None( MENAFN - Gulf Times) Mercedes driver George Russell was agonisingly close to claiming pole position at Qatar Grand Prix, but he explained that he is more than ready to battle back past pole-sitter Max Verstappen and get stuck into a multi-team fight for the win. The Briton continued his magnificent run of form that has characterised his last few races, lining up for his fourth consecutive front-row start in tomorrow's race around the Lusail International Circuit. After taking provisional pole, he was pipped to the top spot by just 0.055s following Verstappen's final flying lap – but the tight result, coupled with his P3 finish in the Sprint, has left Russell optimistic that he can target victory. He also explained that Mercedes couldn't“have dreamt of” their resurgence to be repeatedly in the mix at the front of the field after they experienced a clear slump in performance after the summer break. “Feeling in such a groove at the moment, feeling really great,” Russell said after qualifying.“My first lap was one of the best I've ever done, and then for whatever reason just couldn't find that extra bit of time on the last lap and Max pipped me.“Just taking the positives – the car's been so great the last two weekends and just enjoying it while we can.” Four teams could have a shot at the win around the high-speed, physically demanding track as Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari have been virtually inseparable at points across the weekend's sessions. It was McLaren who led the pack in the Sprint, with Lando Norris handing Piastri the win out of the final corner, after Russell found himself unable to overtake the Australian having lost P2 on the first lap, but he consistently stayed close to both papaya cars. He added:“Hopefully we can have a proper race rather than this team orders stuff! It's going to be a good race. I think we'll all be going for it. It's actually great that Max is in the mix as well – I was really surprised at their turnaround because they looked really off the pace yesterday, off the pace this morning. Obviously they were both in Q3 and Max on pole so I think we've got a good race on our hands.” I know I've still got it, says 'slow' Hamilton Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton said he knew he had 'still got it' despite qualifying sixth and nearly half a second slower than Mercedes teammate George Russell for today's Qatar Grand Prix. The seven-times Formula One world champion, who will be 40 next year when he moves to Ferrari, had said after qualifying seventh for the sprint at Lusail on Friday that he was“definitely not fast any more”. He repeated that verdict to reporters after the main qualifying session, with Russell on the front row, but in a slightly more positive way.“I know I've still got it,” he said.“It's just the car won't go any faster, I definitely know I've got it. It's not a question in my mind. Looking forward to the end (of the season).” The most successful driver in the history of the sport with a record 105 wins has triumphed twice this season but Russell, second on the grid in Qatar behind four-times champion Max Verstappen, has out-qualified him 18-5.“I'm slow,” said Hamilton.“About half a second off my team-mate in the same car.“It's been all year,” he added, saying he did not know why that was. “It's not possible to change it right now.” The season ends in Abu Dhabi on Dec 8, with Hamilton contracted to Mercedes until the end of the year and facing sponsor commitments before he can start at Ferrari next season. MENAFN30112024000067011011ID1108942198 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A fight broke out at midfield after Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday as Wolverines players attempted to plant their flag and were met by Buckeyes who confronted them. Police had to use pepper spray to break up the players, who threw punches and shoves in the melee that overshadowed the rivalry game. Ohio State police said in a statement “multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray.” Ohio State police will investigate the fight, according to the statement. After the Ohio State players confronted their bitter rivals at midfield, defensive end Jack Sawyer grabbed the top of the Wolverines' flag and ripped it off the pole as the brawl moved toward the Michigan bench. Eventually, police officers rushed into the ugly scene. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he understood the actions of his players. “There are some prideful guys on our team who weren't going to sit back and let that happen,” Day said. The two Ohio State players made available after the game brushed off questions about it. Michigan running back Kalel Mullings, who rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown, didn't like how the Buckeyes players involved themselves in the Wolverines' postgame celebration. He called it “classless.” “For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game," he said in an on-field interview with Fox Sports. “It’s just bad for the sport, bad for college football. But at the end of the day, you know some people got to — they got to learn how to lose, man. ... We had 60 minutes, we had four quarters, to do all that fighting.” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said everybody needs to do better. “So much emotions on both sides," he said. "Rivalry games get heated, especially this one. It’s the biggest one in the country, so we got to handle that better.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
“ “ “We are going to be coming out with guidance for OT, and that’ll probably come out at the end of summer [2025] and we’ll have a date beyond 2027 where we start establishing ZT [zero trust] into OT,” Resnick noted. “Dec 11 Webinar: How to buy a home as a foreigner in Japan
Masiyiwa honoured at ICT Excellence Awards
Robo-advisor CEOs team up to transform retirement pension market
Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy sells $4.16 million in stockFrom left, Uprise Investment Management CEO Moon Yil-ho, Uprise CEO Lee Choong-yeub and Doomoolmori Investment Advisory CEO Lee Seung-kyu speak to The Korea Times at Uprise's headquarters in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Uprise By Lee Yeon-woo It wasn’t Lee Choong-yeub’s first startup. Having successfully exited two previous ventures aimed at leveraging information technology to modernize underdeveloped sectors of traditional industries, he set his sights on a new challenge. In 2018, Lee observed inefficiencies in the investment sector and founded Uprise, launching a robo-advisor platform called dndn to bridge service gaps. Moon Yil-ho, a veteran fund manager at Samsung Asset Management for a decade, shared a similar vision. A former classmate of Lee’s, Moon had grown disillusioned with the repetitive cycle of creating and selling exchange-traded funds despite the market’s growth. He believed there was untapped value in integrating investment elements and delivering them effectively to customers. This conviction led him to join Uprise three and a half years ago. Meanwhile, across Seoul, a team came together in 2015, inspired by the financial innovation of U.S.-based robo-advisors. They called themselves Doomoolmori and launched their own robo-advisor service, Boolio. Among the founding members was Lee Seung-kyu, then a graduate student in statistics. Confident in his ability to analyze data and approach investments from a statistical perspective, he took charge of developing and implementing their solutions. In late November, these three individuals, each from different backgrounds, made an unexpected announcement — the merger of their respective robo-advisor platforms. The merged service will hold managing assets worth 530 billion won ($370 million), becoming the largest of its kind in the industry. As part of the merger, Uprise’s Lee Choong-yeub will serve as CEO of the newly established entity named Horizon Wealth. It will subsequently acquire two investment advisory subsidiaries, each led by Moon and Doomoolmori's Lee Seung-kyu. From left, Doomoolmori Investment Advisory CEO Lee Seung-kyu, Uprise CEO Lee Choong-yeub and Uprise Investment Management CEO Moon Yil-ho attend a press meeting announcing their merger at a cafe in Seoul, Nov. 26. Courtesy of Uprise The strategic decision was driven by recent regulatory changes. Financial authorities had introduced a sandbox program permitting individual retirement pension investments through robo-advisors. The accumulated funds in the pension currently total around 400 trillion won and are steadily growing. But at the same time, most subscribers are facing old-age poverty, with only 10 percent of subscribers actively managing their investments. The potential for growth was clear. Read More Individual retirement pension balance of major banks rises by $7.9 bil. due to aging society Financial authorities, labor ministry vow to expand retirement pension market "Robo-advisors are an industry at the intersection of finance and IT services," Moon told The Korea Times. "At dndn, we’ve excelled in delivering solutions to customers. When I analyzed the market, I saw that Doomoolmori, while once a competitor, excelled in developing cutting-edge solutions. I thought merging our strengths would create significant synergy." Lee Seung-kyu agreed. "Many clients approach us with details of their disposable income, earnings and long-term financial goals, asking for guidance on growing their retirement funds steadily over time. To meet these needs, we’ve developed algorithms that provide personalized advice." He added that the merger process was surprisingly smooth, saying, "There was hardly any disagreement. Both companies shared a similar vision for business synergy and an aligned outlook on the industry’s future." Lee Choong-yeub viewed the sandbox as a pivotal moment in the robo-advisor market. In the U.S., robo-advisors manage over half of defined contribution retirement plans. Other countries that produce successful robo-advisor companies, like Singapore and Japan, have also opened their pension market to the industry, he added. "In the U.S., many retirees discover they’ve grown wealthy because their retirement funds have been actively invested in U.S. stocks. In Korea, however, most people don’t actively manage their retirement funds. Instead, the majority remains in savings accounts earning just 1 to 2 percent annually, leading to significant opportunity costs," Lee Seung-kyu said. "Korea faces many challenges, but the aging population is the most pressing. We will focus on closing the gaps in retirement preparedness, helping to address this critical issue."Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death
Middle East latest: Syria's forces withdraw from Homs, a key link between the capital and coastORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted.
Drake beats Florida Atlantic 75-63
Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman said the party could not buck the trend in Ireland of junior coalition partners in Fine Gael and Fianna Fail governments losing support in subsequent elections. He said they expected to retain two to three seats out of the 12 they had won in the 2020 election on the back of a worldwide “Green wave”. “Undoubtedly it’s a disappointing result for our party today,” Mr O’Gorman told reporters in Ongar, Dublin. “It’s hard for a smaller party in government, that’s long been the tradition, the history in Ireland. We hoped going into the election to buck that but we haven’t been able to buck that today.” Mr O’Gorman, a candidate in Dublin West, is among the outgoing Green Party TDs in a battle to retain their seats. Culture Minister Catherine Martin, who is fighting to remain a Green Party TD for Dublin Rathdown, said it was a “very tight” race in her four-seat constituency. “We go in (to government) not afraid of that because the issue of the climate and biodiversity crisis is (greater) than our survival,” she said on RTE Radio. “I stand over and am proud of our track record of delivery.” Green candidate in Waterford Marc O Cathasaigh said he would not be “in the shake-up” to retain his seat in that constituency, while junior minister Ossian Smyth looks at risk of losing his seat in Dun Laoghaire. Junior minister Joe O’Brien is expected to lose his seat in Dublin Fingal, Neasa Hourigan is at risk in Dublin Central, while Wicklow’s Steven Matthews garnered just 4% of first preferences. Former Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, who announced his retirement from frontline politics in June, said his party had not had a good day. Arriving at the count centre at the RDS in Dublin, the outgoing environment minister told reporters: “If you don’t get elected you accept that, but you come back stronger and you learn lessons, and we’ve done that in the past and we will do that again.” He added: “No matter what the results today there will be a strong Green Party in Ireland, we have deep roots in the community and it’s a very distinct political philosophy and I think there is still space for that in Irish politics, for sure.” Mr Ryan said he did not believe his decision to retire, and the timing of his announcement, had affected the party’s showing. “Unfortunately – and this is just one of those days – we didn’t get the number of votes,” he said. He added: “We’ll look back and see what are the lessons, and what can we learn and what can we do differently. “It’s just one of those days when we didn’t have a good day.Sutton scores 23, Omaha knocks off Sacramento State 70-60Qatar National Library renews solidarity with Palestinian people
Formula 1’s statement on Monday that it is moving forward with plans to allow a General Motors entry could be viewed as a complete turnaround in attitude from series bosses. It was only back in January that FOM declared an application by Andretti-Cadillac to enter F1 was rejected because it did not feel that what was proposed added value to the championship . In a press release issued at the time that was primarily related to 2025, F1 said: “Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, on its own, provide value to the championship. “The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the applicant would be a competitive participant.” The rejection at the time triggered controversy and left Andretti hitting back – and taking its complaints to American politicians – in its bid to force a rethink. It also kept pushing on with its car preparations for 2026 at its new Silverstone base, even though there seemed to be no route for it to get an entry. Fast forward to now, and F1’s attitude is very different. Where once the door was firmly shut in Andretti’s face despite General Motors’ involvement, now there are open arms. So what has changed? General Motors announcement Photo by: General Motors Part of it is down to the personalities involved, but more of it involves the shifts in the concept of the project that makes it a very different prospect in F1's eyes. It was not lost on anyone that in the three-page statement that FOM put out on Monday regarding the entry, there was not a single reference to the Andretti name. Instead, the only hint about the involvement of any of the previous parties was a line about ‘partners at TWG Global’ – which is the company run by Dan Towriss, who took over operations at Andretti Global when Michael Andretti recently took a step back . Michael Andretti and F1 had never particularly seen eye-to-eye on matters, but it was his decision to move away from day-to-day involvement in the squad that set in motion the chain of events that has led to today. For Andretti's exit opened the door for Towriss to take a pragmatic approach and realise that, if he was going to find a way to convince F1 to get an entry approved, things would have to be done in a different way with a much greater involvement from General Motors. Autosport understands that key to getting F1 interested was in Towriss working with General Motors to change the nature of the deal. So where originally it was an Andretti car that would eventually hope to run a General Motors engine, but would have customer Renaults to begin with, the project being put on the table now is nothing like that. This is now for a General Motors car, that would likely become a full works team from 2028 – even if initially it means customer Ferrari or Honda engines in the interim. George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524, at the race start Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images The same parties involved yes, but from F1’s perspective two totally different prospects when it comes to adding value to the series. Let us not forget that this was exactly what FOM was saying all the way back in January though – that there was a way that it felt the GM involvement could be positioned to get the application over the line. “We would look differently on an application for the entry of a team into the 2028 championship with a GM power unit, either as a GM works team or as a GM customer team designing all allowable components in-house,” said F1 at the time. “In this case there would be additional factors to consider in respect of the value that the applicant would bring to the championship, in particular in respect of bringing a prestigious new OEM to the sport as a PU supplier.” This then proved key, with even previous Andretti sceptic and Liberty CEO Greg Maffei helping getting it moving before his recent departure. Suggestions that his exit was a factor in the project getting F1 approval are understood to be wide of the mark. The role that FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem played in changing the scope of the deal should not be underestimated too - as he is understood to have been key in pushing GM down the works engine route. He also maintained the pressure in keeping things moving forward with the manufacturer despite the original rejection of Andretti. And having been the original instigator in opening up new team entries, the move by F1 to approve in principle the GM/Cadillac plan is a victory for his vision. GM has certainly made a big push itself to get it over the line, and promised the kind of investment and groundbreaking levels of involvement that F1 would love to see. The manufacturer's president Mark Reuss said on Monday: “As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. Mark Reuss, GM President Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images “It’s an honour for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world. “This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.” Towriss added: “We're excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1. “Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world. We appreciate FIA and FOM’s support of our application and their recognition of the value we can bring to the championship.” And while the Andretti name will not form a part of the new GM plan, it will not be totally expunged from the project. The 1978 F1 world champion Mario Andretti is to serve as a director on the team’s board in a non-executive role and not involved in the day-to-day operations. Michael Andretti, Mario Andretti, Dan Towriss, Andretti Global Photo by: Andretti Speaking about it, the veteran said: “My first love was Formula 1 and now – 70 years later – the F1 paddock is still my happy place. I’m absolutely thrilled with Cadillac, Formula 1, Mark Walter, and Dan Towriss. To still be involved at this stage of my life — I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.” While Michael Andretti will not be seeing through his ambitions to become an F1 team boss, he vowed on Monday to give his full support to it. Posting on X, he said: “The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team. “I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!” Formula 1 Andretti lands former Renault F1 engine tech chief Rob White Formula 1 Mario Andretti named as director on board of General Motors F1 team
Michigan upsets No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 for Wolverines' 4th straight win over bitter rival
Randy Resnick Says DOD Zero Trust Office Working to Secure OT
Howling winds could not stop Notre Dame Cathedral’s heart from beating again. With three resounding knocks on its doors by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, wielding a specially designed crosier carved from fire-scorched beams, the monument roared back to life on Saturday evening. For the first time since a devastating blaze nearly destroyed it in 2019, the towering Gothic masterpiece reopened for worship, its rebirth marked by song, prayer, and awe beneath its soaring arches. The ceremony, initially planned to begin on the forecourt, was moved entirely inside due to unusually fierce December winds sweeping across the Ile de la Cite, flanked by the River Seine. Yet the occasion lost none of its splendour. Inside the luminous nave, choirs sang psalms, and the cathedral’s mighty organ, silent for nearly five years, thundered to life in a triumphant interplay of melodies. The restoration, a spectacular achievement in just five years for a structure that took nearly two centuries to build, is seen as a moment of triumph for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline – and a welcome respite from his domestic political woes. The evening’s celebration, attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, underscored Notre Dame’s enduring role as both a spiritual and cultural beacon. Observers see the event as Mr Macron’s, and his intention to pivot it into a fully fledged, diplomatic gathering, while highlighting France’s ability to unite on the global stage despite internal political crises. Inside, 42,000 square meters of stonework – an area equal to six football pitches – were meticulously cleaned, revealing luminous limestone and intricate carvings. Overhead, 2,000 oak beams, nicknamed “the forest”, were used to rebuild the spire and roof, restoring the cathedral’s iconic silhouette. The thunderous great organ, with 7,952 pipes ranging from pen-sized to torso-wide, resounded for the first time since the fire. Its newly renovated console, boasting five keyboards, 115 stops, and 30 foot pedals, was a marvel of restoration, reawakening a cornerstone of Notre Dame’s identity. Guests gradually filing into the cathedral for the evening reopening ceremonies were awestruck by the renovated interiors, many whipping out mobile phones to capture the moment. Guests entered through Notre Dame’s iconic western facade, whose arched portals adorned with biblical carvings were once a visual guide for medieval believers. Inside, the hum of hundreds of guests awaiting the service filled the cathedral with human sounds once more – a stark contrast to the construction din that echoed there for years. The celebration is expected to give a much-needed boost to embattled Mr Macron, whose prime minister was ousted this week, plunging the nation’s politics into more turmoil. The French president, who has called Notre Dame’s reopening “a jolt of hope”, will address the gathering. He had hoped the occasion would briefly silence his critics and showcase France’s unity and resilience under his leadership. Macron’s presidency now faces its gravest crisis after the government’s collapse this week in a historic no-confidence vote that toppled Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Security will be high through the weekend, echoing measures taken during the Paris Olympics earlier this year. The Ile de la Cite – the small island in the River Seine that is home to Notre Dame and the historic heart of Paris – is closed to tourists and non-residents. Public viewing areas along the Seine’s southern bank will accommodate 40,000 spectators, who can follow the celebrations on large screens. For many, Notre Dame’s rebirth is not just a French achievement but a global one – after the reopening, the cathedral is set to welcome 15 million visitors annually, up from 12 million before the fire.Homeland Security shares new details of mysterious drone flights over New JerseyGREEN LAKE, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man who faked his own drowning this summer and left his wife and three children has been located in Eastern Europe and is communicating with law enforcement, but he has not committed to returning home, authorities said. Ryan Borgwardt began communicating with authorities Nov. 11, after they tracked him down, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said Thursday. The sheriff showed a video that Borgwardt sent police that day from an undisclosed location. The sheriff said no charges have been filed and that he doesn't think they will be necessary while authorities “keep pulling at his heartstrings” to come home. Here are some things to know about Borgwardt and his disappearance: Borgwardt, who is in his mid-40s, lived with his wife and children in Watertown, a city of about 23,000 people northwest of Milwaukee that is known for its German heritage, parochial schools and two dams on the Rock River. The sheriff has said his department was told Aug. 12 that Borgwardt had not been heard from since the previous day, when he traveled about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from home to Green Lake to go kayaking. Borgwardt’s wife said he texted her at 10:49 p.m. to say he was heading to shore. Deputies found Borgwardt’s vehicle and trailer near Green Lake. His kayak was discovered on the lake, overturned and with a life jacket attached to it, in an area where the water is about 200 feet (60 meters) deep. An angler later found Borgwardt’s fishing rod. The search for his body continued for more than 50 days, with divers scouring the lake on several occasions. Clues — including that he reported his passport lost or stolen and obtained a new one a few months before he disappeared — led investigators to speculate that he made it appear that he had drowned to go meet a woman he had been communicating with in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan. Podoll declined to comment when asked what he knew about the woman, but he said law enforcement contacted Borgwardt “through a female that spoke Russian.” His identity was confirmed through asking him questions that the sheriff said only Borgwardt would know and by a video he made and sent them Nov. 11. He has spoken with someone from the sheriff's department almost daily since. However Podoll said Thursday that Borgwardt's exact location in Eastern Europe was not known. Podoll said Chief Deputy Matt Vande Kolk has been the one communicating with Borgwardt and their conversations have all taken place via email. Vande Kolk told The Associated Press in an email Friday that authorities are trying to determine Borgwardt's exact location. But that might not be easy even with modern surveillance technology. Scott Shackelford, executive director of the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research at Indiana University, said authorities should be able to locate Borgwardt through his device's internet protocol address, a unique number assigned to every device connected to the internet. But he said it's very easy to mask an IP address and make it appear as if the device is in one country when it's really in another. Software exists that can route your IP address across the globe, Shackelford said. Police may not have the expertise, the manpower or any interest in digging through multiple layers of cyber deception, he said. Wearing an orange T-shirt, Borgwardt, unsmiling, looks directly at the camera, apparently filmed on a cellphone. Borgwardt says he is in his apartment and briefly pans the camera, but mostly shows a door and bare walls. “I’m safe and secure, no problem,” he says. Borgwardt has told authorities he overturned his kayak on the lake, dumped his phone in it and paddled an inflatable boat to shore. He told authorities he chose Green Lake because it is Wisconsin's deepest at 237 feet (over 72 meters). He then rode an electric bike stashed by a boat launch about 70 miles (110 kilometers) through the night to Madison, the sheriff said. From there, by Borgwardt's account, he traveled by bus to Detroit and then Canada, where he boarded a plane. Police are still verifying Borgwardt’s description of what happened, Podoll said. Borgwardt faked his death and fled because of “personal matters,” thinking it was the right thing to do, the sheriff said. Investigators found that he took out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January for his family. “He was just going to try and make things better in his mind, and this was the way it was going to be,” Podoll said. Borgwardt has not yet decided to return home, and if he does it will be of his own free will, according to Podoll. Deputies are stressing to him the importance of returning home and cleaning up the mess he made. The sheriff suggested that Borgwardt could be charged with obstructing the investigation into his disappearance, but so far no counts have been filed. The search for Borgwardt, which lasted more than a month, is said to have cost at least $35,000. Borgwardt told authorities that he did not expect the search to last more than two weeks, Podoll said, and his biggest concern is how the community will react to him if he returns. This story was updated to correct the spelling of Scott Shackelford’s last name, which had been misspelled “Shackleford.” Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!
