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If you were still gaming on Windows 7 or 8 in 2024, almost two years after Microsoft itself abandoned its own children , it's definitely time for an upgrade: Steam's most recent client update is the first to not work on the old OSes, more than 11 months after Valve announced it would stop supporting them . "This version of the Steam client will no longer run on Windows 7 or Windows 8," reads the accompanying documentation of the November 5 Steam client update . "Users on these OS versions will not automatically update to this new version of the Steam client." Really, the news is less that you can no longer download the latest version of Steam on Windows 7 and 8, but that it took this long to happen after Valve announced the end of support for them back in January. "We expect the Steam client and games on these older operating systems to continue running for some time without updates after January 1st, 2024," Valve wrote on the Steam support website at the time, "but we are unable to guarantee continued functionality after that date." According to Valve, the embedded version of Google Chrome required for core functions of the Steam client was the impetus for the move—it just doesn't support older versions of Windows anymore. As of October's Steam hardware survey , only .28% of users were still on Windows 7, while there were no reported users at all on Windows 8. Not only is that one final damning indictment of the awkward, touchscreen-centric Windows 8 before it's gone for good, that Windows 7 figure is actually kind of confounding—that's higher than the percentage of Windows 7 and 8 users combined in the December 2023 Steam Hardware survey PCG senior editor Wes Fenlon cited at the beginning of the year! If you're still gaming on Windows 7 in 2024, especially if you installed Steam in just the past year, please drop me a line. You are fascinating. If you're still gaming on Windows 8 and just skipped the survey, it's about time you upgraded that college laptop—you've more than gotten your money's worth. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
AP Sports SummaryBrief at 3:39 p.m. ESTAP News Summary at 4:15 p.m. EST
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led coalition secured a decisive victory for a second consecutive term, claiming 56 seats in the 81-member assembly. Their dominating performance swept past the NDA, helmed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which secured only 24 seats. In contrast to their robust 2019 election results with 47 seats, the JMM, aided by alliance partners Congress and RJD, dominated with 34 seats, while Congress and RJD won 16 and four seats respectively. CPI(ML) Liberation also made a mark with two seats. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, involved in a money-laundering case yet leading the charge, spotlighted his administration's social welfare programs and contended a BJP-led conspiracy against him. Meanwhile, BJP drove its campaign by highlighting alleged corruption and immigration issues, but failed to gain substantial ground. (With inputs from agencies.)None
NEW YORK (AP) — He's making threats, traveling abroad and negotiating with world leaders. Donald Trump has more than a month and a half to go before he's sworn in for a second term. But the Republican president-elect is already moving aggressively not just to fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but to achieve those priorities . Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, prompting emergency calls and a visit from Canada's prime minister that resulted in what Trump claimed were commitments from both U.S. allies on new border security measures. The incoming president has warned there will be “ALL HELL TO PAY" if, before his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, Hamas does not release the hostages being held in Gaza . He has threatened to block the purchase of U.S. Steel by a Japanese company, warning "Buyer Beware!!!” And this weekend, Trump was returning to the global stage, joining a host of other foreign leaders for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral five years after it was ravaged by a fire. On Saturday, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron — joined at the last minute by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — and had plans to see Britain's Prince William also in Paris. Absent in Paris: lame duck President Joe Biden, who has largely disappeared from headlines, except when he issued a pardon of his son , Hunter, who was facing sentencing for gun crimes and tax evasion. First lady Jill Biden is attending in his place. “I think you have seen more happen in the last two weeks than you’ve seen in the last four years. And we’re not even there yet,” Trump said in an over-the-top boast at an awards ceremony Thursday night . For all of Trump's bold talk, though, it is unclear how many of his efforts will bear fruit. The pre-inauguration threats and deal-making are highly unusual, like so much of what Trump does, said Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University. “Transitions are always a little complicated in this way. Even though we talk about one president at a time," he said, “the reality is one president plus. And that plus can act assertively sometimes." Zelizer said that is particularly true of Trump, who was president previously and already has relationships with many foreign leaders such as Macron, who invited both Trump and Biden to Paris this weekend as part of the Notre Dame celebration. “Right now he’s sort of governing even though he’s not the president yet. He’s having these public meetings with foreign leaders, which aren't simply introductions. He's staking out policy and negotiating things from drug