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TSMC confirms 'unexploded ordnance' removed from wafer fab construction site

TSMC confirms 'unexploded ordnance' removed from wafer fab construction site Probably a relic of a Japanese WWII naval site TSMC has confirmed that workers were evacuated from one of its construction sites in Taiwan after discovery of an unexploded bomb. "Regarding the suspected unexploded…




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Aussie law firm takes Woolworths, Coles to court over discount claims

Australian law firm Gerard Malouf & Partners on Thursday said it had filed class action lawsuits against the country's top two retailers, Woolworths and Coles , for allegedly encouraging misleading discount claims on everyday products.




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Aussie law firm takes Woolworths, Coles to court over dodgy discount claims

Australian law firm Gerard Malouf & Partners on Thursday said it had filed class action lawsuits against the country's top two retailers, Woolworths and Coles, for allegedly encouraging misleading discount claims on everyday products. The two supermarket giants are currently in court, sued by the…




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The founder-CEO of Xiaomi is taking a leaf out of Elon Musk's Tesla playbook, posting a picture of himself taking a nap on the factory floor

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said in an X post on Tuesday that the company had produced 100,000 Xiaomi SU7 electric vehicles in 230 days. Luna Lin/AFP via Getty Images Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun posted a photo of himself sleeping on the factory floor. Lei was celebrating an EV production milestone — 100,000 units…




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Shell’s successful appeal will not end climate lawsuits against firms, say experts

Dutch appeal court ruled in favour of oil and gas company over judgment telling it to limit emissions A court ruling in favour of Shell does not spell the end of climate litigation against companies, legal experts have said. The oil and gas company celebrated on Tuesday when it won an appeal…




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Meloni silent as Mattarella slams Musk’s ‘intervention’ in Italian affairs

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has kept quiet on Elon Musk’s recent comments criticising Italian judges for again blocking Meloni’s migrant transfer policy with Albania, while President Sergio Mattarella responded to the billionaire, calling for respecting Italy’s sovereignty. Commenting on…




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EU states must enact key reforms at smaller scale rather than wait for consensus, Draghi, Macron warn

Donec et orci aliquet nisl suscipit molestie sed sit amet tortor. Duis vel urna ac mi sollicitudin lacinia mollis sit amet lorem. Sed finibus erat nec libero scelerisque fringilla. Morbi at orci sed urna vulputate vulputate. Nulla facilisi. Donec et orci aliquet nisl suscipit molestie sed sit amet…




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Researchers detail RoboPAIR, an algorithm that is designed to induce robots, relying on LLMs for their inputs, to ignore models' safeguards without exception

AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and other applications powered by large language models (LLMs) have exploded in popularity, leading a number of companies to explore LLM-driven robots. However, a new study now reveals an automated way to hack into such machines with 100 percent success. By…




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Australia will require social media platforms to act to prevent online harm to users

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia plans to require social media platforms to act to prevent online harms to users such as bullying, predatory behavior and algorithms pushing destructive content, the government said Thursday. “The Digital Duty of Care will place the onus on digital platforms to…




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Musk Did Not Ban Stephen King from X, Contrary to Online Claims

Social media posts falsely claim that Elon Musk banned author Stephen King from X, the social media platform owned by Musk. The rumor that King was banned originated on a satirical website. King's X account remains active, and he used it on Nov. 13 to debunk the claim.

The post Musk Did Not Ban Stephen King from X, Contrary to Online Claims appeared first on FactCheck.org.




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A Few Food Items



  • FTW! (For the Win!)


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Free Decryptor Released for BitLocker-Based ShrinkLocker Ransomware Victims

Romanian cybersecurity company Bitdefender has released a free decryptor to help victims recover data encrypted using the ShrinkLocker ransomware. The decryptor is the result of a comprehensive analysis of ShrinkLocker's inner workings, allowing the researchers to discover a "specific window of opportunity for data recovery immediately after the removal of protectors from BitLocker-encrypted




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London charity helps young mums thrive

Young MumsAid was set up in south-east London 10 years ago using funding from Children in Need.




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AI Systems Solve Just 2% of Advanced Maths Problems in New Benchmark Test

Leading AI systems are solving less than 2% of problems in a new advanced mathematics benchmark, revealing significant limitations in their reasoning capabilities, research group Epoch AI reported this week. The benchmark, called FrontierMath, consists of hundreds of original research-level mathematics problems developed in collaboration with over 60 mathematicians, including Fields Medalists Terence Tao and Timothy Gowers. While top AI models like GPT-4 and Gemini 1.5 Pro achieve over 90% accuracy on traditional math tests, they struggle with FrontierMath's problems, which span computational number theory to algebraic geometry and require complex reasoning. "These are extremely challenging. [...] The only way to solve them is by a combination of a semi-expert like a graduate student in a related field, maybe paired with some combination of a modern AI and lots of other algebra packages," Tao said. The problems are designed to be "guessproof," with large numerical answers or complex mathematical objects as solutions, making it nearly impossible to solve without proper mathematical reasoning. Further reading: New secret math benchmark stumps AI models and PhDs alike.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.




