Articles by Unknown

Technology

World News | Bhutan Hosts Global Peace Prayer Festival Uniting Buddhist Leaders Worldwide for Compassion and Harmony

Thimphu [Bhutan], November 4 (ANI): The Global Peace Prayer Festival has commenced in Bhutan, marking the start of a landmark spiritual gathering that brings together Buddhist leaders, practitioners, and peace advocates from around the world from November 4 to 17. The festival, being held in Thimphu, features sacred rituals, a non-sectarian Global Peace Prayer, the mass recitation of Bazaguru, public blessings, and the Kalachakra Empowerment. It aims to unite spiritual leaders and practitioners from all traditions of Buddhism to foster peace, compassion, and harmony in a world increasingly marked by conflict and division. Also Read | Tanzania Presidential Election: Samia Suluhu Hassan of Chama Cha Mapinduzi Wins With 97.66% Vote, Becomes Nation's 1st Elected Female President. Organised by the Royal Government of Bhutan, the 13-day festival brings together eminent lamas, scholars, and practitioners from all vehicles of Buddhism--Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. The gathering seeks to harness the transformative power of loving-kindness and awareness to co-create a future rooted in peace and happiness. The Global Peace Prayer Festival commenced with the sacred ritual of Jabzhi Dhoechog, conducted by the Central Monastic Body at Kuenselphodrang. The rare ritual, performed on a grand scale, combines peaceful offerings with wrathful protection to heal, cleanse, and purify the body, speech, and mind of negative karma. Also Read | Strangulation Porn Ban: UK Government To Criminalise Pornography Depicting 'Choking' or Suffocation Under New Crime Bill To Protect Women and Girls From Sexual Violence. As the celebrations continue, a Global Peace Prayer will be held at Changlimithang Ground, where representatives of all sects of Vajrayana Buddhism and other Buddhist traditions will offer prayers for world peace. The prayers will be conducted in multiple languages, including English, Tibetan, and Dzongkha, with simultaneous translations provided during teachings and empowerments. Eminent lamas will also offer public blessings, allowing devotees to receive spiritual grace and guidance. This will be followed by the mass recitation of the Bazaguru mantra, a collective act of devotion and mindfulness that unites people from diverse backgrounds in a shared aspiration for peace. The Kalachakra Initiation and Empowerment, presided over by His Holiness the Je Khenpo, will offer profound teachings on the sacred connection between the individual and the universe, as well as the innate Buddha nature present within all beings. A detailed schedule featuring participation from lamas across Bhutan and abroad will be released as the event progresses. The festival will also witness the Bhikkhuni Ordination, known as the Gelongma Ordination, where more than 250 Buddhist nuns from around the world will be ordained by His Holiness the Je Khenpo at the Training and Resource Centre of the Bhutan Nuns Foundation in Tshalumaphey, Thimphu. This marks the second such ordination organised by the Bhutan Nuns Foundation for Mahayana Buddhist nuns. In addition to the main ceremonies, the festival will showcase an exhibition of Kalachakra art and artefacts and host scholarly seminars on the Kalachakra tradition. These events reflect Bhutan's enduring commitment to preserving and sharing the spiritual heritage of Buddhism with the world. Bhutan's Global Peace Prayer Festival stands as a historic occasion of unity, devotion, and global healing, offering a powerful message of compassion and collective spiritual awakening in times of turmoil. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)

Nov 4, 2025

Technology

India News | Coimbatore Police Arrest 3 Men Accused of Gang-rape in Encounter, Constable Injured

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 4 (ANI): The Coimbatore Police has arrested three men accused of gang-raping a 20-year-old college student in a suburb of the city, city Commissioner Saravana Sundar confirmed on Tuesday. The accused, identified as Guna, Karuppasamy, and Karthik alias Kaleeswaran, were shot in the leg during an encounter while trying to escape. They were subsequently taken to the Coimbatore government hospital for treatment. Also Read | Stocks to Buy or Sell Today, November 4, 2025: Bharti Airtel, Zydus Lifesciences, and Cipla Among Shares That May Remain in Spotlight on Tuesday. According to the police, a head constable was also injured in the encounter. The incident occurred on Sunday night when the victim and her friend were attacked by the three men near the Coimbatore International Airport. The men allegedly kidnapped the student, sexually assaulted her, and later abandoned her. The victim's friend regained consciousness and alerted the authorities, which led to a rescue operation. Also Read | Indore Bus Accident: 3 Dead, Nearly 30 Injured As Passenger Bus Falls Into Gorge; CM Mohan Yadav Announces INR 2 Lakh Ex-Gratia for Kin of Deceased (Watch Videos). According to police, the three arrived in a vehicle and attacked her friend while the couple were in the area on Sunday night. Following the attack, the men allegedly threatened and kidnapped her. BJP Mahila Morcha National President Vanathi Srinivasan visited the site of the incident, criticising the police for describing the area as "remote." She claimed that the spot has been a hub of anti-social activities and demanded better protection and safety measures from the authorities. "We are standing at the location where the incident happened yesterday. The car window was broken, and she was taken to a nearby area. This is not a remote location; residential colonies are nearby, and people have easy access to this area. The police are claiming it was a very remote area, but in reality, it is part of the city," she told ANI. "Unfortunately, this spot is being used for anti-social activities, and it is the responsibility of the police and local administration to ensure proper protection and safety," she added. Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's General Secretary, Aadhav Arjuna, also condemned the incident, expressing shock and outrage over the alleged gang rape. He emphasised the need for safer public spaces for women and called for action against the perpetrators. In a post on X, he shared, "The news that a college student in Coimbatore has become a victim of gang rape and violence has caused immense shock. A student studying at a college in Coimbatore was talking with her friend near the Coimbatore airport last Sunday night. At that moment, three individuals who arrived there in an inebriated state severely assaulted the student's friend who was seated in a car and abducted her." According to the TVK leader, the girl was rescued by Peelamedu police station officials after her friend regained consciousness and alerted the authorities. "Subsequently, they engaged in gang rape and violence in the same area. After a long time, the male friend regained consciousness and informed the Peelamedu police station through his cell phone. The police who arrived at the scene rescued the student and sent her to the hospital," he added. He said that this incident served as yet another proof of the unsafe situation that has now arisen in Tamil Nadu, to the extent that women cannot move freely in public spaces. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)

