bet with 2025 budget reflects Qatar’s commitment to boost economy, foster sustained development

Start of dovish cycle perks up local bond marketSunday, December 15, 2024 As the global travel industry steadily moves into a post-pandemic era, business travel is surging back with renewed energy. However, the travel landscape has changed significantly, bringing new costs, challenges, and opportunities for companies and travel managers alike. The latest FCM Consulting Q3 2024 Business Travel Report sheds light on the state of corporate travel, revealing that while prices are rising, travel has also become more predictable. This predictability offers companies a chance to adopt proactive strategies, manage costs, and maximize the value of every business trip. Bonnie Smith, General Manager of FCM South Africa, underscores this dual reality. “Yes, travel is getting more expensive, but it’s also becoming more predictable,” she says, urging travel managers to seize the moment for smarter, data-driven travel planning. Her advice comes as corporate travel faces rising business class fares, increased hotel rates, and crowded flights across key global hubs like London, New York, and Dubai. The pandemic-induced lull in global travel has now given way to a travel surge. Airports, once eerily empty, are now bustling with travelers. Passenger demand grew by 8.6% in August 2024 compared to the previous year, leading to an 86.2% flight load factor — the percentage of available seats that are filled with passengers. Business travelers are feeling this pressure firsthand. Business class fares have seen a 6% to 8% increase from 2023, adding strain to corporate budgets. While economy fares have dipped by 1% to 4%, this offers little relief to companies that prioritize comfort, speed, and productivity for their executives. The days of “last-minute Larry” bookings are over, says Bonnie Smith. Companies delaying their bookings risk paying significantly higher prices. Strategic planners are urged to book early to avoid price hikes and secure seats on crowded flights. Last-minute bookings, especially to high-demand destinations like New York, London, and Dubai, will likely be met with sky-high ticket prices and limited seating options. Hotel rates have also surged, further adding to the cost burden on business travelers. According to the FCM report, the average price of a hotel room in Johannesburg jumped 14%, while the cost of a stay in New York City now averages $490 per night — a 15% increase. North America saw a 6.8% rise in hotel prices, while South America experienced a staggering 25.4% increase. Rates in Europe also climbed by 5.3%, reflecting the heightened demand for business travel accommodation. While the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia saw slight price declines, these regions remain competitive business destinations that require strategic planning. With soaring hotel bills, companies are being advised to reconsider their accommodation strategies. Business hotels located just outside major city centers often offer lower rates and better facilities for productivity. “Some of the best business hotels are just a short ride from the city center,” says Smith, emphasizing that location is not everything. To navigate these rising hotel rates, companies are encouraged to work with Travel Management Corporations (TMCs), which negotiate corporate rates with hotel chains and offer greater flexibility in booking terms. Travel Management Corporations (TMCs) will play a vital role in helping companies navigate the turbulent travel landscape of 2025. TMCs leverage their buying power to secure better rates on flights, hotels, and car rentals, offering flexibility and support when plans change. Bonnie Smith highlights the benefits of using a TMC: “We’re booking thousands of room nights and flights, which means better rates and more flexible terms for our clients.” By consolidating purchasing power, TMCs can negotiate exclusive corporate deals that individual companies could not secure on their own. Additionally, TMCs offer centralized booking systems, allowing companies to track travel expenses, monitor employee movements, and enforce company travel policies. This helps organizations optimize their travel budgets while enhancing employee safety and compliance. Despite rising costs, 2025 offers an unprecedented opportunity for companies to be more strategic with travel. Booking ahead and locking in rates for flights and hotels will be essential for cost control. Early bookings not only secure lower rates but also guarantee better availability of business class seats and preferred hotel rooms. Companies that invest in travel technology and data analytics can gain a competitive edge. By tracking pricing trends and forecasting demand, travel managers can make better-informed decisions. The rise of predictive travel technology allows companies to anticipate price hikes and secure bookings at the right time. According to FCM, proactive planning could become the key to thriving in the 2025 corporate travel space. The “early bird” approach has never been more relevant. Booking flights, hotels, and car rentals months in advance will no longer be a suggestion — it will be a necessity. There is, however, a glimmer of hope. Airlines have announced plans to expand seat availability by 1.8% globally and by 2.1% in Africa in the first half of 2025. While this increase will create more flight options, it does not necessarily mean cheaper fares. As demand for face-to-face meetings remains high, ticket prices are expected to stay elevated. To take advantage of new route announcements, travel managers are encouraged to maintain close relationships with airline representatives or collaborate with their TMCs. Airlines often bundle new routes with promotional rates or corporate deals, providing companies with a chance to lock in early-bird discounts. The companies that succeed in 2025’s travel landscape won’t be the ones with the biggest budgets — they’ll be the ones with the smartest strategies. Proactive planning, early bookings, and the support of TMCs will be essential. By locking in rates early, tracking data trends, and leveraging TMC-negotiated deals, companies can minimize costs while maximizing the value of each business trip. Savvy companies will also diversify their accommodation choices, booking hotels outside city centers or selecting properties with better facilities for productivity. The ability to adapt and stay ahead of changing trends will define success in 2025. Business