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Middle East latest: Syrians celebrate Assad's fall as US seeks a peaceful political transitionNegotiators have agreed to 'at least' $300 billion in climate funding at the UN climate summit after two weeks of tense negotiations that highlighted sharp divides between rich and poorer nations. But is it enough?Rarely has a climate summit venue so accurately reflected the mood and unfolding of negotiations. Also Read | World News | Rich Nations Offer USD 300 Billion Annually After 10 Years to Global South. For two bumpy weeks, the labyrinthine corridors in Baku's Olympic Stadium have echoed with the hurried footsteps of negotiators rushing from one windowless meeting room to the next, avoiding dead-ends and wrong turns among the endless passageways. Also Read | World News | Trump Taps Rollins as Agriculture Chief, Completing Proposed Slate of Cabinet Secretaries. Further characterized by missing global leaders, major disagreement and shifting geopolitical dynamics, the talks stretched deep into overtime before there was finally light at the end of the tunnel. And an agreement that sets a goal of at least $300 billion in climate financing per year by 2035 flowing from developed to developing countries. Failure in Baku was "not an option," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking on Thursday. But that failure looked possible late on Saturday when delegates from AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States) and LDCs (Least Developed Countries) walked out of talks on the grounds their concerns were not being heard. "What is happening here is highlighting what a very different boat our vulnerable countries are in, compared to the developed countries," said Cedric Schuster, the Samoan chairman of the group. "After this COP29 ends, we cannot just sail off into the sunset. We are literally sinking." What have nations agreed — and is it enough? COP29's core aim was getting the near 200 countries to agree on a new climate funding target that could replace the current goal of $100 billion (about €95 billion) per year. This financial packageis intended to help developing countries tackle emissions, transition away from fossil fuels and adapt to a warming world. But the size of the finance pot and which countries should foot the bill were huge sticking points in negotiations. Developing countries pushed for at least $1 trillion per year, a sum leading economists have said is necessary for them to respond to the climate crisis. Anything else was lowballing and "divorced from the reality of what was needed," according to Champa Patel of environment non-profit Climate Group. But industrialized countries held off specifying concrete figures until the very last day and said they couldn't raise the money alone without private sector involvement. The $300 billion promised is far lower than what developing countries were hoping for. "At COP29, developed nations once again coerced developing countries into accepting a financial deal woefully inadequate to address the gravity of our global climate crisis," said Harjeet Singh of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. "The deal fails to provide the critical support required for developing countries to transition swiftly from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy systems, or to prepare for the devastating impacts of the climate crisis." Low-income countries are seeing increasingly extreme floods, droughts, heat waves, storms and rising sea levels and do not have the resources to deal with them. Developed countries are responsible for the majority of historical emissions causing the planet to heat up. By 2050 climate change is expected to cause $38 trillion in damages around the world, according one estimate. But the new text released early Sunday morning, attempted to reassure progress to the $1.3 trillion would happen. It referenced a "Roadmap from Baku to Belem," which calls on "all actors" to "scale up" climate finance to developing countries and includes access to finance through "grants, concessional and non-debt-creating instruments." Observers said negotiators from Africa and other developing countries had pushed for the changes to be included in the hope of creating a meaningful process to align the global financial system with the $1.3 trillion target by 2035. To date, much of the international climate finance has been provided to developing countries in the form of non-concessional loans. Organizations such as Oxfam have criticized this, pointing out that this increases the debt burden of some of the LDCs. Developed countries also pushed for China and wealthy Gulf states that are heavily dependent on oil and gas to contribute to the $300 billion climate fund and share the burden. China is the world's biggest carbon emitter. And although it's a major economy, the UN still classes it as a developing country. The final agreement didn't widen the donor base to include China, but it did introduce a fudge that would officially recognize the country's contributions. The new mechanism allows for voluntary recognition of cash flowing from developing countries through development banks as climate finance. What does the outcome mean for global emissions? When it comes to fossil fuels — the primary source of global emissions and drivers of climate change — proceedings this year didn't get off to a good start. The Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev used COP29 as a platform to describe oil and gas as a "gift of God." But negotiators did reach a deal on controversial carbon markets that would allow polluting countries to buy carbon-cutting offsets. Supporters say the new rules