Semester 2 registration is open at Saskatchewan’s Distance Learning Centre. Sask DLC is a fully accredited online school that offers Kindergarten to Grade 12 education to Saskatchewan students of all ages and backgrounds. The straightforward school supply list includes a computer with internet access and, as part of the computer or as an add-on, a mouse, microphone, and webcam. Students also need headphones/earbuds, a scanner/cell phone camera for submitting work, a printer and paper, along with standard supplies such as pens/pencils, an eraser, ruler, scissors, markers, geometry set, binders, and paper or notebooks. New courses in practical and applied arts and elective courses will give students greater opportunities to explore their interests or try something new and see if it sparks their curiosity. Tourism 10 and 20 courses will introduce students to food and beverage, accommodation, recreation and entertainment, transportation and travel services. Tourism 10 provides the theoretical component necessary for Tourism 20. Tourism 20, newly available in Semester 2, provides more theory and is coupled with a work placement. Other new courses available in Semester 2 include Energy and Mines – Oil & Gas 20 and Football Skills 10. Students enrolling in Energy and Mines 20 will learn about energy exploration, production and environmental stewardship practices, as well as industry trends, safety, economic impacts and technological advancements. This course, available in Semester 2 only, provides 50 hours of online theory and a 50-hour work placement. Football Skills 10, one of the courses offered as part of a grouping of unique electives, will introduce students to the basic concepts of football. They will explore the elements and rules of tackle, touch and flag football while developing fitness levels, mental training and leadership skills. Students will examine the importance of basic training, conditioning, nutrition and mental wellness in developing an athlete. They will learn about game strategy and tactics, individual and team goal setting, leadership, communication and team building, sportsmanship and fair play and have the opportunity to explore pathways in football beyond high school. Football 20 and 30 are expected to be available in the 2025-26 school year. Also, Baseball 10, 20, and 30 are part of the unique electives grouping. Whether new to baseball or having some experience, students will find that these courses cater to all skill levels. Starting with the basics and rules, students progress to intermediate topics like statistics and metrics for athlete development and can explore non-playing careers such as coaching, umpiring, recruiting, and broadcasting. Baseball 30 will be available in Semester 2. Sask Polytech provided high school students taking online automotive courses, with the opportunity to get practical, hands-on learning in the automotive mechanical field, through a one-day learning camp at the Sask Polytech Saskatoon Campus. Sask DLC and Sask Polytech learning camps provide students from across the province with opportunities to learn about potential career paths and make informed choices for their future beyond high school. The camps allow students to either confirm their current career aspirations or discover new ones. Students got a preview of the Automotive Service Technician certificate program and apprenticeship training options available at Sask Polytech. “Sask Polytech is excited to support students interested in pursuing a career in the automotive industry,” Sask Polytech President and CEO Dr. Larry Rosia said in a News Release. “High school students can gain numerous benefits from exploring the trades and participating in the camp. It is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the automotive industry and to learn about the Automotive Service Technician program.” Interest among students in Sask DLC’s Mechanical and Automotive courses continues to increase. More than 300 students registered for Mechanical and Automotive courses, including 168 with work placements so far this school year. Last year, 124 students registered in Mechanical and Automotive 10, 20 or 30-level courses, completing more than 4,500 work placement hours. An additional 98 students took the introductory theory-only course. Sask DLC offers five Mechanical and Automotive courses for students across the province, including a 10-level introductory course where students can choose to do full-online theory or participate in 75 hours of online theory with a 25-hour work placement. At the 20-and-30- level each course is a combination of 50 hours of online theory and 50 hours of an in-person work placement at a local business. Students participating in the