By Bob O’Donnell, president and chief analyst of TECHnalysis Research While much of the technology world is still searching to find easily measurable productivity improvements with generative AI, it turns out there’s another tech trend that’s already driving very impressive results today: digital twins. The idea behind digital twins is to create a complete replica of a physical system in software and then use that digital copy to run simulations and other tests before building a physical implementation of the device or system in the “real world.” Software-Based Systems As you can easily imagine, the ability to create, refine, and test complex configurations of various elements in software before committing to a hardware design offers incredible benefits to a system’s designers. In addition to ensuring that a given design works as intended, a digital twin offers the opportunity to refine the entire system or any combination of individual elements. Organizations can focus on optimizing a design for the best possible performance, most efficient energy usage, or any number of other targets that a company may have for a specific product. Digital twins can also be used for testing under conditions that aren’t practical in the real world, such as crashing a car or jet engine thousands of times in thousands of different situations. In addition, one of the more intriguing new applications of GenAI is to use it to help refine this system optimization process. Appropriately trained foundation models can run through billions of permutations and help ensure that a digital twin of a given system is as good as it can be by “solving” for the best potential outcome. They can also create design performance levels that existing methodologies don’t even begin to meet. The real trick in getting this all to work is finding the right software solution to build the digital twin. Not surprisingly, the type of device being “modeled” in digital form impacts this decision, but one of the most important overarching demands is the ability for a tool to faithfully replicate in software how individual elements behave in the real world, both on their own and in combination with other elements. It turns out that tools originally designed to digitally create some of the most complex and sophisticated devices that humankind has ever conceived—the semiconductor chips powering today’s digital devices—are extremely well suited to this digital system emulation task. Why Cadence? That’s why a company like Cadence, which was founded to create and is best known for its EDA (electronic design automation) chip design software, has become an important force in the world of digital twins. In solving the technical challenges associated with the chip design process, Cadence created software capabilities that can be applied to building an enormous range of sophisticated systems, including jet and automobile engines, manufacturing equipment, computing systems, and much more. Much of the work is focused on what the company refers to as computational software—that is, software that can solve the immensely complex physical and computational problems that underly and mathematically “describe” how the different elements in a system function on their own and in combination with other elements. It is these capabilities that allow Cadence software tools such as Allegro X Design Platform and Clarity 3D Solver to accurately emulate in software the real-world functionality and performance of systems that integrate various components. In the case of systems like jet engines that need to function well in volatile real-world environments, companies can use Cadence’s Fidelity CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) Platform . This allows designers to see how their designs operate in different types of weather, at different altitudes, in dangerous conditions that can’t be replicated in the real world, and much more—again, all before committing to an expensive hardware prototype. Of course, the EDA tools that Cadence is best known for—like Virtuoso Studio and Xcelium Logic Simulator —allow these capabilities to be brought to individual semiconductor chip designs. Before they go into production, all the world’s biggest chip companies use Cadence tools to create, refine, and digitally test their latest generation chips. With the move to chiplet architectures that bundle together multiple individual chips into larger, more sophisticated SoCs (system on chips) in 3D packages, Cadence has a tool called Integrity 3D-IC Platform for creating chiplet designs. Once it comes time to create customized chips for some of these applications, Cadence also offers hardware platforms such as Palladium Emulation and Protium Enterprise Prototyping that organizations can use to prototype and validate their designs before they commit to manufacturing. On top of that, many companies then use other Cadence tools like the aforementioned Allegro X Design Platform to link together multiple independent chips and other elements into a computing system design. Building even further, Cadence has recently released a set of tools called Cadence Reality Digital Twin Platform for modeling the performance, power consumption levels, and operation of data centers that integrate thousands of different computer systems. Given the enormous power demands that today’s GPU-rich cloud and enterprise data centers have, the ability to optimize the overall data center design for more power efficiency is an absolutely essential need. Biological Systems What’s fascinating is that these system-level design capabilities extend beyond the world of hardware into fields like biology and drug discovery as well. In fact, Cadence’s 2022 acquisition of OpenEye and the new product efforts associated with it are centered around modeling how complex biological systems will react to newly created drugs. In this case, Cadence tools such as Orion Molecular Design Platform essentially create digital twins of various types of human cells and then model how various molecules from a new type of drug will interact with those cells. Using these types of technologies, companies can rapidly expand the range of different molecules that they test in the digital domain without going through the very difficult and time-consuming task of creating and testing physical samples of these new molecules. While the work is still in its early phases, the potential of combining this technology with appropriately trained GenAI models could lead to significantly faster drug discovery efforts. Given the computational power now available to us—thanks in no small part to the impact that EDA tools like the ones from Cadence have had over the last several decades—the ability to emulate complex systems completely in software through the process of digital twinning has never been more compelling. From designing individual ICs (integrated circuits), through compute systems, and even into areas like computational fluid dynamics and drug discovery, the possibilities that digital twins—and the tools that create them—have enabled offer the potential to dramatically impact industries of all types and sizes. It’s going to be exciting to see how their impact continues to grow. Bob O’Donnell is the president and chief analyst of TECHnalysis Research, LLC , a market research firm that provides strategic consulting and market research services to the technology industry and professional financial community. You can follow him on Twitter @bobodtech .