would help boost investment in local-income countries, where the carbon projects are usually located. But critics say they could be used for greenwashing climate targets. "These decisions were taken behind closed doors," Tamra Gilbertson of the US-based non-profit Indigenous Environmental Network told DW. "We know that other carbon markets have completely failed to address climate change and emissions." Many were hoping for more progress to build on what was achieved at COP28 in Dubai last year, which concluded with a hard-won final agreement on "transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems." But oil producer Saudi Arabia, tried to derail progress on moving away from fossil fuel, and was described as a "wrecking ball" to the agreement. "We are in the midst of a geopolitical power play by a few fossil fuel states," said Germany's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock Saturday as talks spiraled. As with previous COPs, there were strong criticisms regarding the presence of over 1700 oil and gas lobbyists. They received more passes to COP29 than all the delegates from the 10 most climate-vulnerable nations combined, according to one report. Richard Folland, head of policy and engagement with independent financial think tank Carbon Tracker said the talks in Baku had been "strangled by the second highest attendance of fossil fuel lobbyists on record" and that the summit had "taken us dangerously backwards on collective climate action as extreme weather events take their toll." The core goal of the Paris Agreement is to hold global average temperature increases well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial levels, and to strive to stay under 1.5 C. The science is clear that this requires urgent and deep cuts to global emissions. However, global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels have hit new heights this year and 2024 is set to be the hottest ever on record. Dubbed the "finance COP," this year's conference highlighted the difficulties in reaching global consensus on climate action, and also drew calls for reform. In an open letter to the UN, a group of scientists and former leaders said COP was "no longer fit for purpose," and required a shift from negotiation to implementation to "deliver on agreed commitments and ensure the urgent energy transition and phase-out of fossil energy." With reporting from Giulia Saudelli and Tim Schauenberg in Baku, Azerbaijan. Edited by: Jennifer Collins and Tamsin Walker (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 24, 2024 05:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com ).Daniel Craig’s turn as queer writer and an ‘unfilmable’ book brought to life – what you should watch, read and see this week
Thousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus’ main square and a historic mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown , a major symbolic moment for the country’s dramatic change of power. The rebels are now working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Friday, pressing ahead with efforts to unify Middle East nations in support of a peaceful political transition in Syria. It’s part of Blinken’s 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year in Gaza but his first after Assad was ousted. The U.S. is also making a renewed push for an ceasefire in Gaza, where the war has plunged more than 2 million Palestinians into a severe humanitarian crisis. Israel’s war against Hamas has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The October 2023 attack by Hamas in southern Israel that sparked the war killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Here's the latest: An American who was released from a Syrian prison is flown out of the country, a US official says WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has transported out of Syria an American who disappeared seven months ago into former President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system and was among the thousands released this week by rebels, a U.S. official said Friday. Travis Timmerman was flown out of Syria on a U.S. military helicopter, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation. Timmerman, 29, told The Associated Press he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by “the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer.” Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them. He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didn’t know of any other Americans held in the facility. — By Lolita C. Baldor Dutch court rejects lawsuit from rights groups seeking to halt arms sales to Israel THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Dutch court on Friday rejected a bid from human rights groups to block weapons exports to Israel and trading with the occupied territories, after finding there were sufficient checks already in place to comply with international law. The ten organizations told The Hague District Court last month that they thought the Netherlands was in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention, drawn up following World War II, by continuing to sell weapons to Israel more than a year into the conflict in Gaza. “The government uses my own tax money, that I pay, to kill my own family. I’ve lost 18 members of my own family,” Ahmed Abofoul, a legal adviser for the pro-Palestinian organization Al-Haq, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, told the court during a hearing in November . The court ruling said that “it is not up to the interim relief judge to order the state to reconsider government policy. That is primarily a political responsibility.” Lawyers for the government argued it wasn’t up to a judge to decide foreign policy for the Netherlands. The activist groups pointed to several emergency orders from another court, the International Court of Justice, as confirming the obligation to stop weapons sales. In January, the top U.N. court said it was plausible Palestinians were being deprived of some rights protected under the Genocide Convention. The coalition said it will review the court’s ruling and is considering an appeal. Israel attacks a hospital in northern Gaza, wounding 3 medical staff amid a night of ‘relentless’ bombardment CAIRO — Israeli attacks in and around a hospital in northern Gaza wounded three medical staff overnight into Friday and caused damage to the isolated medical facility, according to its director. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya said Israeli quadcopter drones carrying explosives deliberately targeted the emergency and reception area of Kamal Adwan Hospital, where one doctor was wounded for a third time. Abu Safiya said “relentless” drone and artillery strikes throughout the night exploded “alarmingly close” to the hospital, heavily damaging nearby buildings and destroying most of the water tanks on the hospital’s roof and blowing out doors and windows. Kamal Adwan Hospital in the town of Beit Lahiya has been hit multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation against Hamas in northern Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. “We demand international protection for the hospital and its staff,” Abu Safiya said in a statement released via the U.K.-based aid group Medical Aid for Palestinians, “as well as the entry of delegations with surgical expertise, medical supplies, and essential medications to ensure we can adequately serve the people we are treating.” Abu Safiya said there were 72 wounded patients at the hospital, one of the few medical facilities left in northern Gaza. He said he expected Israeli forces would allow a World Health Organization aid convoy to bring supplies to the hospital on Friday or Saturday, as well as a team of doctors from Indonesia. Israel has allowed almost no humanitarian or medical aid to enter the three besieged communities in northern Gaza — Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and the urban Jabaliya refugee camp — and ordered tens of thousands to flee to nearby Gaza City. Israeli officials have said the three communities are mostly deserted, but the United Nations humanitarian office said Tuesday it believes around 65,000 to 75,000 people are still there, with little access to food, water, electricity or health care. Experts have warned that the north may be experiencing famine . Blinken makes unannounced stop in Iraq amid push to stabilize post-Assad Syria BAGHDAD — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced stop in Iraq on Friday on his latest visit to the Middle East aimed at stabilizing the situation in Syria to prevent further regional turmoil. Blinken met in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani as part of the hastily arranged trip, his 12th to the region since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but his first since the weekend ouster of Syrian strongman Bashar Assad. Blinken has already been to Jordan and Turkey on his current tour and will return to Jordan for urgent meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers to try to unify support for an inclusive post-Assad transition that does not allow the Islamic State group to take advantage of the political vacuum in Syria and secures suspected chemical weapons stocks. In Baghdad, Blinken “will underscore U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraq’s security, stability, and sovereignty,” the State Department said. “He will also discuss regional security opportunities and challenges, as well as enduring U.S. support for engagement with all communities in Syria to establish an inclusive transition,” it said in a statement. His trip comes as the Biden administration winds down with just over a month left before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has been highly critical of Biden’s approach to the Middle East and skeptical of the U.S. military presence in both Iraq and Syria. The U.S. and Iraq agreed in September to wrap up U.S.-led military operations against the Islamic State in Iraq next year, although Assad’s ouster and the potential for the group taking advantage of a political vacuum in Syria could complicate the timing of the withdrawal, according to American officials. Bahrain says it is willing to provide support for Syria in international organizations DAMASCUS — The kingdom of Bahrain sent a message Friday to Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It said Bahrain is “fully prepared to consult with you continuously and to provide support in regional and international organizations to achieve what is in the interest of the brotherly Syrian people.” It added, “We look forward to Syria regaining its authentic role in the Arab League.” Bahrain is the current head of the Arab summit. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League last year after 12 years of ostracization. It is still unclear how the international community will deal officially with the new interim government in Syria. Israel’s defense minister asks troops to prepare to remain through the winter on Syria's Mount Hermon JERUSALEM - Israel’s defense minister told troops to prepare to remain through the winter months on the peak of Mount Hermon, Syria’s highest point, located in a swath of southern Syria that Israeli troops moved into after the fall of Damascus to insurgents. The comments by Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled that the military will extend its occupation of the zone along the border, which Israel says it seized to create a buffer zone. In a statement Friday, Katz said that holding the peak was of major importance for Israel’s security and that it would be necessary to build facilities there to sustain troops through the winter. The summit of Mount Hermon, the highest peak on the eastern Mediterranean coast at 2,814 meters (9,232 feet), gives a commanding view over the plains of southern Syria. It also positions Israeli troops about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the center of Damascus. The mount is divided between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Lebanon and Syria. Only the United States recognizes Israel’s control of the Golan Heights. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli troops would remain in the zone until another force across the border in Syria could guarantee security. Israeli troops moved into the zone -– set as a demilitarized area inside Syrian territory under truce deals that ended the 1973 Mideast war -- after the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell last weekend. Blinken says there's ‘broad agreement’ between US and Turkey on Syria's future ANKARA, Turkey -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. “There’s broad agreement on what we would like to see going forward, starting with the 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 in joint statements with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The insurgent groups that toppled Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. Blinken also said it was crucial to keep the Islamic State group under control. “We also discussed the imperative of continuing the efforts to keep ISIS down. Our countries worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of ISIS to ensure that that threat doesn’t rear its head again,” Blinken said. The Turkish foreign minister said the two discussed ways of establishing prosperity in Syria and ending terrorism in the country. “Our priority is establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant,” Fidan said, in a reference to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party. Blinken said: “We’re very focused on Syria, very focused on the opportunity that now is before us and before the Syrian people to move from out from under the shackles of Bashar al-Assad to a different and better future for the Syrian people, one that the Syrian people decide for themselves.” Blinken and Fidan said they had also discussed a ceasefire for Gaza. “We’ve seen in the last couple of weeks more encouraging signs that (a ceasefire) is possible,” Blinken said. Blinken, who is making his 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but first since the weekend ouster of Assad, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late Thursday. The outgoing Biden administration is particularly concerned that a power vacuum in Syria could exacerbate already heightened tensions in the region, which is already wracked by multiple conflicts, and create conditions for the Islamic State group to regain territory and influence. Later Friday, Blinken is to return to Jordan for meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers and senior officials from the European Union, the Arab League and the United Nations. Turkey to reopen its embassy in Syria ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey has appointed a temporary charge d’affaires to reopen its embassy in Syria, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported. The Turkish Embassy in Damascus had suspended operations in 2012 due to the escalating security problems during the Syrian civil war and embassy staff and their families were recalled to Turkey. The Anadolu Agency said late Thursday that Turkey appointed Burhan Koroglu, its ambassador in Mauritania, to the post. 2 UN aid convoys violently attacked in Gaza, US food agency says UNITED NATIONS- – Two U.N. aid convoys were violently attacked in Gaza, making it virtually impossible for humanitarian agencies to operate without putting staff and civilians at risk, the U.N. food agency says. On Wednesday, a 70-truck convoy from Kerem Shalom was waiting for personnel to safeguard the food and other aid destined for central Gaza when there were reported attacks by Israeli forces in the nearby humanitarian zone, the U.N. World Food Program said Thursday. More than 50 people are now estimated to have died in the attacks, including civilians and local security personnel who had been expected to ensure the convoy’s safety, WFP said. The Rome-based agency said the convoy was forced to proceed from Kerem Shalom to central Gaza without any security arrangements, using the Philadelphi corridor, an Israeli-controlled route that had been recently approved and successfully utilized twice. On the way, WFP said, conflict and insecurity led to a loss of communication with the convoy for more than 12 hours. ”Eventually, the trucks were found but all food and aid supplies were looted,” the U.N. agency said. In a second incident, Israeli soldiers approached a WFP convoy moving out of the Kissufim crossing into central Gaza, fired warning shots, conducted extensive security checks, and temporarily detained drivers and staff, the agency said. “As the trucks were delayed, four out of the five trucks were lost to violent armed looting,” WFP said. UN chief urges Israel to stop attacks on Syria UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations chief has a message for Israel: Stop the attacks on Syria. Secretary-General António Guterres is particularly concerned about several hundred Israeli airstrikes on several Syrian