travel in 2025 will be shaped by rising costs, but also by newfound predictability. Companies that adopt strategic planning, leverage TMCs, and use predictive travel tools will be better positioned to control costs and enhance value. With early bookings, smarter accommodation choices, and greater access to predictive pricing data, companies can turn the challenges of 2025 into a competitive advantage. From crowded airports and pricier hotels to smarter booking strategies, the future of business travel belongs to the well-prepared. As airlines expand seat capacity and TMCs offer better rates, companies have every reason to plan ahead and travel smarter. The early bird truly gets the window seat — and the savings. Read Travel Industry News in 104 different regional platforms Get our daily dose of news, by subscribing to our newsletters. Subscribe here . Watch Travel And Tour World Interviews here . Read more Travel News , Daily Travel Alert , and Travel Industry News on Travel And Tour World only.( MENAFN - Asia Times) The United States, like all nations, was created through territorial conquest. Most of its current territory was occupied or frequented by human beings before the US came; the US used force to either displace, subjugate, or kill all of those people. To the extent that land“ownership” existed under the previous inhabitants, the land of the US is stolen land. This was also true before the US arrived. The forcible theft of the land upon which the US now exists was not the first such theft; the people who lived there before conquered, displaced, or killed someone else in order to take the land. The land has been stolen and re-stolen again and again. If you somehow destroyed the United States, expelled its current inhabitants, and gave ownership of the land to the last recorded tribe that had occupied it before, you would not be returning it to its original occupants; you would simply be handing it to the next-most-recent conquerors. If you go back far enough in time, of course, at some point this is no longer true. Humanity didn't always exist; therefore for every piece of land, there was a first human to lay eyes on it and a first human to say“This land is mine.” But by what right did this first human claim exclusive ownership of this land? Why does being the first person to see a natural object make you the rightful owner of that object? And why does being the first human to set foot on a piece of land give your blood descendants the right to dispose of that land as they see fit in perpetuity, and to exclude any and all others from that land? What about all the peoples of the world who were never lucky enough the first to lay eyes on any plot of dirt? Are they simply to be dispossessed forever? I have never seen a satisfactory answer to these questions. Nor have I seen a satisfactory explanation of why ownership of land should be allocated collectively, in terms of racial or ethnic groups. In general, the first people who arrived on a piece of land did so in dribs and drabs, in small family units and tiny micro-tribes that met and married and fought and mixed and formed into larger identities and ethnicities and tribes over long periods of time. In most cases, the ethnic groups who now claim pieces of land as their own did not even exist when the first humans discovered or settled that land. But even in those cases when it did exist, why should land ownership be assigned to a race at all? Why should my notional blood relation to the discoverers or the conquerors of a piece of land determine whether I can truly belong on that land? Why should a section of the map be the land of the Franks, or the Russkiy, or the Cherokee, or the Han, or the Ramaytush Ohlone, or the Britons? Of course, you can assign land ownership this way - it's called an“ethnostate.” But if you do this, it means that the descendants of immigrants can never truly be full and equal citizens of the land they were born in. If Britain is defined as the land of the Britons, then a Han person whose great-great-great-grandparents moved there from China will exist as a contingent citizen - a perpetual foreigner whose continued life in the land of their birth exists only upon the sufferance of a different race. This is the price of ethnonationalism. The downsides of ethnonationalism have been exhaustively laid out in the decades since World War 2, and I'm not going to reiterate them all now. Suffice it to say that most nations of the world have moved away from ethnonationalism - there is an informal sense in which some people still think of France as the land of the Franks and so on, but almost all nations define citizenship and belonging through institutions rather than race. Israel, one of the few exceptions to this rule, receives a large amount of international criticism for defining itself as an ethnostate. And yet these days I am subjected to a constant stream of ethnonationalist claims from progressives in the country of my birth. Here's one from the ACLU of Nebraska: And here's an Instagram post from Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib: This isn't just something you see on social media around Thanksgiving.“Land acknowledgments” have become ubiquitous in progressive spaces and institutions - just the other day I saw one at my friend's community dance recital. These land acknowledgments are, legally speaking, incorrect - there is no legal sense in which the land on which they are being performed belongs to a Native American tribe. These are moral claims about rightful land ownership. But the moral principle to which they appeal is ethnonationalism - it's the idea that plots of land are the rightful property of ethnic groups. There is an obvious moral appeal to these land acknowledgments. They are a way of decrying the brutal, cruel, violent history of conquest and colonization. And they probably feel like a way of standing up for the weak, the marginalized, and the dispossessed. Yet what should we think of the morality of following the principles behind land acknowledgments to their logical conclusion?