Pollsters had predicted a tight day, and in the end they were right. Of the four issues up for vote on Sunday, the biggest winning majority was 53.8% (eviction rules). And while Swiss authorities managed to avoid defeat on all four issues – another outcome mooted beforehand – they did come out with a black eye on the headline vote: a much-vaunted expansion of the country’s motorway system. The government’s road infrastructure plans have hit a brick wall: after a tight race, 52.7% of voters rejected a CHF5 billion ($5.6 billion) motorway expansion project . The plan, approved in parliament last year, would have involved widening or building new roads at six key points on the country’s motorway system, notably near the capital, Bern, and on a busy stretch between Geneva and Lausanne. On Sunday, the Green Party hailed a historic rejection of what it called “an out-of-date transport policy”. Along with left-wing and ecologist groups, the Greens campaigned with arguments about the environmental impact of the project and the fear that bigger roads would merely spawn more traffic. They now want the funds to be spent on public transport, active mobility, and renovating existing motorways. Backers of the project had argued that traffic jams had ballooned in recent years and investment was needed to keep pace with the growing Swiss population. The project should be seen as part of an overarching strategy which already includes investment in public transport and other forms of mobility, Transport Minister Albert Rösti told Swiss public television, SRF, during the campaign. But initial support for the project faded during the campaign , polls found, leading to a final defeat that one right-wing politician described on Sunday as a “kick in the teeth”. Another Centre Party politician involved in the “yes” campaign, Fabio Regazzi, told SRF radio that the result revealed “a certain shift” among the Swiss population. A few years ago, such a vote would easily have been accepted, Regazzi reckoned. A majority of voters (53.8%) also rejected on Sunday a proposal to make it easier for landlords to terminate leases early in order to use a property for their own purposes. Meanwhile, 51.6% turned down a plan for tighter controls for subletting apartments and other property – both residential and commercial. The two issues have gained much attention, as tenancy law affects the majority of Swiss. Around 60% of the population – the highest percentage in Europe – rents a home . The proposal to ease eviction rules was rejected in almost all French-speaking cantons, with particularly high opposition in Geneva (67.8% of the population), which suffers from a chronic housing shortage. Sunday’s vote follows parliament’s ratification last year of the two tenancy law amendments, initiated by right-wing politicians, in favour of landlords. Following this, Asloca, the powerful national tenants’ association, launched a referendum , criticising the changes as an attack by the property lobby. Opponents of the eviction change had warned that it would make it easier for landlords to terminate leases and throw tenants out of their apartments under the pretext of personal use. They accused them of wanting to take advantage of the housing shortage and re-let apartments at higher prices. Real estate circles and the right had argued that the legal revisions were targeted and fair and clarified the current law. Under the subletting provision, landlords would have had greater leeway to prevent tenants from subletting their apartment. Landlords would have been able to refuse “abusive” subletting, for instance, if it had lasted longer than two years or if an apartment had been sublet at too high a price. The Swiss public broadcaster, SRF, described the results as “a warning shot across the bows” of the centre-right parties that had initially backed the tenancy changes. “People are critical of interventions in tenancy law in favour of landlords,” it said. Parliament is set to discuss further elements of tenancy law in 2025. New rules that would make it more difficult for tenants to take legal action against high rents will be debated. So far, a majority in parliament been emerging for the changes. But today’s vote could prompt some politicians to “reconsider the situation”, wrote SRF. Finally, 53.3% of voters accepted a complex healthcare proposal aimed at boosting the volume of outpatient procedures and disincentivising costly inpatient – i.e. with at least one night spent in hospital – care. The result means that a new financing model will enter force in the coming years, which will see cantons and health insurance firms fund the different types of treatment according to a standardised model. Currently, cantons pay 55% of inpatient costs, but don’t contribute at all to outpatient care; in the future, the division of costs for both will be the same – at least 26.9% by cantons, at most 76.3% by insurers. Regine Sauter from the centre-right Radical-Liberal Party said on Sunday that the result was a “milestone for the Swiss healthcare system”. Not only will it boost outpatient treatment; it also shows that the system is “capable of reform”, she told public television, SRF. As with pensions, proposed overhauls to the Swiss healthcare system often have a hard time getting