultra doesn’t ship with an optical adapter if you prefer that connection. The company will sell you one for $25.

Since the Arc Ultra is a Sonos product, there are a lot of core features that are the same as they are on the company’s other devices. You can use the soundbar as part of a multiroom setup and Trueplay tuning is here to adjust the audio to the acoustics of the room. There’s still an adjustable EQ with options for bass, treble and loudness and a Night Sound mode makes things less boomy when someone in your house may be trying to work or sleep.

While Trueplay will give you the best sound customization for the sonic characteristics of your living room, Sonos is enabling a Quick Tune feature for the first time on the Arc Ultra. Here, the soundbar will use its internal mics, as opposed to your phone, to offer a certain degree of improvement. The company says it wanted to give people the option of something quicker than Trueplay, although the full-fledged tuning process doesn’t take very long at all.

Speech Enhancement has been a handy feature on Sonos soundbars for a while, giving you the ability to improve dialog clarity as needed. Before now, it was an all-or-nothing feature, but on the Arc Ultra, the company introduced three levels of speech boost to give you more options to better suit your needs. This means the soundbar can help you hear clearly over background noise or simply follow along better by elevating dialog above the rest of the soundtrack mix.

Sonos moved the controls to a bar along the back
Billy Steele for Engadget

The trademark feature of Sonos’ Ace headphones is the ability to beam the audio from a compatible soundbar to the cans for a private home theater. That TV Audio Swap tool is available on the Arc Ultra, so you can instantly send the sound to the headphones with the press of a button. In fact, Sonos bundles the Arc Ultra and Ace headphones in a $1,373 set. What’s more, the Ace supports spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, so you can count on immersive sound even when you’re employing it on an individual basis.

Despite all of the problems that Sonos has had with its app, some of which it's still working to resolve, I didn't encounter any issues during my testing. The software crashed on me once when the Trueplay tuning process completed, but everything had already run its course and I didn’t have to repeat it. Other than that, the app has worked reliably over the last week while I’ve been putting the Arc Ultra through its paces. Most importantly, the software is stable and the full suite of controls for the new soundbar is available at launch.

The original Arc already sounded great, so Sonos really had its work cut out for it to further improve the audio quality for the Arc Ultra. Thanks to the improved bass of the Sound Motion tech, a change that also takes up less space, the company says it had the ability to then overhaul the mid-range and high-frequency components as well. By using multiple sizes of mid-range drivers and tweeters, Sonos was able to tweak the speaker positioning inside of the soundbar for improved projection and more immersive sound.

In addition to the enhanced bass performance, the second thing that was immediately apparent on the Arc Ultra was those improvements to the dimensional sound. Whether it was a quidditch match in a Harry Potter movie or zooming F1 cars in Drive to Survive, the soundbar now has better directional, immersive sound than its predecessor. Sonos says the Arc Ultra now renders Dolby Atmos content in a 9.1.4-channel setup, versus 5.0.2 with the Arc, which further contributes to the enveloping audio. Interestingly, I haven’t seen any of the competition claim four up-firing channels from the soundbar like Sonos does here (those that do are usually accounting for up-firing drivers in the rear speakers). You can really hear the difference from the second you fire up the Arc Ultra, and the effect is consistent across content sources.

There's still just one HDMI port, but Bluetooth connectivity is now included
Billy Steele for Engadget

The increased bass performance makes the Arc Ultra a much better speaker for music without a separate subwoofer. You won’t get the bombastic low-end tone the newly updated Sonos Sub 4 can produce, but there’s enough from the soundbar to give Kaytranada’s Timeless, Phantogram’s Memory of a Day and Bilmuri’s American Motor Sports plenty of booming backbone when a track demands it. There’s also still the trademark Sonos clarity I’ve come to expect over the years, which means finer details like the texture of synths, layered guitars and the nuance of acoustic instruments cut through the mix cleanly.

And speaking of clarity, the company’s new Speech Enhancement settings are also a big improvement. Being able to select how much of a boost this feature offered depending on either my needs right then or based on the overall tuning of the content is really nice. It allowed me to max out the dialog when watching movies after my toddler was asleep so that speech didn’t suffer when sound effects were louder during intense scenes of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

There’s no doubt the Arc Ultra packs in deeper, more immersive sound than its predecessor, but some people will still want a more robust setup to wring every ounce of audio out of a Sonos living room setup. The high-end choice for this is what Sonos calls the Ultimate Immersive Set, which includes the Arc Ultra, two Era 300s and the Sub 4. Right now, that will cost you $2,561. For something less expensive, you can get the Arc Ultra and the new Sub 4 (normally $799) for $1,708 (Premium Entertainment Set). And therein lies the biggest problem with Sonos soundbars: expanding your living room setup to get the most immersive experience gets very pricey very quickly when the centerpiece is already $999.