Nov 4, 2025

Technology

Sports News | Vidarbha's In-form Batter Yash Rathod Overtakes Hazare, Kambli for Special Feat in Ranji Trophy

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 4 (ANI): Vidarbha batter Yash Rathod's purple patch in the domestic circuit continued with a blistering century against Tamil Nadu in Round 3 of the Ranji Trophy. As Rathod's golden run continued, he overtook Vijay Hazare and Vinod Kambli in the list for the highest first-class average for any Indian batter with at least 2,000 runs. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Police Hails Deepti Sharma's Heroics After India's Historic ICC Women's World Cup 2025 Triumph (See Post). Vidarbha and Tamil Nadu are squaring off at the Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science Ground in Coimbatore. Tamil Nadu crawled its way to 291 despite Pradosh Ranjan Paul (113) and Baba Indrajith's (96) 179-run stand for the fourth wicket. Vidarbha speedster Nachiket Bhute stood out with figures of 5/65 and was the prime architect behind Tamil Nadu's downfall. Rathod walked out in the middle after Aman Mokhade (80), Dhruv Shorey (82) and R Samarth (56) toyed with Tamil Nadu's bowling attack and field setup. The southpaw blazed his way to a half-century in 61 balls and slammed his ninth first-class century, midway through the second session. Also Read | Fact Check: Did Laura Wolvaardt Post ‘I’m Not crying, Happy for India’ on X After South Africa Lost the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Final? Here’s the Truth. With 2,280 runs under his belt with an average of 60, Rathod has the sixth-highest first-class average for any Indian batter with at least 2,000 runs, going past Vijay Hazare (58.38) and Vinod Kambli (59.67), according to Wisden. He also became the 12th player to wallop 2,000 runs at an average of 60 or more. Among the 12 players, Rathod is the only player to achieve the feat without registering a double ton. His exploits came to an end on 133 and his tally in the current season has now soared to 775 runs in seven matches, at an average of 110.7. Last season, he was the top run-getter in the Ranji Trophy with a tally 960 runs in 10 games. Rathod kickstarted his season with 324 runs in three games while representing Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy. Rathod notched figures of 91 & 5 during Vidarbha's 93-run triumph against Rest of India in the Irani Cup one-off match. He topped it up with scores of 71 and 101* against Nagaland and Jharkhand in the first two Ranji Trophy matches of the season. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)

Nov 4, 2025

Technology

Former Emgwen MP, ALEX KOSGEY, linked to an affair with a popular instagram baddie - He is bankrolling her lavish lifestyle (PHOTOs)

Monday, November 3, 2025 - Former Emgwen Member of Parliament, Alex Kosgey, has been linked to a romantic fling with a popular Instagram baddie whose glamorous lifestyle has become the talk of the town. According to sources close to the flamboyant slay queen, identified as Phiny Holyne on Instagram, the former legislator is allegedly the man funding her sudden rise to luxury, transforming her from a modest content creator into a high-end socialite living the soft life. Reports suggest Kosgey has been bankrolling her lavish escapades, including trips to Dubai, Zanzibar and Cape Town, destinations that Phiny regularly flaunts on her Instagram stories, complete with designer outfits, luxury hotels and champagne brunches. Insiders further claim that the ex-MP has a well-known appetite for Instagram baddies, allegedly scouting for them online and spoiling them with cash. Below are photos of the flashy Instagram baddie. The Kenyan DAILY POST

Nov 4, 2025

Technology

Former Nairobi Governor MIKE SONKO’s beautiful KAMBA side chick unmasked - They were recently in Dubai (PHOTOs)

Monday, November 3, 2025 - Digital detectives have once again struck, this time unmasking a lady alleged to be former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko’s secret lover. According to sources, the flamboyant politician is reportedly entangled in a steamy affair with a young medic identified as Cate Mutheu, believed to hail from Machakos County. Insiders reveal that just a few weeks ago, Sonko and Mutheu jetted off to Dubai, where they spent quality time together, enjoying the city’s lavish lifestyle away from the public eye. being married, Sonko has often admitted to having a history of infidelity, once publicly confessing that he had cheated on his wife multiple times, even as he urged men to “respect their wives.” photos of his alleged side chick. The Kenyan DAILY POST

Nov 4, 2025

Technology

Instagram baddie, PHINY, shares PHOTOs from Asia during a luxury vacation sponsored by former Emgwen MP, ALEX KOSGEY

Monday, November 3, 2025 - Popular Instagram baddie, Phiny Holyne, has shared a series of jaw-dropping photos from her luxury vacation in Asia, with reports suggesting that the lavish trip was sponsored by former Emgwen MP, Alex Phiny, known for her glamorous lifestyle and designer wardrobe, has been flooding Instagram with breathtaking photos taken in high-end resorts, exotic beaches, and five-star restaurants, leaving her followers in awe. Insiders whisper that Phiny’s Asian getaway is fully funded by the soft-spoken former lawmaker, who is said to have a soft spot for “slay queens and Insta-baddies.” See the photos. The Kenyan DAILY POST

Nov 4, 2025

Technology

Chaos in Juja! Lopha Sacco bus set ablaze after conductor throws stage attendant out of moving vehicle, killing him on the spot (PHOTOs)

