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NEVADA 90, OKLAHOMA STATE 78Colts defense picks up the pace as offense continues searching for answers to red zone woesBy Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter This story starts down an abandoned forest service road deep in central Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations territory on Vancouver Island. It was fall, two or three years ago. Tyee Wilson Jack was bucking up a log for firewood when he saw something move on the right side of his periphery. “Did something just stand up?” thought the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ (Ucluelet First Nation) Hereditary Chief. “I didn’t want to turn my head, but I moved my eyes. I swore. It’s a frickin’ Pookemis.” “He’s just watching me,” Jack thought as he continued chopping, as he said to himself, “I’m not gonna panic. One more swing and I’m gonna look.” “THWACK!” Jack swung his axe then turned his head to look. The creature jumped off the stump it was standing on and hid. Jack said he heard the jump and saw the bookemis – or Sasquatch as the bipedal hairy giant is commonly called – for one second from about 25 metres away. “The hair on the face is long. The eyes are really dark and glassy, I guess. It was tall. Just the way I saw it stand up. It was like easily over seven feet. It was big. And the smell it left was stench,” Jack recalls. Jack says elders always taught that if someone has an experience with a bookemis, they should leave it an offering. “I left six pieces of chopped wood. I yelled, ‘I’m leaving you this wood’.” The next morning, bright and early, Jack returned to the site of the encounter and the wood was gone – but there were huge footprints. “I didn’t take any photos, damn it. I didn’t think to bring my phone,” said the 58-year-old. Jack shared other stories too; of MacMillan Bloedel loggers hearing them in caves, a woman bumping into one in the Hitacu village at night and on one occasion, when he did have his phone, Jack recorded a deep, grunting noise. He played the recording for two conservation officers he met while hunting in Nahmint one winter. “They looked at each other. They’d never heard the sound before,” said Jack. “What is it?” asked the conservation officers. “You won’t believe me if I tell you. It’s a pookemis. A Sasquatch,” Jack replied. 200 black bears for every Sasquatch Cynical unbelievers might be swayed by the ongoing research of Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum, professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University. Dr. Meldrum has dedicated his life to studying Sasquatch tracks or Anthropoidipes ameriborealis (North American ape foot). Meldrum’s primary evidence includes the analysis of hundreds of footprint casts. His research has been published in the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin, the Journal of Scientific Exploration and he has penned several books on the man-like creatures, including ‘Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science’ and the ‘Sasquatch Field Guide’. “I’ve examined long trackways. That’s what pulled me in was examining a long trackway of 35 to 45 tracks that showed all the variation. It showed toes extended, toes flexed, toes sliding in the mud, half tracks where it was running up on the front half of the foot, all the dynamics of an animate foot,” Meldrum told the Ha-shilth-sa over a Zoom call. He says the hoaxes are “very transparent” and that anyone with a little wherewithal and familiarity with the anatomy and functional aspects of the primate and human foot could distinguish a real track from a fake. “Finding a long line of tracks with successive tracks is really rare,” Meldrum said. “My privilege of looking at a long line of tracks was actually quite unique. I was so floored because at that time I was kind of ambivalent in my attitude towards the subject matter. I was intrigued, but ambivalent and very skeptical.” He admits that the lack of physical remains is frustrating, but not surprising given the moist forest habitat, acidic soils, and the presumed intelligence and caution of the trackmaker. “It’s the favourite piece of missing data the skeptics focus on and obsess with it to the exclusion of everything else,” said Meldrum, who has faced criticism from his peers for decades due to the absence of fossil records. With the recent discovery of fossils from a