trafficking to tariffs," Zelizer said. Trump already has met with several foreign leaders, in addition to a long list of calls. He hosted Argentinian President Javier Milei in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago club in November. After the tariff threat, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago for a three-hour dinner meeting. Canadian officials later said the country is ready to make new investments in border security, with plans for more helicopters, drones and law enforcement officers. Last Sunday, Trump dined with Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Israeli prime minister. Incoming Trump aides have also been meeting with their future foreign counterparts. On Wednesday, several members of Trump's team, including incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz, met with Andriy Yermak, a top aide to Zelenskyy, in Washington, as Ukraine tries to win support for its ongoing efforts to defend itself from Russian invasion, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Yermak also met with Trump officials in Florida, he wrote on X . That comes after Trump's incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Qatar and Israel for high-level talks about a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza, according to a U.S familiar with the efforts, meeting with the prime ministers of both countries. There is no prohibition on incoming officials or nominees meeting with foreign officials, and it is common and fine for them to do so — unless those meetings are designed to subvert or otherwise impact current U.S. policy. Trump aides were said to be especially cognizant of potential conflicts given their experience in 2016, when interactions between Trump allies and Russian officials came under scrutiny. That included a phone call in which Trump's incoming national security adviser, Michael Flynn, discussed new sanctions with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, suggesting things would improve after Trump became president. Flynn was later charged with lying to the FBI about the conversation. Trump’s incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that, “All transition officials have followed applicable laws in their interactions with foreign nationals.” She added: “World leaders recognize that President Trump is returning to power and will lead with strength to put the best interests of the United States of America first again. That is why many foreign leaders and officials have reached out to correspond with President Trump and his incoming team.” Such efforts can nonetheless cause complications. If, say, Biden is having productive conversations on a thorny foreign policy issue and Trump weighs in, that could make it harder for Biden “because people are hearing two different voices” that may be in conflict, Zelizer said. Leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin and Netanyahu may also anticipate a more favorable incoming administration and wait Biden out, hoping for more a better deal. It also remains unclear how extensively the Biden administration has been kept apprised of Trump transition efforts. Although there is no requirement that an incoming administration coordinate calls and meetings with foreign officials with the State Department or National Security Council, that has long been considered standard practice. That is, in part, because transition teams, particularly in their early days and weeks, do not always have the latest information about the state of relations with foreign nations and may not have the resources, including interpretation and logistical ability, to handle such meetings efficiently. Still, the Biden and Trump teams have been talking, particularly on the Middle East, with the incoming and outgoing administrations having agreed to work together on efforts to free hostages who remain in held in Gaza, according to a U.S. official, who, like others, was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. That includes conversations between Witkoff and Biden’s foreign policy team as well as Waltz and Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Last month, Biden administration officials said they had kept Trump’s team closely apprised of efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah on the Israel-Lebanon border. “I just want to be clear to all of our adversaries, they can’t play the incoming Trump administration off of the Biden administration. I’m regularly talking to the Biden people. And so, this is not a moment of opportunity or wedges for them," Waltz said Friday in a Fox Business interview. But when it comes to immigration, Biden administration officials haven’t been entirely in the loop on discussions around how to execute on Trump’s pledge to deport millions of migrants, according to four administration officials with knowledge of the transition who spoke on condition of anonymity. That’s not terribly surprising given how differently the teams view migration. Trump’s team, meanwhile, is already claiming credit for everything from gains in the stock and cryptocurrency markets to a decision by Walmart to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion policies Trump opposes. “Promises Kept — And President Trump Hasn’t Even Been Inaugurated Yet,” read one press release that claimed, in part, that both Canada and Mexico have already pledged "immediate action” to help “stem the flow of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and deadly drugs entering the United States." Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has stopped short of saying Trump mischaracterized their call in late November. But she said Friday that Trump “has his own way of communicating, like when we had the phone call and he wrote that we were going to close the border. That was never talked about in the phone call.” Earlier this week, Mexico carried out what it claimed was its largest seizure of fentanyl pills ever. Seizures over the summer had been as little as 50 grams per week, and after the Trump call, they seized more than a ton. Security analyst David Saucedo said that "under the pressure by Donald Trump, it appears President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration is willing to increase the capture of drug traffickers and drug seizures that Washington is demanding.” Biden, too, tried to take credit for the seizure in a statement Friday night. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Colleen Long and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson reserve guard Trent Howard will miss the 12th-ranked Tigers game with No. 16 South Carolina after tearing the ACL in his left knee at practice this week. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney announced Howard's injury Wednesday. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound fifth-year graduate has been a backup much of the season, but had to step into a starter's role due to injuries along Clemson's offensive line. “My heart breaks for him,” Swinney said. Howard came in on the second snap in a 24-20 win at Pitt two games ago when lineman Elyjah Thurmon was hurt on the first play. Thurmon had an ankle injury that required surgery and will not return this season. Howard got his fourth career start last Saturday in a 51-14 win over The Citadel. and was in line for another if injured starter Marcus Tate was unable to go after missing the past three games. Howard was listed as a backup at both right and left guard on this week's depth chart. The Tigers (9-2) face the rival Gamecocks (8-3) on Saturday. —- 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-footballNovember 22 - Two teams headed in opposite directions square off Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City when the Utah Jazz host the New York Knicks. The Jazz come in on a four-game losing streak, having most recently blown a huge lead at San Antonio on Thursday. They entered the weekend last in the Western Conference with just three wins on the season. Conversely, the Knicks bring a four-game winning streak to Utah after kicking off a five-game road trip Wednesday night with a victory at Phoenix. Coach Tom Thibodeau was pleased with how well the Knicks performed together in their 138-122 win over the short-handed Suns, who were missing injured stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. "The guys are starting to get used to playing off of each other," Thibodeau said. "Each game you can see they're seeing things. They're reading the game extremely well. I think they're creating good spacing. They're cutting extremely well and what that's doing is it's opening up the floor and we're playing into space. And everyone's unselfish. We had 30 assists. I think that's huge." In the win at Phoenix, Jalen Brunson scored 23 points in the first half and Karl-Anthony Towns poured in 23 in the second half. Brunson finished with 36 points and 10 assists. He hit 12 of 21 field goals overall and drained 7 of 11 3-point attempts. Towns totaled 34 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the floor, adding 10 rebounds to help the Knicks continue their winning ways after two victories over Brooklyn and one against Washington. The Jazz came unraveled Thursday night after taking a 20-point first-half lead at San Antonio. Lauri Markkanen scored 27 and Keyonte George chipped in with 19 against the Spurs, who were playing without injured star center Victor Wembanyama. "I thought the first half, the energy, the tempo, the ball movement, the competitive spirit of the team was as good as we've seen in a while," Jazz coach Will Hardy said. That wasn't the case in the second half, however, as Utah gave up 75 points and was outscored by 12 points in both the third and fourth quarters. Reserve Brice Sensabaugh, who's seen inconsistent playing time, was a highlight for Utah in the first half, when he totaled 13 of his 18 points. "He has not complained. He's not had, like, a 'woe-is-me' mentality. He's just come to work every day and he's taken some hard coaching," Hardy said. "He understands what's expected of him, but to his credit, he was ready, and he deserves all of the credit for that." Off to a tough start, the Jazz are hoping to find more consistency. The uneven play was evident against the Spurs, and it's been an issue at home, too. Utah returns to the Delta Center, usually a difficult venue for opponents, with just a 1-5 home record. "At the end of the day, you've got to play two halves," Collin Sexton said after scoring 18 for Utah. "We've got to play 48 minutes. You can't allow the first half to get you too high or get you too low, you've got to always stay consistent and just continue to build off of that." --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