Monday, November 3, 2025 - Tension gripped Juja High Point along the busy Thika Superhighway after an enraged mob set ablaze a Lopha Sacco bus following the tragic death of a stage attendant, popularly known as kamagira, who was thrown out of the moving vehicle by the bus conductor. According to eyewitnesses, the deceased was demanding his Ksh 20 commission after helping to fill up the bus at the stage. However, an argument erupted between him and the conductor as the bus began to move. In a shocking turn of events, the conductor reportedly pushed the stage attendant out of the speeding bus, killing him on the News of his death spread quickly, sparking outrage among locals and fellow stage workers who descended on the scene, torching the bus in protest. Police officers arrived at the scene to contain the situation and later moved the body to the mortuary. See photos. The Kenyan DAILY POST

Nov 4, 2025

Technology

Senator OBURU OGINGA recalls final conversation with RAILA just hours before sudden death in India - “He was in high spirits”

Monday, November 03, 2025 - Siaya Senator and interim ODM Party Leader, Oburu Oginga, has shared emotional details of his final conversation with his late brother, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, just hours before his unexpected death. Speaking during an interview with NTV on Sunday night, Oburu revealed that the two had spoken on Tuesday evening and were making plans to reunite in Dubai over the weekend. Raila was scheduled to be discharged from the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Centre in Kerala and travel to Dubai on Friday, while Oburu was set to arrive on Sunday. “I spoke with him the night he died, and he was in very good “We talked over a lot of issues,” Oburu said. “He was to meet me that weekend… we were planning to meet there, as he was to stay for four days.” Oburu said the call left him hopeful, especially since Raila had completed treatment for a blood clot in Mumbai and was only recuperating in The news of his collapse the next morning came as a shock. “I was changing to go play golf when my sister called. I almost collapsed myself,” he recalled. Twenty minutes later, he received confirmation that doctors had failed to resuscitate Raila. Oburu dismissed speculation that the family or Government had concealed Raila’s condition, insisting that all public updates were He also confirmed being present with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki during the now-infamous phone call to Raila, made just a day before his passing. The Kenyan DAILY POST

Nov 4, 2025

Technology

Senator OBURU opens up on the blood clot that was found in late RAILA ODINGA’s head before his trip to India where he died – “He was feeling weak”

Monday, November, 03, 2025 - Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga has shed new light on former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s final days, disclosing that a blood clot discovered in the late Raila Odinga’s head was the reason behind his medical trip to India. Speaking in an interview on Sunday, November 2nd, Oburu revealed that doctors in Nairobi initially detected the clot and began treatment using strong medication aimed at dissolving it. However, the intensity of the treatment reportedly weakened Raila, prompting the decision to seek specialized care abroad. “A blood clot was discovered in the late Raila’s head, and it was being dissolved by our doctors here in Nairobi, but they were using strong medicine, which was wearing him down.” “He was feeling weak and tired because of that kind of medication,” Oburu said. He added that upon arrival in Mumbai, Indian doctors successfully cleared the clot, after which Raila was discharged and moved to Kerala for recuperation. In the same interview, Oburu defended ODM’s Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, amid internal calls for his removal. He emphasized that this is a time for unity, not division, within the party. “This is not the time to talk about the ouster of any ODM “We need all members, including Sifuna, and he is in my view doing a good job,” Oburu stated. He further backed Sifuna’s recent remarks on the broad-based Government and the 2027 elections, affirming that they reflect the official ODM “When Edwin Sifuna said whatever he said, he was within his rights… he is not isolated,” Oburu asserted. The Kenyan DAILY POST

