Motorists could soon be seeing a new feature on the NSW roads — glow-in-the-dark line markings. The state government this week will install glow-in-the-dark markings on Bulli Pass, south of Sydney, for a trial ahead of a potential wider rollout. Similar to glow-in-the-dark children’s toys and stickers, photoluminescent painted markings absorb and store sunlight during the day and glow at night, helping drivers better see line markings and the shape of the road ahead in locations where street lighting is not practical. The hairpin turn on Bulli Pass has been selected for the first trial after a spike in near misses at night. The steep descent, which is heavily used by large trucks and motorcycles, recorded 125 incidents between 9pm and 4am in the year to June 30. “Bulli Pass has had a rising number of near misses — particularly at night — so using Glow Roads to improve driving conditions will help the thousands of motorists who rely on this busy route,” NSW Roads Minister John Graham said in a statement on Sunday. “Being able to see the shape of the road ahead is critical to safe driving and that’s what Glow Roads do. Data shows around a third of fatal crashes in NSW happen at night. If this trial is deemed a success, we will look at its application on other locations with a history of crashes or near-misses where better visibility is needed.” The trial will run for six months, after which data and customer feedback will be reviewed to determine whether to extend the trial or extend the technology to other parts of the state. “Glow Roads is an exciting new alternative for areas where street lighting may not be practical — many of our regional and rural roads face this challenge,” Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said. “Locals know this road — and others like it across the state — can have visibility plummet in seconds when fog or a storm rolls in, and I’m excited to see how this innovation performs in those conditions, too. This initiative offers an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solution on regional roads with limited or non-existent street lighting.” NSW Transport conducted rigorous testing at its Future Mobility Testing and Research Centre in Cudal to ensure the glow-in-the-dark markings were suitable for all Australian conditions. A car, truck, motorbike and bicycle were put through their paces navigating the course, and skid testing was also undertaken to ensure ‘glow roads’ have the same level of slip resistance as current line markings. “The Glow Roads is the brainchild of one of our transformation teams here at Transport who — trying to find a solution to boost safety at remote or isolated sites — pitched the idea at an in-house innovation challenge,” Transport for NSW Secretary Josh Murray said. “Improving road safety is a massive priority for everyone across at Transport — so we jumped on the opportunity to put this bright idea to the test.” Victoria tested similar glow-in-the-dark markings in 2022 but ultimately did not move foward with a broader rollout. Five rural roads, including a one-kilometre stretch of Metong Road in Victoria’s southeast, were illuminated under the trial, conducted by Gippsland company Tarmac Linemarking in collaboration with OmniGrip and VicRoads. Tarmac Linemarking’s John Emanuelli said at the time he had been swamped by businesses and councils looking to have their paths illuminated. “There’s been a lot of interest since the trial run, it’s a great product,” he said. Photos from the Victorian test run went viral after being shared on Reddit. “This feels like Tron and I’m for it,” one user wrote. An indepdendent evaluation of the trial conducted for Victoria’s Department of Transport and Planning concluded there were insufficient road safety benefits to justify rolling out photoluminescent line markings on more roads. Unlike NSW’s trial, however, Victoria’s did not include very low-speed environments such as tight curves on high-speed roads.

None

STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) — Kolton Mitchell's 32 points led Idaho over Pacific 95-72 on Saturday night. Mitchell had six assists and three steals for the Vandals (5-8). Kristian Gonzalez added 20 points while shooting 7 for 11 (3 for 7 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line while they also had six rebounds. Julius Mims went 7 of 10 from the field to finish with 14 points, while adding nine rebounds and three blocks. Tyler Linhardt also had 14 points. Elias Ralph led the Tigers (5-9) in scoring, finishing with 18 points and seven rebounds. Lamar Washington added 14 points, six assists and two blocks for Pacific. Petar Krivokapic also had 13 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from .Mumbai: A one-day state-level workshop on drone technology and its applications was held on Saturday at the University of Mumbai (MU). The event was inaugurated by the university's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ravindra Kulkarni, alongside Naval Bajaj (IPS), the Head of the State Anti-Terrorism Squad, among others. During the event, Kulkarni encouraged MU’s Geography Department to collaborate with leading national institutions and private sector companies to introduce drone-based courses and research projects. He stressed the importance of cross-disciplinary cooperation to provide students with valuable internships and opportunities to expand their knowledge in this emerging field. In his speech, chief guest Bajaj spoke about the pioneering use of drones during the Ganesh Chaturthi immersion processions in Mumbai, highlighting how drones provided crucial oversight. He also emphasised the role of drones in controlling accidents and crises, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bajaj