Pauline Hanson's lawyers have sent a defamation warning to Senator Lidia Thorpe, who claimed the One Nation leader was a "convicted racist", and to the Nine Network for broadcasting the remarks. Hanson shared copies of the letters on X on Thursday afternoon in the wake of an interview Thorpe gave to Nine's Today show that morning. In it, she referred to Hanson as a "convicted racist". That followed a fiery day in the Senate on Wednesday where Thorpe ripped up a motion by Hanson on the chamber floor which sought to question independent senator Fatima Payman's eligibility to sit in parliament . Payman was born in Afghanistan and has taken reasonable steps to renounce her Afghan citizenship , with the process made near impossible due to the country now being under Taliban rule . "Senator Hanson gets away with so much she is a convicted racist," Thorpe told the Today show on Thursday. "She has worn a burqa in the chamber ; she baits me regularly with racial taunts, and what she did to Senator Payman was question her legitimacy in this place." Thorpe did not elaborate on what she meant by a "convicted racist", but Hanson was earlier this month found to have made a racist comment when she told Muslim Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi to pack her bags and go back to Pakistan. This was a civil finding — not a criminal conviction — and Hanson has appealed the decision. Hanson's lawyer, Anthony Jefferies from Gillis Delaney Lawyers, wrote in his letter to Thorpe that "no such conviction" against Hanson exists. "It is highly irresponsible of you to have used this language on national television," Jefferies wrote in the letter. "It cannot have occurred incorrectly given how self-evidently false your claim is. "We require you to immediately and publicly withdraw the allegation that our client stands convicted of a criminal offence and to apologise to her for your inappropriate conduct." And writing to Nine's Kiah Officer, legal counsel to the network, Jefferies said: "It is highly irresponsible of Nine to have broadcast this allegation on national television — uncorrected." He also said Nine must withdraw the allegation and apologise to Hanson, and that must occur on the Today show on Friday morning. Both letters were titled "Defamation of Senator Pauline Hanson". In a statement on Thursday afternoon, the Nine Network said: "TODAY wishes to clarify that Senator Hanson has not been criminally convicted of racism, and any suggestion to the contrary is unequivocally withdrawn." SBS News has contacted Thorpe's office for comment. 'Insidious and profoundly damaging': Australia's systemic racism revealed 'It's been a horrible week' Thorpe was suspended from the Senate for the remainder of the sitting week after ripping up the motion and giving senators the middle finger. In a separate interview with the ABC on Thursday morning, Thorpe said: "I am not one to stand or sit silent and allow this to happen. I would do it again." "It's been a horrible week, and when you're subjected to racism ... I stand up against it. I ripped up a piece of paper." She questioned parliament's response to racism and criticised being labelled the "naughty little Blak girl". "They are quick to punish the Blak woman here all the time for calling it out, but I am responding to racism, and that's what they need to focus on," she said. "It seems like there's one rule for white people who get away with racism, and there's one rule for us when we call that out: we're the ones that are the naughty little Blak girl." Speaking to the motion that resulted in Thorpe's suspension, Government Senate leader Penny Wong said there had been "multiple instances of Senator Thorpe making inappropriate and sometimes abusive comments towards other senators". "All Australians have a right to feel safe at work ... this behaviour would not be tolerated in any workplace, and we will not tolerate it in our workplace," she said. The motion passed 45 votes to 11, with the Greens Party voting against — in solidarity with their former colleague. Source: Getty / Martin Ollman But Thorpe criticised Wong's comments, urging the government to do more to respond to racism in parliament. "They need to not allow Senator Hanson and others to spew hate speech in our workplace. Pauline Hanson has walked in there with a burqa. She constantly is across the floor spewing racism and disgusting violence towards us and anybody else who is not white," she said. "That is not acceptable behaviour either. Why won't Wong and [Simon] Birmingham call that out?" Thorpe said the incident was proof an open inquiry into racism in parliament was necessary. The Senate voted on Monday to refer an inquiry into racism to an internal committee. The suspension prevented Thorpe from moving a private member's bill on genocide on Thursday, which seeks to remove the attorney-general's power to block prosecution of genocide or war crimes. Thorpe questioned the timing of the suspension. "It is very convenient that I am suspended today when that bill was to be voted on," she said. On Thursday morning, Thorpe entered the press gallery viewing area of the Senate, yelling a "free Palestine" chant. She then exited the chamber.ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Strome scored with 2:36 remaining as the Anaheim Ducks rallied from a two-goal deficit in the second period to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Sunday. Strome's goal, his sixth of the season, originally wasn't called, but it was reversed after a review. Strome's shot was entirely over the goal line before Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard could stop it with his skate. Mason McTavish added an empty-net goal. It is the first time since March 30, 2019, the Ducks have defeated the Oilers by more than one goal. Cutter Gauthier, McTavish and Robby Fabbri each had a goal and an assist. Drew Helleson also scored for Anaheim, which snapped a seven-game losing streak to Edmonton. Lukas Dostal made 20 saves. Leon Draisaitl had two goals and Connor McDavid two assists for the Oilers, who were 3-0-1 in their past four. Evan Bouchard also tallied a goal and Pickard stopped 27 shots. Oilers: Draisaitl became the fourth player with at least 120 regular-season points in the calendar year. The forward has 50 goals and 71 assists in 2024. The last calendar year to feature as many NHL skaters with 120-plus points was 1993. Ducks: Anaheim had a 32-23 advantage in shots on goal and has won four of its last seven. Fabbri tied it at 3-all with 2:27 remaining on a snap shot from the right faceoff circle after getting the pass from McTavish. Fabbri has seven points (three goals, four assists) in eight games since returning from a knee injury. McDavid has a 14-game point streak against the Ducks (11 goals, 23 assists). The only teams he has a longer active point streak against are Nashville and New Jersey at 15 games. Both teams have home games on Tuesday. The Oilers face Utah while the Ducks take on New Jersey. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