Nov 4, 2025

Technology

When stick figures fought

Welcome! This is another Sunday edition of the Animation Obsessive newsletter, and here’s our slate: 1) On the Xiao Xiao Flash series.2) Animation newsbits. A quick note before we start. The newsletter recently passed 60,000 subscribers — a number we can’t believe. Huge thanks to everyone who’s chosen to come along as we look into animation from all over the world. With that, let’s go! 1 – Stick fights Before YouTube, TikTok or social media as a whole, there was Flash. It changed the internet. The Shockwave Flash (.SWF) file format allowed animation and even games to run on dial-up connections. It’s all been retired now — but, in its heyday, web designers everywhere used Flash to make sites feel slick. There was another group that took to Flash, too: amateur animators. The program was easy to use, and creations with it were easy to share. This caused the first online animation boom. A solo artist with only a home computer could reach millions. That was a big deal in the United States — but it was, in some ways, a bigger deal in China. Flash arrived there in the late ‘90s, and it became era-defining. The so-called “Flashers” (闪客) spoke with the bold, new voice of the younger generation. Their work fascinated the press and public alike. “Chinese underground films and rock ‘n’ roll music were once the expression of rebellious passions in the pursuit of ... new cultural dimensions,” scholar Weihua Wu once wrote, “but today these passions are expressed through the channels of Flash.”1 China’s internet cafes were packed with Flash-watchers by the early 2000s.2 And one of their favorites was Xiao Xiao (2000–2002), a violent action series about stick figures. It was simple, utterly of its time and copied to infinity. Quickly, it outgrew China and became a phenomenon around the world. For people of a certain age, who grew up online, Xiao Xiao and its clones were part of life. The series isn’t deep and has little to say: it’s just kung fu, firefights, blood and chaos. But it was the height of cool to its (mostly young) audience. It was also a gateway to Flash animation for many. That was true inside and outside China. Xiao Xiao was a hit on Western sites like Newgrounds and Albino Blacksheep, which hosted Flash files. It did numbers across Taiwan, Korea, Japan and beyond. These brutal little stick figures — and their moves reminiscent of Hong Kong action movies and The Matrix — connected worldwide. Still, the series is Chinese. Its creator, Zhu Zhiqiang, was a man in his mid-20s. And he was an unlikely star. Zhu wasn’t trained in animation. Before he discovered Flash, he eked out a living as a graphic designer. He wasn’t tech-y, either. Zhu first encountered computers only in 1997, after his move from Jilin City (in the Northeast) to Beijing. Those were hard years. Zhu had dropped out after junior high, and his first Beijing job paid 800 yuan per month — something like $181 after inflation. He was clocking endless overtime to make up the difference. In fact, for him, getting work at all could mean telling lies. He landed one job by claiming he’d graduated from a “technical secondary school” but hadn’t brought his diploma.3 Still, Zhu had a passion. He loved stick figures. He’d started animating them in 1989, at age 14 — drawing in the corners of book after book, flipping the pages to make his characters move. His inspirations were partly Jackie Chan films, partly his childhood love of Dragon Ball. Around the turn of the century, Zhu revisited that passion through software. A lot was happening when he made his first virtual stick-figure fight, Dugu Qiubai, in April 2000. The Flash scene was just taking off in China through sites like Flash Empire. A few months earlier, a violent Flash called Gangster’s Paradise got popular, launching a new era of ambition for Flashers.4 Its creator became Zhu’s “idol.” Zhu animated Dugu Qiubai with Corel Painter, but he quickly switched to Flash. He basically started from zero. Not long before, he said, “I had no computer skills, my English was not good, I couldn’t program and my drawing [ability] was average.” He learned Flash mostly alone, using a mouse to create each frame. That became his process. In mid-2000, Zhu made a sequel to Dugu Qiubai called Xiao Xiao No. 2.5 These early projects were popular, and they got Zhu a web design job at Sohu, the Beijing company that hosted his work. As 2000 went on, the press noticed China’s Flash scene, and he was one of the artists they profiled.6 But all of this was only a tee-up for Xiao Xiao No. 3 — the project that made Zhu’s stick figures world-famous. Zhu put seven months into Xiao Xiao No. 3. It was a hobby project, made in his spare time. The film is simply drawn, and there’s no plot or acting here: just a giant brawl, as a lone stickman takes down a small army. The cool factor was unprecedented for a Flash animation back then, though. It counted for a lot. There’s something a little mesmerizing even today about the movement of Zhu’s fighters. When Xiao Xiao No. 3 appeared in April 2001, the reaction was immediate, even in the States. Forum users were calling it “mind blowing,” and getting their threads locked because so many people had already posted about it. A Nintendo fansite went off-script to show this “l33t animation” to its readers. Later in the year, it hit the Detroit Free Press: Just when you thought you’d seen the most Flash animations could do online, along comes Xiao Xiao No. 3. Put simply, it’s a Jackie Chan-style gang-against-one martial arts fight among stick figures. If that sounds silly, the choreography is truly Chan-worthy, with figures running up walls, doing 360-degree kicks and generally showing off the best that martial arts offer. ... Even the cinematography is inspiring: 3D shots, slow-motion and a Matrix-style camera wraparound that’ll have you asking for more.7 Zhu could tell that he’d hit upon something. He’d burned his email address into the video, and viewers used it to contact him. “The part that made the deepest impression,” Zhu recalled, “was on the third day, I received 1,200 emails in one day. There was no junk in them, and 80% of them were not written by Chinese people, but by people from all over the world.” Even though the internet was small at the time, Xiao Xiao No. 3’s numbers remain impressive. By late 2001, it had 800,000-plus views on Flash Empire and more than half a million on Newgrounds, not counting the (many) other sites that hosted it. Over the years, the Newgrounds upload alone would climb upward of 5 million. A writer for Flash Empire noted, “I don’t know how the author made such a good work.”8 Without warning, Zhu had turned into an early e-celebrity. The Xiao Xiao series blew up just as Flash was taking over the mainland. Some called 2001 “the year of Chinese Flash,” and one magazine named Zhu the “Internet Person of the Year.” Hearing all the buzz, Zhu’s father went to an internet cafe to see Xiao Xiao for himself. He was shocked. It was the same stuff, he realized, that Zhu had drawn in the corners of those books. Zhu soon became a freelance animator — and he started to make money. Major brands (like Cityplaza in Hong Kong) wanted his stick figures in their ads. Just three months after Xiao Xiao No. 3, he made a deal with the company Barunson to host the series in Korea.9 By the end of 2001, Zhu was on TV with his fellow Flashers, and the press was visiting his home. Again, Zhu was an unlikely star. Reporters found that he slept on a couch, rarely went outside and woke up close to the afternoon. His limit as a cook was a simple potato-and-egg dish, so he ate out a lot — but only cheaply. Asked how long he worked each day, he said, “More than 8 hours.” Besides that, he mainly watched TV.10 As Beijing Today reported in early 2002, Zhu: … is a quiet young man, easygoing and a little shy; he spoke very slowly and it takes him longer than others to put his ideas into words. But when it comes to design and Flash he resolutely sticks to his own ideas. … He stays at home most of the time and seldom goes out, except for some Flashmaker get-togethers and activities. All of his time is devoted to animation. Zhu didn’t invent violent stickman animations. In the ‘90s, the Western site Stick Figure Death Theatre hosted exactly what its name implied. But Xiao Xiao, and its mix of Jackie Chan with Jet Li with The Matrix, perfected the idea. (Also, Zhu denied having seen the foreign stickman work beforehand — after all, he’d done these himself since age 14.) Either way, it was Xiao Xiao that made “stick fights” massive online. Clones were