optional learning camp at Sask Polytech will earn six credit hours toward their work placement requirement. Student work placements are possible due to a partnership between Sask DLC and the Saskatchewan Automobile Dealers Association (SADA). Through this partnership, students are provided with opportunities to complete their work placement at a SADA member dealership. This partnership provides students with work placement opportunities near their home community and supports the automotive sector’s recruitment of future qualified employees to serve the industry. These courses complement several other 35 Sask DLC trades courses with work placements or hands-on learning opportunities available to students including Agriculture Equipment Technician, Autobody, Construction and Carpentry, Electrical, Energy and Mines - Oil and Gas, Parts Technician, Power Engineering, Precision Agriculture, Tourism, and Welding. Sask DLC’s Mechanical and Automotive, and other courses are open for semester 2 registration. Courses are available to full-time Sask DLC students and high school students attending local schools throughout the province to supplement their in-person learning. High school students can contact their local school administrator or guidance counsellor for help registering. Learn more about all online courses with work placements available through Sask DLC at saskDLC.ca .Thirty years ago, Freeman Health System cardiologists performed the hospital's first-ever cardiac catheterization. Now a heart program that started in a mobile unit performing about 100 catheterizations a year has grown into the Freeman Heart & Vascular Institute. Cardiologist John Cox, the surgeon who performed that first cardiac catheterization, talked about it last week in one of those cath labs. “During that time we’ve grown tremendously,” Cox said. “We went from a mobile lab to now four very busy cath labs. We had a goal our first year to do 100 heart procedures in our lab. We hit that number, and this last year we did 4,300, so we’ve had tremendous growth during that time. The program has been an innovator in this region of all kinds of new procedures. We’ve been the first to do lots of things.” According to Freeman, a cardiac catheterization is a procedure done to test for specific heart or blood vessel problems such as clogged arteries or irregular heartbeats. The procedure uses a hollow tube called a catheter that’s guided through a blood vessel to the heart. The test gives cardiologists key details about the heart muscle, heart valves and vessels in the heart. “There was a need for additional heart expertise in Joplin so we conceived of building initially a mobile lab just to get us off the ground,” Cox said. “That lab allowed us to do some diagnostic procedures and then some months later we were able to do our first cardiac procedures here. It began with that procedure.” Cox said the first procedures performed 30 years ago were diagnostic in nature, meaning they used the images and other information to diagnose what was wrong and decided what to do about it in a future procedure. Cox said the technology involved in doing cardiac catheterization has changed dramatically in 30 years, allowing doctors to do the diagnostic procedure and decide right there what needs to be done, then take whatever interventions are determined to be needed at the same time, saving the patient a return trip to the hospital. “The old technology was to create images on 35 millimeter film,” Cox said. “You could replay that on a giant tape recorder that you had to rewind to look at older images. It was difficult when you did a procedure to see exactly the details. Often times, you had to do the case, take the pictures and develop the film and then look and decide, 'What am I going to do?' Nowadays you have instant replay of very detailed images so on the fly we can see exactly what’s going on and make decisions on the table contemporaneous with the procedure going on. There’s not a need to do a diagnostic procedure and pause and develop film and contemplate what’s going on. We can move from a diagnostic procedure to a therapeutic procedure very quickly.” Cox said the procedures performed at the Freeman Heart & Vascular Institute have likely allowed thousands of people to live longer and more fulfilling lives. Cox also introduced Elizabeth Baum, a cardiovascular technician at Freeman, who was with him 30 years ago for that first catheterization procedure. “We started with four people, now we’re up to about 18-20 people,” Baum said. “We do multiple different procedures now when back then it was one procedure, diagnostic. Now we do interventions and work on a lot of different parts of the body, not just the heart.”