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Experts Testify US Is Running Secret UAP Programs

During a public joint hearing today titled "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth," four experts testified that the U.S. is running secret UAP programs, including crash retrieval and reverse-engineering programs for advanced nonhuman technology. Although the Pentagon maintains there's no evidence of alien spacecraft, witnesses like Luis Elizondo and Michael Gold argue that UAPs represent an intelligence enigma and call for open, stigma-free study to address potential security concerns and unknown scientific possibilities. NPR reports: Tim Gallaudet, retired rear admiral, U.S. Navy; CEO of Ocean STL Consulting, LLC "Confirmation that UAPs are interacting with humanity came for me in January 2015," Gallaudet said in his written testimony (PDF). He describes being part of a pre-deployment naval exercise off the U.S. East Coast that culminated in the famous "Go Fast" video, in which a Navy F/A-18 jet's sensors recorded "an unidentified object exhibiting flight and structural characteristics unlike anything in our arsenal." He was among a group of commanders involved in the exercise who received an email containing the video, which was sent by the operations officer of Fleet Forces Command, Gallaudet said. "The very next day, the email disappeared from my account and those of the other recipients without explanation," he said. Luis Elizondo, author and former Department of Defense official Elizondo's written testimony (PDF) was brief and alleged that a secretive arms race is playing out on the global stage. "Let me be clear: UAP are real," he wrote. "Advanced technologies not made by our Government -- or any other government -- are monitoring sensitive military installations around the globe. Furthermore, the U.S. is in possession of UAP technologies, as are some of our adversaries." Elizondo is a former intelligence officer who later "managed a highly sensitive Special Access Program on behalf of the White House and the National Security Council," according to his official bio (PDF). "By 2012, [Elizondo] was the senior ranking person of the DOD's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, a secretive Pentagon unit that studied unidentified anomalous phenomena," his bio states, adding that he resigned in 2017. Michael Gold, former NASA associate administrator of space policy and partnerships; member of NASA UAP Independent Study Team Gold's written testimony (PDF) stressed the need for government agencies and academics to "overcome the pernicious stigma that continues to impede scientific dialogue and open discussions" about unexplained phenomena. "As the saying goes, the truth is out there," Gold said, "we just need to be bold enough and brave enough to face it." Michael Shellenberger, founder of Public, a news outlet on the Substack platform Shellenberger's testimony (PDF) ran to some 214 pages, including a lengthy timeline of UAP reports from 1947 to 2023. Shellenberger pressed the White House and Congress to act, calling for the adoption of UAP transparency legislation and cutting funds for any related programs that aren't disclosed to lawmakers. "UAP transparency is bi-partisan and critical to our national security," his written testimony stated. You can watch the proceeding here.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.




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The founder-CEO of Xiaomi is taking a leaf out of Elon Musk's Tesla playbook, posting a picture of himself taking a nap on the factory floor

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun was celebrating a production milestone of 100,000 units of the SU7, his company's EV.





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News24 | Thursday's weather: Scattered showers for Gauteng as severe storms bring flood risks to Free State

Thursday's weather brings a mix of conditions across the country, with severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and extreme fire danger in certain areas, according to the South African Weather Service.




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Fake News MSNBC, CNN Ratings Collapse after Trump’s Massive Win

The following article, Fake News MSNBC, CNN Ratings Collapse after Trump’s Massive Win, was first published on Conservative Firing Line.

Two of the worst fake news purveyors, MSNBC and CNN, both suffered ratings bloodbaths since Donald Trump won his historic victory last week. And it couldn’t happen to any more serving networks. Let’s take the extremist, left-wing MSNBC. Take a look at this delicious drop in ratings: Major Nielsen ratings plunge at MSNBC since Trump …

Continue reading Fake News MSNBC, CNN Ratings Collapse after Trump’s Massive Win ...




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Payback: Trump Team Eyeing Massive Deportation Prisons in Dems' Own Backyards

Illegal immigrants facing deportation in the Trump administration may not have to travel far from the sanctuary cities that have protected them. A report from NBC, based on sources it […]

The post Payback: Trump Team Eyeing Massive Deportation Prisons in Dems' Own Backyards appeared first on The Western Journal.