elaborated on the potential of drones in combating terrorism, addressing climate change, and managing natural disasters, all while discussing the growing security challenges that need to be addressed as drone use expands. Prof. Shirish Kedare, Director of IIT Mumbai, provided a comprehensive overview of the current state and future potential of drone technology. Experts Dr. Hemant Pednekar, Dr. Kiran Naik, and Shruti Surendran shared their insights on drone applications, the future of the industry, employment prospects, and challenges within the drone sector. Their sessions aimed to guide attendees on navigating the complexities of the rapidly evolving field. The workshop was organised in collaboration with the university's Department of Geography, UAV Academy Pvt. Ltd., and the Bombay Geographical Association. As part of the workshop, UAV Academy showcased six different types of UAVs and command-and-control systems. The exhibition's highlight was a 20-foot-long UAV named Sampatti, which drew significant attention from attendees. A total of 190 students, including undergraduates, postgraduates, and researchers from affiliated colleges of MU participated in the workshop.The Montana High School Association executive board took action regarding realignment for football at a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday. Per a press release issued on Wednesday from the MHSA, at the meeting the board approved the following schools to move classifications: Broadus will move from 8-Man to 6-Man football, Hays-Lodgepole will move from 8-Man to 6-Man football, Harlowton-Ryegate will change from 6-Man to 8-Man football and Deer Lodge will shift from 8-Man to Class B football. After the board heard appeals, it placed several schools in a higher football classification. According to a MHSA news release, these schools will choose whether to participate fully in the higher classification or opt to participate in the lower classification but not be postseason eligible. Those schools are: Arlee was placed in Class B football, Box Elder was placed in 8-Man football, Centerville was placed in 8-Man football, Joliet remained in Class B football, Shelby was placed in Class B football, Westby-Grenora was placed in 8-Man football. Whitehall-Harrison is moving from the Western to the Southern Conference in Class B football. The MHSA executive board also approved the proposed four-division alignment for Class A football. In other realignment news, the board approved the proposals for Class C in basketball, track and field and volleyball. Districts will be finalized at the 2025 MHSA Annual Meeting on Jan. 20, 2025 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center. The executive board, per the MHSA news release, submitted proposals to be considered at the annual meeting and the board also approved the 2026-27 calendar. In addition, other decisions were made by the board, for which schools are granted a two-week notice. Finalization of these items will occur during the January 2025 board meeting. Those actions are: „ ■ Approval of baseball conferences for the 2025 season. ■„ Approval of the Class B golf qualifying criteria to revert to the same number of qualifying players and teams as last year. „ ■ Approval in Class C girls divisional wrestling for a trophy to be awarded to the first-, second and third-place teams. ■„ Approval of a change in the procedures for football realignment where divisions impacted by reclassification can present their conference alignment (if needed) at the executive board meeting. Schools can also appeal their conference alignment at the January meeting. ■„ Approval of the MHSA office in Helena to relocate to a new site in the city. The new building will help MHSA staff to host board and membership meetings ensuring ADA compliance and advanced technology. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Brazil's Air Force confirmed Friday the successful launch of an unmanned rocket into space. The unit was built with 100% national technology, it was also explained at the Barreira do Inferno Center in Parnamirim, in the State of Rio Grande do Norte. The VS-30 suborbital sounding rocket took off at 13:19 and remained in space for 2 minutes and 50 seconds before landing in the Atlantic Ocean. The entire mission lasted 5 minutes and 50 seconds and ended the first phase of Operation Potiguar. The Brazilian-built spacecraft is about eight meters long and weighs 1.5 tons at liftoff. It can carry up to 330 kilograms. Friday's flight was filled with more than 1,000 letters from public school students. Although suborbital vehicles cannot enter orbit, they can reach altitudes above the atmosphere. They are used in scientific and technological experiments of interest to various industries, such as pharmaceuticals, metallurgy, food, and cosmetics. The purpose of the launch was to train the team, as well as to test equipment and processes. According to the FAB, the rocket followed the trajectory as planned, and the telemetry and radar response systems functioned correctly throughout the flight. The initiative seeks to generate greater Brazilian autonomy in launching events of this type of vehicle, Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA) Director Brigadier Maurício Augusto Silveira de Medeiros explained. In the second phase of Operation Potiguar, scheduled for the second half of 2025, another rocket of the same model will be used to qualify the recovery system for the upper part of the vehicle, known as the microgravity suborbital platform (PSM). (Source. Xinhua)Luigi Mangione, 26, was charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Following his arrest, various claims about him circulated online, including speculation about an online manifesto that allegedly explained his motive for the killing. The post, attributed to "LM" on the blog site Substack, is titled “The Allopathic Complex and Its Consequences" and has been shared in various social media posts crediting Mangione as the author. VERIFY reader Tony texted us asking if the manifesto published to Substack is real. THE QUESTION Is the viral online post on Substack appearing to be written by Luigi Mangione real? THE SOURCES Substack spokesperson Dec. 9 press conference hosted by New York City Mayor Eric Adams The Wayback Machine archives of the Substack blog Commonwealth of Pennsylvania court records Various news reports on the handwritten document recovered by police THE ANSWER No, the viral online post published to Substack appearing to be written by Luigi Mangione isn’t real. WHAT WE FOUND Luigi Mangione had a three-page document with him when he was arrested that police say speaks to his alleged motive at the time of the killing, but claims the manifesto posted online was authored by Mangione are false. VERIFY analyzed excerpts of the handwritten document and found it doesn't match any of the language in the fake online manifesto. Substack also said it removed the account because it violates the platform’s content guidelines, “which prohibit impersonation.” During a Dec. 9 press conference , New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the handwritten document Mangione had on his person when arrested “speaks to both his motivation and mindset.” When asked if the handwritten document was posted online, the New York Police Department’s Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said, “Don’t know if it's online. As of right now, it's a handwritten three-page document.” While police haven’t publicly released the handwritten document, excerpts have been reported by various news outlets such as the Associated Press , The New York Times and CBS . According to these reports, the document was either independently reviewed or described to reporters by sources close to the investigation. The New York Times summarized the excerpts they reviewed, saying the handwritten document called Thompson’s killing a “symbolic takedown” of the healthcare industry and also referenced corruption and “power games.” CBS reported Mangione criticized the disparity between U.S. healthcare costs and life expectancy rates. We compared the quoted excerpts from the reports to the Substack manifesto posted online and found none of the language from the handwritten document appears in the manifesto. The fake manifesto also lacks any reference to healthcare costs or life expectancy rates. Substack didn’t provide details on when the account was removed from the platform, but VERIFY was able to use archived pages captured on The Wayback Machine to determine the account was likely created while Mangione was in police custody. The Wayback Machine allows users to view and access snapshots, or screenshots, of websites. This screenshot archive from The Wayback Machine of the Substack account attributed to Mangione was captured at 9:43 p.m. ET on Dec. 9. Text on the Substack page archived indicates it was created about two hours earlier, during the time Mangione would have been in custody. At around 1:45 p.m. on Dec. 9 , the NYPD announced Mangione had been arrested as a person of interest in Thompson’s murder. He was arraigned on Dec. 9 around 6:30 p.m., according to court records.Assets not liabilities There is no information if rowdy Pakistanis involved in such incidents were actually dual nationals A women holding her NICOP. — NADRA website/File A few days ago, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated in a nationally televised programme that Pakistanis should not be allowed to have dual nationalities. The minister opined that the facility to hold dual nationality, otherwise allowed by Pakistani laws, must be withdrawn and in case Pakistanis settled abroad would like to associate themselves with the country of their origin then they could only carry an identity card (NICOP) especially crafted for them. He said if these “foreign nationals” have invested in the real-estate sector or have business partnerships in Pakistan, then their investments must be treated at par with those made by non-Pakistani foreigners. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); It was not difficult for those who had watched the whole programme to construe that the federal minister was obviously perturbed by some recent events where a handful of overseas Pakistanis have misbehaved with or maltreated the leading members of the ruling party or a retired judge of the Supreme Court during their private visits to some European capitals. There is no information if the rowdy Pakistanis involved in such incidents were actually dual nationals. Khawaja Asif also said that those who have opted to abandon Pakistan for financial gains abroad should not be allowed to defame the country. However, they were not defaming the country. Politicians are often known for putting their feet in their mouths - making remarks that are outright intolerant, insensitive, imprudent and inappropriate. Many realise the mistake when confronted, apologise and retract. Others opt to remain stubborn and stick to their faux pride and bloated egos. As an overseas Pakistani and a dual national, I am fully cognizant of the debate generated in Pakistan in the last few years when courts and public servants were busy scoring points on the issue of dual nationality. Elected members of the parliaments were stripped of their offices and bureaucrats were made to renounce their acquired citizenships. But to stigmatise those Pakistanis who have opted to avail of