“Decolonization” of the land of the U.S. would likely be an act of ethnic cleansing surpassing even the previous conquests - there are 330 million people here now, and almost none of them descend from Native Americans. An attempt to dispossess 330 million people would inevitably involve violence on a colossal scale. Here was Najma Sharif Alawi's famous tweet right after the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel: Of course,“colonizers” could presumably avoid violent death or second-class citizenhood by voluntarily deporting themselves. But where would they go? Take me, for example. My ancestors were Lithuanian Jews. I could leave the country of my birth and go“back” to Lithuania - a land I don't know, whose language I don't speak. Yet my ancestors were not“indigenous” to Lithuania either; they moved there from somewhere else. What if the ethnic Lithuanians chose not to accept me? Where would I go then? Israel? But the folks who do land acknowledgments would consider me a“colonizer” there as well.1 Would I then wander the Earth, desperately seeking some ethnostate that would allow me and my descendants to live there as a permanently precarious resident aliens? Once the logic of land acknowledgments and“decolonization” is followed, it leads very quickly to some very dark futures. Assigning each person a homeland based on their ethnic ancestry and then declaring that that homeland is the only place they or their descendants can ever truly belong, would not be an act of justice; it would be a global nightmare made real, surpassing even the horrors of previous centuries. And in practice, any attempt to create such a world would inevitably lead to violent resistance by the groups in danger of being“decolonized.” The orderly world of nation-states would dissolve into a chaotic free-for-all of competing irredentist claims, backed by genocides and expulsions. Ten thousand October 7th-style attacks would be followed by ten thousand Gaza-style wars. I do not want that, and you should not want it either. The American people certainly don't want it, and the insistence of progressives on intoning land acknowledgments has probably tanked the movement's cachet in wider society. I agree with Wayne Burkett when he says that land acknowledgments have probably hurt the Democratic party: Americans do not want to see their country destroyed in the name of irredentist ethnonationalism. Nor do I blame them. So does this mean we should paper over, ignore, or deliberately forget America's history of violent conquest? Absolutely not. That history ought to be remembered, so that we don't repeat it in the present day. The world's evolution from one based on ethnic cleansing and territorial conquest to one based on fixed borders and institutions is something to celebrate - and something we must fight to preserve . We need to remember what the world used to be like, precisely so we can avoid backsliding. The most recent of conquests, expulsions, and genocides should be the last to ever happen. And what of the Native Americans who still live in America today? Must they simply be regarded as the unlucky losers of history, and told to either assimilate into broader American society or shut up? Absolutely not. For one thing, tribal organizations still exist - they may notionally represent ethnic groups, but they are institutions. And they are institutions with which the United States has many agreements and legal obligations that must be honored, which often give the tribes sovereignty over areas of land. Neil Gorsuch has been especially active in pushing the Supreme Court to uphold tribal rights, and I think this is a good thing. But respect for Native American tribal organizations doesn't have to stop at ancient obligations. There are ways to incorporate those tribes into the modern American nation that both respects them and their history and helps them prosper in the present. Vancouver, Canada shows us an example of how this can be done. Part of Vancouver's downtown urban area is officially under the governance of the Squamish Nation, rather than the city itself. The Squamish Nation, realizing they could do whatever they wanted with that land, decided to build a giant high-rise housing development : Here's a picture of what it will look like: An even bigger development called Jericho Lands is now being planned, by a consortium of tribal organizations, on land officially owned by Vancouver. Hilariously, Vancouver's NIMBYs are complaining , claiming that the developments are not in keeping with Indigenous tradition . But Canada's First Nations seem to have little interest in hewing closely to other people's view of what their traditions are. Modern people do not want to live like premodern farmers. They are not mystical Tolkien elves. They would like to have shiny new apartment buildings and walkable neighborhoods. This, I believe, is the key to respecting and honoring Native Americans - not to focus on the tragedies of their past, but to give them the right to build a better future. Tribal lands should definitely have the autonomy to do whatever they want with their lands, including building housing or industry. In fact, we're starting to see a pattern emerge where Native Americans embrace laissez-faire policies toward industry and manage to poach business from their over-regulated neighbors: This sort of thing could lead to a win-win for the US and Native American tribes. American reindustrialization is being held back by a thicket of procedural requirements and local land-use regulations; if tribes were able to use their special legal status to circumvent those barriers, it could end up benefitting everyone.2 The tribes would get both jobs and the ability to tax local industry; America would get to execute an end run around the NIMBYs that are holding it back. In fact, it's probably possible for various American cities to turn over parts of their land to tribal jurisdiction, with the assistance of the federal government. This would probably result in dense urban developments like the ones being planned in Vancouver. But even if it didn't, it could have other commercial benefits - again, a win-win for the US and for the tribes. That would certainly be a lot more substantive than a bunch of land acknowledgments. And it would likely satisfy many people's desire for“giving land back” to Native Americans, without embracing dubious moral principles of ethnic land rights and irredentism. In other words, you're not living on Indigenous land right now, but you could be in the future - and it might be pretty great. The general principle here is that instead of a dark world of ethnic cleansing in the name of“decolonization”, we should try to build a bright future where Native Americans and the United States of America exist in harmony and cooperation rather than in conflict. And that principle doesn't just apply to America, but to the whole world. The history of land ownership is a violent and terrible one, but that doesn't mean the future has to be more of the same. Notes: 1 It is a bitter irony that many of the same people who morally condemn Israel for setting itself up as an ethnostate also justify its destruction using ethnonationalist principles. Personally, I tend to agree with the criticism of Israel's ethnocentrism, but I don't think replacing this with Palestinian ethnocentrism would make things better. 2 There's a lot of historical precedent for this. For example, in the 1960s, Fairchild Semiconductor opened a factory on Navajo land in New Mexico, which was quite beneficial to the economy until an industry downturn and a labor dispute led to its demise in the late 70s. This article was first published on Noah Smith's Noahpinion Substack and is republished with kind permission. Become a Noahopinion subscriber here. Thank you for registering! An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link. MENAFN30112024000159011032ID1108942157 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

