DOVER (Dec. 10, 2021) – On Thursday, Dec. 9,  2021, the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) ordered a Millsboro man to cease tattooing activities in his home, in violation of Title 16 of the Delaware Code. Body art activities should only be performed in DPH-permitted facilities. Private residences are not properly equipped for these activities to […]

Delaware state agencies today officially moved to connect the Donovan Smith community in Lewes to municipal water and sewer, which is the pilot project of the Clean Water Initiative for Underserved Communities established by Gov. John Carney.

NEW CASTLE (22 de Febrero de 2022) – La División de Servicios Sociales de Delaware emitirá beneficios de emergencia para Febrero a los hogares elegibles como parte de la respuesta continua del estado a la crisis de salud pública de COVID-19. Los beneficios se emitirán como parte del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) y […]

NEW CASTLE (23 de Marzo de 2022) – La División de Servicios Sociales de Delaware emitirá beneficios de emergencia para Marzo a los hogares elegibles como parte de la respuesta continua del estado a la crisis de salud pública de COVID-19. Los beneficios se emitirán como parte del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) y […]

NEW CASTLE (26 de Abril de 2022) – La División de Servicios Sociales de Delaware emitirá beneficios de emergencia para Abril a los hogares elegibles como parte de la respuesta continua del estado a la crisis de salud pública de COVID-19. Los beneficios se emitirán como parte del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) y […]

NEW CASTLE (25 de Mayo de 2022) – La División de Servicios Sociales de Delaware emitirá beneficios de emergencia para Mayo a los hogares elegibles como parte de la respuesta continua del estado a la crisis de salud pública de COVID-19. Los beneficios se emitirán como parte del Programa de asistencia nutricional suplementaria (SNAP) y […]

NEW CASTLE (28 de Junio de 2022) – La División de Servicios Sociales de Delaware emitirá beneficios de emergencia para Junio a los hogares elegibles como parte de la respuesta continua del Estado a la crisis de salud pública de COVID-19. Los beneficios se emitirán como parte del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) y […]

NEW CASTLE (26 de Julio de 2022) – La División de Servicios Sociales de Delaware emitirá beneficios de emergencia para Julio a los hogares elegibles como parte de la respuesta continua del Estado a la crisis de salud pública de COVID-19. Los beneficios se emitirán como parte del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) y […]

NEW CASTLE (24 de Agosto de 2022) – La División de Servicios Sociales de Delaware emitirá beneficios de emergencia para Agosto a los hogares elegibles como parte de la respuesta continua del Estado a la crisis de salud pública de COVID-19. Los beneficios se emitirán como parte del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) y […]

NEW CASTLE (27 de Septiembre de 2022) – La División de Servicios Sociales de Delaware emitirá beneficios de emergencia para Septiembre a los hogares elegibles como parte de la respuesta continua del Estado a la crisis de salud pública de COVID-19. Los beneficios se emitirán como parte del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) y […]

NEW CASTLE (26 de Octubre de 2022) – La División de Servicios Sociales de Delaware emitirá beneficios de emergencia para Octubre a los hogares elegibles como parte de la respuesta continua del Estado a la crisis de salud pública de COVID-19.   Los beneficios se emitirán como parte del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) […]

NEW CASTLE (20 de Diciembre de 2022) – La División de Servicios Sociales de Delaware emitirá beneficios de emergencia para Diciembre a los hogares elegibles como parte de la respuesta continua del Estado a la crisis de salud pública de COVID-19. Los beneficios se emitirán como parte del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) y […]

New campaign underway to highlight support, services available to First State caregivers NEW CASTLE, Del. (Jan. 30, 2023) — The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) has launched a new campaign designed to raise awareness around the many resources available to those who care for and support an older adult or someone living […]

Smyrna – The FY 2020 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant Program (BRIC), as well as the Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program (FMA), funding notice has been announced and the application period is now open.  The BRIC Grant Program (previously known as the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program) is intended to assist states, U.S. Territories, federally-recognized […]

Smyrna – The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for DR-4566 Tropical Storm Isaias funding notice has been announced. The application period started in May 2021, with up to $2,000,000 in available funding for mitigation projects. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) is intended to assist state agencies and local governments in implementing long-term hazard mitigation planning and […]

The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) is seeking applicants to submit projects for potential funding under the following mitigation grant programs: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant Program (BRIC), and the Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program (FMA). Applications are being accepted now and all projects must be submitted to DEMA no later than December 31, 2022.