rampant — even Stick Figure Death Theatre had them. As one paper reported in 2002: The Web’s legions of part-time Flash animators have begun producing their own copies of Xiao Xiao — so many, in fact, that there’s a whole portal dedicated to them. Stick Figure Death Theatre ... has so many stick man knockoffs, you have to wonder why Zhu doesn’t just give up.11 The competition didn’t shrink Xiao Xiao, though. As Zhu made new episodes through 2001 and 2002 (a shooting game here, a kung fu film there), his work still towered. And he was getting more ambitious. His code was better, and episodes seven and eight are full of 3D camerawork — done with the help of 3ds Max. Xiao Xiao remained totally style-over-substance, but that style continued to excite the internet. A question hung over the Flashers, though. Where was all of this headed? The Flash scene in China was defined by self-expression. As Zhu said, “TV is made for everyone to watch; Flash is made for oneself to watch.” That ethos made the scene bigger and bigger — by 2003, Flash Empire had its own show on television.12 Yet these artists needed to make money, too. Otherwise, it could only be a hobby. Money was the hard problem. Getting hired to do Flash animation wasn’t a guarantee, and the rates for this work weren’t always the best. Zhu noted that “most Flashers have very difficult lives.”13 There was the problem of ownership, too. A lot of Flashers freely swiped copyrighted sound, music and characters. How could they ever charge? Zhu tried to answer those questions. His “matchstick man,” the pitch-black stick figure that leads Xiao Xiao, was a recognizable character. Brands wanted to associate with it, and Zhu wanted to profit from it. He kept his work as original as possible, copyrighted his films and, in 2003, submitted a trademark application for the stickman. By then, though, the Nike ads were already airing abroad. In early 2003, Nike rolled out the “Stickman” campaign.14 It stars an animated stick figure much like the one in Xiao Xiao, and its flashy moves are, at times, suspiciously similar to Zhu’s ideas. When this campaign hit China, he contacted Nike about it. That went nowhere, so he sued. Nike was defiant when the story hit the papers. “It is obvious that the plaintiff intended to promote himself and his Flash works by accusing a famous multi-national company,” said one Nike lawyer. Meanwhile, Zhu said that the Stickman character was so similar to his own, people assumed he’d done the ads himself. Plus, he called stick figures like these a “perfect” fit for sports advertising — which meant trouble for him. “Once Nike uses [these characters], how is anyone going to come to me to make them?” he asked. Already, a publisher had backed out of his book project thanks to Nike’s ads, Zhu claimed.15 Although Zhu kept releasing a little Xiao Xiao-branded commercial work, there were no new episodes in 2003. “I’ll resume after the lawsuit is over,” he said.16 The case turned into a yearslong ordeal. He saw its outcome as critical to his future. In early 2004, a Chinese outlet reported this: Zhu Zhiqiang told reporters that he has already drawn up a bright “career blueprint” for “Matchstick Man,” but the most important thing right now is to win the lawsuit. After all, these bright prospects are all based on the confirmation of the copyright to “Matchstick Man.” Zhu initially won in court. Then the appeals process ran until 2006, when he finally lost. The stick figures were too different, according to the judges, and the imagery was too simple to copyright. Nike was in the clear. Zhu faced thousands of dollars in court fees.17 After this, he didn’t animate much. Motorola hired him to do another Xiao Xiao-inspired ad in 2007, but the series never returned. By 2008, Zhu worked as a coder. He and James Gao, the creator of Flash Empire, joined the creative agency VML and got involved in mobile games. Xiao Xiao was done.18 In many ways, Zhu’s art career was a casualty of the early internet. If the roadmap from viral success to solid income is faint today, it didn’t exist at all in 2003. Getting a Xiao Xiao-sized hit now would, most likely, give someone a shot at starting a business. Zhu had none of the tools necessary to do so. The Stickman campaign was just another layer of the problem. It was the era when a major company could brush off the bad PR that comes with copying a major online artist. Is it believable that no one involved in the Nike ads had seen Xiao Xiao? Not really — it was popular with young people worldwide. Yet Zhu was new media at a time when old media ruled. What could he do? All that said, the Xiao Xiao story isn’t one of failure, first and foremost. It has to be emphasized: this series was huge. It inspired people around the world. That happened in China (Bu Hua, the creator of Cat, was a big Xiao Xiao fan) and abroad.19 Xiao Xiao is definitely shallow, and its look isn’t adventurous. But that simplicity made it approachable. Any young person could watch it, get it and copy it. Other defining hits from China’s Flash scene — Big Fish & Chinese Flowering Crab Apple, The Black Bird and so on — could be too complex or specific to China for the world to imitate. Xiao Xiao wasn’t. Back then, anyone could understand a stick-figure fight. Zhu may not have reaped the benefits of this series himself, but he absolutely paved the way for the Flash scene — which paved the way for what came next. Chinese Flash, which Xiao Xiao helped to pioneer, trained a new generation of animators and filmmakers. Lots of key people started there, including Zhang Ping, whose Legend of Hei II made a serious dent in the box office this year. Flash artists abroad were no less impacted by the success of Zhu’s work. A couple of years ago, an archivist named Ben Latimore put out an ebook. Since Adobe began the retirement of Flash in 2017, he’s been preserving .SWF files and the history around them. His book is a chronicle of the Flash era, which he sees as a lost golden age. On the final page, he wrote this about that time: … intense creativity, easy-to-access software, notable but not crippling limitations, almost universal compatibility across the entire technological space of its time, widespread adoption by encouraging free consumption and sharing in an age where “going viral” actually meant something, all combining to influence the entire entertainment industry with one strike after another? That’s something that we’ll never be able to recreate, only remember fondly. All driven by a bunch of guys sitting in their bedrooms who watched too much Xiao Xiao.20 2 – Newsbits We lost Fung Yuk Song (85), a veteran of Shanghai Animation Film Studio and other companies. He worked on One Night in an Art Gallery (1978), one of the films that marked the end of the Cultural Revolution.The Night Boots, a beautiful pinscreen film from France, took the top prize at the Fredrikstad festival. It’s won a lot this year — with luck, an Oscar nomination is coming. (Note that the film is streaming for free via The Animation Showcase.)In America, there’s a Los Angeles screening of Aya of Yop City and quite a few animated shorts happening on Monday (November 3), put together by the curators at Black Revivalist and Loose Frames.In India, the director of RRR is preparing an animated feature called Baahubali: The Eternal War. An impressive teaser is already showing in theaters.In Mexico, I Am Frankelda pulled in 13.3 million pesos during its first weekend, a top-six opening for a Mexican movie this year. After a week, its earnings passed 20 million pesos (approaching $1.1 million), and it drew 300,000-plus attendees.The film anyone lived in a pretty how town premiered this week. It was narrated by the late Jane Goodall before her death last month. A Lithuanian studio, Meinart, handled its animation.The Japanese film Black came out. We interviewed director Shinya Ohira about it, and his creative process in general, earlier this year.A new report from Japan shows that anime became a $25 billion industry last year, thanks to its international spread. “The overseas market now far exceeds local revenues,” said the report’s editor, “and the gap will only widen.”One more from Japan: outrage is growing in the anime industry over OpenAI’s blatant copyright infringement.The Cinema Fund in Russia backed Alexander Petrov’s paint-on-glass feature The Prince — and Bulgakov, the latest from Stanislav Sokolov (Hoffmaniada).In America, Paramount laid off 1,000 people this week. “Another 1,000 layoffs are expected,” notes The Hollywood Reporter.Last of all: we wrote about stunning early animation from Germany.