locations and stresses “the urgent need to de-escalate violence on all fronts throughout the country," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Thursday. The Israeli military said Tuesday it carried out more than 350 strikes in Syria over the previous 48 hours, hitting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country to stop them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also acknowledged pushing into a buffer zone inside Syria following last week’s overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The buffer zone was established after Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1973 war. Dujarric said Guterres condemns all actions violating the 1974 ceasefire agreement between the two countries that remain in force. And the U.N. chief calls on the parties to uphold the agreement and end “all unauthorized presence in the area of separation” and refrain from any action undermining the ceasefire and stability in the Golan Heights, the spokesman said.Innovation Thailand: A Look at Emerging Technologies
For my money, there isn't a better horror monster than The Thing's shape-shifting alien organism. Even 42 years later, Rob Bottin's practical effects are still incredible, capturing each freakish amalgamation of tentacles, sharp teeth, sinew, and traces of malformed humanity with ghastly clarity. I've seen The Thing dozens of times, yet seeing Norris' decapitated head contort and grow arthropod-esque legs will never fail to twist my stomach in knots. These are the everlasting images of The Thing, but it's the alien's ability to perfectly imitate anyone that genuinely terrifies, permeating each scene with an unnerving sense of dread and paranoia that affects both its characters and the audience watching. Who do you trust when anyone could be a clandestine threat? Back in 2002, developer Computer Artworks attempted to translate this feeling into an officially licensed video game for The Thing. The now-shuttered studio came close to succeeding, too, creating a third-person horror-action game with a unique squad system that ensured you could never entirely trust the person fighting by your side. It's become somewhat of a cult classic since then, leading to this remaster from Nightdive Studios--a developer known for faithfully restoring myriad games, including Shadow Man and Star Wars: Dark Forces. The Thing: Remastered is a similarly authentic experience, albeit with a number of key improvements to the game's visuals, controls, and some quality-of-life mechanics. Beyond this, it's much the same game as it was in 2002, for both the good and the bad. The game's setup is one of its better aspects, acting as a direct sequel to John Carpenter's iconic 1982 film. You play as the bland, one-dimensional Captain Blake, leader of a U.S. Special Forces rescue team sent to investigate Outpost 31 in the isolating tundra of Antarctica. Of course, we know what transpired when MacReady and the rest of this research facility encountered the shape-shifting alien life-form, and it doesn't take long before Blake is fighting off all manner of horrific entities. He's rather nonchalant about the whole thing, though, anchoring a relatively thin story that feels distinctly 2002 in all the worst ways. While it begins as a more action-oriented facsimile of the film it's ostensibly a sequel to, the narrative quickly delves into predictable territory with the military experimenting on the Thing to use the alien for its own gain. It's all very stereotypical, with melodramatic voice acting and--aside from a fun cameo from John Carpenter himself--an inherently disposable cast of characters. Most of the people you meet are potential squad members. To survive The Thing: Remastered, earning and maintaining the trust of the surviving crew is paramount. By killing enemies and supplying each squadmate with weapons, ammo, and healing, they'll happily fight alongside you. The twist is that this is The Thing, so you could be handing a weapon to an enemy interloper or someone paranoid enough to suspect you of being one yourself. Not only can your squad members be a Thing in disguise, but they also have the capacity to turn on you if their trust diminishes or they're overcome by fear. They regularly experience anxiety, which spikes when witnessing traumatic events, such as seeing a dismembered corpse or a particularly grotesque alien. If they suffer from enough stress or lose your trust--because you accidentally shot them, didn't take part in combat, and so on--they'll crack and run away, kill themselves, or start shooting everyone around them, attempting to kill both you and your colleagues. It's a thoughtful implementation of the film's tenants of trust, paranoia, and deception, with the potential to generate nail-biting tension through friend and foe alike. Suddenly, your squadmates are more than just simple NPCs; they're people displaying real human behavior. It was an innovative concept back in 2002 when this kind of trust and fear management was unheard of. Even today, it's not something I've seen implemented in other single-player games; typically, it's reserved for social multiplayer experiences like Among Us instead. For the game's first couple of hours, the way these ideas are executed is compelling. The Thing: Remastered immediately establishes an unsettling atmosphere as you begin exploring the dilapidated remnants of Outpost 31. Your teammates are already on edge even before you discover a flying saucer buried under the ice, with the howl of the Arctic's bitingly cold wind and Ennio Morricone's haunting score punctuating certain moments with another alluring layer of unease. Nightdive has done a fantastic job of updating the original game's visuals, too, with improved character models, textures, and animations, as well as dynamic lighting and shadows to really spruce up the 22-year-old game. It still maintains the somewhat blocky look of a game from the PS2 era but smoothes over its rougher edges with modern techniques that make the visuals more palatable for a modern audience. As you progress further into the game, you'll come up against all manner of enemy creatures, from small four-legged scuttlers to more humanoid monstrosities with deadly claws and exposed innards. These larger enemies need to be damaged with small-arms fire before being set alight with either a flamethrower or incendiary grenade. Fortunately, Nightdive has altered the flamethrower so that it doesn't burn you if you're holding the trigger while simultaneously moving forward. Ammunition is also much more plentiful, preventing those instances in the original game where you would be forced to reload a save from hours before to try and conserve enough ammo for later. Aside from these welcome changes, combat in The Thing: Remastered feels much the same, utilizing a generous lock-on system that makes it easy to clear out rooms without much thought. It's fine but hardly compelling. Your teammates aren't too shabby in a fight, at least, though their main purpose is often to open doors for you. The game's level design is commonly built on gating your progression with broken junction boxes that prevent things like doors and computers from working. While you're able to fix some of this damaged equipment, most of them require a specialized engineer, creating one of the first issues with the game's notion that "anyone could be an alien." If you require an engineer to progress, then their death or transformation simply results in a game over screen, removing the potential for the type of randomness that makes the game's concept so enticing. The more you play, the more it's revealed that The Thing: Remastered is essentially struggling under the weight of its own ambition. Certain squad members will become aliens at pre-determined points, no matter how carefully you've managed their trust and fear. Even if a blood test reveals that they're still human mere seconds before, this is quickly rendered moot by the game's rigid scripting. As a result, The Thing: Remastered falters as a squad-based game because you're never incentivized to care about anyone's survival but your own. With the story dictating when certain characters will transform--and most teammates disappearing at the end of each level anyway--forming any sort of attachment to them is futile. There are no repercussions for trusting your teammates, either. Any weapons you give them are dropped when they transform, and keeping their trust up and fear down is a simple task, so I never felt like anyone would crack, which gradually chips away at the game's tension. By the halfway point, Computer Artworks seemingly struggled to take the concept any further, turning the game into a boilerplate run-and-gun shooter that sees you fighting aliens and mindless human enemies alike. It's a far cry from the game's opening and makes for a banal slog towards a disappointing ending. I have fond memories of playing The Thing back in 2002 because there wasn't anything else quite like it. It was inventive and exciting, and even today, no one else is trying to do what Computer Artworks attempted in the single-player space. I commend the studio for what it achieved, but the limitations of the technology--and its design constraints--are much more apparent now, even with nostalgia-tinted glasses on. Nightdive has done a fantastic job of restoring this flawed but intriguing game, continuing its crucial work with game preservation. All of the changes it's made are positive, resulting in a better game, both visually and mechanically. Nonetheless, this is a case where a complete remake would've been much more appealing, allowing for the trust and fear system to be fleshed out with less rigidity and more dynamism. As it is, Computer Artworks' vision might never be fully realized, and that's a shame.
One Tech Tip: How to protect your communications through encryption
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Gus Atkinson hat-trick puts England in command of second Test in New ZealandLONDON — After a sprawling hacking campaign exposed the communications of an unknown number of Americans, U.S. cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications. To safeguard against the risks highlighted by the campaign, which originated in China, federal cybersecurity authorities released an extensive list of security recommendations for U.S. telecom companies — such as Verizon and AT&T — that were targeted. The advice includes one tip we can all put into practice with our phones: “Ensure that traffic is end-to-end encrypted to the maximum extent possible.” End-to-end encryption, also known as E2EE, means that messages are scrambled so that only the sender and recipient can see them. If anyone else intercepts the message, all they will see is a garble that can’t be unscrambled without the key. Law enforcement officials had until now resisted this type of encryption because it means the technology companies themselves won’t be able to look at the messages, nor respond to law enforcement requests to turn the data over. Here’s a look at various ways ordinary consumers can use end-to-end encryption: Texting Officials said the hackers targeted the metadata of a large number of customers, including information on the dates, times and recipients of calls and texts. They also managed to see the content from texts from a much smaller number of victims. If you’re an iPhone user, information in text messages that you send to someone else who also has an iPhone will be encrypted end-to-end. Just look for the blue text bubbles, which indicate that they are encrypted iMessages. The same goes for Android users sending texts through Google Messages. There will be a lock next to the timestamp on each message to indicate the encryption is on. But there’s a weakness. When iPhone and Android users text each other, the messages are encrypted only using Rich Communication Services, an industry standard for instant messaging that replaces the older SMS and MMS standards. Apple has noted that RCS messages “aren’t end-to-end encrypted, which means they’re not protected from a third party reading them while they’re sent between devices.” Samsung, which sells Android smartphones, has also hinted at the issue in a footnote at the bottom of a press release last month on RCS, saying, “Encryption only available for Android to Android communication.” Chat apps To avoid getting caught out when trading texts, experts recommend using encrypted messaging apps. Privacy advocates are big fans of Signal, which applies end-to-end encryption on all messages and voice calls. The independent nonprofit group behind the app promises never to sell, rent, or lease customer data and has made its source code publicly available so that it can be audited by anyone to examine it “for security and correctness.” Signal’s encryption protocol is so reputable that it has been integrated into rival WhatsApp, so users will enjoy the same level of security protection as Signal, which has a much smaller user base. End-to-end encryption is also the default mode for Facebook Messenger, which like WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms. What about Telegram? Telegram is an app that can be used for one-on-one conversations, group chats and broadcast “channels” but contrary to popular perception, it doesn’t turn on end-to-end encryption by default. Users have to switch on the option. And it doesn’t work with group chats. Cybersecurity experts have warned people against using Telegram for private communications and pointed out that only its opt-in ‘secret chat’ feature is encrypted from end-to-end. The app also has a reputation for being a haven for scammers and criminal activity, highlighted by founder and CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest in France. Making calls Instead of using your phone to make calls through a wireless cellular network, you can make voice calls with Signal and WhatsApp. Both apps encrypt calls with the same technology that they use to encrypt messages. There are other options. If you have an iPhone you can use Facetime for calls, while Android owners can use the Google Fi service, which are both end-to-end encrypted. The only catch with all these options is that, as with using the chat services to send messages, the person on the other end will also have to have the app installed. WhatsApp and Signal users can customize their privacy preferences in the settings, including hiding IP address during calls to prevent your general location from being guessed.
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Two University of Arizona faculty members were elected fellows of the National Academy of Inventors in 2024, bringing UA's number of faculty fellows in the academy to 20. Shibin Jiang , an adjunct research professor in the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences, is “recognized globally as a pioneer in photonic glasses, fiber amplifiers and lasers.” Shibin Jiang Abhijit Mahalanobis , an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering, conducted research focused on “video and image processing” for defense applications, weapons, sensors systems and automatic target recognition. Abhijit Mahalanobis, standing, with doctoral student Natnael Daba. “Being elected to the National Academy of Inventors is a distinguished honor recognizing both technical innovation and its impact in the world,” said UA President Suresh Garimella, also an NAI fellow, in a UA news release. The honor will be bestowed on Jiang and Mahalanobis at the academy’s annual conference on June 26 in Atlanta. Overall, the NAI 2024 class of fellows includes 170 members from 135 research universities and governmental and nonprofit research institutions worldwide. Jiang, who holds 52 U.S. patents, developed erbium (Er3+)-doped phosphate glass fiber to enhance fiber’s ability to amplify light, a technology which was licensed to NP Photonics, one of the many companies he founded and co-founded. Jiang’s “patents in fibers enhanced with rare-earth elements have enabled the creation of high-peak-power fiber amplifiers and lasers able to deliver high power in short pulses, which are integral to ultrafast lasers, wind detection, space applications and coherent lidar able to determine an object’s velocity and distance,” according to the news release. “It was the hard work of the scientists, engineers and technicians I worked with that earned me this significant award,” said Jiang. “I surely will continue to work hard, hoping to produce more useful inventions and creative works to make a little bit of a contribution to society and humankind.” In addition to NP Photonics, Jiang has founded and co-founded AdValue Technology, AdValue Photonics and Arizona Industrial Lasers. He has also edited 40 books and eight special journal issues as well as published 98 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Mahalanobis has published more than 190 journal and conference publications, is the owner of six patents, has co-authored a book on pattern recognition, contributed several book chapters and edited special issues of several journals. “I am humbled and deeply honored to be recognized by the NAI as a fellow,” said Mahalanobis. “... In this capacity, I hope to foster creativity in our students, and contribute to innovative solutions for challenging problems in my areas of research.” Mahalanobis worked previously at Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, has partnered with numerous small businesses on projects with the U.S. Army and Navy, and has returned to academia to help prepare the next generation of aerospace and defense engineers. "The University of Arizona excels in many areas, but the commitment of faculty to moving inventions from the lab to the world impresses me every day," said Doug Hockstad, associate vice president of Tech Launch Arizona, the UA office that commercializes inventions stemming from university research and innovation. Jiang and Mahalanobis’ selection as NAI fellows “reflects their remarkable achievements in turning ideas into impactful solutions that serve society and inspire the next generation of inventors,” said Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, UA senior vice president of research and innovation. Reporter Prerana Sannappanavar covers higher education for the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson.com . Email her at psannappa1@tucson.com or DM her on X . Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Higher Education ReporterUnisys Appoints Michael M. Thomson as Chief Executive Officer
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Eric Bieniemy's return to UCLA lasted only one season. The Bruins let go of Bieniemy on Thursday after fielding one of the nation's worst offenses this season. It didn't take head coach DeShaun Foster long to find a replacement. Indiana quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri will become the new Bruins offensive coordinator, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Bruins had not yet announced the decision. Sunseri spent one season at Indiana after following Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison. Cignetti and Sunseri worked together for four seasons, the first three with the Dukes, who made the most successful transition from FCS to FBS in history. Bieniemy was hired as associate head coach and offensive coordinator shortly after Foster was hired as head coach in February. Bieniemy was also on the Bruins staff from 2003-05 as running backs coach. Jason Fletcher, Bieniemy's agent, said in a statement that Bieniemy planned to stay only one season in Westwood and termed it a “mutual parting of the ways.” However, Bieniemy signed a two-year contract at UCLA and did have a retention bonus if he was on staff for the 2025 season. "After interviewing for head coaching jobs last year, he wanted to stay active and busy," Fletcher said. “So, he decided to go help out Deshaun Foster, who is like his little brother, at UCLA as opposed to sitting out a year.” Out of 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, UCLA was 117th in total offense (328.8 yards per game), 126th in scoring (18.4 points per game) and had the nation's fifth-worst rushing attack (86.6 yards per game). The Bruins — 5-7 in their first season in the Big Ten after qualifying for a bowl the last three years — were the sixth Power Five team since 2000 that didn't score at least 20 points in their first six games. Players also said early in the season that Bieniemy's scheme was difficult to grasp and that play calls could be too wordy. Bieniemy was a two-time Super Bowl champion offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs but his last two stops have not gone well. He was Washington's offensive coordinator in 2023 but was not retained after Ron Rivera was fired. Bieniemy said in an email to ESPN earlier this year that he was not fired by Washington and that he received NFL offers to coach running backs or be a passing game coordinator. However, when asked during UCLA's spring practice to explain those remarks or what his other job prospects were, he refused to do so. “What I’m going say is this: I’m here coaching at UCLA. All that other stuff, you could go talk to the Commanders. I’ll leave it just like that,” he said. Bieniemy wasn’t retained by new Commanders coach Dan Quinn, who replaced Rivera. Despite his success in Kansas City, Bieniemy hasn’t landed a heading coach job, even though he’s interviewed with more than half of the NFL’s 32 teams. Fletcher said: "The plan was always to return to the NFL in 2025, and he’s looking forward to the opportunities ahead.” Sunseri's immediate priority will be to stem any further losses to the transfer portal. Quarterback Justyn Martin — who was on track to compete for the starting job following the graduation of Ethan Garbers — and running back T.J. Harden have already entered the portal. At Indiana, Sunseri worked closely with Kurtis Rourke, a transfer from Mid-American Conference school Ohio. Rourke went on to have one of the best seasons in Hoosiers history as No. 9 Indiana (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten, No. 9 CFP) broke single-season school records for victories and conference wins and appears set to make its CFP debut in two weeks. Sunseri, like Cignetti, also coached previously at Alabama. Sunseri served as a graduate assistant for the Crimson Tide in 2019 and 2020 after previous stints at Florida State and Tennessee. The 35-year-old Sunseri also spent three seasons with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, winning a Grey Cup title as a rookie in 2013 following his college career at Pittsburgh. Marot reported from Indianapolis. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football