past voters. Opponents, who did not contest the benefits of outpatient care, argued that the reform would not do enough to tackle the central problem: the steady year-on-year rise in the cost of compulsory insurance. Trade unions, who launched the referendum against the change, also warned that more influence for private insurers in nursing homes could have a negative impact on care. And while they managed to convince a majority in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, overall they were edged out thanks to a larger “yes” vote in German-speaking regions. Meanwhile they saw themselves as clear underdogs: they were up against “one of the most powerful lobby groups in Switzerland” – health insurers and associations, Social Democrat politician David Roth told SRF.Samsung Group’s Market Cap Shrinks by 160 Trillion Won in 2024 amid Semiconductor Slump
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A Complete Guide to Choosing Offshore Wind Farm LocationsIn a groundbreaking development in robotics, Figure AI has successfully delivered its advanced Figure 02 humanoid robots to their inaugural paying customer. This milestone marks a significant leap forward in the integration of humanoid robots into practical use. Figure AI’s Achievement The shipment of these robots highlights Figure AI’s pivotal role in advancing the robotics industry. By providing their humanoid solutions to commercial entities, Figure AI is setting the stage for widespread adoption of robotic assistance in various fields. Advanced Capabilities These state-of-the-art robots are equipped with sophisticated capabilities that allow them to perform tasks that were previously challenging for machines. Designed with cutting-edge technology, the humanoids can interact seamlessly with human environments, showcasing their potential to revolutionize the workplace. Impact on the Market This successful delivery represents not only a triumph for Figure AI but also signifies a growing trend towards the utilization of robots in everyday applications. As these robots enter the workforce, they are expected to enhance efficiency and productivity, offering a glimpse into the future of human-machine collaboration. Future Prospects With this initial deployment, the stage is set for further innovations and implementations. Figure AI’s groundbreaking move indicates an exciting era where humanoid robots could become a staple in industries around the globe, transforming how businesses operate and how tasks are approached. Figure AI’s achievement is a testament to the evolving capabilities of technology and its endless possibilities for enhancing modern life. Revolutionizing Robotics: Figure AI’s New Humanoid Robots are Here An Overview of Figure AI’s Humanoid Robots In an impressive stride within the robotics industry, Figure AI has introduced its advanced Figure 02 humanoid robots to a paying customer for the first time. This milestone is not only a testament to Figure AI’s pioneering work but also an indicator of the new era of humanoid robots poised to become integral in various sectors. Cutting-Edge Features and Specifications Figure 02 humanoid robots come equipped with highly sophisticated features that enable them to perform complex tasks traditionally handled by humans. With advanced sensors, AI-driven cognitive functions, and agile movement capabilities, these robots can seamlessly navigate and adapt to dynamic human environments. This innovation enhances their usability across multiple applications. Use Cases and Practical Applications The potential use cases for Figure 02 robots are vast, ranging from automating tasks in manufacturing and logistics to providing support in healthcare and customer service environments. Their ability to integrate into existing human workflows suggests a promising future for increased efficiency and productivity. Market Trends and Predictions The deployment of Figure 02 robots marks the beginning of an increasing trend towards robotics in daily operations. The global robotics market is predicted to experience significant growth, propelled by the demand for automation and AI-enhanced solutions. As industries seek to optimize operations, humanoid robots like those from Figure AI are expected to become more commonplace. Pros and Cons of Humanoid Robots # Pros: – Enhanced Efficiency : Robots can handle repetitive or dangerous tasks with precision, improving workplace safety and task efficiency. – Continuous Operation : Unlike humans, robots can work without breaks, maximizing productivity. – Flexible Deployment : With adaptive learning algorithms, robots can be updated for various tasks and environments. # Cons: – High Initial Investment : The technology and customization required can be expensive. – Integration Challenges : Adapting existing systems to work seamlessly with robots may present challenges. – Ethical Considerations : Increased automation raises questions about workforce displacement and job security. Future Innovations and Security Aspects Figure AI is committed to the continual advancement of robotic technology, aiming to enhance security alongside functionality. Ensuring that robots operate safely alongside humans involves ongoing improvements in AI ethics, data security, and operational safety protocols. Conclusion The successful deployment of Figure AI’s Figure 02 humanoid robots is a pivotal moment in the robotics industry, heralding a new era of innovation and integration. As these technologies evolve, they promise to redefine the capabilities of machines in society, offering improved workflows and productivity across sectors. For more information on robotics innovations, visit Figure AI .Sabah PKR to file police report over slander against Anwar
