Science Week: 9 Ireland-based marine experts you should know
Free and low-cost educational events are scheduled across the country this week.
The annual Science Week is back, and this year’s focus is water, life’s essential building block.
Marine enthusiasts, climate savants and all those interested in learning more about protecting our oceans can attend events scheduled across the country this week, including organised walks to explore Ireland’s waterways, panels and other creative activities.
Researchers across Ireland continue to contribute to our understanding of the water bodies that surround us, from creating Ireland’s first climate exposure map to testing out ways to revitalise coral reefs.
We love talking about science and the environment at SiliconRepublic.com, and in honour of the theme of this year’s Science Week, here are some of Ireland’s top experts in the marine environment and sustainability.
Anne Marie O’Hagan
Dr O’Hagan is a senior research fellow in the MaREI Centre for energy, climate and marine at University College Cork (UCC), and an expert across legal and policy related issues surrounding our oceans.
She is currently a principal investor on a Marine Institute-funded project on ocean law and marine governance. She has also worked on numerous cross-border multidisciplinary projects focused on aquaculture and maritime spatial planning.
O’Hagan is also the honorary secretary of the all-Ireland Marine Renewables Industry Association.
Caroline Cusack
Dr Cusack leads the Irish Marine Institute’s work in oceanography and ocean climate research, and helps develop downstream services, such as algal bloom alerts and extreme marine events warning systems.
She is also involved in European research projects focused on improving ocean observing and forecasting tools.
Cusack has led several of Marine Institute’s annual ocean climate research surveys on the RV Celtic Explorer.
Fiona Regan
Dr Regan is a professor of chemistry at Dublin City University (DCU) and the director of the DCU Water Institute. Among her areas of interest, Regan focuses on developing advanced tools for environmental monitoring.
She is currently working on a water contamination detection tool as part of a National Challenge Fund-supported project called ‘Restart’.
Current methods to detect water contamination take between 18 to 72 hours. Restart hopes to develop an in-situ sensor for monitoring water quality that will provide an early warning in case of bacterial pollution.
Regan has a PhD in analytical chemistry. She has previously held a lecturing position at Limerick Institute of Technology, before taking up a position in DCU in 2002.
Glenn Nolan
Nolan leads the Marine Institute as its director of marine environment and food, having worked at the Institute for more than two decades.
In his time at the Institute, Nolan has helped secure funding for significant marine research and development projects instrumental in enhancing Ireland’s ocean observation and forecasting capabilities.
Nolan leads teams that work to monitor and improve fish health, marine chemistry, shellfish safety and marine spatial planning.
A graduate in oceanography from the University of Galway, Nolan has also previously held teaching positions at ATU and the University of Malta.
Louise Allcock
Dr Allcock is a renowned marine scientist, currently based in the University of Galway as a professor in zoology.
She has chaired numerous expert-level meetings around marine habitat protection, was the former president of the Cephalopod International Advisory Council and has led numerous research cruises as chief scientist.
Allcock has a PhD from Liverpool University, and worked at museums in Scotland as a curator for molluscs before taking up an academic post first at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), and subsequently at the University of Galway.
She leads the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence for Ocean Futures, Science and Diplomacy at the University of Galway alongside Dr Stefan Fritz.
Martin White
Dr White, an observation-based oceanographer, has worked in the University of Galway since 1993, arriving as a postdoctoral researcher before becoming a lecturer in the then newly established Earth and ocean sciences course. He also works with the university’s Ryan Institute.
White’s research focuses on hydrography and the dynamics of deep and shelf seas, as well as land-ocean interactions and water quality in coastal seas.
He was part of an Irish Government Marine Protected Areas Advisory Group led by another one of the list’s features, which supports the Government’s decision-making on the expansion of protected marine regions.
Niall Maloney
Dr Maloney is a principal investigator at the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Galway’s Marine and Freshwater Research Centre.
He has a background in physics, with a PhD in the field from Trinity College Dublin (TCD). Maloney is currently a lecturer in physics and instrumentation at ATU.
Maloney leads the NanoSA research team, a collaborative initiative between ATU Galway, DCU, and sustainable seafood producer Mowi, that focuses on rapid detection of bacterial and viral pathogens impacting the salmon aquaculture industry.
Niall McDonough
Dr McDonough is the director of policy, information and research services at the Marine Institute. He originally trained as a marine biologist with a bachelor’s in zoology from TCD and a PhD from QUB.
As the head of policy at the institute, McDonough’s work plays a key role in supporting and promoting marine research and innovation at national and international level.
He coordinates the implementation of Ocean Knowledge 2030, Ireland’s national strategy for marine research and innovation, and chairs the national Marine Research Funders’ Forum. He also manages the Marine Institute’s roughly €12m-a-year external research funding programme.
Tasman Crowe
University College Dublin’s (UCD) vice-president for sustainability, Dr Crowe, previously chaired the Marine Protected Areas Advisory Group. In 2021, he was named chair of the National Biodiversity Forum, an independent expert group that monitors Ireland’s approach to biodiversity protection.
Crowe joined the UCD staff in 2001 and has since held served as the director of the UCD Earth Institute and co-director of the UCD bachelor’s programme in sustainability.
He has published more than 110 research papers and book chapters and has received more than €4.25m in research funding from national and international funding agencies.
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U.S. Aircraft Evacuated From Second U.K. Base Due to Iran Threat
The U.S. evacuated American aircraft from an air base in England on Monday in the wake of a threat from Iran, according to people familiar with the matter.
The precise nature of the threat to RAF Mildenhall—whether imminent or more general—remains under discussion among U.S. officials, the people said.
Two U.S. refueling tankers that were using Mildenhall diverted to Germany earlier in the morning, while several other tankers at the base were moved to Germany and other locations later in the day, according to flight-tracking data and another official familiar with the matter.
A U.S. Air Force spokesperson declined to provide details about the movement of assets but said in a statement that U.S. aircraft rotate between installations and operating locations for a variety of reasons. The White House referred a request for comment to the Pentagon.
The movement comes after the Pentagon last month sent B-1 bomber aircraft back to the U.S. from another British base, RAF Fairford, as officials grew concerned about a complex Iran-backed plot to kill American pilots and target the aircraft using drones and other measures, the Journal has reported.
Tehran has said its retaliation for any American attack on Iran would expand beyond the Middle East. The “Gang of Eight”—the top congressional political and intelligence leaders—received a briefing Monday about Iran’s threats to the homeland, a person familiar with the meeting said.
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton said in October that Iran was in “advanced stages” of planning to target U.S. personnel in the Middle East, explaining the rationale for a sudden evacuation of diplomats from regional posts.
Asked about that concern Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “We’ve addressed it by moving people away from the threat.”
The U.S. upgraded the security posture at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath, both used by the U.S. military, to FPCON Charlie, which occurs when intelligence indicates that a form of terrorist action is likely, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. The security changes were earlier reported by the War Zone.
The threat comes as President Trump weighs moving forward with additional strikes on Iran, and amid a movement to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Iran war. Hegseth has defended the war and vowed to fight the impeachment effort.
Trump on Monday posted on social media that a return to war with Iran was “unlikely” and later told reporters at the White House, “At this point, taking military action doesn’t seem to be a very necessary thing.”
Trump cited progress in negotiations with Iran and the preference of Middle Eastern allies for a continuation of the blockade on Iranian trade, not an escalated confrontation. “Should there be any change with respect to developments in the Middle East, the United States of America is ‘locked and loaded’ and ready to go,” Trump wrote.
Write to Shelby Holliday at shelby.holliday@wsj.com and Alexander Ward at alex.ward@wsj.com
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NEC Returns to Singapore Fintech Festival with AI-Powered Financial Services Solutions
SINGAPORE, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NEC Asia Pacific will return to the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF), taking place from 18 to 20 November 2026 at Singapore EXPO.
At Booth #3G31, NEC will present AI, analytics and partner-led offerings that help financial institutions make better-informed decisions, improve operational performance, and advance business transformation.
Guided by its vision to create what's ahead, NEC is bringing together practical applications spanning Agentic AI, financial intelligence, insurance risk analytics, technology integration and wealth management.
Michio Kotegawa, SVP, Head of Digital Finance Solutions & Innovation, NEC APAC, shares, "As financial institutions navigate growing complexity and rapidly evolving customer expectations, success will depend on their ability to turn technology into tangible business outcomes. By combining trusted AI innovation with deep financial services expertise, NEC is helping organisations create what's ahead through smarter decisions, stronger customer experiences, and more resilient operations."
What to Expect at NEC's Booth
1. NEC cotomi Agent: Advancing Agentic AI in Financial Services
NEC cotomi Agent observes how users complete tasks in a web browser, captures reusable operational know-how and applies that knowledge across web-based business systems. By turning individual expertise into organisational capability, the service can autonomously execute digital workflows while retaining appropriate governance and human oversight.
2. NEC Financial Insights & Supply Chain Finance
NEC Financial Insights and Supply Chain Finance combine Agentic AI, financial data and financing capabilities to help CFOs anticipate scenarios, act more quickly and optimise working capital and liquidity. Developed in partnership with TASConnect, the offering also supports risk management and closer collaboration across supply chains.
3. AI Image Analytics for Insurance and Risk Management
NEC will demonstrate AI-powered image analytics that examines motor-claim photographs for potential fraud and misrepresented damage. The technology can identify signs of pre-existing or staged damage and assess whether visible damage is consistent with a reported accident, supporting faster, more consistent claims decisions and reducing claim leakage.
4. Financial Technology Partnerships
NEC's Financial Technology Partnerships approach brings together financial-services expertise, technology capabilities and strategic partnerships with leading technology providers to help financial institutions modernise operations, address business challenges and advance their transformation goals. Across business consulting, wealth management, payments, financial-crime management and liquidity management, NEC connects relevant platforms, specialist solutions and delivery capabilities around evolving business needs.
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Why adults are buying toys | Business and Economy
The toy industry has a new favourite consumer and its grownups. Adults with no children have more disposable income to spend and are propping up the market through the nostalgia economy. Al Jazeera’s Yasmeen ElTahan explains.
Published On 10 Nov 2026
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Super Mario Party Jamboree 2.4.0 update out now, patch notes
Super Mario Party Jamboree players can now get their hands on a brand-new update, which is version 2.4.0.
The highlight is support for GameShare using GameChat on Nintendo Switch 2. Also, for both Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch players, unspecified issues have been fixed.
The official rundown is as follows:
Super Mario Party Jamboree version 2.4.0 update patch notes
General
The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:
- GameShare using GameChat is now available for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.
- Note: If you select “GameShare” on the title screen, you will now be able to select “Friends via GameChat”.
- Maps and rules have been added as options for GameShare in the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.
The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch:
- Fixed other issues to improve the gameplay experience.
Last year, a Super Mario Party Jamboree 2.2.0 update released. This included support for full HD on Nintendo Switch 2 and more.
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GTA 6 Release Date, Price, Preload and $214 Billion Gaming Market
After 13 years, two major delays and years of extraordinary anticipation, Grand Theft Auto VI is approaching its release with a commercial advantage few entertainment products have enjoyed: millions of customers have already committed to buying it, and its publisher is counting on the game to transform its financial results.
The official GTA 6 release date remains November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S. Rockstar Games has announced that preloading begins November 10, giving customers an opportunity to download the game ahead of launch.
For Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, the stakes extend beyond the opening week’s sales. Grand Theft Auto VI is arriving in a global video game industry projected to generate $213.9 billion in consumer revenue this year, according to research firm Newzoo.
GTA 6 Release Date Confirmed as Take-Two Reports Strong Preorders
Take-Two’s November 9 earnings announcement reaffirmed the November 19 launch, ending another round of speculation that the game could slip into 2027.
Chief Executive Strauss Zelnick said preorders were running substantially ahead of the company’s original expectations. According to Reuters, market research firm Sensor Tower estimated that digital preorders had reached 7.71 million by November 3.
The commercial performance of the more expensive edition is particularly striking. Sensor Tower estimated that nearly 90% of preorders through late August were for the $99.99 Ultimate Edition rather than the $79.99 standard version.
Those figures are third-party estimates, not audited sales totals released by Take-Two. Nevertheless, the reported preference for the premium edition suggests that the game’s earliest customers are willing to spend considerably more than the standard retail price.
GTA 6 Price and Editions: How Much Will Players Pay?
Standard Edition
U.S. listed price before applicable taxes
Ultimate Edition
U.S. listed price before applicable taxes
Rockstar opened preorders in June, offering both editions through its official purchasing channels.
The Ultimate Edition includes additional vehicles, weapons, apparel and other exclusive content connected to the story of Jason and Lucia. Customers purchasing eligible editions before November 20 can also receive the Vintage Vice City Pack.
The $20 difference between the two editions offers Take-Two an additional source of revenue from customers willing to pay for premium content. The company has not disclosed a final official worldwide preorder total.
GTA 6 Financial Outlook: Take-Two Bets on a Historic Holiday Season
Take-Two’s latest earnings illustrate how much of its financial outlook depends on the launch.
The company reported fiscal second-quarter net bookings of $1.60 billion, an 18% decline from a year earlier and below analysts’ expectations of approximately $1.67 billion.
Despite that weakness, management maintained its fiscal 2027 net bookings forecast of $8 billion to $8.2 billion. It also increased its annual revenue forecast to $7.98 billion to $8.18 billion, from a previous range of $7.90 billion to $8.10 billion.
Take-Two shares gained approximately 4% in after-hours trading following the November 9 announcement, Reuters reported.
The financial opportunity is substantial. At the standard U.S. price of $79.99, sales of 10 million copies would represent approximately $800 million in gross consumer spending before taxes, platform fees, discounts, refunds and other deductions. That is an illustrative calculation, not a company sales forecast.
For investors, several questions remain: how quickly the game can reach customers beyond the initial preorder audience, whether premium-edition demand will persist, and how Rockstar will develop the franchise’s next online business.
The Grand Theft Auto Franchise: A Business Built Over Three Decades
Grand Theft Auto began in 1997 and developed into one of the industry’s most commercially successful franchises through its combination of open-world exploration, crime stories, driving and satire.
The series has sold more than 470 million copies worldwide, according to figures reported by The Associated Press. Grand Theft Auto V alone accounts for more than 230 million copies, an extraordinary result for a game first released in September 2013.
GTA V’s commercial life was extended by GTA Online, which brought multiplayer activities, regular content updates and purchases of in-game currency into the franchise’s business model.
Rockstar’s other major franchise, Red Dead Redemption, has also contributed to Take-Two’s premium-game business. The company reported that Red Dead Redemption 2 had sold 89 million copies as of its latest earnings update.
The new game returns to Vice City and introduces a broader fictional state called Leonida, inspired by Florida. Its central characters, Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval, become entangled in a criminal conspiracy after a robbery goes wrong.
Rockstar is also emphasizing music as part of the experience. French electronic duo Justice composed the game’s original score, while a separate soundtrack album is scheduled for December 11.
Gaming Industry Market 2026: Global Revenue Expected to Reach $213.9 Billion
The latest Newzoo Global Games Market Report 2026 forecasts that worldwide gaming revenue will increase 6.1% in 2026, reaching $213.9 billion.
The industry is also expected to reach 3.7 billion players, an increase of 4.4% from 2025. Newzoo projects that the global player population will grow to 4.07 billion by 2029.
Mobile gaming accounts for approximately 57% of worldwide revenue, with console and PC games together representing the remaining 43%.
North America is projected to generate $56.9 billion in gaming revenue, compared with $100.7 billion in Asia-Pacific and $38.5 billion in Europe.
Newzoo expects console gaming revenue to increase 5.1% in 2026, partly supported by Grand Theft Auto VI. It also forecasts a 17.5% increase in console full-game spending, the strongest projected growth among console business models.
For publishers, the industry’s expansion is increasingly tied to spending by existing players rather than simply attracting new customers.
Gaming Industry Outlook: Growth Opportunities and Financial Risks
The industry’s outlook through 2029 combines expanding global audiences with increasing pressure to generate revenue from established franchises.
Newzoo projects annualized player growth of approximately 3.2% between 2026 and 2029, with the Middle East and Africa among the fastest-growing regions.
First, premium game pricing is becoming an increasingly important revenue lever. GTA 6’s $79.99 standard edition illustrates how publishers are testing consumer willingness to pay more for major releases.
Second, recurring spending remains central to publisher finances. Take-Two reported that recurrent consumer spending represented 81% of its fiscal second-quarter net bookings, including revenue from virtual currency, additional content and in-game purchases.
Third, mobile gaming continues to expand faster than console and PC gaming. Newzoo expects mobile revenue to grow 6.8% in 2026, compared with 5.1% for consoles and 5.3% for PC games.
The risks include rising hardware and component costs, competition for consumers’ time, development expenses and dependence on a relatively small number of blockbuster franchises.
GTA 6 Competitors: Fortnite, Call of Duty and the Fight for Player Spending
Fortnite
Epic Games’ free-to-play platform competes for player engagement and discretionary spending through seasonal content, digital items and social experiences.
Call of Duty
Activision’s franchise remains a major competitor for premium game purchases and online multiplayer audiences, although its military-shooter format differs from GTA’s open-world crime setting.
CD Projekt’s science-fiction franchise is a closer comparison in open-world design and narrative ambition. Its successor remains a longer-term competitive prospect rather than a confirmed GTA 6 launch-window rival.
Historically one of GTA’s most direct competitors, Saints Row has struggled to match Rockstar’s commercial reach. Former Saints Row designer Chris Stockman said in 2025 that competing directly with GTA had become exceptionally difficult.
Stockman’s assessment reflects a broader competitive problem: GTA is no longer dependent on selling a single game. Its established audience, recognizable fictional world and online ecosystem give Rockstar commercial advantages that newer titles must spend heavily to develop.
GTA 6 Preload Begins November 10: What Players Need to Know
According to Rockstar’s official preload instructions, PlayStation 5 players can begin downloading the game at midnight local time on November 10.
For Xbox Series X and Series S, preloading begins at midnight GMT on the same date.
Sony recommends clearing at least 212GB of storage on PlayStation 5 before downloading. Preloading allows eligible customers to install the game ahead of launch but does not provide early gameplay access.
GTA 6 FAQ: Release Date, Preorders, Price, Online Mode and Xbox Series S
When is GTA 6 coming out? What is the Grand Theft Auto 6 release date?
Grand Theft Auto VI, also known as GTA 6 or GTA VI, is scheduled for Thursday, November 19, 2026. Rockstar and Take-Two reaffirmed the date in November.
How much is GTA 6? What is the GTA 6 price?
The standard edition costs $79.99 in the United States, while the Ultimate Edition costs $99.99, before applicable taxes. Regional pricing may vary.
When can you download GTA 6?
GTA 6 preloading starts November 10, 2026. On PlayStation 5, it begins at midnight local time; on Xbox Series X|S, at midnight GMT.
How do you preorder GTA 6?
Customers can preorder through the official Rockstar Games website, participating retailers and supported console storefronts.
What is included in GTA 6 Ultimate Edition?
The $99.99 Ultimate Edition includes additional vehicles, weapons, apparel and exclusive story-related content. Eligible purchases also receive preorder benefits.
Will GTA 6 Online be available at launch?
Rockstar has announced GTA VI as a single-player experience and has not confirmed a release date for a new GTA 6 Online mode. Reports about multiplayer functionality remain unconfirmed.
Will GTA VI run on Xbox Series S?
Yes. Xbox Series S is included among Rockstar’s officially supported launch platforms, alongside Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.
When is GTA 6 coming to PC?
Rockstar has not announced a PC release date. The November 19 launch currently covers PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Will GTA 6 be available on PS4 or Xbox One?
No. Rockstar’s announced launch platforms exclude PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Is GTA 6 expected to break sales records?
Take-Two expects exceptionally strong demand, and third-party estimates indicate millions of preorders. Whether the game breaks specific sales or revenue records will depend on verified post-launch results.
November 19 Will Bring the First Major Test of Take-Two’s Forecast
Take-Two enters the final days before launch with strong reported preorder demand, a premium-priced product and a fiscal-year forecast that depends heavily on GTA VI’s commercial performance.
Its latest quarterly results also reveal the scale of the challenge. The company generated $1.50 billion in revenue in the three months ended September 30, down from $1.77 billion a year earlier, and recorded a net loss of $54 million.
The next financial reporting period will include the November 19 release and the crucial holiday shopping season. Take-Two’s fiscal third quarter ends December 31, 2026, when the company will have its first opportunity to mea
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Deshaun Watson Has Firm Expectation Amid Browns QB Drama
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 08: Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during overtime at Caesars Superdome on November 08, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) Getty
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 01: Head Coach Todd Monken of the Cleveland Browns walks off the field after their 27-6 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on November 01, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) Getty
Deshaun Watson expected his absence from the Cleveland Browns' starting lineup to last one game.
Shedeur Sanders gave Todd Monken more to consider before making that official.
Appearing Monday on "Up & Adams," CBS commentator Logan Ryan — who called Sunday's Browns game — shared details from a conversation with Watson before Cleveland's game against the New Orleans Saints.
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"Deshaun Watson is under the assumption he's starting next week," Ryan said.
Watson cleared concussion protocol Saturday but was inactive Sunday after Sanders handled the first-team preparation during the week. That left Watson watching as Sanders nearly delivered a comeback victory in a 23-22 overtime loss.
"I spoke with Deshaun before the game and he had all intentions of starting next week. He's being safe with himself and the team is being safe with him but he will be playing next week," Ryan said. "That's before the game. Now, Shedeur went out and did his thing and handled the offense well. They were explosive with Shedeur and he made the most of his opportunity."
Logan Ryan Shares Browns' Plan for Shedeur Sanders
GettyNEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – NOVEMBER 08: Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during overtime at Caesars Superdome on November 08, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
According to Ryan, Sanders' start also gave Cleveland an opportunity to evaluate a quarterback who could factor into its long-term plans beyond this season.
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"Deshaun cleared concussion protocol and could have played. He was cleared. I've seen quarterbacks play without practicing all week. They decided Shedeur was going to get an opportunity," Ryan said. "Todd Monken told me during production meetings that they need to see Shedeur play this year for the future. That was Shedeur's opportunity and he did a lot with it."
Sanders completed 19 of 31 passes for 297 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He started slowly, throwing for just 38 yards in the first half, but eventually produced the explosive plays Cleveland needed.
His 64-yard touchdown pass to KC Concepcion put the Browns ahead in the fourth quarter. After New Orleans answered, Sanders helped set up Andre Szmyt's tying 51-yard field goal.
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Sanders then connected with Harold Fannin Jr. for a 39-yard touchdown in overtime. Cleveland's two-point attempt failed, leaving the Browns at 5-4.
Todd Monken Has Not Named Browns' Starter
GettyPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 01: Head Coach Todd Monken of the Cleveland Browns walks off the field after their 27-6 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on November 01, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Watson's expectation has yet to become a public commitment from his head coach. Monken said Monday that he had not decided who would start against Houston, despite an ESPN report pointing toward Watson's return.
"I really haven't thought through it other than getting through this morning's tape," Monken said.
Monken said further discussion with the offensive staff would follow. That left the decision open after Sanders' first start of the season.
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Ryan acknowledged the competing considerations facing Monken. Watson had led Cleveland to five wins through its first eight games, while Sanders offered a glimpse of what the offense could look like with him leading it.
"It can go either way. Shedeur can be the future there in Cleveland," Ryan said. "What they decide to do is on Todd Monken."
The Browns host Houston on Sunday before their Week 11 bye.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Deshaun Watson Has Firm Expectation Amid Browns QB Drama appeared first on HEAVY.
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How Jensen Huang’s Affair Spiraled Into a National Security Nightmare
In June 2024, Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang was in Taipei for an annual computer-industry trade show.
Late one night, a group of technology executives gathered at a bar. Among them was Alice Huang, then a top leader at a Singapore-based data center company.
Huang said she could likely persuade the Nvidia chief to join them. “Jensen’s a great friend of mine,” she said to the group, according to a tech executive who was present. She sent a text, and a few minutes later, Jensen Huang arrived and ordered a whiskey. He held forth briefly to the gathered executives, then left alone, saying he was tired, the person said.
Deep Dive
A photo from the evening posted on social media shows Jensen and Alice sitting side by side on a red banquette, he wearing his trademark leather jacket, she in a sleeveless top and pearl necklace.
Within months, the U.S. government would be investigating whether Alice Huang’s company, Megaspeed, was illegally diverting AI chips made by Nvidia for use in China, and authorities in Taiwan and Singapore would be probing what they suspected were her ties to China and its intelligence services.
It was the beginning of a reckoning that now threatens Huang’s leadership of his company and the AI industry that depends on its technology and financial help.
On Sunday, Nvidia’s board said it had launched an independent investigation into whether Huang had been the target of a foreign intelligence effort. The disclosure followed reports by The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and other outlets that the U.S. government had concluded Alice Huang was likely sending information to Chinese intelligence while having a close relationship with Jensen Huang. The board said it had “no reason to believe that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised” and that it had “confidence in Jensen and his leadership team.”
Huang apologized for infidelity to his family and Nvidia colleagues in a staff memo. “I love our country and our company,” the CEO wrote.
The revelations come against a tense backdrop in Washington, where different factions of the Trump administration have spent two years battling over AI policy and its role in the U.S.-China rivalry. They have raised sharp new questions about how Nvidia wielded its influence, aggressively lobbying for the ability to sell advanced AI chips to China, despite policies designed to preserve an American edge in the technology race.
On Monday, President Trump said Huang had told him that “he had absolutely no idea that the person in question was a spy.” Trump also said he didn’t remember receiving classified information—included in a spring memo prepared under the supervision of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to people familiar with the matter—warning that Huang had a relationship with a suspected Chinese spy.
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security on Monday responded to a report by the New York Times that it walked away from an investigation into Megaspeed’s suspected chip diversion after an outreach by an Nvidia executive. “BIS conducts all enforcement strictly by the book,” a spokesman said.
An Nvidia spokesman said the company prohibited all sales and shipments to Megaspeed in June 2025, and that ban is still in place. Nvidia got permission from the Commerce Department unit overseeing export controls for parts and replacement components sent to the company since then, he said.
U.S. intelligence officials never gave Huang a warning that he might be a target of foreign intelligence efforts, often referred to as a defensive briefing, the spokesman said.
The saga came up during an intelligence briefing focused on Iran for top lawmakers Monday. Several from both parties said they hope to pass aggressive chip-export restrictions as part of a proposed defense-spending package. “Clearly in this environment with all the cyber threats and all the world of superintelligence, these types of things take on an added significance,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) said.
An Nvidia partner
A former television reporter for Chinese state media, Alice Huang joined Megaspeed in 2023 after a stint in the financial sector, and she was listed on a registration in Singapore as a company director from March to November 2023. The company, a spinoff of Chinese company 7Road Holdings, advertised itself as a cloud provider of Nvidia hardware for the Asia-Pacific region.
Alice Huang met Jensen Huang at an Nvidia event in California in March 2024, the Journal has reported. Soon after, they would meet up again at the cocktail bar in Taipei. The New York Times earlier reported on the gathering.
By later that year, authorities in several countries had grown concerned about Megaspeed’s ties to China. The company has previously stated that it is a legitimate and compliant company that didn’t engage in illegal activities.
The Commerce and Justice Departments opened an investigation into whether the company was smuggling chips into China, according to people familiar with the matter. Authorities in Singapore and Taiwan focused on Alice Huang, putting physical surveillance teams on her, The Journal has reported. Officials involved in those investigations suspected she was recruited by Chinese intelligence services after they learned of what they saw as a close relationship between her and the Nvidia chief.
Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs has denied that Singaporean authorities have investigated Alice Huang for alleged ties to China.
In November 2024, Donald Trump was elected again, ushering out the administration of President Joe Biden, which had treated access to AI chips as a national security priority and imposed strict export controls. Jensen Huang met with Trump shortly after he was inaugurated, discussing AI policy with Elon Musk. A few months later, Huang and his wife, Lori Huang, flew to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club for a $1 million-a-head fundraiser.
Huang quickly emerged as one of President Trump’s top advisers on artificial intelligence, feeding the president talking points about the importance of maintaining America’s lead over China and praising his leadership on AI.
Some Trump advisers echoed Huang’s argument that encouraging China to buy American AI chips would slow the development of the country’s homegrown chip industry. Trump included Huang in a May 2025 trip to the Middle East, where he agreed to export Nvidia chips to Gulf nations.
That month, Huang returned to Taipei, where he was again photographed with Alice Huang, this time at a dinner where they could be seen kissing on the cheek and sharing touches on the arm. Efforts to reach Alice Huang were unsuccessful.
Seeking export licenses
Weeks later, Huang and his top lobbyists traveled to Washington, where they met with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. The Nvidia contingent argued that the government should approve export licenses for the H20, a chip Nvidia had designed for the Chinese market, people familiar with the meeting said. A few days later, after Huang met with Trump, the administration approved the sale of the H20, in return for 15% of China sales going to the U.S. Treasury.
Around the same time, Nvidia executives learned of the U.S. government investigations into Megaspeed. Tim Teter, Nvidia’s general counsel, reached out to BIS head Jeffrey Kessler, a little-known government official who wields influence over a broad portfolio of trade relationships, according to people familiar with the matter. The Times earlier reported on the outreach.
“When we have requests from customers for new shipments, service, or support, we have an obligation to resolve any potential ‘red flags’ before proceeding. That process can include asking [government agencies] whether they require any further information from us,” the Nvidia spokesman said.
Shortly after Teter’s outreach, officials from the Justice Department took control of the Megaspeed probe, giving their counterparts at the Commerce Department less of a role, according to people familiar with the matter.
One of the reasons: Justice Department officials worried that Kessler’s contact with Nvidia on a sensitive government matter that could affect their business had tainted the investigation, some of the people said.
In October 2025, Trump, preparing for a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, told advisers he was considering allowing Nvidia to sell a new generation of AI chips in China as a trade-talks concession. A group of advisers including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick persuaded him it would harm national security.
Before Trump’s trip to China to meet with Xi in May of this year, Rubio supervised the drafting of a classified memo warning that the Nvidia CEO had a personal relationship with a suspected Chinese spy and circulated it to top administration officials, people familiar with the matter said. Huang was initially left off the trip, then boarded Air Force One in Alaska.
Asked about the memo on Monday, Trump said it was possible his intelligence people had shown it to him, but he didn’t recall seeing it. “Certainly, it didn’t make much of an impact on me,” he said.
Write to Robbie Whelan at robbie.whelan@wsj.com and Amrith Ramkumar at amrith.ramkumar@wsj.com
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Moscow summit tests Russia’s waning grip on former Soviet allies | Politics News
The Kremlin’s tense relationship with Armenia will be under the spotlight at a security summit in Moscow.
President Vladimir Putin will chair a session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Russia-dominated post-Soviet military bloc, on Wednesday.
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list of 4 itemsend of listBut since February 2024, Armenia’s participation in the bloc has been frozen.
While the membership technically exists, Armenia does not participate in the bloc’s activities, having effectively boycotted it after it lost a war against Azerbaijan. Yerevan blamed the group for failing to offer meaningful support during the conflict.
Armenia “de facto doesn’t participate in the CSTO’s operations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week. “What happens next will depend on the nature of the discussions within the organisation.”
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on November 5 that “our interest in the CSTO has run its course”.
During the 2020 war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region once dominated by ethnic Armenians, the CSTO failed to live up to its core principle.
Neither Russia nor other member states – Belarus and three Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – deployed troops to aid Armenia, though the CSTO’s charter envisages such aid.
Moscow also maintains two military bases in Armenia with thousands of servicemen and border guards.
Azerbaijan, which withdrew from the CSTO in 1999, used new weaponry procured from Russia for billions of dollars.
Baku’s military triumph also relied on Turkish and Israeli-made drones and a revised war playbook that reflected recent breakthroughs in warfare and military technology.
Pashinyan’s anti-Kremlin stance has been a thorn in Moscow’s side since he came to power in 2018 after massive protests against Russia-backed Armenian leaders. Yerevan is also seeking membership in the European Union.
Armenia’s ‘useful timing’
Moves to strip Armenia of its voting rights in the CSTO amount to “a demonstrative whipping”, Galiya Ibragimova, a Moldova-based expert on Central Asia, told Al Jazeera.
“Considering that the other CSTO nations are more dependent on Russia economically or stick to the, ‘Don’t poke the tiger’ logic, they’ll keep mum or watch how a bad student is being whipped in class,” she said.
The political gauntlet that Armenia – a nation of 3 million coping with the arrival of more than 100,000 people from Nagorno-Karabakh – threw at Moscow reflects a paradigm shift in the former Soviet Union.
“Yerevan’s timing for these steps is very useful as Russia is too busy with its war in Ukraine and is to a large extent weakened by [Western] sanctions and Ukraine’s military strikes on Russian economic infrastructure, as well as a looming recession,” Alisher Ilkhamov, head of the London-based Central Asia Due Diligence think tank, told Al Jazeera.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 became another pivotal moment that appeared to show how ineffective the CSTO was, as none of the member states backed Moscow militarily.
Shortly before the Ukraine war erupted, the CSTO flexed its muscles in January 2022, when Russia sent thousands of peacekeepers to several Kazakh cities following massive street protests.
But Moscow’s reported failures in the Ukraine war turned Russia’s political and military might “into a myth even Russian officials and military believe in – not to mention CSTO member states,” Ibragimova believes.
She said that the Russian weapons CSTO member states can procure are sold as both “discounted” and yet “advanced”, but in reality, “are very old weapons Russia didn’t need”.
Meanwhile, the ex-Soviet nations of Central Asia and the South Caucasus find new formats of military interaction.
One of them is the Turkiye-led Organization of Turkic States, which includes Azerbaijan and three Central Asian nations.
In late September, thousands of elite servicemen from Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Turkiye trained in Nagorno-Karabakh and on the Caspian shore to seize ships, land paratroopers and use drones to attack and supply ammunition.
They also try regional cooperation.
In October 2025, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan held joint drills.
Moscow also failed to convince Uzbekistan, Central Asia’s economic powerhouse with a population of 37 million, to rejoin the CSTO.
Uzbekistan left the bloc in 1999, rejoined in 2006 and suspended its membership in 2012, preferring the role of an “observer state”.
“And even though Moscow expresses its vexation with the signs of disloyalty from Eurasian nations such as Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, it is so far only limited by expressing its dissatisfaction verbally,” Ilkhamov said.
“In the near future, Moscow [will be] unable to take decisive steps to bridle the region’s somewhat disloyal nations.”
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev tries to “compensate for his steps towards the West with demonstration of loyalty towards Moscow,” Ilkhamov said.
Mirziyoyev has attended the most important date of Moscow’s political calendar – the annual May 9 “Victory Parade” that commemorates the Soviet Union’s decisive role in defeating Nazi Germany.
He also sends Uzbek troops to joint drills with Russia – but also welcomes Western dignitaries such as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who visited Uzbekistan in mid-October.
“No matter how Russian officials hint to Uzbekistan that it would be good to return, it never did,” Ibragimova said.
The only “real” item on the Moscow summit’s agenda is the security situation in Afghanistan, which borders Central Asia, Ruslan Suleymanov, an associate fellow at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre, a US-British think tank, told Al Jazeera.
Russian officials have warned this year that up to 23,000 fighters from more than 20 armed groups operate in Afghanistan.
Especially dangerous is ISIL in Khorasan Province (ISKP), which operates in several Afghan provinces.
The group “actively recruits youngsters from Central Asia, especially Tajikistan,” Suleymanov said.
The group’s operations reach far beyond Afghanistan – it claimed responsibility for the 2024 attack on a Moscow concert hall that killed more than 140 people, including five children, and wounded more than 550.
This year, the CSTO states boosted security on the Afghan-Tajik border that spans 1,344km (835 miles).
“That’s why Russia and Central Asian nations take what’s happening in Afghanistan seriously,” Suleymanov said.
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Science Takes Center Stage At The Niswonger With Mr. C's The World In Motion
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