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Boeing starts issuing layoff notices as planemaker trims 10% of workforce




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Exclusive-Chinese giant CATL pushes beyond batteries into power grids, EV platforms




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Beirut bombing victims' $1.68 billion Iran judgment overturned by US appeals court




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TSMC extends dominance of semiconductors with 56% share of global lithography systems




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Odell Beckham Jr. dunks on everyone who laughed at him for taking Rams salary in Bitcoin




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Potential Tropical Cyclone 19 forms, likely to become Tropical Storm Sara and may impact Florida




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U.S. confirms North Korean soldiers have begun combat operations against Ukraine

North Korean soldiers deployed to the Kursk region of Russia have begun combat operations against Ukrainian troops, the U.S. State Department confirmed Tuesday.




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After latest hit to helmet, Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa says it's 'too hard' to protect himself

Tua Tagovailoa often gives fans pause by putting his head in harm's way, but the Miami Dolphins' quarterback, with a history of high-profile concussions, says it's "too hard" to protect himself in High-speed action.




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Eczema risk seems to increase from polluted air, study finds

Living in places with more air pollution raises the risk of eczema, a chronic condition that causes dry, itchy and inflamed skin, a new study suggests.




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Mike Miller back at the Grey Cup but as Blue Bombers special teams coach

Mike Miller helped Winnipeg make three straight appearances — winning twice — before being sidelined last year with a neck injury that ultimately ended his CFL career. On Sunday, the 35-year-old native of Riverview, N.B., will be on the field as the Bombers' special-teams co-ordinator when they meet the Toronto Argonauts in Vancouver.



  • News/Canada/Manitoba

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Windsor Regional Hospital fundraiser aims to pay for key hospital equipment

The foundation that benefits the Windsor Regional Hospital is making an urgent fundraising appeal to buy new patient equipment. 



  • News/Canada/Windsor

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John Horgan's political legacy looms as large as his personal one

Politically, John Horgan's legacy will be defined by bringing the B.C. NDP two terms in power, and passing a range of affordability policies amid a spiking cost of living and international crises.



  • News/Canada/British Columbia

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Holiday Heat Reduction Program aims to save energy during winter break

At the conclusion of the fall semester, Penn State will once again institute a Holiday Heat Reduction Program at University Park, aimed at lowering building temperatures during the holiday break. This annual energy savings initiative saves the University energy costs and has proven to be an important factor in helping the University pursue its energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction goals.




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Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Launch Date Leaked; Might Land Earlier Than Usual

Samsung usually launches its latest Galaxy S series phones in late January or February. The South Korean tech giant is yet to reveal a possible date for the launch of the Galaxy S25 lineup, but a newly leaked survey suggests that we may see the phones earlier than usual this time. Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 series in January this year. Last year's Galaxy S23 series was unveiled in mid-February.




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Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: Which is Better?

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G and Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max are available at a starting price of Rs 1,21,999 and Rs 1,44,900, respectively. Both models offer premium design language and come equipped with the latest hardware. In this comparison, we will discuss both models in depth and recommend which one you should consider.




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Samsung Wins Patent for a Tri-Fold Smartphone With Specialised Barrier Layer for Improved Durability

Samsung is speculated to be developing a tri-fold smartphone. This move is said to be in a bid to catch up to Huawei, which launched the world’s tri-fold smartphone dubbed Mate XT Ultimate Design in September. Ahead of its anticipated debut in 2025, Samsung has been recently granted a patent for a flexible display device with a foldable design featuring three screens and a specialised barrier layer for improved durability and reduced strain.




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NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams Refutes Health Concerns, Shares Fitness Routine from Space

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has dispelled rumours about her health while aboard the International Space Station, confirming that her weight remains unchanged despite media speculations. In a recent interview, Williams explained her routine workout regimen on the ISS to maintain muscle and bone health, countering microgravity effects and refuting any signs of health decline. NASA also confirmed that all astronauts on the mission remain in good health, including Williams and crew member Butch Wilmore.




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Samson Becomes 1st Batter Ever To Register Embarrassing T20I World Record

After two back-to-back centuries in two straight T20Is, wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has now scored two back-to-back ducks




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'No Request' From BCCI Amid Media Claims On India's 'Secret' Training

It was also learnt that India A players have reported in Perth and will be part of the intra-squad match.




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Ben Affleck Trying To "Spite" Jennifer Lopez By Forging A New Friendship With The Beckhams?

Jennifer Lopez is convinced that Ben Affleck is trying to mess with her head




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"Step-Brothers": Eknath Shinde Slams Congress Scheme For Women

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde says he is confident that the people will push the ruling alliance Mahayuthi to victory with a "thumping" majority in approval of their work over the last two-and-half years. The Congress's promises - the upgr




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"My Body Has Changed, But....": Sunita Williams On Health Aboard Space Station

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who has been in space since June, has put an end to swirling "rumours" about her health, saying she weighs the same as she did when she arrived at the International Space Station (ISS).