Euro rebounds as French bonds stabilize; bitcoin jumps past $100,000
Union blasts comments by Quebec minister mulling law to intervene to end strikes MONTREAL — Canada's largest union is denouncing a statement by Quebec's labour minister, who suggested he might try to bring in legislation to give the province more power to end labour disputes. Canadian Press Dec 24, 2024 12:45 PM Dec 24, 2024 12:50 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Quebec Labour Minister Jean Boulet responds to the Opposition during question period at the legislature in Quebec City, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot MONTREAL — Canada's largest union is denouncing a statement by Quebec's labour minister, who suggested he might try to bring in legislation to give the province more power to end labour disputes. The Canadian Union of Public Employees is describing Jean Boulet as "the Grinch trying to steal the right to strike." Boulet told CBC/Radio-Canada that he's mulling changing the province's labour code to allow the government to suspend a strike or lockout and impose arbitration. The legislation would be modeled on a similar law at the federal level that has been used to end strikes at Canada's ports, railways and at Canada Post. Boulet told the outlet he's also considering expanding the province's list of essential services, which could prevent workers in some sectors from striking. His office did not respond for a request for comment. CUPE says the right to strike is protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and attempts to undermine it will be "inevitably" struck down in court. "The right to strike is a fundamental right, a cornerstone of our democracy," CUPE Quebec President Patrick Gloutney said in a news release. "Taking advantage of the holiday season to try to weaken it shows deep disdain for those who fight every day for fair working conditions." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 24, 2024. The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More National News Premiers urge Trudeau to extend deadline for charitable donations after postal strike Dec 24, 2024 12:17 PM Dismiss Trump taunts, expert says after 'churlish' social media posts about Canada Dec 24, 2024 12:02 PM Ontario First Nation challenging selection of underground nuclear waste site in court Dec 24, 2024 11:41 AM Featured Flyer
Jay Wheeler and Zhamira Zambrano premiere music video for 'Santa,' talk first Christmas with their baby: EXCLUSIVENone
1 2 3 Pune: Mahayuti gained over 100 seats in assembly polls compared to its performance in Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. The Mahayuti alliance partners were leading in 230 assembly seats at 10pm on Saturday, compared to their leads in 125 assembly segments during LS polls. With leads in 132 seats, BJP nearly doubled its leads in 79 assembly segments in LS polls. NCP jumped from leads in six assembly segments during LS polls to 41 seats. Shiv Sena secured leads in 57 seats compared to 40 assembly segments in LS polls. At the same time, MVA lost immense ground after LS polls. The alliance was leading only in 46 seats compared to its lead in 153 assembly segments during general elections. Congress was in front in only 16 seats, compared to leads in 63 assembly segments during LS polls. Sena (UBT) won only 20 of 57 assembly seats it had secured a lead on in LS polls. NCP (SP) was leading in 10 seats against its leads in 33 assembly segments in LS polls. BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said, "People realised that LS election campaign was based on a fake narrative. Our campaign focused on development and projects we implemented." Maharashtra Jharkhand Maharashtra Alliance View i Party View Seats: 288 Results Majority: 145 BJP+ 229 MVA 47 OTH 12 Results : 288 / 288 BJP+ WON Jharkhand Alliance View i Party View Seats: 81 Results Majority: 41 INDIA 56 NDA 24 OTH 1 Results : 81 / 81 INDIA WON Source: PValue Though Mahayuti gained seats, vote share of its partners remained more or less the same when compared to LS elections. BJP's vote share in June was 26.18% compared to 26.77% in assembly polls till late night. Shiv Sena's vote share remained over 12%. NCP made an impressive gain, jumping from 3.6% in LS polls to over 11% in results declared on Saturday. All MVA partners saw a drop in their vote share compared to LS polls. Rajas Parchure, former director of Gokhale Institute of Economics and Politics, told TOI Mahayuti's clear sweep indicated voters found a chord of connection with govt having executed its promises. Prakash Pawar, a poll analyst, told TOI, "BJP managed to secure all internal conflict by getting a grip on groups in every constituency. Congress failed to be present on the ground for the last few months, especially when they all rushed to Wayanad for Priyanka Gandhi's form submission. They ended up ignoring on-ground campaigning." Pune: Mahayuti gained over 100 seats in assembly polls compared to its performance in Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. The Mahayuti alliance partners were leading in 230 assembly seats at 10pm on Saturday, compared to their leads in 125 assembly segments during LS polls. With leads in 132 seats, BJP nearly doubled its leads in 79 assembly segments in LS polls. NCP jumped from leads in six assembly segments during LS polls to 41 seats. Shiv Sena secured leads in 57 seats compared to 40 assembly segments in LS polls. At the same time, MVA lost immense ground after LS polls. The alliance was leading only in 46 seats compared to its lead in 153 assembly segments during general elections. Congress was in front in only 16 seats, compared to leads in 63 assembly segments during LS polls. Sena (UBT) won only 20 of 57 assembly seats it had secured a lead on in LS polls. NCP (SP) was leading in 10 seats against its leads in 33 assembly segments in LS polls. BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said, "People realised that LS election campaign was based on a fake narrative. Our campaign focused on development and projects we implemented." Though Mahayuti gained seats, vote share of its partners remained more or less the same when compared to LS elections. BJP's vote share in June was 26.18% compared to 26.77% in assembly polls till late night. Shiv Sena's vote share remained over 12%. NCP made an impressive gain, jumping from 3.6% in LS polls to over 11% in results declared on Saturday. All MVA partners saw a drop in their vote share compared to LS polls. Rajas Parchure, former director of Gokhale Institute of Economics and Politics, told TOI Mahayuti's clear sweep indicated voters found a chord of connection with govt having executed its promises. Prakash Pawar, a poll analyst, told TOI, "BJP managed to secure all internal conflict by getting a grip on groups in every constituency. Congress failed to be present on the ground for the last few months, especially when they all rushed to Wayanad for Priyanka Gandhi's form submission. They ended up ignoring on-ground campaigning."