The condemnation came as the House of Lords debated regulations paving the way for a scheme which would require animal lovers on the British mainland to have documentation in order to visit Northern Ireland. Critics view the move as further evidence of Northern Ireland still having to follow EU rules post-Brexit and being treated differently from the rest of the UK – a major source of contention to the unionist community. The paperwork, which will be free to apply for, includes a declaration that the owner will not travel onwards to Ireland or another EU country with their pet or assistance dog. Animals will have to be microchipped and have their own individual pet travel document, which will be valid for its lifetime. Northern Ireland residents returning after a stay in Great Britain with their pet or assistance dog will not need a travel document. The scheme is being introduced under the Windsor Framework, a revised deal for Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements aimed at tackling issues caused by the protocol. Raising her concerns in Parliament, Baroness Hoey, a Northern Irish Brexit supporter and former Labour MP, said: “These regulations are in effect about a new aspect of the Irish Sea border that has not had expression until this point because of the grace periods.” She added: “The experience of visiting Northern Ireland with your pet dog or cat, or even a ferret, will be made to feel like a visit to a foreign country. Lady Hoey went on: “This could spell the end of holiday trips for pet owners from GB to NI and then on to the Republic, when they want to explore both Northern Ireland and the Republic. “If they have a pet passport, they will have renounced their right to go to the Republic. That makes the border more of an obstruction than having border control posts on it, because at least in that eventuality, you could still cross over it.” Rejecting claims it was a result of the UK leaving the EU, she said: “The reality is that this is happening precisely because Northern Ireland has not got Brexit. “As we say repeatedly, it is still subject to EU rules and the EU could change the rules overnight.” Former DUP deputy leader Lord Dodds of Duncairn said: “Every one of the statutory instruments that come forward under the Windsor Framework must be properly debated, because these laws are being brought forward to implement what a foreign jurisdiction has decided should be the law of the United Kingdom. “In the 21st century, we should not accept colonial rule. We abolished it elsewhere. We believe it should not be tolerated for one second. People should have the democratic right to decide their laws for themselves, in their interests.” He added: “The ridiculous part about this debate is that we are having to debate European laws regulating the movement of pet animals owned by British citizens between one part of the United Kingdom and another. That is an outrage.” Lord Dodds went on: “As I said, there will be hundreds, thousands more of these regulations, in all areas, affecting the daily lives of people in Northern Ireland. They all add up to a grievous assault on Northern Ireland’s constitutional position.” But former leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick said: “I support the Windsor Framework because it is a necessary legal device to deal with the complexities that were presented to us in Ireland, north and south, on the issue of Brexit. “We need a pragmatic solution rather than choosing to have political contests and duels simply for the sake of them.” Introducing the regulations, environment minister Baroness Hayman of Ulloch said: “This scheme will simplify the requirements associated with moving pet dogs, cats and ferrets from Great Britain to Northern Ireland significantly. “It replaces single-use animal health certificates with a free-of-charge lifelong travel document and removes the need for costly pet health treatments. “Pet owners who travel frequently with their pets, or those who rely on the services of an assistance dog to travel independently, will benefit substantially from this change in approach.” However, she acknowledged the concerns raised by peers and promised to continue engagement with them.Pam Bondi is now in consideration to be the new U.S. Attorney General. After Donald Trump ‘s first pick, Matt Gaetz , withdrew his bid, Trump nominated Bondi, and many want to learn more about her political career, personal life and more. Below, learn more about Bondi’s life in politics, where net worth stands today and more. Who Is Pam Bondi? Bondi was the first woman to be elected as Florida’s Attorney General. She held the position from 2011 to 2019. She is also an attorney and lobbyist. In 2020, Bondi was chosen to be one of Trump’s defense lawyers when he was facing impeachment for the first time. She has been a long-time supporter of the Republican president-elect. Shortly after Gaetz rescinded his consideration to be AG in November 2024, Trump wasted no time in selecting Bondi to be the new nominee. A post shared by Pam Bondi (@pambondi) “I am proud to announce former Attorney General of the great state of Florida, Pam Bondi, as our next Attorney General of the United States,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on violent criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida families. Then, as Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked to stop the trafficking of deadly drugs, and reduce the tragedy of Fentanyl overdose deaths, which have destroyed many families across our country. She did such an incredible job, that I asked her to serve on our opioid and drug abuse commission during my first term — we saved many lives!” Trump also claimed that Bondi “will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting crime, and making America safe again.” “I have known Pam for many years,” he added, describing her as “smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!” What Is Pam Bondi’s Net Worth in 2024? According to multiple outlets , Bondi has a net worth of at least $1 million to $2 million. What Is Net Worth? Net worth is the total value of a person’s assets, including their home(s), savings, bonds, stocks, vehicles and other personal items, according to Bankrate. Pam Bondi’s Controversy Among one of Bondi’s biggest controversies was when Trump paid $25,000 to her AG re-election campaign in Florida, according to the BBC . The transaction was reportedly made when Bondi’s office was weighing the option of a fraud investigation into Trump University. The investigation did not take place, and Bondi claimed that this decision was not influenced by Trump’s payment to her.
Trump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders
NEW DELHI (AP) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party headed for a victory Saturday in state elections in politically significant Maharashtra while the opposition won mineral-rich Jharkhand state. Polling in the two states are seen as a test of Modi's popularity after his party returned to power in June national elections but was forced to form a coalition government with help from regional partners. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.The PGA Tour announced its schedule of seven post-season tournaments for the fall of 2025 on Tuesday with no Las Vegas event on the calendar for the first time since 1983. The lineup is one fewer than this year and tees off with the Procore Championship in Napa, California, on September 11-14, two weeks after the 2025 Tour Championship. Absent from the schedule is the Shriners Children's Open in Las Vegas. After the Ryder Cup next September at Bethpage Black, the PGA Tour events resume with the Sanderson Farms Championship on October 2-5. The PGA Tour's Japan stop, the Baycurrent Classic, will be October 9-12 at Yokohama Country Club followed by the Black Desert Championship on October 23-26 in Utah. The World Wide Technology Championship at Los Cabos, Mexico, will be November 6-9 followed the next week by the Bermuda Championship and the RSM Classic on November 20-23 at Sea Island, Georgia. More from this section "With events in four US states, Japan, Mexico and Bermuda, the conclusion to the 2025 golf calendar promises to be exciting for our fans worldwide," said Tyler Dennis, PGA Tour chief competitions officer. Under tighter qualifying rules for the 2026 PGA Tour approved by the Player Advisory Council last month, only the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings will secure exempt status with the 50 who reach next year's BMW Championship being exempt into signature events for 2026. Those ranked 51st and beyond will take FedEx Cup points into the fall to try and accumulate eligibility points for the 2026 campaign. Three PGA Tour Challenge season events will be played next December -- the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas hosted by Tiger Woods, the LPGA-PGA mixed-team Grant Thornton Invitational and the PNC Championship parent-child event. Tour commissioner Jay Monahan also announced Tuesday that the PGA is searching for a new chief executive officer whose job would be to grow the business side of the operation in light of the $1.5 billion investment in PGA Tour Enterprises by Strategic Sports Group, a set of team sports owners. js/bbNASA's 2 stuck astronauts face more time in space with return delayed until at least late March
Is this the time Nebraska gets past Wisconsin? The teams have played three straight one-score games, each won by the Badgers. Which Husker senior, playing their final game inside Memorial Stadium, goes out with a bang? Amie Just, columnist: Ty Robinson. Luke Mullin, reporter: Robinson spends the whole game in the Wisconsin backfield, finishing with two sacks and even more quarterback pressures. Nate Head, editor: Let's say Isaac Gifford, the Lincoln native, comes down with his first interception of the season. Who leads the way in Nebraska's ever-changing running back rotation this week? Just: Emmett Johnson. Mullin: It's another week of Johnson leading the way, though Dante Dowdell takes over inside the red zone. People are also reading... Recap: Here's how Joey Graziadei will win 'Dancing with the Stars' At the courthouse, Nov. 16, 2024 Zitel bound over to district court in death of child Kidnapping in Nebraska prompted police chase that ended with 3 dead on I-29 in Missouri Beatrice native's latest film gets special engagement in hometown BPS mini-marts offer help They fell in love with Beatrice. So they opened a store in downtown. Chamberlain among seven inducted into Nebraska Baseball HOF Inmate cited for damaging video system Beatrice High School first-quarter honor roll Just Askin': Dana Holgorsen noncommittal on future, ranking a big week for Nebraska Athletics Micheal J's to reopen Former Daily Sun publisher Thomas dies Historical society appoints board members, elects officers At the courthouse, Nov. 9, 2024 Head: Johnson has had two games with at least 10 carries this season. He gets his third Saturday. Close finishes have followed Nebraska lately. At what point in the game will the final result be known? Just: The final buzzer. Mullin: It'll be a one-score game to the end, but a stop from the Nebraska defense with two minutes left seals the win. Head: Late. Wisconsin scores a go-ahead touchdown