The Ondo State Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Tuesday invited the opposition to work and “join hands with the winning party” to govern the state. Aiyedatiwa said this when he and his deputy, Olayide Adelami, presented their certificates of return to President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja. On November 17, the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress the winner of the state governorship election held the previous day. Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja, Prof Olayemi Akinwunmi, and the Returning Officer of the exercise announced Aiyedatiwa as the winner, having polled 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ajayi Agboola of the Peoples Democratic Party, who scored 117,845 votes. Zenith Labour Party’s Abbas Mimiko, younger brother of the former governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, came a distant third with 2,692 votes. The President congratulated Aiyedatiwa and other candidates of the 17 political parties for the maturity and sense of purpose demonstrated during the campaigns and the election, attributing the success of the polls to the civility in the state. Addressing State House correspondents in Abuja, the governor said, “My advice to the opposition, since he (Agboola) desired to also govern the state—meaning he had an offering, but the people preferred us—so he should join hands with the winning party in the government. “Whatever offering he has, he can still pass them through us so that we can pass it on to the people so that they (the people) will be the overall winner at the end of the day.” The governor said he was at the Aso Rock Villa to present his certificate of return to the President. He said, “I came here today to meet with Mr. President, to express my gratitude to him as the leader of the country and of our party for providing an enabling environment for everyone, a level playing ground, and also as leader of our party, to present my certificate of return to Him. “Having gone through the election and with the outcome, I and the deputy have returned to see him. Related News Aiyedatiwa urges investors to tap into Ondo’s economic potential Aiyedatiwa, Ajayi clash over alleged N20bn election spending Aiyedatiwa gets certificate, court to decide PDP suit against deputy “The results were an unprecedented figure that no governor in the Ondo State election has ever gotten, and they won across the 18 local governments of the state.” Aiyedatiwa said he would ensure good governance for the people of Ondo state. “For them to have the dividend of democracy touching every sector of the society. And that is precisely what we’re doing. “Don’t forget that I’m not just coming in as a fresher; I’m a sitting governor who has been at the Service of the state for the past 10 months, and the people have seen what we have been able to do within 10 months. “This is one of the reasons they came out en mass to vote for our party,” he said. Ondo state is one of eight states with off-cycle elections. The 48-year-old state joined the off-cycle states after a court ruling upturned the election of former Governor Olusegun Agagu of the People’s Democratic Party in the 2007 polls. Although Agagu was declared the winner, his main opponent, Olusegun Mimiko of the Labour Party, contested the results, alleging widespread electoral fraud. The Court of Appeal upheld Mimiko’s claims, nullifying Agagu’s victory and declaring Mimiko the rightful winner. Mimiko was sworn in on February 24, 2009, effectively resetting the state’s electoral calendar and establishing the current off-cycle election schedule. The most recent governorship election was held on November 16, 2024. Incumbent Governor Aiyedatiwa sought a full term after assuming office following the death of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in December 2023. He secured a decisive victory, winning all 18 local government areas and amassing over 366,000 votes.A Toast to Community, Craft, and Giving Back Legit. Texas. Lager. Celebrate National Lager Day with Legit. Texas. Lager. Some proceeds go to support The Dickey Foundation. "Our Legit. Texas. Lager. reflects everything Dickey's stands for - authenticity, quality, and community,” said Laura Rea Dickey , CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. "This partnership with Panther Island Brewing allows us to create a product we're proud of while also giving back to the incredible men and women who protect and serve our communities.” The partnership between Dickey's and Panther Island Brewing began with shared values and a dedication to community. Ryan McWhorter , Founder and Head Brewer at Panther Island Brewing, recalls the humble beginnings of the brewery, which started with a small beer kit gifted to him by his wife Brittney. "From our kitchen experiments to a full-scale brewery, we've always been about crafting beers that bring people together,” said McWhorter. "Working with Dickey's on Legit. Texas. Lager. has been a perfect fit. It's a brew that embodies Texas pride and the importance of supporting first responders who serve our state.” Legit. Texas. Lager. is available at select H-E-B locations in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio , as well as Kroger in Lewisville, Texas , where Panther Island Brewing and Dickey's will host a special Lager Day celebration. Attendees can enjoy free samples, swag, and coupons as they raise a glass to the heroes of their community. Roland Dickey, Jr. , CEO of Dickey's Capital Group, emphasizes the lager's purpose-driven mission. "Legit. Texas. Lager. is