Nigel Farage said he is weighing up what action to take if the Conservatives do not apologise for accusing Reform UK of “fakery” over its membership numbers. The Reform UK leader pushed back against reports suggesting that legal action would be the next step, saying he would make a decision in the next couple of days about his response if there is no apology for the “crazy conspiracy theory”. Mr Farage also said the party has “opened up our systems” to media outlets, including The Daily Telegraph and The Financial Times, in the interests of “full transparency to verify that our numbers are correct”. His remarks came after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused Mr Farage of “fakery” in response to Reform claiming they had surpassed the Tories in signed-up members. Mrs Badenoch said Reform’s counter was “coded to tick up automatically”. A digital counter on the Reform website showed a membership tally before lunchtime on Boxing Day ticking past the 131,680 figure declared by the Conservative Party during its leadership election earlier this year. Mr Farage, on whether he was threatening legal action or not, told the PA news agency: “I haven’t threatened anything. I’ve just said that unless I get an apology, I will take some action. “I haven’t said whether it’s legal or anything.” He added: “All I’ve said is I want an apology. If I don’t get an apology, I will take action. “I will decide in the next couple of days what that is. So I’ve not specified what it is.” Mr Farage, on the move to make membership data available to media organisations, said: “We feel our arguments are fully validated. “She (Mrs Badenoch) has put out this crazy conspiracy theory and she needs to apologise.” The accusations of fraud and dishonesty made against me yesterday were disgraceful. Today we opened up our systems to The Telegraph, Spectator, Sky News & FT in the interests of full transparency to verify that our data is correct. I am now demanding @KemiBadenoch apologises. — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) December 27, 2024 On why Mrs Badenoch had reacted as she did, Mr Farage said: “I would imagine she was at home without anybody advising her and was just angry.” Mr Farage, in a statement issued on social media site X, also said: “The accusations of fraud and dishonesty made against me yesterday were disgraceful. “Today we opened up our systems to The Telegraph, Spectator, Sky News and FT in the interests of full transparency to verify that our data is correct. “I am now demanding Kemi Badenoch apologises.” A Conservative Party source claimed Mr Farage was “rattled” that his Boxing Day “publicity stunt is facing serious questions”. They added: “Like most normal people around the UK, Kemi is enjoying Christmas with her family and looking forward to taking on the challenges of renewing the Conservative Party in the New Year.” Mrs Badenoch, in a series of messages posted on X on Thursday, said: “Farage doesn’t understand the digital age. This kind of fakery gets found out pretty quickly, although not before many are fooled.” There were 131,680 Conservative members eligible to vote during the party’s leadership election to replace Rishi Sunak in the autumn. Mrs Badenoch claimed in her thread that “the Conservative Party has gained thousands of new members since the leadership election”. Elsewhere, Mr Farage described Elon Musk as a “bloody hero” and said he believes the US billionaire can help attract younger voters to Reform. Tech entrepreneur Mr Musk met Mr Farage earlier this month at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, amid rumours of a possible donation to either Mr Farage or Reform. Mr Farage told The Daily Telegraph newspaper: “The shades, the bomber jacket, the whole vibe. Elon makes us cool – Elon is a huge help to us with the young generation, and that will be the case going on and, frankly, that’s only just starting. “Reform only wins the next election if it gets the youth vote. The youth vote is the key. Of course, you need voters of all ages, but if you get a wave of youth enthusiasm you can change everything. “And I think we’re beginning to get into that zone – we were anyway, but Elon makes the whole task much, much easier. And the idea that politics can be cool, politics can be fun, politics can be real – Elon helps us with that mission enormously.” We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate. Last Updated: Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
