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WASHINGTON The US State Department on Monday urged Pakistani authorities to respect human rights and called on protestors to demonstrate peacefully as opposition protestors took to the streets. During a press briefing, Spokesman Matthew Miller said the US supports freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. "We call on protesters to demonstrate peacefully and refrain from violence, and at the same time, we call on Pakistani authorities to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and to ensure respect for Pakistan's laws and constitution as they work to maintain law and order," said Miller. Thousands of protesters pushing for the release of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday entered the capital Islamabad amid clashes with security forces that left at least one policeman dead and several others injured. Khan, founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), called for nationwide protest rallies and asked people to descend on the capital to take back the “looted” mandate in the wake of alleged poll rigging in the Feb. 8 general election, the release of political prisoners, as well as undoing controversial changes in the South Asian nation’s judiciary. Since Sunday, protesters began marching towards Islamabad, which has been fortified with heavy security, including paramilitary Rangers, and continued on Monday. The government said that at least one police officer was killed and 20 injured – several of them critically – in firing by the protesters. The police officer was killed near Islamabad, said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Trudeau says he expects Montreal rioters to be ‘pursued and punished’The Presidency Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi participated in a dinner banquet with His Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and the Minister of International Development, in the presence of senior executives of Norwegian companies and economic and investment funds, as part of the President’s state visit to Norway. The President delivered a speech during the dinner. Following is the text : ” In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Benevolent” Your Highness, Crown Prince Haakon, Ms. Anne Beathe, Minister of International Development of Norway, Esteemed heads of companies and investment funds, Honorable guests, At the outset, I would like to express my pleasure to visit your friendly country and my appreciation for the warm welcome and hospitality shown to me and my accompanying delegation. I would also to like to note the fruitful discussions I had today with His Majesty the King of Norway, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of Parliament, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, where there was a convergence of views on the two countries’ keenness to deepen bilateral cooperation politically, economically, and culturally. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Egyptian government has adopted an ambitious plan to improve the investment climate and strengthen the role of the private sector in driving economic development. This is being implemented through providing incentives and facilitations for foreign investors and removing any obstacles they may face. Throughout all my meetings, I emphasized the importance of enhancing economic and investment cooperation between our two countries. I highlighted the great importance the Egyptian government attaches to attracting foreign direct investment to the Egyptian market, which offers numerous opportunities across various vital sectors of mutual interest, such as energy including traditional, new, renewable, and green sources, transport, infrastructure, industry, agriculture, and information and communications technology, in line with the ambitious plans and goals to maximize the benefits from Egypt’s unique and strategic geographic location. From this standpoint, I invite all Norwegian companies and investment funds to augment their presence in the Egyptian market and to build on the existing successes of cooperation between several major Norwegian companies and the Egyptian side. Our meeting today represents a valuable opportunity to better understand your vision for increasing Norwegian investments in Egypt and to take practical steps towards realizing this goal. In conclusion, I would like to thank the Norwegian side for organizing this meeting, which shall contribute to further deepening Egyptian-Norwegian relations at all levels. I would also like to express my gratitude to His Highness the Crown Prince of Norway for his attendance, which demonstrates our countries’ keenness to further elevate relations that we highly value. Thank you very much, and I look forward to listening to your views. Again, I thank you all and I wish you all a Merry Christmas.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred pondering ‘Golden At-Bat’ rule
Apple is poised to shake up the smartphone world once again with the rumored iPhone 17 Air, a device that pushes the boundaries of thinness. But this pursuit of sleek aesthetics seems to come at a significant cost, with reports suggesting compromises on core features like speakers, 5G capabilities, and potentially even the camera system. While the final design isn’t confirmed, the leaks paint a picture of Apple prioritizing form over function in a way that could alienate some consumers. Will this gamble pay off, or will the iPhone 17 Air be a case of style over substance? For years, Apple has steadily increased the thickness and weight of iPhones to accommodate larger batteries, more advanced camera systems, and improved durability. This trend, however, appears to be reversing with the iPhone 17 Air. Leaked reports suggest a device as thin as 6mm, significantly slimmer than even the iPhone 6 , which measured 6.9mm. This radical redesign aims to capture the attention of consumers seeking a lightweight and pocketable device, but the engineering challenges involved necessitate some controversial trade-offs. The Price of Slimness: Sacrifices and Compromises To achieve this ultra-thin profile, Apple is reportedly making some significant compromises: A Controversial Design Choice: The Return of the Physical SIM Tray Interestingly, while ditching features like mmWave 5G, Apple is reportedly bringing back the physical SIM card tray in the