more than just a great beer - it's a way to make a difference. Supporting first responders is a cause close to our hearts, and we're proud to partner with Panther Island Brewing to honor their service and sacrifice.” Celebrate National Lager Day with Us! Slightly sweet with a crisp finish, Legit. Texas. Lager pairs perfectly with barbecue, fire pits, and laid-back Sundays. Each purchase supports The Dickey Foundation's mission to provide safety equipment and resources to first responders. About Panther Island Brewing Family-owned and operated, Panther Island Brewing is dedicated to crafting quality beers for everyone. With over a decade of experience, the brewery remains rooted in community values and a passion for excellence. About Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. Founded in 1941 by The Dickey Family, Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. is the world's largest barbecue concept and continues as a third-generation family-run business. For over 80 years, Dickey's Barbecue Pit has served millions with its signature Legit. Texas. Barbecue.TM Slow-smoked over hickory wood-burning pits, Dickey's barbecued meats are paired with a variety of southern sides. Committed to authentic barbecue, Dickey's never takes shortcuts-because real barbecue can't be rushed. With over 866 restaurants across eight concepts in the U.S. and several countries, Dickey's Barbecue Franchise and Dickey's Restaurant Brands continues to grow under the leadership of Roland Dickey, Jr ., CEO of Dickey's Capital Group, and Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Inc. Dickey's has been recognized on Newsweek's 2022 "America's Favorite Restaurant Chains" list, Nation's Restaurant News 2024 top fast-casual brands for value, and USA Today's 2021 Readers' Choice Awards. The brand has also ranked in the Top 20 of Fast Casual's "Top 100 Movers and Shakers” for four of the past five years. Additional accolades include Entrepreneur's Top 500 Franchise and Hospitality Technology's Industry Heroes list. The brand has been featured by Fox News, Forbes, Franchise Times, The Wall Street Journal, and People Magazine . For more information, visit www.dickeys.com . For information about becoming a franchise partner, visit www.dickeysfranchise.com. Attachment Legit. Texas. Lager. CONTACT: Louisa Garrett Dickey's Barbecue Pit [email protected]Is the World Series champions’ plucking of another starting pitcher bad for baseball? Or should other organizations just try harder?
How to get and redeem the Model 42 Iron Man costume in Marvel RivalsTrying to fit in routines around work can be tricky, especially for women. New research from Vitality’s ‘Active women, healthy lives’ report finds that eight in 10 women under 50 say their demanding work schedules are holding them back from being active. As a result, a quarter of women exercise less than once a week (25%), and over half of women exercise less than they used to (52%). Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, in partnership with Vitality, is launching Walk Out to Work Out, a new initiative encouraging women to reclaim time during their busy working days to stay active. Jessica Ennis-Hill has shared a few tips to help women fit in exercise around their working day (Image: Vitality) Additionally, she has shared some top tips on how to fit some exercise in during the working day. The full ‘Active women, healthy lives’ report can be found on the website here . Jessica shared: "As a busy mum and business owner, I know how challenging it can be to fit in long workouts. That’s why I swear by short bursts of activity—what I call "exercise snacks." "Whether it’s a 5-minute stretch between meetings or a quick walk to clear your mind, these small moments can really add up and keep you feeling active without disrupting your day. Jessica explained: "When I need to take calls or brainstorm ideas, I often head out for a walk with my dog while doing it – ticking off two things I have to do. I find it not only helps me stay active but also boosts my creativity and focus. "Turn phone calls or virtual meetings into walking meetings where possible. It’s a simple way to add movement while staying productive." (function (d, s, n) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; js = d.createElement(s); js.className = n; js.src = "//player.ex.co/player/e581678b-798b-4990-96f0-b5cdd52a81fd"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); js.setAttribute('programmatic', 'true'); js.onload = function () { const playerApi233613 = ExCoPlayer.connect('e581678b-798b-4990-96f0-b5cdd52a81fd'); playerApi233613.init({ "autoPlay": false, "mute": true, "showAds": true, "playbackMode": "play-in-view", "content": { "playFirst": [ { "title": "How much water should you drink daily?", "src": "https://large-cdn.ex.co/transformations/production/41f11a67-8a1f-4249-8ae7-12b95862b6e3/720p.mp4" } ], "playlistId": "649d3cb479e0a90012b54cc2" }, "sticky": { "mode": "persistent", "closeButton": true, "pauseOnClose": true, "desktop": { "enabled": false, "position": "bottom-right" }, "mobile": { "enabled": false, "position": "upper-small" } }}); }; }(document, 'script', 'exco-player')); "As someone who’s juggled intense schedules, I’ve learned the importance of protecting my lunch break," Jessica said. "I use part of it for physical activity, whether it’s a quick workout, a jog, or a calming walk. "If you feel like your lunch break has disappeared into your workday, speak to your employer about how you can reclaim that time — it’s yours to use for your well-being. I suggest putting it in the diary as a meeting – this will ring-fence the time for you." Jessica explained: "I have worked with a lot of different sponsors and their teams and I’ve seen the difference it makes when workplaces support physical activity. "If you’re struggling to stay active, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with your employer. Suggest ideas like walking meetings, group exercise activities, or even flexible working hours to make staying active more achievable. "Remember, these changes benefit everyone, from employees to the company itself. Recommended reading: Jessica said: "I rely on technology to keep me on track. Fitness trackers or simple alarms can remind you to stand, stretch, or take a short walk every hour. "Even small movements like this can make a huge difference to your energy levels and focus throughout the day."