small extinct hominin species labeled Homo floreiensis (hobbit) on the Indonesia island of Flores, Meldrum says the scientific community is “at least tolerating the possibility that Sasquatch might exist”. Based on credible sightings and footprints, Meldrum says that there is good evidence to suggest that the Sasquatch is a large, powerful omnivorous species that has similar habitat requirements to black bears. “The ratio, I think, is about 200 black bears for every one sasquatch. That’s not just pulled out of the air. That’s based on inferences drawn on about analogy of their social structure, their size, the life history of great apes and so forth,” said Meldrum. “The point being, have you ever talked to anyone who has found a black bear skeleton in the woods?” asked Meldrum. The professor of evolutionary biology went on to compare the supposed social behaviour of Sasquatch to orangutans – male orangutans are primarily solitary and communicate with loud calls to advertise their presence and attract a female. “I think that is probably a good analogy for sasquatch because we have those ruckus loud calls,” said Meldrum. The smoking gun? In May 2023 Darby Orcutt, the director of Interdisciplinary Partnerships at North Carolina State University Libraries, launched a “curiosity driven project” approved by the Institutional Review Board called the ‘Study of Allegedly Morphologically Anomalous Physical Samples’. He put an open call out to anyone in the United States or Canada with unusual samples to offer for deeper analysis and genetic testing. Orcutt says they received more than 100 items to investigate, including hair, teeth and even body part his research team informally dubbed a “hand-paw thing”. “The DNA is really the gold standard today. It wouldn’t matter how wonderful the trace evidence of apparent trackways were - that’s never going to be what puts the scientific community or the general public over the top. But DNA...well, that’s a different matter,” said Orcutt over Zoom. “If we were to find something interesting, that would really change the understanding of this topic. But that all depends on IF there is a biological species underlying this phenomenon and IF someone offers an authentic sample of it,” he said. The Bigfoot Field Researchers Association sent Orcutt a cache of hair samples to work with. “It’s a sacred trust, really,” said Orcutt. “Real science takes a lot of time. We are batching this up and very meticulously documenting each one.” Unfortunately, Orcutt says the first analysis of 20 samples did not yield results, so they are using a different approach. “The samples are not the freshest,” he said. “There is tremendous opportunity for Indigenous communities to partner on this.” The Bigfoot DNA study remains open to any offerings of unidentified specimens found in North America. Folks who submit samples can be identified by name or opt to keep their identity confidential. “The other thing is, we are not disclosing specific locations of things at all. We’re not doing that under any circumstance. We might say, ‘This sample came from Saskatchewan or eastern Kentucky’. That’s about as specific as we’ll get,” Orcutt promised. “It’s kind of like fishing. We don’t want to reveal their hiding hole.” Orcutt went on to say that if they do find an undiscovered species, they will be “careful and ethical with the reveal”. The ‘hide-and-seek-champion’ Nuu-chah-nulth have many stories about seeing Sasquatch and unique names for the creature. Huu-ay-aht First Nations knowledge keeper Qiic Qiica says the belief in Sasquatch, or C̓ac̓uqḥta, is widespread and deep rooted in his culture. “Our people, historically, were always hunters. In Nuu-chah-nulth culture, there are a number of animals that we just don’t hunt. One of them is C̓ac̓uqḥta. Another one is the wolf, we don’t hunt them because they are a pack animal, we believe they live like us. Same with the orca,” Qiic Qiica said. “Another one we didn’t used to hunt is the black bear. In the plains or on the mainland, you might hear of Indigenous people who would eat bear, our people never did because it was believed they were like the healer or the doctor. They could have anything wrong with them and they know what to eat to fix it,” he explained. “Our people used to watch the bear to learn what they eat for getting better.” Qiic Qiica points out that the greatest predators in North American are rarely