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VW ups investment with Rivian to $5.8B, forms technology joint venture

VW Group and Rivian collaborate on electrical architecture and software development First Rivian to use jointly developed systems will be R2 due in 2026 First VW Group models will use the the systems from 2027 Volkswagen Group has decided to deepen its ties with U.S. electric vehicle startup Rivian, with the two companies announcing on Tuesday...




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UNESCO, tech firms partner to train teachers, students in AI

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, on Wednesday, began training Nigerian teachers and students in the use of artificial intelligence and robotics engineering. The two-day programme, conducted in collaboration with Infinix Nigeria and Google, took place at the United Nations office in Abuja. Addressing the participants, UNESCO’s Head in Abuja, Abdourahamane Diallo, emphasised


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Experts push contract farming to boost Africa food systems, farmers’ income

Nairobi — As African farmers struggle with unpredictability caused by climate change, some are looking into contract farming, which involves growing a certain crop for a price set in advance. About 400 people attended the International Conference on Contract Farming in Nairobi this week to learn more about the practice.  Peris Wanjiku, the conference director, said such agreements can help solve the challenges that many smallholder farmers face in Africa.  "It's always important to farm with a plan. I believe it's not enough to simply plant a crop, whatever it is, without knowing where it will end up," Wanjiku said. "Farmers should know beforehand what to grow and where to sell. This is why contract farming is so important, as it provides the framework for certainty and sustainability. "But it's not only about the traditional farmer. I believe we can extend the benefit of contract farming to those who may not be farmers themselves right now, but they own a piece of land."    Experts say the growing interest in contract farming is associated with increasingly complicated systems in food production, marketing and distribution, which has made it difficult for farmers to meet consumers' demands.  Contract farming, experts say, is an instrument that manages and reduces production risks for both parties.  Wilson Milito Ole-Rampei, a vegetable farmer in Kenya, is attending the conference and is optimistic that the practice would help him.   "I will benefit because if, for example, I am growing vegetables, we will arrange with them to get a market. They will give me their technical advice, then our arid land will be used. Because of [a] shortage of rain, we will do irrigation. I would have knowledge of what I am growing," Ole-Rampei said.    An economist for the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, Lan Li, said contract farming is often a good deal for small-scale farmers.   "It sets the agreements on what products to produce, quantity, and price," Li said. "As such, it helps secure more stable income and better production planning for producers. It can improve access to inputs for small-scale holder farmers, technical assistance training, and financing solutions."  African farmers have seen reduced harvests due to global warming and drought. For many, a lack of knowledge and skills also contributes to low food production.  In areas where farmers can produce enough food, they sometimes face obstacles such as bad roads or insecurity that prevent them from getting to market.   Carole Kariuki, head of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, said the private and public sectors need to collaborate to improve the agriculture sector.  "The private sector is doing its best. It's filling that gap where it can, but we cannot do it all, and we need the government to be able to go back and say we can get agriculture extension officers helping out small farmers and all the farmers in the country. Contract farming holds immense potential to transform African agriculture,” she said.  Contract farming can have drawbacks, such as making farmers less able to sell to alternative buyers when produce prices increase. In addition, there are environmental risks from growing only one crop for a long time.   Buyers, meanwhile, can face high transaction costs from contracting with many farmers.  But Kariuki believes the benefits outweigh the risks. She called contract farming a model to lift up small-scale farmers, boost food production, and drive sustainable growth.




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New storms and flooding in Spain threaten hard-hit Valencia again

Madrid — New storms in Spain caused school closures and train cancellations on Wednesday, two weeks after flash floods in Valencia and other parts of the country killed more than 220 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Coastal areas of Valencia were placed under the highest alert on Wednesday evening. Forecasters said up to 180 millimeters (7 inches) of rain could fall there within five hours. Cleanup efforts in parts of Valencia hardest hit by the Oct. 29 storm were still continuing, and there were concerns over what more rain could bring to streets still covered with mud and debris. In southern Malaga province, streets were flooded, while 3,000 people near the Guadalhorce river were moved from their homes as a preventive measure. Schools across the province were closed, along with many stores. High-speed AVE train service was canceled between Malaga and Madrid as well as Barcelona and Valencia. There were no reports of any deaths. Spanish weather forecaster AEMET put Malaga on red alert, saying up to 70 millimeters (roughly 3 inches) of rain had accumulated in an hour. Parts of Tarragona province in the east also faced heavy rain and remained under red alert. The forecast in Malaga delayed the start of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals between Spain and Poland, which was set for Wednesday. The storm system affecting Spain is caused by warm air that collides with stagnant cold air and forms powerful rain clouds. Experts say that drought and flood cycles are increasing with climate change.




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Travel with ease this summer, thanks to Samsung’s Black Friday Deals




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Suspects caught: Cape Town police arrest two with firearms in separate incidents