Workday earnings beat by $0.13, revenue topped estimates
The claim: Image shows protesters in South Korea marching toward presidential palace in December 2024 A Dec. 4 Facebook post ( direct link , archive link ) includes an aerial image that shows a mass of demonstrators in a city. "Today on the streets of South Korea as they marched the streets toward the presidential palace to demand the resignation of President Yoon Suk-yeol," the post's caption reads in part. The post was shared more than 100 times in a day. A similar post on X was reposted more than 7,000 times before it was deleted. More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page Our rating: False The image in the posts is from December 2016. It shows protesters rallying in Seoul against then-President Park Geun-hye. It does not show a protest against President Yoon Suk Yeol in December 2024. Image predates protests against Yoon by eight years Protesters triggered by Yoon's surprise move to establish martial law on Dec. 3 tried to march to the presidential palace in Seoul to demand his resignation but were stopped by South Korean police, according to footage posted by The Guardian on Dec. 4. Yoon, facing political backlash and widespread protests, reversed course on the martial law declaration and has since faced calls from the opposition Democratic Party to resign or face impeachment. However, the image in the Facebook post does not show protesters rallying against Yoon in December 2024. The photo was taken eight years prior, on Dec. 3, 2016. It shows demonstrators occupying Seoul's city center to rally against Park, the president at the time, over a government-influence scandal involving her friend, according to the photo's caption on Getty Images. Fact check : Military convoy photo predates South Korean martial law declaration The same photo was included in media reports published in 2016 describing ongoing protests against Park. She was later convicted on corruption charges and served nearly five years in prison before returning home with a pardon in March 2022, Reuters reported . USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response. AAP also debunked the claim. Our fact-check sources Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here . USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta .NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks closed at more records after Donald Trump’s latest talk about tariffs created only some ripples on Wall Street. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% to reach another all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.3% to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.6% as Big Tech stocks helped lead the way. Stock markets abroad saw mostly modest losses, after President-elect Trump said he plans to impose sweeping tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office. U.S. automakers and other companies that could be hurt particularly by such tariffs fell. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rising toward records Tuesday after Donald Trump’s latest talk about tariffs created only some ripples on Wall Street, even if they could roil the global economy were they to take effect. The S&P 500 climbed 0.5% and was on track to top its all-time high set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 81 points, or 0.2%, to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher, with less than an hour remaining in trading. Stock markets abroad were down, but mostly only modestly, after President-elect Trump said he plans to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office. Stock indexes were down 0.1% in Shanghai and nearly flat in Hong Kong, while Canada's main index edged down by just 0.1%. Trump has often praised the use of tariffs , but investors are weighing whether his latest threat will actually become policy or is just an opening point for negotiations. For now, the market seems to be taking it more as the latter. Unless the United States can prepare alternatives for the autos, energy products and other goods that come from Mexico, Canada and China, such tariffs would raise the price of imported items all at once and make households poorer, according to Carl Weinberg and Rubeela Farooqi, economists at High Frequency Economics. They would also hurt profit margins for U.S. companies, while raising the threat of retaliatory tariffs by other countries. General Motors sank 8.2%, and Ford Motor fell 2.6% because both import automobiles from Mexico. Constellation Brands, which sells Modelo and other Mexican beer brands in the United States, dropped 3.9%. Beyond the pain such tariffs would cause U.S. households and businesses, they could also push the Federal Reserve to slow or even halt its cuts to interest rates. The Fed had just begun easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high a couple months ago to offer support to the job market . While lower interest rates can boost the overall economy and prices for investments, they can also offer more fuel for inflation. “Many” officials at the Fed's last meeting earlier this month said they should lower rates gradually, according to minutes of the meeting released Tuesday afternoon. Unlike tariffs in Trump's first term, his proposal from Monday night would affect products across the board. Trump’s tariff talk came almost immediately after U.S. stocks rose Monday amid excitement about his pick for Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent. The hope was the hedge-fund manager could steer Trump away from policies that balloon the U.S. government deficit, which is how much more it spends than it takes in through taxes and other revenue. The talk about tariffs overshadowed another set of mixed profit reports from U.S. retailers that answered few questions about how much more shoppers can keep spending. They’ll need to stay resilient after helping the economy avoid a recession, despite the high interest rates instituted by the Fed to get inflation under control. Kohl’s tumbled 17.6% after its results for the latest quarter fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Tom Kingsbury said sales remain soft for apparel and footwear. A day earlier, Kingsbury said he plans to step down as CEO in January. Ashley Buchanan, CEO of Michaels and a retail veteran, will replace him. Best Buy fell 4.7% after likewise falling short of analysts’ expectations. Dick’s Sporting Goods topped forecasts for the latest quarter thanks to a strong back-to-school season, but its stock lost an early gain to fall 1.4%. A report on Tuesday from the Conference Board said confidence among U.S. consumers improved in November, but not by as much as economists expected. J.M. Smucker jumped 5.4% for one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500 after topping analysts' expectations for the latest quarter. CEO Mark Smucker credited strength for its Uncrustables, Meow Mix, Café Bustelo and Jif brands. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up U.S. indexes. Gains of 2.8% for Amazon and 2% for Microsoft were the two strongest forces lifting the S&P 500. In the bond market, Treasury yields rose following their big drop from a day before driven by relief following Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.30% from 4.28% late Monday, but it’s still well below the 4.41% level where it ended last week. In the crypto market, bitcoin continued to pull back after topping $99,000 for the first time late last week. It's since dipped back toward $91,600, according to CoinDesk. It’s a sharp turnaround from the bonanza that initially took over the crypto market following Trump’s election. That boom had also appeared to have spilled into some corners of the stock market. Strategists at Barclays Capital pointed to stocks of unprofitable companies, along with other areas that can be caught up in bursts of optimism by smaller-pocketed “retail” investors. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.
by Shanthilal Nanayakkara Retired Principal Engineer, Digital Transition Division, Australian Communications and Media Authority A Japanese delegation recently announced the resumption of the previously stalled digital television project in Sri Lanka following a meeting with the newly-elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The commencement of the digitisation project is now imminent. Once terrestrial television transmissions are digitised in Sri Lanka, it will replace the old analogue terrestrial television forever. Therefore, it is critically important that the final outcome is better than the current analogue television, if not far superior. Setting such a goal prior to the implementation of the project is crucial for its fruitful completion. To achieve this outcome, deficiencies in the current parameters in the Japanese Digital Plans need to be revisited and appropriately addressed for the benefit of all stakeholders. Otherwise, as it stands today, there is a high potential for rural and regional viewers in Sri Lanka to miss out on the digital coverage. (This is further illustrated below). Such an unwarranted outcome could become a highly ‘politically sensitive’ issue for the new government . Why Digital In analogue transmissions, radio waves encounter several problems. When radio waves are subjected to multipath, ghosting images appear on television screen. They are also subjected to cancellation of their own signals and interference. Digital technology overcomes these analogue transmission weaknesses and, as a huge value addition, is able to carry more information than its analogue counterpart. As this capacity enhancement feature helps carry multiple programmes on one frequency or channel, digital television transmission technology is considered to be highly spectrum productive. Once analogue is switched off, the vacant spectrum that can be harnessed, commonly known as Digital Dividend (DD), becomes an income earner for the Government, as spare spectrum can be sold to Telcos for broadband internet use. Thus, this digitisation project is effectively a self-financing venture for the government and a win-win for all stakeholders. Stakeholder benefits of digital Many countries in the world have now moved or are in the process of moving to the digital domain. Irrespective of the digital television transmission standard adopted in Sri Lanka, benefits of a conversion from analogue to digital television are many for the majority of stakeholders. These are listed below against the various stakeholders: * Government – a significant income from selling the vacant spare spectrum to Telcos, following full conversion to digital, provided appropriate modifications are made to the JICA plan; * Broadcasters – increased television channels and scope for increase of advertising revenue; * Viewers – increased number of television channels to facilitate a wider selection of content, with True High Definition (True HD) quality and potential 5.1 Surround Sound; * Content providers – opportunity to produce a wide range of programmes that are in demand; * Production houses – larger revenue from vastly increased niche productions; * Creators of social media and other internet-based content – opportunities to develop novel visual and aural media content; * Electronic Manufacturing/Testing – opportunities to manufacture digital television receivers and set up a receiver harmonisation/compatibility centre; * Broadcast Towers (similar to Lotus Tower) – Opportunities to establish and operate consolidated broadcast towers in the country; * Telcos- opportunity to purchase superior vacant spectrum for future fixed and mobile broadband applications. Funding arrangements or self-financing The current funding arrangement for digitisation of television in Sri Lanka is a ‘soft loan’ from the Japanese government, and it is tied up in ‘one bundle’ with loans for other projects. This loan is also based on the premise that the deployment of the Japanese digital television standard, Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) is mandatory. As the vacant spectrum can be sold after Analogue Switch Off (ASO), the venture could also be a self-financing project, albeit with bridging finance. Purpose of this essay The main purpose of this article is to suggest ways of optimising the benefits of the digitisation project while retaining the support of the Japanese government. If the bulk of problems for viewers and broadcasters can be removed by making appropriate adjustments to the current plans at a minimal cost, with