seen. “More often than not, they see us and we don’t see them. Think about how illusive the wolves are, how illusive the cougars are. Those are some of the most illusive animals in the world. From our point of view, the C̓ac̓uqḥta is even more illusive than the most illusive. It really is the hide-and-seek champion.” He shared a story about an ancient agreement between C̓ac̓uqḥta and a Huu-ay-aht chief that teaches about protecting its identity: The Chief got really curious about it and he kept trying to go out and find. He would go out when it was foggy, he would go out at daybreak or dusk and try to find it. He went out this one foggy day and he could see in the distance C̓ac̓uqḥta. He started following it, chasing it and trying to see where it lived. Finally, the Bigfoot realized he was being followed so he started running. The Chief was trying to keep up to it and he ended up slipping on a rock and hurt himself. The Sasquatch turned back and felt sorry for him. He wanted to help him. The Chief was really grateful because he was saved by this creature and he asked him, ‘What do you want in return?’ The Sasquatch replied and simply said, ‘I want to be left alone.’ It’s a spiritual gift to encounter a Sasquatch, according to Nuu-chah-nulth culture. “If you are so blessed to ever see one or be in the presence of one, you were chosen,” said Qiic Qiica. Jack echoes the sentiment. “It’s not there to harm you. To me, it’s a protector. They’re just curious. I would never recommend anyone to harm it. I would hate to see anyone harm something like that,” he said. -30- CAPTIONS Tyee Wilson Jack talks about a recent Sasquatch encounter over coffees at Ucluelet’s Big Beach Lounge. (Nora O’Malley photo) Dr. Jeff Meldrum holds a Bigfoot cast. (Submitted) Dr. Jeff Meldrum discusses his research over zoom from his office in Idaho State. (Nora O’Malley photo) Lab: FIGURE 1. Multiple angles of the virtualized models of duplicate Patterson casts included in the holotype of Anthropoidipes ameriborealis. (Submitted)

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted amid mixed trading Monday, ahead of this week’s upcoming meeting by the Federal Reserve that could set Wall Street’s direction into next year. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, coming off its first losing week in the last four . The Nasdaq composite climbed 1.2% to a record, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was a laggard and fell 110 points, or 0.3%. Broadcom leaped 11.2% to help lead the S&P 500 for a second straight day after delivering a profit report last week that beat analysts’ expectations. The technology company is riding a wave of enthusiasm about its artificial-intelligence offerings in particular. The market’s main event, though, will arrive on Wednesday when the Federal Reserve will announce its last move on interest rates for the year. The widespread expectation is that it will cut its main rate for a third straight time, as it tries to boost the slowing job market after getting inflation nearly all the way down to its target of 2%. The question is how much more it will cut rates next year, and Fed officials will release projections for where they see the federal funds rate ending 2025, along with other economic indicators, once their meeting concludes. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will also answer questions in a press conference following the meeting. For now, the general expectation among traders is that the Fed may cut a couple more times in 2025, according to data from CME Group. But such expectations have been shrinking following reports suggesting inflation may be tougher to get all the way down to 2% from here. Besides last month’s slight acceleration in inflation, another worry is that President-elect Donald Trump’s preferences for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation down the line. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle has dropped his earlier forecast of a cut by the Fed in January, for example. Beyond the possibility of tariffs, he said Fed officials may also want to slow their cuts because of uncertainty about exactly how low rates need to go so that they no longer press the brakes on the economy. Expectations for a series of cuts to rates by the Fed have been one of the main reasons the S&P 500 has set an all-time high 57 times so far this year and is heading for one of its best years of the millennium . The economy has held up better than many feared, continuing to grow even after the Fed hiked the federal funds rate to a two-decade high in hopes of grinding down on inflation, which topped 9% two summers ago. On Wall Street, MicroStrategy jumped as much as 7% during the day as it continues to benefit from the surging price for bitcoin , which set another all-time high. But its stock ended the day down by les than 0.1% after bitcoin’s price pulled back below $106,000 after setting a record above $107,700, according to CoinDesk. The software company has been building its hoard of the cryptocurrency, and its stock price has more than sextupled this year. It will also soon join the Nasdaq 100 index. Bitcoin’s price has catapulted from roughly $44,000 at the start of the year, riding a recent wave of enthusiasm that Trump will create a system that’s more favorable to digital currencies . Honeywell rose 3.7% after saying it’s still considering a spin-off or sale of its aerospace business, as part of a review of its overall business. It said it plans to give an update with the release of its fourth-quarter results. They helped offset a drop for Nvidia, whose chips are powering much of the world’s move into AI. Its stock fell 1.7%. Because it’s grown so massive, with a total value topping $3 trillion, it was the single heaviest weight on the S&P 500. All told, the S&P 500 rose 22.99 points to 6,074.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 110.58 to 43,717.48, and the Nasdaq composite rose 247.17 to 20,173.89. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.39% from 4.40% late Friday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, eased to 4.24% from 4.25%. In stock markets abroad, indexes fell modestly across much of Europe and Asia. They sank 0.9% in Hong Kong and 0.2% in Shanghai after China reported lackluster economic indicators for November despite attempts to strengthen the world’s second-largest economy. South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.2% as law enforcement authorities pushed to summon impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree, and the Constitutional Court met to discuss whether to remove him from office or reinstate him. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.Buchanan scores 28 off the bench, Boise State downs South Dakota State 83-82

The history photo this week says so much about simpler times. It’s a photo of Vernon’s Jeff Hurmuces in his home on Christmas Eve, 1952. Look at the fantastic black-and-white photo courtesy of the Museum and Archives of Vernon. Look closely. Photos of family framed, hanging on the wall, some level, some askew. The Christmas tree in the corner, clearly a live tree with a star on top, minimal lights and the always-present tinsel at the time. Christmas cards were regularly hung from string going wall to wall, and you can see Mr. Hurmuces received at least 19 cards that year. And the food. My word, the food. The drink. Something for every palate in this pic. Hurmuces was the co-owner of the highly successful National Cafe, in the old National Hotel, according to his niece, Gayle, who lives on Vancouver Island and who pays tribute to her uncle on her website, Eatinscanada.com. Hurmuces owned the cafe with another Vernon legend, Nick Alexis, as well as Tom (Curly) Pulos and Gus Haros from 1935-1963. Curly’s daughter Evinia (Pulos) Bruce wrote a letter to The Morning Star in 2004 explaining how the National Cafe had a chocolate factory in the back and a soda fountain up front, where such concoctions as the Graveyard Milkshakes ( a mix of every available flavour) and the Three Men In A Tub original sundaes were created and dished out. The National Cafe, said Bruce, was the “largest and most known restaurant in the block (2900-30th Avenue) all during the Second World War due to the thousands of soldiers training at the army camp on Mission Hill.” On Dec. 9, 2021, the highly popular Facebook page Vintage Vernon ran the exact same photo, courtesy of the museum. Gayle commented that her uncle Jeff was her best friend when she was a little girl. The same photo hangs in her home, she said. And a man named Ronald Smith commented that “Jeff was a real gentleman, and was always very kind and polite with my mother and me.” Smith also mentioned that he worked for Capitol Taxi as a kid and had many interactions with Curly Pulos.