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No. 1 South Carolina women stunned by fifth-ranked UCLA 77-62, ending Gamecocks' 43-game win streak

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LOS ANGELES — UCLA football underclassmen carried their seniors off the field after Thursday’s practice as part of Bruin tradition, hoisting them above their shoulders in honor of the work they’ve done in their time with the team. Two days later, 42 players walked in the Senior Day celebration prior to the Bruins’ season finale against Fresno State at the Rose Bowl. Redshirt junior Carson Schwesinger took part in the celebration, indicating the possibility that the Butkus Award-nominated linebacker may not stay for another next season. Schwesinger and head coach DeShaun Foster said the FBS’ leading tackler has not made a decision as to whether he will go to the NFL. “He’s really going to do whatever is best for him in that situation,” Foster told reporters Wednesday. “I completely understand, especially if he gets the Butkus Award, and the way that he came out and performed this season. He deserves to get a shot and go to the NFL.” Receiver J.Michael Sturdivant also walked for Senior Day. Sturdivant, a redshirt junior, was UCLA’s third-leading receiver heading into Saturday’s game with 311 total yards and one touchdown. He averaged 31.1 yards per game. Sturdivant’s ability to stretch the field was underutilized in his two seasons at UCLA after he previously played two seasons at Cal. Offensive lineman Josh Carlin, edge rusher Oluwafemi Oladejo and defensive lineman Jay Toia each walked with the seniors Saturday and are expected to make a push for the NFL. “Incredibly grateful for the Bruin program, the UCLA program,” Oladejo told reporters Tuesday. “Came in here at the age of 19 and I’m now 21, so I’ve grown here a lot. Grown as a man, matured. Not just on the field but off the field as well. This means a lot to me.” Other notable players who took part in Senior Day: offensive lineman Garret DiGiorgio, quarterbacks Ethan Garbers and Chase Griffin, running back Keegan Jones, receiver Logan Loya, tight end Moliki Matavao and linebacker Kain Medrano. “A game like, this you want to send the seniors off on the right note,” Schwesinger said, “but on top of that, it’s being able to go out there and play competitively. We’re all here because we like to play football and you get a chance to do that, you’ve gotta go out and play your hardest.” Olympic and UCLA gymnast Jordan Chiles was in attendance for Saturday’s football game and gave a “4’s up” gesture on the big screen during the second quarter, promoting her return to UCLA. Chiles, a junior who took a year off to train for and compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, will make her return as a Bruin for the upcoming 2025 season. She made the announcement in an interview with TODAY’s Hoda Kotb in early August. Chiles won a silver medal in 2020 to make her the most decorated Olympian in UCLA women’s gymnastics history. She scored three perfect 10s in her 2022 season as a Bruin — two in floor exercise and one on the uneven bars. She won NCAA titles in both events in 2023 and was the runner-up in the all-around at the national championships. UCLA’s gymnastics season begins with its Meet the Bruins event on Dec. 14 at Pauley Pavilion.Strictly Come Dancing fans have demanded 'he has to go' following a celebrity's misstep during the quarter-finals. Saturday (November 30) marked the return of the BBC spectacle for Musicals Week, putting the spotlight on six determined duos as they cha-cha'd to cherished tunes from beloved musicals. Montell Douglas with Johannes Radebe, Sarah Hadland alongside Vito Coppola, Tasha Ghouri partnering Aljaz Skorjanec, Chris McCausland paired with Dianne Buswell, JB Gill dancing with Lauren Oakley, and Pete Wicks matched with Jowita Przysta graced the dance floor. In a noticeable gaffe amidst the glam, reality TV alum Pete Wicks was caught off balance waltzing to West Side Story's 'Somewhere'. Although his foibles were glossed over by judges and partner, the audience swiftly swarmed social media calling for his departure. An incensed fan posted: "Pete's time is up I am sorry but he cannot make a good semi-finalist in any world. It'll be a complete injustice if anyone else is eliminated over him this week,". Another viewer was resolute: "Sorry but Pete actually needs to leave tonight...it's his time," reports the Mirror . A third chimed in: "I'm sorry it's week 11 and Pete is tripping over his feet doing the most basic choreography...he needs to go." Some suggested bias, with one spectator commenting: "Why is Pete the ONLY contestant that never receives criticism? He messes up constantly, but they're happy to ignore it, because it's Pete? If it was ANYONE else, they'd be ripped apart and scored accordingly. #strictly." Despite the uproar, Pete and his partner Jowita nevertheless managed to secure 26 points. The quarter-final follows the departure of EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas, who were eliminated after a nail-biting dance-off against Olympian Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe. Despite earning an impressive 32 points from the judges on Saturday night (November 23), the pair found themselves battling for survival in the competition. The judges ultimately decided to keep Montell and her professional partner in the contest. However, it wasn't all doom and gloom for the dancers last weekend. Love Island's Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Skorjanec made