OTTAWA, Ontario — Ilya Samsonov made 38 saves, and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Thursday night. Samsonov had given up 10 goals in his previous two outings but made key saves on Josh Norris, David Perron, Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk to keep the Senators at bay. The Senators (8-10-1) are now mired in a four-game losing streak and have only managed two goals in their last three games. Vegas (12-6-2) took the lead early in the first period when Linus Ullmark made a diving save but was unable to get back into position, giving Jack Eichel an open net for his sixth goal of the season. Brett Howden made it 2-0 midway through the second with a goal that beat Ullmark, who made 29 saves, under the arm. Adam Gaudette finally beat Samsonov 7:17 into the third with two seconds remaining on the power play to cut the lead in half, but Pavel Dorofeyev regained the two-goal lead exactly two minutes later. Drake Batherson kept the Senators within reach and scored on a Jake Sanderson rebound with just over seven minutes remaining. They were unable to complete the comeback despite outshooting Vegas 18-5 in the third. Takeaways Senators: Giving up the first goal has proven costly for the Senators, who have lost eight straight and are 1-9-1 overall when allowing the first goal. Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Ilya Samsonov, bottom left, watches the puck as Golden Knights and Ottawa Senators players battle during second-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. Credit: AP/Sean Kilpatrick Golden Knights: Vegas capitalized off a poor Ottawa line change and got a free pass up the ice that led to Howden’s goal and a 2-0 lead. Key moment Trailing 3-2 in the third period, the Senators were unable to capitalize on their power-play opportunity late in the period. Key stat Vegas has a 12-1-1 record against Ottawa since entering the league in 2017. Up next The Senators host the Vancouver Canucks Saturday night, and the Golden Knights face the Montreal Canadiens Saturday afternoon.
KINGSTON, N.Y. — The Made in Kingston drew hundreds to the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County on Thursday, with dozens of artisans selling handmade items.The market, now in its 12th year, was first organized in 2013 by Pat Strong, Bob Ryan, and Joe Deegan to help rent vacant spaces in the Midtown area. After [...]Jake Paul makes feelings clear on fighting Conor McGregor instead of brother Logan
Stocks closed higher on Wall Street, giving the market its fifth gain in a row and notching another record high for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% Friday. The Dow added 1%, and the Nasdaq composite tacked on 0.2%. Retailers had some of the biggest gains. Gap soared after reporting quarterly results that easily beat analysts’ estimates. EchoStar fell after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company’s Dish Network unit. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Crude oil prices gained ground. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Stocks rose on Wall Street in afternoon trading Friday, keeping the market on track for its fifth straight gain. The S&P 500 was up 0.2% and was solidly on track for a weekly gain that will erase most of last week's loss. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 333 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite was essentially flat with a gain of less than 0.1% as of 3:07 p.m. Eastern. Markets have been volatile over the last few weeks, losing ground in the runup to elections in November, then surging following Donald Trump's victory, before falling again. The S&P 500 has been steadily rising throughout this week to within close range of its record. “Overall, market behavior has normalized following an intense few weeks,” said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide, in a statement. Several retailers jumped after giving Wall Street encouraging financial updates. Gap soared 10.8% after handily beating analysts' third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, while raising its own revenue forecast for the year. Discount retailer Ross Stores rose 1.5% after raising its earnings forecast for the year. EchoStar fell 2.4% after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. Smaller company stocks had some of the biggest gains. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.8%. A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 were gaining ground, but those gains were kept in check by slumps for several big technology companies. Nvidia fell 3.3%. Its pricey valuation makes it among the heaviest influences on whether the broader market gains or loses ground. The company has grown into a nearly $3.6 trillion behemoth because of demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other accounting software, fell 5.6%. It gave investors a quarterly earnings forecast that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Facebook owner Meta Platforms fell 0.8% following a decision by the Supreme Court to allow a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against the company. It stems from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Crude oil prices rose. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.41% from 4.42% late Thursday. In the crypto market, Bitcoin hovered around $99,000, according to CoinDesk. It has more than doubled this year and first surpassed the $99,000 level on Thursday. Retailers remained a big focus for investors this week amid close scrutiny on consumer spending habits headed into the holiday shopping season. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, reported a quarter of strong sales and gave investors an encouraging financial forecast. Target, though, reported weaker earnings than analysts' expected and its forecast disappointed Wall Street. Consumer spending has fueled economic growth, despite a persistent squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. Inflation has been easing and the Federal Reserve has started trimming its benchmark interest rates. That is likely to help relieve pressure on consumers, but any major shift in spending could prompt the Fed to reassess its path ahead on interest rates. Also, any big reversals on the rate of inflation could curtail spending. Consumer sentiment remains strong, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. It revised its latest figure for November to 71.8 from an initial reading of 73 earlier this month, though economists expected a slight increase. It's still up from 70.5 in October. The survey also showed that consumers' inflation expectations for the year ahead fell slightly to 2.6%, which is the lowest reading since December of 2020. Wall Street will get another update on how consumers feel when the business group The Conference Board releases its monthly consumer confidence survey on Tuesday. A key inflation update will come on Wednesday when the U.S. releases its October personal consumption expenditures index. The PCE is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation and this will be the last PCE reading prior to the central bank's meeting in December. Damian J. Troise And Alex Veiga, The Associated PressThe last date to apply for the NIFT 2025 entrance exam is January 9. The exam is scheduled to be held on February 9, 2025. New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has started the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) 2025 entrance exam online registration process. Candidates seeking to pursue undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes at NIFT can apply and appear in the NIFT entrance exam 2025. The online application link is available on the official website, exams.nta.ac.in/NIFT/. NIFT 2025 will be held as a computer-based test or paper-based test (PBT) in a total of 82 cities across the country. The paper will be in both English and Hindi language. NIFT Entrance Test 2025 Schedule How to apply for NIFT 2025 application? The steps to fill out the NIFT 2025 application form is detailed below- Those who will pass the exam will be eligible to pursue the Bachelor of Design (BDes), Bachelor of Fashion Technology (BFTech), Master of Design (MDes), Master of Fashion Management (MFM), Master of Fashion Technology (MFTech) and NLEA (NIFT Lateral Entry Admission) BDes, NLEA BFTech and PhD course. For more information related to NIFTEE 2025, candidates are advised to contact at 011- 40759000 or email the query at nift@nta.ac.in. Click for more latest Entrance Exams news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9. Arpita is a Senior Sub-Editor at Tv9 Digital. In the dynamic realm of news, she has over 4.5 years of rich experience along with a master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. Earlier, she has worked with The Statesman, Enewsroom, NDTV.From crafting insightful articles and dynamic web stories to providing real-time coverage through live blogging on the education beat, she thrives in the fast-paced world of journalism.Beyond the world of newsrooms, she finds joy and inspiration in the arts. Whether belting out tunes, dancing to the rhythm, experimenting with culinary delights, or immersing in the world of drama, she embraces creativity as a way of life.