Sir Keir Starmer said he would be looking towards a “better, brighter future for every person” in a Christmas message following a turbulent year for the UK. The Prime Minister said the season was a time to remember the importance of “being there for one another”, including in “the more difficult times”. He also expressed hope for “peace, particularly in the Middle East as the birthplace of the Christmas story” amid spiralling conflict across the region. Sir Keir said: “This Christmas, people will be travelling up and down the country. Heading home, visiting relatives and loved ones to celebrate together the hope and joy of this special season. “It’s a time to remind ourselves what’s really important. Family. Friendship. And fellowship between all people. “Being there for one another – in these celebrations, as well as the more difficult times.” The Prime Minister sought to strike an optimistic note following another year of political upheaval for Britain, which saw Labour win a landslide victory after a surprise election called by Rishi Sunak in the summer. After taking office in July, the new Government made a series of unpopular decisions as ministers confronted the realities of creaking public services and strained national finances. As well as dealing with the economic inheritance, Sir Keir said he needed to fix a “broken society” which manifested itself in summer riots across the country after the Southport knife attack. Sir Keir said: “This Christmas, I will be hoping for peace, particularly in the Middle East as the birthplace of the Christmas story. “So, from my family to yours, I hope you have a very merry Christmas.” The message comes after revised official figures released on Monday indicated that UK gross domestic product (GDP) showed no growth between July and September. Downing Street defended the Government’s record so far when asked about the data, telling reporters: “We had to take those tough decisions to lay the foundations of growth such that we can then deliver the higher living standards over this Parliament that people want to see.” The Prime Minister also used his message to thank those spending Christmas serving others, including in the NHS and emergency services, the armed forces, churches and charities. “I know that this is not an easy time for everyone, and my thoughts are with all those who are lonely this Christmas. “Having a tough time, missing a loved one. You are not alone,” he said. Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch said Christmas was a time to reflect on “all that’s happened in the year” and “support all of those people who need our assistance”. “For all that you have been doing in your communities, supporting each other and helping to keep all our towns, villages and places going. “I think that Christmas is a time for us to reflect on all that’s happened in the year. “Sometimes we have amazing years. “Sometimes, like when I lost my dad, we have difficult years and we’re commiserating, but we do it together. “But it’s a time for us to support all of those people who need our assistance, who need our help, who need our support.” She added: “And I’m looking forward to 2025. “I wish you all the very best for the New Year and all of the exciting things to come.” “Incredible young people who will spend this Christmas doing what they do all year round; looking after loved ones who are ill or disabled. “Carers embody the Christmas spirit of love, selflessness and generosity. “So I hope we can all take some time to think of them, and keep them in our hearts. “And wish them – and everyone – a Christmas full of peace, joy and love.”

The Government of Canada barely tabled its (FES) after a day of political chaos and uncertainty. The Liberal government was thrown into turmoil following the surprise resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland hours before she was scheduled to deliver the feds’ latest economic plan. With no finance minister at the time, House Leader Karina Gould tabled the FES just after 4 p.m. this afternoon, which includes a number of measures aimed at spurring more investment in Canada’s technology sector and domestic businesses more broadly. Facing a glaring hole at one of the most important cabinet positions, the FES was tabled without a speech and with no questions permitted in the House of Commons, despite outcry from Members of Parliament (MPs). Shortly thereafter, Dominic LeBlanc was sworn in as the next Minister of Finance, filling one leadership gap in the Liberal government while questions remain at the top. Following Freeland’s resignation and the delayed release of the FES, members of the Conservatives, NDP, Bloc Québécois, and multiple Liberal MPs alike called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down. Trudeau has yet to respond publicly to these calls or address Freeland’s departure and LeBlanc’s appointment, but is also considering prorogation or resignation. Freeland from cabinet earlier today, claiming that Trudeau told her last week that he no longer wanted her to serve as finance minister. Her departure comes days after she a slew of new federal programs and updates for Canada’s tech sector contained in the FES. These include a renewal of the Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative (VCCI) and Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit reform, alongside new programs designed to