with four minutes left in the game, and Nebraska's ensuing drive ends in a turnover. Call your shot- which young Husker does Dana Holgorsen plug and play into the offense? Just: Keelan Smith. Mullin: Freshman wide receiver Quinn Clark gets his shot and records a catch too. Head: Clark seems like the obvious choice so I'll mix it up: Carter Nelson. Dante Dowdell rushing yards — 46.5 yards Just: Under. Mullin: Under. Head: Under. Dylan Raiola passing TDs — 1.5 Just: Under. Mullin: Over. Head: Under. Jahmal Banks receiving yards — 32.5 Just: Under. Mullin: Over. Head: Over. Tawee Walker rushing yards — 72.5 Just: Over. Mullin: Over. Head: Over. Braedyn Locke passing yards — 187.5 Just: Under. Mullin: Under. Head: Under. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Justin Trudeau taking the time to reflect following Freeland departureThe condemnation came as the House of Lords debated regulations paving the way for a scheme which would require animal lovers on the British mainland to have documentation in order to visit Northern Ireland. Critics view the move as further evidence of Northern Ireland still having to follow EU rules post-Brexit and being treated differently from the rest of the UK – a major source of contention to the unionist community. The paperwork, which will be free to apply for, includes a declaration that the owner will not travel onwards to Ireland or another EU country with their pet or assistance dog. Animals will have to be microchipped and have their own individual pet travel document, which will be valid for its lifetime. Northern Ireland residents returning after a stay in Great Britain with their pet or assistance dog will not need a travel document. The scheme is being introduced under the Windsor Framework, a revised deal for Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements aimed at tackling issues caused by the protocol. Raising her concerns in Parliament, Baroness Hoey, a Northern Irish Brexit supporter and former Labour MP, said: “These regulations are in effect about a new aspect of the Irish Sea border that has not had expression until this point because of the grace periods.” She added: “The experience of visiting Northern Ireland with your pet dog or cat, or even a ferret, will be made to feel like a visit to a foreign country. Lady Hoey went on: “This could spell the end of holiday trips for pet owners from GB to NI and then on to the Republic, when they want to explore both Northern Ireland and the Republic. “If they have a pet passport, they will have renounced their right to go to the Republic. That makes the border more of an obstruction than having border control posts on it, because at least in that eventuality, you could still cross over it.” Rejecting claims it was a result of the UK leaving the EU, she said: “The reality is that this is happening precisely because Northern Ireland has not got Brexit. “As we say repeatedly, it is still subject to EU rules and the EU could change the rules overnight.” Former DUP deputy leader Lord Dodds of Duncairn said: “Every one of the statutory instruments that come forward under the Windsor Framework must be properly debated, because these laws are being brought forward to implement what a foreign jurisdiction has decided should be the law of the United Kingdom. “In the 21st century, we should not accept colonial rule. We abolished it elsewhere. We believe it should not be tolerated for one second. People should have the democratic right to decide their laws for themselves, in their interests.” He added: “The ridiculous part about this debate is that we are having to debate European laws regulating the movement of pet animals owned by British citizens between one part of the United Kingdom and another. That is an outrage.” Lord Dodds went on: “As I said, there will be hundreds, thousands more of these regulations, in all areas, affecting the daily lives of people in Northern Ireland. They all add up to a grievous assault on Northern Ireland’s constitutional position.” But former leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick said: “I support the Windsor Framework because it is a necessary legal device to deal with the complexities that were presented to us in Ireland, north and south, on the issue of Brexit. “We need a pragmatic solution rather than choosing to have political contests and duels simply for the sake of them.” Introducing the regulations, environment minister Baroness Hayman of Ulloch said: “This scheme will simplify the requirements associated with moving pet dogs, cats and ferrets from Great Britain to Northern Ireland significantly. “It replaces single-use animal health certificates with a free-of-charge lifelong travel document and removes the need for costly pet health treatments. “Pet owners who travel frequently with their pets, or those who rely on the services of an assistance dog to travel independently, will benefit substantially from this change in approach.” However, she acknowledged the concerns raised by peers and promised to continue engagement with them.