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This article contains spoilers for Squid Game. Netflix’s Squid Game isn’t a particularly subtle TV show. It’s a screed against capitalism and wealth inequity to the point that characters say this all out loud, in the dialogue, in the very first episode. Yet since it premiered in 2021, both viewers and even Netflix itself have been gleefully engaging with the show as a capitalist enterprise. So why does everyone keep missing the point of Squid Game? Squid Game first hit Netflix on September 17, 2021 – and it might be hard to remember now, given the show is a global sensation, but at the time at least in America, it was one of those classic “drop it on Netflix and see what happens” series that wasn’t really promoted by the streamer. No screeners for the press, no rabid red carpets full of screaming fans... And yet it caught on and grew almost immediately. On Nielsen’s report for the week of September 20-26, the show clocked 1.9 billion minutes – and that was only on TV screens, and only in the US. The next week, it garnered over 3.2 billion minutes on Nielsen’s chart , growing to become a clear viral success. The show itself didn’t seem like a likely breakout hit, given its ultra-violence and dark subject matter. Squid Game (in case you forgot over the past three years, or have yet to check out Season 2) revolves around a death game played by 456 players competing for cold, hard cash. Run by the mysterious Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), the games are framed as a way for the players to even the playing field. They can by majority vote decide to leave at any time – and even do, in Season 1, Episode 2, before promptly returning to the game – but whoever wins gets a sum of cash equal to the amount of people who died playing. Time and again, it’s clear the game is rigged for the enjoyment of the billionaire VIPs who bet on it from the safety of their cushy lounge. And in the middle of this all? The sometimes good-hearted, perhaps naive loser Seong Gi-hun ( Lee Jung-jae ), who goes on to – spoilers here – win the game, though perhaps at the cost of his basic belief in the goodness of humanity. Season 2 widens things out further . We get to see what economically drives one of the Squid Game guards to join up and become a stone-faced murderer. We see a lot more of the outside world in Korea, and how every interaction, no matter how small, is a game driven by commerce. And the Squid Game itself changes to allow a majority vote to leave after every challenge. That latter tweak allows Hwang Dong-hyuk, throughout the season’s seven episodes, to dig into how capitalism controls even the existence of democracy and freedom of choice, and our divides (political, gender, monetary) are exacerbated by the very existence of money dangling over our heads. In this case, literally, thanks to the omnipresent piggy bank hanging over the room where the Squid Game contestants sleep and eat. While there was some international promotion for the series when it first launched, including an appearance by the Red Light/Green Light doll in a mall in the Philippines, and a replica of the jungle gym set in a Seoul subway station, for the most part, the show traveled by word of mouth. Netflix had to play catch-up over the next few months. In an interview with the New York Times in advance of Season 2, Marian Lee, Netflix’s chief marketing officer, copped to as much. “Everything we did outside of Korea was reactive, because we didn’t know,” she said. “Even the content executives didn’t anticipate that it would be such a global phenomenon.” By the time Squid Game had become the most-watched Netflix launch in the streamer’s history a month after release (one month later, it would become the most-watched show of all time , period), there was a pop-up store in Paris , and a Red Light/Green Light game complete with actors dressed as Squid Game guards in the Netherlands . What followed was total Squid Game domination. Dalgona, the honeycomb candy at the center of one of the games in the series, began showing up at homegrown candy stores and even official Netflix pop-ups in malls everywhere, alongside costumes from the show, just in time for Halloween. The press tour eventually caught up, too, leading to the stars of the series growing to international sensations “overnight” (check with your local Korean TV and movie viewer to hear them furiously explain how many of these “overnight sensations” have been celebrities in non-US countries for years). Then came the Golden Globes wins, SAG Award wins, and 14 Emmy nominations, of which the show won five. The Funko Pop!s followed the next year, and as Netflix proudly includes in all of its press releases about Season 2 of the series, based on the footwear of the mostly deceased contestants in the show, “Vans