Nov 4, 2025

Technology

Judge in D.C. sandwich thrower case calls it "the simplest case in the world"

Throwing a sandwich at a federal agent turned Sean Charles Dunn into a symbol of resistance against President Trump's law-enforcement surge in the nation's capital. This week, federal prosecutors are trying to persuade a jury of fellow Washington, D.C., residents that Dunn simply broke the law.That could be a tough sell for the government in a city that has chafed against Mr. Trump's federal takeover, which is entering its third month. A grand jury refused to indict Dunn on a felony assault count before U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office opted to charge him instead with a misdemeanor.Securing a trial conviction could prove to be equally challenging for Justice Department prosecutors in Washington, where murals glorifying Dunn's sandwich toss popped up virtually overnight.Before jury selection started Monday, the judge presiding over Dunn's trial seemed to acknowledge how unusual it is for a case like this to be heard in federal court. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was nominated to the bench by Mr. Trump, said he expects the trial to last no more than two days "because it's the simplest case in the world."A video that went viral on social media captured Dunn hurling a "submarine-style sandwich" at a Customs and Border Protection agent outside a nightclub on the night of Aug. 10. That same weekend, Mr. Trump announced his deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops and federal agents to assist with police patrols in Washington.When Dunn approached a group of CBP agents who were in front of a club hosting a "Latin Night," he called them "fascists" and "racists" and chanted "shame" toward them. An observer's video captured Dunn throwing a sandwich at an agent's chest."Why are you here? I don't want you in my city!" Dunn shouted, according to police.Dunn ran away but was apprehended. He was released from custody but rearrested when a team of armed federal agents in riot gear raided his home. The White House posted a highly produced "propaganda" video of the raid on its official X account, Dunn's lawyers said. They noted that Dunn had offered to surrender to police before the raid.Dunn worked as an international affairs specialist in the Justice Department's criminal division. After Dunn's arrest, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced his firing in a social media post that referred to him as "an example of the Deep State."Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., also issued a video announcing the arrest, saying her office is "going to back the police to the hilt. So there, stick your Subway sandwich somewhere else."Before trial, Dunn's lawyers urged the judge to dismiss the case for what they allege is a vindictive and selective prosecution. They argued that the posts by Bondi and the White House prove Dunn was impermissibly targeted for his political speech.Julia Gatto, one of Dunn's lawyers, questioned why Mr. Trump's Justice Department is prosecuting Dunn after the Republican president issued pardons and ordered the dismissal of assault cases stemming from a mob's attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021."It's an obvious answer," Gatto said during a hearing last Thursday. "The answer is they have different politics. And that's selective prosecution."Prosecutors countered that Dunn's political expressions don't make him immune from prosecution for assaulting the agent."The defendant is being prosecuted for the obvious reason that he was recorded throwing a sandwich at a federal officer at point-blank range," they wrote.Dunn is charged with assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating and interfering with a federal officer. Dozens of Mr. Trump's supporters who stormed the Capitol were convicted of felonies for assaulting or interfering with police during the Jan. 6 attack. Trump pardoned or ordered the dismissal of charges for all of them.

Nov 3, 2025

Technology

Dodgers-Blue Jays Game 7: Most Watched World Series Game Since 2017

The superstar lineups? The big home runs? The wildest ninth-inning in recent World Series memory? It all made for some serious must-see TV. The Los Angeles Dodgers' Game 7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday proved to be an instant classic. The game averaged 25.984 million viewers on FOX and FOX Sports properties, FOX Sports announced Monday. That makes it the most-watched World Series game since Game 7 of the 2017 Fall Classic, when the Houston Astros defeated the Dodgers. That game averaged 28.287 million viewers. Viewership for Saturday's game peaked at 31.543 million viewers during the 11:30-11:45 p.m. ET window. That was roughly around the time that the game went into extra innings following Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas' home run to tie the game, 4-4, in the ninth inning. Dodgers catcher Will Smith hit the go-ahead home run in the 11th before World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered a series-ending double play in the bottom half of the frame. [Relive our Game 7 coverage: 7 Takeaways | Yamamoto's Greatness] The dramatic finish helped viewership improve by 10% over the most recent World Series Game 7, when the Washington Nationals took down the Astros in 2019. That game averaged 23.187 million viewers. Saturday's Game 7 was also FOX's most-watched Saturday primetime telecast since Jan. 18. That was when the Washington Commanders upset the Detroit Lions in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Final numbers for viewership of the 2025 World Series are expected on Tuesday. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!