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA's two stuck astronauts just got their space mission extended again. That means they won't be back on Earth until spring — 10 months after rocketing into orbit on Boeing's Starliner capsule. NASA announced the latest delay in Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams' homecoming Tuesday. The two test pilots planned to be away just a week or so when they blasted off June 5 on Boeing's first astronaut flight to the International Space Station. Their mission grew from eight days to eight months after NASA decided to send the company's problem-plagued Starliner capsule back empty in September. Now the pair won't return until the end of March or even April because of a delay in launching their replacements, according to NASA. A fresh crew needs to launch before Wilmore and Williams can return and the next mission was bumped more than a month, according to the space agency. NASA's next crew of four was supposed to launch in February, followed by Wilmore and Williams' return home by the end of that month alongside two other astronauts. But SpaceX needs more time to prepare the new capsule for liftoff. That launch is now scheduled for no earlier than late March. NASA said it considered using a different SpaceX capsule to fly up the replacement crew in order to keep the flights on schedule. However, it decided the best option was to wait for the new capsule to transport the next crew. NASA prefers to have overlapping crews at the space station for a smoother transition, according to officials. Most space station missions last six months, with a few reaching a full year.$HAREHOLDER INVESTIGATION: The M&A Class Action Firm Continues to Investigate the Mergers of RKDA, ENLC, and SKGR
North Macedonian political party demands ban on TikTok after at least 17 students injuredUS News Today Live Updates on December 25, 2024 : Diddy hit with new lawsuit: Ex-employee claims forced to set up ‘Wild King Nights’ sex partiesCalifornia researchers say the world may be just one genetic tweak away from human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 bird flu virus — a worrisome mutation that could open the door to widespread human infections and possibly even a pandemic, according to some experts. In a study published Thursday in the journal Science, Scripps Research Institute biologists determined that a single mutation of the hemagglutinin protein — the “H” in H5N1 — could transform a virus that has so far sickened or killed mostly birds and cows into a pathogen that targets cells in human beings. The finding comes amid a growing number of H5N1 outbreaks among California dairy cows, as well as a state-ordered recall of raw milk products . Since the virus began infecting the nation’s dairy stock in March, infectious disease experts have warned that unprotected contact between dairy workers and infected cows could enable the virus to evolve in a manner that threatens humans. Now, Scripps researchers suggest the path for such a genetic change may be much shorter than state and national health officers anticipated. “This really surprised us,” said study coauthor James Paulson, a biochemist and molecular biologist. This one mutation “satisfies a requirement for transmission,” he said. Richard Webby, director of the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Center for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds, said the study’s finding countered prevailing thought on the virus — specifically, that it would take multiple mutations for the virus to pose a threat to humans. “This will likely cause a stir,” said Webby, who is also a researcher in the department of infectious diseases at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and was not involved in the Scripps research. “I think most of us thought it would probably need more than one change,” Webby said. Yoshihiro Kawaoka, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Tokyo, called the Scripps teams’ finding a “significant discovery” and said it was “critical because, given the mutation rate of influenza viruses, one in every 10,000 particles of the bovine H5N1 virus could carry this mutation.” That means the potential emergence of an H5N1 virus “that can recognize human