iPhone 17 Air. This is a curious move, considering the company’s push towards eSIM technology in recent models. It’s possible that this decision is driven by market demand, particularly in regions where eSIM adoption is still low. However, it also seems to contradict Apple’s usual trend of embracing new technologies and streamlining its designs. The Potential Benefits: A Lightweight and Elegant Device Despite these compromises, the iPhone 17 Air offers some compelling advantages: The Big Question: Is it Worth the Trade-offs? Ultimately, the success of the iPhone 17 Air will depend on whether consumers are willing to accept the compromises for the sake of a thinner and lighter device. For some, the lack of features like stereo speakers and mmWave 5G will be a dealbreaker. Others, however, may be willing to prioritize portability and aesthetics over these functionalities. My Take: As a tech enthusiast, I’m intrigued by the iPhone 17 Air’s bold design. However, I’m also concerned about the potential compromises. Personally, I value a good audio experience and fast 5G connectivity, so the removal of these features would be a significant drawback. I also rely heavily on my phone’s camera, so I’d be hesitant to sacrifice image quality for a thinner profile. I think Apple is taking a risk with the iPhone 17 Air. While there’s certainly a market for ultra-thin and stylish phones, it remains to be seen whether consumers will embrace a device that sacrifices key features in the pursuit of aesthetics. It will be interesting to see how this gamble plays out and whether it influences future iPhone designs.President-Elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan for undocumented immigrants could have wide-ranging impacts across the country, particularly in Florida. But— at the moment— the state’s new leaders said it’s not their problem. While on the campaign trail, the former president regularly vowed to deliver mass deportation "on day one." At rallies, he often made the case by relating it to migrant crime. "When I'm re-elected, we'll begin removing these criminals, these horrible people from our midst," President-elect Trump said at a recent MAGA rally in Wisconsin. "And we'll end up doing it immediately." RELATED STORY | Scripps News/Ipsos poll: Support for mass deportations drops when Americans consider potential consequences Jan. 20 is now fewer than two months away. If President-elect Trump delivers, the changes to the Florida workforce and economy could be wide-ranging, some have even suggested devastating. Even so, Florida House Speaker Danny Perez (R) and Senate President Ben Albritton (R) sidestepped questions about the potential impacts, earlier this week. “Any sort of immigration policy that comes from the federal government is for the federal government to decide," said the House Speaker. "That's a question that you should be asking the president.” President Albritton said something similar, telling reporters Tuesday: “The federal government is the federal government. State government is state government. That's a federal issue." When pressed further about the possible disruptions from mass deportation, Albritton doubled down. “That's up to the federal government," said the Senate President. "We'll see what they do.” RELATED STORY | Trump's mass deportation plan targets specific groups of immigrants Exactly what they will do remains unclear. Trump has confirmed he’ll use the military. Texas has offered up land along the border for “deportation facilities.” Trump’s advisors have even said he’ll seek to again eliminate DACA, an Obama-era program that protects undocumented who arrived as children. Florida Democrats, like Rep. Marie Woodson (D-Pembroke Pines) a Haitian migrant herself — have warned for months what these mass deportations could mean for Florida. Her concern is a rise in bigotry and racial profiling. “For those who are afraid, I’ll tell you this— be afraid of Trump because he has proven to you who he is," said Woodson. “Okay, mass deportation. In mass deportation, you don't know who's going to be in that ‘mass.’ But we know for sure he doesn't want the people who came from the Biden program. Our brothers and sisters in Ohio. He doesn't want them here. He doesn't want the TPS recipient. He doesn't want Haitians in general.” There’s a major economic concern too. The latest data from the American Immigration Council show Florida has one of the highest populations of undocumented in the country, about 1.1 million. They’re about seven percent of the workforce here — with jobs in ag, hospitality, and construction, contributing about $2 billion to state and local taxes alone. The Brookings Institution recently suggested mass deportation could also lead to a decrease in work for citizens. Researchers found for every half million deported, U.S.-born employment dropped by about 44,000. “Occupations common among unauthorized workers, such as construction laborers and cooks, are essential to keep businesses operating,” the report said, in part. "Deporting workers in these jobs affects U.S.-born workers too." Florida’s governor and lawmakers have multiple state immigration laws already on the books, with strict work verification rules for employers. They have said they’re more focused on making the labor market inhospitable rather than mass deportation. "We're protecting Floridians with the full extent of our powers to do that," DeSantis said in May of last year, before signing an immigration reform bill. "But it's sad. It's sad to see what's happened. It's sad to see these images of the lawlessness." A new era may be on the horizon, however. For now, Florida’s lawmaking leaders seem content with waiting to see what happens next before going further. This story was originally published by Forrest Saunders at Scripps News Tampa .
Shares of Nvidia fell Monday after China said it is investigating the high-flying U.S. microchip company over suspected violations of Chinese anti-monopoly laws. In a brief news release with few details, Chinese regulators appear to be focusing on Nvidia's $6.9 billion acquisition of network and data transmission company Mellanox in 2019. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.CMLC sells land east of Central Library for a pair of residential towersNo ruling by 9th Circuit in Ex-Councilmember Mark Ridley Thomas’ appeal
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