jili live

US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated Jared Isaacman, a billionaire online payments entrepreneur and the first private astronaut to conduct a spacewalk, as the next head of NASA. The nod raises questions about potential conflicts of interest, given Isaacman's financial ties to SpaceX chief Elon Musk, who is set to co-lead a government efficiency commission and is one of Trump's closest advisors. Isaacman, the 41-year-old founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, has emerged as a leading figure in commercial spaceflight through his high-profile collaborations with SpaceX. He made history in September by stepping out of a Crew Dragon to gaze at Earth from the void of space while gripping the spacecraft's exterior, during the first-ever spacewalk carried out by non-professional astronauts. "I am delighted to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot and astronaut, as Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Jared will drive NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in Space science, technology, and exploration." The groundbreaking spacewalk was part of the Polaris program, a collaboration between Isaacman and SpaceX that is set to include three missions in total, culminating in the first crewed test of the next-generation Starship. Financial terms of the initiative remain under wraps, though the matter is likely to come up during Isaacman's Senate hearings. Isaacman reportedly poured $200 million of his own money into leading the 2021 all-civilian SpaceX Inspiration4 orbital mission, his first foray into space. A staunch supporter of SpaceX and Musk, Isaacman frequently praises the company and its vision on social media platform X. "There will inevitably be a thriving space economy -- one that will create opportunities for countless people to live and work in space," Isaacman said in an X post after Trump's announcement. "At NASA, we will passionately pursue these possibilities." Isaacman, a Pennsylvania native, founded the business that became Shift4 Payments from his family's basement at just 16. A skilled aviator, he is qualified to fly military aircraft, has performed at airshows, and set a world record for an around-the-world flight. The nomination comes at a delicate juncture for the storied US space agency, with experts anticipating significant shifts in direction during Trump's second term. The Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon, may face scrutiny as Trump has repeatedly voiced a preference for prioritizing a direct mission to Mars. Also possibly on the chopping block is the massive, NASA-owned Space Launch System (SLS) Moon rocket, which has been criticized for being exorbitantly expensive due to its lack of reusability, in contrast with SpaceX's Starship, which is designed to be reusable but remains a prototype. If Isaacman is confirmed by the Senate, his ties to SpaceX could invite heightened scrutiny of future contracting decisions. NASA currently has agreements with both SpaceX and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin to develop lunar lander systems -- an approach Isaacman has criticized, citing budgetary constraints and SpaceX's capabilities. "Congress is going to have to do its job here and exercise oversight," Peter Juul of the Progressive Policy Institute told AFP, urging lawmakers to mandate dual-source contracting so NASA "doesn't become a glorified contracting agency for SpaceX." Still, as a swashbuckling entrepreneur in an era of expanding public-private partnerships in space, Isaacman's appointment has drawn praise in some quarters. "The Planetary Society shares his vision of bold exploration in space, and, should he be confirmed, we look forward to working with him," Casey Dreier, the nonprofit's chief of space policy, told AFP. ia/ahaO n December 13, China and the U.S. agreed to extend the Agreement between China and USA on Co-operation in Science and Technology for an additional five years, effective from August 27, 2024. They also signed a protocol to amend it. With that the uncertainty over the Agreement’s continuation came to an end. Observers have welcomed the development as an affirmation of science and technology cooperation between the two major powers. The incoming Donald Trump administration is also likely to endorse its continuation. The Agreement was first signed on January 31, 1979, by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and U.S. president Jimmy Carter at a time when both countries had established diplomatic relations and agreed to cooperate on agricultural research and technology. Since then the Agreement has been renewed every five years as well as expanding in scope. It was due to be renewed in 2023 but was extended for six months in August 2023 and again in February 2024, paving the way for a fresh renewal. The Agreement is governed by the US-PRC Joint Commission on Scientific and Technological Cooperation; the U.S. and China each appoint co-chairs and an agency from each country is nominated as the ‘executive agent’. There are also additional protocols between agencies and 40 sub-agreements in different areas, from agriculture to nuclear fusion. Bilateral S&T agreements Bilateral science and technology agreements have been key to promote cooperation in these fields. Often there are specific agreements or cooperation pacts as part of a larger engagement framework. While these agreements don’t mention specific investments in science and technology, they often pave the way for forms of cooperation that aren’t confined to state institutions. They also facilitate joint research, mobility between the countries for students and scientists, and encourage institutional cooperation, and set up bilateral research centers. India has such bilateral agreements with 83 countries. This said, while countries routinely sign such agreements as part of routine engagements, both countries need to have the capacity and the intention to pursue the cooperation earnestly for the instruments to succeed. Token initiatives have never cut it. In this regard, the Agreement between China and the U.S. is probably the most successful of its kind. Ironically, however, its very success also called its future into question. The renewed Agreement Conflicts between the U.S. and China, particularly over the export of certain technologies to China and concerns about China overtaking the U.S. in science and technology indicators, have become sticking points of late. To address them, the newly amended Agreement has measures to enhance provisions for researcher safety and data reciprocity. Also the collaboration will henceforth be confined to the intergovernmental level, to basic research, and to previously identified themes of mutual benefit (including, for example, earthquake studies and basic health). The instrument will also exclude cooperation in critical and emerging technologies to assuage stakeholders that China won’t extract disproportionate benefits — especially (and allegedly) at the U.S.’s expense — from the Agreement. Indeed, the last concern isn’t restricted to the fringe: experts who reviewed the Agreement flagged China’s ability to make better use of the research ecosystem as well as concerns over intellectual property rights. One report by the Congressional Research Service stated: “In 2017, U.S. patent and trademark officials identified over 400 [Chinese] patents tied to [Agreement] projects that [China] commercialised without U.S. commercial benefit.” So before the Agreement was renewed this year, the U.S. was faced with three options: to renew it as usual for five years, to rescind it or to renew it with new measures to restrict the scope and add additional conditions. The U.S.’s decision to opt for the third option implies that while there are deep concerns about the Agreement’s continued usefulness to the U.S., the outgoing administration would rather not altogether allow it to expire or rescind it. China expanded its cooperation on science and technology in the 1970s by signing agreements with the U.S. and the European Union; until then these deals had been restricted to some east European countries and the erstwhile Soviet Union. Between then and now, the country has emerged as a strong contender for the leadership of global science. According to one February 2024 paper written for the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, China’s spending on research and development (R&D) increased from $375 million in 1979 to $442 billion in 2021, second only to the U.S. In 1985, there were 2,770 Chinese undergraduate students in the U.S. but in 2000 there were 109,525. Concomitantly, both the number of papers coauthored by Chinese and U.S. authors and the variety of fields in which this has happened have increased. On the back of these data, in fact, Deborah Seligsohn of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, has argued that the U.S. wasn’t poorly served by the Agreement and has received significant value as well. For the same reasons, the incoming Trump administration isn’t likely to rescind the new agreement, although it might tack on more conditions and further limit its scope. Then again it will still be valuable to China because it keeps the door open for nonzero cooperation on science and technology, including to promote the mobility of its researchers. Likewise, the U.S. could maintain a handle on China’s rise to strength vis-à-vis science and technology rather than lose all leverage. In sum, the Agreement teaches us that while bilateral science and technology agreements are important, making the best use of them demands capacity-building and sustained investment in R&D. Otherwise the participating countries won’t be able to absorb the principal advantages such agreements generate. The Agreement catalysed China’s transformation from a ‘junior partner’ in 1979 to a formidable competitor in 2024. Even if the U.S. deems its success to be ‘extreme’, the Agreement forces the two countries to respond to each other’s concerns using the language of science and technology and cooperation. Krishna Ravi Srinivas is adjunct professor of law, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, and consultant, RIS New Delhi Published - December 25, 2024 11:01 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit USA / China / science (general)jili live 。

UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson was shot and killed on Wednesday morning in what police said was a “brazen, targeted attack” outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding an investor conference. The 50-year-old executive was shot at about 6.45am as he walked alone to the New York Hilton Midtown from a nearby hotel, police said. The gunman appeared to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching Mr Thompson from behind and opening fire, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Police have not yet established a motive. “Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” Ms Tisch said, adding that the shooting “does not appear to be a random act of violence”. Mr Thompson was struck at least once in the back and once in the calf, Ms Tisch said. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The suspect, dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and carrying a grey backpack, then fled on foot down an alleyway before pedalling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away. The shooter was at large, sparking a search that included police drones, helicopters and dogs. “We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare,” the insurer’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, said in a statement. “Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the company said. “We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.” Police issued a poster showing a surveillance image of the suspect pointing what appeared to be a gun and another image that appeared to show the same person on a bicycle. Police offered a reward of up to 10,000 US dollars (£7,860) for information leading to an arrest and conviction. The killing shook a part of New York City that is normally quiet at that hour, happening about four blocks from where tens of thousands of people are set to gather on Wednesday night for the annual Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree lighting. Mr Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that the executive told her “there were some people that had been threatening him”. She said she did not have details, but suggested they may have involved issues with insurance coverage. UnitedHealthcare is the insurance arm of the health care giant UnitedHealth Group. The group was holding its annual meeting with investors to update Wall Street on the company’s direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference early in the wake of Mr Thompson’s death. “I’m afraid that we – some of you may know we’re dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members,” a company official told attendees, according to a transcript. “And as a result, I’m afraid we’re going to have to bring to a close the event today. I’m sure you’ll understand.” Mr Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with the company since 2004 and served as chief executive for more than three years. UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the US and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programmes. Minnesota governor Tim Walz posted on the social platform X that the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team”. “This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” the Democrat wrote.

Panic among spectators at soccer game kills at least 56 in the West African nation of Guinea CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Officials and witnesses say chaos erupted at a soccer game in Guinea after fans protested a referee’s call and thousands of panicked spectators tried to flee the stadium, leaving at least 56 people dead in the West African nation. Local news website Media Guinea reported that security forces used tear gas. A journalist covering the game for a local sports website tells The Associated Press many of the dead were crushed as they tried to escape through the stadium gates. The world’s latest sports crowd disaster unfurled Sunday in the second-largest city in the military-run nation. Information there is sparse and government-controlled at the best of times. It was not immediately clear how much the death toll could grow. Houston's Al-Shaair apologizes for hit on Jacksonville's Lawrence that led to concussion HOUSTON (AP) — Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair took to X to apologize to Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence after his violent blow to the quarterback’s facemask led to him being carted off the field with a concussion. Back in the starting lineup after missing two games with a sprained left shoulder, Lawrence scrambled left on a second-and-7 play in the second quarter of Houston’s 23-20 win on Sunday. He initiated a slide before Al-Shaair raised his forearm and unleashed on the defenseless quarterback. In the long post, Al-Shaair says "To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening.” Mollie Marcoux Samaan stepping down as LPGA commissioner after 3 1/2 years of record prize money Mollie Marcoux Samaan is leaving after more than three years as LPGA commissioner. In a surprise announcement Monday, Marcoux Samaan says she will step down in January, just three weeks before the LPGA starts its 75th season. Liz Moore is the chief legal and technology officer. She'll be serving as interim commissioner until a search committee can find a permanent replacement. Marcoux Samaan was the athletic director at Princeton when she took over the LPGA in May 2021. Prize money has soared during her tenure. She also has faced criticism for the LPGA not gaining in popularity during a rise in women's sports. Jets are sticking with struggling Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers will remain the New York Jets’ starting quarterback despite speculation the team could bench him in what has been a disappointing season. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said during a video call that he still believes Rodgers, who turned 41 on Monday, gives the Jets their best chance to win. Rodgers was 21 of 39 for 185 yards and touchdown passes to Davante Adams and Isaiah Davis but also had an interception returned 92 yards for a touchdown by Leonard Williams in the Jets’ 26-21 loss to Seattle on Sunday. College playoff bracket offers last dress rehearsal and one more chance to see where the SEC stands The next set of College Football Playoff rankings will be released Tuesday night under heavy scrutiny before the final bracket is set on Sunday. It will be one last chance to see just how much the selection committee loves the Southeastern Conference. The best gauge will be whether Miami, which suffered its second loss over the weekend, is placed behind any or all three SEC teams with three losses — Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina, all of which are coming off wins. Whatever happens, the SEC is likely to have at least five teams in the 12-team field when the final bracket comes out. Kansas holds off Auburn for No. 1 in AP Top 25 as SEC grabs 3 of top 4 spots; UConn slides to No. 25 Kansas continues to hold the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll. Auburn is pushing the Jayhawks in the latest poll after winning the Maui Invitational and checked in at No. 2. Two-time reigning national champion UConn nearly fell out entirely after an 0-3 week at Maui, falling from No. 2 to 25th. The Southeastern Conference had three of the top four teams with No. 3 Tennessee and No. 4 Kentucky behind the Tigers. The poll featured six new teams, headlined by No. 13 Oregon, No. 16 Memphis and No. 18 Pittsburgh. Ryan Poles to remain Bears general manager and lead search for new head coach LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears president Kevin Warren said Ryan Poles will remain the general manager and serves as the point person in the search for a head coach to replace the fired Matt Eberflus. He says Poles will have the “final say” if the two have differing opinions on who should get the job. Chicago had never fired a coach during a season. But a six-game losing streak marked by questionable coaching decisions spurred the founding NFL franchise to change course. The Bears let Eberflus go Friday and replaced him on an interim basis with offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. TCU, Duke climb into top 10, Notre Dame drops in women's AP Top 25; UCLA and UConn remain 1-2 TCU has its best ranking ever in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll after a convincing win over Notre Dame. The Horned Frogs jumped eight spots to No. 9, the first time the school has ever been in the top 10. The Fighting Irish, who were third last week, fell seven spots to 10th after losses to TCU and Utah. UCLA remained No. 1, followed by UConn, South Carolina, Texas and LSU. USC, Maryland and Duke are next. Michael Andretti's Formula 1 dream comes to bittersweet fruition without his involvement Michael Andretti has been sidelined from his namesake motorsports organization and won’t have any role with the Formula 1 program he spent the last four years desperately trying to launch. His effort to get a program partnered with General Motors into F1 was approved last week, a month after he stepped aside from his teams. F1’s decision to expand its grid for Cadillac F1 came amidst a federal antitrust investigation into why Liberty Media refused to admit Andretti Global and after Andretti partners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter claimed controlling interest of the fledgling effort. Guardiola hits 'reset' with Man City floundering in the Premier League The season starts now for Pep Guardiola. The Manchester City manager saw his team extend its remarkable winless run to seven matches and drop 11 points off the pace in the Premier League by losing 2-0 to Liverpool on Sunday. But that is all in the past for Guardiola. He says “Reset. There’s a feeling we start from here this season.” How he intends to move on from the worst run of results in his managerial career remains to be seen. It all starts Wednesday with a home game against Nottingham Forest. The midweek round of games also sees Liverpool travel to Newcastle and Arsenal host Manchester United.

In light of Google facing the possibility of a court-mandated breakup after being found to be a monopoly, WalletHub’s CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou has told Digital Journal that, based on a recent analysis of search results and court documents, the deteriorating quality of Google search results over the last couple of years is most likely a n intentional strategy designed to boost advertising revenue rather than poor execution. To support his position, Papadimitriou cites: Going Downhill: 63 percent of people think that Google search results were better last year, according to a nationally representative survey conducted by WalletHub. Cost of Trusting Google’s Top 5 Results on Credit Cards & Banking Terms: $202 on average, according to a WalletHub study . Industry insiders have been warning about this: The SEO industry has been up in arms about the declining quality of Google search. Monopolies do not have to worry about quality: According to court documents (page 48 – section 134), Google’s internal testing showed that significantly worse search results would not hurt the business. Poor quality is good for business Deteriorating quality started after Google’s CEO put the head of Ads to lead both Search and Ads: Google always had a Church/State separation between their ad business and their organic search. In June 2020, Sundar Pichai decided to change that and align the two initiatives for maximum profit. Internal arguments prove that the separation was bad for consumers but good for advertising revenue. For example, the former head of search wrote: “The nature of how you would easily increase queries is a key reason I don’t like queries as an end metric. The easy ways are almost all bad. Having queries as a metric will, in my opinion, have a subtly bad effect as a launch metric even if we ‘ decide not to do the bad things’.” Papadimitriou continues to follow the matter closely and remains concerned about the impact on publishers as well as consumers. Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

Netflix’s dumb new Christmas action movie is more try-hard than Die HardInter beats Como and closes gap at the top of Serie A while Bove back on Fiorentina sidelineNew Delhi, Nov 24 (PTI) State-owned IIFCL has requested the government to bring the space sector under the harmonized list of infrastructure for easier financing of satellite vehicle manufacturing activity in the country. Currently, India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL) is providing advisory services to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) through its subsidiary IIFCL Projects Limited (IPL). "Space sector is something which we have been engaged in through our subsidiary IPL. IPL got repeated mandates from ISRO for helping them in many of their endeavours, including transfer of space satellites," IIFCL managing director P R Jaishankar told PTI. IIFCL subsidiary has helped in transferring 13 satellites from ISRO to NSIL which involved a very complicated legal process, he said, adding IPL has also done their business plans. NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), is the commercial arm of ISRO with the primary responsibility of enabling Indian industries to take up high-technology space-related activities and is also responsible for the promotion and commercial exploitation of the products and services emanating from the Indian space programme. At the same time, he said, "We would like to engage with the space sector in terms of financing the space satellite vehicles manufacturing and other related areas. So, we have requested the government to include the space sector in the harmonized list of infrastructure so that we can be enabled to provide funding to this sector." As per the extant guidelines, IIFCL can provide funds only to sectors in the harmonised master list of infrastructure. Presently, it includes five main sectors and 37 sub-sectors. Earlier this year, the Union Cabinet liberalised Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy allowing up to 100 per cent FDI through the automatic route in the space sector. Foreign firms now planning to build satellites would not require government approval up to 74 per cent of the investment while up to 49 per cent in the case of launch vehicles. This increased private sector participation would help to generate employment, enable modern technology absorption and make the sector self-reliant. Besides, Jaishankar said, IIFCL is planning to set up a subsidiary for issuance of asset backed securities (ABS) or covered bonds, as it aims to securitize its assets and conserve capital for further growth in business. The idea is to hive off part of our assets, he said, adding, "We will maintain a threshold, and we will focus on increasing the sanctions and disbursements more as compared to growing the asset size or loan book size". Presently, the company is working on details, he said, adding that once it is crystalised, we will take it to the board for its approval. During FY24, IIFCL reported a 44 per cent jump in standalone net profit to Rs 1,552 crore, aided by an increase in lending and moderation in bad loans. The state-owned infrastructure finance company had earned a net profit of Rs 1,076 crore in the previous fiscal. The company recorded the highest-ever profit, recovery, sanction and disbursement, furthering turnaround performance that began three years ago. For the first half ended September 2024, the infra lending company earned a standalone profit of Rs 811 crore, more than half of it earned in the entire FY24. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

Viggo Wanted Back For New “Gollum” FilmLeicester’s Ruud van Nistelrooy ‘hurt’ by enforced exit from Manchester United