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What does a spy agency give for Christmas ? How about a riddle wrapped in an enigma inside a mystery. GCHQ, Britain’s electronic and cyber-intelligence agency , on Wednesday published its annual Christmas Challenge – a seasonal greeting card that doubles as a set of fiendishly difficult puzzles designed to excite young minds about solving cyphers and unearthing clues. The challenge is aimed at young people aged 11 to 18, who are encouraged to work in teams and use “lateral thinking, ingenuity and perseverance” to crack the seven brainteasers set by GCHQ’s “in-house puzzlers.” The card is sent by the head of GCHQ — short for Government Communications Headquarters — to other national security chiefs around the world. Puzzles were first included in 2015 and have become an annual tradition. The card can be downloaded from the GCHQ website, and has become popular with teachers – the agency says a third of British secondary schools have downloaded it. The agency admits the festive fun has an ulterior motive. GCHQ Director Anne Keast-Butler said she hoped the card would inspire young people to explore STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – “and to consider what a career in cybersecurity and intelligence might have to offer.” It also aims to dispel some myths about intelligence work, fueled by super-agent James Bond and other fictional spies. GCHQ’s “chief puzzler,” Colin, said the challenge is best solved by teamwork, in contrast to the popular image of the lone genius or solo secret agent. “Don’t get me wrong – we have geniuses in the department,” said Colin, who gave only his first name because of the secret nature of his work. “But critically what we have is a large number of people with different skills coming together. “The skills we want are quite diverse. We like analytical skills but also lateral thinking skills. And we like the idea with some of these puzzles that it involves a certain amount of perseverance to get to the answer.” The card features a map of the U.K., linked to the locations where GCHQ has bases, including its high-tech headquarters in Cheltenham, western England, nicknamed the doughnut because of its shape. Many British people are keen puzzle-solvers, and the link between puzzlers and spycraft is often celebrated – notably in the many books, films and TV shows about Bletchley Park, a complex of buildings and wooden huts northwest of London where, during World War II, hundreds of mathematicians, cryptologists, crossword puzzle experts and computer pioneers worked to crack Nazi Germany’s secret codes. Historians say their work shortened World War II by as much as two years. Colin said that among new recruits to GCHQ, “we now hear more and more that they first heard of GCHQ through puzzling.” “It definitely inspires people.” Technology has advanced immeasurably since the days of Bletchley Park, but — reassuringly — making and solving puzzles is one area that still needs the human touch. “AI doesn’t have a good record either setting or solving puzzles, not of this sort,” Colin said. “It is still the case that people are able to set interesting puzzles in a way that AI isn’t – thank goodness.”
Prasun Sonwalkar The London Gazette founded in 1665 is not a publication you would usually turn to for news. It is a dour, bland chronicler of official announcements, statutory notices, wills and probate. But last week, one announcement raised quite a few hackles and eyebrows in the 1.5 million-strong Indian community. Two prominent individuals from the community who had been awarded royal honours for exemplary work in their fields had their honours cancelled and annulled: Rami Ranger, a businessman, and Anil Bhanot, an accountant known for his work in Britain’s Hindu community. It was the first time that celebrated members of the community had their honours annulled due to their involvement in controversies: not exactly a welcome distinction for a community that is otherwise regarded highly for their historic and contemporary contribution to British public life. Every year, when the list of royal honours is announced, there are invariably a large number of people of Indian origin honoured for their work in various fields, including knighthoods and damehoods. The next list is due to be announced on December 31. On December 6, the London Gazette announced that Ranger and Bhanot were among seven people whose honours had been cancelled and annulled by King Charles III, who has directed that their names be erased from the register and the order in which they were honoured. Ranger was honoured with a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2015 and Bhanot was given the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2010. They were stripped of their honours for what is officially called “bringing the honours system into disrepute”. The honours can be revoked on the advice of a Forfeiture Committee, whose recommendations to the King are submitted through the Prime Minister. In the case of Ranger and Bhanot, besides the widely reported rows in which they were involved (including alleged Islamophobia and comments against Pakistan), political overtones can hardly be missed: Ranger has been a long-time donor to the Conservative Party which, until recently, was in power. The committee’s recommendations would have gone through the Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Both Ranger and Bhanot have protested against the cancellation and raised questions over Britain upholding the long-cherished right of free speech. How the controversy plays out remains to be seen, but their case puts the spotlight again on Britain’s ancient honours system. There have been rows in the past over cash-for-honours, but the honours continue to be coveted by many, even though some have campaigned to reform the system. Leading members of the British Indian community awarded knighthood or damehood in recent years include Pratibha Gai, Parveen Kumar, Asha Khemka, Tejinder Virdee, Harpal Singh Kumar, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Shankar Balasubramanian and Harshad Bhadeshia. Foreign citizens, including Indians, have also been honoured: knighthood /damehood are sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, former President Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, former bureaucrat Chandrika Prasad Srivastava, industrialist Jamshed Jiji Irani, and Mother Teresa. The only Indian or Asian awarded in the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) is economist Amartya Sen. Industrialist Ratan Tata was awarded the honorary Knight Grand Cross (GCB) of the Order of the British Empire for his services to UK-India relations, inward investment to the UK and philanthropy. Rabindranath Tagore, who was knighted in 1915, renounced the honour in 1919 over the Jallianwallah Bagh massacre, writing to the then viceroy, Lord Chelmsford: “The time has come when badges of honour make our shame glaring in the incongruous context of humiliation, and I for my part, wish to stand, shorn, of all special distinctions, by the side of those of my countrymen who, for their so called insignificance, are liable to suffer degradation not fit for human beings.” Throughout British history, monarchs have rewarded those who have shown service, loyalty or gallantry with gifts or titles. After medieval times, physical gifts, such as land or money were replaced by the awarding of knighthoods and of membership within orders of chivalry, accompanied by insignia such as gold or silver chains. As democracy and government evolved and parliament’s legislative role grew in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Cabinet Office took over the role of selecting recipients of the honours. There are currently nearly 125,000 men and women members of the Order of the British Empire, and normally around 1,100-1,200 are appointed at each honours round. The word ‘Empire’ is embedded in several titles but, as we know, the British Empire is long gone. Many are uneasy with the mention of ‘Empire’ in the titles, with growing demand that the word be replaced with ‘Excellence’: for example, Member of the British Empire (MBE) is sought to be renamed as ‘Member of British Excellence’, thus preserving the known abbreviation. The change is supported by several community organisations and individuals. The Public Administration Select Committee of the House of Commons also recommended that there should be no further appointments to the Order of the British Empire; instead, a new Order, the ‘Order of British Excellence’ should be founded, but the government opposed it on the ground that the case has not been made for change to the Order of the British Empire. (Prasun Sonwalkar is a columnist and former academic)
A question and answer session with Founder and CEO of City Friends Club, Anna Gubareva We aim to launch our first initiatives that promote conscious consumption and waste reduction. One such project is the Coffee Friends Club, which encourages environmentally responsible behavior. Recently, we completed a pilot project Graffiti Friends Club in Limassol. This initiative involved creating 10 unique graffiti artworks on transformer boxes with local artists, achieving several important goals: The project was a great success, and we plan to expand it to other cities with the support of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus, as it has proven to benefit urban spaces. We are also developing a mobile app to simplify and automate participation in our initiatives. In the future, we hope the app will run independently across cities, requiring minimal resources from our organisation. Our primary aim is to launch daily street cleaning, carried out by professional teams. We plan to start with small teams of three people and gradually scale up to create a clean and welcoming urban environment. The Larnaca Municipality has been very supportive, providing key resources such as a car, a driver and parking space, which has allowed us to launch successfully. They also help promote our project through information campaigns. This support is invaluable, as it helps us involve local residents in our activities. While many Cypriots are already participating, we hope this collaboration will help us attract even more volunteers. In Paphos, we have initiated regular monthly cleanups. Previously, these were coordinated from Limassol, which made it harder. Now we’re ready to expand, adding corporate cleanups to our activities. We’ve hired our first local staff member in Paphos and got a car, which makes managing projects on-site much easier. The school is a key partner in our initiatives. Along with providing financial support, they fully align with our values and actively contribute to educating the younger generation. As a core partner, we are creating a customised sponsorship package that includes events and activities designed to match the school’s interests and needs. This helps strengthen our collaboration and ensures the most effective implementation of our shared goals. One of our key indicators is the number of people participating in cleanups and other events. More participants mean stronger community engagement and greater awareness of environmental issues. Another important metric is the amount of waste collected and removed, providing a clear measure of the cleanup efforts impact. We also value social feedback: how residents and tourists respond to our initiatives through social media posts, participation requests, or an increase in volunteer numbers. We hope these efforts will lead to a noticeable reduction in waste, reflecting the development of a culture of cleanliness among both residents and visitors. Additionally, we can’t overlook another important indicator – the growth in the number of partners, sponsors and organisations willing to support or collaborate with us. I won’t list all the environmental problems faced by cities in Cyprus but will focus on those we are addressing. Larnaca and Paphos share the same challenges as other cities on the island. These are popular tourist destinations, and in recent years, Cyprus has experienced a significant influx of new residents. While Cyprus strives to adapt as a hospitable country, not all sectors are keeping up with the increased demand. One of the main problems is the inefficient waste management system, which is unable to keep up with the new reality. The growing number of tourists and residents has worsened the waste problem, particularly in popular recreational areas. Tourists and locals often leave trash in public spaces, on beaches and along roads, which not only spoils the appearance of the cities but also harms the ecosystem. To tackle this issue, all cities in Cyprus need stricter cleanliness controls, the installation of additional waste collection infrastructure (such as bins and containers) and efforts to foster a culture of responsible waste disposal among residents and visitors.
SMITHFIELD, R.I. (AP) — Malik Grant rushed for 204 yards and three touchdowns and Rhode Island beat Bryant 35-21 on Saturday to capture its first league title in 39 years. Rhode Island (10-2, 7-1 Coastal Athletic Association) secured the program's seventh title, with each of the previous six coming in the Yankee Conference. The Rams tied a program record for total wins in a season with 10, first set in 1984 and matched in 1985. Hunter Helms threw for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception for Rhode Island. Grant also added his first touchdown reception of the season. Grant rushed for 47 yards on the first snap of the second half. He ran for 56 yards on the drive that ended with his 4-yard touchdown catch for a 20-14 lead. An interception by Braden Price on the ensuing Bryant possession set up another Grant rushing touchdown. Bryant scored in the fourth quarter to make it a one-score game, but a 15-play, 72-yard drive ended with a 3-yard touchdown run by Grant. Grant's 13 rushing touchdowns are tied for Rhode Island's single-season record set last season by Ja’Den McKenzie. Brennan Myer threw for 189 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for Bryant (2-10, 0-8). Dylan Kedzior rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown, and Landon Ruggieri caught eight passes for 105 yards and a score. 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
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KyKy Tandy scored a season-high 21 points that included a key 3-pointer in a late second-half surge as Florida Atlantic roared back to beat Oklahoma State 86-78 on Thursday in the opening round of the Charleston Classic in Charleston, S.C. Florida Atlantic (4-2) advances to play Drake in the semifinal round on Friday while the Cowboys square off against Miami in the consolation semifinal contest, also Friday. Oklahoma State led by as many as 10 points in the first half before securing a five-point advantage at halftime. The Owls surged back and moved in front with four and a half minutes to play. It was part of an 11-1 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Tandy that made it 75-68 with 2:41 remaining. Ken Evans added 14 points for Florida Atlantic, with Leland Walker hitting for 13 and Tre Carroll scoring 11. The Owls went 35-of-49 from the free throw line as the teams combined for 56 fouls in the game, 33 by Oklahoma State. Khalil Brantley led Oklahoma State (3-1) with 16 points while Robert Jennings added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Cowboys, who hit one field goal over a 10-minute stretch of the second half while having three players foul out. The Owls were up by as many as seven points in the early minutes and by 13-10 after a layup by Carroll at the 11:32 mark of the first half. Oklahoma State leapfrogged to the front on Abou Ousmane's layup off a Brantley steal, fell behind again on a 3-pointer by Evans and then responded on a 3-pointer by Jennings to take a 17-16 lead. From there, the Cowboys stoked their advantage to double digits when Jamyron Keller canned a shot from beyond the arc with five minutes to play in the half. Florida Atlantic got a layup and a monster dunk from Matas Vokietaitis and a pair of free throws from Walker in a 6-2 run to end the half to pull within 39-34 at the break. Jennings and Ousmane tallied seven points apiece for Oklahoma State over the first 20 minutes, as the Cowboys led despite shooting just 33.3 percent from the floor in the half. Carroll and Vokietaitis scored seven points apiece to pace the Owls, who committed 11 turnovers that translated to seven points for Oklahoma State before halftime. --Field Level Media
Billionaire tapped to lead NASA not just about SpaceX during Daytona’s Embry-Riddle grad speechNEW YORK , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HitPaw, a leading provider of innovative multimedia editing tools, is delivering the gift of creativity with its highly anticipated Christmas & New Year Sale. From Dec. 12, 2024 to Jan. 6, 2025 , customers can enjoy up to 50% off on a wide range of HitPaw's top-rated products, including video converter, photo enhancer, and AI-powered video enhancer and voice changer. What's Included in the HitPaw Christmas Campaign: EVENT HIGHLIGHTS: Special Gifts: Join activity to 100% win prize. You have the chance to win: iPhone 16 ($799) GoPro HERO ($255) Netflix Premium Monthly Plan ($30) HitPaw Photo Object Remover - 1-Year Plan ($26.99) 30% OFF Discount Coupon 20% OFF Discount Coupon Massive Discounts: Enjoy up to 30% off on best-selling tools like HitPaw VikPea, HitPaw Video Converter, and HitPaw FotorPea, available for a limited time only.Exclusive Christmas bundles are up to 50% off. The Buy One Get One option is perfect for those who are looking for the lowest price of HitPaw products. HERE IS THE LIST OF THE MAIN DISCOUNTS: HitPaw Video Converter at $41.97 /Year for Windows & Mac HitPaw FotorPea at $62.99 /Year for Windows & $69.99 /Year for Mac HitPaw VikPea at $83.99 /Year for Windows & $76.99 /Year for Mac HitPaw Video Object Remover down to $0 HitPaw VoicePea at $27.97 /Year for Windows & $32.17 /Year for Mac 4-in-1 bundles: HitPaw VikPea +HitPaw FotorPea + HitPaw VoicePea +HitPaw Watermark Remover on $134.97 and $140.98 for Mac How to Participate: For more information or to participate in the event, visit: https://www.hitpaw.com/sales-promotion.html About HitPaw: HitPaw is a versatile software brand offering a suite of tools for video conversion, photo and video enhancement, and more. It provides user-friendly solutions designed for both beginners and professionals, enabling quick edits with high-quality output. HitPaw tools support a variety of creative needs, including video enhancement, format conversion, and meme creation, etc. Its intuitive interface and consistent updates make it a popular choice for content creators and everyday users. Don't Miss Out — Grab Your Gift Today and Get Ready for an amazing Christmas! To know more, you may visit: https://www.hitpaw.com/about.html and https://www.hitpaw.com/ Our Social Media YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwRggaotgiMcPbiCOsJeBA X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/HitPawofficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hitpawofficial/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hitpawcom/ This release was issued through Send2Press ® on behalf of the news source. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.send2press.com/ . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hitpaw-announces-exciting-christmas-sales-celebrate-the-season-with-unbeatable-discounts--special-gifts-302330609.html SOURCE HitPaw. Co., Ltd © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
BEIRUT — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria gained speed on Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and with the government forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels’ moves around Damascus, reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad’s government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only four of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Homs, Latakia and Tartus. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad’s chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria’s border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia is busy with its war in Ukraine. Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad’s forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Get local news delivered to your inbox!SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Marquel Sutton scored 23 points as Omaha beat Sacramento State 70-60 on Saturday night. Sutton added eight rebounds for the Mavericks (4-7). Tony Osburn scored 15 points and added five rebounds and three steals. JJ White had nine points and went 4 of 5 from the field. Jacob Holt led the way for the Hornets (2-7) with 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Mike Wilson added nine points and six rebounds for Sacramento State. Chudi Dioramma had seven points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Omaha's next game is Friday against Northern Iowa on the road, and Sacramento State hosts UC Davis on Saturday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
So I heard. I watched Puig play only twice this year, once in the Galaxy's season-opening 1-1 draw with Inter Miami and a second time in his team's Fourth of July defeat to LAFC at the Rose Bowl. Outside of short highlight clips on social media, I never saw the former Barcelona prospect, not even when he assisted on the goal that sent the Galaxy to the MLS Cup final. That wasn't a reflection of my interest. Some of my friends will make fun of me for publicly admitting this, but I like Major League Soccer. I covered the league in my first job out of college and have casually kept up with it since. I take my children to a couple of games a year. My 11-year-old son owns Galaxy and LAFC hats but no Dodgers or Lakers merchandise. When flipping through channels in the past, if presented with the choice of, say, college football or MLS, I usually watched MLS. But not this year. While the MLS Cup final between the Galaxy and New York Red Bulls will be shown on Fox and Fox Deportes, the majority of games are now exclusively behind a paywall, courtesy of the league's broadcasting deal with Apple. MLS Season Pass subscriptions were reasonably priced — $79 for the entire season for Apple TV+ subscribers, $99 for non-subscribers — but I was already paying for DirecTV Stream, Netflix, Amazon Prime, PlayStation Plus and who knows what else. MLS became a casualty in my household, as well as in many others, and the possibility of being out of sight and out of mind should be a concern for a league that is looking to expand its audience. Which isn't to say the league made a mistake. This was a gamble MLS had to take. Now in the second year of a 10-year, $2.5 billion deal with Apple, MLS did what Major League Baseball is talking about doing, which is to centralize its broadcasting rights and sell them to a digital platform. Regional sports networks have been decimated by cord cutting, making traditional economic models unsustainable. The move to Apple not only increased the league's broadcast revenues — previous deals with ESPN, Fox and Univision were worth a combined $90 million annually, according to multiple reports — but also introduced a measure of uniformity in the league. The quality of the broadcasts are better than they were under regional sports networks. Viewers know where to watch games and when, as every one of them is on Season Pass and most of them are scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. local time either on Wednesday or Saturday. "That's been fueling our growth and driving our fan engagement," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Friday at his annual state of the league address. Apple and MLS declined to reveal the number of League Pass subscribers, but the league provided polling figures that indicated 94% of viewers offered positive or neutral reviews of League Pass. The average viewing time for a game is about 65 minutes for a 90-minute game, according to Garber. In other words, the League Pass is well-liked — by the people who have it. The challenge now is to increase that audience. The launch of League Pass last year coincided with the arrival of Lionel Messi, which presumably resulted in a wave of subscriptions. But the league can't count on the appearance of the next Messi; there is only one of him. MLS pointed to how its fans watch sports on streaming devices or recorded television than any other U.S. sports league, as well as how 71% of its fans are under the age of 45. The league also pointed to how it effectively drew more viewers to the Apple broadcast of Inter Miami's postseason opener with a livestream of a "Messi Cam' on TikTok, indicating further collaborations with wide-reaching entities could be in its future. Garber mentioned how Season Pass is available in other countries. The commissioner also made note of how Apple places games every week in front of its paywall. "What we have, really, is a communication problem," Garber said. "This is new, and we've got to work with Apple, we've got to work with our clubs and we've got to work with our partners to get more exposure to what we think is a great product." The greatest benefit to the league could be Apple's vested interest in improving the on-field product. MLS insiders said Apple has not only encouraged teams to sign more high-profile players but also pushed the league to switch to a fall-to-spring calendar more commonplace in other parts of the world, reasoning that doing so would simplify the process of buying and selling players. The on-field product is what matters. The on-field product is why MLS continues to face competition for viewers from overseas leagues. The on-field product is why the league hasn't succeeded in converting every soccer fan into a MLS fan. And ultimately, if casual viewers such as myself are to pay to watch the Galaxy or LAFC on a screen of some kind, the on-field product will be why.