slip-on sneakers sales increased 8,000%.” While Dong-hyuk was mulling plans for a second, and third season of the series, Netflix began referring to a Squid Game “universe” as early as January of 2022. And they paid off on that promise. Squid Game: The Challenge, a reality game show that reproduced the initial TV series without all the killing hit the service in November 2023, though it was marred by multiple safety and health issues , as well as (per the point of this article) critics pointing out it vastly missed the whole thesis of Squid Game. Similarly, the online multiplayer game Squid Game: Unleashed is a 32-player party game for Netflix subscribers (currently free for everyone in time for the release of Squid Game Season 2) which the streamer’s own press outlet, TUDUM , describes as “takes all the thrills of the hit Netflix show and puts them in your pocket.” To be clear, there is no option in the game to hang yourself in anguish and shame after you’re forced to take your wife’s life in a deadly game of marbles, so perhaps not all the thrills. Why do people keep engaging with Squid Game as something “fun?” Why is Netflix able to make a cottage industry out of products sold around the show? How are there corporate retreats where actors dress up as the Front Man and Squid Game guards and have employees run through games from the show, ostensibly for team-building purposes? There’s even an official Netflix Squid Game Experience that claims it’s perfect for “School and Camp Visits,” and if the thought of children playing the games from the hyperviolent TV show Squid Game doesn’t make you viscerally uncomfortable, you may be entirely devoid of human empathy. Part of the issue is that Squid Game, for all its cultural cache, is nothing new. Gladiatorial battles go back millennia. More to the point, everything from Battle Royale to Hunger Games thrives on the idea of people – usually children – fighting to the death for a possible prize, and rich people’s amusement. Those, too, are often misinterpreted by the public (see any of the Hunger Games theme park rides worldwide). Like how society gets dulled by repeated violence in the real world, so too are we inured to it on screen. Squid Game is perhaps not as shocking as it could be, because it’s not the first out of the gate; it’s just another death games series in a long line of series and movies. And like any genre, it has its fans, detractors, and culture that surrounds it. There’s the question of why we like to watch these things, though, with at least two major reasons. One is the broad sense of why we watch horror movies, violent action spectacles, or even ride rollercoasters: to confront our own real fear of death and overcome it. But to the point of the death game genre, it raises the question of what you would do in the situation, something that Squid Game confronts head-on. There’s a deeper, more horrifying reason why both viewers and Netflix are able to engage with Squid Game on the most surface level possible, though, and it’s that Hwang Dong-hyuk... Is right. We are under the yoke of corporations and billionaires. They inure us into thinking that capitalism is a game we can win, but it’s rigged to their benefit, and not ours. Think about how the central action of the show features humans, reduced to numbers instead of names, forced to kill each other playing children’s games. Dong-hyuk distills it down even more simply in Seong Gi-hun’s first encounter with the Squid Game in the series premiere. Penniless, defeated, and beaten up, he encounters a clean-cut man in a business suit (Gong Yoo) on the subway. The man tells Seong Gi-hun he can play a simple children’s game (called ddakji), and after losing the first round is told that if Seong Gi-hun wins, he gets money. If he loses, the businessman gets to slap him. What follows is a series of increasingly harder, more humiliating slaps as the businessman beats down Seong Gi-hun. When he finally wins, Seong Gi-hun goes to slap the businessman back – but no, the game is over. He gets paid. It’s done. In Season 2, Dong-hyuk drives this home even harder, throwing any sort of subtly out the window in a desperate attempt to get his point across to the section of the audience who saw “die for money” as too opaque a metaphor. The businessman has graduated from ddakji to giving hungry homeless people the choice between bread, and a lottery ticket. Would you rather eat, or have the chance for money you’ll likely never receive? Guess which most of them choose (and lose)? As the second season continues, in small ways and big Seong Gi-hun is as controlling of the men he sends on a treasure hunt city-wide to find that businessman as anyone running the Squid Game. There’s a major sequence early in the season set on Halloween that is clearly pointed at anyone who thinks it might be fun to dress as a Squid Game guard. Once Seong Gi-hun is back in the game, his seeming heroism turns self-centered, and his vision of bringing down the game is less about saving people than redeeming himself for his own complicated actions. It muddies the waters of the conversation, but also turns the camera towards the audience, practically screaming that if you thought you were a hero like Seong Gi-hun... Well, you’re bad, too. But what can you do about it? The game is rigged. The billionaires are in charge of it all. Netflix is able to sell you those Funko Pop!s, the Vans, and the Red Light/Green Light Mattel doll for kids because the alternative – you cannot beat the system, we will all die in here – is too horrifying to contemplate. Netflix is worth nearly $400 billion. They are the VIPS in this scenario, seeing no repercussions for their actions. While they’re not literally making us walk a glass bridge until we plummet to our deaths, they are hiding behind their golden animal masks, and reducing us to streaming numbers controlled by the algorithm. As the Front Man explains early in Season 2 when Seong Gi-hun tells him he wants to end Squid Game once and for all, the key isn’t killing one man, or even multiple men, as Seong Gi-hun has planned. It’s so much bigger than that. “If the world doesn’t change, the game doesn’t end,” the Front Man says. So how do you change the world? How can anyone? To grasp that in any fashion is to know the system is everywhere, and it’s overwhelming. That’s what the contestants in the show realize during their brief sojourn back to Seoul in Season 1, that dying playing a children’s game is essentially the same as living in society. For us here in the real world, it’s easier to giggle about the actor dressed as the Front Man telling everyone on our corporate team that the Squid Games have begun, taking selfies and eventually heading back to our safe, identical hotel rooms, than contemplate we’re all trapped in one, large Squid Game ourselves, every day of our lives.Christina Haack’s Ex Ant Anstead Will Make an Appearance on Her New HGTV ShowBig Ten slate features Indiana-Ohio State showdown and Penn State-Minnesota matchup Things to watch this week in the Big Ten Conference: Game of the week No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten, No. 5 CFP ) at No. 2 Ohio State (9-1, 6-1, No. 2 CFP), Saturday, noon ET (Fox) This marks the 98th matchup between these two teams, but it's only the fourth time both teams have been ranked. Although Indiana is unbeaten, its soft schedule means the Hoosiers aren't assured of making the 12-team field if they lose this game. The only team with a winning record that Indiana has beaten is Washington (6-5). Ohio State needs a win to have a realistic shot at a rematch with top-ranked Oregon in the Big Ten championship game. Ohio State has beaten Indiana 28 straight times since the Hoosiers posted back-to-back victories in 1987-88. The undercard No. 4 Penn State (9-1, 6-1, No. 4 CFP) at Minnesota (6-4, 4-3), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (CBS) This is likely Penn State's biggest obstacle on its way to a potential playoff berth. The Nittany Lions' lone remaining regular-season game is a Nov. 30 home matchup with Maryland (4-6, 1-6). Minnesota has had an extra week to prepare this game since its 26-19 loss at Rutgers on Nov. 9, which snapped a four-game winning streak. Penn State and Minnesota have split their last four meetings, with the home team winning each time. Impact players Penn State DE Abdul Carter has multiple tackles for loss in each of his last three games. He ranks second among all Bowl Subdivision players in tackles for loss (17 1⁄2). Southern California RB Woody Marks rushed for a career-high 146 yards in a 28-20 win over Nebraska. Marks has six 100-yard rushing performances this season. Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai is the first Scarlet Knight to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons since Ray Rice did it three straight years from 2005-07. Monangai has run for 1,028 yards this season and rushed for 1,262 yards last year. Oregon OLB Matayo Uiagalelei recorded a sack and had a game-clinching interception as the top-ranked Ducks won 16-13 at Wisconsin last week. He has 8 1⁄2 sacks this season to rank second in the Big Ten. Inside the numbers Four of the top seven Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks in passer rating are from the Big Ten. Indiana's Kurtis Rourke is second, Ohio State's Will Howard is third, Penn State's Drew Allar is fifth and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel is seventh. ... Illinois QB Luke Altmyer has thrown 18 touchdown passes with only three interceptions. The only Power Four quarterback with a better touchdown/interception ratio while throwing at least 10 touchdown passes is Clemson's Cade Klubnik, who has 26 touchdowns and four interceptions. ... Rutgers' three Big Ten wins matches its largest total since joining the league in 2014. Rutgers also had three conference wins in 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2023. A victory Saturday over No. 24 Illinois would give Rutgers three straight Big Ten wins for the first time. ... Washington's 31-19 win over UCLA was its 20th straight home victory, representing its second-longest such streak in school history. The Huskies won 45 straight home games from 1908-17. ... Wisconsin heads to Nebraska this week having won its last 10 matchups with the Cornhuskers. Now don't get upset Penn State justifiably is favored on the road against Minnesota, but Bet MGM's 12 1⁄2-point spread seems way too big. Expect this game to have a single-digit margin.
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