history by becoming the first couple in the 2024 series to achieve a flawless score of 40 out of 40 from the judges, following their stunning American Smooth routine. However, it wasn't all doom and gloom for the dancers last weekend. Love Island's Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Skorjanec made history by becoming the first couple in the 2024 series to achieve a flawless score of 40 out of 40 from the judges, following their stunning American Smooth routine. The remaining duos - Montell and Johannes, Sarah and Vito, Tasha and Aljaz, Chris and Dianne, JB and Lauren, and Pete and Jowita - are set to face the judges' scrutiny once again in Sunday's Strictly Come Dancing results show. Strictly Come Dancing returns on Sunday night on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.Global energy executive joins Prometheus Hyperscale to accelerate sustainable data center growth and provide strategic counsel on $10B flagship project in Evanston, Wyoming HOUSTON , Nov. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Prometheus Hyperscale, a leading developer of sustainable hyperscale data centres, is delighted to announce the appointment of Bernard Looney as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Looney, former CEO of BP, brings to the role more than three decades of energy sector expertise – from the frontline to the boardroom. He will provide strategic guidance on the development of the company's growth plans, including its $10B flagship data center in Evanston, Wyoming , which will be among the largest facilities of its kind in the world when completed. The announcement of Mr. Looney's appointment comes as societies and large technology companies grapple with how to power the explosive growth in artificial intelligence (AI). The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that by 2026 data centers globally will use over 1,000 terawatt-hours (TWh) annually, around the same as Japan uses today. Against this backdrop of soaring demand and squeezed supply, Prometheus is pioneering new standards in hyperscale data center operations. These approaches include harnessing a variety of energy sources to power its data centers, including renewables, natural gas and possibly nuclear at a later date through our strategic partnership with Oklo. Prometheus aims for its data centers to not impact grid customers. Another key challenge is the enormous amount of power and water used to cool data centers to prevent the servers from overheating. Prometheus Hyperscale uses a unique liquid cooling system that dramatically outperforms traditional air-cooling methods, reducing energy consumption by up to 50%. This system also utilises deep underground water reservoirs and captures the waste heat to reuse or sequester it. It's believed that Prometheus Hyperscale's flagship project will be the first hyperscale data center in the United States to combine liquid heat transfer and heat reuse technologies. Founded by Trenton Thornock , an experienced leader in energy, finance and infrastructure, Prometheus Hyperscale's flagship project in Evanston, Wyoming , promises to be the most advanced sustainable data center in the United States , and one of the largest in the world, when it becomes operational in 2025/26. The 1GW-capacity developed site will cover an area of 640-acres (one square mile), making it approximately three quarters the size of New York's Central Park. Four further sites are currently earmarked across Arizona and Colorado . As Chairman, Mr. Looney will ensure the successful execution of Evanston as well as Prometheus's broader business goals. His appointment comes following the recent announcement that Trevor Neilson , a renowned climate technology entrepreneur and philanthropist, will serve as the company's President. It's estimated that $1 trillion will be invested in the U.S. in data centers in the next five years – with an additional $1 trillion internationally. Trenton Thornock , Founder and CEO of Prometheus Hyperscale commented: "Having Bernard Looney join as Chairman is a tremendous step forward for Prometheus. Bernard's track record and transformative leadership in the energy sector aligns perfectly with our vision for the future of data centers. His insights, as well as his extensive operational and project delivery experience, will be invaluable as we bring our flagship project in Evanston, Wyoming to life and set new benchmarks for sustainable digital infrastructure." Trevor Neilson , President of Prometheus Hyperscale, commented: "Bernard is the perfect person to guide Prometheus as we form partnerships across the energy sector to access low-carbon electrons that will power the future of AI. His extensive industry experience and leadership will be instrumental as Prometheus establishes itself at the forefront of sustainable data center operations." Bernard Looney commented: "I am delighted to join Prometheus Hyperscale at this pivotal moment as the world grapples with the intersection of AI, Energy and Sustainability. Innovative power solutions are desperately needed to ensure that AI is unleashed to tackle some of the biggest global challenges including healthcare, economic growth, and the energy transition. We must work to find solutions that lead to Net Positive AI – where the benefits to our world outweigh any costs. The flagship Evanston project is one such solution and I look forward to lending a helping hand, working alongside Trenton, Trevor, and the entire Prometheus team to help bring this vision to life. I can't imagine a more exciting challenge." Factsheet: Prometheus Hyperscale's Flagship Project in Evanston, Wyoming Prometheus's site in Evanston, Wyoming , aims to redefine sustainable infrastructure in the data center industry, setting a new benchmark for operational excellence and environmental responsibility. Key aspects of the project include: Extensive Land and Power Capacity: The project encompasses a 12,000-acre ranch, including a dedicated 640-acre plot (about 1 square mile) for data center facilities. Prometheus has secured an initial 120 MW of grid power through Rocky Mountain Power, with plans for an additional 120 MW, ensuring robust power availability without curtailment risks. On-Site Renewable and Low-Carbon Power Generation: With an on-site generation goal of over 1 GW, which will make it one of the largest data centers in the world, Prometheus is incorporating a mix of wind, solar and gas power sources. Additionally, the company has a strategic partnership with Oklo focused on next-generation