encourage more private investment in mid-cap growth companies and artificial intelligence (AI) data centres, among other measures. Today, the federal government outlined plans to renew VCCI for a fourth time and inject up to $1 billion. Under the investment-matching program, the government provides one dollar for every three dollars raised by select indirect fund managers up to a cap. The latest $1-billion VCCI round will include “more enticing terms” for those funds, but no other details were provided. The feds are also investing up to $1 billion in mid-cap growth companies to crowd in additional private capital to the growth equity market. The funding will be delivered by a qualified fund manager and concessional, meaning that it provides favourable, low-interest terms for companies. According to the FES, the government is developing a program that would provide up to $15 billion in aggregate loan and equity investments for AI data centre projects that receive investments from Canadian pension funds. Those funds must invest at a two-to-one ratio compared to the government, and must become “significant shareholders” in a data centre project. The feds say seven pension funds have already expressed interest and more details will be announced in Budget 2025. To attract more investment, the feds are removing the cap that currently restricts pension funds from owning more than 30 percent of a Canadian company, making it easier for them to acquire controlling stakes. The Government of Canada has also committed $150 million over three years starting in 2024–2025 for the Global Innovation Clusters and $24 million over two years beginning in 2025–2026 for the national AI institutes. This comes in addition to its recently announced $2-billion . The government is proceeding with long-awaited reforms of the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) program. As of any fiscal year beginning on or after Dec. 16, businesses can now claim capital expenditures on SR&ED tax credits again, reversing a Harper government-era change. Public companies, which previously were entitled to a 15-percent non-refundable tax credit, will be permitted to claim the 35-percent tax incentives for applicable research and development projects. The feds are also raising the annual expenditure limit under SR&ED from $3 million to $4.5 million, allowing companies to claim a maximum of $1.575 million per year. The reforms also raise two key eligibility criteria: Companies can access the credit with taxable capital under $15 million, up from $10 million. The phase-out threshold for taxable capital has been raised to $75 million from $50 million. Another new detail from today’s announcement is the federal government’s plan to implement a patent box regime to encourage the development and retention of intellectual property in Canada. The feds said they are currently reviewing feedback from recent consultations and will share details of this regime in Budget 2025. The Government of Canada also indicated that the launch of its consumer-driven banking framework will not happen until early 2026—not 2025 in last year’s FES—marking in Canada’s lengthy quest to implement open banking. It remains unclear what impact Freeland’s departure has on the plans laid out in the FES. At time of publication, Trudeau and the Liberal caucus (including Minister Freeland) were still in an emergency meeting to discuss the day’s events. The CBC has also reported that as many as 60 Liberal MPs will sign a letter asking Trudeau to resign, echoing repeated requests made across the aisle today. Canadian business leaders have expressed fear that Freeland’s departure will further erode investment in the country and destabilize its already shaky economy at a time when incoming United States President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs. Private calls for an election mirrored public requests from the Conservatives today for a confidence vote, underscored by uncertainty in the continued stability of the federal government. “Last week, we were encouraged by an announcement from Minister Freeland, which improved the program criteria for the SR&ED tax credit and increased funding for Canada’s venture capital ecosystem,” Council of Canadian Innovators president Ben Bergen said in a statement today. “Today, Chrystia Freeland is gone, and the future of the Liberal government is up in the air.” “Canadian innovators cannot scale globally on shaky ground—we need strong leadership, not uncertainty, at this critical moment.”

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Commerce Bank Has $1.78 Million Position in Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI)Company's first ultra-low power AI module will be commercially available for wearables and various other battery-powered on-device AI applications starting Q1 2025 SANTA CLARA, Calif. , Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ambient Scientific, The AI Processor Company, announced today its first coin cell battery powered AI module, named the Sparsh-board, targeted for a variety of on-device AI applications such as human activity recognition, voice control, acoustic event detection and more capable of running on a coin cell battery for months of always-on AI operation. Equipped with motion sensors, a digital microphone, BLE module and several other components, the Sparsh module is an extremely powerful