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Sri Lanka parliamentary elections 2024: What’s at stake? - Al Jazeera English

  1. Sri Lanka parliamentary elections 2024: What’s at stake?  Al Jazeera English
  2. Sri Lanka to hold key parliamentary vote on November 14  The Hindu
  3. Snap Sri Lankan election poses test for new leader  BBC.com
  4. Sri Lanka Heads For Snap Elections Today, Results Likely On Friday  NDTV
  5. Sri Lanka's newly-elected parliament to convene next week  Deccan Herald







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Biden and Xi will meet on Saturday, the 3rd and likely final time during Biden's term

President Biden plans to tell China's Xi Jinping that communication channels between the two governments need to remain open — no matter who is in the White House.




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Pebbles Push Back the Invention of the Wheel to About 12,000 Years Ago

Israeli archeologists use models based on their find to spin flax into yarn, indicating these pebbles were used as a version of a spinning wheel.




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Rivian-Volkswagen partnership to produce EV tech for R2 model

Rivian is teaming up with Volkswagen in a $5.8 billion joint venture for EV innovation on its R2 model, which the company says will eventually be manufactured in Georgia.




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University of Pittsburgh awarded $3.3 million to develop electrical transmission technology

The Swanson School of Engineering will develop an improved HVDC converter with the Department of Energy's funds.




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Arizona Commerce Authority selects 15 finalists for Arizona Innovation Challenge

The Arizona Commerce Authority has announced 15 finalists for its 2024 Arizona Innovation Challenge. Read on to learn more about the participating companies.




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6 PWHL teams added to EA Sports video game NHL 25 to be released Dec. 5

Electronic Arts has incorporated the Professional Women's Hockey League into its NHL 25 video game with six teams represented in "play now," "online versus," "shootout" and "season" modes, plus a championship Walter Cup.



  • Sports/Hockey/PWHL

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How Taylor Swift's cultural impact is helping to shake up the women's sport landscape

In addition to the skyrocketing prices of hotel rooms, inflated Uber rates and hysteria around her presence, Taylor Swift hugely affects the sports ecosystem around her. Whether or not skeptics want to admit it, her connection to sport creates a cultural impact that can not be denied.




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Meta will have to defend itself from antitrust claims after all

The Federal Trade Commission will get a chance to argue its case for Meta’s breakup in court. On Wednesday, US District Judge James Boasberg allowed the FTC’s lawsuit against the social media giant to move forward (PDF link). The FTC first sued Meta in 2020 in an attempt to force the company, then known as Facebook, to divest itself of Instagram and WhatsApp. Alongside dozens of attorneys general, the agency alleged Meta acquired the platforms in 2012 and 2014 to stifle growing competition in the social media market.

This past April, Meta asked Judge Boasberg to dismiss the case. In addition to noting that the FTC had previously approved both acquisitions, Meta argued that the agency had failed to show that the company held monopoly power in the social networking services market, and that, in buying Instagram and WhatsApp, it had harmed consumers. Additionally, the company claimed that it had invested billions of dollars in both platforms and made them better as a result, to the benefit of social media users everywhere.

While he did not entirely dismiss the lawsuit, Boasberg did force the FTC to narrow its case, dismissing an allegation that Facebook had provided preferential access to developers who agreed not to compete with it.

“We are confident that the evidence at trial will show that the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp have been good for competition and consumers. More than 10 years after the FTC reviewed and cleared these deals, and despite the overwhelming evidence that our services compete with YouTube, TikTok, X, Apple’s iMessage, and many others, the Commission is wrongly continuing to assert that no deal is ever truly final, and businesses can be punished for innovating,” a Meta spokesperson told Engadget. “We will review the opinion when it’s filed.”

Judge Boasberg will meet with the two sides on November 25 to schedule the trial. The FTC lawsuit, it should be noted, was filed under the previous Trump administration, though whether it moves forward and in what form will depend on who President-elect Trump appoints to lead the agency.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-will-have-to-defend-itself-from-antitrust-claims-after-all-155730259.html?src=rss




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Animated video game anthology show Secret Level sure looks pretty

Amazon has released a new trailer for Secret Level, the upcoming Prime Video show that tells stories set in the worlds of beloved, popular or even upcoming games (and also Concord). Given that it’s an anthology series, there’s unlikely to be an overarching plot, so there’s not much to grok here from a narrative perspective. And the sooner there's a mortarium on trailers being soundtracked to that overused M83 song, the better.