fission-based nuclear power, delivering reliable, sustainable baseload energy to the campus. High-Performance Fiber Connectivity: The Evanston site will connect directly to the Northern transcontinental fiber trunk, offering high-speed, low-latency connections between the East and West Coasts. With agreements for up to 400G of service and plans to scale up to 800G when commercially available, the project is poised to meet the rigorous connectivity needs of AI, cloud, and high-performance computing clients and to be one of the biggest data centers in the world. Cutting-Edge Liquid Cooling Technology: Prometheus's unique liquid cooling systems will be deployed to achieve unparalleled energy efficiency by capturing and reusing waste heat. This innovative solution is specifically engineered for high-performance computing environments and will play a critical role in reducing the carbon footprint of the facility. Strategic Location and Access to Skilled Labor: Located 80 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah , the Evanston site benefits from proximity to a large, skilled workforce, bolstered by a regional Journeyman Lineman program focused on data center operations. This strategic location supports the project's operational and expansion goals while reinforcing Prometheus's commitment to regional economic growth. For more information about Prometheus Hyperscale and its sustainability initiatives, please visit www.prometheushyperscale.com . About Prometheus Hyperscale Prometheus Hyperscale, founded by Trenton Thornock , is revolutionizing data center infrastructure by developing sustainable, energy-efficient hyperscale data centers. Leveraging unique, cutting-edge technology and working alongside strategic partners, Prometheus is building next-generation, liquid-cooled hyperscale data centers powered by cleaner energy. With a focus on innovation, scalability, and environmental stewardship, Prometheus Hyperscale is redefining the data center industry for a sustainable future. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bernard-looney-appointed-chairman-of-the-board-of-directors-at-prometheus-hyperscale-302314829.html SOURCE Prometheus Hyperscale

Red-hot Devils seeking rare success against Predators

Vikings escape with 30-27 win over Bears in overtime thrillerWe came across UK-based when its Cyber Recovery Orchestration achieved Veeam Ready Security status in November. This was followed by an email interview with marketing head Ben Hodge, which revealed some surprising points about the company’s relationship with Index Engines and Rubrik. Index Engines is the solution that Predatar’s capabilities get confused with the most, but they are actually tackling the problem of malware in backups differently. In my opinion, Predatar and Index Engines actually complement one another beautifully (not that anyone is using both as far as I am aware). Index Engines excels at scanning data on ingest detecting anomalies and identifying encrypted data that might slip past other tools. This gives customers peace of mind that only unencrypted data is vaulted, which is crucial for securing backups. Predatar is all about validating recoverability. It focuses on continuous recovery testing and deep malware scanning of the data that resides within backups (and snapshots). Predatar continually mounts and powers-up workloads to validate recoverability and then runs a malware scan using built-in XDR tools in a Predatar CleanRoom environment – Index Engines does not do this. The Predatar team claims to have found malware hidden in backups at 79 percent of the customers that use it, which goes to show that Predatar is solving a very real problem. In addition to validating the cleanliness and recoverability of data, Predatar also records recovery times, allowing users to validate their SLAs/RTOs. I think a lot of the confusion comes from the fact that Predatar also includes backup anomaly detection – but that is really secondary to our core proposition of recovery validation. Predatar uses the anomaly detection as just one mechanism to help prioritize which backups/snapshots to test next. So, to recap... Index Engines ensures clean, encryption-free vaulting, while we guarantee reliable and proven malware-free recovery. Rubrik, IBM, Veeam, and HPE have all acknowledged (not all of them publicly) that Predatar does something different to their own offerings, and for now at least they consider us to be partners rather than competitors. Rubrik, IBM, and HPE all participated in our recent Control24 user summit. As per the question above, I’ll focus on Rubrik specifically here. Rubrik has some fantastic tools to spot and track malware and signs of encryption in data. However, once Rubrik finds an issue, that’s were it stops. Rubrik doesn’t provide any automation to push suspect data to a cleanroom for testing, and Rubrik doesn’t have a way of doing recovery testing at scale. In the words of Rubrik, “Predatar picks up where Rubrik stops.” Not really. HPE has something called the Cyber Resilience Vault (Zerto is a component of it), but it’s missing a “Predatar-type” component that validates the recoverability and cleanliness of the data that is stored in it. HPE is offering a version of their Cyber Resilience Vault with Predatar incorporated into it. You can see Shariq Aqil, Global Field CTO at HPE explaining the solution (skip to 12:03). Step 1. The beginning: Predatar was originally designed as a tool to help the MSP scale up by automating repetitive maintenance tasks and reporting – thus meaning Silverstring could manage more customer’s backups without employing more people. Step 2. What the Crunchbase blurb is about: We realized that other MSPs (or resellers with an ambition to become MSPs) could benefit from Predatar in the same way Silverstring did. We went to market with Predatar as a tool for MSPs. Step 3. The cyber recovery piece; we continued to develop the platform with more features that MSPs would benefit from. This included automated recovery testing and later malware detection tools that would allow MSPs to guarantee the backups they were managing were recoverable and infection-free. The reaction to these new tools was huge. Interest in the new tools eclipsed the original reporting and management tools. Step 4. Marketing focus: Earlier this year we took the decision to focus solely on the cyber recovery proposition, which is applicable to MSPs and end users alike. Correct, Predatar and Silverstring are owned by Alistair. Predatar had no external funding.