Incyte has reinforced its commitment to Delaware by signing a 15-year lease to occupy the former John Wanamaker building, a Wilmington landmark off the Augustine Cut-Off.

The State of Delaware prides itself on its business friendliness and willingness to provide opportunities and access to the small business sector.

NEW CASTLE (21 de Noviembre de 2022) – La División de Servicios Sociales de Delaware emitirá beneficios de emergencia para Noviembre a los hogares elegibles como parte de la respuesta continua del Estado a la crisis de salud pública de COVID-19. Los beneficios se emitirán como parte del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) y […]

DNREC announced today that Delaware’s recreational striped bass summer slot size limit regulation has been revised and will be in effect for the July 1 start of the slot season. The revision changes the state's slot size limit from 20- to 25-inches to 20- to 24-inches.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that special hunting permits for Delaware State Parks can now be conveniently purchased wherever hunting licenses are sold in the state. The special permits are available online at Digital DNREC, at DNREC’s main campus in the Richardson and Robbins Building in Dover, and at more than 40 licensing agents statewide. The special permits, which cost $10 for residents and non-residents can now be purchased when buying a Delaware hunting license. These park permits will no longer be available for sale at Delaware State Parks offices.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: Office of the Secretary

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL: Division of Fish and Wildlife

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL: Division of Fish and Wildlife

I've never been much of a fan of forecasting approaches to intermittent demand. In situations like intermittent demand (or other areas where we have little hope of reasonably accurate forecasts), my thinking is "why bother?" If we can't expect to solve the problem with forecasting, we need a different approach. [...]

The post Intermittent Demand Forecasting (new book by Boylan and Syntetos) appeared first on The Business Forecasting Deal.

This year, the Cadence Giving Foundation (CGF) launched Fem.AI to achieve a more inclusive tech sector, and the inaugural Fem.AI Summit that took place on October 1 was a luminary in a world where technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace. The summit not only excelled in its mission to enlighten, empower, and mobilize stakeholders across various industries on the issue of gender disparity in high tech and AI, but was a celebration of innovation, diversity, and empowerment. As we reflect on the moments that made the summit unforgettable, it's clear that the event was more than just a meeting of minds—it was a movement for change! Shaping Tomorrow Together Cadence’s president and CEO, Anirudh Devgan, stated, “Women’s talent and perspectives are crucial to shaping the future of AI.” Devgan’s words epitomized the driving force behind the first-ever Fem.AI Summit which brought together innovators, educators, business leadership, and investors across industries to create an ecosystem that ensures women can fully participate in the AI revolution and burgeoning AI economy. The energy of pioneers ready to collectively disrupt the status quo filled the air, and as the day-long summit began, it became clear that we were part of something truly groundbreaking. The event's lineup of speakers held discussions that went beyond the technical aspects of AI, emphasizing the vital importance of diversity in technology. Such insights were lent by leading voices from MIT, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, who set the stage for inspiring discussions with speakers like Dr. Joy Buolamwini, Founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, and Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Moms First and Girls Who Code. Included in this lineup of leading figures was Dr. Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, who left us with her hopes for the future of women in AI: “I’m hoping because of company-wide commitments like what we’re experiencing here today thanks to Cadence, that the people who will be part of designing [future technologies] will have a different group of people around the proverbial table or the computer screens doing that… and that women will be more integral into the conceptualization and then the actualization of AI-driven enterprises.” The hopes and visions for women in AI cannot manifest in a vacuum, they must be achieved with the support of individuals and systems from education all the way to the upper echelons of leadership. It is with this understanding, that Fem.AI is committed to investing in women at every stage of their STEM journey. Breaking Barriers It is with this ideal that we were honored to hear from women breaking through barriers of gender, race, and class in achieving pinnacles of success in areas of science and technology. Dr. Sarah H. Chen, Postdoctoral Researcher at Stanford and Thriving Stars Scholar at MIT, Niki Karanikola, Machine Learning Engineer and Break Through Tech AI Scholar at MIT, and Katya Echazarreta, NASA’s first Mexican Astronaut, showcased the resilience and determination that drive progress within and beyond our industry. Through their stories of persevering despite all odds, we were reminded that supporting students in STEM can create generational change with impacts beyond the realms of AI and technology. The final speaker at the Cadence Fem.AI Summit, the trailblazing Brandi Chastain, Founder of Bay FC, World Cup Champion, and Olympic Gold Medalist, left us with a powerful reminder that when faced with this opportunity: “Our purpose needs to be intentional” especially in building the future of technology and AI where “diversity is not something to be afraid of, but something to be embraced.” Echoing this sentiment, summit attendees left the event reminded of the crucial role we collectively play in ensuring women are part of this tech revolution. Moving Forward While the summit may have concluded, its impact will continue through individuals, companies, and communities aspiring to achieve an equitable tech sector. This is just the start, and we must take collective action now. We hope that you will join Cadence to ensure that we clear the path and catalyze women's role in the AI revolution! Meet Our Partners Our partners are making Fem.AI’s vision a reality through their important work advancing women in technology, including fostering STEM excellence in higher education, launching STEM careers, and achieving gender diversity in leadership. Learn more about the important work of each of our partners by visiting their pages: Break Through Tech Last Mile Education Fund Fast Forward Generation VC Include Global Semiconductor Alliance Join the Fem.AI Alliance Joining the Fem.AI Alliance signals that your company or institution is committed to evolving the AI workforce. By increasing the representation of women in AI, we aim to broaden the talent pool and the perspective so that AI represents us all. Through the Fem.AI Alliance, companies and institutions can share best practices, guidance, and inspiration. Since its launch, companies like the Equinix Foundation, NetApp, NVIDIA, Unity Technologies, and Workday have joined the Alliance in their commitment to Fem.AI’s work and mission. Visit Fem.AI to get involved today or contact Fem.AI@cadence.com .