After the viral slapping incident, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission figured in another controversy after a PAOCC employee reportedly stole the phone of a worker of the raided business process outsourcing firm in Bagac, Bataan.

Minister Chris Bonett said he sympathises with those who were stuck in traffic on Tuesday evening but added that events of this kind will inevitably result in congestion

Vitals inquiry expert Miroslava Milenović faces heated scrutiny over qualifications and methods for her role in uncovering complex financial links

The police said that unlike other drug busts of this scale, the shipment was intended for the local market, and had a street value of €20 million. Four Maltese men have been arrested in connection with the bust

Malta International Airport generated €107.8 million in revenue for the first nine months of 2024, posting a net profit of €39.5 million

Returning to Washington, Trump meets with Biden in the Oval Office

MANILA, Philippines — Central Luzon cops arrested a woman with the alias “Tita” for posing as her niece to lure a victim into giving her gifts, the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP ACG) said. According to the PNP ACG’s report released on Wednesday, “Tita” created a Facebook account using her then 17-year-old niece’s name and began messaging a 70-year-old meat vendor in San Manuel town in Tarlac province. The suspect lured the victim into a secret relationship, which lasted for more than a year, getting him to send money and gifts said to be worth a total of nearly […]...

Keep on reading: Tarlac woman nabbed for posing as niece in online love scam

BingoPlus, the country’s comprehensive entertainment platform, announced its newest Bingo Mega Jackpot winner on November 13, 2024 with a grand total of 154,148,662 Pesos winning prize. The Bingo Mega Jackpot winner of 154 million Pesos is the highest prize ever won so far in the BingoPlus platform. With only 5 Pesos worth of cards, the BingoPlus user purchased 20 random green cards for only 100 Pesos, and amazingly, hit the biggest jackpot in BingoPlus history. BingoMega is among many games in BingoPlus that allows you to both enjoy and win prizes while playing. For just 5 Pesos, you can have […]...

Keep on reading: BingoPlus’ newest Mega Jackpot winner bags ₱154 million

New import Akil Mitchell knocked down the marginal free throw with six seconds left and Meralco completed its comeback to defeat South Korea’s Busan KCC Egis, 81-80, Wednesday in the East Asia Super League at Philsports Arena in Pasig City. The reinforcement tapped for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup came through after being fouled in a looseball situation and the visiting Egis in penalty as the Bolts improved to 2-1 in Group B of the regional competition. Mitchell finished with 33 points and 22 rebounds, providing a glimpse of what to expect for the PBA’s midseason tournament slated to start later […]...

Keep on reading: EASL: Meralco rallies past KBL's Busan behind new import

MANILA, Philippines — No police nor any politician helped Alice Guo escape the Philippine jurisdiction, at least according to the internal investigation conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP). Sen. Francis Tolentino, who was speaking on behalf of the PNP as the agency’s budget sponsor, bared the matter during the Senate’s marathon plenary debates on the 2025 funding. Prior to Tolentino’s disclosure, opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked what was the result of the “internal investigation” conducted by the country’s police force. READ: Alice Guo says someone ‘initiated’ her escape “There was an investigation and the result was that no member […]...