the facility provided by Pakistani statute books purely on the basis of lopsided logic and septuagenarian anger is something that no sensible person would approve of. To jog Khawaja Sahib’s memory, his party leaders are on record praising the myriad contributions that dual nationals have made over the decades. Many high-profile Pakistanis have acquiesced when members of their immediate families opted to secure nationalities of countries with which Pakistan has bilateral arrangements and understanding. When in power, leaders of Pakistan have either been praising the routine financial contributions overseas Pakistanis have been making or have been urging Pakistanis abroad to play a similar role that has been played by the Chinese and Indian diaspora communities. One can imagine the politician in question modifying his statement by saying the target of his tirade were Pakistanis with dual nationalities only and that he respects and regards the millions of Pakistani labourers toiling in the Middle Eastern countries in order to fund and feed their poor families by remitting major portions of their meagre allowances. Making a clear distinction between overseas Pakistanis and Pakistanis with dual nationalities, let me help update the record regarding the services and contributions of the latter so that any future reference to this matter is steered by logic rather than anger. Pakistan currently has dual nationality arrangements with 22 countries. The government of Pakistan’s record puts the number of Pakistanis with dual nationality at 4,493,835. Dual nationality agreements with these countries, considered the most advanced in the world today, were not secured in a day. What would they make of the minister’s statement? There are over 11 million Pakistanis settled abroad, out of which around six million work in the Gulf and the Middle East. Most of them cannot have dual nationality as none of the Gulf states barring Bahrain allow such a facility. Out of the 22, only four countries are Muslim states. Settled in the West for generations, these dual nationals have not only kept their Pakistani nationality but have procured the same for their children, born and brought up abroad. For decades, they were the sole reason for which carriers like PIA had been flying to Western capitals for they made it a habit of bringing their children to Pakistan every year to see their grandparents and meet other family members. Today, they may not be remitting as much money as the workers in the Gulf are doing but they have invested billions of dollars in Pakistan’s volatile real estate sector even after losing their investments to fraud and corruption. North America and Western Europe are major markets for Pakistan’s feeble exports. In most cases, these 4.4 million dual nationals are the principal consumers of such exports. They are the ones who make it a point to buy Pakistani basmati rice, lentils, spices and mangoes purely out of their love for their parent country. More importantly, thousands of dual-national Pakistanis have risen from being members of an immigrant community to becoming part of mainstream societies. They are not only considered prized members of the host societies but also offer invaluable services by being a bridge between countries like the UK and US and Pakistan. There are around 25 members of Pakistani heritage in the British parliament. They have held important cabinet posts in cross-party governments. The mayor of London has created personal history by winning three terms but is always referred to as a Pakistani by extraction in the British and international media. Hundreds of others are part of the British local government system and dual national Pakistanis at the same time. There are over 12,000 doctors of Pakistani origin in the British National Health Service – valued and respected. From politics to public service, education to entertainment, literature to science and technology, law and justice to sport, dual-national Pakistanis have made us proud. Fewer in numbers but similar examples are being set in other European countries and North America too. Dual-national Pakistanis have used their influence and expertise to win favours for Pakistan in multiple ways. They do not merit any of such disrespect shown to them. In fact, they deserve an apology. Will they get it? The writer is the chairman of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation’s board of governors.Kendrick Lamar decided to pop out and show the world his sixth album, GNX , today – sans promotion or warning. This after a highly successful year for the critically acclaimed artist, which included dominating a rap feud with Drake and cinching the headlining slot for next year’s Super Bowl halftime show . Lamar unexpectedly dropped a link to the album on his social media accounts, along with a black-and-white photo of him wearing a handmade ERL belt made with vintage pins as he posed in front of the titular car, a classic Buick GNX, sending the hip-hop scene into a frenzy on social media. Riding the hype, MTV quickly drafted an excuse letter for Lamar’s fans to send to their employers, explaining that they would “no longer [be] able to work today”. The 12-track, nearly 45-minute album is mostly Jack Antonoff-produced and boasts vocals from SZA and mariachi singer Deyra Barrera on Gloria . The inclusion of heart pt. 6 to continue his “Heart” song series, is among other highlights. As for the album title, Lamar has long held a place in his heart for GNX cars, which are a type of vintage Buick Regal. He told Complex that after he was born, his dad, who inspired his love for rap, brought him home in an 87 Buick Regal, and earlier this year he shared photos on Instagram of a GNX he bought.