However, the visuals sure do look pretty. The quality of the animation is genuinely impressive. At least in some cases, the art style apes that of the game the episode is based on. That’s particularly true for what we see of the Sifu episode, but Secret Level is not, for instance, retaining Spelunky's aesthetic.

Other episodes are based on the likes of Armored Core, Crossfire, Dungeons & Dragons, Exodus, Honor of Kings, Mega Man, New World: Aeternum, Pac-Man, The Outer Worlds 2, Unreal Tournament and Warhammer 40,000, along with "various" PlayStation Studios games. One of those is Concord, which Sony unceremoniously killed for good after its disastrous debut.

Some major mainstream stars have lent their voices and even likenesses to the series, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kevin Hart, Keanu Reeves (who appears in the Armored Core episode), Ariana Greenblatt and Gabriel Luna. Video game stalwarts, including The Last of Us stars Merle Dandridge and Laura Bailey, are involved too.

Secret Level — which is from the creative team behind Netflix's Love, Death and Robots — will debut on December 10. More episodes will be released over the following week.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/animated-video-game-anthology-show-secret-level-sure-looks-pretty-163009316.html?src=rss




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Xbox is considering a PC gaming handheld

Xbox is exploring a PC gaming handheld, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer told Bloomberg. In an earlier interview with IGN, Spencer had mentioned a hypothetical “Xbox gaming handheld PC device,” which now appears to be in the early research and prototyping stage.

Spencer told IGN that he liked his Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go and Steam Deck and that local play would be important to include if Xbox were to design a handheld console. As Kotaku noted, it's not clear what unique features an Xbox handheld would bring to the table. Still, any new piece of hardware is years away, Spencer told Bloomberg.

For now, work on the Xbox app — which works on existing handhelds — would be the priority, Spencer said, admitting it leaves room for improvement.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox-is-considering-a-pc-gaming-handheld-165515761.html?src=rss




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Spotify unveils a new payout model for creators with popular videos

Spotify is aiming to give YouTube some competition with its new partner program for video creators and content that goes viral. The music and podcast app announced a new “Partner Program” that monetizes audio and video beyond income from advertising starting on January 2, 2025.

The new monetization program pays Spotify creators in two ways. Creators can earn a share of ad revenue from their content on all platforms through its Partner Program. They can also earn money through monthly podcast subscriptions that “allow listeners to support creators directly in return for exclusive bonus content and perks.”

Both tiers also come with eligibility requirements. The Spotify Partner Program requires participants to host and upload their content through its Spotify for Creators platform, have streamed 10,000 hours and at least 2,000 unique views in a 30-day period and published at least 12 episodes. Subscriptions will be open to content creators who have at least two published episodes and at least 100 unique Spotify listeners in a 60-day period. The new programs will be available for subscribers in the US, UK, Canada and Australia next January.

Spotify has taken other steps to make its video and music content more accessible and mainstream. The music and video streamer integrated with TikTok and Instagram so users can post tracks on the social media sites.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotify-unveils-a-new-payout-model-for-creators-with-popular-videos-221706698.html?src=rss




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GOG's preservation label highlights classic games it's maintaining for modern hardware

GOG is launching an effort to help make older video games playable on modern hardware. The GOG Preservation Program will label the classic titles that the platform has taken steps to adapt in order to make them compatible with contemporary computer systems, controllers and screen resolutions, all while adhering to its DRM-free policy. The move could bring new life to games of decades past, just as GOG did two years ago with a refresh of the 1999 title Wheel of Time. So far, 92 games have received the preservation treatment.

"Our guarantee is that they work and they will keep working," the company says in the video announcing the initiative.

Preservation has been a hot topic as more games go digital only. Not only are some platforms eliminating disk drives by default, but ownership over your library is more ephemeral than it seems. After all, most game purchases are just a license, and licenses can be revoked (as The Crew players know all too well).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/gogs-preservation-label-highlights-classic-games-its-maintaining-for-modern-hardware-231606454.html?src=rss




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Help Us Fight against All Lawfare

The issue transcends Trump.