The demand for higher compute performance, energy efficiency, and faster time-to-market drove the conversations at this year's Open Compute Project (OCP) Global Summit in San Jose, California. It was the scene of showcasing groundbreaking innovations, expert-led sessions, and networking opportunities to drive the future of data center technology. For those who didn't get to attend or stop by our booth, here's a recap of Cadence's comprehensive solutions that enable next-generation compute technology, AI data center design, analysis, and optimization. Optimized Data Center Design and Operations As the data center community increasingly faces demands for enhanced efficiency, thermal management, sustainability, and performance optimization, data center operators, IT managers, and executives are looking for solutions to these challenges. At the Cadence booth, attendees explored the Cadence Reality Digital Twin Platform and Celsius EC Solver. These technologies are pivotal in achieving high-performance standards for AI data centers, providing advanced digital twin modeling capabilities that redefine next-generation data center design and operation. The Celsius EC Solver demonstration showed how it solves challenging thermal and electronics cooling management problems with precision and speed. CadenceCONNECT: Take the Heat Out of Your AI Data Center Cadence hosted a networking reception on October 16 titled "Take the Heat Out of Your AI Data Center." In today's AI era, managing the heat generated by high-density computing environments is more critical than ever. This reception offered insights into current and emerging data center technologies, digital twin cooling strategies that deliver energy-saving operations, and a chance to engage with industry leaders, Cadence experts, and peers to explore the latest cooling, AI, and GPU acceleration advancements. Here's a recap: Researcher, author, and entrepreneur Dr. Jon Koomey highlighted the inefficiency of data centers in his talk "The Rise of Zombie Data Centers," noting that 20-30% of their capacity is stranded and unused. He advocated for organizational changes and technological solutions like digital twins to reduce wasted energy and improve computational effectiveness as AI deployments increase. In "A New Millennium in Multiphysics System Analysis," Cadence Corporate VP Ben Gu explained the company's significant strides in multiphysics system analysis, evolving from chip simulation to a broader application of computational software for simulating various physical systems, including entire data centers. He noted that the latest Cadence venture, a digital twin platform for data center optimization, opened the opportunity to use simulation technology to optimize the efficiency of data centers. Senior Software Engineering Group Director Albert Zeng highlighted the Cadence Reality DC suite's ability to transform data center operations through simulation, emphasizing its multi-phase engine for optimal thermal performance and the integration of AI capabilities for enhanced design and management. A panel discussion titled "Turning AI Factory Blueprints into Reality at the Speed of Light" featured industry experts from NVIDIA, Norman Wright Precision Environmental and Power, NV5, Switch Data Centers, and Cadence, who explored the evolving requirements and multidimensional challenges of AI factories, emphasizing the need for collaboration across the supply chain to achieve high-performing and sustainable data centers. Watch the highlights. Transforming Designs from Chips to Data Centers The OCP Global Summit 2024 has reaffirmed its status as a pivotal event for data center professionals seeking to stay at the forefront of technological advancements. Cadence's contributions, from groundbreaking digital twin technologies to innovative cooling strategies, have shed light on the path forward for efficient, sustainable data centers. For data center professionals, IT managers, and engineers, the insights gained at this summit are invaluable in navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by the burgeoning AI era. Partnering with Arm Arm Total Design Cadence is a member of the Arm Total Design program. At an invitation-only special Arm event, Cadence's VP of Research and Development, Lokesh Korlipara, delivered a presentation focusing on data center challenges and design solutions with Arm Neoverse Compute Subsystem (CSS). The session highlighted: Efficient integration of Arm Neoverse CSS into system on chips (SoCs) with pre-integrated connectivity IP Performance analysis and verification of the Neoverse CSS integration into the SoC through Cadence's System VIP verification suite and automated testbench creation, enhancing both quality and productivity Jumpstarting designs through Cadence's collaboration with Arm for 3D-IC system planning, chiplets, and interposers Design Services readiness and global scale to support and/or deliver the most demanding Arm Neoverse CSS-based SoC design projects Cadence Supports Arm CSS in Arm Booth During the event, Cadence conducted a demo in the Arm booth that showcased the Cadence System VIP verification suite. The demo highlighted automated testbench creation and performance analysis for integrating the Arm CSS into SoCs while enhancing verification quality and productivity. Summary Cadence offers data center solutions for designing everything from the compute and networking chips to the board, racks, data centers, and campuses. Stay connected with Cadence and other industry leaders to continue exploring the innovations set to redefine the future of data centers. Learn More Cadence Joins Arm Total Design Cadence Arm-Based Solutions Cadence Reality Digital Twin Platform

This is the 20th installment of The Rationalist, my column for the Times of India.

Amit Shah’s induction into the union cabinet is such an interesting moment. Even partisans who oppose the BJP, as I do, would admit that Shah is a political genius. Under his leadership, the BJP has become an electoral behemoth in the most complicated political landscape in the world. The big question that now arises is this: can Shah do for India what he did for the BJP?

This raises a perplexing question: in the last five years, as the BJP has flourished, India has languished. And yet, the leadership of both the party and the nation are more or less the same. Then why hasn’t the ability to manage the party translated to governing the country?

I would argue that there are two reasons for this. One, the skills required in those two tasks are different. Two, so are the incentives in play.

Let’s look at the skills first. Managing a party like the BJP is, in some ways, like managing a large multinational company. Shah is a master at top-down planning and micro-management. How he went about winning the 2014 elections, described in detail in Prashant Jha’s book How the BJP Wins, should be a Harvard Business School case study. The book describes how he fixed the BJP’s ground game in Uttar Pradesh, picking teams for 147,000 booths in Uttar Pradesh, monitoring them, and keeping them accountable.

Shah looked at the market segmentation in UP, and hit upon his now famous “60% formula”. He realised he could not deliver the votes of Muslims, Yadavs and Jatavs, who were 40% of the population. So he focussed on wooing the other 60%, including non-Yadav OBCs and non-Jatav Dalits. He carried out versions of these caste reconfigurations across states, and according to Jha, covered “over 5 lakh kilometres” between 2014 and 2017, consolidating market share in every state in this country. He nurtured “a pool of a thousand new OBC and Dalit leaders”, going well beyond the posturing of other parties.

That so many Dalits and OBCs voted for the BJP in 2019 is astonishing. Shah went past Mandal politics, managing to subsume previously antagonistic castes and sub-castes into a broad Hindutva identity. And as the BJP increased its depth, it expanded its breadth as well. What it has done in West Bengal, wiping out the Left and weakening Mamata Banerjee, is jaw-dropping. With hindsight, it may one day seem inevitable, but only a madman could have conceived it, and only a genius could have executed it.

Good man to be Home Minister then, eh? Not quite. A country is not like a large company or even a political party. It is much too complex to be managed from the top down, and a control freak is bound to flounder. The approach needed is very different.

Some tasks of governance, it is true, are tailor-made for efficient managers. Building infrastructure, taking care of roads and power, building toilets (even without an underlying drainage system) and PR campaigns can all be executed by good managers. But the deeper tasks of making an economy flourish require a different approach. They need a light touch, not a heavy hand.

The 20th century is full of cautionary tales that show that economies cannot be centrally planned from the top down. Examples of that ‘fatal conceit’, to use my hero Friedrich Hayek’s term, include the Soviet Union, Mao’s China, and even the lady Modi most reminds me of, Indira Gandhi.

The task of the state, when it comes to the economy, is to administer a strong rule of law, and to make sure it is applied equally. No special favours to cronies or special interest groups. Just unleash the natural creativity of the people, and don’t try to micro-manage.

Sadly, the BJP’s impulse, like that of most governments of the past, is a statist one. India should have a small state that does a few things well. Instead, we have a large state that does many things badly, and acts as a parasite on its people.

As it happens, the few things that we should do well are all right up Shah’s managerial alley. For example, the rule of law is effectively absent in India today, especially for the poor. As Home Minister, Shah could fix this if he applied the same zeal to governing India as he did to growing the BJP. But will he?

And here we come to the question of incentives. What drives Amit Shah: maximising power, or serving the nation? What is good for the country will often coincide with what is good for the party – but not always. When they diverge, which path will Shah choose? So much rests on that.

The India Uncut Blog © 2010 Amit Varma. All rights reserved.
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Dear All,

To design an outphasing combiner, I need to extract the input impedances when the circuit is driven by two sources concurrently with a varying phase-shift and plot them on a Smith Chart. However, I can't find a way to display the simulated S-parameters on a Smith Chart.

The testbench, shown below, consists of two sources set to 50 Ohm with variable phase (PORT0: theta, PORT1: -theta) swept from -90° to 90°. The NPORTs are couplers used to isolate the forward and reflected power at each source, i.e. the S-parameters are:

• S13 = S31 = 1; through path
• S21 = S41 = 1; forward and reflected power
• All other are zero

The testbench is simulated with an "hb" analysis instead of "sp", as the two sources have to be excited simultaneously with varying phase-shift to see their load-modulation effect. The sweep is setup in the "Choosing Analysis" window. The powers of the forward (pXa) and reflected (pXb) waves are found through the "Direct Plot" window, e.g. pvr('hb "/p1a" 0 50.0 '(1)) as the power for p1a, and named P1A_Watt. The S-parameters are then calculated as the reflected power w.r.t. the forward power P1B_Watt/P1A_Watt. This approach is based on a Hot S-parameter testbench from ADS.

At this point I would like to display these S-parameters on a Smith Chart. However, this seemed more challenging than expected. One straightforward method would seem to create an empty Smith Chart window in the Display Window and dragging the S-parameters from the rectangular plot on it, but this just deletes them from the Display Window. Hence my question:

How can I display these S-parameters on a Smith Chart?

Kuwait has extended the shelf-life limit of chilled vacuum-packed beef from 90 days to 120 days.

Valve's new white Steam Deck colourway, the Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White, has the same specs as the black 1TB model.

Themed “Clean Energy for a Clean World”, ACES 2023 will take place from 24-26 October in Singapore. The event supports the region’s net zero ambitions and the need to accelerate just clean energy transition with appropriate technologies, policies and financing. Gain access to insightful sessions, networking with industry leaders, and exploring the latest advancements in clean energy.

Senators heard three hours of testimony from anti-wind sources and just one hour from proponents of renewable energy

NVIDIA and SoftBank Group CEOs to describe advancements in AI ecosystem, including generative AI, both in Japan and globally, at an exclusive event.

The next technology revolution is here, and Japan is poised to be a major part of it. At NVIDIA’s AI Summit Japan on Wednesday, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang and SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son shared a sweeping vision for Japan’s role in the AI revolution. Speaking in Tokyo, Huang underscored that AI Read Article

Check here each week to keep up with the latest from John MacArthur's pulpit at Grace Community Church.

The Delimitation of the Extended Continental Shelves in the Central Arctic Ocean The Delimitation of the Extended Continental Shelves in the Central Arctic Ocean

Beijing — China has published baselines for a contested shoal in the South China Sea it seized from the Philippines, a move that's likely to increase tensions over overlapping territorial claims. The Foreign Ministry on Sunday posted online geographic coordinates for the baselines around Scarborough Shoal. A nation's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone are typically defined as the distance from the baselines. Both China and the Philippines claim Scarborough Shoal and other outcroppings in the South China Sea. China seized the shoal, which lies west of the main Philippine island of Luzon, in 2012 and has since restricted access to Filipino fishermen there. A 2016 ruling by an international arbitration court found that most Chinese claims in the South China Sea were invalid but Beijing refuses to abide by it. Ships from China and the Philippines have collided several times as part of increased confrontations, and the Chinese coast guard has blasted Philippine vessels with water cannons. China's move came two days after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed two laws demarcating the government's claims in the disputed waters. A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said that the delimiting of the baselines was in accordance with a U.N. agreement and Chinese law. "This is a natural step by the Chinese government to lawfully strengthen marine management and is consistent with international law and common practices," it said. The statement added that one of the laws signed by Marcos, the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, violates China's sovereignty in the South China Sea. "China firmly opposes it and will continue to do everything necessary in accordance with law to firmly defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," the Foreign Ministry said. China stakes claim to almost the entirety of the South China Sea. It has a series of disputes with several Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines and Vietnam over territory in the waters, which are part of a key shipping route in Asia.

FCMB Bank (UK) Limited, an independently incorporated subsidiary of First City Monument Bank Limited (which is a member of FCMB Group Plc), has introduced its Personal and Business banking proposition in London, United Kingdom and Lagos, Nigeria at an impressive ceremony attended by the top echelon of the business community within and from outside the […]

FCMB Bank (UK) Limited Launches Personal and Business Banking Proposition to Deepen Inclusiveness

Baku, Azerbaijan — The annual U.N. climate summit kicks off Monday with countries readying for tough talks on finance and trade, following a year of weather disasters that have emboldened developing countries in their demands for climate cash. Delegates gathering in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku are hoping to resolve the summit's top agenda item – a deal for up to $1 trillion in annual climate finance for developing countries. The summit's negotiating priorities, however, are competing for governments' resources and attention against economic concerns, wars in Ukraine and Gaza and last week's U.S. re-election of Donald Trump, a climate-change denier, as president of the world's biggest economy. COP29 host Azerbaijan will be tasked with keeping countries focused on agreeing to a new global finance target to replace the current $100 billion pledge expiring this year. The Caspian Sea nation, often proud of being home to the world's first oil wells, will also be under pressure to show progress from last year's COP28 pledge to transition away from fossil fuels. The country's oil and gas revenues accounted for 35% of its economy in 2023, down from 50% two years prior. The government says these revenues will continue to decline, to roughly 32% of its GDP this year and 22% by 2028. Before the summit talks can even begin, countries will need to agree on an agenda by consensus – including an 11th-hour proposal by China to bring trade disputes into the mix. The Chinese proposal - made on behalf of the fast-developing "BASIC" group of countries including Brazil, India and South Africa - asked for the summit to address "restrictive trade measures" such as the EU's carbon border tariffs going into effect in 2026. Those concerns have been compounded by Trump's campaign promise to impose 20% tariffs on all foreign goods – and 60% on Chinese goods. China's request showed it was flexing power following Trump's re-election, which signaled the United States' likely disengagement from global climate cooperation, said Li Shuo, director of China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute. Trump has called climate change a hoax and vowed to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, the global treaty to reduce planet-warming emissions. The European Union, along with current U.S. President Joe Biden's administration, have been pressing China and Gulf oil nations to join the pool of climate finance donor countries. "If the EU wants to talk about climate finance with China, if it wants to talk NDCs, part of the conversation should be how to resolve our differences on trade and your tariffs," Shuo said. Extreme pressure With this year on track to be the hottest on record, experts noted that climate extremes were now challenging rich and poor countries alike – from flooding disasters in Africa, coastal Spain and the U.S. state of North Carolina, to drought gripping South America, Mexico and the U.S. West. Most countries are not prepared. "Election results don't alter the laws of physics," said Kaveh Guilanpour, vice president for international strategies at the nonprofit Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. "Unless the world collectively steps up its efforts, the impacts of climate change will become increasingly severe and frequent and will be felt by an increasing number of people in all countries, including in the United States." Many in Baku were worried that a U.S. disengagement could lead other countries to backpedal on past climate pledges or to scale back future ambitions.

LISBON, PORTUGAL — Lisbon will this week play host to Europe’s biggest annual tech conference, Web Summit, where industry leaders and lawmakers will weigh the pros and cons of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Senior executives from firms such as Apple, Microsoft, and Meta will join high-ranking officials from Europe for debates about the future of artificial intelligence, social media regulation, and the impact a second Trump presidency may have on the continent. Trump has previously promised he could end the war between Ukraine and Russia within 24 hours of taking office. Days after Trump's re-election, two senior Ukrainian government officials, Alex Bornyakov and Mykhailo Fedorov, will take to the stage to discuss how the country has continued innovating in the face of conflict. John Adam, chief revenue officer at software development firm Aimsoftpro, is among those attending. About 70% of the company’s workforce is still based in Ukraine, with the rest having relocated around Europe after the war’s outbreak in 2022. “There’s mixed feelings because the Trump approach looks like it’s more geared towards the present lines of conflict, which is not an ideal scenario for Ukraine, and there’s a reluctance to accept that. At the same time, we would like this to have an endpoint,” he said. The X factor While not expected to attend, tech billionaire and vocal Trump supporter Elon Musk will be a recurring theme, from his role in Ukraine via satellite service Starlink to his success with space exploration firm SpaceX and controversial stewardship of social media platform X, formerly Twitter. One panel will debate how Europe might develop a homegrown rival to SpaceX; another whether Musk “destroyed Twitter." Joe Benarroch, who quit his role as X’s de facto spokesperson and head of business operations in June, will join a panel titled “What to do about social media.” While the EU has tried forcing online platforms to clamp down on harmful content, Trump’s election may lead to them reducing moderation efforts, according to Mark Weinstein, founder of privacy-focused social media platform MeWe, who will share the stage with Benarroch on Wednesday. “Historically, Trump has been highly critical of online moderation,” he said. “To avoid political retribution, major social networks are likely to continue the trend of becoming significantly more permissive with content they allow on their platforms.”

warsaw, poland — Polish President Andrzej Duda marked Independence Day on Monday with a call for sustained U.S. commitment to Europe's security in view of Russian aggression in the region and argued that Ukraine's pre-2014 borders should be restored. Weighing on the minds of many is the war across Poland's border in Ukraine, and an expectation that Donald Trump's return to the White House will bring a change in the security situation in the region. Some fear Trump could end the U.S. commitment to NATO or make a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin that could result in a permanent loss of territory for Ukraine and encourage Russia to attack other nations. Others believe Trump could persuade Putin to stop the fighting. Duda, who has had friendly relations with Trump, said in a speech in Warsaw that Europe will continue to need U.S. protection. “It is a pipe dream — as some people think — that Europe can ensure its own security today,” Duda said. He emphasized that the security guarantees of successive U.S. presidents are extremely important in times of resurgent Russian imperialism. “Today we have no doubts that for the security of Europe and the world, it is necessary to strengthen Euro-Atlantic ties,” Duda said. He said the territorial integrity of all countries, especially Ukraine, should be respected and it “must return to its borders from before the Russian attack, not only the one in 2022 but also the first one, in 2014." Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Later in a news conference, Duda said he had spoken to Trump and that they would meet before the inauguration in January. Duda spoke as Poland marked the 106th anniversary of its restored independence at the end of World War I after more than a century of being partitioned and ruled by Russia, Germany and Austro-Hungary. The date of Nov. 11 carries powerful weight for a nation where the trauma of losing national sovereignty endures. In Warsaw, tens of thousands of people took part in a march organized by nationalist groups that has sometimes seen violent clashes in past years but passed without major incident Monday. Organizers estimated turnout at 250,000 while city hall put it at 90,000. Police said they detained 75 people and seized banned items from participants, including pyrotechnic materials, knives, telescopic batons and brass knuckles. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the conservative Law and Justice party, which governed Poland from 2015-2023 and is seeking a comeback, joined the march with other party members.

Amidst the celebrations following Australia’s triumphant win against India in the Cricket World Cup, a viral picture of Australian batsman Mitchell Marsh has stirred controversy on social media. The World Cup victory, marking Australia’s sixth title in cricket history, took place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, igniting fervent celebrations among the Kangaroos. Post-match ... Read more

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