Keep on reading: Tolentino: No PNP officer, politician helped Guo escape from PH

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) played no role in deciding on the National Economic and Development Authority’s controversial poverty threshold. At the Senate’s marathon plenary debates on the proposed 2025 funding of the DOST past midnight on Thursday, Sen. Minority Leader Koko Pimentel asked FNRI whether it was the source of the figure that Neda issued. He was referring to Neda’s earlier disclosure that a Filipino only needs to spend P64 per day for meals to not be considered food poor. READ: You’re not food poor if you spend at […]...

Keep on reading: DOST-FNRI washes hands off Neda’s poverty threshold: PSA did the math

Opponents of the bill claimed it would have targeted pro-Palestinian organizations that facilitate aid to Gaza.

The alleged support for Hamas related to online activity, Gloucestershire Police said.

The bill's goal is to enable the use of spyware to combat organized crime, according to the proposal's explanatory section.

The Israeli military "intends to continue its tireless efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in the Strip during the ongoing conflict," a statement said.

The members of the House debated the role of lack of integration, antisemitism within the Muslim population, and failure of authority in a discussion about the attacks.

CIA official Asif W. Rahman held top-secret security clearance and had access to sensitive information, the New York Times reported.

Britain’s The Guardian newspaper announced Wednesday it would no longer post content from its official accounts on Elon Musk’s X, branding it a “toxic media platform” home to “often disturbing content”.

“We think that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives,” the left-leaning newspaper, which has nearly 11 million followers on X, said on its website. It added that its “resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere”.

“This is something we have been considering for a while given the often disturbing content promoted or found on the platform, including far-right conspiracy theories and racism,” the statement noted.

“The US presidential election campaign served only to underline what we have considered for a long time: that X is a toxic media platform and that its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.”

The paper’s main X handle was still accessible Wednesday but a message on it advised “this account has been archived” while redirecting visitors to its website.

The Guardian noted that X users would still be able to share its articles and that it would still “occasionally embed content from X” within its articles given “the nature of live news reporting”.

It also said its reporters would still be able to use the site and other social networks on which the paper does not have an account.

“Social media can be an important tool for news organisations and help us to reach new audiences but, at this point, X now plays a diminished role in promoting our work,” The Guardian added.

Musk purchased X, formerly known as Twitter, for $44 billion in 2022 and has consistently courted controversy with his use of the platform, particularly during the recent US presidential election.

Musk endorsed Donald Trump and used his personal account boasting nearly 205 million followers to sway voters in favour of the Republican, with a slew of incendiary, misleading posts criticised for cranking up the political temperature.

Trump on Tuesday announced that the Tesla and SpaceX billionaire would lead a so-called Department of Government Efficiency in his incoming administration, alongside the entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Without doubt, Turkiye gave the strongest response to Israel’s atrocities in Palestine through such steps as halting trade, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

Ankara suspended all trade with Israel in May, citing a worsening humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians since last October.

“As long as arms shipments continue, Israel will be more aggressive, as every day that Israel is not stopped, the situation in Palestine and Lebanon worsens,” Erdogan told reporters on his return flight from visits to Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan.

One of the concrete steps that can be taken against Israel’s attacks is to work for recognition of the state of Palestine, he underscored, adding: “Without a two-state solution, peace and stability will not come to the region.”

“Trade restrictions and sanctions on Israel are another form of struggle. Active diplomacy to corner Israel in all areas and boost diplomatic pressure is also crucial. We’re in the middle of a great test of humanity,” the president said.

“Passing this test is only possible by being part of the humanitarian alliance. Otherwise, history will judge both those who stood by Israel and those who remained silent in the face of oppression.”

Erdogan also said Ankara’s initiative at the UN to prevent the shipment of weapons and ammunition to Israel has been supported by 52 countries and two international organizations.

“We recently sent a letter on this initiative to the president of the UN General Assembly, the president of the Security Council, and the UN secretary-general. At the (joint Arab-Muslim) summit in Riyadh, a decision was made to invite all organizations and Arab League members to sign our letter. Our country’s steps to halt the massacre and its humanitarian aid efforts were praised,” he added.

The Turkish president also highlighted that he had the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings during the summit, including with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, adding that they had a fruitful meeting.

Emphasizing that he also held bilateral meetings in Baku, Azerbaijan, during the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference, Erdogan said that these meetings included discussions of bilateral ties and regional developments.