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The Insider Election

One way to think about Donald Trump’s victory.




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Trudeau flying in and out of Bermuda Wednesday to deliver eulogy for Peter Green

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is flying in and out of Bermuda on Wednesday, where he will deliver a eulogy at the funeral for Peter Green, a close family friend.




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Deputy PM Freeland says she shares American trade concerns about Mexico, China

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says she shares Washington's concerns about whether Mexico is "aligned" with Canada and the U.S. on trade policy — specifically when it comes to China.




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New docuseries examines 2010 murder of Laura Letts Beckett near Revelstoke, B.C.

Peter Beckett was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2017, but his conviction was overturned in 2020.



  • News/Canada/British Columbia

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Bluesky gains more than 1.25 million followers since U.S. election

Social media platform Bluesky, a major competitor to Elon Musk’s X, has gained more than 1.25 million users since last week's U.S. presidential election. Bluesky posted Wednesday morning it had reached more than 15 million users, up from nine million in September.




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Niigaan Sinclair, Jordan Abel among winners of Governor General's Literary Awards

When Niigaan Sinclair pitched his collection of articles to a Toronto publisher, he was told Winipek: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre was a "regional book."



  • News/Canada/Manitoba

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Where Can Self-Insured Employers Look to Find Healthcare Savings?

Are you a self-insured employer looking for ways to reduce healthcare spend? Join us for a webinar on December 11 in which HR executives will share their insights.

The post Where Can Self-Insured Employers Look to Find Healthcare Savings? appeared first on MedCity News.




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Trump, RFK Jr., and the Healthcare Bombshell No One Sees Coming

The convergence of Trump’s political capital, Kennedy’s agricultural vision, and existing technological capabilities creates an unprecedented opportunity to restructure America’s approach to health and disease prevention.

The post Trump, RFK Jr., and the Healthcare Bombshell No One Sees Coming appeared first on MedCity News.




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MoA working closely with WHO to develop IHP to set global efficacy standards for Ayush products: Ayush secretary

The Union Ministry of Ayush (MoA) is working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop an International Herbal Pharmacopoeia (IHP) to set global quality and efficacy standards for




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PCI to award PMSPPS scholarship to eligible GPAT candidates

The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has informed all students who have qualified through Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT), a National Level Entrance Examination for entry into M. Pharma Programme, that




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Pharmacy college job fairs propel rapport between academia and industry to create capable workforce

Pharmacy college job fairs play a critical role in bridging the gap between academia and industry. The fair provides a platform for pharmaceutical companies to communicate their hiring needs directly to students. This




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What is regulatory intelligence?

Laura Friedl-Hirst, managing direction at LFH Regulatory explores what regulatory intelligence is and how it can benefit businesses.




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Developing Expertise Improves the Brain’s Ability to Concentrate

Expertise bulks up the brain’s ability to think deeply, a skill that may generalize across tasks




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How to Overcome Solastalgia, the Feeling of Profound Loss of Your Environment

Damage to your environment can bring a profound sense of loss; that feeling, called solastalgia, can also provide inspiration




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Are Alternate Timelines Real? Quantum Physics Explains

The multiverse offers no escape from our reality—which might be a very good thing




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Kristi Noem, Trump’s Nominee for Leader of the Department of Homeland Security, Has Rejected Climate Science

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security and its disaster agency has said people aren’t driving temperature increases and declined to accept federal climate money for disaster preparedness as governor of South Dakota




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King Charles celebrates 76th birthday by opening food hubs

LONDON — UK's King Charles will celebrate his 76th birthday on Thursday (Nov 14) by opening two food distribution hubs which are part of his project designed to cut waste and support charities that help those who are hungry. Last year, the king, an outspoken campaigner on environmental issues and supporter of a sustainable economy, launched the 'Coronation Food Project', his mission to 'bridge the gap between food waste and food need'. On Thursday, the monarch will open the initiative's first two food hubs — distribution centres which are designed to save and circulate tonnes of surplus food. He will visit one of the hubs in south London which will host a 'surplus food festival' making meals created from food which would have gone to waste, as well as virtually opening the other site in northern England. Their aim is to make it easier for food charities such as FareShare and the Felix Project to provide support for those in need, Buckingham palace said. It said since the launch of the scheme, the project had helped save an additional 940 tonnes of surplus food which was to the equivalent of more than 2.2 million meal portions.