If you can live without all the conveniences of Sonos products, you can get an all-in-one package from Samsung for $1,500. With the Q990D, you’ll get the soundbar, two rear speakers and a wireless subwoofer in the same box. The setup offers 11.1.4 audio for excellent Atmos sound, thanks in part to up-firing drivers in the rear speakers. Samsung offers a host of handy features, from Q-Symphony audio with TV speakers, SpaceFit Sound Pro room calibration, Adaptive Sound audio enhancement, a dedicated gaming mode and more. The Q990D remains my top pick for the best soundbars for a lot of reasons, a key one being everything you could need comes in one all-inclusive package.

The Arc Ultra is an obvious improvement over the Arc in the sonic department. New technology delivers on its promise to boost bass, clarity and immersive before you start adding extra components. Expanded features like Speech Enhancements and a quick-tune option offer new tools for dialing in the sound, while the stock Sonos experience remains intact. And thankfully, that includes an app that’s more stable than it was a few months ago. The Arc Ultra is still pricey at $999, but it exhibits a lot more sonic prowess than its predecessor for only $100 more.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/sonos-arc-ultra-review-new-tech-powers-a-big-audio-upgrade-130011149.html?src=rss




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NVIDIA's new all-in-one PC app launches out of beta today

NVIDIA has been testing a single app that merges the GeForce Experience and Control Panel over the past year. After rolling out several betas to make sure it works as intended, the company has officially launched the NVIDIA application, which is now available to download for users with its GPUs in their PCs and laptops. 

The company says the app is meant to make it easy to keep their NVIDIA Studio and GeForce Game Ready drivers updated and to give users quick access to its latest programs. In its home screen, users will find a prominently displayed section that will lead them to the latest driver downloads, as well as sections that will take them to other NVIDIA applications. At the bottom, they'll find a Library section showing their most recently opened games and programs that they can launch from there. 

Since it's supposed to provide a unified experience, users will be able to fine-tune the settings for their games and programs from within the app. Users will be able to access Optimal Playable Settings with relevant Control Panel options, and they'll be able to configure their displays, enable G-SYNC, enhance videos with AI and fine-tune their GPU's performance from within its interface. 

NVIDIA explains that it designed the unified application to be 50 percent more responsive than the GeForce Experience. It also installs in half the time. It's also worth noting that app will introduce a redesigned in-game overlay that simplifies access to gameplay recording tools capable of capturing video in 4K at 120 FPS, as well as AI-powered filters for those with RTX GPUs. They'll then be able to view their screenshots and new videos in the app's Gallery. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/nvidias-new-all-in-one-pc-app-launches-out-of-beta-today-140040945.html?src=rss




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Apple could launch a smart home control center next year

Apple is rumored to be working on a new smart home product. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reported that the company is developing a wall-mounted display for controlling appliances, interacting with Siri and videoconferencing. The tablet is said to look "like a square iPad" with "a roughly 6-inch screen." It would have a camera at the top as well as internal speakers and a built-in rechargeable battery. His sources said this smart home display could be officially announced as soon as March following three years in development.

This description sounds a lot like the Google Home Hub, which came out in 2018, or the Echo Show, which is already up to its eighth iteration. If Apple wants to be a serious competitor in this smart home space, it'll have to prove to customers that it has something to offer that these more established brands and products don't.

Right now, the only distinguishing feature is likely Apple Intelligence, which finally began rolling out to users in late October, and the upcoming App Intents system for controlling software programs with AI. But Apple may be looking farther ahead toward something more extravagant than just a smart device control panel. Gurman reported that Apple is already working on a version with a robotic arm that could move the tablet around. It should be interesting to see exactly what Apple does formally launch and when.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/apple-could-launch-a-smart-home-control-center-next-year-222136073.html?src=rss




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Le Carnet de Karine: Sylvain Croteau combat la violence dans le sport

Amoureux du sport, Sylvain Croteau a décidé de consacrer sa carrière, depuis 10 ans, à prévenir et à contrer la violence et les abus dans ce monde.




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Temple de la renommée: au tour de Carey Price?

Carey Price aura vraisemblablement la faveur du comité qui est appelé à décider qui sera intronisé chaque année.




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Canadien: Il faut parfois laisser son petit frère gagner

J’ai beaucoup de mal à comprendre ce qu’il y a d’étonnant dans le fait que le Canadien soit dernier au classement.




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Temple de la renommée: Jeremy Roenick raconte comment Doug Wilson lui a sauvé la vie

Jeremy Roenick nous a offert le moment le plus touchant de l’intronisation des membres de la cuvée 2024 du Temple de la renommée du hockey.




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Devant ses anciens coéquipiers du CH, Shea Weber fait son entrée au Temple de la renommée

Voyez ce que l’ancien défenseur avait à dire sur son passage dans la Belle Province!




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Le plus grand hockeyeur au monde ne devrait pas patiner comme ça, surtout à 16 ans: «Il est une énigme»

Un défenseur bélarusse au potentiel incalculable réalise bien malgré lui les défis quotidiens qui accompagnent son physique hors-norme.




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Threat facing Aussie super gains

A VOLATILE year for our superannuation savings looks likely to end in positive territory as long as global markets don’t crash this week.