and versatile module to enable rapid prototyping of a vast array of battery-powered AI applications. "While traditional MCUs force an undesirable tradeoff between AI performance and power consumption, our ultra-low power AI processor GPX10 ushers a paradigm shift with our groundbreaking analog in-memory computing technology," said GP Singh, Founder and CEO of Ambient Scientific. Product makers can now enable highly accurate and diverse AI applications without compromising on AI performance, battery life, form factor, flexibility and more. Ambient Scientific's exhaustive software stack makes the development of AI applications easier than ever before with support for industry standard AI frameworks such as Tensorflow and keras and a continuously evolving homegrown compiler, capable of supporting essentially all the major types of neural networks. With various sample AI applications and algorithms included, developers can get begin developing AI applications within minutes of downloading our AmbiSense SDK . Current applications being worked on cut across industries, including predictive maintenance, AI-enabled medical devices, wearables, voice controlled toys and more. With increasing demand from product makers, enthusiasts, students and researchers alike, Ambient Scientific plans to launch several reference designs for battery-powered AI applications and similar form factor modules to enable rapid prototyping and fulfill its mission to make AI computing efficient, accessible and affordable for all. Meet Ambient Scientific at CES 2025 Ambient Scientific is excited to unveil its Sparsh AI module at CES 2025 with live demostrations of AI applications running on coin cell batteries such as Fall Detection, voice recognition and more. To explore potential synergies, attendees can schedule meetings CES 2025 with Ambient Scientific at. To learn more about Ambient Scientific, visit our booth at CES 2025 or download our press kit . About Ambient Scientific Ambient Scientific is a fabless semiconductor company pioneering AI hardware and software design to create next-generation low-power processors for edge and on-device AI applications. With a team comprised of Ex-Sun Microsystems, Intel, Broadcom and Google professionals, Ambient Scientific is committed to bringing the power of AI to all, through cutting edge hardware and software products. To learn more about its products, visit www.ambientscientific.ai and follow Ambient Scientific on LinkedIn . Click here for more details about our booth at: https://ces25.mapyourshow.com/8_0/exhibitor/exhibitor-details.cfm?exhid=0013A00001egpuFQAQ . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ambient-scientific-unveils-first-ever-ai-module-powered-by-a-coin-cell-battery-302332996.html SOURCE Ambient Scientific, Inc.

ECU CB Shavon Revel Jr. declares for NFL draftBethlehem marked another somber Christmas Eve on Tuesday (December 24, 2024) in the traditional birthplace of Jesus under the shadow of war in Gaza . The excitement and cheer that typically descends on the West Bank during Christmas week were nowhere to be found. The festive lights and giant tree that normally decorate Manger Square were missing, as were the throngs of foreign tourists that usually fill the square. Palestinian scouts marched silently through the streets, a departure from their usual raucous brass marching band. Some carried a sign that read, “We want life, not death.” Security forces, meanwhile, arranged barriers near the Church of the Nativity, built atop the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. "Always the message of Bethlehem is a message of peace and hope," said Mayor Anton Salman. “And these days, we are also sending our message to the world: peace and hope, but insisting that the world must work to end our suffering as Palestinian people.” Palestinian scouts carry posters, one reads “Peace for Gaza and its people,” while they march during Christmas Eve celebrations at the Church of the Nativity, traditionally recognized by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on December 24, 2024. | Photo Credit: AP The cancellation of Christmas festivities is a severe blow to the town's economy. Tourism accounts for an estimated 70% of Bethlehem’s income — almost all of it from the Christmas season. Salman said unemployment is hovering around 50% — higher than the 30% unemployment across the rest of the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Finance Ministry. Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, noted the shuttered shops and empty streets and expressed hope that next year would be better. Pizzaballa held a special pre-Christmas Mass in Holy Family Church in Gaza City on Sunday. “This has to be the last Christmas that is so sad,” he told hundreds of people gathered in Manger Square, where normally tens of thousands would congregate. “I bring you the greetings, the prayers, of our brothers and sisters in Gaza.” The number of visitors to the town plunged from a pre-COVID high of around 2 million per year in 2019 to fewer than 100,000 in 2024, said Jiries Qumsiyeh, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Tourism Ministry. Bethlehem is an important center in the history of Christianity, but Christians make up only a small percentage of the roughly 14 million people spread across the Holy Land. There are about 182,000 in Israel, 50,000 in the West Bank and Jerusalem and 1,300 in Gaza, according to the U.S. State Department. Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, is received by local community while crossing an Israeli military checkpoint from Jerusalem for Christmas Eve celebrations at the Church of the Nativity, traditionally recognized by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on December 24, 2024. | Photo Credit: AP After nightfall, the golden walls of the Church of the Nativity were illuminated as a few dozen people quietly milled about. A young boy stood holding a pile of balloons for sale, but gave up because there were no customers to buy them. The war in Gaza has deterred tourists and has prompted a surge of violence in the West Bank, with more than 800 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire and dozens of Israelis killed in militant attacks. Palestinian officials do not provide a breakdown of how many of the deceased are civilians and how many are fighters. Since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that sparked the war, access to and from Bethlehem and other towns in the West Bank has been difficult, with long lines of motorists waiting to pass through Israeli military checkpoints. The restrictions have prevented some 150,000 Palestinians from leaving the territory to work in Israel, causing the economy there to contract by 25%. In the Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel, Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took more than 250 Israeli hostages. Israeli officials believe that around 100 hostages remain in captivity in the Gaza Strip. Elsewhere, Christmas celebrations were also subdued. Scores of Syrian Christians protested Tuesday in Damascus, demanding protection after the burning of a Christmas tree in Hama the day before. Videos and images shared on social media showed the large, decorated tree burning at a roundabout in Suqalabiyah, a town in the Hama countryside. It remains unclear who was responsible for setting the tree on fire. In a video that circulated on social media, a representative of Syria’s new leadership, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, could be seen visiting the site and addressing the community. He said: “This act was committed by people who are not Syrian, and they will be punished beyond your expectations.” German celebrations were darkened by a car attack on a Christmas market on Friday that left five people dead and 200 people injured. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier rewrote his annual recorded Christmas Day speech to address the attack. He plans to acknowledge that “there is grief, pain, horror and incomprehension over what took place in Magdeburg,” while urging Germans to “stand together,” according to an early copy of the speech. A snowstorm in the Balkans stranded drivers and downed power lines, but some saw the beauty in it. “I’m actually glad its falling, especially because of Christmas,” said Mirsad Jasarevic in Zenica, Bosnia. “We did not have snow for Christmas for 17 years here, and now is the time for wonderful white Christmas.” American Airlines briefly grounded flights across the U.S. on Tuesday due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive. Winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 1,447 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed Tuesday, with 28 flights canceled. Published - December 25, 2024 02:11 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Christmas / christianity / christmas / Israel-Palestine Conflict

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A Belfast business owner is opening his doors on Christmas Day to help those most in need of a warm meal and some company. Joe Elshewihi, was a young Egyptian entrepreneur when he first arrived in Belfast 20 years ago and now runs a variety of successful businesses across Belfast in cosmetics, male grooming, self catering accommodation and hospitality. The 39-year-old knows how hard it can be to develop a business to a profitable level and admits it was challenging at the start of his career, but he now employs over 25 staff and is actively involved in the day to day running of all his businesses. Read more: New interactive map reveals Supermarket petrol price postcode lottery Read more: Charity's Christmas miracle for families in need after Belfast Live appeal Joe’s most recent venture is “Falafel Fresh” Restaurant. They opened over a year ago in Belfast city centre in Bridge Street, the former site of well known "Mikey's Deli" restaurant. They specialise in healthy Mediterranean cuisine and have had many great reviews over the past year. This Christmas Joe and his staff will be giving back to the community by offering free food to anyone who needs it between 12 - 3pm on Christmas Day in store while stocks last. A spokesperson for the business said: "Joe knows how lonely it can be for people to be away from their family at Christmas and not everyone can afford to eat a healthy meal at Christmas time. "This is a perfect opportunity for Joe and his staff at Falafel Fresh to show their appreciation and welcome everyone on Christmas day to their shop so it can be used as a hub for anyone who would like some company on Christmas day between 12 - 9pm (for usual business opening hours)." For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.Central 1 reports 2024 third quarter financial results