The large mysterious drones reported flying over parts of New Jersey in recent weeks appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio, according to a state lawmaker briefed Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security. In a post on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to 6 feet in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights switched off. The Morris County Republican was among several state and local lawmakers who met with state police and Homeland Security officials to discuss the spate of sightings that range from the New York City area through New Jersey and westward into parts of Pennsylvania, including over Philadelphia. The devices do not appear to be The dronees wereffffflown by hobbyists, Fantasia wrote. Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month and have raised growing concern among residents and officials. Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility; and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. Most, but not all, of the drones spotted in New Jersey were larger than those typically used by hobbyists. The number of sightings has increased in recent days, though officials say many of the objects seen may have been planes rather than drones. It’s also possible that a single drone has been reported more than once. Gov. Phil Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones don’t appear to threaten public safety. The FBI has been investigating and has asked residents to share any videos, photos or other information they may have. Two Republican Jersey Shore-area congressmen, U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, have called on the military to shoot down the drones. Smith said a Coast Guard commanding officer briefed him on an incident over the weekend in which a dozen drones followed a motorized Coast Guard lifeboat “in close pursuit” near Barnegat Light and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County. Coast Guard Lt. Luke Pinneo told The Associated Press Wednesday “that multiple low-altitude aircraft were observed in vicinity of one of our vessels near Island Beach State Park.” The aircraft weren't perceived as an immediate threat and didn't disrupt operations, Pinneo said. The Coast Guard is assisting the FBI and state agencies in investigating. In a letter to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Smith called for military help dealing with the drones, noting that Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst has the capability "to identify and take down unauthorized unmanned aerial systems.” However, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters Wednesday that “our initial assessment here is that these are not drones or activities coming from a foreign entity or adversary.” Many municipal lawmakers have called for more restrictions on who is entitled to fly the unmanned devices. At least one state lawmaker proposed a temporary ban on drone flights in the state. “This is something we’re taking deadly seriously. I don’t blame people for being frustrated," Murphy said earlier this week. A spokesman for the Democratic governor said he did not attend Wednesday's meeting. Republican Assemblyman Erik Peterson, whose district includes parts of the state where the drones have been reported, said he also attended Wednesday's meeting at a state police facility in West Trenton. The session lasted for about 90 minutes. Peterson said DHS officials were generous with their time, but appeared dismissive of some concerns, saying not all the sightings reported have been confirmed to involve drones. So who or what is behind the flying objects? Where are they coming from? What are they doing? “My understanding is they have no clue,” Peterson said. A message seeking comment was left with the Department of Homeland Security. Most of the drones have been spotted along coastal areas and some were recently reported flying over a large reservoir in Clinton. Sightings also have been reported in neighboring states. James Edwards, of Succasunna, New Jersey, said he has seen a few drones flying over his neighborhood since last month. “It raises concern mainly because there's so much that's unknown,” Edwards said Wednesday. “There are lots of people spouting off about various conspiracies that they believe are in play here, but that only adds fuel to the fire unnecessarily. We need to wait and see what is really happening here, not let fear of the unknown overtake us." —— AP reporters Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania; and Wayne Parry in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Cardinals' feel-good month comes to a screeching halt after a head-scratching loss to Seahawks