‘Climate is one of the most critical issues facing world’

On Turkiye’s zero emissions target for 2053, Erdogan said: “The climate issue is one of the most critical issues facing the world. Just as we care about wars, conflicts, and migration, we approach this issue with the same seriousness.”

“Turkiye is persistently discussing what measures we can take with the relevant ministries. We have taken, are taking, and will continue to take measures to use the world’s limited resources most efficiently and to elevate the civilization we have developed over centuries to a much higher level.

“Turkiye cares about this issue and is making every effort to do our part. However, finding a fundamental and lasting solution to this issue is not possible with the efforts of just us or a few countries together.”

He called for collective action to shoulder the burden of climate-related efforts.

“If some countries fully engage in the fight against climate change while others, driven by greed, ignore necessary measures or even increase pollution, we cannot overcome this problem,” warned Erdogan.

President Erdogan added that the importance of the Zero Waste initiative, spearheaded by Turkiye, is gaining more recognition every day and that efforts are being made to spread it and turn it into a way of life.

The initiative, which started in 2017 under First Lady Emine Erdogan’s leadership, aims to raise awareness of the importance of waste elimination in addressing climate change.

Hope ties with US move to different track under Trump

On the US’ incoming administration, Erdogan voiced hope that Donald Trump’s taking office in January will start to put ties between Ankara and Washington on a different track.

“Undoubtedly, there are always opportunities between the two countries. Our basic expectation is to assess these opportunities and take steps that will benefit both countries,” he said.

“The Trump administration views the economy as one of its main priorities. Turkiye, with its strategic geographical location and young population, is a country that offers investment opportunities.

“We can create new opportunities to boost the trade volume and encourage investments between the two countries. Particularly in energy, infrastructure, and technology, we can develop new collaborations,” he underlined.

Erdogan also expressed hope that President-elect Trump would take different steps for the region.

Asked about potential future meetings with US billionaire Elon Musk, one of Trump’s biggest supporters, Erdogan said: “The technological strides Turkiye is making are drawing attention worldwide. Technology is not an area where you can advance alone; you need collaboration. If cooperation opportunities arise in this field, steps can be taken with Musk.”

Possible normalization between Turkiye, Syria

Speaking of a possible reconciliation with Syria, Erdogan said Turkiye has reached out for normalization, expressing its belief that it would open the door to peace and stability in Syrian territories.

Cross-border operations are always in the cards for the country’s security, he said, expressing readiness to launch them anytime the country feels threatened.

Turkiye has launched several cross-border operations in recent years, in both northern Syria and northern Iraq, targeting terrorists who hide out there and destabilize the border or plot attacks on Turkish soil.

Reiterating Turkiye’s commitment to fighting terrorism while respecting Syria’s territorial integrity, Erdogan said that the presence of terrorist groups in northern Syria, notably the PKK, the PYD and the YPG, also poses a threat to its territorial integrity, adding that the Syrian government, well aware of this, must take steps to create a new climate in the country.

Erdogan also said the “threat of Israel,” right next to Syria, is no fairy tale, warning that the fire in the surrounding areas can quickly spread in the unstable lands.

In its 40-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and the EU — has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

In northern Syria, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations since 2016 to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Tuesday hosted a consultation session on its virtual private networks (VPNs) registration framework, which aimed to foster a “secure environment for the IT and e-commerce sectors in Pakistan”, a press statement said.

VPNs are widely used around the world to access content that may be inaccessible or blocked for internet users in their home country. In the case of Pakistanis, VPNs are used to access X, among other restricted websites.

The move comes days after multiple internet users from across the country reported they were experiencing “restricted access” to VPNs, alongside poor internet connectivity.

Digital rights activists termed the disruption the government’s attempt to “enforce strict censorship and surveillance over citizens”. The PTA, however, dismissed users’ claim that it was “throttling” VPNs and said the disruptions were caused by a “technical glitch”. It also urged users to register their VPNs.

According to the statement, today’s meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication (MoIT&T), the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), and the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA).

“The PTA introduced a streamlined VPN registration process, allowing legitimate users to register their VPNs through a new online portal at ipregistration.pta.gov.pk,” the statement said.

The authority claimed that this simplified framework “supports uninterrupted access for IT companies, freelancers, and other stakeholders, reinforcing PTA’s commitment to Pakistan’s expanding digital economy”.

Participants also addressed concerns about the potential use of VPNs for “illegal activities.”