The role of cities in combating illegal wildlife tradeOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 23 points as Creighton beat Villanova 86-79 on Saturday night. Kalkbrenner had five rebounds for the Bluejays (8-5, 1-1 Big East Conference). Neal Jamiya added 20 points while going 7 of 11 (6 for 7 from 3-point range) while they also had six assists. Steven Ashworth shot 6 for 11 (3 for 5 from 3-point range) and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line to finish with 20 points, while adding 11 assists. The Wildcats (8-5, 1-1) were led in scoring by Eric Dixon, who finished with 27 points. Wooga Poplar added 19 points and 10 rebounds for Villanova. Jhamir Brickus finished with 16 points and four assists. The loss ended a five-game winning streak for the Wildcats. Creighton took the lead with 16:12 to go in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 40-38 at halftime, with Kalkbrenner racking up 10 points. Creighton turned a three-point second-half lead into a 10-point advantage with a 7-0 run to make it a 56-46 lead with 14:40 left in the half. Neal scored 14 second-half points in the victory. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Data Skrive. Get local news delivered to your inbox!I love iced coffee, but I loathe cold coffee. Intentionally iced coffee is perfection, while hot coffee that's gone cold is disgusting. You can, of course, microwave coffee to return it to a drinkable temperature, and I have—many times. But a sad mug of microwaved coffee is no replacement for sipping a freshly brewed cup as close to its original temperature as possible, and that's always going to be a losing race against time. Enter Ember, and its " smart mug ." Unlike your dumb mug, Ember's cup can keep your drink at a stable temperature of your choosing, ranging between 120 ̊F and 145 ̊F. You set the temperature in the Ember app, pour yourself a cup of joe, and sip at your own leisure: Every time you take a drink, your coffee, tea, hot chocolate, what have you, will be the same temperature as the first sip. I have been using an Ember mug for a while now, and it really is great—if not slightly surreal. It's an odd thing to pick up a mug of coffee that's been sitting around for half an hour, take a sip, and find it as steamy as when I first poured it. As odd as it sounds, this means it comes with a bit of a learning curve, at least if, like me, you are used to taking larger and larger sips of your coffee the longer it has been sitting around. Don't throw back a cup from your Ember, is what I'm saying. It'll be a bad time. A piping hot cup for over an hour Ember will eventually stop keeping your drink hot when the battery runs out. When new and fully charged, that's a generous 80 minutes, which is a long time to enjoy any single 14 oz beverage. However, if you tend to drink multiple cups a day, that battery will wear out before you've finished your afternoon spreadsheets, so I recommend storing the wireless charging dock wherever you're most likely to be drinking from the Ember mug—perhaps your desk, or on an end table. That way, you can place your mug on the charger instead of a coaster, and keep the battery constantly juiced. The dock is also on sale for Cyber Monday , down to $27.99 from $39.95, but the mug comes with a dock, so you only need to buy one if something happens to the one you already own or you want more than one for some reason. (No judging.) Don't let your brew burn The Ember mug isn't perfect. My one gripe is with how it handles the last sip or two of your beverage. It seems the heating element is so strong, it burns, or at least alters the taste of, any too-small amount of liquid. My advice is to finish the cup before it gets to this point, keep your temperature set lower, or turn off the heater via the app when you get about three-quarters of the way through it. A critical note: Do not put your Ember mug in the dishwasher . This mug is hand-wash only . It's safe to scrub it in the sink, and even submerge it in water up to one meter. However, the abrasive nature of your dishwasher's jets will be too much for both the outside coating and the electronics inside the mug. It's a little extra work to hand wash it after each use, but you'll have plenty of energy thanks to having downed that never-cooling cup of coffee.

The Washington Commanders released 2023 first-rounder Emmanuel Forbes on Saturday, cutting ties with another high draft pick from the previous regime. All of previous coach Ron Rivera's first-rounders — including edge rusher Chase Young in 2020, linebacker Jamin Davis in ‘21 and wide receiver Jahan Dotson in '22 — are now gone. Forbes never showed progress to the new staff led by coach Dan Quinn and was a healthy scratch twice this season and did not play in two other games during which the 23-year-old was in uniform. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

None

Trans People Shouldn't Be Scapegoated for Democrats' Failures Vice President Kamala Harris speaks onstage during a Pride celebration on June 28, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images for GLAAD) Donald Trump's election victory foreshadows an administration that will likely seek to not just dismantle but destroy the regulatory state, while promoting a narrow vision of what America should be and who should benefit from living here. But as election results continue to trickle in, it has also become clear that the governing majority needed to achieve these goals may not be as robust as it was projected on election night. Trump failed to win 50 percent of the popular vote, and the GOP's House and Senate majorities are both razor-thin. Yet instead of thinking about how this unexpectedly small mandate on how this could be used for their advantage, a subset of Democrats have decided to spend their time saying that the true reason for the 2024 election loss lies with some of their coalition's most vulnerable members: transgender Americans and the allies that seek to protect their civil rights. Almost immediately after Trump's victory, a number of Democratic politicians, as well as major advisers in the party's inner and outer circles, rushed to the airwaves and their social media accounts to say that the party had lost touch with the average... https://www.thenation.com/authors

NFL issues security alert to teams and the players' union following recent burglaries