receptors is closer than we may have thought,” he said. Several months ago, Paulson and coauthor Ian Wilson, a Scripps structural biologist, decided they’d investigate the current H5N1 strain, and see what it would take for it to cause a human pandemic. Paulson is an expert in researching where and how different influenza viruses bind to cells when they enter a host. Wilson studies the structure of influenza virus proteins. The scientists began their research by accessing a global influenza database and locating the genetic sequence for A/Texas/37/2024 — the strain of H5N1 bird flu found in a Texas dairy worker. They then examined the hemagglutinin proteins, or spikes, on the outer surface of the virus, since those enable it to latch onto the cell membrane of its host. Animals such as birds and humans have different docking stations on their cells — known as sialic acid receptors. In order for a flu virus to open a door into a cell and begin replicating, it needs just the right spike, or key. Although more than 50 humans have been infected by H5N1, many of these cases involve dairy workers who were likely sprayed in the eyes and nose with milk from infected cows. Researchers postulate that repeated exposure of this sort allowed the virus to push into the cells — a brute force entry more than a lock-picking. Ordinarily, person-to-person transmission of a flu virus “is mainly through the air from droplets from a sneeze or cough, which contains very little virus,” Paulson said. “In this context, the virus needs to be able to recognize human-type receptors to bind to cells in the human airway in amounts sufficient to cause infection.” In order to figure out what it would take for the virus to gain the right docking equipment to unleash a human pandemic, Paulson, Wilson and their team looked at previous flu outbreaks that had jumped the bird-human divide, including the influenza outbreaks of 1918, 1957, 1968 and 2009 — as well as some earlier research. They “selected a number of positions” on the hemagglutinin protein “to mutate, one at a time” with amino acids they knew had been implicated in previous pandemics. Then they attempted to bind these altered “H” proteins with human and bird receptor analogues. Lo and behold, when they switched a glutamine to a leucine at position 226, it no longer bound to the bird receptors, but instead exclusively to those of humans. Paulson said it was especially interesting because this mutation had occurred before in earlier strains of H5N1, including one from around 2010 — but “at that time, that single mutation was not sufficient to change receptor specificity. So, the unexpected thing is that virus has changed in subtle ways — evolved, if you will — so that now that single mutation does change the receptor specificity.” Although the researchers demonstrated that it was possible for the virus to become a threat to humans with just one genetic change, that does not mean nature will follow that specific path. A multitude of factors can influence the evolution of an organism, and they are not easily predicted. This may be why the virus has not yet gained the ability to widely infect humans, some say. “Despite more than 50 human infections with bovine H5N1, we have not seen evidence of this virus adapting to humans on a larger scale,” Kawaoka said. “This suggests that ... additional mutations are likely required for the virus to become fully transmissible between humans.” Paulson acknowledged that the “context of the total biological picture is extremely important.” He said the research focused on just “one property that is important for the virus to be successful when adapting to a new host,” but there are others that may also be important. For instance, H5N1 in the past was known to cause severe respiratory disease. But recently, it’s mostly been associated with conjunctivitis and only occasionally with mild, upper respiratory disease in people. “Why is that? I don’t think anybody knows,” Paulson said. What is known is that the virus is moving swiftly through a variety of species around the globe — with ample opportunity to mutate and adapt. As of Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed H5N1 infections in 58 people: 35 as a result of working with infected dairy cows, 21 from infected poultry, and in two cases, the source is unknown. In addition, 707 dairy herds across 15 states have also been infected. And in just the last 30 days, 23 commercial poultry farms in California have come down with the virus — affecting more than 5.6 million birds. _____ ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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