“As a proactive measure, companies and freelancers will be encouraged to register their VPNs to ensure smooth operations and mitigate disruptions,” it added.

“This consultation process underscores PTA’s dedication to creating a safe, accessible, and compliant digital landscape, empowering the country’s IT sector while safeguarding national security,” the statement concluded.

In August, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) was clamping down on VPN usage, aiming to prevent access to the already banned social media platform X.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in September that X had been banned due to national security issues, not to curb freedom of expression. He added that “separatists and terrorists” were using the platform against Pakistan, which could not be allowed.

In the same month, the PTA dispelled rumours and clarified that VPNs in the country were not being blocked.

1. India To Play Intra Squad Match At WACA Ahead Of Australia Tests, Public Not Allowed: Report  News18
2. Black veil of secrecy: India begin training in privacy in Perth  ESPNcricinfo
3. 'No request' from BCCI but Australian media report claims India wanted...  The Times of India
4. Of Coffee Date And Fam-Jam: Anushka Sharma And Virat Kohli's Perth Diaries  NDTV Movies
5. Batting time: India begin preparations in lockdown mode  Hindustan Times

1. NTPC Green Energy's ₹10,000 crore IPO: Date, details, projects, things to know  Hindustan Times
2. NTPC Green Energy fixes dates, price band for ₹10,000 crore IPO — More details here  CNBCTV18
3. Aim for 60-40 ratio, where 40% is green, rest is fossil by 2032: NTPC CMD  Business Standard
4. NTPC Green Energy IPO: Here’s how to apply under the shareholders’ quota and increase chances of allotment  Upstox
5. NTPC Green Energy IPO GMP declines amid buzz of firm preparing to file RHP  Moneycontrol

Background

Lung cancer ranks as the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. There is evidence that second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure is a risk factor for the development of lung cancer in never-smokers. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to provide the most accurate quantification of the association between SHS exposure and lung cancer risk in never-smokers.

Developer Dragami Games announced Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP will launch for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on December 2 for $44.99.

The game first released for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam in September.

The PS4 and Xbox One versions run in 1080p at 30 frames per second or higher. The Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One versions support Smart Delivery, however, the PS5 and PS4 versions do not support cross-buy.

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463051/lollipop-chainsaw-repop-headed-to-ps4-and-xbox-one-on-december-2/

1. 'We've got a bit of history': Ricky Ponting responds to Gautam Gambhir's remarks, calls him 'prickly...  Moneycontrol
2. Ricky Ponting hits back at Gautam Gambhir, calls him 'prickly character'  The Times of India
3. 'That's a bad move, Ricky. What are you doing?': Ponting's Virat Kohli jibe questioned amid 'spicy' ball-tampering claim  Hindustan Times
4. "What Are You Doing?" Lee Warns Ricky Ricky Ponting Over 'Virat Kohli Remark'  NDTV Sports
5. ‘What Are You Doing?’: Former Australian Cricketer Hits Back At Ricky Ponting Over Remark On Virat Kohli’s Test Form  News24

1. India vs South Africa Live Score, 3rd T20I: Flying Ants Stop Play During India-SA 3rd T20I, Game To Resume At...  NDTV Sports
2. South Africa vs India, 3rd T20I  Cricbuzz
3. Flying ants halt SA vs IND T20I in Centurion! Other bizarre stoppages in cricket  India Today
4. Tilak Varma takes down South Africa, breaks world record with maiden T20I century, hits 7 sixes in Centurion  Hindustan Times
5. Bizarre:Flying Ants 'Attack' Stops India vs South Africa T20I In Centurion. Internet Can't Keep Calm..  NDTV Sports

1. How this ‘pop-up’ on Windows laptops and PCs may again lead to Google vs Microsoft tussle  The Times of India
2. Microsoft Edge is trying to forcefully get your Chrome tabs again  The Verge
3. Microsoft Edge has a sneaky new pop-up that tries to copy your Google Chrome data  9to5Google
4. Microsoft is sneakily trying to import tabs from other browsers into Edge  Ghacks
5. Microsoft is, once again, trying to force users into using Edge  MSN

1. Market crash: Investors become poorer by ₹13 lakh crore; Sensex tanks 2.27% in two days  The Hindu
2. Bloodbath on D-street: Investors lose Rs 13 lakh crore in last 2 days- Top reasons why market is falling  The Times of India
3. Nifty Drops 2,718 Points From Record High, Hits Below 200-DEMA; What Is Next Target And How To Invest?  Goodreturns
4. 'Everything is being cut,' says Basant Maheshwari as market goes into correction phase; key reasons behind today's fall  Business Today
5. Ahead of Market: 10 things that will decide stock action on Thursday  The Economic Times

Seven years after transitioning from Malayalam playback to the world of ghazals, Gayatri Asokan is set to release yet another track, ‘Kitne Aish Se Rahte Honge’, inspired by the poetry of Jaun Elia

Dialects, aspirations, collaborations and sounds of his motherland are keeping Singaporean-Tamil rapper Yung Raja going this year

Singer was one of the early favourites to win the talent show

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming industries and is now accessible to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). According to Forbes, 91% of SMBs that have implemented AI report improved business success. The benefits of AI extend beyond enhanced customer experiences to include significant cost savings, revenue growth and a competitive edge. However, the journey to effective AI implementation can be challenging for many businesses. Avoiding AI roadblocks For SMBs with limited resources,…

Trainual, a fast-growing Tempe employee onboarding software firm, has signed a sponsorship deal with the Phoenix Suns and Mercury.

<p>On 21 October 2024, Brazilian pharmaceutical&nbsp;giant&nbsp;EMS proposed a partnership with competitor Hypera Pharma,&nbsp;setting&nbsp;a course&nbsp;to become&nbsp;Brazil’s&nbsp;largest drug manufacturer.</p>

Netflix has expanded the cast of live-action series Avatar: The Last Airbender in its second season, with Singapore actor Chin Han one of the latest eight additions. He will play the role of Long Feng — leader of Dai Li, the secret police force of Ba Sing Se, or the capital of the Earth Kingdom. Another new joiner is Taiwanese-American actor Justin Chien, who starred with Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh in the Netflix series The Brothers Sun (2024) and will play King Kuei, ruler of the Earth Kingdom in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Meanwhile, Vietnamese-Australian actor Hoa Xuande, who starred with American actor Robert Downey Jr in the HBO miniseries The Sympathizer (2024), will play Professor Zei, head of the anthropology department at Ba Sing Se University.  Other actors in the cast are Amanda Zhou as Joo Dee, Crystal Yu as Lady Beifong, Kelemete Misipeka as The Boulder, Lourdes Faberes as General Sung and Rekha Sharma as Amita.

SHOALWATER BAY, Australia - The expansion of the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) in Queensland has been completed after eight years of development. With the expanded training area now five times the size of Singapore, this means that the scale and complexity of overseas exercises involving the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) can be increased in the future, Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How said on Wednesday (Nov 13). Heng was speaking to reporters after witnessing Singaporean and Australian soldiers being put through their paces during a simulated beach landing as part of Exercise Trident. He also flew on a CH-47F chinook to view the new facilities within the expanded SWBTA and interacted with SAF and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) soldiers who participated in the bilateral exercise. Jointly developed by Australia and Singapore since 2016, the expansion of the overall training area was set out in a treaty between the two countries in 2020. State-of-the-art facilities such as the combined arms air-land ranges and urban operations live-firing facilities have been included in the expansion.

After their rental agreement with a sublessor fell through, a couple asked for their deposit to be returned. They waited three weeks to no avail and decided to visit the sublessor's home for discussions. But the negotiations turned physical, with the woman brandishing a knife at the couple after she was attacked. The incident occurred at about 7pm last Sunday (Nov 10) at a condominium in Yishun, reported Shin Min Daily News. Chen, 41, said he had seen an advertisement for the four-bedroom unit on Oct 13 and contacted the poster, who said she had rented the apartment from the original tenant. The woman told Chen she could sublet the unit to him and his wife if the homeowner was agreeable to it.  After viewing pictures and videos of the apartment, the man immediately made a PayNow transfer of $1,000 to the woman as deposit. The couple viewed the unit the next day, where both parties discussed the rental agreement in detail. A week later, however, the woman told them that she had not gotten the approval of the condo owner to sublet the apartment.

NEW DELHI — A toxic haze enveloped India's national capital on the morning of Nov 13 as temperatures dropped and pollution surged, reducing visibility in some parts and prompting a warning from airport authorities that flights may be affected. Delhi overtook Pakistan's Lahore as the world's most polluted city in Swiss group IQAir's live rankings, with an air quality index (AQI) score of more than 1,000, considered "hazardous", but India's pollution authority said the AQI was around 350. Officials were not immediately available to explain the variation. Vehicles drive on a highway on a polluted smoggy morning in New Delhi, India, Nov 7, 2024. PHOTO: Reuters file The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the pollution had reduced visibility to 100 metres in some places by around 8am local time.

COLOMBO — Chanu Nimesha is contesting Sri Lanka's parliamentary election on Thursday (Nov 14) as the first openly transgender candidate, hoping to forge a more inclusive and tolerant political culture on the South Asian island. Transgender people are estimated to make up about one per cent of Sri Lanka's 22 million people, according to Equal Ground, a local civil society group. They frequently face social rejection, lack legal protection and have almost no representation in political parties. Nimesha, who is contesting from Kegalle — about 80km east of Colombo — said she was the first transgender person to run for a seat in the 225-strong parliament and that her message of social justice had been well received. "I'm not concerned about winning or losing," she said, sitting in her one-bedroom flat. "But it is important for me to be present in this space, to be seen, to inspire others like me. I want to help everyone, not just my community."

NEW DELHI — Indian political parties are increasingly targeting women voters with fiscally draining handouts of cash around the time of elections to counter wider worries about inflation and the lack of jobs, analysts say. A greater turnout of women voters in the past decade has reversed a trend of men easily outnumbering women. Political parties have competed to attract them, even as inflation hit a 14-month peak in October and unemployment stays high, at 8.9 per cent. Regional governments run by both Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party and the opposition are offering or planning such efforts to lure about a fifth of India's estimated 670 million women, the economic research division of Axis Bank says. "This is a substantial burden on the exchequer," its chief economist, Neelkanth Mishra, said in a report. "Where is the funding coming from? Some from higher deficits." Budgeted deficits for the current fiscal year for nearly all Indian states unveiling handouts for women were higher than five years ago, with many cutting capital expenditure to fund the populist measures.

Immigrant rights lawyers are preparing to fight back against Donald Trump’s plans to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history once he takes office again in January. The president-elect has already named some leading anti-immigration figures for his incoming administration who will lead the plan, including former ICE head Tom Homan and his longtime aide Stephen Miller. Trump’s picks were central in family separations, the Muslim ban, attacks on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, and other anti-immigrant policies during the first Trump administration. Trump is also reportedly planning to greatly expand immigrant detention in private for-profit prisons, and during the campaign he spoke of invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to speed up deportations. “We have been preparing nearly a year for this,” says attorney Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, who argued some of the most high-profile immigration cases during the first Trump administration. He stresses that while groups like the ACLU will challenge the Trump administration in the courts, “it needs to be a national effort” to prevent abuses. “We are not opposed to basic immigration reform, but this cannot be a situation where we’re just going after immigrants left and right.”

Arizona voters on Election Day approved a sweeping ballot measure that would allow state and local law enforcement to arrest immigrants suspected of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border outside of ports of entry, while empowering state judges to order deportations. Proposition 314, which creates a series of state crimes targeting immigrants, is modeled after a similar measure in Texas known as S.B. 4 that is currently under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. Only certain portions of Prop 314 are scheduled to go into effect later this month, while the most harmful parts won’t be enforced until the Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of the Texas law. The measure has drawn comparisons to Arizona’s controversial S.B. 1070, a 2010 law that also gave local police authority to arrest immigrants suspected of being undocumented, though large parts of it were later struck down by the Supreme Court. For more, we speak with Tucson-based activist Alejandra Pablos, who was targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for her activism and has been facing deportation proceedings for years. “People who are speaking out are the first to feel the chills,” Pablos says of Trump’s looming anti-immigrant crackdown. She urges the Biden administration to do what it can to mitigate the harm, including by closing deportation cases against people like her.

I am Indian Resident but I have foreign assets, just to know where in the ITR should foreign properties be reported?How much penalty will be imposed if fail to disclose foreign property?

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is leading Republican rival Donald Trump by 2 percentage points among likely voters, according to a national Fox News poll.

FiveThirtyEight founder and editor-in-chief Nate Silver said in a blog post