Hiking apps prompt warnings after separate rescues from B.C.'s backcountry
Australia Senate committee backs bill to ban social media for children
None
Panamanian president dismisses Trump claims of China influence and US being ripped offThe search and rescue organization for Metro Vancouver's North Shore mountains is warning people to do their research after two international visitors became stranded while relying on hiking apps to plan their routes. Allan McMordie with North Shore Rescue managed the Sunday night rescue of a man from Goat Ridge, a backcountry area behind Grouse Mountain. He said the man told rescuers he had not been expecting snow, despite two of the local ski hills opening with fresh powder last month. "All you had to do was look at the top of the mountains from Vancouver and know there's snow up there," he said in an interview. "To be in running shoes and not even expecting any snow was pretty naive." The man from France had set out on a marked route, then decided to make his way through very rough, steep terrain to a separate trail at significantly higher elevation. "This is rugged backcountry," McMordie said. "It's almost impassable." McMordie could not confirm which apps the hikers in both recent rescues were using, but said a lack of any marked route or trail reports is a good indication not to use the application. In any case, he said trip planning should involve multiple sources for information. If the man from France had done any research, McMordie said he would have discovered the backcountry area where he was rescued is closed for the winter. In both recent cases, he said there are signs at each trailhead with maps showing trails and topography, along with reminders about key steps in trip planning, he said. Both men were lucky to have been able to make 911 calls, McMordie added, as service is patchy in the area and their phone batteries had nearly run out. Above all, he said hikers should tell someone else where they're going and when they expect to return, so that person can alert local authorities if necessary. "Absolutely nobody knew where this person was and what he was doing that day," McMordie said of the man from France. "If he had not been able to get that (911) call out, he would still be there." Sunday's rescue on Goat Ridge came three days after a similar call, when another man "seriously underestimated the difficulty" of a route marked in an online hiking app, North Shore Rescue said in a statement posted to social media. The group said there is "barely a trail" in the summer and "nothing whatsoever" in the winter, making for "full mountaineering conditions" at this time of year. The man called for help after hiking for eight hours that left him "tired, soaked (and) hypothermic" as the sun was setting," it said. It's doubtful the man would have survived the night in the Mount Seymour backcountry if he hadn't been able to make the call, the rescue group added. The man had been staying in a short-term accommodation and had taken an Uber to the trailhead. Only his girlfriend in Norway knew where he was, and he was not wearing or carrying adequate gear for the conditions, McMordie said. Vancouver-based Stephen Hui, the author of several B.C. hiking guidebooks, said the rough, mountainous terrain steps away from urban Metro Vancouver and the extent of the snowpack in winter is a surprise for many visiting hikers. Hui said online apps can be helpful and often provide commentary about trail conditions from other hikers, but it's crucial to look at additional sources of information, including complete maps and provincial and national park websites. He said local authorities and outdoor groups have some responsibility for people heading into the backcountry, and there is room for more signage and education. Ultimately, though, he said people must be responsible for themselves. "We can't handhold everybody," he said. "There's always going to be dangers in hiking." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press
For Cyber Monday, Alienware dropped the price of the Alienware m18 R2 RTX 4090 gaming laptop for $2999.99 shipped. The Alienware m18 is the biggest and most powerful Alienware laptop you can buy. It's clearly designed to be a mobile desktop replacement and, equipped with the right specs (like the RTX 4090 mobile GPU), it has the potential to be more powerful than most dedicated gaming desktop PCs. This particular configuration is as high-end as you can go, with Intel's most powerful i9 processor and Nvidia's most powerful mobile GPU. Alienware m18 R2 RTX 4090 Gaming Laptop The Alienware m18 "R2" model is the 2024 update to Alienware's flagship gaming laptop. The only changes from the prior year model are the transition to Intel's 14th gen HX processors and Wi-Fi 7 support. The Alienware m18 boasts exceptional build quality with a premium bead-blasted anodized aluminum chassis, full-sized keyboard with numpad, and an aggressive Cryo-Tech cooling sytem that incorporates a vapor chamber with quad heatpipes and four exhaust fans. The RTX 4090 mobile GPU has a maximum TGP wattage of 165W (150W + 15W dynamic boost). This is still the most powerful mobile GPU on the market, and by a very substantial margin. It's roughly equivalent to a desktop RTX 3090 GPU. It can easily run any game on the 2560x1600 or 1920x1200 display as well as any externally connected higher resolution gaming monitor. In fact, this is the only mobile GPU I'd personally recommend for 4K gaming. A GPU this powerful requires a lot of power, so the laptop includes a hefty 330W power brick. If this is going to be your primary gaming rig and you don't want to be limited by portablity, then there's no better choice than the 4090. Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.