broadcasters becoming willing participants, the digitisation of television in Sri Lanka would no doubt be a success for all stakeholders, including the new government. Otherwise, there is an urgent need to review the bi-lateral agreement that was signed previously. The broadcasting fraternity in Sri Lanka is fully aware that the Japanese system is not as efficient as the second generation European standard, Digital Video Broadcast-Terrestrial 2 (DVB-T2). Understanding Digital Simply put, digitisation of analogue vision and sound enables radio waves to carry more information within the same channel or bandwidth than in the analogue era. This allows producers of visual and aural content to be more creative than before. The technology also facilitates easy communication in both fixed and mobile environments and facilitates two-way communication more than in the analogue era. However, there are two main pitfalls that one needs to address in order to make the venture a success. They are as follows: Cliff effect (sudden loss of signal): – * to avoid the ‘cliff effect’ a robust signal (with higher reliability and availability at a receive location than in analogue era) is needed at the receiver to prevent momentary picture pixelation and/or sudden loss of signal; and * it is also necessary to ensure that all television digital services reaching viewer locations are of the same signal strength to ensure equity of services and therefore must originate from ONE location such as the Lotus Tower. * Absence of ‘graceful degradation’ and its effect on signal level – even with a degraded signal with ‘snowy pictures’, analogue signal is still watchable. It is not so with digital due to ‘cliff effect’. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that the digital coverage is the same or better than the existing watchable analogue coverage that is defined by a signal level of 43 dBuV/m in VHF Band III. This limit was adopted for digitisation in Australia. Deficiencies of the Japanese standard/plan In planning to deploy the ISDB-T system in our country, everyone should aim for a cost-beneficial outcome as it is of paramount importance to all stakeholders. There are several issues in the Japanese documentation of 2014/2018, which should be addressed to suit the needs of the public/consumers, broadcasters and government. They range from policy issues at the outset, technical areas during planning and management issues during the proposed phases of ASO and Digital Switch On (DSO). Spectrum for Digital: VHF/UHF issue In particular, the proposal to use only a part of the available broadcast spectrum has an impact on the eventual DD income for the Government. The Japanese have deployed both VHF and UHF spectrum in Brazil, strangely not offered to Sri Lanka. In that context, it is not clear why the Japanese team has not proposed a VHF and UHF combined solution as deployed in Brazil. This was pointed out by the writer when a Japanese team, including a senior Embassy official Sato Takefumi, met him in 2017 in Colombo to discuss Lotus Tower issues (after his disclosure in an article in The Island about the Lotus tower) and digitisation in general. Their response was ‘no one asked for it’. As it stands today in Sri Lanka, analogue television transmissions are based on frequencies using both VHF and UHF Bands, but the proposed Japanese digital conversion is not utilising the VHF Band. In particular, VHF Band III exhibits superior propagation characteristics, while contributing to lower the consumption of electricity by the transmitters. More importantly, VHF radio waves carry longer distances than UHF due to lower propagation losses, are able to travel around obstacles comparatively and therefore VHF is more suitable for wide coverage transmissions. Currently, the VHF spectrum is occupied by three television broadcasting networks i.e. Rupavahini, ITN and TNL. These networks will lose their inherent wide coverage VHF Band advantage. They also have the additional burden of occupying a digital channel in the UHF spectrum, especially when the earmarked UHF channels for digital are almost at the bottom of the UHF Band V, where propagation losses are higher than in UHF Band IV. ISDB-T New Coder H.265 It is a known fact that the Japanese ISDB-T standard, in payload capacity terms, is second to the second generation European Standard DVB-T2 that provides 45 Mb/s capacity. However, the Japanese standard can only carry about 1/2 of the European standard per channel at 23 Mb/s. But as the Japanese are now offering to change the content source coder to H.265, they will be able to provide HD at 1080P at a rate of 2-4 Mb/s. This change would now allow all HD TV ready broadcasters to provide True HD content at 1920 x 1080P and possibly can accommodate all television channels in Colombo. But the downside is that the receivers are going to be more complex with the new coder. This may then lead to more expensive ISDB-T receivers or STBs in Sri Lanka. Vacant VHF Band III The unused VHF Band III is likely to reduce the DD for the government though the Japanese strategy is to achieve some productivity by the use of single frequency networks in the UHF Band (SFNs-a technique to use the same frequency multiple times to improve spectrum productivity). However, in practice receiving of SFNs is not simplistic as the reception of SFN signals are subject to receiver complexities. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) may be exclusively reserving the VHF band for future digital radio, but the same band could be co-shared with digital television without any problems. For example, Australia is co-sharing VHF Band III for both digital television and radio without any issues. Once all analogue transmissions are switched off with the deployment of UHF band per se for digital, the unused VHF Band III spectrum, where 7 MHz bandwidth, 8 VHF Frequency channels exists, will become vacant. This is clearly a waste of unused spectrum. Additionally, as Restacking [restack is the re-arrangement of frequencies ideally in the two bands of VHF and UHF, to maximise the spectrum productivity] is in the Japanese Plan, additional expenditure on broadcasting infrastructure is also on the cards. Where are the funds coming from? There is no mention of new funding arrangements for Restacking of the spectrum, and it also raises questions about the STB/Receiver specifications as frequencies may need to change after Restacking. If some broadcasters are not keen to use ISDB-T, they may canvass for the opportunity to use the vacant VHF Band for the potential deployment of DVB-T2 standard. This MUST be avoided at all costs! If this happens, there will be two digital systems in Sri Lanka. This issue, in particular, could become another potential headache for the government as it is likely to be under heavy pressure from commercial broadcasters to release the vacant VHF Band III for the more efficient DVB-T2. This issue, too, was pointed out by the writer when another Japanese team consisting of a Senior Engineer from Yacheo Engineering along with Sato Takefumi of the Japanese Embassy met him in 2017/2018. Unless there are plans to use the vacant VHF Band III by Restacking the spectrum, this spectrum specifically allocated for broadcasting would go to waste. Digital Signal Reliability & Availability Unlike in the analogue domain, television signal reliability and its availability becomes crucial in digital reception. In the analogue era, television broadcasting service field strength was planned for 50% of the locations and 50% of the time at a receiving height of 10 m. But in digital this becomes 80%-95% of the locations and 90% of the time to ensure reliability and availability of the digital signal. Hence the planned field strength would need to be adjusted to ensure the required reliability and availability at a higher field strength. In Australia, field strength used was 50 dBuV/m for Band IV and 54 dBuV/m for Band V frequencies in a rural environment However, it is not clear from the published documents of the Japanese plans 2014/2018 whether this issue had been addressed or otherwise. The signal level at 51 dBuV/m identified in the 2018 Japanese documentation is certainly not adequate for a rural grade of service in the UHF Band! It ought to be in the region of 54-74 dBuV/m in the UHF Band V. For example, the Australian Broadcasting Planning Handbook for Digital Television Broadcasting has clearly identified these requirements and provided information on how they were derived. Duplication Parameter The potential impact of the proposals for duplication of coverage is illustrated in the diagram. (See Figure 01) The signal threshold of a planned analogue coverage is 50 dBuV/m for VHF Band III. However, some regional and rural viewers in Sri Lanka are currently receiving watchable analogue signals well below this value. If, as planned by the Japanese studies in 2014, the analogue coverage is converted at the planned cut-off level of 55 dBuV/m, then the majority of regional and rural viewers, who are currently watching the analogue television with no issues, will not be able to receive digital television coverage. This could potentially become a political nightmare for the new government. Therefore, the cut-off signal level, as illustrated above, should be lowered to 43 dBuV/m. Though Single Frequency Networks (SFNs) are a solution to mitigate this difference in coverage, it is not easy to implement them at the receiver-end due to the variation in receiver profiles of Set-Top-Boxes (STBs) and complexities in receiver SFN signal detection. The Japanese designers, while being aware of this issue, may have been heavily constrained due to the requirement for spectrum productivity. Most probably, given the limits of the available UHF spectrum for digital and the lower data efficacy of the Japanese ISDB-T standard, this higher limit of duplication may have been proposed by the designers in order to preserve some spectrum productivity. One Network Operator for Digital The advent of digital terrestrial television also signifies the end of individual transmission facilities for broadcasters, as several content feeds are carried on one frequency or the channel and the requirement to consolidate all transmissions at one site. A combined digital transmission service provider may, in the future, be an independent entity and the facilities may be offered to the broadcasters on a fee-levying basis, based on a pragmatic business plan. In a future digital broadcasting landscape, the broadcasters will essentially be ‘content’ providers. Perhaps, there ought to be some sort of protection provided to the existing broadcasters in the event new content providers also express a desire to use digital transmissions. Cost to viewers and broadcasters All consumer television sets require digital receivers to extract video and audio content from digital transmissions. Therefore, either in-built ISDB-T receivers or compatible STBs are required. For example, there are flat TVs that do not have in-built ISDB-T receivers. The cost of an STB for ISDB-T with H.265 decoders, is likely to be around US $ 50-100, depending on their complexity and economies of scale. If in the event, there is likely to be a Restack of frequencies including the VHF Band, two band STBs or receivers may be needed; one during the first phase and another after the Restack of channels with the ability to tune into the VHF Band. Additionally, at some household locations, there may also be a requirement for new receiver antenna installation to receive VHF/UHF channels. If so, this is also an additional cost to the viewer. There is also a significant cost to the commercial television broadcasters to provide HD ready studios, Outside Broadcast (OB)/Electronic News Gathering (ENG) equipment, and content feeding arrangements. However, once the commercial television broadcasters elect to use consolidated broadcast towers, analogue era transmission costs would also disappear as their independent transmission networks are no longer needed, in a digital environment. It is noteworthy to highlight that the Japanese financial proposal for digitisation of television is primarily for Rupavahini, and limited to funding the analogue to digital transfer of Rupavahini facilities, including the provision of a True HD studio, OB unit, Transmission equipment and a Central Command centre for the proposed Digital Broadcast Network Operations (DBNO) at the Lotus Tower. At this stage, there are no signs of any discussions with the broadcasters to develop a ‘road map’ to facilitate the smooth transition from analogue to digital of