Nov 3, 2025

Technology

Arteta worries as Arsenal lose Gyokeres for Slavia Prague game

Arsenal will be without Viktor Gyokeres for Tuesday's Champions League game at Slavia Prague after the Swedish striker picked up a muscle injury at the weekend, manager Mikel Arteta said on Monday. Gyokeres scored the opener in Arsenal's 2-0 win at Burnley on Saturday, his fourth Premier League goal of the season, but did not emerge for the second half, and Arteta confirmed he would not feature in the match in Prague. "He's definitely not available," Arteta told reporters. "He hasn't trained today, and we need to do some more tests and scans in the next few days to understand the extent of the injury, but for this game he is not available." Gyokeres, who joined Arsenal from Sporting in July for 55 million euros ($64.14 million), has started 13 games this season for the club across the domestic league and the Champions League, and his absence is a worry for the manager. "Concern because he hasn't had many muscular issues, and he had to leave the pitch, and he was feeling something," Arteta said. "That's obviously never a good sign, especially for a player that is very, very explosive. So we are digging in a little bit more to understand where we are in terms of the injury, and we'll announce the moment we know more." Gyokeres netted 39 league goals for Sporting last season, along with six in the Champions League and the Swede's injury comes just when he looked to be hitting his stride with Arsenal. Saturday's goal was his first in the league since September 13, and he also netted twice in the most recent Champions League game, a 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid. "Obviously he was very disappointed after the match with what he felt, but this is part of football," Arteta said. "If you expect a linear line, everything going up, it's not going to happen, and if he's got something, he's going to have to deal with it, we will help him to do that. "He was in a really good moment, in really good form, very important for the team. But for tomorrow, we don't have him, so that's it." Arsenal have won all three Champions League games this season without conceding a goal while Slavia are still without a win in the league phase of the competition and are on two points. ($1 = 0.8575 euros)

Nov 3, 2025

Technology

Beta Technologies to price IPO at $34 per share, Bloomberg News reports

Electric aircraft maker Beta Technologies is expected to price its initial public offering at $34 per share, which is above its marketed range, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. The IPO is also double-digits oversubscribed, according to the report, signaling a strong investor confidence for fresh listings. The company had indicated to price its shares in the range of $27 and $33 apiece. Beta Technologies did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. U.S. IPO activity has remained strong, with several high-profile listings hitting the markets in recent months, following an earlier slowdown triggered by President Donald Trump's shifting trade policies and broader macroeconomic volatilities. The government shutdown, however, has caused short-term delays in the pipeline. Beta Technologies designs, manufactures and sells high-performance electric aircraft, advanced electric propulsion systems charging systems and components. Electric aviation remains a niche segment of the transportation industry, with only a handful of companies developing and testing commercial aircraft. Beta's aircraft has been used by the U.S. military in training missions and flown by the Federal Aviation Administration. The company is set to debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, under the ticker symbol "BETA".

Nov 3, 2025

Technology

Preserving Hokkaido’s Lost Wartime Bridge

The striking structure once consisted of ten arches. The Koshikawa Bridge over the Ikushina River was part of the former JNR Nehoku Line and remains the largest concrete railway bridge in Hokkaido. Completed in 1940 as part of a military railway project, the bridge was never used by trains before the end of the war. Two of its piers were later dismantled when a national highway opened. The bridge’s design is notable for using no reinforcing steel, a rarity among concrete structures. However, trees have taken root along the top, raising the risk of collapse. Ahead of the winter snowfall, workers recently carried out removal of the overgrown vegetation. The Shiretoko Museum is now calling for donations to cover the cost of tree removal and preservation efforts, as well as to fund initiatives to promote the historical value of the bridge for future generations. Source: 北海道ニュースUHB

Nov 3, 2025

Technology

Agent threatened Premier League player with a gun, media reports say

LONDON :A soccer agent has been arrested after threatening a Premier League player with a gun, British media reported on Monday. The BBC and other media reported the player, who is in his 20s but cannot legally be identified, was threatened in London on September 6 in a late-night incident while with a friend. The Sun said the 31-year-old accused, also unnamed, was arrested two days later and given bail on September 9 on condition there was no contact with the player. The Metropolitan Police confirmed they had been called to a street in North London at 23.14 local time on September 6 after reports a man in his 20s had been threatened with a firearm. "Officers spoke to the victim and during the course of their investigation it was also reported another man in his 20s had also allegedly been blackmailed and threatened by the same individual. No injuries were reported in either incident," they said. "A 31-year-old man was arrested on Monday 8 September on suspicion of possession of firearms with intent, blackmail and driving without a license. He has been bailed while enquiries continue."

Nov 3, 2025

Technology

Bayern need perfect game against PSG-coach Kompany

PARIS :Bayern Munich will need to play a perfect game against holders Paris St Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday if they are to have any chance of protecting their record-breaking start to the season, coach Vincent Kompany said on Monday. The German champions extended their record run in Europe's top five leagues with 15 wins from 15 games after a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. The previous best of 13 wins was held by AC Milan from 1992/3. "I think you have to believe you can do it and then need a perfect game," Kompany told a press conference ahead of the match in the French capital. "It's a classic answer. They are the winners of last season's Champions League and favourites this season. But we still have to believe in our chances." Both Bayern and PSG have won all three of their Champions League matches so far and are level on goal difference. PSG are unbeaten in their last eight competitive matches. Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, who scored in PSG's win over Bayern Munich in the Club World Cup quarter-finals, is available for the match. "With PSG it is the collective. It is not enough to concentrate on one player," Kompany said. "There is an individual aspect... but what makes this team so strong is they are working as a team in all phases of the game. "The reality is we have similar conditions. It is not only about dominance but what the team communicated until now and we have communicated the same things and we have to see what will happen now. That is what people want to see." "Whoever wins tomorrow will take a big step to get under the top eight (and qualify for the knockout stage)," Kompany said.