Former National Chairman of the now opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Barnabas Gemade has admonished people of the state to encourage and pray for Governor Hyacinth Alia to enable him to achieve his vision for the state and govern for two terms. Senator who represented Benue North East at the Senate spoke at the reception and conferment of Chieftaincy title as “Akinde U Mbavaa” on the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Media Publicity and Strategic Communication, Mr Solomon Iorpev at Tse-Agberagba in Konshisha Local Government. Senator Gemade said the governor has been selfless in providing purposeful leadership beyond the imagination of the people and should be allowed to serve the state as governor for two terms. Senator Gemade who was the father of the occasion, assured Mr. Iorpev that he would continue to stand by him to serve the Governor effectively and encouraged him to remain resolute in his assignment. In a remark, Permanent Secretary of Government House Administration Mr Bartholomew Ageraga advised the young people to respect elders and desist from insulting leaders on the social media space. On his part, General Superintendent Full Gospel Rival Crusade Incorporated Nigeria Reverend Tom Igyah said God planted his people in places to achieve his mission and advised Mr Iorpev to live by his purpose. In a remark, the governor’s media aide said the thanksgiving was to express his appreciation for God’s blessings to his family and his elevation by Governor Hyacinth Alia who has given priority to the development of the state as evident in rapid progress made. Mr Iorpev also appealed to the Benue people to vote for Governor Alia for the second term to sustain the good works he has started.

“Gladiator II” asks the question: Are you not moderately entertained for roughly 60% of this sequel? Truly, this is a movie dependent on managed expectations and a forgiving attitude toward its tendency to overserve. More of a thrash-and-burn schlock epic than the comparatively restrained 2000 “Gladiator,” also directed by Ridley Scott, the new one recycles a fair bit of the old one’s narrative cries for freedom while tossing in some digital sharks for the flooded Colosseum and a bout of deadly sea-battle theatrics. They really did flood the Colosseum in those days, though no historical evidence suggests shark deployment, real or digital. On the other hand (checks notes), “Gladiator II” is fiction. Screenwriter David Scarpa picks things up 16 years after “Gladiator,” which gave us the noble death of the noble warrior Maximus, shortly after slaying the ignoble emperor and returning Rome to the control of the Senate. Our new hero, Lucius (Paul Mescal), has fled Rome for Numidia, on the North African coast. The time is 200 A.D., and for the corrupt, party-time twins running the empire (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger), that means invasion time. Pedro Pascal takes the role of Acacius, the deeply conflicted general, sick of war and tired of taking orders from a pair of depraved ferrets. The new film winds around the old one this way: Acacius is married to Lucilla (Connie Nielsen, in a welcome return), daughter of the now-deceased emperor Aurelius and the love of the late Maximus’s life. Enslaved and dragged to Rome to gladiate, the widower Lucius vows revenge on the general whose armies killed his wife. But there are things this angry young phenom must learn, about his ancestry and his destiny. It’s the movie’s worst-kept secret, but there’s a reason he keeps seeing footage of Russell Crowe from the first movie in his fever dreams. Battle follows battle, on the field, in the arena, in the nearest river, wherever, and usually with endless splurches of computer-generated blood. “Gladiator II” essentially bumper-cars its way through the mayhem, pausing for long periods of expository scheming about overthrowing the current regime. The prince of all fixers, a wily operative with interests in both managing gladiators and stocking munitions, goes by the name Macrinus. He’s played by Denzel Washington, who at one point makes a full meal out of pronouncing the word “politics” like it’s a poisoned fig. Also, if you want a masterclass in letting your robes do a lot of your acting for you, watch what Washington does here. He’s more fun than the movie but you can’t have everything. The movie tries everything, all right, and twice. Ridley Scott marshals the chaotic action sequences well enough, though he’s undercut by frenetic cutting rhythms, with that now-familiar, slightly sped-up visual acceleration in frequent use. (Claire Simpson and Sam Restivo are the editors.) Mescal acquits himself well in his first big-budget commercial walloper of an assignment, confined though he is to a narrower range of seething resentments than Crowe’s in the first film. I left thinking about two things: the word “politics” as savored/spit out by Washington, and the innate paradox of how Scott, whose best work over the decades has been wonderful, delivers spectacle. The director and his lavishly talented design team built all the rough-hewn sets with actual tangible materials the massive budget allowed. They took care to find the right locations in Morocco and Malta. Yet when combined in post-production with scads of medium-grade digital effects work in crowd scenes and the like, never mind the sharks, the movie’s a somewhat frustrating amalgam. With an uneven script on top of it, the visual texture of “Gladiator II” grows increasingly less enveloping and atmospherically persuasive, not more. But I hung there, for some of the acting, for some of the callbacks, and for the many individual moments, or single shots, that could only have come from Ridley Scott. And in the end, yes, you too may be moderately entertained. “Gladiator II” — 2.5 stars (out of 4) MPA rating: R (for strong bloody violence) Running time: 2:28 How to watch: Premieres in theaters Nov. 21. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.Maybe you can’t relate to smoking marijuana like me . Maybe you think smoking weed is disgusting or degenerate behavior and have steered clear of it your whole life. That’s fine. Now let’s get into your coffee habit. There’s a cost to that too, you know? Long-standing dissension exists within the financial literacy community about coffee. Is cutting caffeine wise for anyone looking to take control of their finances? I came across a meme recently that clearly was on the side of sticking with coffee. At $8 a day per cup, the meme read, a person would spend approximately $2,900 a year on coffee. That’s about $500 more than my projected weed bill. But this column isn’t about my take on the great coffee debate. I’m not here to tell you which is right and wrong, or that you should or shouldn’t buy coffee. I’m not even a coffee drinker. I’ve never had a cup! I don’t want or need to drink it. Weed is my coffee. I just wish my hobby didn’t carry the same stigma as yours. But I’m happy to see that negative perception starting to fade as legal marijuana arrives in more states. Instead, I hope my words make you think, particularly about your own habits and how behavioral changes, even with more socially acceptable customs, can be beneficial. Like all changes, the first step requires a mindset shift. If I told you I spent $2,500 a year on weed you’d probably wince and wonder what’s wrong with me. But what would be your response at $3,000 a year on coffee? Justification? A long list of “ well, actually ” counters? Much like my marijuana habit is not simply about smoking, the cost of your coffee consumption isn’t solely about coffee. It’s more than financial, it’s behavioral. Substitute coffee and marijuana for subscription services, dining out or online shopping and the point remains. But in airports throughout the country, I walk by coffee-crazed people patiently waiting in long lines at Starbucks at the crack of dawn. I guess they’ve got to have their coffee. But I wonder about the time commitment. The investor in me loves to see it. When Starbucks’ stock was down in May by 24% year to date, I jumped on the dip as a buying opportunity. I increased my Starbucks’ stake to 32 shares between May and August, confident that the stock would recover and I’d eventually collect a profit. The method, referred to as swing trading, is one I’m learning to use to generate additional income. Four days after my final equity purchase of a little less than 2.5 shares on Aug. 9, Starbucks’ stock popped. Former Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol was named to the same position at Starbucks. The coffee giant’s stock soared 25% on the news, its best day in the company’s history. It hasn’t come down since. I’m up 31% on my position, or $787 dollars. The day after Thanksgiving, I received a $20 dividend payment from Starbucks. So, yeah, I’ll stick with buying the dip instead of drinks. Coffee drinkers can point to positives of having a daily cup of joe. Studies show coffee, like marijuana, has potential health benefits . Although I can’t help but to think about dependency when I hear coffee club conversations. Strictly from a financial standpoint, however, it’s another beverage that undeniably bleeds your bank account — especially if you aren’t paying attention. Before you know it, you’re stuck in a senseless pattern of paying for coffee, tea, soda, alcohol, bottled water, energy drinks and sports drinks. When does it stop? Do you really need those drinks? I’ve shared many of the things I’ve cut out or cut back on along my financial transformation. Like coffee, all of them seem minor. They’re things like pizza and beer , subscriptions and eating out . I even told you how I changed my water consumption. I know first-hand that all those drinks are costly, largely unnecessary and, for the most part, unhealthy. Combined, they can be another silent barrier to wealth-building when your funds are low and the resources you possess aren’t being deployed optimally. That is something we can control. Some surely will view discipline as deprivation. Others will salute your sacrifice. But remember, no change must be permanent. I’m proof that just cutting back can be beneficial. I’ve learned that what I once made routine doesn’t need to be a daily occurrence. By reevaluating our small, everyday habits — whether it’s coffee or weed, subscriptions or dining out — we can free up funds for things that matter more, like saving and investing. Darnell Mayberry is a sportswriter based in Chicago and is the author of “100 Things Thunder Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He loves his daughter Parker, money and the Minnesota Vikings. You will find his column, Money Talks, each Saturday on cleveland.com and Sundays in The Plain Dealer. A new column by Darnell Mayberry brings readers along his journey toward teaching his young daughter, Parker, about financial literacy.

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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) — EJ Farmer scored 20 points as Youngstown State beat Toledo 93-87 on Saturday. Farmer went 8 of 15 from the field (3 for 8 from 3-point range) for the Penguins (6-5). Nico Galette scored 17 points while shooting 5 for 13 (3 for 8 from 3-point range) and 4 of 6 from the free-throw line and added 11 rebounds and seven assists. Juwan Maxey shot 4 for 9 (3 for 7 from 3-point range) and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line to finish with 16 points. Sam Lewis led the Rockets (6-4) in scoring, finishing with 21 points and eight rebounds. Sonny Wilson added 17 points, six rebounds and four assists for Toledo. Seth Hubbard had 14 points. Farmer put up 13 points in the first half for Youngstown State, who led 44-39 at halftime. Youngstown State used a 7-0 second-half run to break a 76-76 tie and take the lead at 83-76 with 3:14 remaining in the half before finishing off the victory. Galette scored 12 second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .