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NoneDAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad , gathering in the capital's historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly installed interim prime minister delivered the sermon at the Umayyad Mosque, declaring that a new era of “freedom, dignity and justice” was dawning for Syria. The gatherings illustrated the dramatic changes that have swept over Syria less than a week after insurgents marched into Damascus and toppled Assad. Amid the jubilation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government. Blinken arrived in Iraq on a previously unannounced stop after talks in Jordan and Turkey, which backs some of the Syrian insurgent factions. So far, U.S. officials have not talked of direct meetings with Syria's new rulers. The main insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has worked to establish security and start a political transition after seizing Damascus early Sunday. The group has tried to reassure a public both stunned by Assad's fall and concerned about extremist jihadis among the rebels. Insurgent leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past, though HTS is still labeled a terrorist group by the United States and European countries. HTS's leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, appeared in a video message Friday congratulating “the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution.” “I invite them to head to the squares to show their happiness without shooting bullets and scaring people,” he said. “And then after, we will work to build this country, and as I said in the beginning, we will be victorious by the help of God.” Syrians celebrate in the historic heart of Damascus Huge crowds, including some insurgents, packed the historic Umayyad Mosque in the capital's old city, many waving the rebel opposition flag — with its three red stars — which has swiftly replaced the Assad-era flag with with its two green stars. Syrian state television reported that the sermon was delivered by Mohammed al-Bashir, the interim prime minister installed by HTS this week. The scene resonated on multiple levels. The mosque, one of the world's oldest dating back some 1,200 years, is a beloved symbol of Syria, and sermons there like all mosque sermons across Syria were tightly controlled under Assad's rule. Also, in the early days of the anti-government uprising in 2011, protesters would leave Friday prayers to march in rallies against Assad before he launched a brutal crackdown that turned the uprising into a long and bloody civil war. “I didn’t step foot in Umayyad Mosque since 2011," because of the tight security controls around it, said one worshipper, Ibrahim al-Araby. “Since 11 or 12 years, I haven’t been this happy.” Another worshipper, Khair Taha, said there was “fear and trepidation for what’s to come. But there is also a lot of hope that now we have a say and we can try to build.” Blocks away in Damascus' biggest roundabout, named Umayyad Square, thousands gathered, including many families with small children — a sign of how, so far at least, the country's transformation has not caused violent instability. “Unified Syria to build Syria,” the crowd chanted. Some shouted slurs against Assad and his late father, calling them pigs, an insult that would have previously led to offenders being hauled off to one of the feared detention centers of Assad’s security forces. One man in the crowd, 51-year-old Khaled Abu Chahine — originally from the southern province of Daraa, where the 2011 uprising first erupted — said he hoped for “freedom and coexistence between all Syrians, Alawites, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze.” The interim prime minister, al-Bashir, had been the head of a de facto administration created by HTS in Idlib, the opposition's enclave in northwest Syria. The rebels were bottled up in Idlib for years before fighters broke out in a shock offensive and marched across Syria in 10 days. Similar scenes of joy unfolded in other major cities, including in Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Latakia and Raqqa. US and its allies try to shape a rapidly changing Syria Al-Sharaa, HTS' leader, has promised to bring a pluralistic government to Syria, seeking to dispel fears among many Syrians — especially its many minority communities — that the insurgents will impose a hard-line, extremist rule. Another key factor will be winning international recognition for a new government in a country where multiple foreign powers have their hands in the mix. The Sunni Arab insurgents who overthrew Assad did so with vital help from Turkey, a longtime foe of the U.S.-backed Kurds . Turkey controls a strip of Syrian territory along the shared border and backs an insurgent faction uneasily allied to HTS — and is deeply opposed to any gains by Syria's Kurds. In other developments, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey’s Embassy in Damascus would reopen Saturday for the first time since 2012, when it closed due to the Syrian civil war. The U.S. has troops in eastern Syria to combat remnants of the Islamic State group and supports Kurdish-led fighters who rule most of the east. Since Assad's fall, Israel has bombed sites all over Syria, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. It has also seized a swath of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a buffer zone. After talks with Fidan, Blinken said there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the U.S. on what they would like to see in Syria. That starts with an "interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women” and does not “pose any kind of threat to any of Syria’s neighbors,” Blinken said. Fidan said the priority was “establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant” — referring to the Islamic State group and the Kurdistan Workers Party. Ankara considers the PKK within Turkey's borders a terrorist group, as it does the Kurdish-backed forces in Syria backed by the U.S. A U.S. official said that in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fidan both told Blinken that Kurdish attacks on Turkish positions would require a response. The official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic talks. The U.S. has been trying to limit such incidents in recent days and had helped organize an agreement to prevent confrontations around the northern Syrian town of Manbij, which was taken by Turkey-backed opposition fighters from the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces earlier this week. In Baghdad, Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, saying both countries wanted to ensure the Islamic State group — also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh — doesn't exploit Syria's transition to re-emerge. “Having put Daesh back in its box, we can’t let it out, and we’re determined to make sure that that doesn’t happen," Blinken said. The U.S. official who briefed reporters said that Blinken had impressed upon al-Sudani the importance of Iraq exercising its full sovereignty over its territory and airspace to stop Iran from transporting weapons and equipment to Syria, either for Assad supporters or onward to the militant Hezbollah group in Lebanon. ___ Lee reported from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report. Albert Aji And Matthew Lee, The Associated Press
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The Philadelphia Eagles ruled wide receiver DeVonta Smith out for Sunday night's game at the Los Angeles Rams due to a hamstring injury. Smith did not practice all week and will miss his second game of the season and just the third of his four-year NFL career. He was inactive in a Week 4 loss at Tampa Bay due to a concussion. Smith, 26, leads the Eagles with 41 receptions and four touchdown catches ands ranks second with 516 receiving yards in nine starts this season. The former Heisman Trophy winner has 281 catches for 3,694 yards and 23 scores in 59 games (58 starts) since the Eagles drafted him with the 10th overall pick in 2021. NFC East-leading Philadelphia (8-2) takes a six-game winning streak to Los Angeles (5-5), which has won four of its last five games. --Field Level Media
With about 40 days until President-elect Donald Trump takes office, President Joe Biden is expected to block a Japanese company’s acquisition of U.S. Steel. On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that Biden plans to block the $1.4 billion sale. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States panel must refer its decision to Biden by Dec. 22 or 23, according to Bloomberg. If CFIUS finds national security risks with the deal, members could either negotiate mitigation terms between the two parties or recommend the president block the deal, Sarah Bauerle Danzman, an associate professor of international studies at Indiana University-Bloomington, told the Post-Tribune. Biden had shared in March that he opposed the sale, and Trump had vowed during his campaign that he would block the deal. “U.S. Steel has been an iconic American steel company for more than a century, and it is vital for it to remain an American steel company that is domestically owned and operated,” Biden said in a March statement. In December 2023, it was announced that Nippon Steel would acquire the American company, according to U.S. Steel’s website. If the deal passed, Nippon Steel plans to invest about $300 million into the local Gary Works facility, which would’ve been invested into the blast furnace. Gary Mayor Eddie Melton in a Dec. 3 statement said that he supports the deal because Nippon has committed to modernizing U.S. Steel’s plants, relining the blast furnaces and deploying modern technology. Nippon also planned to maintain current union employment levels and honor the bargaining agreement with United Steelworkers. “The CEO of U.S. Steel has stated publicly that there will be plant closures should this deal fail,” Melton said. “This will clearly hurt communities like Gary, who hosts the most productive plant in the U.S. portfolio.” Melton and Takahiro Mori, vice chairman of Nippon Steel, on Thursday are set to host a news conference at Gary City Hall, according to a Tuesday news release. In a Dec. 3 statement, a U.S. Steel spokesman said the deal provides the brightest future for the American steel company. The spokesman didn’t address whether they believed Biden would approve the deal before Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration. Nippon Steel planned to preserve U.S. Steel as an American company and keep it headquartered in Pennsylvania, the statement said. The Japanese company planned to invest nearly $3 billion into its union-represented facilities. U.S. Steel employs about 4,500 steelworkers at both Gary Works and its Midwest plant in Portage. “The transaction should be approved on its merits,” U.S. Steel’s statement said. “The benefits are overwhelmingly clear. Our communities, customers, investors and employees strongly support this transaction, and we will continue to advocate for them and adherence to the rule of law.” mwilkins@chicagotribune.comPagerDuty Announces Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Results
Social Security's maximum benefit will reach a record $5,108 per month in 2025. Those lucky enough to take home these checks will have roughly $62,000 to spend, plus whatever they've managed to save for retirement on their own. It's a far cry from the $1,976 monthly benefit the average retiree can expect from Social Security next year. You might already know that the reason some people get so much more from Social Security than others has to do with their income throughout their career. But that's not the only factor. Those with the largest Social Security checks all tick the following three boxes. 1. They worked at least 35 years before retiring The Social Security Administration bases your benefit on your average monthly income during your 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for inflation. This is known as your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME). You only need 10 years of work history to qualify for benefits, but the wealthiest Social Security beneficiaries know to aim for 35 years. If you apply for benefits with a shorter work history, the Social Security Administration includes zero-income years in your benefit calculation. Even one of these drastically reduces your monthly checks. Say you earned $60,000 per year, adjusted for inflation, for 35 years. Your monthly benefit based on the current Social Security formula would be about $2,281 per month. But if you had one zero-income year factored in, you'd only get $2,235 per month. That's $46 less per month for the rest of your life. Over 20 years, that could cost you more than $11,000. 2. They have above-average incomes This requirement is the reason that most of us will never receive anything close to the maximum Social Security benefit. Higher incomes throughout your career mean more money paid into Social Security, and that entitles you to receive larger benefit checks later. To claim the maximum Social Security benefit, you must have earned the equivalent of $168,600 in 2024 dollars or more in all 35 of your highest-earning years. This ceiling on Social Security taxes will rise to $176,100 in 2025. If you're lucky enough to make this much, anything over the above limits won't boost your Social Security benefits because you don't pay Social Security payroll taxes on it. However, you can still use it to increase your retirement readiness by stashing it in a retirement account or a taxable brokerage account . 3. They delay claiming until age 70 You become eligible for Social Security at 62 and can claim benefits at any age past that point. Every month you delay benefits increases your checks, and the more time goes by, the larger these monthly increases become. How quickly your benefits grow depends on your current age and your full retirement age (FRA) . The table below gives you an idea of how quickly your checks increase: Checks Grow by: Full Retirement Age (FRA) of 66 Full Retirement Age (FRA) of 67 5/12 of 1% per month (5% per year) 62 to 63 62 to 64 5/9 of 1% per month (6.67% per year) 63 to 66 64 to 67 2/3 of 1% per month (8% per year) 66 to 70 67 to 70 Data source: Social Security Administration. You qualify for your maximum benefit at 70. That's 124% of your full benefit per check if your FRA is 67 or 132% if your FRA is 66. Claiming then can substantially increase your lifetime Social Security benefit , but you usually have to live until your mid-80s at least to make this worthwhile. Those with shorter life expectancies and those with few other financial resources are often better off claiming early. Those with short life expectancies risk getting nothing from Social Security if they die before they're able to claim. And those without much personal savings may need to claim Social Security early to avoid falling into debt, even if doing so reduces their lifetime benefit. While it would be nice to take home the largest Social Security checks, it's not realistic for most of us. However, you can still leverage the information above to grow your own benefit as much as possible.
Nicholas Alahverdian was known in Rhode Island as a fierce advocate for children in the state’s foster care system. After his apparent death from cancer four years ago, he was memorialized in local news reports and on the statehouse floor. But Alahverdian, 37, wasn’t dead — he was living in the United Kingdom under a different name — and underneath his advocacy work was a trail of rape, abuse and fraud allegations that included multiple victims and spanned thousands of miles. For more on the international manhunt, tune in to "The Man of Many Faces" on "Dateline" at 9 ET/8 CT tonight. In a 2022 interview with “Dateline,” Alahverdian denied sexually assaulting or defrauding anyone, though he previously pleaded no contest to misdemeanor domestic assault in Rhode Island and was convicted of a misdemeanor sex crime in Ohio. In Utah, where authorities have identified him as Nicholas Rossi, he is awaiting trial in two separate rape cases . He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Here’s a look at Alahverdian’s trail of allegations from Rhode Island to Utah and beyond. PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND An impressive start for a young advocate For a time, the man born Nicholas Alahverdian went by Nicholas Rossi, after his adoptive stepfather. After ending up in foster care, Alahverdian began working as a page, then a legislative aide, at the Rhode Island statehouse in the 2000s. His initiative and intellect impressed lawmakers — “He would read bills that most reps and senators wouldn’t read,” one former representative told “Dateline” — and with their help, he later began advocating for reforms to a foster system that he said had failed to protect him from being beaten and tortured. Alahverdian led rallies, held news conferences and filed a federal lawsuit accusing state officials of conspiracy and other allegations. The Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families denied the allegations and settled the suit, court records show. The details of that settlement have not been disclosed. DAYTON, OHIO Firing back after being ordered to register as a sex offender In January 2008, Alahverdian, then 21, had left Rhode Island for college and was living in Dayton. There, he reached out to a woman on Myspace and told her he was new in town and looking for friends, the woman, Mary Grebinski, told “Dateline.” While walking Grebinski to class at a local community college, she said that he cornered and sexually assaulted her — then apologized and pleaded with her not to speak to authorities. Alahverdian, who said the encounter was consensual, was charged with public indecency and sexual imposition, a misdemeanor crime indicating sexual contact against a person’s will, court records show. After a trial, Alahverdian was fined and ordered to register as a sex offender. He later sued Grebinski in federal court for defamation and other allegations, alleging in part that she “targeted” him with “criminal litigation because of her unfaithful relationships and infidelity.” A judge dismissed the suit with prejudice, saying there was no basis to Alahverdian’s claims. OREM, UTAH A rape kit backlog and a charge a decade later In September 2008, Alahverdian was accused of raping his 21-year-old ex-girlfriend, a probable cause affidavit shows. The woman, identified in the document as K.P., told authorities that she’d met Alahverdian via Myspace and dated him briefly, but broke it off after he became increasingly aggressive and borrowed money without paying her back, according to the affidavit. On Sept. 13, she went to his home after he told her he’d pay her what he owed her, the affidavit alleges, but instead he raped her. K.P. had a sexual assault kit completed the next day, but a backlog in testing meant that Alahverdian was not identified as a suspect until a decade later, authorities said. In 2020, Utah County prosecutors charged him with rape. Alahverdian pleaded not guilty. A trial is set for September 2025. SOUTH SALT LAKE, UTAH A marriage proposal, a disputed loan and an alleged attack In December 2008, a woman identified in court documents as M.S. accused Alahverdian of raping her at his home after they argued about breaking up. They’d met online, dated briefly and he’d bought wedding rings after proposing, according to a probable cause declaration. But the woman described him as manipulative and said she’d loaned him money that he refused to pay back. At his home in South Salt Lake, the declaration alleges, he refused to let her leave and threw her on the bed and held down her wrists while forcing himself on her. He was charged in the alleged attack after his identification in the earlier sexual assault case. Alahverdian pleaded not guilty and a trial is set for April 2025. PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND A crying baby triggers an assault In November 2010, days after Alahverdian returned to his home state and got married, he was arrested after allegedly assaulting his wife. A police report shows the alleged assault happened during an argument over a crying baby. She accused him of knocking her to the ground, holding her down, grabbing her neck, striking her in the face and refusing to let her leave, according to the report, which noted that an officer photographed the woman’s injuries. Alahverdian denied the assault, according to the report, and when he was taken into custody officers pepper sprayed him when they say he refused to stop banging his head into the police car’s back window. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor domestic assault and was sentenced to probation, court records show. The couple later divorced. DAYTON, OHIO Another relationship sours and more allegations emerge By 2015, Alahverdian had returned to Ohio and established the Community Progress Institute, a nonprofit that aimed to revitalize downtown Dayton, according to his ex-wife, Kathryn Heckendorn. They’d met at church and married in October 2015. But in a divorce complaint filed months later, Heckendorn accused him of “extreme cruelty” and “gross neglect of duty,” saying he’d borrowed $52,000 and failed to pay her back. In an interview with “Dateline,” Heckendorn said he once locked her in a bathroom for two days and had raped her when she refused to have sex with him. In a divorce filing, Alahverdian denied the cruelty allegation and said the money was not a loan — it was a gift — but agreed that a divorce should be granted. In an interview with “Dateline,” he denied sexually assaulting anyone. MONTREAL A professional deal goes belly-up In February 2020, TV personality Nafsika Antypas hired Alahverdian to help market her vegan cheese company and A&E television show. Alahverdian identified himself as Timothy Arthur Nicholas Knight Brown, and he described himself as an Ireland-based Ivy League graduate with a background in public relations and international law, Antypas told “Dateline.” She paid him $30,000, Anytpas said, but he never delivered. When Antypas cut off his access to her website, she said, he began sending threatening messages telling her to pay him another $40,000 or make what he described as a “reasonable counteroffer.” Otherwise, she recalled him saying, he’d ruin her reputation. When Antypas told him he was fired, she said, social media posts appeared claiming her vegan cheese was fake, as did a “fraud alert” website that had her passport photo framed as a mug shot. Antypas said she called the police and hired a private investigator to learn more about the man she’d hired, but the investigator found nothing under the name Alahverdian had provided, she said. It wasn’t until two years later, when Alahverdian was arrested on the rape charges from Utah, that Antypas learned his real identity. Alahverdian — who completed one extension course at Harvard — disputed Antypas’ account in an interview with “Dateline.” Antypas paid him for “work that was performed,” he said. “I did not scam her out of money.” PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND Alahverdian is reported dead On March 3, 2020, a local news station announced Alahverdian’s death, saying he’d died after a long battle with cancer. On the statehouse floor, a lawmaker remembered him as a “very, very smart individual” who’d been a powerful advocate for change for the state’s foster youth. An online obituary said Alahverdian died Feb. 29, 2020, at age 32 from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He was cremated, the obituary stated, and his ashes were scattered at sea. GLASGOW, SCOTLAND A new identity and a new accent In January 2022, authorities in Utah announced that they were seeking to extradite a man believed to be Alahverdian after he was arrested in Scotland under the name Arthur Knight. He’d fled the United States to avoid prosecution, the Utah Public Safety Department said in a statement, and was a suspect in that state in connection with one of the 2008 rapes. But in interviews with “Dateline” and other media outlets, Alahverdian denied sexually assaulting anyone and insisted he was not Alahverdian or Nicholas Rossi. Speaking with a British accent and appearing in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank and mask that he said were necessary after a recent bout of Covid, he claimed he was Arthur Knight, an Irish orphan who’d become a businessman and was married to a woman whom he’d met at a London museum in 2011. EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND Two names, one U.S. rape suspect In November 2022, the Scottish judge overseeing the extradition case ruled that Arthur Knight and Nicholas Alahverdian were the same person — a conclusion he reached after reviewing photographs and fingerprints, according to the judge’s order. Yet, Alahverdian wasn’t extradited to the United States for more than a year, as his lawyer appealed and claimed in part that the case should be dismissed because Alahverdian was wanted for questioning in connection with an alleged rape in England, according to the U.K. wire service PA Media. No charges were ever filed in the case. PROVO, UTAH Facing trial Two months ago, on Oct. 16, 10 months after Alahverdian was extradited to Utah and booked into jail, he testified during a bail hearing for the Utah County case that he was, in fact, Nicholas Alahverdian. He’d moved to the U.K. and changed his name, he testified, partly because there were two “credible threats” against his life made by people in Rhode Island over his foster youth advocacy. To protect himself, he testified, he changed his name to Arthur Knight Brown — a name he said he’d always respected. Alahverdian would not identify the people he said were threatening him in open court. That, he said, would “stoke the fire they’ve had to continue their actions against me.” The judge held a closed hearing on the matter and did not discuss those details in his ruling, though he noted that when Alahverdian left the U.S. in 2017, he was being investigated for fraud and told an FBI agent that he was moving to a country without an extradition treaty. (In an interview with “Dateline,” Alahverdian said he had not defrauded anyone. The FBI’s Utah field office would not comment . ) The judge ruled that Alahverdian had strong incentives to flee the area and denied him bail. Alahverdian pleaded not guilty and remains in custody in Utah County.( MENAFN - EIN Presswire) Automotive Digital Cockpit Global market Report 2024 - Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2024-2033 The Business Research Company's Early Year-End Sale! Get up to 30% off detailed market research reports-for a limited time only! LONDON, GREATER LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, December 17, 2024 /EINPresswire / -- The Business Research Company's Early Year-End Sale! Get up to 30% off detailed market research reports-limited time only! The global automotive digital cockpit market is experiencing a period of rapid expansion. From $23.82 billion in 2023, the market is projected to grow to $26.52 billion in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate CAGR of 11.3%. This upwards trajectory can be traced, in part, to consumer demand for connectivity, the pleasure of in-car entertainment, the enforcement of government regulations, competitive differentiation, and the globalization of automotive markets. The automotive digital cockpit market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $39.85 billion in 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.7%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to cybersecurity concerns, health and wellness monitoring, rise of mobility-as-a-service (MaaS), sustainable mobility, smart city integration. Major trends in the forecast period include advanced driver-assistance systems, augmented reality (AR) head-up displays (HUDs), customization and personalization, digital assistants and voice recognition, integration of biometric sensors, haptic feedback and touch controls. What are the major driving forces behind the vast expansion of the automotive digital cockpit market? One driver is the rising proliferation of connected vehicles. As cars become more akin to 'computers on wheels,' owing to onboard connectivity systems that enable internet access and wireless connections to other devices, the role of the digital cockpit intensifies. The digital cockpit is becoming a fundamental feature as it assists connected vehicles in unlocking future connected car experiences. Scania, a Sweden-based manufacturing company, reported in March 2022 that around 560,000 of its vehicles equivalent to 64% of its 10-year rolling fleet were connected, with the number increasing rapidly. This rise in connected vehicles looks set to fuel the further expansion of the automotive digital cockpit market. Perceive Comprehensive Insights Into The Automotive Digital Cockpit Market With A Detailed Sample Report: Which are the key industry players shaping the future of the automotive digital cockpit market? A slew of major companies are operating in the automotive digital cockpit market, including Volkswagen Group, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Daimler AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, Pioneer Corporation, LG Electronics Inc., and Panasonic Corporation, among others. These companies are constantly striving to maintain their competitive edge, often through innovation and the development of advanced technologies. What is the projected value of the automotive digital cockpit market in the coming years? The automotive digital cockpit market is projected to continue its rapid growth trajectory, reaching an estimated $39.85 billion in 2028, with a CAGR of 10.7%. This forecasted growth is attributed to emerging trends such as cybersecurity concerns, the incorporation of health and wellness monitoring, the rise of Mobility-as-a-Service MaaS, the drive towards sustainable mobility, and integration with smart cities. Prep your early strategies with the full report: Which digital trends are poised to redefine the future of the automotive digital cockpit? Emerging technologies are significantly influencing the automotive digital cockpit market. Here, industry players are training their focus on technological innovations such as 5G low latency technologies, to maintain their industry dominance. Canalys, a technology market analyst firm headquartered in Singapore, recently rolled out the Digital Cockpit Analysis service, which envisions future cars as autonomous, connected, electric, and heavily reliant on software. The in-car experience is being reimagined around a digital cockpit and an automotive OS, integrating elements like instrument clusters, infotainment, navigation, and proactive AI, among others, using multi-modal interfaces on a single platform. How is the global automotive digital cockpit market segmented? The automotive digital cockpit market report segments the market in several ways: 1 By Vehicle Type: These include Passenger Vehicles and Commercial Vehicles 2 By Equipment: This encompasses the Digital Instrument Cluster, Driving Monitoring System, and Heads-Up Display 3 By Display: This includes LCD, TFT-LCD, OLED An Insight into Regional Perspective of the Automotive Digital cockpit Market: Asia-Pacific was the most prominent region in the automotive digital cockpit market in 2023. However, the market findings also extend to other regions such as Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa. Browse Through More Similar Reports By The Business Research Company: Monitor Global Market Report 2024 Digital Signage Global Market Report 2024 Battlefield Management System Global Market Report 2024 About The Business Research Company Learn More About The Business Research Company. With over 15000+ reports from 27 industries covering 60+ geographies, The Business Research Company has built a reputation for offering comprehensive, data-rich research and insights. Armed with 1,500,000 datasets, the optimistic contribution of in-depth secondary research, and unique insights from industry leaders, you can get the information you need to stay ahead in the game. For more information, please contact us at: The Business Research Company: Americas +1 3156230293 Asia +44 2071930708 Europe +44 2071930708 Email: ... Follow us on: LinkedIn: YouTube: Global Market Model: global-market-model Experience the power of truly comprehensive market intelligence with The Business Research Company. Oliver Guirdham The Business Research Company +44 20 7193 0708 email us here Visit us on social media: Facebook X LinkedIn Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. 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MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — The wildfire alert came in the middle of the night as some college students in Southern California were cramming for final exams and others were woken up in their dorms. But rather than run away from the impending blaze, some 3,000 students at Pepperdine University headed toward two buildings at the heart of the 830-acre (336 hectare) campus in coastal Malibu, California, to shelter in place. The protocol at the Christian university with picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean may seem to defy logic to those accustomed to scenes elsewhere in wildfire-prone California of thousands of residents evacuating fire zones in lengthy caravans of cars. For years, the university nestled in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains has had a special protocol due to its unique terrain and design that calls for students to be brought to a library and campus center where they can get food and water and have their basic needs met, said Michael Friel, a Pepperdine spokesperson. The school began preparing students and community members on what to do in case of a wildfire during new student orientation at the beginning of the academic year. When the fire broke out Monday night, school officials started communicating with students around 11 p.m. and activated the shelter-in-place protocol about two hours later, spreading the word through text messages, email, social media and by going door to door. “A lot of our students were woken up by a knock on the door, and we made sure they were aware of the conditions and we were able to get them out of harm’s way,” Friel said. The quickly moved south, jumping over the famous Pacific Coast Highway and stretching to the coast, where large homes line the beach. Thousands of Southern California residents were under evacuation orders and warnings Tuesday with more than 8,100 homes and other structures under threat. County fire officials estimated that more than 3.5 square miles (9 square kilometers) of trees and dry brush had burned amid dangerous conditions fanned by dry, gusty that were expected to last into Wednesday. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Ryan Song, a resident assistant at Pepperdine University, said he noticed the power went out at his dorm late Monday. When he looked out the window, he saw a huge pink glow. “I thought, ‘This is too bright,’ and it got bigger and bigger,” the 20-year-old junior said. “I immediately went outside and saw that it was a real fire.” Song and the other assistants went door to door to get students out. Most were calm and followed instructions, he said; a few who were scared rushed to their cars to get off campus. Song said he spent the next few hours racing back and forth in the dark between his dorm and the main campus to ensure no one was left behind. Pepperdine University officials said the campus was designed in the 1960s with fire safety in mind due to the region’s experience with wildfires. Buildings were clustered together and covered in stucco while roadways were constructed to make it easy for firefighters to get in, said Phil Phillips, the school’s executive vice president. During the 1990s, campus officials worked with Los Angeles County fire authorities to develop a safety plan, and authorities said the safest option for students would be to remain on campus. The school is diligent about brush clearance and has a plan to reduce smoke in shelter-in-place locations by taping shut doors and using air filters, he said. The nearby stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway can also become congested during an emergency, Phillips said, such as during the deadly in 2018. “What you don’t want is to be stuck,” said Phillips, who has been at the campus for three decades — including as a student — and said he has been through seven fires. “Protecting our students, providing for their safety is a moral obligation for us, so we take it really, really seriously.” On Tuesday, heavy smoke from the Franklin Fire, burning northeast of the school, billowed over the campus 29 miles (47 kilometers) west of Los Angeles, and classes were cancelled and final exams postponed. Firefighters had not contained any part of the blaze as of Tuesday afternoon. The campus was singed but no injuries were reported, and only one structure possibly was minimally damaged thanks to firefighters’ hard work and collaboration from students, faculty and others on campus, Friel said. Jim Gash, the college’s president, said the campus was no longer threatened on Tuesday afternoon. “I am grateful that through prayer, preparation, and cooperation, our Pepperdine community safely navigated the challenges encountered over the last 12 hours,” Gash said in a statement. “Our prayers continue to go out to the Malibu community.” ___ Taxin reported from Santa Ana, Calif. Associated Press writer Julie Watson in San Diego contributed to this report.Saudi Arabia banned film for 35 years. The Red Sea festival is just one sign of the industry's rise
By Richard Ogwuche Guest Columnist I n one of his illuminating commentaries, Don Simpson, entrepreneur, educator, and mentor, captured in poignant terms the qualities possessed by renaissance leaders. According to him, these leaders accelerate cross-boundary learning, lead systemic change, think back from the future, drive performance with passion, apply a global mindset and practice personal mastery. Given his track record at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), it is an incontrovertible fact that the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, brought these attributes to bear when he was appointed by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari as the 19th group managing director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in July 2019. His impactful years in the saddle guiding the transition of the oil behemoth to a limited liability company is an inspiring success story woven around hard work, resilience, accountability and growth. The resumed operations of the Port Harcourt refinery engineered by Kyari after successful rehabilitation and modernization of the refinery broke a jinx of over two decades that had hitherto hovered over the country’s four ailing refineries like the sword of Damocles. Nothing in the mien of the self-effacing corporate titan prepared Nigerians for the lifting news that broke on November 26, 2024, when it was announced that the refinery had finally resumed operations; not even his assurances when work was in progress that he would get the job done. After all, past administrations had made similar promises and failed to deliver. Apart from Kyari, the capable team he had assembled and, perhaps, the President who I believe he made it a point of duty to brief on the progress of work, the vast majority of cynical Nigerians had given up on the refineries. For him, the eternal words of John C. Maxwell to the effect that, “Success doesn’t just happen. You have to be intentional about it, and that takes discipline” held special meaning. So, in spite of the prevailing disbelief, Kyari plodded on with the implementation of a carefully planned rehabilitation; he was consumed by the determination to succeed where others had failed. For those abreast with his work ethic, zeal, and unspoken determination, this milestone achievement was not the first time that Kyari would shatter records he met on the ground when he assumed office. At inception, he unleashed a raft of far-reaching transformative reforms, so consequential that they not only placed the company on a competitive pedestal but also prepared it for the challenges of a future in a competitive business environment devoid of government handouts. The task of guiding the much maligned state hydrocarbon company to respectability and profitability demanded a strong passion and unwavering commitment without which his lofty vision for the revival and transformation of the company would have died on arrival. Kyari’s vast experience in the company he joined in 1991, his understanding of its inner workings and uncanny insight of how to deal with the challenges prepared him for the task at hand. He anchored his plan for the rebirth of NNPC on the TAPE Agenda (Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence), a five-step strategic road map, which he envisioned as the vehicle for the attainment of efficiency and global excellence in the company’s operational processes. His TAPE Agenda created a new system that adhered to well-defined operational processes anchored on acceptable international standards and global best practices. The system he established operated the right operational cost structure that guaranteed value addition for sustained profitability; at the same time, the TAPE Strategic Road Map developed governance structures for the strategic business units of the company to realize its goals and performance standards. The sole aim of the reforms was to ensure an open and transparent NNPC. In a move unprecedented in the history of the company and pursuant to his drive towards transparency and accountability, Kyari directed the timely publication of the corporation’s audited accounts. From this record-shattering move, the first in its 44 years history, it was easy to glean from the audited accounts that the corporation declared a profit after tax (PAT) of N287 billion for the year 2020, the first in its 44 year history. Also, the corporation’s losses were reduced from N803 billion in 2018 to N1.7 billion in 2019. Kyari’s trailblazing efforts have continued to tumble records. The drive by major players in the oil and and gas sector to achieve the full deregulation of the sector took about 20 years in the making. The enactment of this landmark piece of legislation into law by President Buhari in August 2021 had the imprimatur of Mele Kyari, who rallied diverse stakeholders behind what he believed would have profound impact on Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. He worked tirelessly to build consensus among diverse stakeholders and to secure necessary approvals from the Buhari administration. He actively participated in various public hearings organized by the National Assembly, where he passionately appealed to the lawmakers to pass the bill into law. The Petroleum Industry Act provided the legal framework for the transformation of NNPC into a public liability company; NNPCL came into existence as a result of the PIA under the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA). This consequential law signaled a new beginning for the oil and gas sector; it has created more transparent and competitive environment in the oil and gas industry and delivered a better deal to oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta and elsewhere. The law also led to the establishment of new regulatory bodies such as the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority. His commitment to the transformation of the industry went beyond the PIA; he initiated the process of divesting NNPC’s non-core assets, led the development of the NNPC’s 2020-2024 Strategic Roadmap envisioned to transform the organization into a more efficient and profitable entity. He also successfully negotiated $1.2 billion loan from the World Bank to assist the organization in finance its capital expenditure projects. Under his leadership and guidance, NNPC has forged strong partnership with global EITI to further entrench the culture of transparency and accountability and ensure that the organization’s processes are operated in line with global standards and international best practices. With Kyari at the helm, NNPC is one of the few major players in the extractive industry that adhere strictly to EITI standards through open reporting and transparent disclosures of details of finances and operations. The repositioning of NNPC under Kyari’s leadership in line with the reality of global energy transitions has been remarkable. Under his guidance, NNPC has demonstrated readiness and determination to achieve carbon neutrality through the use of the country’s abundant natural gas resources as a low carbon alternative that will help improve access to energy. To achieve this goal, NNPC established a Renewable Energy Division and transformed the NNPC R & D Division to NNPC Research, Technology and Innovation as part of the plan to transit to what he calls ‘Energy Company of Global Excellence.” In May 2022, NNPC and Sahara Group, a leading energy and infrastructure conglomerate, took delivery of two 23,000 CBM Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) vessels at the Hyundai MIPO Shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, with plans to add 10 vessels in 10 years to enhance Africa’s energy transition to cleaner fuels. Kyari sees the vessels as critical to driving government’s commitment to the domestication of gas in Nigeria through a plethora of initiatives, one of which is the LPG Expansion Plan geared towards encouraging the use of gas in households, power generation, auto-gas and industrial applications, in order to attain five million metric tonnes of LPG consumption by next year. As part of its concerted effort to boost the existing 1.6bscf of gas supply for the domestic market, the company has also perfected plans to deliver 12 compressed natural gas (CNG) mother stations and mini LNG plants soon. This move is part of ongoing efforts by the company to improve its supply chain, develop new refining capacities and expand the retail network. Kyari has successfully guided the diversification of NNPC beyond its traditional oil assets. With the pledge to take over the engine lubricants in the country, the company, through one of its subsidiaries, NNPC Retail Limited, launched a range of lubricant products. The range include Nitro Diamond, Nitro Gold, Nitro Super 40, Nitro 2T engine oils, and many more. After five years of an unrelenting work ethic powered by a robust vision, positive signs point to growth and irreversible progress. The ongoing revival and transformation in the fortunes of NNPC are not an accidental occurrence but a product of deliberate planning anchored on visionary leadership. The record-breaker at the helm of NNPC has proven that, with grit, passion, commitment, belief and the right temperament, positive change is possible. Like old wine, he is getting better by the day; in the diverse portfolios of the company, his enduring leadership, revolutionary aesthetics, the transparency and high accountability threshold he has entrenched in the governance structure of the organization are paving way for the realization of his pledge to transform the company into a world-class company comparable to other players all over the world. With his impressive work ethic and steaming energy level, the attainment of the lofty goals he has for himself and NNPC is set to be achieved and even surpassed in the years ahead. • Ogwuche, a commentator on public affairs, contributed this commentary from Area 1, Abuja FCT
Israel approved a United States-brokered with Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. In the hours leading up to the Cabinet meeting, Israel carried out its most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah in the final hours before any ceasefire takes hold. Israel’s security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday after it was presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East, but neither he nor Netanyahu have proposed a postwar solution for the Palestinian territory, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. Israel says it will ‘attack with might’ if Hezbollah breaks truce Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed a series of accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran, which backs both groups. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” Netanyahu’s office later said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but “reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor all sides’ compliance. But implementation remains a major question mark. Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal “was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state.” of Lebanon, he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Warplanes bombard Beirut and its southern suburbs Even as Israeli, U.S, Lebanese and international officials have expressed growing optimism over a ceasefire, Israel has continued its campaign in Lebanon, which it says aims to cripple Hezbollah’s military capabilities. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs killed at least one person and wounded 13, it said. Three people were killed in a separate strike in Beirut and three in a strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Lebanese state media said another 10 people were killed in the eastern Baalbek province. Israel says it targets Hezbollah fighters and their infrastructure. Israel also struck a building in Beirut’s bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site that is around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets in Beirut and other areas linked to Hezbollah’s financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously have not been targeted. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks before a ceasefire, sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, and some cars had mattresses tied to them. Dozens of people, some wearing their pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. Hezbollah, meanwhile, kept up its rocket fire, triggering air raid sirens across northern Israel. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told The Associated Press that peacekeepers will not evacuate. Israeli forces reach Litani River in southern Lebanon The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have been exchanging barrages ever since. Israel escalated its campaign of bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon. ___