Nov 3, 2025

Technology

Trial starts for case against DC man who tossed sandwich at federal agent on viral video

WASHINGTON — Throwing a sandwich at a federal agent turned Sean Charles Dunn into a symbol of resistance against US President Donald Trump’s law-enforcement surge in the nation’s capital. This week, federal prosecutors are trying to persuade a jury of fellow Washington, DC, residents that Dunn simply broke the law. That could be a tough sell for the government in a city that has chafed against Trump's federal takeover entering its third month. A grand jury refused to indict Dunn on a felony assault count before US Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office opted to charge him instead with a misdemeanor. Securing a trial conviction could prove to be equally challenging for Justice Department prosecutors in Washington, where murals glorifying Dunn's sandwich toss popped up virtually overnight. Before jury selection started Monday (Nov 3), the judge presiding over Dunn's trial seemed to acknowledge how unusual it is for a case like this to be heard in federal court. US District Judge Carl Nichols, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, said he expects the trial to last no more than two days “because it’s the simplest case in the world.” A video that went viral on social media captured Dunn hurling his subway-style sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent outside a nightclub on the night of Aug 10. That same weekend, Trump announced his deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops and federal agents to assist with police patrols in Washington. When Dunn approached a group of CBP agents who were in front of a club hosting a “Latin Night,” he called them “fascists” and “racists” and chanted “shame” toward them. An observer’s video captured Dunn throwing a sandwich at an agent’s chest. “Why are you here? I don’t want you in my city!” Dunn shouted, according to police. Dunn ran away but was apprehended. He was released from custody but rearrested when a team of armed federal agents in riot gear raided his home. The White House posted a highly produced “propaganda” video of the raid on its official X account, Dunn’s lawyers said. They noted that Dunn had offered to surrender to police before the raid. "EXAMPLE OF THE DEEP STATE" Dunn worked as an international affairs specialist in the Justice Department’s criminal division. After Dunn’s arrest, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced his firing in a social media post that referred to him as “an example of the Deep State.” Before trial, Dunn's lawyers urged the judge to dismiss the case for what they allege is a vindictive and selective prosecution. They argued the posts by Bondi and the White House prove Dunn was impermissibly targeted for his political speech. Julia Gatto, one of Dunn’s lawyers, questioned why Trump’s Justice Department is prosecuting Dunn after the Republican president issued pardons and ordered the dismissal of assault cases stemming from a mob’s attack on the US Capitol on Jan 6, 2021. “It’s an obvious answer,” Gatto said during a hearing last Thursday. “The answer is they have different politics. And that’s selective prosecution.” Prosecutors countered that Dunn’s political expressions don’t make him immune from prosecution for assaulting the agent. “The defendant is being prosecuted for the obvious reason that he was recorded throwing a sandwich at a federal officer at point-blank range,” they wrote. Dunn is charged with assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with a federal officer. Dozens of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol were convicted of felonies for assaulting or interfering with police during the Jan 6 attack. Trump pardoned or ordered the dismissal of charges for all of them.

Nov 3, 2025

Technology

Baseball-Dodgers fans celebrate World Series title with championship parade

LOS ANGELES :Ecstatic Dodgers fans basked in the glow of their team's latest World Series title with a festive parade through the streets of downtown LA on Monday, days after a thrilling Game Seven win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Blue and white confetti rained down on the tens of thousands of fans who lined the streets on a sunny day to catch a glimpse of the players as they rode atop double-decker buses along the 1.7-mile parade route. The Dodgers were down to their final two outs in Saturday's decider in Toronto but rallied to become the first MLB team to repeat as champions since the New York Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000. Shohei Ohtani, the pitcher-hitter who started Game Seven, said he was enjoying the fans' enthusiasm and could not help but dream of what might still be ahead for the team. "I'm thinking about the third time we are going to do this," the Japanese superstar said through an interpreter. Dodgers fan Jason White said he experienced every emotion during the rollercoaster series, which drew huge ratings. "Unbelievable," White said while standing along the parade route. "It was shocking. It was dramatic. I couldn't watch. I had to watch secretly, you know what I mean? It was up and down, all the emotion. Classic, classic series." Retiring Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw said from atop one of the buses that he was "blown away" by the fan turnout. "It's a perfect way to be done," he said. Fans also poured into Dodger Stadium where players and manager Dave Roberts were scheduled to appear to wrap up this year's festivities. City Hall earlier in the day said it had activated the Emergency Operations Center at Level 2 with personnel from more than 20 departments to coordinate safety and logistics. Los Angeles police planned a heightened, visible presence around the route and near Dodger Stadium, and transit authorities deployed more than 125 traffic officers.

Nov 3, 2025

Technology

Barrett brothers both out for test against Scotland

EDINBURGH :New Zealand captain Scott Barrett and his brother Jordie have both been ruled out for Saturday’s test against Scotland after being forced off early in the All Blacks’ weekend win over Ireland in Chicago, officials confirmed on Monday. Scott went off after three minutes while Jordie was replaced some 13 minutes later in New Zealand’s 26-13 win at Soldier Field. Both are to undergo further medical checks on Tuesday, which should give a clearer indication of when they will be fit again. Scott suffered a gash below the knee and was given 12 stitches, while Jordie hurt his ankle and knee in a tackle as an Irish player fell on him. New Zealand coach Scott Robertson has called up Josh Beehre as cover for Scott Barrett. He started in the second row in the All Blacks XV’s win against the Barbarians in London on Sunday. (Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; editing by Pritha Sarkar)

Nov 3, 2025