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Israel wants freedom to strike Lebanon even after ceasefire, France says

PARIS — Israeli officials are insisting on maintaining a capacity to strike Lebanon at any moment as part of conditions to secure a ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah, France's foreign minister said on Wednesday (Nov 13). Speaking to a parliamentary hearing after holding talks in Israel last week in Jerusalem, Jean-Noel Barrot said it was a condition increasingly voiced among Israeli officials. "Today we hear in Israel voices calling for it to keep a capacity to strike at any moment or even enter Lebanon, as is the case with its neighbour Syria," said Barrot, who held talks with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and new Defence Minister Israel Katz last week. "That is not compatible with the sovereignty of a strong country," Barrot said, referring to broader efforts to help strengthen Lebanon's governance. Several diplomats said that it would be all but impossible to get Hezbollah or Lebanon to accept any proposal that included this demand.






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Celebrating the National Gallery on Google Arts & Culture

London’s National Gallery is celebrating 200 years with newly digitised artworks, curated stories and an interactive AI experience connecting art and music on Google Art…



  • Arts & Culture
  • UK

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D3 fell and got up

https://youtu.be/43e74d1Xg6k?si=3nQEGOZjXxNjanEC

Ну, d3... Ну, упал... Поднялся. И простое информационное сообщение @mudhoney однако же вызвало, хоть ленивое, но брожение говнов. И не стыдно, а? :)) Активные комментаторы d3, вы хоть на что–нибудь, кроме брожения говнов, способны? Я в этом сомневаюсь, и не без оснований...

Написал yaila на rightmusicvideo.d3.ru / комментировать





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GST and income tax for freelancers

So i have some doubts regarding my freelance income and the tax and gst on it.If i file under section 44ada , the thing is if i have income of 40lakh and i file tax on 20lakh (50%) than how can i justify if i invested around 16lakh in stocks and suppose 8 lakh i payed for the prep




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GST Council May Grant Tax Relief on Health and Term Insurance for Senior Citizens in Dec 2024 Meeting

The upcoming GST Council meeting in Rajasthan on December 21-22, 2024, may bring potential tax relief for insurance policyholders. ...




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Бета-выпуск Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 и релиз RHEL 9.5

Компания Red Hat представила бета-версию дистрибутива Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 и релиз Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.5. Готовые установочные образы подготовлены для зарегистрированных пользователей Red Hat Customer Portal (для оценки функциональности также можно использовать iso-образы CentOS Stream 10 и CentOS Stream 9.5, а также бесплатные сборки RHEL для разработчиков). Репозитории с бинарными пакетами RHEL 10 доступны публично. Выпуски сформированы для архитектур x86_64, s390x (IBM System z), ppc64le и Aarch64 (ARM64).




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Hide Your Wallet: November 12th Release Week!

It’s Tuesday Wednesday (oops!) and that means new books are hitting the shelves! Fantasy reigns supreme this week, but there are som additional fun titles like a cocktail recipe book and the continuation of a historical mystery series. What new releases are on your TBR pile? Let us know in the comments! (Thank you to everyone who reached out to us! – SW)




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24 Outrageous Cat Memes Zip-Zapping in Zoomies and Entering Fuzzy Freaky Feline Overdrive

Zoom zoom zoom. Your cat entered the zoomies mode! They zip and zap all around the house, making human parkour professionals look like crawling babies compared to them. Your cat runs fast, fast, fast - way 2 fast, way 2 furious. Your cat can definitely star in the next Fast and Furious film, preferably as the main villain. He'll be so hard to defeat. Or he might take Keanu Reeves and star in a Speed sequel, because this cat's speed seems like it's endless, boundless, limitless.

Until your cat calms down from what seems to be an endless zoomies overdrive, you might want to watch some cat memes to pass the time. You can look at some outrageous cat memes that match the zip-zap energy of your zooming cat, which will eventually relax from his fuzzy freaky feline overdrive. ZOOM ZOOM Zoom Zoom zoom zoom… There, he slowed down. Now you can look at these cat memes together.