commercial channels. If Restack is to take place, there is likely to be additional costs but there is no mention of further Japanese funding for Restack of channels either. As additional costs to the commercial television broadcasters are likely, strategic government policy initiatives to compensate for the additional capital expenditure in a highly competitive market are in order. Way forward It is heartening to note that the Japanese plan has now incorporated the more efficient coder in H.265 with an intention to maximise the use of limited payload capacity of an ISDB-T channel, which then will result in providing True HD transmission (1920 x 1080P) for ALL licensed television channels in Colombo. If Japanese consultants can pay attention to the issues of using VHF Band III, changing receiving the field strength requirements to that of the ITU signal level requirements for UHF and address the duplication parameter issue, then ALL stakeholders including the government and broadcasters will no doubt look forward to the venture of digitisation of television in Sri Lanka.
NoneNo. 14 BYU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 14 CFP) at No. 21 Arizona State (8-2, 5-2, No. 21), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) League newcomer Arizona State has a three-game winning streak and BYU is coming off its first loss. The Cougars, after losing at home to Kansas, still control their own destiny in making the Big 12 championship game. They can clinch a spot in that Dec. 7 game as early as Saturday, if they win and instate rival Utah wins at home against No. 22 Iowa State. Arizona State was picked at the bottom of the 16-team league in the preseason media poll, but already has a five-win improvement in coach Kenny Dillingham's second season. No. 16 Colorado (8-2, 6-1, No. 16 CFP) at Kansas (4-6, 3-4), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox) Coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes are in prime position to make the Big 12 title game in their return to the league after 13 seasons in the Pac-12. If BYU and Utah win, Colorado would be able to claim the other title game spot with a win over Kansas. The Buffs have a four-game winning streak. The Jayhawks need another November win over a ranked Big 12 contender while trying to get bowl eligible for the third season in a row. Kansas has won consecutive games over Top 25 teams for the first time in school history, knocking off Iowa State before BYU. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown a touchdown in a school-record 14 consecutive games, while receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel both have more than 800 yards receiving. San Jose State is the only other FBS team with a pair of 800-yard receivers. Becht has 2,628 yards and 17 touchdowns passing for the Cyclones (8-2, 5-2), who are still in Big 12 contention. Oklahoma State goes into its home finale against Texas Tech with a seven-game losing streak, its longest since a nine-game skid from 1977-78. The only longer winless streak since was an 0-10-1 season in 1991. This is Mike Gundy's 20th season as head coach, and his longest losing streak before now was five in a row in 2005, his first season and the last time the Cowboys didn't make a bowl game. ... Baylor plays at Houston for the first time since 1995, the final Southwest Conference season. The Cougars won last year in the only meeting since to even the series 14-14-1. ... Eight Big 12 teams are bowl eligible. As many as six more teams could reach six wins. The Big 12 already has four 1,000-yard rushers, including three who did it last season. UCF's RJ Harvey is the league's top rusher (1,328 yards) and top scorer with 21 touchdowns (19 rushing/two receiving). The others with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons are Texas Tech career rushing leader Tahj Brooks (1,184 yards) and Kansas State's DJ Giddens (1,128 yards). Cam Skattebo with league newcomer Arizona State has 1,074 yards. Devin Neal, the career rushing leader at his hometown university, is 74 yards shy of being the first Kansas player with three 1,000-yard seasons. Cincinnati's Corey Kiner needs 97 yards to reach 1,000 again.The close-knit community of Durant, Oklahoma, reels from a tragic Christmas Eve incident that claimed the life of a beloved high school basketball coach and left an 8-year-old girl missing. Will Robinson died when the vehicle he and his family were traveling in was swept away by floodwaters near Sherman, Texas. Durant Public Schools expressed their sorrow over the loss and pledged support to students coping with the tragedy, as stated in a press release obtained by OKC FOX . The search efforts for Robinson's daughter, Clara, after the crash on U.S. Highway 75 have continued into their fourth day, with officials utilizing K9 and dive teams in tandem with drone technology, reported by KOCO. Found unresponsive near a tree in the engulfed vehicle, a 5-year-old girl was heartbreakingly pulled from the water, but subsequently revived, bringing a glimmer of hope amidst the catastrophe. "To be able to experience bringing that child back to life is amazing. In a tragic time like this, it's that glimpse of hope that God is good," said Sherman Police Chief Jason Jeffcoat in a quote provided to Sports Illustrated . Robinson remembered for his transformative leadership as a coach for the Durant girls basketball team, was mourned across various platforms. "As many of you may already know, Coach Will Robinson and his family were involved in a devastating car accident on Christmas Eve. Sadly, Coach Robinson did not survive the accident and one of his daughters is still missing," Superintendent Mark Moring of Durant Independent School District stated, sharing their collective grief, as noted by KOCO . During the intensive search for Clara, Sherman officials urged the public to be cautious of scam fundraising efforts. Verified donation channels, like the Kristen Robinson Benefit established at First United Bank, were communicated as the proper means to financially support the grieving family. Rain barriers impeded efforts on Wednesday and Thursday, yet, despite these obstructions, the determination to locate Clara remains undeterred. "We are going to keep looking until we find her," Jeffcoat expressed in Sports Illustrated.